It’s been a hodge podge year for house projects and my online presence. All our projects have been moving along at a sluggish pace – painting this bit here, adding new hardware there, installing shelves here. We aren’t able to transform a room in a sequential sequence like social media favours. And that’s ok. But I think that’s why I haven’t been as present. Don’t people want the big reveal? Don’t they want everything to happen all at once?

I’m going to try and do a better job of sharing progress, whether the project is 5% complete or 95%. Here’s to 2023! The year of getting things done whenever you can and sharing what you can.

The post The year of one post appeared first on Squirrelly Minds.

White jingle bells on jute from Etsy (13CAD) | Rustic copper bell from Veronneau (11 CAD) | Silver metal bells from Canadian Tire (9CAD) | Brass bells garland from Etsy (22CAD on sale)

We have a set of white bell ornaments that are virtually indestructible. Sure, the string has broken, but that is easy enough to replace. Bonus to bell ornaments – they double as entertainment for the littles! I couldn’t fit a photo in, but I especially love these white Christmas tree shaped bells and these cylindrical bells, both from Etsy. Also, it seems Etsy reigns supreme for bell selection, so get on it to ensure your order delivers on time!

6ft garland (20CAD) | Moose ornament (4CAD) | 40pc retro set (30CAD) | White Ornament Set (5CAD) | 80pc set (60CAD) | Gold Mixed Shape 54pc Set (50CAD)

Canadian Tire gets its own special mention. They have a specific line of unbreakable ornaments and trust me, they hold up to the test! We’ve dropped and hucked ours so many times and they’re still perfectly spherical. I featured my favourite from the category (80pc set) and selected a few others I believe are just as indestructible, but you can find the whole collection here.

Set of 4 wooden ornaments from Indigo (27 CAD on sale) | Wood finial ornament from Urban Barn (8CAD) | DIY Wooden Ornaments from Lee Valley (6.50CAD)

Wooden ornaments are inherently unbreakable – but it must be a chunky wood! None of this fussy, detailed laser cut winter wonderland scene business. Don’t get me wrong, I have one of those and it’s absolute stunning, but I break a piece every year just looking at the thing. With wooden ornaments, go for heft and chunk. You’ll need strong tree limbs for these pieces. FYI for the Lee Valley kit above, I would swap out the string for a strong wire for maximum indestructibility.

Acorn ornaments from Rona (15CAD) | 3pk pinecone ornaments from Rona (17CAD) | Elm Leaf from Gluckenstein (5CAD) | Pressed flower resin ornament on Etsy (15CAD)

Ok I had to do some searching, but apparently resin is unbreakable. I haven’t tested it, I’m just relaying what the googles has told me! But goodness there are certainly some beautiful resin ornaments out there, so I sure hope it’s true! Shout out goes to these resin letter ornaments – what a cute gift topper these would be!

The post Holiday Decor: Unbreakable Christmas Ornaments appeared first on Squirrelly Minds.

The items are organized into three categories – Serverware, Vessels, and Practical. And fellow Canadian friends, all these items are from Canadian websites, so you’ll be sure to get it in time if you order soon. And local friends, be sure to read through to the bottom for a list of local ceramicists you can find in nearby shops and markets this season.

And just so we’re clear, I fully support you sneaking any of these items onto your own Christmas list. Don’t worry, I’m right there with ya.

The post Gift Guide: Ceramics for the Kitchen appeared first on Squirrelly Minds.

You could use other edible fruit blossoms as well – apple, pear, and cherry are all great options, but I absolutely love the colour of these crabapple blossoms. It’s best to pick the blossoms when they are still loosely closed or just opened as this is when the colour is deepest. The longer they’re open, the paler they turn, so picking them early means you get that rich magenta colour in the syrup.

I like to add simple syrup to carbonated water (as pictured), maybe with a splash of gin. I’ve also used it as a cake soak, thought sadly none of the flavour came out. You could drizzle it on vanilla ice cream or fruit too!

Simple syrups are a super easy ratio to remember – 1:1. 1 part liquid, 1 part sugar. Here’s how to make it:

Head over to instagram to watch a reel of the process, and to see the beautiful deep pink colour of the syrup!

The post Crabapple Blossom Simple Syrup appeared first on Squirrelly Minds.

But most importantly I needed to really plan out the zoning. This is not only the playroom, but the most used space in the house. We needed this room to serve five functions:
1) The TV area
2) Toy storage and display
3) Book cuddle spot
4) Play house
5) Art area

Yes, this is the TV area. Yes, there is a TV there. I hate the look of a big boxy tv, and the frame tv is wayyyy out of our budget, so I had to get creative. I grabbed drop cloth canvas, extra wall paint, and picked up some dowels to create this TV tapestry. It’s easy to take down when it’s TV time and makes for a bright cheery space for play time. Much better than the black tv void.
It also sits right above our TV storage. We used IKEA kallax we had from before along with our drona boxes and this tassel DIY. You can tell all these photos weren’t taken at the same time as I try to change out the toys every month or so. But let’s be honest, I’m human and sometimes the kids will just play with the same ‘ol things!

I do however change these books regularly. I love this little spot with its green tree, yellow sun and blue cloud. Almost the whole minimalist mural all in one spot.

The play house is the last part of the mural, and honestly it’s where the kids play the most in here. I originally had just painted the pink house, but squirrelly boy insisted on smoke coming out of the chimney, and am I ever glad he did. It adds that extra bit of cuteness.

While I’m at it, let’s talk about the colours for a minute.
I originally had a lot of colour inspiration (see above) from Behr’s 2020 colour trends. I landed with using a mix of what we already (the green and pink) had and adjusted the colours to fit those.

White: Frost by Behr Marquee
Green: Cameroon Green by Behr Marquee
Blue: Drip by Behr Marquee (I accidentally chucked the paint chip so I had to guess at this one)
Pink: Coral Fountain by Behr Marquee
Terra Cotta: Mars Red by Behr
Yellow: Oatbran by Sico

Ok but I’m thoroughly confused. Our cameroon green is WAY darker than the one showing on the Behr site, and I couldn’t find the actual coral I used so had to find the closest one. I don’t know guys. I-don’t-know.
Also important to note, I custom mixed colours by adding a touch of the cloud blue to the green, and a touch of the tree green to the cloud to make everything a little more cohesive.

The art space ties all the colours of the room in on that one piece of wall (which is actually the side of our pantry cupboard). We wanted an art space where the kids could just plop down, grab paper and tools and start creating. However we can’t quite trust them yet with paint and markers by themselves…(these walls nearly killed me to paint and I don’t think they’d hold up to scribbles) so that kind of independence will have to wait a tad longer.

We put up the IKEA Dignitet curtain wire as a place to hang the kid’s art. I love seeing their creations up there and rotating them throughout the weeks.

Ok but let’s get to the nitty gritty right? What did this cost us? Here it is in CDN:

Paint and Supplies: $200
Dowels for rainbow tapestry: $10
Light Fixture: $140
Cord Kit (to hide TV wires): $100
IKEA Lätt Kids table and chairs: $30
Velvet floor cushion: $25
IKEA Filskov Rug: filskox: $70
Wicker shelf (Marketplace): $15
Total: $590

There you have it! A little tour of the most used room in the house. It’s hard to get a full picture of this room, plus our couch is butt ugly. But be sure to follow along on instagram where I post/story in it all.the.time.

The post Color Block Mural Playroom appeared first on Squirrelly Minds.

I chose the lyrics from “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. There’s something about those opening lyrics that feel so warm and inviting, like a great big Christmas hug. So pick your favourite Christmas song and get making!

The below links are from amazon (affiliate links), but if it’s safe for you to go shopping right now, I got my wooden beads at the dollar store and the alphabet beads at Michaels.

Here are the steps, but be sure to keep reading for some tricks and tips!

Tip 1: This is totally an optional step, but it made the job a heck of a lot easier. I dumped out all the letter beads into a bowl and organized them in rows as per the alphabet. It was a lot of work up front but taking that time beforehand made stringing the beads together much more fun than having to stop every 2 seconds to search for a letter.

Tip 2: I got a bunch of garland made before I realized I only had 5 r’s. What kind of alphabet collection only has 5 r’s!? And then I ran out of E’s and things were looking grim. I wouldn’t be able to finish the stanza! Rather than giving up, I used a fine tipped sharpie to make my own R’s by adding a line to P, and E’s by adding a bottom line to F. (Sadly I ran out of S’s a little while later and there’s no letter you can turn into S…).

The post DIY Christmas Lyric Garland appeared first on Squirrelly Minds.

This project cost us $45 total. Mind you, we had the tension wire already, so but if you found it locally by the foot it would only be another $10-15. Mega cheap friends! Like I said, this is the easiest DIY ever, I almost didn’t write a post about it. But juuuust in case someone was looking for a similar solution I thought I’d share this with you.

The post DIY privacy curtain on a budget appeared first on Squirrelly Minds.

We didn’t intend to work on this space. It all started when I saw the wooden couch and chair on an online garage sale site for $150CAD. The cushions were meh but I knew I could easily remedy that, so I jumped on it and we picked them up that night. Then I saw the two black wicker chairs, then the black wicker pendant light, and dang nabbit we had the beginnings on our outdoor living room!

It’s not pictured in the before, but originally this space was a dog run and completely blocked off with tall cedar hedges and a chain link fence. The mister took those out in the late spring and things slowly came together since. We wanted to do this project on a budget of $500, but I must admit, we fell deeply in love with the Turkish Kilim pillows and threw caution (or our budget) to the wind.

Originally we planned to DIY our furniture, but these cushions turned out to be the perfect size for the second hand ones. We were also originally going to DIY the bottom cushions but realized we could spend $30 to cover our existing cushions with a canvas drop cloth opposed to $200+ for all new ones.

We wanted privacy between our living space and our neighbours. Plus our side yard needs a major overhaul. We needed a cost effective option so we opted for a drop cloth, curtain hooks and a tension wire. All totalled, this privacy curtain came under $50. If you haven’t noticed, canvas drop cloths are the hero piece in this space. They’re so cost efficient and super versatile. It’s worth noting however that the quality and colour can vary quite dramatically. The first brand of drop cloth I got for the cushions was closer to a grey beige and had two long seam lines. The second drop cloth for the curtain was one long 8×12 piece of canvas in a warm beige.

Despite going over budget in general, we actually saved a ton of money overall by purchasing used/repurposed items and styling with what we have in our house. The only items we bought new were the hammock chair, drop cloths and hardware for the privacy curtain. Well, and the Turkish cushions, but I like to think of them as repurposed as they’re made out of vintage Turkish rugs. Yes, we still went over budget by about $150, and we still have painting to do, but those Turkish rug cushions were well worth breaking the bank for! So what did we spend where?

Cost Breakdown (in CDN)

Wood frame couch and chair: $150
Black wicker chairs: $50
Hammock chair: $50
Turkish Rug Cushions from ZD Kilims Pillow: $280
Light: $40
Side table: $10
Canvas Drop Cloths: $65
Curtain Clips and Turnbuckle: $15
TOTAL: $660

There’s still more work we’d like to do to the space which we will likely tackle next spring. These include:

• Painting the ceiling and walls black
• New wall light fixture
• Tacking up the bistro lights flush against the cross supports
• New coffee table
• New door

There we have it! Even though it isn’t 100% complete, we’re so happy with this unexpected outdoor living room refresh. Because this space is sheltered, I’m debating getting a propane heater so we can use it nearly all year round. It is my favourite space to lounge after all, might as well make it worth our while!

Also if you’re wondering about that playroom I planned earlier this year, it’s nearly done so stay tuned!

Get the look (in USD, includes affiliate links)

Canvas drop cloths $18 each
Turkish Kilim Cushions: from $6+
Outdoor wood couch: $440. These are also pricey purchased new. Search locally for second hand or try our original idea and DIY one.
Stacking Black Wicker Chairs: $175 (These are apparently very expensive or out of stock on multiple sites I checked out. I recommend you hunt around locally for some garage sale deals and attack your find with black spray paint).
Hammock chair: $45
Square Coffee Table: $156
Side Table: $23
Black Rattan Plug In Pendant Light: $40 (I couldn’t find anything in stock or in black).
Bistro lights: $16.98
Outdoor Rug: $68.99 (on sale)
Curtain clips: $12.99
Turnbuckle: $9.25

The post Outdoor Living Room Refresh appeared first on Squirrelly Minds.

At first I enjoyed the peony jelly on scones and toast. Then Christmas came around and along with it, a cookie baking frenzy, and the peony pistachio thumbprint cookies were born!

I’ve since ran out of the jelly, but our new home is FULL of peony bushes. They’re just about ready to pop and I’m hoping one is hot pink. If so you bet I’m going to make a few jars of this jelly, specifically for these cookies.

You can use any thumbprint cookie recipe, and any peony jelly recipe you find out there. What really makes these cookies so stunning and unique are the ingredients (hello peony and pistachio), and the combo of hot pink and bright green. So let’s get making.
Cookies adapted from Butter with a Side of Bread
Peony jelly recipe from Daily Dish Recipes

• Hot pink peonies will give you this rich colour. And while you could just go to the shop and buy a bouquet there, I wouldn’t recommend it. You have no idea what they’re sprayed with.
• I know it’s a pain, but to get that intense pop of green, it’s really important to discard that outer skin. I sometimes had to shave it off and lose half the nut in the process.

The post Peony Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies appeared first on Squirrelly Minds.

Wall scones on Nunu | Rainbow wall rug on Crate & Barrel

But here’s the thing. Those wooden toys are beautiful but insanely expensive. And let’s be honest, I just don’t have the time or energy to constantly swap out the room to be instagram picture perfect. But I can gain inspiration from other amazing instagram moms and educators who have fully embraced this style of play. While I may not go full out, I’m looking at these instagram accounts (and the above colour palette) to help infuse just a little bit of this play style into our lives and our play space.

@whiteandwander

@gemma.leigh.r

@thefrenchfolk

@thewondersofplay

@steph.soj

@lets.play.all.day

@where_learning_meets_play

@mumma.and.moo

I have a few simple DIY’s in mind to make this approach a bit more affordable, and I definitely have fun design plans that I’ll certainly let you in on, either here and/or on Instagram

Do you follow the montessori/waldorf play philosophy? Is it manageable (time/money wise) for you? If so, teach me your ways!

The post Montessori and Waldorf Inspired Playrooms appeared first on Squirrelly Minds.