DIY Growth Chart

Big news over here: I finally accomplished something from my To Do Eventually list (remember this post when I admitted I hadn't done anything from that list since I was pregnant with twins?).

When we were growing up, we marked our heights on the little wall between the kitchen and dining room. But when my family moved when I was in college, the house stagers unceremoniously painted over it and it was lost forever. I'm unreasonably sad about it, and ever since I became a mom, I've been bemoaning the fact that we're renting and can't mark anyone's height on the wall, and if we did, we'd lose it when we moved anyway.

Enter this DIY growth chart. It's main function is to mark all the kids' heights as they grow, and we can take it with us wherever we move. It's also cute and decorative. It's also a nice way to fill an empty bit of wall in a hallway, children's play room, or nursery. And, like all my crafts, it's so easy and very hard to mess up.

First, I went to Home Depot for my supplies. I got a pine board that was one inch thick, eight inches wide, and six feet tall. They normally come eight feet tall, but I smiled really nicely at an employee who cut it down to six feet for me for free. I also grabbed a mini can of wood stain (I got this one in Early American, but only because they were out of the Classic Grey). Grab a sheet of sandpaper too if you don't have one. The board was about $2.50 and the stain was about $4.50.

When I got home I sanded down my board really nicely (after the sandpaper fiasco I shared on my Instagram story, that is). I made sure to wipe off my board really well after the sanding. Then I used a super old rag dipped in stain to stain the entire front of the board and all the small sides. It went quickly and was very easy. I did two coats of stain.

I let it dry on our covered porch for three days. Which actually means I meant to let it dry for one day, but then I got busy and totally forgot about it for two more days. Third day's the charm?

I was originally going to paint each and every tick mark on there myself. Mark it off with a pencil, trace it with a sharpie, and then use paint to fill in the tick mark. And then repeat that 71 more times for the 71 additional tick marks. And then print out a stencil for each of the numbers, pencil them on, outline them, and paint them in. Yikes.

Instead I got this vinyl decal packet. You guys. If you want to do this project, hurry and order this packet like right now. It's so easy. And comes with detailed and easy-to-follow instructions. And only took me 10 minutes total to put it all on. And it stays on really well. And if you write a review, they send you your last name in vinyl for free to add to the growth chart. (For real, they do this!) And it's on sale today for only $13.79!

When you add in the vinyl decal packet, the total for this project comes to just over $20. Twenty bucks for something you'll have and use for at least the next 18 years is a pretty good deal. (You can buy premade growth charts online for $60-$80.)

But seriously everyone buy the vinyl decal packet right this second. It made this project so easy and so awesome. I got the numbers in size large, matte black.

The next step was just following the super easy instructions to attach the tick marks. It's just a peel-and-stick situation, and I really can't say enough how great the instructions were that came with it.

We used large velcro command strips (we've used these for basically everything on every wall in every house we've lived in) to stick it to the wall eight inches from the floor, et voila! Done!

Cute, easy, portable, almost impossible to mess up, and now I can be sentimental about watching my children grow as we measure them every year on their birthday.

PIN FOR LATER:

DIY New Years Notebooks

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Newell Rubbermaid , but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #stockup4schools http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

I'm finally back from my vacation! I was having a major case of the post-vacation blues the day we had to drive back from Utah. (Read: I was grumpy the entire way back in the car. Sorry Sam.) But then, we pulled up to our old familiar apartment at 8pm, and it was a beautiful cool breezy night, and I was greeted by my favorite succulents, and I got to sleep in my own bed again, and I thought - hey, this isn't too bad after all.

I have missed regular posting though, and I'm excited to get back to the grindstone. So here we go!

I'm sure you know by now I have an undying love for notebooks. And don't we all need a new notebook in January? Whether it's to write your New Years Resolutions in, to keep as a journal, to take notes in as you start a new semester at school, or just to keep track of the million little grocery lists and doctor's phone numbers and doodles throughout the day, I am a huge fan of notebooks and can never get enough.

This year, I decided to make my own notebooks. I also got supplies for the girls in my church youth group to make some as we talk about New Years Resolutions and they head back to school after a break.

Here's how: Start with your notebook. I personally love the Moleskine books, but any brand will do! If your notebook isn't the color you want, simply cut out paper for the front and back panels, and then glue or mod podge them on.

Then, decorate! I love getting the 24-pack of Sharpies from Staples (While supplies last during the week of January 3rd, Sharpie Fine and Ultra Fine Sharpie 12 packs are only $6 and Sharpie Fine and Ultra Fine 24 packs are only $10. Plus there is a buy 2 get 1 free deal on all Newell writing instruments. Find these deals at Staples!). I also got a little three-pack of metallic Sharpies for all my black notebooks. Then, figure out your decoration and start creating!

I personalized the inside of my notebook with categories and tabs and to-do lists.

I made these on a wonderful sunny snow day with my sister on my vacation. We turned up some music (that my brother promptly made us turn down a bit), ate the last of the Christmas candy, and had fun trying out different designs. In the end, we loved the metallic sharpies on black paper the best. Add a personalized message on the back and tie them up with some twine and you have the perfect little gift!

Sam needed a huge five-section notebook for his new semester, so I got him one and I'm still working on covering the entire thing with a cool design. It's slow-going because I am NOT the most artistic person in the world, but it's also encouraging because even the less-artistic among us can do this craft.

Anyone else as obsessed with Sharpies (and notebooks in general) as I am?

Favorite things to stock up on before the new semester starts?

Happy crafting!

my favorite easy art project for babies and toddlers

Don't all parents want their children to grow up to be better than them? Smarter, kinder, more talented. And preferably richer, so they can pay for their parents' geriatric care. ;)

I try to throw my toddler's little green ball back and forth with her every so often. Hand-eye coordination! I've heard it's a really great thing to have! You can use it to, like, throw and catch stuff!

I also try and do art projects with her. Maybe you'll grow up to be artistic! You could actually draw stuff! Stuff besides a stick figure and a cartoon palm tree! But know you can always turn to your dear mother for guidance, should you ever need help with a stick figure or a cartoon palm tree. Just a regular stick figure, mind you. Not walking, not sitting, not swimming. Just a stick figure whose only job is to stand there with its arms awkwardly out to either side.

Today I wanted to share with you my toddler's favorite art project - one that we've been doing since she was seven months old. I like it because it's incredibly easy, and also mess-free. My toddler likes it because she gets to squish paint around in a bag, and it's fun to see the colors come together. (You can make this a little color mixing lesson for older kids too!)

Here's a quick tutorial:

BABY'S FIRST ART 

(PAINT IN A BAG)

MATERIALS:

white cardstock

acrylic paint, any type (I used leftovers from other art projects)

gallon-sized Ziploc bag

masking tape

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Squeeze paint randomly onto a piece of cardstock.

2. Carefully slide the cardstock into the Ziploc bag and seal at the top (no extra air). 

3. Tape the sides of the bag onto the table or highchair so it stays in place.

4. It's art-making time! Squish away!
5. Carefully unseal the ziploc bag and peel the top of the bag off the paint. Slide the painting out and dry for 8 hours.

^^The finished product

 ^^First stop for this art: in the mail to be displayed on grandma's desk. Second stop: The MoMA!

And there you have it: easy, fun sensory play - with no clean-up either!

What are your favorite art projects for young children?

I thought my daughter was old enough for markers, so we tried those last week.

Turns out she's only old enough to ingest markers. ;)

a brunch baby shower

Are we coming up on the season of babies or what? It's so exciting to see lots of friends who are expecting babies this spring and summer. This year, that list includes a close friend who has struggled with infertility for years, and and it makes me so happy to see all that hoping and praying and saving for fertility treatments coming to fruition. Three cheers for squishy, fat, drooling babies! May they magically be born sleeping through the night!

Over the weekend, I hosted a baby shower for my neighbor, who is due with her second boy in a few weeks. Well, technically, she has almost two months left, but who doesn't like to round down their numbers at the end of their pregnancy, right?

The shower was on a Saturday morning, so we decided to do brunch. Who doesn't love brunch?

 Most of the decor was borrowed from the mom-to-be. Her little boy's nursery is full of darling yellow and grey accents. I was especially loving the homemade pom pom garland. And how cute is the little elephant 3D puzzle? I want one for Claire's room!

 Making stand-up fruit skewers is a great way to transform a baby shower food staple into a cute decorative item. Just use a durable, large fruit with a flat side for the bottom of the skewer (we used strawberries with the tops cut off, but large pineapple squares would be great too). Add a little washi tape flag to the top for a final touch.

 Probably the food I got the most compliments on was the yogurt in the parfaits. It was just plain 'ole vanilla yogurt from the grocery store! But either way, I painted the tips of the spoons to add a little color. It would be fun to substitute the blueberries for strawberries if the baby was a girl.

 You guys, I could eat so many of these darn Costco muffins. I generally don't let myself buy them for that exact reason. I couldn't resist them for a brunch though!

 This drink was sooooo delicious. One carton pulp-free orange juice, one carton light white grape juice, and one 2-liter bottle of lemon lime soda (I used 7 Up). Mmmmmmmm.

 We left little messages on diapers to help Summer smile during those 3am diaper changes! We also played a little guess the baby animal game. Some were easy, like kitten and puppy, but who knew a baby turkey is called a poult?

 The gorgeous pregnant mama and myself

Happy baby shower, Summer!

We can't wait to meet your little guy!

P.S. Are you pro- or anti- baby shower games? There are so many awkward games, like the one where you guess how big the mom's belly is (hellooooo, what woman would like that?), but I love a little fun, tasteful game. Basically as long as it doesn't involve a relay race or those truly creepy mini plastic babies, I'm good. What about you? Do you like baby shower games?

a little naptime crafting

You know that phrase, "So easy a kid could do it!" or "So easy a dog could do it!" or "So easy a blindfolded 104-year-old could do it!"? Well, I'm convinced the real phrase should be, "So easy it was on Silver Lining!" Haha. Some DIY bloggers post the crazy, tricky, $110 in supplies alone, fancy schmancy crafts. I like to focus on super easy (but still cute and useful) DIYs that don't require a trip to a craft store, a trip to a hardware store, and someone with a background in carpentry to complete. I'm all for a project I can start and finish during afternoon nap time. Also, I get intimidated whenever I hear fancy words like glass bit or reupholster.

Here are two easy and cute decorations I've made lately.

First up: DIY Instagram fridge magnets! I made some magnets a few years ago (post here), but without any pictures of Claire and only a few pictures of Jason, I was in need of an update. This time around I cut my costs almost in half, and my start to finish time was dramatically shorter. So without further ado, here's how!

DIY Instagram Fridge Magnets

Materials:

• Printed 3x3 or 4x4 square pictures (You used to have to go to a specialty print store for square photos, but now you can order them almost anywhere! Walmart was the cheapest place I found, but I heard from a friend that the quality wasn't great, so I got mine at Walgreens.)
• Laminator and lamination sheets
• Scissors
• Magnets with a stick-and-peel side (I got mine at Hobby Lobby)

Procedures:

1. Reinforce your prints. I tried a few different methods to see which was the best for my Instagram pictures. The picture alone was too floppy and started curling at the edges. I also tried mod podge on one of them, and it turned out fine, but the gloss taints the quality of the photo a little bit (also, mod podge is the most time-consuming method). Next, I tried laminating them. This was the winner because it was super easy, super fast, and it preserves the glossy shine of the photos without adding a lot of weight to them, so I could still use my small magnets.
2. Cut out the lamination around the photos.
3. Peel and stuck a magnet to the back of each photo. Press and hold for 5 seconds each.
4. Done! Stick 'em on the fridge and let the compliments pour in!

Seriously, we love these. Sam and Jason are always stopping at the fridge to admire a picture and reminisce about the memories behind it. The fridge kind of turned into a shrine to our baby.... but honestly, we're okay with it!

DIY Herringbone Paint Chip Art

There's been a blank 12 X 12 frame hanging in our second bathroom for about two years now - oops! One day I decided to finally do something about it. And of course my mind jumped to paint chips (Remember how much I love paint chips? Nursery mobile here, and paint chip calendar here.). 

Materials:

• various colored paint chips
• frame of any size
• blank paper to use as a backing (you can use the paper that comes in the frame if it's not too flimsy)
• ruler or something to measure with
• scissors
• glue (I used Elmer's)

Procedures:

1. Cut out a rectangle from each of your paint chips. I couldn't find my ruler, so I actually used two Tylenol PMs in their break-away capsule holders as a template for my rectangle. The rectangles were about 3/4" by 1 1/2", but you can make yours any size you want. Obviously bigger rectangles mean a more bold, chunky look, and smaller rectangles mean a more detailed look and a little more work.
2. Start gluing your paint chips to the blank paper! To be honest, I'm a little design-challenged, so I googled "herringbone pattern" at first to help me figure out the configuration. Lay down a few without glue to be sure you have it right before you commit! 
3. Make sure your pattern goes all the way to the edges of the paper (I had paint chips hanging off all sides at the end). Technically you're supposed to let it dry overnight, but mine was fine right away.
4. Cut off excess paint chips hanging over the side. Put your artwork in its frame and enjoy!

The colors in these pictures turned out a little weird (that gross brown color you see is actually a gorgeous olive green!), but I really like the way it looks in our bathroom. I placed my paint chips randomly, but it would also be fun to do an ombre pattern.

And there you have it! Another few days of naptime crafting success

What have you made recently with paint chips?

I'm admitting that I have a slight addiction and need more ideas...