When The Kids Are Sleeping

Pallet project #2 - The Gate

2012-07-22T18:49:00.000-04:00

I was inspired by aimee-weaver.blogspot.com. She is an incredible artist with such creative ideas. She paints beautiful phrases, Scripture verses,and family names on wood. This is my version.

This is how I did it.

1. Remove 1x4 off of pallets.

2. Cut the wood with a table saw to the size I wanted.

3. Nail all the boards to 2 1x4 so it is one solid piece

4. Sand the edges and boards

5. Stain the boards with Golden Oak stain

5. Chose the size and fonts you like best and print the Scripture verse or phrase on paper

6. Lay the paper on the wood. Using a pencil, trace the outline of each letter and it will leave an indentation in the wood

7. Lift up the paper and paint on the words

8. Buy two gate hinges at Lowe's for $8 and screw them unto the board

Hanging the gate -

1. Find a stud in the wall and screw a cut 2x4 in the wall. Screw the gate into the cut 2x4.
2. Sit back and enjoy how crafty you are!

Stay tuned to Pallet project #3

Happy Summer,

Steph

Magic makeover on and old shirt

2012-07-20T23:55:00.000-04:00

I bought this shirt at Goodwill for $3. Thought I loved it, but after wearing it I realized it had some major problems.
#1 Sleeves too long
#2 -material to tight on my tummy. No matter how much I sucked in...it didn't look cute.

Please excuse my freezy hair. It was a long day with my kids ...

So I got to thinking....maybe I will cut the sleeves and bunch up the sides.

I cut off about 6 inches and did a basic hem around the sleeve.

Then I added some elastic to the sides. I sewed the elastic in place, and then pulled the elastic tight as I went down the shirt. When you release the elastic, the material will be bunched up.

In just 15 minutes, I had a new shirt that I really do love.

Happy sewing!

Steph

Pallet Shelves

2012-07-14T22:11:00.001-04:00

Pallets,pallets,pallets.....you see so many ideas on Pinterest about pallets.
I love them and have had so much fun using them for inside and outside of my home. Probably because there are free! My easiest project was pallet shelves.

1. Cut your pallet into thirds. Depending on the size of your pallet, you may only want to cut it into 2 pieces. A circular works best, but you can use a sawsall, jigsaw, or hand saw.

You are almost done! I know...so stinkin' easy.
2. Screw on a piece of 1x4 unto the bottom of the shelf.

Whala! A great rustic shelf. You can leave it rustic like I did, or paint or stain it. So easy and free.

3. To mount, find the studs in the wall and screw your shelves right to the wall.
4. Fill in the shelves with frames, artwork, old books, floral arrangements, etc.. Try to use lots of textures and color.

Stay tuned for my next pallet reveal.....

Happy Summer ,

Steph

Week 2 : Summer "Hits" and "Flops"

2012-06-26T06:48:00.001-04:00

We sure are having a great summer! Lots of time at the beach and pool and I think we have eaten an ice cream cone everyday. Yum, Yum... lets hear some more about our Summer "Hits" and "Flops".

Hit#1 Slime

This was a HUGE hit! My boys played with it for over an hour. I kept seeing recipes all over Pinterest, so I thought I would give it a try.
Recipe: 1 bottle of 4oz Elmers glue
1 1/2 c of water
food coloring
1 tsp of borax (you can find this with the laundry detergent at the store)
I found a great step by step with pictures on Ourbestbites.com

1. Pour all of glue in lg mixing bowl with 1/2 c of water and stir
2. Add some food coloring
3. Mix 1 cup of water and borax together in separate container then add to the glue
4. You will instantly see a cool science experiment. The gook separates and its ready to play with.
5. Discard extra water. The more you play with it, the more solid it becomes.
6. Store in ziploc bag and you will have many hrs of entertainment.

Flop # 1 - A Vacation Trip Timer

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I was so excited about this one. We were headed for a 8 hr trip to vacation with family. Came across this great idea - or so I thought.
You take ribbon or elastic of some kind and tie it to the hooks on each side of the ceiling in your car. You then mark it off for how many hrs you will be driving. Tie a car to the ribbon. A child gets to move the car over for each hr that passes. No longer will you hear "Are we there yet?" Right?......

NO, NO, NO. Instead of that we heard, "Can I move the Car?" "Its not FAIR, he moved it the last time!" "Has it been an hour, yet?" Topped with the fact that they had to take off there seat belt to move the car. Uuuugggg.... You try to make it fun...and sometimes you just get headaches.

Hit #2 Mattress Surfing

Take an odd crib mattress, hold on tight and slide down the stairs.

Now what kid wouldn't have fun doing this?

Hit # 3 Tree Climbing Advetures

My boys made this game up. - Adventure Tree Climbing.

I bought these plastic rings at the thrift store for $2. (I knew we would find something to do with them.)

Real Simple - the boys throw the hoops into a tree, climb the tree and shake the tree till the hoops come down. I know, sounds stupid. But they have so much fun with it.

Tie for a Hit and Flop - Making our own Bubble Gum

So we got this kit from a friend to make our own bubble gum. Of course, the boys thought it was the best thing ever.

Positives - Boys has fun, it made ok tasting bubble gum, something to fill our day with

Negative - It made a huge mess, boys quickly lost interest stirring it, you have to kneed the gum for at least 10 minutes with your hands ( so after those little hands are smashing it for 10 min, I wasnt crazy about taste testing)

All in all, it was a tie. But it did make some good bubbles.

Hows your summer going?

- Steph

10 minute pillow slipcover

2012-06-22T08:54:00.001-04:00

This is the easiest way to make a slipcover for your pillows. In just 10 minutes you will see results that are amazing!

1. Get a pillow and cut fabric so that it is 2 inches bigger than the pillow on the top and bottom and long enough on each side that if you fold it, the fabric overlaps by 6 inches.

2. Unfold the fabric and hem the two short sides.

3. With pillow inside, keep the fabric inside out and pin the fabric so that it is fitted.

4. Remove pillow and hem two straight lines on the sides of the pillow.

5. Turn right side out and you have a beautiful slipcover pillow.

Before:

After:

Happy sewing!

- Steph

Summer flops and summer hits!

2012-06-10T16:29:00.000-04:00

Summer is officially underway at the Gammons house. In order for me to remain sane for the whole summer, I spent some time looking at various blogs and made a list of activities that my kids would enjoy. I thought it would be fun to tell you what has been a "Hit" and what has been a "Flop". I will be sure to up date this list through out the summer. Here goes....

Hit #1 - Jazzing up our thrift store razors

My boys have been asking for Razors for awhile now. I almost cried when I found both of these at Goodwill for $10. They were used and the purple handle bars had to go. I bought some fun Duct Tape at Michaels for $5 and went to town. (they have so many fun colors and patterns..from pok-a-dots to skulls)

The kids were so excited for their one-of-a-kind scooters. Even little sister wanted some on her scooter.

Flop #1 - Ice Cube Painting

I didn't even take a picture because the kids lost interest in about 30 seconds. I took an ice cube tray and filled it with water and food coloring. Allowed it to freeze and then paint with the cubes outside on paper. Problem - the color wasn't very bright and the paper was tearing because it was wet. So we just broke out our traditional paint and brushes and finished being artists.

Hit #2 - Baking Soda Volcano

I was really surprised that all my kids had fun with this (ages 6,4,and 2).

1. Pour Baking Soda on plate.
2. Put food color in a cup of vinegar for the lava.
3. Use a medicine dropper to squirt the vinegar on the soda. fizzle fun!!!

They probably played with this for almost 45 minutes!

Flop #2 - Homemade Pizza

So we fun making it...but it just tasted gross! Mikey said "I just like how that other guy makes it. You know the kind we usually get. He just makes it better" He is referring to "Little Caesars" ....lol
I guess I will have to go back to Pinterest and get a better recipe.

What have your hits and flops been this summer? Would love to hear......

Steph

Mirror, mirror on the wall....

2012-05-24T21:10:00.000-04:00

I will have to admit that I am totally addicted to my local thrift store. Everyday I drive by, I want to stop. My heart starts to beat faster and I get the shakes....ok, its not that bad but I do feel like everyone else is getting all the good stuff! But, I have resolved to stop just once a week. I am usually in and out in about 15 minutes. This was my latest purchase for $8.

It is a solid antique mirror that is over 60 years old. (dates are stamped on back). It was stained wood and a little beat up, but after I sanded it and put a fresh coat of paint it was good to go. Lily loves looking at herself in the mirror and playing dress up is at a whole new level.

Teacher Gift

2012-05-19T22:03:00.001-04:00

Summer is almost here and that means we need to give a big thank you to all our children's teachers. This is what I put together for my teacher gifts.

I rolled up a fluffy beach towel, a Sprite, and a favor bag full of candy and granola bars.

Tied it with a pretty bow and attached this poem I wrote.

I put the poem on card stock paper and had my boys sign their names at the bottom with a crayon.

They were so excited to give their gifts to their teachers!

This was another one with a different ribbon.

There are so many great ideas out there for teachers!

Now I need to start planning my summer for my kids......

Thanks for stopping by!

Steph

Date Night

2012-05-17T22:19:00.000-04:00

Had such a fun date night with my hubby!

We went out to dinner and then went to Fear No Easel.

It was a 2 hour class where we painted these masterpieces. I thought for sure my painting was going to be better than Ryans. We covered up the names and asked my mom to pick which one she liked best.....My mom picked Ryans :(.

Even though I didn't win,my love tank was filled. He looked adorable with his painting apron on with 30 other ladies. Thanks sweetheart!

Which one do you like best? ....please pick mine

Kids say the cutest things!

2012-05-14T20:35:00.000-04:00

For the past six years, I have told myself to write down the funny things my kids say so.....

I finally did it.

I bought a simple leather journal and keep it on my dresser in the living room. It is nothing fancy, but the inside pages are priceless. Here are just a few of my favorites:

Mikey -

"dew da" - donut

"Do you know where dreams come from? They come from my pillow."

"Mommy, I am ready to kill my eggs" (referring to dyeing his Easter eggs)

"I need some jello, for my hair" (meaning gel)

Mikey asked Jesus into his heart at school. I asked him about it when he came home. He said,"I asked Love to come into my heart today."

Jacob -

For about 6 months, everytime he would sit down at the dinner table he would say, " I do not like dinner, I only like lunch!"

After dressing head to toe in camo, he asks me while playing inside " Hey Mom! Can you see me?"

Lily -

"Ta,Ta Tunda" - Kung Fu Panda (her favorite cartoon)

"Top Parts" - Pop Tarts

"Ne Ne" - Candy (one of her basic food groups)

What funny things have your kids said? I would love to hear.....

- Steph

Homemade Laundry Soap

2012-05-12T15:35:00.002-04:00

Now that I have refinished my laundry room, I thought I would try to make some homemade laundry soap. I kept seeing all these directions on Pinteres. I decided to use the one I found on whynotsew.blogspot.com.
She gives great step by step directions with pictures. I was amazed at how easy it was and all of the ingredients I found at Wal-mart.

Bar of Soap
Borax
Washing Soda
Water

I have washed a few loads with the soap and it works GREAT! It took about 45min to make, and like I said before.... sooooo easy. The best part....the cost. Laundry Detergent can be so expensive, and with a family of 5 we go threw it like crazy. It cost me $14 for the ingredients, but I will be able to make at least 10 more gallons of detergent. And I didn't even have to clip a coupon.

Well, its the weekend...so my laundry awaits!

- Steph

Family Art

2012-04-29T20:44:00.002-04:00

I am sooo excited to show you this project.

I have been thinking about it for months and I finally got it done!

I found this adorable nest in my backyard and wanted to do something with it.... I thought it would be clever to represent our family by putting 2 blue eggs for my boys and 1 pink egg for my sweet baby girl.
So this is what I did...

1. Take a raw egg and poke a hole at the top and bottom with a safety pin. Blow into the top hole and the raw egg will come out of the bottom. Rinse it out and you have yourself an egg. (You can skip this part if you do not wish to keep the eggs as decorations or for an extended period of time)

2. Dye the eggs. I used vinegar, water, and food coloring. (Measurements are right on the back of food coloring box) I then specked them with white and brown paint. I use a small paint brush and just throw paint at the eggs. It is quite fun!

3.I was blessed to have the best photographers in the world, Billy and Rachel Hyer from Hyer Images, take my picture. If you are doing it yourself, take the picture outside on a sunny day.

4. Add your family name and the date in which you got married

5. I watched Group On like a hawk, and bought a photo canvas deal. It was a 16x20 canvass for $39

My nest proudly hangs in my hallway, and it makes me feel so blessed and happy to see my sweet family art.
What would your nest look like?

- Stephanie

The Perfect Flower Pot

2012-04-26T19:30:00.001-04:00

All you need to remember in potting your flowers is three simple words.....

Thriller, Filler, and Spiller

Thriller - a plant with height

Filler - a plant that will fill out nicely

Spiller - A plant that will hang down

There is nothing like a beautiful pot of flowers to welcome people into your home.
Happy Spring everyone!!!!

Window Art

2012-04-18T21:20:00.001-04:00

I found this great window at the Habitat for Humanity Restore.

The Restore sells amazing things that can add instant character to a space. They usually sell their windows for about $10. It was pretty beat up when I first bought it. Sorry I don't have a "Before" picture.

1. Sanded and washed the whole window frame
2. Taped the windows with painters tape
3. Painted and antiqued it (look at my older posts about the technique that I use)
4. Had my sweet husband hang it up and it was done!

I really get excited about decorating an entire wall for $10

My garbage pick find!

2012-04-15T12:58:00.001-04:00

Now that I have completed all the three Hunger Games Books I can get back to my crafts. Sorry that I haven't posted in a while, but those books sucked me in. I was even having dreams that I was in the Hunger Games!

Anyways...last week I garbage picked this adorable chair. I loved the curves and that fact that it was solid wood was priceless. My husband always laughs at the things I find on the side of the road.
Lets get to work....
1. Unscrew the seat and remove the old fabric.

This seat had four layers of fabric. Wow...where has this chair been? I love to think about the history of furniture.

2. Sand the chair with sandpaper. I also removed the flowers using a screwdriver and hammer.
3. Paint whatever color you like. I chose white because that is what I had in my paint collection.
4. Let dry and sand edges with sandpaper
5. Apply a stain on the edges with a rag or sponge brush. I used MinWax Dark Walnut.
6. Take a clean rag and immediately wipe off stain.
7. Take some fabric and with a staple gun, staple fabric on backside of chair seat
8. Screw seat back on chair and you are done!!!

Total time of project...2 hrs.
Cost....free!

What have you garbage picked lately?

Still working on the garage....

2012-04-06T21:59:00.000-04:00

Week 5 of Mission Organization is going slowly.... My garage is like this deep dark pit. I clean it out and the next day it is a disaster. I dream of the day when it is totally organized. Until then, I will chip at it slowly...

This week, I was able to get some shelves up and buy some more containers to organize....Have I told you how much I love plastic containers?
This is the Before...

And the After....

So much better... I put a cute hook on the side of the wall for my big beach bags. Installed two more shelves and bought 2 bins for my extra cleaning supplies and paint supplies. I would have gotten shelves the same size as the original ones, but they were free so I can't complain.

I truly feel, the best part of getting organized, is that you have more room to play.....

So with some of my clutter gone, I had room for this beauty!
I scored this huge chalk board at the thrift store for $5....yippee! Its a little beat up, but my kids have been loving it. I will probably get some chalkboard paint and fix it up, but for now - its great! I also screwed two hooks into the wall which holds the buckets of chalk. I love having the chalk board in the garage because it keeps the mess outside.

What have you cleaned out lately? I would love to hear......

Easter Decorations and more....

2012-04-03T21:49:00.001-04:00

Can I just tell you how much I love Pinterest?... From cooking, to crafting, to decorating, and to styling it is my new LOVE. Easter has been so easy and so much fun this year. Here are all the fun things I found and the blogs to get the tutorials....

1. Glow in the dark egg hunt....Picture and Idea from - tylickadventures.blogspot.com

This was sooooo much fun! I took a dozen plastic eggs and glow sticks from the dollar store and filled each egg with a glow stick. We turned off all the lights in our house and played for a long time with the kids. Also, you can put the glow sticks in the freezer and they can last for at least two days.

2. Easter Wreath - Idea from Mom&wife.com

This was a lot of fun to make. Cost of materials - $10
Straw wreath - $4 from Michaels
2 lg bags of eggs - $4 from Walmart
bag of grass - $2 from Walmart

3.Easter Banner - Idea from Modernparentsmessykids.com

This was so easy and cost me $0 ...these are my favorite crafts!!
I took paint chips from Lowes and made an egg shape. Punch out two small holes at the top of each egg and thred some ribbon threw it. Used my Cricket to make the letters and thats it!

4. Dining Room Table Deco

All of my kids love playing with these decorations. I found these adorable ceramic bunnies at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $.50 each. I couldn't pass them up. Then I placed grass down with eggs. Its so bright and colorful. I also added jellybeans under the candles for some more pizzazz!

And lastly, my centerpiece that I wrote about last week is finally getting some grass.

Happy Easter! Thanks for stopping by....

Easter Centerpiece

2012-03-27T22:56:00.000-04:00

I saw this adorable Easter centerpiece on Pinterest and knew it would be a fun project for my children. There was no name attached to photo so I do not know who to give credit to. But, here is my version....

Materials:

1. Some kind of basin. This is a plastic bin that goes under a plant pot (Wal-Mart $.50)
2.Dirt
3.Small clay pot (Dollar Store)
4.Bag of Rocks (Dollar Store)
5. Grass Seed (Wal-Mart $3)
6. Water Bottle (Dollar Store)
7. Some sticks and string

Total cost of project: $6.50

Directions :
Place dirt in basin. (This was my boys favorite part) Place clay pot and rocks in dirt. Sprinkle with grass seed. Make simple crosses with your sticks and string. Put crosses in your dirt. Place basin in sunny spot and spray with water everyday. (I hot glued some burlap around the basin to give it an earthy feel)

It looks kinda lame right now....but it will look so good once the grass starts growing. We have placed ours in the middle of our kitchen table. The kids look at it every time we eat. Tonight they asked " Who were the other two crosses for?" Its such a great visual and a great reminder that our Savior Lives!

Happy Easter!

Where's my mascara?

2012-03-25T21:30:00.000-04:00

This happened about two years ago, but its such a funny story I had to retell it.
Its about 7:30 am and my middle son, Jacob, comes down the stairs looking like this.....

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I first thought he had permanent marker all over himself.
But to my delight, it was only mascara. This little guy got into my makeup bag in the middle of the night. He went into the corner of his room and colored himself. He then slept all night. I can only imagine how itchy it was. The funniest part of it all, he strolled downstairs like nothing had happened.
I was very surprised at how easy it was to clean him off, but I was pretty upset that I had no mascara to wear that day! Hope this made you smile....

Week 4 : Mission Organization - the Garage

2012-03-20T21:55:00.000-04:00

Week 4 of Mission Organization is on its way and we are slowly cleaning out the garage. This was the before:

I am happy to show you the After:

So we were blessed to get this refrigerator for free, so we had to make room for it.
1. My husband made an extra shelf that my original shoe shelf could stand on.
2. I painted the shelves white and bought three bins to hold my toddlers shoes and boys flip flops.
3. The blue bucket holds all the boys cleats and shin guards.
4. I added an extra hook for my little girl's book bag.
5. Laminated some scrapbook paper and taped them on the wall for something fun. Don't really know if the tape will hold...but its good for now!
Total Cost of Project: $19
- $7 for hook
- $12 plastic bins

....keep in touch for the next clean peek of my garage.

T-shirt scarf for a $1

2012-03-17T21:26:00.001-04:00

This will be the easiest project you have ever done! It is a scarf made out of an XL t-shirt. If you want to see this on video, go to www.theDIYdish.com
1. Take an XL t-shirt (100% cotton or cotton blend) and lay it out flat on a table. I bought mine at a thrift store for $1. W Cut the bottom hem off and cut a straight line across the shirt right below the sleeve.

2. You should have a large ring. Put one side of loop under your foot and pull up as much as you can.
3. Wrap around your neck and you are done. Wow! If being fashionable was always so easy....

Fun Spiral Scarf

2012-03-14T21:54:00.001-04:00

Everyone is wearing scarfs to spice up an outfit. Make this cute one for $2.00.
No sewing...no skill required...Promise.. I learned how to make this scarf from www.theDIYdish.com.
They have a 5 min video on how to make this scarf. Very helpful. Ok....here you go!
1. Get two XL t-shirts. I bought mine at the thrift store for $1.00 each
2. Use a plate as a stencil and trace a circle on the shirt.

3. Cut out each circle and then cut a spiral swirl (like a snail) in each circle.

4. Repeat this process until you have at least 16 circles.
5. Unwind the spirals and lay them out on a table.

6. Divide the strips into two sections and overlap them by three inches.

7. Tie a knot in the middle and you are finished!

Week 3: Mission Organization

2012-03-12T21:42:00.001-04:00

Mission Organization is on full force at the Gammon's House. This is my third closet that I have organized and I am feeling so great about all that I have cleaned out. My coat closet is really nothing too special. It only took about 1 hour to sort and clean. Here it is:

Like I said, nothing fancy. But what I wanted to show you was how I organize all my children's coat. I bought them at a garage sale for about $2 a piece. (I think they are intended for shoes) They velcro right onto your closet rod and they are perfect for all their little jackets. And the best part of it all, my kids can actually put their own coat away. Anyway to make my life a little easier makes me happy.

Ok.....so the only negative part of all this organization is that my garage is becoming the dump pile for all the closets I am cleaning out. Its getting difficult to walk threw the garage...yikes

Don't judge me by my clutter....this is a process. This is my next challenge. My garage is pretty big so I will need a few weeks. I am going to show you my progress along the way. I hope this is inspiring some of you. or maybe just making you feel normal about your clutter. I can't wait to show you a clean garage.

Week 2 : Operation Organization - My Craft Closet

2012-03-05T22:20:00.002-05:00

This was my lovely craft closet. I hated opening the door because it was such a disaster. This is home to all my scrap booking stuff, craft supplies, gift wrapping, sewing projects and office papers. I did have some systems working for me, but it needed some major organization. I have been putting this project off for about two years. I am so thankful for this blog because I am actually getting things done around my house.
I didn't want to spend any money, so I just used what I had around the house.

Step 1. Used a garbage can to store my wrapping paper. Then I took two lg gift bags and filled them with all my gift bags, bows and tissue paper and hung them on hangers.

Step 2. Sorted threw all the stuff that really didn't belong in the closet and made a hug pile for my garage sale that I will someday have. :)

Step 3. Rearranged the shelves to make it work better.

Step 4. Set up a practical filing system.
All my papers that need to be filed I place in the wicker basket. When the basket is full or I have a few extra minutes, I file it.

Step 5. Organized my pictures.
I printed up my kids names and used scrapbook paper as a border. I used thick packing tape to put labels on drawers. Inside the drawer will go pictures of that child and his/her artwork. When the drawer gets full I put it in their artwork book or slip-in picture photo albums. I use a simple 3 ring binder with plastic sleeves for their artwork book.( I save only their cutest artwork from the year)

Step 5. The fun one....Jazzing up my file cabinet. Apply Mog Podge unto the surface of the drawer with a sponge brush. Cut the paper to fit around the handles. Lay the paper on the front of the cabinet and apply another layer of Mod Podge. Allow to dry and apply another layer.

Step 6. Close and open the door to my new craft closet at least a dozen times to see my new space.

I would someday like to paint the closet or get some fun stuff on the wall, but for now.... I am pretty happy. I only had to spend $5 on scrapbook paper. Maybe if I have that garage sale, I can buy something cute for the wall.

Happy Birthday Lily!

2012-03-01T19:42:00.002-05:00

So our sweet little Lily turned 2 today. We decided to do"Date Knight" at Chic-fil-a. As you can see from the picture, Jacob wasn't crazy about putting on the costume. I told him he had to put it on and pretend to be happy for the picture. Ha! Didn't quite work... Anyways, we had a great dinner and fun times with friends. We love you so much Lily Bug. You continue to bring so much joy and laughter into our lives.