Disney Countdown - FREE Printable!

Is your family heading to Disney sometime soon (or not so soon)?  Here is a FREE printable to count down the days!  Simply print, cut out 8x10 image, and place in a frame.  Use a dry-erase marker to write the number of days remaining until your magical trip!!!  Download HERE or click on the image below!

created by

Easter Subway Art - FREE Printable!

Enjoy this FREE printable Easter subway art!  The document is a PDF with an 8x10 image, one in color and one in black & white.

created by

How to use a printable calendar or planner

I love all the fancy planners available now!  They come in so many beautiful colors and designs with custom covers and pages and so many fabulous accessories!  However, I'm a big fan of just printing my own pages and sticking them into a binder.  If I mess something up, I can just re-print a page.  Also, I tend to hold on to things like planners for years, fearful of throwing away memories!  But if I print my own pages, I am very quick to toss them when the month/year is over.  Less clutter, less decisions, keeping it simple!!!!

Here is what I do.

1.  Each month I print a new monthly page and fill-in the dates (or I may use one of my pre-dated designs). This one is available for purchase in my Etsy shop for only $3.00.

2.  Then I open my iPhone calendar....which is our master family calendar!  All our devices are linked to the iCalendar so that is always the first place I add a new event.  Why do I even bother with a printable calendar when I have the iPhone calendar?  Because I like to have a paper one in front of me at my desk when I'm at the computer or working on a project.  Or if I'm on my phone, it's just easier for me to have everything out in front of me.

3.  I get out my colored neon stickers.  Each color represents a different family member. I have a "key" at the top of the calendar to show who is who!

4.  I simply write the events on the stickers and then stick them on the calendar.  Quick, easy, and a great way to quickly scan for my own events, the kids' activities, etc. Plus, it's kinda fun too!!!!

5.  I also use a Week-at-a-Glance page each week and a Food Journal every day.  I have a separate post devoted to those coming soon!!! Happy planning!

Spring Cleaning: Pantry Door

Once again I found an area in my home that was driving me crazy!  My pantry door was out of control.  The wire holder on the door was here when we moved in. I attached the plastic bag holder that I found for $7 at Aldi.

Yikes, what a mess!  The pictures speak for themselves!

I purged many things.  I moved the more frequently used bags and bowl covers to the lower two shelves, and put all the foil, plastic wrap and parchment paper to the top.  

Mason couldn't wait one second for me to snap a picture;) This is the reason why I have a "Pantry is Open" and "Pantry is Closed" sign that I often hang on the door....my kids would live exclusively off of pantry food and snacks if I'd let them!!!!!

 

Adding Fabric to Built-ins or Bookcases

We have been wanting to update the 90s style built-ins since we moved into this house a year ago.  Originally I considered painting them black, adding wallpaper to the backs, changing out the shelves, etc.....I didn't know what to do!!!  So when my sister-in-law Kelly was in town over the weekend, we brainstormed and we came up with the idea to adhere fabric to the back side!!! (I was terrified yet very excited!) I would never have been able to do this project without her!!!!  I can't wait to show you the process!!

Before: There is way too much natural wood and brick on that wall!  The TV was obviously too big for the built-in. 

We removed the shelves and got it all ready!!

Supplies:

Fabric

Spray Adhesive (temporary, not permanent)

Fabric cutter

Spraying the fabric with Spray Adhesive

Kelly spraying the wood and adhering the fabric (I'm in the pink, just the assistant!!):

Cutting the excess with the fabric cutter.  Kelly was excellent at this!!!

Jim also hung the TV up over the mantle...a project we were worried about when we moved here.  We thought it would be too high, but it's actually perfect!!!

(The name art print is available in my Etsy shop!!!)

Easter Wreath or Centerpiece

Let me start by saying I'm so sorry that I don't have step-by-step photo instructions on this!!!! I got the idea from this fabulous pin on Pinterest and didn't expect mine to turn out very nice!

Here is how I made it:
Supplies:
-A circle cardboard that came with a frozen pizza-- I cut out the inside of it
-3 bags of the plastic eggs with the designs on them (Walmart, $1.29 ea) and a few misc plain plastic eggs that I had in my Easter decor
-Fake flowers
-Glue gun

Instructions:
Just like Jana did for hers, I glued the first layer of eggs onto the cardboard using my glue gun.  I used a color pattern, but you could just do random and I'm sure it would still look fabulous!

Then I glued some eggs on top until I ran out of the design ones.  I used the plain ones to fill in any gaps and just to change it up a little!!

Lastly, I glued the fake flowers on.  At first it was only to hid the cardboard that was showing, but then I realized it really added a pretty touch to the wreath!!

I decided to use it as a centerpiece instead of a wreath on my front door (because we've had lots of wind and storms lately and we don't have a storm door that would protect my precious craft!) I think I may add a few more flowers to hide the cardboard.

Spring Break Festivities!

Today was the final day of Spring a Break for Mya! The week started with beautiful weather and the kids playing on the trampoline a lot! And then....the storms rolled in! We went to a gymnastics place for open gym on Wed, saw a movie on  Thurs, and today Mya and I went for coffee and pedicures while Mason was at school! My anxiety has been elevated a bit this week, but I'm surviving! I'm glad to be relaxing on the couch right now enjoying some Chinese food!