Tag: DIY

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Adulting Finances For the Home Home How To

Avoid Renovation Disaster in Your Home By Not Making These 7 Mistakes

Home Renovation Mistakes to Avoid

A home renovation require a lot of preparation, and planning for objectives, teams, budgets, and more is essential. If you skip any of the steps, it’s easier to make a mistake that can risk the whole project than you might think. There are some major home renovation mistakes that you should be avoiding and what you should do instead.

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Home Renovation Mistakes

1. Buying Only Cheap Materials

There are plenty of ways to save money and cut costs during your renovations, including when it comes to your materials. You can source materials that aren’t being used from local building sites or find discounts.

However, you should make sure that you’re buying quality materials no matter what. If you’re only buying cheap and low-quality materials, then you’re a lot more likely to experience problems with them both during and after construction. In the worst-case scenario, your project will complete seemingly without a hitch, only for those materials to start breaking down months after, meaning you have to invest in repairs all over again.

2. Choosing the First Team That You Talk To

You are likely eager to get started, but you shouldn’t let that get in the way of making sure the project is done right. Take the time to talk to at least five or six contractors to get a feel for them. Do they communicate well with you? Do they understand your wants, and do you understand their plans to meet them?

We tend to overlook some of the small red flags when we’re trying to bring a team together right away. Take the time to interview different teams and compare and contrast what you did or did not like about them. You will be glad you took this time, and you will be more confident in the entire project.

3. Not Expecting to Go Over Budget

Making a budget for your home renovation is an essential step, of course. Even with a budget and funds, you still have to think about money, though.

Inaccurate estimates, changes in material costs, unforeseen workflow problems, and the like can all pump up the costs of the project. Make sure you have a little extra on top of the budget to help cover costs of the unforeseen and identify additional sources of funding like Buddy Loans. This way, even if things do go over budget, you can keep up with the payments so that the work doesn’t freeze entirely.

home renovation mistakes
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4. Not Expecting to Go Over the Schedule

No one wants to live in a home with ongoing renovations. Choosing a team of reputable contractors to help you will expedite things, but you should still avoid scheduling renovations when you have a tight schedule. Make sure you can add some time to the renovation schedule if you need it.

Otherwise, you will experience stress seeing the deadline approaching when you’re not sure everything can be completed on time. It’s also going to increase the stress the builders feel, which can make them less cooperative and force them to rush, reducing the quality of the work.

5. Not Planning For All of The Waste

If you’re doing the renovations yourself or acting as the project manager in control of a team of sub-contractors, then you can’t forget about the waste. All renovations are going to leave waste behind, and if you’re not careful, it can linger around for weeks even after the project is done.

Work to keep your home clean during the renovations by making cleaning a regular aspect of every part of the project. Look at hiring a waste removal company like Waste Connections ahead of time. If you wait until the last minute, they’re likely to be booked up by the time you need them.

6. Neglecting the Natural Character of the Home

You can modernize an older home, add space to a small space, or change the entire vibe of the property. Keep aware of the natural characteristics of the home in mind, though. Look at the fixtures that are likely to remain after your renovation is complete.

You don’t want a home that looks like it is in conflict with itself. This mistake is most often seen when updating period homes.

A good renovation preserves what works about the home already and enhances those positive characteristics. It’s typically more expensive to try and change everything about the home, too, so keeping the natural character can save you money.

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7. Entrusting it All to Friends

Asking your friends to come help with painting the walls is one thing, but refrain from asking for more. It’s not likely that they are trained contractors who are licensed and insured.

If they get injured while helping you out, you will be responsible for paying for the treatment. You could come under fire to a liability claim. Not only is this going to make your friendship much harder to maintain, but it’s going to add significant costs to the project.

Those costs are more than most homeowners are equipped to deal with. Plus, the simple truth is that working with amateurs leaves you more likely to see an amateur-ish project.

Home Renovation Mistakes to Avoid

Not every aspect of your home renovation project is going to be under your control. Outside variables can affect it in many ways, so avoiding these common home renovation mistakes is essential. With the tips above, though, you can make sure that you are as prepared as is possible.

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Adulting For the Home Home How To Life

3 Ways To Make Your Home Safer And Prettier At the Same Time

Make Your Home Safer And Prettier

If you have spent most of the past year inside your home, there are likely things you want to change. Home renovations, DIY projects, and rearranging can take time and money, causing some to get overwhelmed before they even start. Improvements to make your home safer and prettier are an investment, so do all you can to make it worthwhile.

One aspect that is on people’s minds right now is safety. Home safety, particularly when you have kids, is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, oftentimes, security measures being added to your home can compete with the aesthetic side of things.

People think they have to choose between “ugly” safety measures and “pretty” home improvements. This isn’t the case, though, because you can make your home safer while improving how it looks in the same investment!

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How to Make Your Home Safer And Prettier

1. Replace Your Windows

Windows are a focal point because they give your home dimension, access to light, and a feeling of openness. Homes with natural light are valued higher than ones that feel claustrophobic, dark, or boxy. Windows can be designed to fit the aesthetic of your home by painting the frames or opting for metal window frames.

Windows are also a crucial part of your home’s safety, too. The windows are a likely target for any criminal who might want to enter your home illegally. Replacing your windows using Renewal by Andersen Windows can make them stronger, easily lockable, and generally less vulnerable to home invaders.

By replacing your windows, you can make your home safer and prettier in one go. Think of all the money you would save on your electricity bill, too, since updated windows will keep your home at the right temperature.

2. Have Beautiful Gates Installed at the Front of Your Home

Having gates on your front driveway adds immense value and prestige to your home’s exterior. Gates provide a grand entryway into your home that will impress guests and potential future buyers. They create an elegant aesthetic and improving your home’s look overall. Whether you opt for wooden, metal, barred, or solid gates, you will add a sense of grandeur to the property.

Of course, gates are also one of the first ports of call for making your home safer. Having electric gates with security cameras that allow you to control who enters your property is a way to reduce the risk of criminal activity. Your home will be much safer if gates are included because their presence acts as a deterrent to criminals.

You can give any regular visitors an access code or fob so that they can enter the driveway. Other visitors will have to wait until you give the okay for them to come in.

Make Your Home Safer And Prettier
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3. Add Foliage Such as Trees and Bushes to the Exterior of Your Home

When you picture your dream home, you likely imagine greenery in the yard. Homes that are framed by beautiful trees and hedges are classy, elegant, and more beautiful than those without. Adding foliage to the exterior of your home makes it more beautiful, adding a natural and unique aesthetic. 

Adding foliage such as trees and bushes makes your home safer, too. If your home is secluded and surrounded by trees, it is less likely to be the target of a break-in. Burglars often target homes that are easy to flee rapidly. If your home is private and appears difficult to access, this can deter potential home invasions.

Make Your Home Safer And Prettier

Safety is on everybody’s minds, but that doesn’t mean you have to turn your home into a cold place. Your home can still have a comforting, relaxing, or beautiful atmosphere while being safe at the same time. Use this guide to get the best of both worlds. You can have improved safety for you and your family and a more beautiful home for everyone to enjoy.

Have you added any safety measures to your home in the past year? Tell me about them in the comments!

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Adulting For the Home Home How To Life

5 Common Household Bugs To Be Aware Of

common household bugs

No matter how hard you try, there will be instances where you find an unwelcome critter in your house. This might alarm you, especially if you’re scared of bugs, have children, or have pets, but it’s important to remember that not all creepy crawlies are bad, and some are even to be expected. There are a handful of common household bugs you might find in your home, and knowing how to deal with the situation will help put you at ease.

Common Household Bugs

1. Dust Mites

Dust mites naturally live in every house, and generally, they don’t cause issues. When there’s a lot of them, though, they can cause a range of symptoms including:

  • Rash
  • Itchy eyes
  • Cough
  • Sore throat
  • Runny nose
  • Sneezing

Dust mites typically can be found on fabric such as carpet, curtains, bedding, and other plush surfaces. You won’t be able to keep them out entirely, but you can certainly minimize their effects by washing bedding, curtains, and soft items frequently, as well as vacuuming weekly.

2. Woodworm Beetles

Dampness is a common issue that many homeowners face in some capacity, and generally, it doesn’t cause major damage. Certain types of damp can attract bugs like woodworm beetles, though. Woodworm beetles can be destructive, but they’re relatively easy to spot and treat.

There are a few types of woodworm beetles, the most common being the common furniture beetle which is brown and roughly half a centimeter long. They don’t usually cause any harm to humans or pets, but they can damage furniture and skirting boards. To avoid woodworm beetles, you need to avoid dampness in your home.

The beetles are attracted to damp wood, so you need to tackle the root cause of dampness first. If the affected area is only small, you can dry out the wood with the use of a heater, or you can inject a vinegar-water solution into the boreholes to drive the remaining larvae out.

3. Fruit Flies

We’ve all had instances where we’ve left fruit on the kitchen counter a little too long past its recommended eat-by date and it’s attracted flies. One or two fruit flies aren’t a problem, but they multiply really fast and things can get out of hand fairly quickly. No one wants to eat fruit that’s got fly larvae in it, so to avoid it, you should store fruit in the refrigerator and get rid of it as soon as it starts to turn bad.

4. Ants

You’re more likely to have an ant infestation in the warmer months, and most of the time they’re not a problem aside from the fact they’ll eat their way through all your snacks, but some types of ants can be potentially dangerous in the sense that they can sting and bite.

If you spot an ant, watch it carefully to see where it’s coming from and apply ant-killing solution. Keep in mind that some ant-solutions can be harmful to children and pets.

If you don’t want to use ant powder, you can try ant traps which are a safer option for those with children and pets. To avoid ants altogether, it’s a good idea to store any loose food like cookies and cereal in airtight containers.

5. Silverfish

silverfish, common household bugs

These pesky creatures are very small and hard to see, but they can cause a lot of damage to fabric, wallpaper, and books. They’ve been known to also eat glue, oats, and flour, so there’s not much these wingless insects won’t go for!

Since silverfish eat anything, it makes treating them hard, especially when you consider how hard they are to see. The best solution is usually sticky traps, but sealing up food, reducing the amount of clutter in your home (letters/newspapers, etc.) and sprinkling diatomaceous earth can also work.

common household bugs

Common Household Bugs To Be Aware Of

Hopefully, you don’t have the misfortune of encountering these creepy crawlies any time soon, but if you do, use the ideas suggested here. Have you had a problem with any of these household bugs before? If so, tell me about it in the comments!

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Adulting Decor For the Home Home How To Life

10 Common Tools To Help Make Your Home DIY Projects Easier

Home DIY Projects Easier

If you’re anything like me, you have some DIY projects planned for your home. Over the years, I have determined that it’s easier to get those home DIY projects done easier if I have the right tools. While you may think you can make do with what you already have, it would be better to invest in some common tools to help make your home DIY projects easier.

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

Home DIY Projects Easier
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Tools To Help Make Your Home DIY Projects Easier

1. Utility knife

Utility knives have small, sharp blades that are often retractable. These knives are sometimes known as box-cutters, but they have so many uses beyond cutting boxes.

When it comes to home DIY projects, they can be handy for cutting wallpaper, slicing linoleum, trimming veneer, and even removing staples. These tools can save you from struggling with scissors, and they’re a much safer option than trying to use a kitchen knife. 

2. Adjustable wrench

When it comes to loosening and tightening bolts, you could invest in an adjustable wrench. With these tools, you can adjust the clamp size to fit any size of bolt. This saves you from having to sort through multiple wrenches, and it will allow you to do things yourself.

Situations that would call for an adjustable wrench include doing your own plumbing, assembling furniture, repairing bicycles and possibly doing mechanics on your car. 

3. Glue gun

Glue guns can be useful for all kinds of fixes around the home from putting back loose trim to repairing broken decor. You can even use them for joining wood together when you don’t want to use screws.

There are clearly limits as to what you can use a glue gun for (you can’t fix a shelf to a wall with a glue gun), however, you would be surprised by the number of tasks that can be achieved with one.

A hot glue gun is the best option for heavy-duty DIY such as repairing furniture. Cold glue guns are safer but tend to be better for small crafts as they don’t offer quite as strong a bond.

4. Duct tape

Duct tape can come in handy during many DIY tasks. It can be a great tool for when you need a strong temporary fix such as repairing a broken shower curtain rail until you get a new one or patching up a leak on a pipe until the plumber comes.

There are various strengths of duct tape on the market that you can look into. Less adhesive tape such as masking tape is usually better suited for tasks like getting straight borders when painting or preventing paint from splashing onto a window frame or trim.

5. Circular saw

For times when you need to saw through things, a circular saw can take a lot of the time and effort out of cutting. Circular saws use a fast-spinning electric saw to make quick and efficient cuts.

There are lots of different types of circular saw on the market to choose from. Some are built for precision and have laser guides or rail guides to help cut in a perfectly straight line. Others are built for portability, and these tend to be lightweight and cordless. Consider which option you think is right for you. 

6. Electric sander

Sanding down rough surfaces manually can be a time-consuming task. Just as circular saws make sawing easier, electric sanders make sanding much easier.

These tools come in various shapes and forms. The most basic electric sanders tend to be orbital sanders with a single strip of sandpaper that rotates in a continuous motion, often around a square pad.

Random orbital sanders tend to be a little more expensive – these oscillate in a more random motion around a circular pad, which can reduce swirl marks. Some electric sanders are plug-in, while others are cordless. Some can be used with one hand, while others require both hands. 

7. Cordless hand drill

When it comes to inserting and removing screws, a cordless hand drill can be very useful. These drills are useful when a screwdriver isn’t enough to get the job done.

Cordless hand drills tend to offer a lot more maneuverability than plug-in drills and are the favored option. Most hand drills are built to hold multiple drill bits – you can buy these as part of a kit. It’s worth looking for a cordless hand drill that has a good charge for projects when you need to do a lot of drilling. 

8. Stud finder

When putting a screw or a nail into a wall, it’s important to avoid studs, pipes, and wires. Finding these without a stud finder can be done, but it’s not always easy.

By investing in a stud finder, you can easily avoid hammering a nail into a stud or pipe. There’s not much variation between different stud finders on the market, so don’t feel the need to spend a lot of money on one of these devices. 

9. Laser guide

Laser guides can be useful in a variety of settings. If you want to line up two light switches on either side of the room, you can do so with a laser guide. You can also use laser guides to make sure that you’re cutting in a straight line or to make sure two shelf screw holes are level.

Laser guides are sometimes fitted onto other tools such as saws. They can also be integrated into stud finders. Shop online to compare various brands on the market.

10. DIY apps

There are various apps that you can download onto your smartphone to help with DIY tasks. Spirit level apps for instance can be useful for checking that a shelf or a picture frame is level. Measuring apps meanwhile can be used if you don’t have a tape measure handy and you need to find the dimensions to a wall or surface.

Many of these apps are free and some may already be installed on your smartphone. Consider doing your research to see what other DIY apps are out there that you may benefit from.

Tools To Make Your Home DIY Projects Easier

DIY projects are great if you want to save money while updating your home. Having the right tools is essential to getting the job done correctly. What are your favorite tools to use for home DIY projects? Leave a comment and let me know!

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crafts Decor Gifts Holiday Winter

Easy DIY Snowman Christmas Tree Ornament for Kids Are Great for Gifting

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There is nothing more special than a homemade Christmas tree ornament, especially when the ornaments are made by kids. A few years ago, my dad said that he wanted Christmas tree ornaments made by all of his grandkids, so these are the ones the kids made for him! The DIY snowman handprint ornament was a hit because not only did Papa love his handmade gifts, the kids also loved making them!

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How to Make a DIY Snowman Handprint Ornament

Materials:

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Directions:

For the jar lids, I used lids of spaghetti and Alfredo sauce jars and painted them red with acrylic paint. I had to do several coats of red paint to cover up the words on the lids completely because I didn’t want to see anything through the paint.

Once the lids were completely covered and dried, I used white paint on the kids’ hands to make the snowmen. I painted their fingers (3 fingers for Sylas and Peyton, 4 fingers for Josie and Liam) to create the snowmen. I also painted the top of their palm to make a snowy hill underneath the snowmen.

Peyton’s hands were too big for this (he was 10-years-old), so I had him do the top half of his fingers and use a paintbrush to create the snowy hill. Once the white paint dried completely, I added the scarves with green paint, hats, eyes, buttons, and mouths with a black sharpie and the noses with orange paint. Peyton did his own, but I did this part for the babies.

Once everything is dried and ready to go, you will spray one coat of clear spray paint over the front and back of the ornament. This ensures that the paint doesn’t flake off.

Finally, you will use a hot glue gun to glue the string or ribbon in a loop at the top of the ornament. Make sure you put the glue on the back so that it is hidden from sight.

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Final Thoughts On DIY Snowman Handprint Ornaments

I love the finished product SO MUCH that I wanted to keep them for myself. My dad loved them, and the kids really enjoyed making them and giving them as a gift.

I’d love to see the Christmas crafts you’ve done or are planning to do with your kiddos this season!! Please share them in the comments. 🙂

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Big Kid Big kid fun Family Activities Holiday How To Sensory Play Toddler and Preschool Age Fun

Easy Fall Sensory Bin With Dyed Rice

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The fall fun has begun, and that means we’re doing ALL of the fall activities at our house. When Peyton created his Layers of the Earth 3D Project, I was inspired to dye rice in all fall-inspired colors and create an easy fall sensory bin.

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How to Make an Easy Fall Sensory Bin by Dying Rice

What you need:

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Directions:

  1. Put 1 cup of rice in each Ziploc bag.
  2. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar into each bag of rice.
  3. Add a differet color of food coloring to each bag.
  4. Zip the bag and mix the rice with the food coloring.
  5. Once the rice is completely coated and dyed to the color you want, dump it onto dry papertowel and let it dry for about 1 hour
  6. Once all of the dyed rice is dry, mix the 4 colors together in a bowl or sensory table.
  7. Add small Halloween toys or fall colored leaves for more fun.

Halloween Dyed Rice Sensory Bin

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Using the same ingredients and similar steps, you can make an easy hallowed sensory bin for your kiddos, too! Instead of separating the rice in 1 cup increments into 4 separate bags, you will put two cups of rice into two separate bags (4 cups of rice total, still).

Once the rice is distributed, you will put 2 teaspoons of vinegar into each of the 2 bags, and then put orange food coloring into one bag and black food coloring into the other bag.

Follow the remaining steps, waiting for the dyed rice to dry before mixing colors together.

Another Easy Halloween Sensory Idea

Instead of doing orange and black for the Halloween sensory bin, you could dye all of the rice purple and add fun things like googly eyes or witches cauldrons in the sensory bin.

You could really do this however you want. Just follow the steps and change up the colors as needed.

And if your kids are like my kids they will do this:

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I’m not sure if I should blame Liam or Josie for mixing the fall sensory bin with the Halloween sensory bin, and then they added purple and pink rice, too.. they both blamed one another. Still fun, though!

For more Halloween fun checkout these posts:

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Final Thoughts On Easy Fall Sensory Bin With Dyed Rice

I love fun and easy activities, so this easy fall sensory bin with dyed rice was perfect for us. It was incredibly easy to make, pretty inexpensive, and the food coloring goes a LONG way so we were able to make a ton of dyed rice in all different colors.

My kids loved this… my 11-year-old loved it just as much as my 2-year-old, so it’s definitely a hit with everyone. My favorite part is that it is easy to clean up. You can simply sweep it up and throw it away, with no sticking or staining.

What is your favorite easy sensory activity to do with your kids? Have you tried dyed rice before? Leave me a comment and tell me about it!

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Big Kid Big kid fun Classroom crafts Family Activities Sensory Play

Dyed Rice Layers of the Earth 3D Project

layers of the earth model, layers of the earth 3d project, layers of the earth project, dyed rice, mason jar

Peyton (our 11 year old) loves school projects where he gets to use his creativity. In 4th grade, he had to create a 3D animal and he chose a paper mache diamondback rattlesnake, which turned out SO cool. This time, he had to create a 3D model of the layers of the earth (6th-grade science) and he chose to use dyed rice in a mason jar.

How to Make the Layers of the Earth with Colored Rice

What you need:

  • 2 cups of white rice
  • 2.5 teaspoons of white vinegar
  • Food coloring (yellow, orange, red, green, brown)
  • 16 oz. mason jar
  • Ziploc bags (any size) – one bag per color
  • Paper towel — *You’ll be mad if you don’t check out this AMAZING deal I found on paper towel!!*
layers of the earth model, layers of the earth 3d project, layers of the earth project, dyed rice, mason jar

This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

How to Make it:

  1. Divide 2 cups of uncooked rice into 5 parts. The parts should be divided based on the sizes of each layer of the earth… some will be smaller than others.
  2. Add each of the 5 parts into individual Ziploc bags and add 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar to each.
  3. Then, begin adding the food coloring to each bag. The amount of food coloring you use will depend on how you want the colors to look.
  4. Dump each color out onto a dry paper towel, keeping all colors separate.
  5. Allow the dyed rice to dry for one hour.
  6. Pour the dyed rice into a 16 oz. mason jar, beginning with the innermost layer of the earth. In Peyton’s case, this was the inner core, which he made yellow and poured into the bottom of the jar.
  7. Pour each additional layer on top of that one, working from the inside layers to the outside layers. The outermost layers will be at the top of your jar.
  8. Put the lid on, and your layers of the earth project is complete!

Layers of the Earth Used in this Project

  • Yellow: bottom layer, inner core
  • Orange: 2nd from the bottom, outer core
  • Red: 3rd from the bottom, lower mantle
  • Green: 4th from the bottom, upper mantle
  • Brown: top layer, crust

Tips:

*Fill the mason jar ALL the way to the top with rice. This prevents the rice from moving around and mixing together. You’ll want to keep your colors separate, as those represent the layers of the earth.

*Distribute the rice to 5 bags before dying any. Determine which bag of rice will be making up which layer, and write it on the outside of the bag. This way, your largest layer (the upper mantel in Peyton’s case) has the most rice in the bag and it doesn’t get mixed up with a different layer.

*—->This<—- pack of food coloring is the exact one I bought for this project. It contains all the colors Peyton needed plus some additional colors, too.

layers of the earth model, layers of the earth 3d project, layers of the earth project, dyed rice, mason jar

Other Ideas for Layers of the Earth 3D Project

His original idea was to use 5 different colors of glitter, which I thought would have looked super cool. He changed his mind and decided on the rice model instead, however.

Some other ideas include:

  • Styrofoam ball
  • Play-doh or clay
  • Colored sand
  • Glitter
  • Cake

Final Thoughts on Layers of the Earth 3D Project

I’m always so excited when Peyton is assigned a school project. He is SO creative and has so much fun with them.

What project would you create if you were to make a 3D model symbolizing the layers of the earth? Tell me about it in the comments!

Categories
Holiday How To Sensory Play Summer

How to Make an Easy 4th of July Sensory Bottle

4th of july, sensory bottle, july 4th, july 4, independence day, america, patriotic

Sensory bottles are one of my favorite ways to make a holiday more exciting, and this 4th of July sensory bottle was a hit with my kids. This sensory activity keeps the kids busy as they make the sensory bottle and watch the glitter and small objects swirl together and settle back into the bottom.

Making a sensory bottle is easier than it sounds, and you don’t need many materials. You can also substitute the materials I recommend for something else you have on hand already.

*this post contains affiliate links*

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Benefits of Sensory Bottles for Kids

Research shows that sensory activities benefit children in many ways. It promotes their mental health, encouraging emotional regulation, relaxation, and tension relief. Sensory activities stimulate interest, promoting curiosity and encouraging a child to learn and explore.

Sensory bottles help build sensory skills by stimulating the senses. The differing colors, objects, sounds, and materials help. Additionally, when the child touches the bottle to turn, twist, shake, or squeeze, it furthers the sensory experience.

Sensory bottles stimulate fine and gross motor coordination. They also help a child focus as their eyes follow the movements. It encourages them to be present and set aside distractions.

How to Make a 4th of July Sensory Bottle

Materials:

  • A clear bottle (recyclable water bottle, tea bottle, or a glass jar – I used an empty vinegar bottle)
  • Water (from the tap is fine)
  • Glitter glue (I used the silver from this one, I probably should have used 2 of them)
  • 4th of July necklaces (or confetti)
  • Hot glue gun
glitter glue, sensory bottles, glitter for sensory bottle, craft glitter glue

Directions:

  1. Empty and clean a clear bottle.
  2. Fill the bottle 3/4 of the way up with water. You will fill it more after you add the rest of the materials.
  3. Add 1- 2 bottles of glitter glue, depending on the look you are going for. I used 1, but I wish I would have used 2. My bottle is larger than a regular water bottle, however, because I used a vinegar bottle.
  4. Cut 4th of July beaded necklaces into small pieces and put them into the bottle of water and glitter, or use 4th of July confetti instead of the necklace pieces.
  5. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with water.
  6. Replace the lid, and hot glue it shut.
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Final Thoughts on 4th of July Sensory Bottle

Sensory bottles are easy, fun, and so much fun. This 4th of July sensory bottle was a great way to kick start our July 4th celebrations. What fun activities do you have planned for Independence Day?

For more sensory fun, click here. Or, you can read other 4th of July ideas in a separate post by clicking here.

Categories
Parenting Toddler and Preschool Age Fun Toddler and Preschool Age Learning Toys

7 Ways to Play With a Pretend Kitchen for Dramatic Play

My kids have a pretend kitchen that they LOVED when it was new to them. They spent at least an hour every day playing with it. After a couple of weeks, they got kind of bored, though, and I found myself just picking up the play food and dishes off the floor after they were dumped out and not played with.

IMG_3980
This is the first day that we had the pretend kitchen… we hadn’t even gotten the food and dishes in it yet.

I contemplated getting rid of the entire playset but knew I would regret it as soon as it was gone.

The only option was to find ways to make it more fun and exciting for the kids so I began brainstorming some ways to play with it.

It worked! I taught the kids a couple of new ways to use the pretend kitchen playset and they fell in love with it all over again.

7 Ways to Play With a Pretend Kitchen

*this post contains affiliate links*

  1. Cooking/Following recipes
    I know that most toddlers can’t read but that doesn’t mean they can’t follow directions! Using pictures with just a few words is all they need, and usually, they can figure it out from there. They use the pictures as a guide and eventually, they may start recognizing the words that are included with the picture. Even if they can’t figure out what the recipe is calling for, they can still pretend to create a meal or a treat from a recipe. If they see you do it when you’re cooking real food, they’ll be so excited to be able to do it with their play food. You can create recipes using Canva (if you click the link it’ll take you right to their recipe card template!) or even just Microsoft Word. Keep it short and simple, and don’t forget the pictures! The recipes (I’ve only made 2) I created for them are not even close to as cool as some of the ones I’ve found on Pinterest so I definitely plan on stepping my game up there.Recipe Book by Emily at LaForce Be With You – link
    none size-full wp-image-704″ src=”https://momwifewine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IMG_2695.jpg” alt=”IMG_2695″ width=”320″ height=”240″ /> [/caption]
  2. Grocery shopping/Putting food away
    We don’t have a grocery store set up, but I just take small baskets and sort out some of the food that way and then they come through with their shopping carts and choose which food they would like to “buy”. We use play money for this.. we actually made it ourselves and it looks NOTHING like real money aside from the fact that it is green. You could use monopoly money or anything else you have. After they “buy” their food, they push the shopping cart “home” to the kitchen playset and begin putting it away. When I first had this idea I was worried they wouldn’t want to put it away but turns out they really like to do it! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because when I go grocery shopping they love to help put groceries away.
  3. Restaurant
    This one is their FAVORITE!! We use the play money, a tablet, and a pencil. I sit at the table and they come over to take my order. Then they go and prepare/cook whatever it is I ordered and serve it to me. It’s so much fun. I want to take this a step further and make a menu for them soon. There are a couple menus I’m considering.. the first one you can purchase (this isn’t an affiliate link, however) and the second one could be made at home. If you don’t feel like creating your own you can buy one for pretty cheap on Teachers Pay Teachers (pictured below).6f80c829b3cc3cb46ec0ddad52ef8300Created by Andrea Miller on Teachers Pay Teachers – link920e0ebb14fa0d8877f213a3bc127469Created by ObSEUSSed – Link
  4. Setting the table
    Josie really enjoys this one. I used paper and traced a toy plate, fork, spoon, knife, and cup onto 2 different pieces of paper. I also wrote the word out for what goes where because we are working on recognizing words. When the kids are setting the table they use the paper as a placemat and place everything where it belongs. We usually do it before we play restaurant.IMG_7652
  5. Washing dishes
    This one is fun because they love to “wash” dishes. I’ll admit, this is the one we do the least often because it usually results in them asking for real water in their kitchen playset. I let them do this sometimes. Other times I tell them to just pretend or to pick something new to play.
  6. Pizza shop
    I have a small tote where I store all of their “pizza” pieces. These pieces were all cut out on paper, but plan to re-do them on felt soon. I cut a circle on brown paper for the crust, small red circles for the pepperoni, and a bunch of small yellow pieces for the cheese. You could also include green peppers, mushrooms, ham, pineapple, etc.
  7. “House”
    I’m honestly just not sure what else to call this one… Josie likes to play mommy and feed her baby doll. She puts her baby’s highchair right next to the kitchen and cooks for her, then pretends to feed her the food.Sometimes she sneaks real food for her baby doll

Usually, throughout all of the “cooking” activities, they wear a chef hat and apron that I picked up at Dollar Tree.

You will definitely need play food to go along with the kitchen playset. The pretend kitchen comes with a little, but not enough. I have found the best deals on Amazon.


JaxoJoy 122-Piece Deluxe Pretend Play Food Set Beautiful Toy Food Assortment

This is the kitchen playset that we have. When you click the link below you’ll be able to see lots of other options, as well. There is literally a pretend kitchen for every budget!

Step2 Lifestyle Deluxe Kids Pretend Kitchen

I love watching them use their imagination and pretend to do real, everyday activities. It is such a good learning opportunity and if you play your cards right, they’ll be working on letter/word recognition, number recognition, and counting. They’ll get practice using writing utensils and speaking/asking questions. The possibilities are endless.

I did have to show my kids the first couple of times they did some of these activities. Now I’m usually able to leave them to it. They either do the activity I showed them or create an entirely new activity. I still play with them sometimes just to reinforce the learning opportunities involved.

If your child has a kitchen playset, what do they like to do with it? We’re always looking for new ideas!

Categories
Craft Teenager

How To Create A Graduation Card Box

My nephew graduated from high school last month and his mom asked me to make the card box for his graduation party.

It sounds so hard and like quite a process, but it really wasn’t!! It was actually really easy.

I bought all the material at JoAnn’s.

Materials:

  • (3) Paper Mache Boxes of different sizes that can be stacked together.
  • (1) 9″x9″x4-1/2″ Paper Mache Box
  • (1) 8″x8″x4″ Paper Mache Box
  • 1 1/2″ ribbon, enough to go around all 3 boxes. The one I bought was 21 ft.
  • 3/8 in. black ribbon
  • 3/8 in. ribbon (same color as the 1 1/2″ ribbon)
  • Paint and brushes
  • Pocket Knife
  • Hot glue gun and glue
  • White sticker letters (or any color you choose)
  • A small graduation decoration

boxes
These are the boxes I used.

 

Directions

  • Paint all the boxes. I chose to paint the 3 larger boxes black, the bigger or the two smaller boxes red, and the smallest box black. You can do whatever is best for your theme or colors.
  • Stack the boxes and use a pencil to mark where the next box will sit. On the next step, you’re going to need to know how much space to leave for gluing.
    IMG_6156
  • Using a pocket knife, cut holes in the top/bottom of the bigger boxes. This is so that the cards can fall all the way through to the bottom. The bottom box should only have a hole in the top (and not the entire thing! You still need part of the box there for stacking and gluing). The middle box has to have the bottom AND the top of the box cut out (leave enough space for glue and stacking). The top box should only have the bottom cut out. I used a pocket knife because the boxes were too thick for a box cutter to cut through.
    IMG_6160

    IMG_6159
    Notice I didn’t paint the bottom of the boxes. No one will see that part.
  • Hot glue the boxes together, stacking them like a pyramid.
  • Wrap the thicker ribbon around the 3 big boxes and hot glue it on the back of the box. I chose to put mine a little closer to the bottom instead of the center of each box but you can do it however you want. I hot glued on the back because when I noticed that you could see the hot glue through the ribbon.
  • Wrap the thin ribbon around the smaller boxes, gift wrap style. I used black ribbon on the red box and red ribbon on the black box. I hot glued it to the bottom of the box.
  • If you choose to use one, glue or tape a tassel to the top of the box. If you don’t have one you can make your own from the leftover thin ribbon. Make sure the smaller boxes will cover where it has been glued or taped.
  • Hot glue the 2 smaller boxes to the back lefthand corner of the top. I did mine a little crooked to change up the shape a bit. This is totally up to you, though. Do it however you like it best!
  • Add graduation decoration next to the 2 small boxes. I couldn’t get the decoration to stand up on its own so I put a small dab of hot glue and put the decoration toward the front of the dab so the glue wouldn’t show.
  • Cut a slit in the top of the box. Make sure it’s big enough to fit cards into. I used a birthday card of my son’s to make sure it was the right size, then I made it a little bigger just in case. I used the pocket knife for this, too. Be careful!!
  • Add the letters. My nephew’s mom wanted his first and last name on the box, so I did his first name on the top box and his last name on the bottom box. On the very top of the card box, I put the abbreviation of the school he graduated from.
  • Add any other embellishments. The middle box definitely needed some embellishment so I used a sticker that our local school district passes out and stuck it to cardstock to make it thicker and more durable. I cut around the sticker so the cardstock wouldn’t show then I hot glued it onto the box.
  • Touch up any paint. Throughout the process, I dinged the boxes up a little. When I was completely finished, I went back and used a small brush to touch it up.

**I put a black box over my nephew’s last name – that obviously isn’t there in real life.