Purse organization using command strips

Spice loves purses.  She's been carrying them around with her since she was a baby.  Now that she's a toddler, she has quite a collection.  More than me I should mention.  We were storing them like this.

It was a mess.  She couldn't find a matching one and I never knew what else would end up in the box.  So I devised a solution.  I bought small command hooks, stuck them on the end of her bunk bed and hung up the purses.

 

Much more organized!

Until next week- Brenda

Home Warranties

I have a home warranty. I love it. A Home Warranty is every homeowner's best friend. If you don't have one then you are flipping crazy. What does a warranty do you ask? Well, since you asked our warranty has been in effect for 2 months and in that time period we have used it 4 times. The first time we used it was because for some reason we lost all power in the Living Room, Goo's Room, and the Office. The outlets didn't work. The Electrician came out and discovered that in one of the outlets in the office a wire had come lose and caused a chain reaction. $55 dollars and several hours later we were back in business. The second time we used the warranty the half bath toilet overflowed. Before I could shut off the water from the main shut off there was about 1 inch of sewer water all over the downstairs. The Plumber came out snaked my drain and discovered that the old tree that was in the front yard had broken into the pipe and clogged it. The plumber even helped me clean up. Above and beyond if you ask me! Third time we used the warranty the dryer heating element went out. 24 Hours later the tech came in replaced it and I was back in clean and dry clothes. Tomorrow I will call in for the fourth time. My Dishwasher isn't working and there isn't any hot water in the sink. This is drivinf me crazy because I swear the kids and the Hubs have used every freaking dish in the house. I just spent the last four hours washing the dishes in the bathroom sink. I needed hot water right??? FYI Bathroom sinks are not big enough to wash a lot of pots and pans! Pre-rise is a must. Today I just wanted to give a brief overview of what kinds of things a warranty can cover. Tomorrow I will explore how to find a good warranty and how to use one... I hope you join me for that...

Small Fine Print Toddler Color Activity

the following is a feature post by Small Fine Print

My Disney Color Match Game was quite the hit, I decided to show you the other color match activity I made (for all you non-Disney fans). It has the same concept as the Disney Game, just simplified.

What you'll need:
Color Paper (I used paint swatches)
Hot Glue
Clothes Pins


I grabbed 2 of each color I wanted to use (found in the paint section of your home improvement store)-


Cut a piece of each color just big enough to cover your clothes pin and hot glue them on.


Hot Glue your 2nd set of color swatches together leaving about 2 inches of each color exposed.







Have your toddler practice color matching by clipping the clothes pin on








I barely finished my activity before my toddler snatched it up and wanted to play right away!


We love tucking this in our church bag or diaper bag for a quiet activity on the go!

I'm getting a Silhouette

I

have a wonderful sister! Her name is Lei Loni. What makes her wonderful? She is funny, she gets me, she thinks I am a good writer. When she proof reads my novel it makes her cry. She is genourous of spirit. Last week she bougt me the Silhouette Cameo. It will arrive on Friday and I have a whole list of projects that I want to do. I am also looking for tips on how the machine works, where to buy the best supplies, and ideas for projects.

Please, drop me a comment if you have anything to share.

Sick kids!

Hello, it's Brenda again.  Totally forgot it was Friday!  Sugar and Spice have been sick all week and I'm losing my mind!  I haven't had too much time to do anything creative.  Sugar is only 7 months old and I'm learning that she's very needy when she's sick!

So I'm just going to quickly share a project that I've been working on with you.

One of the first things I found on Pinterest was a Family Monogram letter.

Months ago, before moving, I found our letter at Joann's.  It was damaged so I got it for less than $3! 

I was so excited!  This week I've been gathering pictures to put on it.  It's been fun going down memory lane.  My hubby and I have been together since high school, so seeing us as our younger (skinnier) selves has been fun.  I also shed a tear or two looking at Spice's baby pictures.  She's getting so independent and sassy that it made me miss those days a little. :) 

My goal is to have it done by next week!  We'll see how that goes...

Do you get paid to blog?

I do! I am part of Social Spark. Social Spark is a company that puts bloggers and advertisers together. Sometimes they even sponsor Giveaways. I have had the privilege of doing paid posts for Hilton Hotels, Freshetta Pizza, Straight Talk Mobile, and Pier One.

At first I was unsure whether or not I wanted to do it. I was worried about being asked to write about something I didn't like. However, Social Spark shows you a lead and you can decide if it is something you are interested in. I am so glad they do.

I was able to find Straight Talk because of them. They are my new cell phone company. I love the phones, I love the service, and I love how easy it is to renew without a stinking contract!

So in essence I love Social Spark and I bet you will too. Click on the banner to sign your blog up now!

Renaissance Headbands for Gouda's Party

Gouda's first birthday sucked. She had surgery to place tubes in her ears. She had been deaf for 6 months. This June she turns 2 and I feel the need to make up for her lousy birthday. C and I have our birthdays just a few days apart. This year for our Birthday's we traveled to California where we went to Medieval Times.Medieval Times is a dinner show set in the Middle Ages (a present from the In-Laws). In the gift shop they had these beautiful hair ribbons that reminded me of growing up in Cedar City, Utah home of the world famous Shakespearean Festival. (Did I ever mention that I am a Shakespeare? My Great-Great Grandparents are John and Hannah Shakespeare and yes they are part of THOSE Shakespeare's)

The cost of the headbands at Medieval Times was $20! I thought that was nuts but I wanted them for Gouda's Party. I thought it would be a great theme. A Midsummer's Night Dream, maybe it seems to much for a 2 year old but she does have the same DNA of the Bard so I think she will like it. If not heck she's 2 how will she remember it anyway?

So I gathered my supplies:

Plastic headbands ($1.00 for 8 I got at a local Swap Meet)
Ribbons sheer and non sheer (I got mine at the Dollar Tree)
Matching Flowers (I also got these at the Dollar Tree)

Supplies Needed

Hot glue sheer ribbons to the bottom of headband on both sides

Wrap headband with ribbon all the way around

Finished just need to add the flowers

Headband on Gouda with the flowers on it

Got to say Sorry for the pictures sucking. Man I really need a new camera!

Midwife and Guest Bloggers

After spending the last 2 years studying to becoma a Birth Doula and Childbirth Educator (Certification Pending with DONA and CBI) I have decided to become a Midwife. I am so excited! I start school next week. This may mean that I blog a bit less but I am hoping to fill some of the time away from the blog with guest bloggers like my Sister-in-Law Brenda.

If you are interested in being a guest blogger please email me at fallingdownhouse@gmail.com

Love,

Sher

An Update on a Cleaning Tip

A few months ago I told you that an easy way to clean your oven was with Baking Soda and Vinegar. I can report back that this does work for light soils. However, it does not work for heavy messes.

Easy Snack Storage

Hey everyone, it's Brenda again!  With a toddler (and a husband for that matter) who love to munch, we have a lot of snacks at our house.  It seems like the snack cupboard always gets messy!  I wasn't able to find what they wanted, so I came up with a simple solution- snack bins.

First, I found some bins at Walmart for about $3.  The handles turn in which makes them stackable.

Then, I took my handy dandy label maker (it you don't have one, you should get one!  They make organizing SO easy). 

I made the labels.

And then I stuck them on the bins.  That's it!



Easy!  Not only does this keep the snacks organized, but it's easy to grab one of the bins and put it out for the kids during a playdate, or for the hubby when he's working outside.

Have fun organizing!- Brenda

Still Looking for the perfect Fabric Headboard

So Stinkin' Cute

For months I've wanted a fabric covered headboard.

Since we were renters for so long and moved so much,

it really wasn't a possibility.

Well, I no longer have to wait.

For instructions on how to do this,

I would go here.

Here is my bed before:

It was really easy to do, we had it done in less than an hour.

I enlisted the help of some brawny men to help

muscle it to the wall, but the rest was up to my

untrained eye.

By the way, I went with the pink side of the fabric.

Why? I just decided it was more "me" and with all

of the black and white mirrors on the long wall, I needed

some color. Plus, if my husband was up for that much pink in our bedroom,

I had to go for it. And wait till you see the "after" pictures...I am so glad I did it.

Of course, my kids had to be around,

getting in the way, helping.

....my hunky hubs, kind of can't resist a man with power tools...

....look at my Dad's handsome hand against the pink fabric :)...

It's as if my kids knew how nervous I was that this would all come together,

they wouldn't leave us alone.

Maybe if I do more of these projects, they won't be

so curious.

Here it is...

We mounted it to the wall,

mainly because we plan on staying here for a bit,

and it's 4 feet high....so very tall.

{bedside tables are from Ikea, and lamps are from HomeGoods}

...and I happen to love it's grandeur....

..finally, I have a bit of luxury in my kid-filled life.

I also found a faux orchid arrangement to add color to my

mirror wall....

...I wrapped a couple of books in wrapping paper,

just to give them a better look...

and that shell I found at a thrift store...

I paid less than a dollar for it!

Here's the final "after" shot...

I put a pillow from my DIY chair on there to show how

a bunch of fun colored pillows will make the look complete.

I hope to work on that in the next couple of weeks.

In the meantime, I'm looking for a vanity table

for my makeup and jewelry...and a bench for the end of the bed.

Overall, the cost for all materials was $160

vs. $1000's that most stores are charging right now.....

I love decor,

my way{seriously, who has a bubble-gum pink headboard?},

and on a budget.

{Tip: I got the fabric at Jo Ann Fabrics...it was $53.99/yard, yikes!....

I waited and it went on sale for 40% off, also had two coupons for the

batting and foam at 50% off, it pays to wait for coupons

on a project of this size!}

****Update**** Here is the headboard with the pillows I sewed,
makes the whole project complete....

Toodles!

Inexpensive Picture Frame Matting

Before I quit working as an accountant the office where I worked cleared out a bunch of great picture frames. They were all custom frames and really nice so I grabbed a bunch. I ripped out the old crap that was in the frames not wanting to be reminded of the place I worked. I then realized the downside of having custom frames is that usually you need custom matting for your pictures. That type of money isn't in the budget right now. So what is a girl to do right?

You break out the stock of gift wrap in the craft closet. I grabbed out some plain brown parcel paper and some silver paper. I got more creative as I went along and I even grabbed out some ribbon.

Step 1.

Gather supplies foam backing, pictures you want to frame, and gift wrap.

Cut gift wrap to fit back of frame or foam board


Step 2

Place gift wrap on backer board and tape down. Make sure tape doesn't show

 

 

Step 3

Place pictures you want in the frame. These are are prints from a calender I had when I was a teenager. There are paintings from my favorite artist Tadema. I taped them down as I dodged Gouda's cars.

Step 4

 

Wrap with ribbon to complement the look.

Step 5 - Enjoy your cheap matting. Total cost $0.00