Here's the chair!

well, after searching thrift stores with three kiddos for 2 days, there it was. sitting all alone on the side of the road, out for trash! gotta love freebies!

so then we were on a mission to see how inexpensively we could redo this chair. with $3 of spray paint and $1.25 worth of tulle and fabric/trim that i had in my stash, we really did it up!

my daughter just ooooh's and aaaah's over it every time she walks in her room! if i do say so myself, it did turn out super cute!

The Shelves are DONE!

Well, they are finally done! This project actually went pretty quickly. We completed them in 3 days! I think the hardest part was the painting. Next time (for our playroom), I will prime and paint all the pieces before I install them so that I don' t have to tape off the walls! That took longer than the painting did!!!
Once we put all of her stuff up, I was surprised at how much storage it actually created! She has a set of closet organizer shelves in her closet that used to house all of her photos and trinkets and now it's empty! That will be a great place to store purses (she takes after mommy there!) and blankets.
We are still looking for a slipper chair to re-upholster to go at her desk and we are going container shopping for some closed storage too.
But other than that, I'm SOOOOO happy with how they turned out! The only thing I may do is add molding around the face of the uprights to give it a "built in" look. But...that will have to wait until I'm not tired!!! lol!

Wende

The shelves are up!

After two days of carrying boards upstairs, the shelves are up and primed in my daughter's room!

I think this is going to be great for her to start her organization skills! We will have plenty of room to put trinkets and baskets of stuff, plus her tv cabinet fits under one section and she now has a desk in the other section!

Here's some photos along the way!
This side has a desk as the lowest shelf. I replaced the 12" shelf in the photo with a 16" deep shelf that I rounded the edge of. I also drilled a large hole in the back of the desk to slide computer or lamp plugs through so we can plug them in!

Here's all the shelves up!
and here they are primed...
All we have left to do is finish painting and put all her stuff away!

I had all the shelf boards cut AT Home Depot. This was a huge time saver! I do have a circular saw, but it's the first time I've used MDF and wasn't sure how it would cut. If you design something and have all your measurements, they will cut them all for you! Then all you would have to do is put it together! This makes it possible for everyone to make a custom cabinet or shelving!

Once we get all of her stuff on them, I will take her to either Ikea or Target to get some tubs/boxes/baskets and other organizing tools! I'll post pictures of the finished project as soon as we are done!

OH, and the whole thing only cost me $130!!! I used primer and paint we had here left over from other projects, so that saved me a little.

Wende

My Daughter's Shelves...

We have lived in our house for almost 3 years and since the day we moved in, I've struggled with keeping my daughter's room picked up. She's 8 now and we cleaned out her closet the other day and she said, "Mama, I just don't have a place to put stuff away". I started looking around and ya know what? She's right!

Being a girly girl, she has tons of stuffed animals and trinkets that really need to sit on a shelf. The only shelf she has in her room was a low t.v. stand from IKEA and her dresser. So after an evening of thinking, I came up with a plan...wall to wall, floor to ceiling shelves! I started shopping online to find just the perfect ones and realized that I would have to spend $1000's to get what I was thinking of!

I definitley did not budget for that, so since I built the twin's loft beds, I decided to build these too! After carefully measuring her wall, I drew my plans and came up with a supply list, then went to Home Depot. For $130, I bought all the MDF I needed, PLUS had all the shelves cut there! I only have one section together and will be working on them tomorrow, so I will post pictures when they are up.

Don't think just because you've never used a power tool before that you can't! When I decided to build my twin's beds, I invested in a circular saw and borrowed one of my hubby's drills. If you "measure twice, cut once" and take your time, you would be surprised at what you can do with wood!!! You can save so much money doing it yourself!

I'll post pictures as I go tomorrow! Keep checking back!

Wende

This was a GREAT chalkboard paint article that I saw on Home Made Simple today! I know at our old house, I used this paint on our garage door that was in the kitchen and we used it all the time for notes to each other and reminders! It was right next to the fridge, so we saw it all the time! It was super easy and fun to do!

"Sometimes things just feel more organized and easy to understand when they’re laid out in black and white. The availability of chalkboard paint and magnetic primer at home improvement stores makes it so easy for you to organize your daily life and decorate your home in modern and practical ways. Use our ideas and suggestions for adding functional and beautiful paint in areas and on objects all over your home.

Chalkboard Paint Details Chalkboards aren’t just for schoolrooms anymore—chalkboard paint makes it easy to create writeable surfaces all over your home. Most chalkboard paint can be used on metal, wood, masonry, plaster, glass and concrete. Tip for Applying: Allow your chalkboard painted area or item to dry for 3 days. Once dry, prepare the surface for use by rubbing a side of chalk over the entire surface, and then erasing it thoroughly. Magnetic Primer Facts Magnetic Primer typically comes as a dark gray or black base coat and allows you to create a magnetic surface just about anywhere you please. It can be used on all of the same surfaces as chalkboard paint and can be used as a base under chalkboard paint or any latex paint. Once finished, hang notes, lists, photographs and more. Tip for Applying and Usage: Magnetic primer is not quite as strong as your typical magnetic surface, so make sure to apply 2-3 coats of the primer and just 2 topcoats for the best attraction. Look for flat, lightweight magnets with strong attraction for posting your items on your magnetic area. Inspirationally Organized Organization doesn’t always have to be strict and orderly. It can be fun to insert a little creativity into your day-to-day organization and planning. And why not give your décor a jumpstart too—all with the help of simply classic chalkboard paint and magnetic primer. Framed Message Center: Utilize a large antique-style frame, old painting or mirror with an ornate frame to create a stylish message center using both magnetic primer and chalkboard paint. Paint the frame bright white for a classically timeless look. If using a frame only, have a piece of lightweight wood cut-to-size at your local hardware store. Use a roller to apply 2-3 coats of magnetic primer and let dry for several hours. Next, add your chalkboard topcoats. Once both the frame and wood are completely dry, mount the painted wood behind the frame. You can paint directly onto a mirror or painting if you’re using one as your base, but the magnetic attraction could be weaker. If you love the frame, you can also consider just removing the mirror or artwork and use the same technique detailed above. Once your chalkboard masterpiece is complete, hang it up for all to see. Make it a family message center near the phone or in the home office or hang it in the entryway for leaving quick notes and important reminders. It also makes a great tool for planning your weekly meals. Simply display it in your kitchen, record your menu for the week and tack up any recipes or coupons you’ll need with magnets. Chalkboard Paint Mural: Paint outside the box and create a writeable surface that also serves a decorative purpose. For example—try painting organic shapes or create a mural, like an outdoor landscape with chalkboard trees and clouds. Use stencils or lightly draw your shapes freehand with a pencil. Tape off your design, and add a few layers of magnetic primer before the chalkboard paint for a doubly useful and fun surface. It makes the perfect addition to a family room or kid’s room, but you can also use it to decorate the walls of an office or craft area. Use it for jotting down ideas and posting inspiration whenever it strikes. Lovely Labels: Paint a square or rectangle of chalkboard paint on your organizational items and you’ve got an instantly changeable label for all of your bins, jars and containers. Tabletop Solution: Give an old tabletop a functional new look. Sand and paint an aged tabletop with chalkboard paint for drawing, quick notes and impromptu games of tic-tac-toe. Or make a bold, quirky statement by painting the top of a dining room table so family and friends can doodle while they wait for dinner. You can even create an easy seating chart for dinner party guests by writing names at each place setting. Instant Art: Create a changeable focal point on an accent wall, and use a combination of chalkboard paint and magnetic primer to display photos or create affordable art that can be updated whenever you like. Even guests can leave their mark while visiting! Door Detail: Chalkboard paint can really be used anywhere and everywhere in your home. Even doors can get the chalkboard treatment. Chalkboard paint and magnetic primer are truly versatile mediums that can help create instant organization and decoration throughout your home. Just look at your surfaces with a creative eye and don’t be afraid to think big!"

Organizing a Playroom

I know my kids have way too much stuff! So much so that we actually bought our house because of the "gameroom" upstairs. It became our playroom where my kiddos hang out and it houses all of their toys.

For many months I searched and searched for the best way to organize their toys and make it easy for them to clean up. As long as I get them to pick up at night before bed, it will stay cleaned up. Here's a few ideas to use for your kid's playroom/bedroom toys...

We use ALOT of baskets at my house! For the playroom, I went to Target and bought color coded baskets. When my twins came along, we always put one in blue and one in green, so those became their "colors". My princess of a daughter of course loves pink. I got lucky when we went to Target, because they had a whole display of baskets, tubs and other stuff in those three colors!

I bought large rolling baskets for the big things like Tonka Trucks, Thomas the Trains (we have tons!), and other large construction trucks. For smaller items we use small bins and baskets. In these, I've seperated like items. Flashlights, small cars, and so on. To store all the bins, I purchased $18 low bookshelves from Walmart. I didn't want to spend a fortune on furniture while they are little and beating stuff up, so these work great! I can fit 2 small bins per shelf and we also have all the games and books on there. We also put some bins on the bottom of our t.v. cabinet.

For all the arts and craft supplies, I used an old cabinet we had that has doors so I can close it all up and hide the mess! We use these for the pens, markers, and crayons. One section for each.

After sorting like items into bins, I found photo stickers at Lakeshore Learning Center that had toys and such on them. We (together) labeled each bin/basket with what goes in it. I also put a photo on cabinets and the wall where the dress up clothes are hung on pegs. All they have to do is look at the picture and it tells them what goes there. Easy Peasy!

The point of this whole post is that you don't need expensive things to store kid's toys! Shop garage sales and thrift stores. Like the shelves in our playroom, they were $18 a piece and each sheving unit holds 8 bins! That's a lot of toys!

Also, don't use boxes with lids. I only have two boxes with lids in our playroom. One for legos and one for Lincoln logs. Kids are less likey to pick things up if they have to take a lid off. I know it's easier to get my kids to pick up if they can just sit all the bins/baskets on the floor and toss stuff in! They actually taught me that! There was an empty Rubbermaid container in their room and one afternoon, the twins went in there by themselves and picked up! I was shocked! I asked them where they put all their toys and they said the toy box. Because they could just throw everything in that big box, they were more modivated to put toys away. It was easy and quick! Much better than having mom yell at them for hours to clean up!

So check out Target or Walmart next time your there and put on your "thinking cap" and you'll be surprised at what you can find!

Tip for Monday

Just thought I would post a helpful tip I read about today!

Keep a small notepad or notebook next to your bed. When you have a thought at night, jot it down so you won't forget by morning!

I know after I go to bed, I'll remember something and have nothing to write it down on. This tip really helps! No more waking up and saying...."what was that I was thinking of last night"!