Posted
August 20, 2009 by
erin under
DIY So you’ve got stacks and stacks of your child’s artwork, right? So how do you keep them all and display them all, without it looking like a collage on your fridge with papers of all sizes, shapes, and colors together? Here are a few ways:
1. Scan in all, or just your favorites and make a Blurb book. I’ve seen many of these self-printed books in person and their quality is fantastic! There are prices and sizing for every budget. How great would it be to have all your children’s artwork in a nice hardback book with nice clean edges? Don’t worry if you’ve never laid out a book before. They have many good free templates in their free book maker software. Just drop in your pictures, add text and get it printed! (Three Little Pigs)
2. Frame it like Photographer Jen Morris.
3. Buy a roll of string and some cute clips. Different places sell them like Land of Nod and IKEA. Or make your own.
4. Magnetize a wall. Use magnetic paint and then paint over it with regular latex paint. Decorate some magnets and you’ve got an art gallery! (See a full tutorial here.)
Tags: children's artwork, display
Posted
August 19, 2009 by
deb under
organization 
{In clockwise manner: Patrick Conant, A Hungry Architect, Better Homes & Garden & Junk Garden Girl}
Whether your entry way is big or small, or you have a mud room, or not, it is important to have a spot for your child’s backpack and school items. Growing up, my sisters and I took over my mother’s formal living room. {We didn’t have a large entry way, or laundry room}. This was often the place you found us studying, and we each had a chair that we would set our backpack on. I have a lot of fun memories sitting around that table with my sisters studying. Thank goodness my mom tolerated us spreading our school goodies all over her formal dining room.
If you happen to have a larger laundry room, or mud room, or entry way, consider some of these as tips for giving your children a drop off point when coming home.
- Each child has a spot- this can be a hook, a cubby, or a bin. Make sure your child has their own place to store their backpack and goodies they’d like to take to school.
- Have a folder that is organized by day. If your child brings home forms on Friday that need to be returned Monday, this will help you remember them. Sign them, and put them in the Monday section so they are ready for you to send along. I also have many friends that have a binder for each child with dividers for each day.
- Shoes. Shoes are always piling at our doorway. Am I the only one? Give everyone a cubby or two to store their shoes in. This will keep the walkways clear.
- Labels. You can mark everything with a label if you’d like to keep everything straight. I love Mabel’s Labels- it’s so easy to add labels to everything so your children’s stuff doesn’t get mixed up with someone else’s belongings.
Do you have tips for keeping your entryway organized for the kids when they come home from school? What things keep you organized for the school year?
Tags: Back to School, backpack, entry, laundry room, mud room
Posted
August 19, 2009 by
erin under
Remedies I don’t have children yet, but I do know that mornings can be a rush, especially when everyone is getting ready and has to go in many different directions. Here are a few tips to get your day started right:
by squarepants2004j/auntyhuia
1. Set out homework, signed slips, and anything else that needs to go to school the next day, better yet, get it all packed so the backpacks are ready to grab and go.
by ex.libris
2. Use the weekend to get lunch items ready for the upcoming week. Make a couple of batches of jello, pudding, salad, or cut up veggies and put into small plastic containers. They stack nicely in the fridge and are tons cheaper than buying the pre-made ones. When you’re ready to pack lunch in the morning, just grab a few of your pre-made containers and add to the lunch box.
by exile in suburbia
3. Help your child set out two outfits the night before. In the morning they can choose between the two and hopefully this will reduce the amount of disagreements over what can be worn!
Tags: school, time-saving tips
Posted
August 19, 2009 by
erin under
Giveaway Thanks everyone for all your entries!! We used Random.org to pick the winner. The winner of the custom clock made by Pilot Design goes to:
Number 11!!!
Katie @ Making This Home Says:
My fingers are crossed. Thanks for a shot at something so beautiful.
Katie
Congrats Katie! Please email us your shipping information and we’ll get that sent to you right away!
and
Tags: winner
Posted
August 18, 2009 by
deb under
One Fresh Nest One Fresh Nest is a new feature that we’re doing on the site where we highlight a home that is beautiful and inspiring.
Our first Fresh Nest is Danyelle’s home. Danyelle is a mother of five, is a genius creative and kind. She blogs over at Dandee Designs and My Favorite Things. She lives in what she calls the cozy brick house and she makes it just that.
What is your favorite room in the cozy brick house & why?
I really love our master bedroom. It’s actually funny to call it that. Our home was built in the fifties and at that time most houses didn’t have what we now consider a master. Our bedroom doesn’t have it’s own bath or even a walk-in closet, but it gets great afternoon light. It has enough space for the furniture we need and the squeaky wood floors are a reminder of simpler times.
When you are designing and decorating your house, where do you get your inspiration from?
I find inspiration everywhere! The conventional places like magazines, design blogs, home stores. And some unconventional places as well. I love wandering around office supply stores, the ribbon section at a local craft store, or an antique shop.
What is your favorite piece in the cozy brick house?
I created a wreath out of book pages a couple of years ago. It adds a bit of whimsy to a more traditional space in our home. It’s also sculptural and I really love it.
How did you decide on a color palette for your home?
I naturally lean towards colors that are found in nature. Browns, greens, oranges…sometimes a little too much. Recently, after having my fifth child I was sitting in the living room nursing and began to feel suffocated by all of the brown. I hadn’t really ever taken the time to sit and notice how much color was missing from that space. Currently I am in the process of adding more color through paint and textiles. Spicing it up a bit.
What color of paint is in your master bedroom & dining room?
“Pecan” Valspar paint from Lowes. Valspar is the best coverage paint we have used, and we’ve tried them all! This is the same color as the dining room.
Where did you find the chair in your daughter’s room?
I found the chair at goodwill before my oldest daughter was born. I painted and distressed it, then had it re-upholstered just in time for her birth almost 8 years ago. It’s still in great shape and is the best place in the entire cozy brick house to rock one of my babes.
Share your favorite DIY project in your home. Tell us a little bit about it.
My current fave DIY was one that I just completed. You can learn more about it here.
Since it’s Back to School week here on Fresh Nest, would you mind sharing some pointers?
- Start implementing your school bedtime NOW! We started a week ago. We still have two weeks before school starts here, but I wanted the children used to our old schedule BEFORE the big day. No more of this 10:30 business!
- Menu planning. Summer has wreaked havoc on my dinner schedule. With BBQ’s and vacations I’m dying to get back to a regular weekly menu. This is a great tool.
- Inventory. We are headed out on our final vacation this week. We’re going to the ocean on the Oregon Coast and doing the bulk of our back to school shopping while we’re visiting that lovely sales tax free state. To prepare, I’ve been taking inventory of my children’s wardrobes. What they need, what from last year will still work, etc. I’m also using this opportunity to get rid of ill fitting, stained or un-usable items.
Thanks Danyelle for sharing your cozy brick house with us and for the bonus back to school pointers! I am amazed at all you are able to do. It truly inspires me. Consider your house Fresh Nest approved!
Tags: Back to School, children, cozy, home, kids, yellow
