Pumpkins and Bleach... Oh My!

A woman at the grocery store told me while I was looking at pumpkins that if you either rub it with bleach water or dunk it in bleach water that the pumpkin will last longer. So, I decided to try it. I just grabbed some bleach and poured a little bit into a container of water. I then grabbed a paper towel and wiped the pumpkin with the bleach water. It made the pumpkin super shiny, so hopefully it'll work. I'll let you know what happens. 

Oh Hole No!

Back in March we found a few places with what looked to be mold on the upper portions of the wall in our living room. Of course we were freaked out, especially with just buying the house back in December. So, we decided to go ahead and don some gear and break through the walls just to make sure there were not any major problems behind it. Fortunately, there was nothing. We decided to investigate a little further with a a few scrubbings and started to notice it was dirt and grime. The people who acquired this place before us just slapped some paint on the walls and called it a day. 

Now, pretty much 7 month's later we're finally getting to the holes. They were covered with contact paper to match the wall color. However, with E's birthday coming up I decided it was time to fix it. 

I just grabbed a few plaster patches from Walmart (they were about 2.97 for 2) and then a galvanized steel patch. Following the directions I placed the patches onto the walls and wet them. Then waited 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, I was able to cover them up. 

For my first time doing this, I think I did a pretty awesome job. Horrible place to have to sand, but in the end it looks good. I need to fix a corner piece where I caught it while sanding, but otherwise it's still holding strong. I just can't wait to paint it now. 

Slightly Fixing Our Kitchen Cabinets

When my husband and I moved into this house 9 months ago one of the cabinet doors was slightly off. We ignored it and figured "hey, we can fix it once we get settled." Here we are 9 months later, still not settled, and it's still not fixed.

However, this go round we had a little motivation to fix the cabinets. Our daughter. She's figured out how to open/close each of them and that's the first thing she does every morning now. Unless she sees the dogs bowls.

So, I grabbed the drill and pulled out the screws. It was completely noticeable on why the cabinet was off. With this picture, I've pulled the screws out. But, just imagine that the gap is pretty much like this with the screws in.

I then just sat there and patiently placed it in several different positions. Holding it up with my foot each time. When I finally got it the way I liked it without any real noticeable gaps (the door clearly did not fit there)... I went ahead and drilled the screws back in. 

And it looks A THOUSAND TIMES better!!! See...

Now, onto the main project and motivation for this.... Baby E's Cabinet Safety Locks!!! 

Baby Pool Ball Pit

A few weeks ago, I grabbed a baby pool on clearance at my local Walmart. I couldn't beat the price and I since I needed to take a part the pack and play for our vacation. The balls needed a place to go. 

This also gave Baby E a little more freedom while playing with them. She hated being confined. Plus, she has the opportunities to throw her balls and roll out whenever she feels like it.

A cheap and easy play toy that barely cost $5.00. 

Now, all I have to do is teach our puppies that they can't sneak into her room and steal them whenever they want. They are obsessed! 

Cork Board Project Part 1 : The Possibilties

I haven't quite figured out what I'm going to do with this cork board yet, but I'm thinking of quite a bit of possibilities! 

Here a few:

Thinking of maybe a place to store important notes in my makeshift office...
An art space for Baby E during each of the holidays...
A place to store menu's/weekly meals in the kitchen...
A place to store some of my husbands mini tools in the shed...

Waiting to Fix Up the Old - Back Porch Style

Looking at this today really made me think...  that I cannot wait till next spring to work on this. We may try in the fall, but with Baby E's birthday coming up and apparently Virginia weather being ridiculously unpredictable right now, it might have to wait. Mostly all I want to do is replace several of the boards that seem to be rotting and where the dogs have had a field day eating while attacking bugs. But, I also would like to reseal/paint everything to make it last a lot longer as well as for aesthetic purposes. Plus get rid of that HORRIBLE burgundy. The back porch actually used to be white until the investors painted it this blah color.

Labeling Baby E's Storage Tote

Okay, so a few days ago I shared with you the fact of how I had stored Baby E's bassinet, swing, and bouncer in a large storage container. However, I didn't really talk about how I would come to recognize what was in that storage container. Besides having to remember. 

So, I grabbed the storage container that I had put everything in and put it to the side. Then I pulled out a few old sheet protectors and decided to cut them. I just went along the perforated edges and just cut/rip. Ending up with two sheets. 

I then printed up two signs. One to sit on the outside and the other to sit on the inside. 

After that, I went back to the sheet protector and folded it to make a large envelope. Once it was folded, I just grabbed some regular scotch tape and taped the ends shut. 

Once, it was all taped together. I opened it up just to make sure that it wouldn't come apart on me. 

Once I confirmed that it wouldn't rip open, I went ahead and placed the two sheets of paper inside of it. First to go in was the paper with the names of the stuff inside and then I placed the itemized list on the inside. 

Lastly, after everything was stuffed into the envelope. I just grabbed my tape and placed it onto the outside of the container. Mostly in a space that I knew I could see and easily access the list just in case. 

                                     

Once it was taped and all said and done. I just placed the storage container in Baby E's closet. She has the room and with the fact that it's been so hot especially in the attic... I'm just kind of being lazy and don't want to store it up there at the moment. Mostly, because I'd like to be able to breathe and not feel like I'm suffocating. So, for the time being until it get's cooler it's just going to hang out in her closet. Next to the storage bin with her clothes in it.

The Bags Need A Container.

Okay, so we all have it. That moment when you open up the doors underneath the sink and every bag falls out. Of course, you may have a few words come out and then shove them back in. Talking about how you'll find something to put those bags in, then of course you never do it. Getting more and more frustrated each time. Of course, that's my husband and I.

So....

One day after perusing Pinterest, I found an easy way to kind of maintain the bags and store them in other places. You know, where they're actually needed but aren't really there. This way you don't have to walk everywhere just to grab a bag.

So, like I said while I was perusing I found this awesome way to reuse a Lysol/Clorox/Store Brand/Whatever You Use Container into a plastic bag holder.

It didn't require shoving bags into a jumbled up mess. It's so neatly organized. It's awesome.

I clicked on the picture and found this adorable little website called Infarrantly Creative with detailed directions on how to complete this.

I grabbed all my grocery bags and threw them into the laundry hamper.

I then picked through each. Throwing away any that had random holes in it. I then flattened out the good ones on the table.

Once flattened, I would fold them in half. Smoothing them out and placing them to the side. I did this about 14 times.

 

As I finished that, I laid each on top of the end of the next one. Making a little train.

I then tightly rolled them together, pushing any air out as I went.

Grabbed my Lysol Container and placed the bags into it. With the tail sticking out.

 

Taking the tail, I pushed it through the opening of the top of the container. Sealing it.

I did leave the outside blank. This one just hangs out next to my daughters trash can. You can't see it. So it's all good.

Oh and let me just say, this has become ridiculously hand when it comes to replacing the trash bags in Baby E's trash can. Just pull, replace, and go.

Celebrating the 1st Day of Summer!

This is a little late. I know. However, back around June 21st I decided to keep the tradition alive of celebrating the first day of summer.

Now, when Baby E goes into school this will more than likely be celebrated on the last day of school (you know, to welcome summer in). For right now though, just celebrating the first day of summer is perfect for us.

So, my mama grabbed Baby E a few beach buckets from Michaels for her to play with. We have one for the home and then one to take with us to the beach (since we haven't been to the beach yet, we play with both of them :))

We also grabbed the bathing suit from Kohls and the swimming diaper from Target.

The pool came from Walmart and the duckies were from Old Navy. The sunscreen you can get anywhere and in your preference :).

Once, everything was gathered. I just took the baby pool and wrapped it to form an ice cream cone and shoved it into the beach bucket. Then I just placed the swim diaper and the rubber duckies on top. Pushed the sunscreen in the middle to hold those items up and then the bathing suit is hanging out at the top in all its ruffly glory.

I gave it to baby E on the first day of summer and she loved it. She pulled out each item, looked at them, of course threw them, and then it was off to get dressed for the pool.

And of course, it can't be the perfect first day of summer without a glistening cool pool.

Baby E LOVED every moment of it and still loves it to this day.

Do you guys have any favorite ways to celebrate the first day of summer? OR Do you celebrate any other season?

Oh Baby, We're Scrub a Dubbing Our Pool!

Every day this summer, I've tried to get Baby E into the pool. It's something I've always enjoyed every summer and since she loves the water... I figured she would enjoy it.

We haven't been in the pool though lately because the rain has been never ending and then someday's it's just to hot for her. Overtime, even after wiping the pool down every couple of days. We seemed to gather a little gunk in the crevices. Plus, it didn't help that with the past few rains/winds... the tarp keeps getting blown off random crap has been falling off the trees and into the pool. Oh and let's not forget our little buggy friends.

<- Grandaddy Long Leg

Some ->
Random Caterpillar






The lovely grime with tree particles

Since, the weather gurus have forecasted rain for the next umpteen days. I figured now would be a great time to clean the pool.

So, since vinegar and baking soda are my favorite things. I started with that. It got quite a bit of grime up, but there was still quite a bit left. I added more water to it, rinsed it, dumped it, and added water again. This time I took the dish soap and scrubbed. This helped even more. Got a lot of the gunk off. However, there was just still quite a bit left.. plain ol' stubborn gunk.

As a last resort, I grabbed the bleach and poured it into the pool diluting it with a crap load of water. I then scrubbed the pool again. Of course, the bleach seemed to melt the gunk off. It even seemed like I had a completely brand new sparkly pool.

~*~ I didn't really want to use bleach cause of Baby E,

 but also because it breaks my hands out like nothing before... even with gloves. ~*~

I dumped that water, added more water, rinsed, and dumped again. Then hung it up to dry. Oh yeah, I hung my pool up to dry.

Now, all we need is for the rain to stop so we can get back into that sparkly pool. I'm beyond ready and I know Baby E is!

Do you guys have any great tips on cleaning a baby pool?

The Baby Pool Needs a Cover Up Too!

When we bought the baby pool, I didn't quite think about needing a cover for it. It was a complete after thought. So, when the time came to cover up the pool I had nothing. Not even a tarp.

So, I tried a bed sheet. That lasted a hot minute and completely didn't work. Plus, I swear it felt like mold was already growing on it. Just touching the pool.

I used it anyways. Then decided to use a comforter since we were already using it as a mat on the deck under the pool. All I had to do was fold up the sides and what not. It worked. Until it rained.

Now, who knows why I did this BUT I decided to take the shower curtain from the upstairs and move it down stairs. It gave me the opportunity to take the hideous shower curtain down and the weird lining. Then it dawned on me. Why don't I just use the shower curtain.

And it works like a charm. A simple inexpensive way to cover up the pool. I even LOVE it.

Even the shower curtain liner works just as well.

Some Fun On A Rainy Day

Since it's been raining/thundering/lightening/hailing around our house these last few days I decided that we needed to do something different. Literally. Baby E was getting completely bored... exersaucer, walker, mama, toys, and pulling the doggies ears just wasn't cutting it anymore.

So, I grabbed a few items out of the cabinet and decided to concoct something. I mostly noticed that we had barely any flour left in one of our bags... so I thought "hey, why not use it up" and I did.

Here's what I used:

~ a cup of flour
~ 1/3 cup of water (started out with a 1/4, but that wasn't enough)

Then I just dumped the flour into a bowl added the water slowly, mixing while I went and VOILA a flour ball.

Once, I got the consistency that I liked; I gave the flour ball to Baby E and let her have at it :).

She wasn't quite sure at first and then....

We played and we lifted...

And squished and pulled it...

We even ate it. I don't have any pictures on that one cause I kept pulling it out of her mouth ;).

Do you guys have any other great ideas we can use on a rainy day?

Bookshelf Additions Part 2... Well Part of Part 2

So, I was really excited to show the rest of Baby E's bookshelf additions. Literally, I had typed everything up and was ready to take the pictures when I stepped away for a moment. I mean a moment or what seemed like a moment.

I then came back to this....

These were her bookshelf additions... Can you guess what they are?

I was so beyond upset. But, I guess when you leave things near where a puppy can get to them... this is what happens.

The Game of Keys

Every time I go to open up my front door, I can never tell which key is which. It's almost like a game. I have to feel out the numbers and the letters to know which one goes to the back door and which one goes to the front door. Sadly, the only key that I know doesn't go to this house is the key to my mama's house which has a rubber thing around it.

So, since I was tired of playing the game every time I came home. I decided to paint my keys.

First, I tried it with nail polish as seen here on A Bubbly Life; I saw them on several boards on Pinterest. Now, I didn't quite like the way the keys were looking with the nail polish, so I decided to use my acrylic paint to paint them. The acrylic paint gave it a little bit more of a vibrant look.

Here's the first with the nail polish:

Then with the acrylic paint:

Alrighty, now that I can actually tell which key goes to which door. Let me explain to you how I did it.

It's pretty much like the directions with the nail polish. I had to clean my keys first since when my husband takes my keys they come back dirty. I've asked several times how and never get a straight answer. Who knows. Anyways...

* I grabbed some dried wipes from one of Baby E's wipe containers and wet them to re-moisture them (It mysteriously showed up upstairs... I guess it's from her days of sleeping in the bassinet?)

* I then dried them off with a paper towel and grabbed a few of my paints.

* I found that one paint brush worked WAY better than the others, so I stuck with this one as I painted each.

* The worse part was the drying. Having to wait for each side to dry felt like FOREVER!

* Once both sides dried I added them to my key chain.

Now I just have to go out before I can use them again! Hopefully the Game of Keys is over... but there again who knows?