Drawing Turned Color Matching...Who New?

A few weeks ago we went to the cabin for the weekend.  At the time we didn't have many toys out there for Gray to play with so I brought a few activities to help keep him busy.  This was one of them.  Nothing special, just a poster board and some washable markers. 

We started on the table, but he was nervous standing on the chair so we moved to the floor. He had fun for about 10 minutes then he was ready to move on.  

 

So I got out the caps to put the markers away and he realized their colors matched the color of the pens.  So, Gray being the most organized child ever, decided that he wanted to try to match the colors to the pens and put the caps on himself. He loved it!  He would put them all on, then look at them and find the ones that didn't match and take them off and start over. 

Attention Span: 20 min (just for the color matching of the caps)

Fun Meter: B

Bobblehead Birthday

So my dad is one of those people that are incredibly hard to buy for because he has just about everything already.  So this year for his birthday I decided to do something a little different. 

Introducing my dad...as a bobble head!

I ordered this from Head Bobble.  It was really easy.  First I got to customize it by picking the body style, hair, skin and eye color.  Then I uploaded a couple photos of him from different angles.  

So if you're looking for a gift to make someone chuckle, this just might be the gift for you.  Just be sure to plan ahead!  It takes 4-6 weeks for delivery.

This is what he actually looks like.  Pretty close huh?

Cheap and Easy Upgrade to a Builder Grade Mirror

I got the idea for this project on Pinterest from a post on Full of Great Ideas blog. I really liked that it was a cheap and easy way to make a pretty drastic improvement to the look of our bathroom.  Following her design tips, my amazing hubby put this together.  

Next step is to install the new light above the mirror and paint the cabinets white.  I'll post pics when I'm done.

                                            Before                                                  After

 

 

For detailed instructions click here:

Pool Noodle Sewing

And yet another Dollar Store find - pool noodle sewing.  This one was interesting.  It didn't quite turn out like I thought.  But it did keep him busy for a little bit.

Attention Span: 30 min (with assistance)

Fun Score: C

Pool noodle - $1.  

Yarn - I already had on hand

Straw - I already had on hand

Cut the noodle into pieces as shown.

Cut a hole in one end of the straw and tie one end of the yarn through it.

 

I showed him how to put the straw through the hole.

 

Once he got them all on, he took them all off and started to eat and/or break each individual ring. So, needless to say, it worked for a while, but probably isn't something we will try again.

 

Toddler Hat Obsessions

 

I have an obsession with hats for Grayson. I started him wearing them when he was an infant and had him wear them often so he would actually keep them on.  It worked.  He loves his hats as much as I do now.  He would wear one everywhere if he could.  One of my favorite brands of hats for toddlers is Born to Love. I adore their hats! Here are some of my favorites!

Born to Love - Checkered Beanie

 Born To Love - Houndstooth Reversible Beanie

Born To Love - Tan Fedora

Craft Room Part 3: Not-So-Average Office Chairs

I found two of these chairs at a furniture resale shop and got them for $10 each.  They were definitely looking pretty nasty.  I think Derek thought I was crazy for buying them. But I had a plan...

This was another pre-blog project, so I apologize for not having step-by-step photos.

I removed the padding from both the seat and back and sanded the wood down.  Because I wanted to use them in the craft room I used the same white paint as I did for the craft table and cabinet. I removed the old nasty fabric and replaced it with fabrics that were bright and fun.

  
I planned to use one of the chairs (the one on the right above) as my actual chair to use at the table but it sat so high that my legs didn't quite fit under the table, so I had Derek cut a few inches off of the bottoms of the legs to solve the problem.

I really like how they turned out!

Bubble Wrapped Fun

Here is another one of my Dollar Store finds: bubble wrap for $1.  

Grayson was so intrigued by the popping!

Obviously this one requires supervision.

Attention Span: 20 min

Fun Score: B

 

Mexican Black Bean Salad

This is a delicious and health salad to serve with a meal or even as a snack.  I usually serve it with black bean soup or chicken taquitos.

Ingredients:

2 cans of black beans, rinsed

1 1/2 cans of corn

4 roma tomatoes, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

2 cloves of garlic

2 avocados, diced

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

6 tbsp fresh lime juice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Depending on how ripe your avocados are, you may want add those in after all other ingredients are mixed.  My avocados were just right, so I went ahead and added them in with the others.  This dish can be served chilled or at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Nutella Cupcakes

Derek and I both LOVE Nutella.  If you have never tried it, it's a must! Nutella originated in Italy and is kind of a sweetened hazelnut version of peanut butter. I found this recipe at Your Cup of Cake.  It is absolutely delicious!  I'm a big fan of that blog, so if you get a chance, check it out!

Photo also from Your Cup of Cake

My photo is not quite as pretty.  I need to work on my frosting skills :) But they sure were yummy!

Ingredients:

Cake:

Devil’s Food Cake Mix

3 eggs

½ cup oil

¼ cup milk

½ cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sour cream

24 teaspoons Nutella (1 per cupcake) 

Nutella Buttercream:

¾ cup Nutella

¼ cup butter, softened

1 ½ -2 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffins tins.

2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, milk, water and vanilla.

3. Sift in cake mix and stir in sour cream.

4. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and then place a teaspoon of Nutella on top of each one. Using a toothpick, swirl the Nutella into the batter.

5. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until the sides spring back. (The tops will stay gooey because of the Nutella.)

6. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and place directly into airtight containers so seal in moisture.

7. Buttercream: Beat the Nutella and butter for 5 minutes. Add vanilla, then alternate between adding powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream. Taste the buttercream until you reach your desired sweetness. You may need to refrigerate the buttercream before piping it onto cooled cupcakes. 

My 'I Love Yellow' Headboard

This was another great find at a furniture resale shop.  I saw it in the back behind another piece of furniture.  This piece came home with me for a whopping $37! 

 

I chose a funky yellow to really help the piece make a statement in any room. I don't have any photos of it on an actual bed because I ended up selling it.  I'm SOOO bummed about letting it go, but we just didn't have a place for it.