Sunday, April 27

ZOO Pass {Free Printable}

Big Brother is officially a three year old. Can I get a "WHAT?!" This year for his birthday we decided to surprise him with a trip to the zoo. He's been talking about it ever since we went last summer, and since we're not too far away we decided to spring for the membership so we can go all summer long.


Husband came up with a great way to tell him about the trip... his own personal zoo pass! We wrapped them up with his presents and when we opened them we asked if he wanted to use it today. Thank goodness, he said yes. This guys is always looking out for Baby Brother so we made sure there was a zoo pass for him as well.


I originally planned to print them out at home and laminate them, but Husband found a website (here) that prints actual cards, like ID cards and such, and ordered some that way. It feels extra special since it's just like the real cards mommy & daddy have. He was also able to print text on the back and put info to help find us if he gets lost like "My mom's name is Georgia and her phone number is _______." Big kids can carry the cards in their pockets just in case they lose track of mom and dad.


Now for the fun part, I have several options made up if you guys want to print your own zoo passes! I have passes in three colors and you can choose a pass with 2014 on it, or a pass with no date. You know, in case you're reading this in 2052 or something. If you want to make your zoo pass at home, just click on whichever pass you like and save it to your computer. You can print the pass out, glue on a picture, write your child's name and laminate it. If you want to order a printed card (here) you can open the picture in a program like photoshop and add in a picture and name or use the website's software to put everything together. If you're more Photoshop savvy you can download my photoshop file to change any colors or fonts you like.

Monday, April 21

Easy Monster Blanket

The other day the Brothers were at the fabric store with me and Big Brother spotted this monster fabric and fell in love. It happened to be on sale and I was there because I had a 20% off purchase coupon in my pocket so I decided it was finally time to make a special blanket just for my biggest boy.


I guess I shouldn't say this is a tutorial, because I'm actually going to refer you to my baby blanket tutorial which I just adapted a tiny bit to make a bigger version.


Here's what you need to make one:
  • 1 1/2 yards quilting cotton
  • 1 1/2 yards flannel 
  • 2 packages double fold bias tape
  • thread  
  • Baby Blanket Tutorial
  • a handsome fella to make it for
 

Thursday, April 3

Backyard Brainstorming

This is that time of year when summer is so close I can almost feel the heat. Almost. So it's the time of year I start hashing out big (some husbands might say unreasonable) plans for how fantastic our backyard is going to be! Granted, several of these things were also on my first plan from 2012 but there are some fun new ideas, too (thank you pinterest). And they definitely will not all happen this year so lets all put on our patient pants before we get started. Got 'em on? Ready to dream big? Good. Here's what I'm thinking:


Over on the top/middle left we have our existing garden. Last year it was totally neglected and used for digging with dump trucks. But this year we already have seeds started to make it better than ever! Our section of strawberries & asparagus will stay the same (but we may finish boxing it in, that never got done last year) but the rest of our garden will need to be expanded to fit more goodies. I'm thinking adding a few more raised beds somewhere in the yard might be our best bet. The right side of our yard is shaded by a big tree so it would have to be back by the driveway or up where we have the random bush of uselessness (and the fruit trees I drew in, but it turns out we have power lines running over there so these would be better suited back where I drew the garden beds. oops.) Besides our new array of veggies, we're also going to need to step up the design to keep the critters out. Our first time around most of our plant were eaten by furry little scavengers. We definitely want to keep some of that food for ourselves this time! We haven't decided on an exact plan but we have a few ideas. One option is to build a removable frame like in the book Square Foot Gardening. The seem fairly easy and cheap to make, the only thing is that I would have to drag them off to get to the foodie goodness. Which led me to the idea of a totally fenced in garden so we can just open the gate to come and go.


I love the simple open look of that one and would be great for keeping out bunnies. However. Oh, however. We have an insane number of squirrels and I'm suspicious that they do far more damage that the few little bunnies hopping around. And a fence like that would not do much to stop them. Boo. So if we did a fenced in garden it would have to be something could have a roof, more like this:

Although there are probably some kind of city ordinances or nonsense against that? Hmm. While we think about that, I'm starting on a much easier & cheaper attempt to keep the critters at bay. I've read that animals aren't too crazy about the smell of marigolds. I have no idea if this is true. But 200 marigold seeds were only $0.99 from SeedsNow so I have a bunch of those guys sprouting in the office, hoping we can plant them all around the garden.

This next idea isn't drawn in the layout, but I also would love to have some kind of greenhouse for year-round veggies. I love these cool window greenhouses, but I'm thinking of doing something more practical like covered boxes along the south side of the house (you can read more about it in Four-Season Harvest). The other ideas I want to keep in mind for our garden are space-saving trellises for viney plants and I want to try newspaper instead of landscaping fabric under our raised beds.

Tuesday, April 1

A Bigger & Better 2x4 Car

We've had such a positive response to our 2x4 car for kids that we've decided to step it up a notch this year with a car that's big enough for the whole family!


It's super affordable, and the customization options are almost endless. You can opt for either bench or bucket seats, or even upcycle a few seats from the junkyard for a cushier ride.


You can make this basic sedan style, make a smaller smart car stye, or even extend the back to make a mini-van with plenty of room to grow!


We have some great optional features like a sunroof, third row seating, and some pretty sweet under-carriage lighting. Get ready for the ride of your life!


You can even reduce your carbon footprint with a simple DIY solar panel!


Here's all you need to get started:
  • 68 - 2x4s @12' long
  • 2 sheets of plexiglass @ 4' x 8'
  • 4 - tires P225/70R15 (or adjust plans for your junkyard find)
  • 1 - sedan chasis & powertrain (our plans are based on a Buick LeSabre but check your junkyard, find the best deal, and adjust the plans accordingly)
  • 1 - steering wheel
  • 1 - car battery
  • optional solar panels (make your own or buy one)
  • Any additional features you would like to include - air conditioning, radio, headlights (required for nighttime driving), coffee pot, keyless entry, etc.
  • Wood glue, screws, wood filler, sandpaper, finishing supplies

Ready to get started?
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