Kindergarten Prepping - {DIY School Wall}

You all know by now I’m a slight freak when it comes to organization. Kindergarten and ALL that comes with BIG kids going to school has me in major prepping mode. Last year Brody, Baxlyn, Kylee & Korbin all attended pre-k five days a week. We had a pretty good routine when we came home (shoes in closets, show mommy folders, put away backpacks…) but one thing that drove me crazy was that our hooks that we hung backpacks on were too high for the quads to reach, leaving me to gather the bags and hang them myself among dealing with the excited and hungry quads, the baby eating their papers…etc. I knew that had to change before kinder and it became my must-fix-problem #1. I started searching for wall storage units online and wowza… the ones I adored were WAY too expensive. I then turned to good ole pinterest for some inspiration ;) After seeing multiple ideas that I thought would work best for our house/family, I came up with this…

 

Two hooks per kid at the perfect height so that THEY can retrieve and return their OWN belongings! Not only do they hold their bags and lunch bags, they’ll also very easily hold coats as well for cooler weather!

Here is the wall I chose and how it looked before. I told Bret what I had envisioned and, if you look closely, you can see my row of (ahem…very crooked) thumbtacks showing him about where I wanted everything to fall in the end.

With the never-ending projects these men have going on around here we have plenty of 2x4s laying around. Bret took one, cut it to fit the length of our wall and “spray painted” it with this nifty Rust-Oleum stuff he found at Home Depot. The finished board was perfect!

After hanging our board, he mounted all 10 hooks… can’t leave our little Blade out ;)

 

I used vinyl and a cricut machine to cut out the kids’ names (Thanks Jenn!!!!!) If you haven’t heard of cricut crafting supplies, for sure check them out. This was my first project using my cricut and I’m in LOVE!

A close up of the finished letters (font name: better with chocolate).

Originally I wanted to do this past DIY to go above each name. I envisioned a large, square picture of each child above their hooks, but I’ve had a heck of a time getting the first ones I made to stay on the wall (grrr.) While browsing the aisles of Hobby Lobby with my fab five I discovered some dark brown cork board squares that came 4 to a package. They were the exact size I was wanting (12x12) and I liked the idea of pinning notes to them down the road if ever needed. A pack of four came to just $7.19 (with tax!) after my 40% off coupon I found online – whoop whoop! The package came with some MEGA-adhesive squares to hang them and believe me, they’re going to STAY where you put them. 

Despite going to pre-k for just 3 hours each morning, my little quadlings managed to come home with lots of papers stashed into their little folders. Which brings me to my must-fix-problem #2. Combined, they could easily bring home 12-20 papers on any given day. I enjoyed seeing and reading it all… notes from their teachers, school announcements, all of their little artwork masterpieces…etc., but it didn’t take long before I found myself drowning in a pile of “stuff” and having no place to put it all. I remembered my fellow quad mom and blogger, Suz Steece, and how she solved the same problem. Following her advice, I went online to The Container Store and placed my order for four of these black file bins. The individual bins are stackable so I have a variety of ways to store them, for now it’s two and two, slid under one side of our computer desk. I labeled each kiddos’ bin with their name in “their” color and found matching folders to put inside each drawer.

You can imagine how shocked I was when my mom, who knew I was on the hunt for folders in their colors, found this pack at Office Max. They’re durable and expandable which made them a bit more costly than your average file folders but I think they’ll hold up well to what we need them for.

 

Each bin will hold 13 folders starting with pre-k and ending with 12th grade. I sorted through their pre-k stuff a week or so ago and kept everything I wanted and put them in their pre-k folder. Their Kindergarten folder is ready and waiting…

 

The first keepsake added to each of their Kindergarten file folders are their own copies of this week’s local newspaper where the quads were featured! The paper did updates regularly during my pregnancy and their NICU stay. It was fun for them to see themselves on the front cover and read the latest update about them entering Kindergarten!

Each of their files also hold one of these “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” books written by Dr. Seuss. The book talks about the ups and downs of life and encourages everyone to find the success that lies within them. At the end of their pre-k year, I sent the books to school and had their teachers, principal, therapists and others write a special note in each child’s book just for them. I also wrote a note to each one myself. My plan is to hold on to the books, sending them back to the school at the end of each year, and eventually give them their book when they graduate. Let’s just hope I can keep track of them for the next 12 years ;)

 

I’d love to hear any school tips you may have. Whether it be tips to packing school lunches, how you manage homework between multiples kids…etc., I’m always open ears/eyes and looking for ways to make things a little easier! Stay tuned for more Kindergarten Fun!

**UPDATE**

I went back and added a verse above their boards, also using the vinyl letters and cricut. The final product…

DIY BIG Picture

So, it’s been a while since I’ve done a Do It Yourself project and this one I LOVE! I had been searching a while back for cute, inexpensive ways to decorate the kids’ rooms, I found this “Big Picture” idea on pinterest, it looked easy {and cheap} enough so I gave it a whirl!

I downloaded a few pics onto a jump drive, took it to Office Max and asked for a “Engineer’s Print” of my picture in black and white. There are multiple sizes to chose from so Bret and I decided to go with the 24 by 36 inch print which cost a whoppin’ $2.79! The little printer guy behind the counter looked at us like we were a little nuts and warned us that our picture wouldn’t come out clear and crisp. I assured him it was fine and gave him the green light to print…worst case scenario, the picture looked bad and I was out my $2.79. The picture was printed on the huge piece of paper and in my opinion, looked great…at least for what I was using it for.

Our next stop was Home Depot. We grabbed some spray adhesive for about $15 (we could have done Walmart or found a smaller can of spray for cheaper, I'm sure) and a 4 foot by 8 foot polystyrene foam sheet which cost just under $10.

Once home, we unrolled our paper picture, laid it flat on the foam board and cut around it with an exacto knife. Our next step was to spray the board with our adhesive spray and CAREFULLY place the picture onto the board – I recommend not trying this alone, Bret and I held each corner and placed it down together. I then took a little black craft paint (acrylic) and painted around the edges to cover the pink foam. I waited for it to dry and Wa-la!

I am very happy with the results, especially for my first time making them! For less than $5 each (that foam board and especially the glue will last a while and I’ll get multiple uses out of them) I now have fun, BIG, canvas-looking pictures on the kids’ playroom wall. If they fall a) they won’t break or shatter b) they’re super light so if they do fall of the wall, no little people are gonna get hurt and c) if they do get damaged in any way they’re super easy and CHEAP to replace!

Brody, Baxlyn, Kylee & Korbin noticed the new décor the morning after we hung them and  loved seeing their big pics on the wall!

I’ve got some BIG ideas on more projects to do using this same concept and will share them as soon as I have the time to give them a try. The prints can be ordered in color as well but are a bit more pricey. I think the size we got would have been a little over $10 verses the $2.79 – still not bad but I’ll perfect the art before splurging ;)

Stay tuned!

DIY Homemade Fabric Softener & Dryer Sheets!

I thought I’d share another Do It Yourself project I’m loving these days. A few months ago I found a recipe online and started making my own fabric softener! We do a TON of laundry around here and our endless piles are only going to grow as our family does. It kills me to spend so much money on a bottle of Downy fabric softener and I feel guilty as I fly through a bottle within just a short period of time.

This simple recipe is cheap and I have found it honestly makes no difference in the outcome of my laundry besides the fact that it’s scent is not as strong as what you get when buying store bought softener…which may not be a bad thing! After using it for several months, I had run out of the homemade fabric softener so I used some of the Downy I had left over from a while back to wash our sheets. Bret and I were both amazed when we crawled into bed that night at just how strong the scent was…almost too strong now that we were not used to it.

What you will need: 6 Cups Water, 2 Cups Hair Conditioner (I’m a sucker for the Suave Ocean Breeze Scent. You can use any brand/scent you like), 3 Cups Distilled White Vinegar, Measuring Cup, Long Spoon & 1 Empty Milk Jug (a funnel helps as well!).

Directions: In a clean milk jug, gently mix/stir together hair conditioner, water & vinegar. I’ve found using hot water helps break down the conditioner a bit better when stirring. I use the same amount of the homemade softener as I did the Downy and pour it right into the fabric softener dispenser of our HE washer. I scored the hair conditioner for under $1 (I’m sure with coupons and such you could get it even cheaper) and we all know how cheap vinegar is…not to mention it’s MANY uses and the fact that you’re just using a small portion of it with each batch you make. We’re looking at mayybe $1 for a jug of fabric softener which makes me one happy, money saving Mama!

I never have used dryer sheets. They’re so pricey and we would go through a ton way too fast. I’m a fan of the wonderful (but ridiculously smelly) Static Guard Spray on the rare occasions I have static cling. After reading online you can make you own “liquid dryer sheets” using your homemade fabric softener I thought I’d try it!

What you’ll need: A New Clean Sponge, 1 Container with Lid (that your sponge will fit in. I used an old yogurt container), Water & Homemade Fabric Softener.

Directions: Mix together one part fabric softener and three parts water. Drop in your sponge and you are good to go! Simply place your damp (not dripping) sponge into the beginning of each dryer cycle for a boost of freshness and to eliminate static cling! At the end of each cycle, your sponge goes right back into your “Liquid Dryer Sheets” container and is ready for the next use.

If you make your own fabric softener or have any tips to offer, I’d love to read about it! If you missed it, check out our Homemade Laundry Detergent & Homemade Baby Wipes/Makeup Remover Wipes!

DIY Makeup Remover Wipes ( & Baby Wipes)

Another Do It Yourself project! I found the idea and recipe on pinterest and after 3 weeks of using it, I feel confident enough to say I love it and thought I’d share it with you!

As much as I love the easiness and convenience of the packaged makeup remover wipes, the little suckers aren’t cheap. I only treat myself to a pack occasionally…usually on long night road trips for the ease of getting off makeup in the car. Even then, I buy the cheap equate brand (which is great, don’t get me wrong) but I still pay at least $5 for a pretty small amount of wipes in my opinion and feel super guilty when I have to use 5 of them to remove all of my makeup. I personally wear a lot of mascara and I am that girl at the pool with big raccoon eyes after my first dip. I’ve been known to carry a bottle of eye makeup remover TO the pool along with paper towels to wipe away my markings as they appear – ridiculous and so annoying!

We’ve all been told “NEVER wear your makeup to bed- it’s one of the worst things you can do for your skin – let your skin breathe when you sleep...yada-ya”. For the longest time my nightly routine was using a facial cleanser (again, equate brand) in which I applied, let sit for a few minutes, stood and wiped away with a warm washcloth and then proceeded to remove my eye makeup with my GREAT but EXPENSIVE Mary Kay eye makeup remover. The process worked but took more time than this tired mama wanted to take some nights and I’ll admit…..gasp…. there have been many times I go to bed makeup and all. When I saw this simple recipe online for DIY makeup remover wipes, I figured I would give it a try.

What you’ll need: 1 Container with lid. 1/2 Roll Bounty Select-a-size Paper Towels, 2 Cups of Water, 1-2 Squirts of Babywash, 1 Spoonful Pure Coconut Oil. All ingredients found at Walmart (if not in your cabinets!).

The only thing I had to buy was the Coconut Oil, which I paid $5 for at Walmart. That got me 31ounces of Coconut Oil that will last me a long long time, not to mention it has a TON of uses (seriously a ton, research it) and won’t expire for 2 years! Reviews I read online strongly suggested to use specifically the Bounty Select a Size paper towels. Bounty for quality and the Select a Size for the perfect sized wipe – I agree!

Directions:

1) Cut paper towel roll in half with a non-serrated knife and brush off any fuzzy pieces around edges. I will admit, this part kinda sucked. Apparently I don’t own a “non-serrated” knife and cutting the paper towels wasn’t the easiest task with our crappy regular/serrated knife… I simply called Bret into the kitchen and one minute later, wa-la, I had my roll cut in half and was ready to go on. I did have quite a few fuzzy pieces to wipe and pull away but over all, not a big deal.

2) Make Solution. Put 2 cups of warm water into your container, add a tbsp. or two of your coconut oil (becomes liquid state at 76 degrees) then add a squirt or two of your favorite babywash and stir gently.

3) Place your paper towel roll into the container that holds your solution and press down. DON’T PANIC that your paper towel roll is several inches taller than your container, it will fit :) Keep pushing downward, place the lid on tight then turn container upside-down to sit for no less that 5 minutes.

4) After 5 minutes, flip the container over, pop the lid and you’ll easily be able to remove the cardboard roll from the center.

5) Pull your first wipe from the center of the roll and get to wipin’!

I couldn’t wait to try the wipes the night I made them. I was a little leery but figured hey, if they didn’t work, I wasted what…half a roll of paper towels? Let me say, I was super impressed. We all know it doesn’t take much to wipe away powder and foundation but the TRUE test for me was that eye makeup. As you can see in the picture below, it came off, ALL of it with no problemo! There are brand name eye makeup removers that don’t fully remove my mascara (again, why I LOVE Mary Kay, the stuff works) and yet, this little solution does a GREAT job for a super smallll fraction of the price! Sorry to all you Mary Kay reps out there, but I no longer need you OR those pricey pre-made makeup remover wipes! This one batch/container lasted me 3 and a half weeks and I used about 4-5 each day. Those of you who wear less make up (especially eye makeup) could probably get away with using 1-3 wipes each use and stretching your one container even longer. One concern I had was the consistency of the paper towels…. I was afraid after a day or so I’d be left with a container of soggy towels that I would hate to touch, much less use on my face. After 3+ weeks, the wipes were just the way they were on day one!

*This exact same solution can be used as baby wipes as well. I read many people who use them on a daily basis for their babies’ bums and are happy with them. I personally love actual baby wipes and am sticking to them for now :)

*Several DIY-ers mentioned adding essential oils for scented wipes.

*Some people reported mold growth in the bottom of their container after several weeks…. but again you have many people who say they’ve used the wipes for a long period of time and have never had any such issue. I kept a close eye myself and my wipes were totally fine. You can use distilled water (or even pre-boiled water) rather than tap to eliminate chances of mold build up.

*Again, if you’re not too familiar with Coconut Oil, go do some research! I was amazed at what all I read and all the great things it can offer when it comes to cooking, skin care, hair care..etc.!

Stay Tuned! More DIY projects coming your way!

DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent

Not my typical blog post title, ehh? It’s pretty self explanatory though, I am now officially making my own laundry detergent – go me! I’ve heard of people making their own detergent before but have never even thought of trying it myself. After visiting family in Kentucky a few weeks ago, I saw how Jenn made her detergent and decided to give it a whirl! I also recently (finally) signed up on pinterest where I found a ton of laundry detergent recipes (all very similar to each other) among a world of other phenomenal, crafty, DIY genius ideas! Who knows what I’ll be blogging about in the near future ;)

With a family of 6, soon to be 7, we spend our fair share of money on laundry detergent, fabric softener and all of the other cleaning necessities.  If I can save us some major money while getting the same results with my laundry, why not, right? I figured it’s worth a try. It’s been a few weeks now that I’ve been using my homemade detergent and I am loving it! I wanted to blog about it right away but wanted to make sure I was truly happy with the product before sharing it with my blog buddies.

What you’ll need: 1 Cup of Borax, 1 Cup of Washing Soda (not to be confused with baking soda) and 1 Bar of Fels Naptha Soap. I found all in the laundry aisle at Wal-Mart and spent a total of about $7-$8.

Directions: Grate soap and mix together with the Borax & Washing Soda.

That’s it. Really, it’s that simple!

You only need 1 tbsp. of detergent per regular load of laundry. This batch made me just over 3 cups of detergent which should last at least 50 loads!!! The best part is I only used a single cup of the Borax & Washing Soda that came in those huge boxes seen above meaning they’ll last foreveerr and I’ll get plenty of batches out of them!

 

*You may be wondering if this soap is safe for HE washers. It is! We have one and although it has a compartment for powdered detergent, because of the small chunks of soap, I choose to put it right in with the laundry just to be safe. The detergent also has little to no suds to worry about with an HE washer.

*The biggest “inconvenience” with making it yourself (to some people anyways) is having to grate the soap. I did it in like 3 minutes. Totally worth it saving the $$ and we could all burn a few calories, right? ;)

*The soap smells GREAT in it’s powder form and while washing but I’ve found the clothes tend to come out nearly scent free. Not a bad thing necessarily, unless you’re a sucker for that strong fresh laundry smell :)

*You can also use a regular bar of soap (think Dove, Irish Spring, Ivory…or whatever other scent you like). I did make a batch using Irish Spring and had great results as well, no issues with the soap dissolving at all. Fels Naptha is most commonly used because it’s an actual “laundry soap”. In doing my research I read a ton of opinions, views and outlooks on the detergent and what soaps are good and not good to use. This recipe seems to work for us, if something changes, I’ll be sure to update!

*Be sure to store your detergent in an air-tight container or cute glass jar. For now, I am using an old yogurt container. As always, if storing the detergent (or anything for that matter) in an old food container, be sure it is labeled and away from your kiddos so there’s no confusion.

*Some say they add in a little Oxi-Clean to their mixture for a little extra boost, I personally chose to leave it out but may consider it for those super dirty loads in the future.

If you get the urge to make some for yourself, let me know how it turns out!  If you already make your own soap, please share as I’m always up for improvement !