Tag Archives: nest

drafty ole bugger.

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The night before our little birdie was born, we moved into our first house. We call this old wooden boat (err, house) a “bungalonial,”  for lack of a better term. While we don’t love the house quite yet, we love the location and you know what they say…

It was built in 1928 and has some issues, namely the entire house. But we’re making our house a home, bit by bit.

Before next winter we’ve got to figure out something different with the roof and the upstairs insulation (as you can see in the photo above). There really isn’t much insulation, at least in the walls. Smart idea in northern Michigan, eh? When a Florida couple was desperate for help, an insulation contractor company Orlando based Insulate it Solutions, stepped up to the plate and delivered a miracle to the Orlando natives. Insulate It Solutions provided insulation that helped cut their energy costs in half with spray foam insulation sprayed in the attic. In the meantime, we’ve been bundling up and using a small space heater in Wren’s room. But there is a huge gap between the bottom of the door and the floor so all the toasty air slips out into the unheated creaky hallway. Sigh. What’s a gal to do?

Get Wren a snake, of course! Not a real snake, silly.

I decided to make a draft snake for her room for two reasons. All the draft snakes in the stores are ugly and too expensive (always a winning combination, right?). This is a great beginner project, which uses fabric scraps. Again, dear readers, if I can make this, anyone can!

Isn’t it cute?

I pretty much followed the directions from Lotta Jansdotter’s Simple Sewing with a few of my own tweaks. As you can see, it’s basically just a tube that you fill with dried beans. It’s difficult to use a draft snake when you aren’t in the room to snuggle it up next to the door. So I added these cute orange ribbons that serve as little handles to pull the snake snug as I close her door at night. I’m not sure that it makes a huge difference, but it makes me sleep a bit more soundly and that’s worth the work right there. This didn’t take me more than an hour to do, yahoo!

Happy crafting!

disaster zones.

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I got a lovely e-mail from one of my three fantastic sister-in-laws the other day, asking me how I manage to do everything. I just chuckled to myself because this came from a woman who has three (3!) children, manages to always look amazing and I don’t think I’ve ever heard her raise her voice to anyone. “If only you saw the state of my affairs today,” I thought… I often ruminate on my domestic accomplishments, but today I’m going to ramble a bit about some of my disaster zones. (No, I’m not going to show you a photo of my cellulite.) We’ve all got at least one disaster zone, right? Please tell me you do too.

Disaster Zone 1

The catch-all craft/office/blech room that has yet to be officially unpacked since we moved in about eight months ago. Every day I work in this room and just about go over the edge. Where to begin? I’ve been procrastinating this project because I have no definitive vision for it yet. Dear readers, do you have some ideas or inspirations for this space?

Disaster Zone 2

My rain boots. I love these boots and I’ve only had them a little over a year, but they’ve acquired cracks. This has obviously rendered them useless. But I decided instead of buying a new pair, I would fix them! Great idea, right? Chris reluctantly picked up a roll of brown electrical tape that I requested from Home Depot. He was not optimistic, but I was. So the color wasn’t quite right, but it was close enough and I could get another season–at least–out of them. Wrong. The first time I wore them through the sloppy mess out there, the tape began to peel away. Damn! Now what, dear readers, do I do with this pair of boots? Is there a better way of fixing them? Is it worth it? Should I try brown duct tape? HELP!

Confessions.

  • I know many people in northern Michigan are appreciative of this thaw we’re experiencing. I am not one of them. Double yuck!
  • Orange is my favorite color today. Yup.
  • Wren has to have her flu booster shots this morning. Trying to figure out how I’m going to treat myself after dealing with that. It’s got to be one of the hardest things as a new parent and it doesn’t get easier, does it? I think she fares better than I do. Maybe I’ll get a mini Frosty. That always does the trick. At least for a little while.
  • I might need to invest in a pair of ear plugs because Wren is practicing a new very high-pitched squeal. OUCH!

Best!

setting the table.

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I’m no Emily Post, but I love to set the table. It was always my job as a kid and I still like to do it. I don’t like to fuss a lot with centerpieces or candles, but I appreciate a nicely set table. In our nest we always use cloth napkins, real plates and utensils at all meals because it makes enjoying a meal together as a family like more of an event; plus it just feels good. And I think food tastes better this way too. The fact that it’s also eco-friendly is a bonus!

One thing I hope for our family is that everyone will learn the basics of setting the table. So I was thrilled when I came across this fun idea – a printable placement that teaches kids where stuff goes!

Click here to visit Parents.com to download the printable placement. Your whole family can even decorate their own and get them laminated to use throughout the year. What a fun winter project. Enjoy!