Twin's Art

When we had the twins we had decided that we would dictate a color for each boy to be able to tell who's was who's...binkies, sippy cups, blankets, etc. For the most part it has worked out really well, except for now, being 2 they definitely know which color is "theirs."

Mr. L is green and Mr. S is blue. If there is a choice of popsicle colors Mr. L will always choose green. If there is a blue sippy cup and a green sippy cup they will always (almost) pick up their respective colors. Mr. L's crib has a green bumper pad and Mr. S' crib has a blue bumper pad.

So we are looking at putting the boys in twin beds by Christmas. I've started looking for blue/green sheets and blankets that would work for their room. I've found a few, but still trying to decide for sure what we want.

Anyway, I've seen this monochromatic collage idea used before and thought it might be fun to try for the boys' room. It is so blah right now!

I love how it turned out!

I found two 16x20 picture frames (with glass) at the D.I. for $3 a piece (pictured here.) They needed some TLC to get the backs off (since they were both professionally framed) and to remove the inner pictures. There just happened to be usable cardboard inside for me to use as the background for my collage. And the frames needed a couple coats of antique white paint.

I took just about every pattern/color of blue and green scrapbook paper I had (which happened to be about 24 different papers each) and cut 2x2 squares from each piece. I pre-measured and figured I would need about 80 squares per picture. It sounds like a ton, but it actually didn't take that long.
Then I arranged the squares on the cardboard (so I could move around if needed) and then glued the squares down. It did take an 1 1/2 hours or so to do this for both.

Next, came the hard part. I wanted something more than just the collage itself. I thought about putting in a paper pieced airplane and helicopter or animal or something. But finally opted just to put their initials in the center. I initially thought I could find some large chipboard letters, but couldn't. So I came up with Plan B which was to print large letters off my computer and copy them on some cardboard. It worked...mostly.
I painted the letters white (the same as the frames) and stuck them in the center. But it so didn't look good! I couldn't figure out what to do. I decided to cut some colored paper just slightly larger than the letters and mat the letters to a solid color. But it still didn't look good. Then I set the colored letter on top of the white letter and it actually worked! I added a few buttons and put the frame back together.
Obviously, they aren't hung up yet. The boys are napping right now so I will do that later. But I'm really excited to put each one over the boys' cribs for now and eventually above their twin beds in a few months!

This project did take slightly longer than I initially thought it would. But it was fun and I think worth it!

I'm linking up to Beyond the Picket Fence
Funky Junk Interiors

What To Do...What To Do

Ok, so I'm going crazy! I have a hundred things in my head that I want/need to do. I have a little bit of energy to actually accomplish some of them, but it seems like I can't prioritize!!!

I made a goal last week that I wanted to completely spring clean my house, cupboards, drawers, closets, blinds, windows, etc. before Thanksgiving. Because heavens knows I will not get much of anything done the further this pregnancy goes and once this new baby comes.

I also have all my everyday stuff to do.

My husband told me not to paint Little Miss' dresser. That he would do it...but he's so busy right now! And I want to!

I have a little boy that I think might have an ear infection. Really? In July?!

I need to go the store to get one thing to finish the twins' art for their room. But alas, that isn't happening today.

All I can think about is procrastinating the things I really should be doing...like cleaning my pantry...and thinking about how to redo the kids' rooms. *Since we need to move the twins to twin beds and Ellie is outgrowing her Princess Room.* That is going to be their Christmas present...mostly.
Okay, here is a sneak peek at the bed set I bought Ellie today on Wal-Mart.com. I know, I know...my husband works for a large online retailer and I buy from Wal-Mart. Whatever! It was cute and cheap!
It is like I have two little devils on my shoulders.

Devil #1: Christmas is so far away. You will have plenty of time to get stuff ready later. Just sit back and relax this summer. Besides you should be saving for vacation and school clothes, not buying stuff!

Devil #2: Christmas will come so quickly. You have energy now. Who knows if you'll have any energy (or money for that matter) later!

Okay, Okay...now that I've vented for a few minutes I better choose something to do and do it while the boys are napping (or else today is a lost cause!)

Got Stinky Towels? This may help!

I am probably among the world's worst launderers. I throw damp towels in a basket to be washed later, I hastily sort clothes to throw into the washer, and I pay little heed to instructions like "no fabric softener." Next to my Dear Hubby, who overfills the washer so full that several items "mysteriously" rip, I'm pretty lame at laundry.
However, so far in my laundry career I've managed to ruin very few things. The clothing items that have been ruined have been from things like business cards being left in pants pockets, etc. So I've been pretty irritated lately when it seems like no matter what I do, my towels completely stink to high heaven even after several washings!

I decided to do some research. I actually learned a lot and decided I should share what I learned.First of all... what is causing my stinky towels?

Well, the obvious answer is the that the towels are not thoroughly drying out. I learned that yes, that was part of it. But it wasn't the only thing and it isn't my only problem. Part of my problem is that both of my bathrooms have poor circulation. While my master bathroom is large, it doesn't seem to air out well, contributing to why our bath towels probably don't dry out well enough. Our kids' bathroom has a small linen closet where we keep the majority of towels. It is small, no ventilation, a small window that we had to keep closed all winter, and the door has been kept closed most of the time to keep four little hands out of the toilet!

Also, I learned that my front loading washer may be hurting the situation as well. I learned I need to leave the door open so the machine itself can dry out. Front loaders can easily trap water and with the door closed the excess moisture can cause mildew/mold build-up. Also with my front loading washer, I need to be occasionally wiping it out (which I have been doing!)

Also, with a front loading washing machine you need to be careful to not overuse your detergent. Even if you use HE detergent, you really only need about 2 tablespoons vs. the 1/4 - 1/2 cup recommended. Wash your clothes without any detergent and look to see if you have suds. If you do you're using too much detergent.

So next is what can be done about the stink? Is it a lost cause? Do I just need to replace every towel? My thrifty side was excited to learn that no, I don't have to throw them out, but they do need a little TLC.I read several ideas and decided to put them to the test. However, I do have a front loading machine and so adjustments may have to be made for a top loading machine. Here is what I did. And I was very aggressive because I had REALLY stinky towels!

First, I washed the towels (smaller batches are better) with both hydrogen peroxide, Borax, and vinegar in HOT water. I put a small amount of hydrogen peroxide in the main wash detergent tray, the Borax in the pre wash detergent tray, and the vinegar in the fabric softener tray. The theory behind this is that the Borax will deodorize as well as clean, the hydrogen peroxide will kill the bacteria causing any stinky issues, and the vinegar in the final wash (fabric softener rinse) will again deodorize.

Next, I rewashed them, mostly because they didn't feel very soft or had much of any fragrance to them. So I added just a tiny amount of HE Tide, and some Downy to soften them up. Next, quickly move the towels to the dryer...don't let them sit in the washer for hours on end. I think that might defeat everything you just did. I dried them on the highest setting I had.

They aren't perfect...like new towels, but definitely MUCH better! They still didn't seem very soft, but oh well. And the stink comes back after a few uses. After washing most of my towels like that for several weeks in a row I backed off and now just use my regular HE Tide and Downy, with a little Borax in the pre wash. If I start noticing a little stink I go back and throw in some vinegar and/or hydrogen peroxide.

This trick has definitely saved me some moo-lah in replacing towels all at once!

I'm Back!!!

So I took a little break from life for a while. But I'm back now and happy about it. After months of little energy, trying to continually play catch-up, and life being on the overwhelming side, I've finally got my creative juices back. I actually have a little more energy now to get things done and am very relieved! Oh, and I just found out we're having another boy!

So what have I been up to? Good question......
The other day I saw this recipe for 90 minute cinnamon rolls and they looked divine! My parents and sister were coming for the night so I thought it would be a perfect excuse to make an indulgent treat for breakfast!
They were good. I need to make some small adjustments next time, but will most likely make them again because it were easy and yummy!

Also, I actually had enough energy to make this favorite dinner (Italian Breaded Pork Chops) of ours again tonight. Warning!: It is time consuming, but very worth it!

I also made a trip to D.I. last week and found these beauties that I'm turning into some artwork for the twins' room. Hopefully, I'll finish this week and get it posted.
I also found another great buy (hopefully) that Little Miss is very excited about! Let's just say the twins' clothing is overflowing (literally!) from their tiny changing table dresser (which will be needed for the new baby come December anyway) and the need for Ellie's big dresser is great. So I found a dresser type thing that needs some work, but will work out great for Little Miss! It needs some work from Hubby and he is super busy with work right now so it will probably take longer than I would like, but hopefully not too long. :)

I do have a goal to post a little more often now that I'm a little more on track. So check back!