It took me about 6 weeks to chip away at this project, but I'm happy to say that the basement playhouse build (which is really a toy room shaped like a tiny house), is pretty much done! Yay! My kids are super excited and have been having fun inspecting everything as the project came together. My house may not be in style, but at least my playhouse is :-) I tried to make the … [Read more...]
DIY Kubb Set
Last summer my friend introduced me to Kubb (pronounced Koob). It is a fun strategic Swedish lawn game, with it's viking origin some have nicknamed it 'viking chess'. It's a great game for summer BBQ's and family reunions. We've enjoyed some intense games of Kubb on the lawn, and on the lake beach. Each surface can add a different advantage/disadvantage. One great thing … [Read more...]
Shoe Shelf Bench
During that big housing crisis, we were looking to get into a better neighborhood. We were super lucky and sold our old house and found an unfinished house. The main priorities were to finish what needed to be done to move in, and all of the perks would have to come later. One room layout that never worked for our family was the bench and hangers in the mudroom. I know the … [Read more...]
DIY Outdoor Seating
I have been wanting to add outdoor seating to my deck. My deck is long and narrow, standard outdoor furniture sets won't fit as intended. So 'outdoor seating' has been on my to build list for a while. I went to a DIY conference called Haven during the summer. The great folks at Ryobi challenged the attendees to build one of four projects, for a contest. You know I'm a … [Read more...]
Giant Magnetic Bracket Frame
One of the elements that I wanted to add to my functional command center is a large magnet board. My kids can stick up there latest coloring creations or school projects for all to see. Also it's a perfect place for a paper or slip needing to go back to school. In the near future I plan on adding a family calendar to the top, leaving the lower area for the kids stuff. This … [Read more...]
18 Toy Storage Ideas
I often think back to 10 years ago, I was moving into my first apartment after college to start my engineering career. I fit everything that I needed in my old VW Passat, including a twin mattress. 10 years, a husband and 2 kids later, We have amassed a lot of 'stuff'! Especially since having kids. I'm continually searching for great ways to store their stuff and mine. … [Read more...]
Install A Customizable Shower Head
I recently went to a DIY conference called Haven. It is a big gathering of DIY enthusiasts (mostly bloggers) that gather together and learn tips and tricks for DIY projects. Besides bloggers and DIY enthusiasts there are vendors, who show off and teach how to use their products. Sometimes the vendors give away products to try. WaterPik was at this conference showing off … [Read more...]
Vintage Keyhole – Key Holder
I wanted to make a key holder for my new command center. Our old one just wasn't working. It had 4 large pegs, and the key rings were hard to get on the pegs, so a lot of the time, the keys weren't where they should be. You know how frustrating that can be :-) I thought it might be fun to make the key holder look like an old vintage keyhole. The decorative radiator grate … [Read more...]
Rustic Ampersand ‘and’ symbol
I have been seeing those ampersand signs everywhere lately. The ampersand 'and' symbol really adds a touch of whimsy to engagement pictures, baby announcements, bookcases, walls etc. I love it. I have been working on revamping my mudroom. I want it to be a 'functional' command center, to hopefully help reduce clutter on the counter...HOPEFULLY! So I had an idea of 'Keys … [Read more...]
Tennis Ball Pallet Sign
Do we have any tennis fans out there? Tennis has been my favorite sport to play since I was young. We had the best coach in town, Coach Braithwaite. He was an avid supporter of the game of tennis and coached at the High School until he was nearly 80. A couple of years ago, I went to the US Open with my friend, a fellow tennis lover, and a past tennis teammate. For her … [Read more...]