My Favorite DIY Tool

Alright, first up a disclaimer. I am in no way affiliated with Black and Decker, I just really love their product and I’m sharing my opinion with you today. (Although if Black and Decker, I don't know, felt like sponsoring me, I wouldn't be opposed. Just saying ;-D )

So I got the Black and Decker Matrix for Christmas with the sander attachment.

Then for my birthday my brother and sister in law gave me the trim saw attachment.

I’m in love! Seriously I love how easy it is to change the attachment and move from one function to another.

I also love how easy it is to handle. Not too heavy and the trim saw is super easy to use with no kick or anything like that. And it’s pretty quiet, I can saw in the garage during naptime! lol

Plus, the fact that the tools are interchangeable means fewer bulky tools taking up space in my garage. Love, love, love!!

I’ve used all the attachments on different projects so far and had a great experience.

So, yeah, I felt like I needed to share. I can’t wait to do a bunch more projects and show you the results.

What is your favorite DIY tool? Please share, I'm so gitty over this find, I'd love to hear any others you like!

How To Organize Kid’s Shoes - Part 2

So in case you missed it I showed you how to organize smaller, baby shoes already. Be sure to check that out!

These bins works much better for the bigger shoes, but the concept is the same.

Grab those dollar store bins, chalkboard contact paper, scissors, and let's get to work. 

Still no sign of the labels I used for the pantry labels, so I just used a Sticky note pad instead, haha.

I cut out a label for each of the bins

I decided to round the corners and then I stuck them on the bins.

Finally, I separated the shoes by size and labeled the bins.

Now I know which shoes to reach for next when my little guy moves up to the next size.

Much better than sitting on the closet floor.

Hope that helps you organize a little bit of your home and give you some peace amongst the kids’ chaos! Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any tips or projects!

Soapbox Saturday - Yoga Balls in Classrooms

Well, I guess I should apologize for my absence this week, but really my husband is to blame....

He got me hooked...

I couldn't put them down! And that is really saying something for me. I am just not a big reader and I devoured these books! If you haven't read them, you've got to before the next movies. There is just soooo much more in the books than they could ever squeeze into a movie! If you've read them feel free to comment on your favorite part and why. My husband is still finishing Mockingjay so I haven't been able to discuss it all with him yet.

Anyway, that's not what I wanted to talk about today, although a virtual book club discussion would be fun...hmm...

I read an article I thought was really cool. "Classrooms Ditch Student Chairs for Yoga Balls"

How awesome is that?!? 

It started out as a way to help kids with attention problems and autism and is now being rolled out in many mainstream classrooms. Teachers are saying it's increasing students' attention and productivity. Students are also reporting the same. They're able to fidget a little and still concentrate. 

I love this idea, I think I would have loved it while I was in college. I don't know how many times I fell asleep in class!! haha I also think this would be great for my husband at work. He's at a desk all day and since sitting on a yoga ball engages muscles and increases blood flow it would not only help him stay alert, but it would ward off the dangers of sedentary work routines. He said no to the idea, but I think it would be awesome for anyone who has to sit all day.

What do you think? Would you have liked this when you were in school or for your kids? 

What other kind of alternative methods have you seen used in classrooms to increase learning?

Well, have a great weekend! I'm off to find the next awesome series I want to read *gasp*

:)

A Hairy Day

How was your President’s Day? Did you get the day off work? Were your kids home from school?

We had a great President’s Day. Unfortunately with it being busy season, my husband didn’t get to be home with us, but we had a fantastic day with friends!

I’ve mentioned before that I put together a craft club for women in my church. This month we had an amazing offer to learn how to cut kid’s hair!

It could not have come at a better time…Look at that shaggy guy!!

So a bunch of ladies and their kids came over and we all snipped, buzzed, and cut the morning away! Ben did surprisingly well, most of the time. He got a sucker to get him to sit still.

A lot of hairs were cut!

Ben finally just needed his nap so I only got about 75% done. I just need to finish the side blending. Even without that, he looks soooo much better!!

After the busy morning with lots of friends, we had a calm lunch and played outside for a couple hours. The boys loved the sand, dirt, and sun.

At the end of a long day, they got a much needed bath.

It was a fun day! I hope you guys had a great day too!

     

Soapbox Saturday - Valentine's Day

Well, Happy Belated Valentine's Day! I sure do love my readers!

So this week I mostly just wanted to see what your opinion is on Valentine's Day...

Me, I'm not against it, but I'm not completely swept up in the hype either.

I like the concept, a day to express your love for those special people in your life, but at the same time, why can't everyday be a day to show love.

You know, like around Christmas how everyone goes the extra mile be kind and serve other people. Why can't that 'spirit' last all year round?

That's how I feel about Valentine's Day. I think everyday should be an opportunity to do small acts to show our family, kids, and friends how we appreciate them.

I also don't like how stereotyped Valentine's Day has become. I don't like that women just expect to be pampered and showered with gifts. For me, the small things mean the most. My husband brought me a  chocolate shake from In-N-Out after working a 12 hour day.

I also read a statistic that 18 Billion is spent for Valentine's Day. I mean, REALLY? When so many are struggling to find employment and make ends meet and people are plunging themselves into debt to spend! There are sooo many other ways to show your love for someone.

So my question to you is what did you do? And how do you feel about Valentine's Day?

How to Organize Kid’s Shoes – Part 1

Kids have lots of shoes, right? Especially when they grow through them so fast!

I just had a pile of shoes sitting at the bottom of each of my boys’ closets that they hadn’t grown into yet. So I really needed a way to organize them.

Dollar Tree to the rescue!

Here’s what you’ll need:

-a huge pile of shoes

-bins from the dollar store or elsewhere

-chalkboard contact paper

-scissors

-a template of some sort

I got these boxes with lids from the dollar store and cut the chalkboard contact paper down to fit, nothing fancy since I couldn’t find the template I used for my pantry labels. These boxes worked well for the smaller shoes, but you'd probably only fit 2 pairs of larger shoes in them. I've got another tutorial on how to do the larger shoes coming soon, don't miss it!

Finally I just sorted by size and labeled the boxes with a chalkboard marker. I found mine at Joann’s near the Sharpies and other art markers. 

Now they sit very neatly at the top of the closet, minding their own business. lol

Now take a deep breathe in and enjoy a much more organized and happy closet! Be sure to follow along so you don't miss anymore tips I've got up my sleeve!

Soapbox Saturday (a little late)–Why Skim Milk Will Make You Fat

Hey! Good morning!

I know, I know, I have been totally absent here lately. 

Last week was my birthday and I decided to enjoy some time with my family it was wonderful!

My husband come home early on my birthday, which for an accountant during busy season was a miracle. We hung out at the park with the boys and went to dinner at Red Robin, yum!! 

The rest of the week kept me busy and then my parents stopped by for a quick visit. All in all, very awesome, low key and just wonderful!

Anyway, I missed it on Saturday so here I am today with Soapbox Saturday Monday. hehe

So I enjoyed THIS article. Now I know the article's title, "Why Skim Milk Will Make You Fat and Give You Heart Disease" is rather sensationalized, but there are some really great points the author makes.  

Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist, talks about how prior to World War II, the quality of milk was determined by the amount of cream that rose the the top. Now milk is homogenized and the cream separated out and skim milk is touted as a health food.

So what is it about skim milk that will make you fat? It’s the missing saturated fats. The saturated fats in whole milk stabilizes blood sugars and keeps you satisfied for longer. When the saturated fats are missing from a person’s diet, he/she tends to turn to carbs (grains/surgars) to fill the gap.
 

The last point she makes is that pig farmers feed their pigs skim milk because it makes them REALLY fat. 

Hmm, interesting. I really have found this to be true. Before reading this article I started buying whole fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, etc in an effort to stay as close to the food’s natural state (another food rule I like, but not covered in this post). Whenever I find myself craving sweets, I try to have some yogurt or cottage cheese instead and the cravings disappear and I’m much more satisfied.

Try it! See if whole fat milk and dairy products help decrease your sweet cravings.

Have a wonderful Monday. I’m hoping to have some organizational posts coming up soon so be sure to follow along.

Valentine's Day Necklace

In case you missed it, I guest posted on Blissful and Domestic! Here is the cute Valentine's necklace I shared...enjoy!!

To tell the truth I’m not much for Valentine’s Day. For one, my birthday is a little before Valentine’s Day and without fail I always get something pink or with hearts. I’m not a pink kinda girl. haha.

So anyway, I don’t normally decorate or do anything special for the day. But I was in the mood to make something so I decided to make a necklace. Kinda like the Mother’s Day necklace I made last year.

All you need is wire and a couple beads (and wire cutters)

I cut off a little bit of wire and formed it into a heart.

I took another length of wire and wrapped it in and out and around the heart form and included the beads.

I finished it off with a loop and a chain.

I also tried another method of just wrapping the wire in a heart shape without weaving in and out. Then like the bird’s nest I wrapped it around a couple times.

Either way it makes an easy and cute accessory for your hot date night or a great gift for someone you love! Have a great Valentine's Day!

Come follow along!