Handmade Gifts For Boys

So I was given an impromptu vacation. This happens sometimes with child care, the family takes a vacation and you are workless until they return. Fortunately I still get paid when they take time off so I still get a little money. Fortunately, this gives me some time to finish up some gift wrapping and getting a few of my little DIY gifts complete so I am excited about that. Not to mention all this one on one time I get with the little one, (she spends most of her time playing with the boy I nanny and rarely has time for mommy.)

Now that my scarves are done, (check my last post for more on that,) I have time to get the boys fort kit done. These clever little things go for anywhere between 30 and 40 bucks. I'm not terribly certain its worth all that so on Black Friday we went out and got just the pieces. I have two nephews so everything is doubled.

I grabbed:

• Two flat sheets. (I got twin sized just because of limited space and I know their families will have old sheets that can also be used. 
• Clothes Pins (You can get a ton for very little money)
• A mini child's flashlight
• Last but not least a book to curl up with in there. (The boys are pretty big on books so we play that up where we can.)

All you really need to do is cut a piece of burlap about double the width and length of the bags the sheets came in. You just want to make sure everything is going to fit inside. Fold over the long sheet of burlap and sew the sides. Turn it right side out and there is your bag. I took another strip of burlap very narrow and pretty long. Putting slits in the top of the burlap bag to weave your 'ribbon' through as a sort of tie.

These are the pieces all pulled together.

This is the final product. I'm going to embelish the front with some paint so it says Fort Kit and tie the top again to make it look a little more polished. I will update as it becomes completed.
I hope the boys like love them and have lots of fun.

If you liked these projects follow me for more great DIY on a budget.
See you soon.

Where Do I Begin?

Where do I begin?

So I suppose this would be my introductory shot at blogging. I am a big fan of writing but never really got into the whole blog thing. It's sort of like I decided that blogs would be a short lived fad like online journals and tamagotchis. Alas, like the skinny jeans, I was wrong.
Anyhow, adventures as a mom and the many hats I wear in my life. I am an amateur photographer, a nanny, a mother, a wife, an outdoors woman, a prepper, a coupon clipper, a shopaholic and a variety of other hobbies I attempt everyday.
I have a beautiful daughter of my own that will be turning one in October so prepare to see lots of planning and decorating going on. I was recently married to her father, we have been together seven years now and we haven't killed each other yet and I think that is merely due to the fact that we are much too tired. I kid, we get along very well and I am super excited for the adventures we have to come. Alright enough about me, there will be lots to see later on.

Fall! It's what everyone is talking about right now. Me, I'm excited, one of the cool things about living in the northeast is that once you get sick of one season here comes another. He had had just about enough of the humidity and baking heat and boom. It's fifty degrees in the morning. So I couldn't wait to get the simmering potpouri on the stove. Find a fun burlap project with some leftover scraps I had laying around.

Maybe even make some of those cool luminaries I keep seeing on Pintrest.

I had lots of left over material from my recent wedding, such as tulle and mason jars. The wreath was my husbands idea and I just loved it, which is ironic because he is forever making fun of my Pintrest escapades. 

Anyhow, today my attentions have been turned to rearranging my house so I suppose I ought to get back to putting the living room back together and get the kids fed and off the their homes. As I encounter more adventures I will share them with you all as well as some experiences that I love to reminisce about. Until next time...