In a family of readers, bookmarks are always in short supply.
These colorful, inexpensive bookmarks took just a moment to make using supplies we had on hand: ribbon remnants and paper clips.
Ta da! I love a quick organization-related project, don’t you?
David rarely wants “normal” presents like books or electronic gagets or new ties. He has to go for exotic, fascinating, and, well, frankly expensive presents like… a 3D printer.
In this case, it’s the parts to build one that he’s hoping for, cause he’s handy like that.
Remember when they built this computer together two years ago?
I admit I wasn’t on board with this idea initially. Just WHY do we need a 3D printer?! And just HOW MUCH will building one cost?!
Yes, it’s a cool homeschooling activity with our daughter, but she’s five. She might not even remember building it. It’s not like it can make us art supplies or toys for the kids… or can it?!
When I learned that one of the materials you can print with is biodegradable corn-based PLA, I eventually warmed to the idea.
After all, we need to keep challenged around here and each of us has our hobbies. I can appreciate that.
I’m the one who wants to buy a tabletop loom for Christmas. (WHAAAT?!) Now that present is totally necessary and practical.
Ahem.
In setting up our new homeschooling space, I wanted to create an easily accessible place to hang art and classroom materials without a lot of fuss and on a strict budget.
Inspired by this pin, I decided to set two small nails in the wall about two feet apart, with upholstery thread pulled tightly between them. (For extra long displays I used three nails to create two segments to hang from.)
Then using wooden clothespins
This little homeschooling space is starting to come together.
We moved into this rental four months ago and still so much of the house remains a work in progress. Now that the weather has warmed we’re turning our attention to the outside of the house. We began work on our front garden last month and now we’re turning our attention to the backyard space.
Our first step to make the backyard more usable was to clean the slick wooden deck that became a slippery mess any time it was wet:
David rented a power washer and completely transformed the deck:
What a huge difference!
Next we want to string lights across the space, setting them up to turn on/off with our indoor light switch (an easy fix). Then we need some planters to hide that ugly water storage container. We also have to tackle the rest of the yard. (The laundry list includes removing stray building materials, closing off the yard from the front, making it kid-safe, tackling the back garden…)
I would love to plant hydrangeas like these (they grow eight feet tall in either sun or part-shade):
along the back of the yard directly in front of the fence:
Maybe next summer?
Nevertheless I feel so excited to use this space! I foresee many summer meals spent outside on our back deck.
Thanks to my friend Daniela I have a (free!) metal two-drawer filing cabinet to spray paint. I asked for color suggestions on Facebook and friends immediately responded with robin’s egg blue or candy apple green.
You guys know me so well. (My favorite colors are blue and green.)
I love the idea of painting the file cabinet something bright and cheerful similar to these painted cabinets that I found online:
Shown above: 1. Use Stone To Top Off Your Old Filing Cabinets (pin) | 2. Repurpose a Filing Cabinet for the Kitchen | 3. CB2 TPS mint file cabinet | 4. Spray-painted yellow and topped with plywood, three Goodwill filing cabinets morph into a storage unit (pin)
David prefers a more neutral color, but I’m leaning towards turquoise, robin’s egg blue, apple green, mint, or, um, hot pink.
What do YOU think?
