Some things I've been doing

I was introduced to this "evil" thing called Pinterest.  Actually it's not evil, it just has way too many fun ideas for projects that have the potential of getting me into trouble.  And heaven knows I don't need any help getting into Trouble!  Instead of having to look up specific web sites to learn how to do something, it has them all right there in plain sight.  You can find things about cooking, fashion, decorating, baking, candle making, painting, etc.  The possibilities are endless!  It's ridiculous, really! 

There are days that I have way too much time on my hands but I'm not a daytime TV watcher.  It's pretty much all garbage on during the day (and not much better at night) so I'd rather keep busy doing other things.  Now when I say "time on my hands" it may imply that I don't have enough to do around the house, which would be false.  It's just that I can't get really excited about scrubbing another toilet, dusting the house, sweeping, mopping, laundry etc.  So, I do what any sane housewife/stay at home mom would do...I create things.  Actually, that is how I keep my sanity.

I do a little bit of this, and and little bit of that but with the help of Pinterest, I always have great ideas at my fingertips.  Some ideas are better than other and I try to limit it to the inexpensive things.  Here are a couple of examples.

Homemade magic molding clay

Ornaments to give away with Christmas gifts

These are very easy but you have to let them dry for several days.  I actually put them in the oven on 200* for about 10 minutes and they still needed to dry to harden.

Coasters

I decided to top them with epoxy lacquer instead of just spraying them with a top coat.

This morning I made homemade hot cocoa mix

I made homemade laundry soap.  It was totally easy and I actually love it.  My clothes smell so fresh and clean!  I still use the liquid Downy but I found a recipe for softener too, I just haven't tried it...yet.

I don't have to use very much so it should last a long time.

If you prefer liquid soap, you just add hot water and stir until everything dissolves. 


But my most meaningful project is this window:
It came out of the family farm house in Monroe Utah.  It was one of the basement windows that was replaced a couple of years ago and is about 70 years old.  When my grandparents first built their home, they only built the basement, it was during the depression and that's all they could afford, so the family lived in a basement with a roof on it.  My dad, being the oldest of 8 children, remembers it   Not all of them were born yet but he remembers a couple of his sibling were there.

A couple a months ago, my cousin Jared, who now runs the farm, was coming to stay the night with us because he had to be in court the next morning.  No, he wasn't in trouble, he's an attorney too.  Anyway, I asked if I could have a couple of the windows.  They had been placed outside, leaning up against "the scary barn" and I just had a idea that I could create something out of them.  So, being the good cousin that he is, he brought them (3) up and I started the sand 70 years worth of paint, hard water and dirt off of one of them.

I had to scrape out and replace all of the caulking that held the window panes in and there were a few cracks in the wood that needed to be filled but other than that, it was in pretty good shape.

This is almost finished.  I plan of drilling 5 holes into the bottom part and mounting some old metal faucet handles on it to make a coat rack.  I figured that would be fitting tribute for an old farmhouse window.

These are what the "hooks" will look like

My kids (and husband) just roll their eyes and laugh, but like I told Amanda this morning, she'll call me one day and say "Mom, remember when you made_____, I need the recipe for that."  She just smiled and agreed, but for now, they just think I'll crazy!