diy mama

lifestyle blog sharing diy, family, travel, organization & disney tips

Shelly

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Jewelry Dish

Hello Gorgeous! Do you love jewels? Do you have an amazing display for all your favorite pieces? Do you always take your jewelry off every night and put it back in it’s designated home? Me neither. I mostly wear the same gold triangle studs, wedding ring and very strong gold necklace that my daughter can not break no matter how hard she pulls. It has her name on it so I guess she assumes it’s hers. If I DO switch up my jewelry for a special occasion, it usually ends up sitting on the sink or my bedside table for…oh…weeks. This needed to change, which is why I made this jewelry dish.

jewelry-dishMaterials Needed:

  • White Plate
  • Spray Primer
  • (2) Spray Paint
  • Art Tape
  • Painter’s Tape
  • Mod Podge
  • Foam Brush

The first step is to wash your plate. Make sure all dust and residue is cleaned from the plate. The next step is to tape off the design you’re wanting with the art tape.

art-tapeOnce you have your design laid out you need to prime your plate so the spray paint will adhere. If you buy a spray paint that works on porcelain this step is not necessary (but I used spray paint I had on hand.)

primer-sprayOnce the primer has dried, tape off the first color section. Make sure to follow the instructions on your can for drying time. If it is too hot or humid the paint will not dry well and the finished product will look messy.

first-blue-tape

Once the first section of colored paint is dry, remove the painter’s tape and re-apply to the next section

second-blue-tape

This is the best part! Remove the painter’s tape followed by the art tape. When removing any tape, pull at a 45deg angle. This will make for a cleaner line. Once all of the tape is removed, add a coat or two of mod podge for protection. I knew I would be dropping watches on this dish so I wanted to be sure the paint would be protected.

jewelry-dish-closeI loved the way it turned out! It’s different than anything I currently have in my home. I knew I wanted a soft feminine touch (which is why I have the mint green) mixed with a graphic design (the gold stripes.)

jewelry-dishNow, if my jewelry is laying out for a few weeks before I put it away, it looks beautiful! It’s usually my most special pieces and I love looking at them all together on my bedside table.

bedside-tableWhat do you ladies do to keep your jewels organized? Anyone else call their jewelry ‘jewels’? It makes them sound more sophisticated!

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Organization

organizationI believe this whole heartedly! People, like myself, may get anxious, irritated and disgusted with clutter but I also believe that I really am just too lazy to look for things. If I can’t find something in it’s first two places, I usually give up. I often don’t do craft projects JUST because my craft organization is insane. I do my best to completely stay out of the garage because it is a serious mess. I bought a small hammer, measuring tape and screw driver to keep in the kitchen JUST so I don’t have to go find one of the five we already have. Yes, if we just had LESS, it would be much more manageable and we’d have a place for everything and always be able to find what we’re looking for. In a perfect world. 🙂

Shelly

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Top Toys for 7-8 Month

Hiya Friends! Now that Soph’s more mobile, I’ll be doing toy posts more often. She has a pretty shore attention span when it comes to playing with toys. Watching Frozen, on the other hand, can be done in it’s entirety now. Crazy! I wanted to list some of her very favorite toys that she plays with every day. 8 month toys
  1.  You’ve probably all at least seen Sophie la Giraffe, if you don’t currently have one. Sophie now has 8 teeth and has never really gotten into any of her teethers. She LOVES this giraffe for teething though. She’ll play with it without teething as well.
  2. The Bright Starts Activity Table has been her longest toy in rotation. She got tall pretty quickly so was able to sit in the saucer at an early age. She can now pull herself up to play with the table while standing wobbly for a minute. I also still love this toy because it will keep her attention just long enough for me to clean the kitchen or my husband and I to eat dinner together!
  3. Stacking rings are a big hit with Soph. She loves knocking them over, chewing on the rings and even playing fetch (I know that sounds terrible but she really enjoys throwing them and chasing them all over the room!)
  4. Now that it’s sunny and warm at least one day of the week, we like pool time for a little bit. She only lasts about 10 minutes in the pool, so it’s not much for all the hassle of slathering in SPF and peeling off a wet swim suit but she LOVES it! I throw in a bath book, a cup and rings and she splashes and smiles the whole time. This pool is smaller than I thought it would be based on the picture but I like the high walls and the fact that it was only $15.
  5. Puffs have been a fun adventure! I’ve really enjoyed watching her get a little better at eating them every day. We don’t get them as a snack or food replacement but as practice for her hand-eye coordination.
  6. The Laugh and Learn Stride-to-Ride Puppy is a toy that Sophie has loved from the start. We brought it out when she was too young to use the shapes, push the dog or ride on it while holding on. She’s always loved watching the lights and listening to him sing. She now likes to play with the shapes, can hold on to ride and can use him to stand up. She’ll eventually be able to scoot herself on him, push him around and put the shapes in the holes. This is another great toy that will last a long time
  7. The Indestructibles books are amazing. Sophie loves when we read to her with the board books because she can turn the pages but the Indestructibles books are…well…indestructible. They will survive literally everything a child can do to them.
  8. This cute cloud/octopus (we don’t know what it is) has been one of lil bean’s favorite toys for a long time. She will just stare at him until you make her stop. She really likes to hold him and move him around while watching the stars dance along the ceiling and walls.
  9. Sophie’s newest favorite toy is her Little Tikes swing. She lights up when she gets pushed in this swing. The rhythmic motion also calms her down for nap time!

pool-babyWhat were your baby’s favorite toys at this age? What are their favorite toys now that I need to look into for the future?! The choices for toys are so extensive now that she’s crawling and can sit up on her own! Some of her favorite free toys are pampers boxes, ice cubes, empty water bottles and string of any kind (I watch her when she has it, don’t worry.)

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Father’s Day Finds

Ello Loves! (That’s how my English Grandma would have greeted you.) 🙂 I’m talking to you chicks that have Fathers in your lives but haven’t found the perfect way to celebrate him yet (even though it’s this weekend!) School just got out, the weather’s been nice and there’s tons of fun festivals, fairs and concerts going on, so it’s not too surprising if you’ve been a bit busy! I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite ideas that are great for all types of Dads!  Father's-Day-Finds

This week’s finds were centered around DAD, because Father’s Day is this weekend and also because they’re awesome and deserve celebrating!

  1. A kabob buffet sounds like the perfect dinner for a Dad. Seri at The Ultimate Little Miss Blog had a manly way of decorating for her Cocktails & Kabobs Father’s Day dinner. Simple prep of chopping meat and marinating in a bag while you’re out for the day. You can really customize kabobs to what your family enjoys. We like shrimp and pork with pineapple somewhere in the mix but peppers, onions and tomatoes are always a must have for kabobs!
  2. Jane at Fair Goods made these sweet luggage tags for the Dad who’s always on the go. It’s not fun having a Dad who travels a lot but making something personal that he can have with him when he travels is a great way to show him you love him. I’d love to try out punching leather or metal but haven’t had the chance yet. It seems simple enough though!
  3. Abby had an awesome gift guide by price for Dad at her blog Just A Girl and her blog! My favorite item is the train tshirt that his kids can play on while he naps! Totally something I see my husband doing in the near future! Abby also just launched her ebook, Building A Framework, earlier this week and wants it to be available to anyone so you can name your price according to what you’re able to pay! Too sweet! PS I bought it but haven’t started it yet, so ask me if you’re interested!
  4. These coupons are the CUTEST! I love the retro feel Michelle from Elegance & Enchantment used in designing these printables. She also has soda labels and a card to match! I’m using these and writing ‘Redeemable for a week of baby free sleep.’ Meaning I’ll get Sophie every time no matter the time if she cries and do all morning feedings.
  5. Jessica’s silhouettes on her Etsy shop called iillume are to die for! She will do custom work from a photo you send her. She has some really cute action shots but my heart was drawn to this silhouette of a Daddy and his lil bean! I love her selection of colors as well so you can customize it to your decor.

Too cute, no?! These may be too last minute for this year if you’ve already planned ahead but for those of us (ahem) who couldn’t decide on anything and waited until now…perfect! What’re you all doing for the Dads in your life?? I’m lucky, my Dad will be visiting me this year and my husband will be in town so I’ll get both Dads with me this weekend! We’re going to picnic with my Dad and do a stepping stone with Soph’s hands for her Daddy. 🙂 I hope you all have lots of fun celebrating!

Shelly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Oh My Posh!

Hi Friends! Today, I’m doing my very first product review! I was contacted by Lauren, who lives in a neighboring town, to review Perfectly Posh body care products. I’m not a huge body product girl just because I forget to use them. I’ve finally learned to not buy them for myself but still receive plenty for my birthday and Christmas. I specifically do not like to have scents on me, with having an 8mo that is constantly teething on my fingers. Lauren stood firmly behind the Posh product and gave me confidence to give it a try.

oh-my-posh

I asked Lauren how she got started in selling Posh and what her favorite products were. Here is what she had to say:

‘I am a momma of 2 young children (and 2 fur babies) and my husband and I have been married for almost 9 years (we married very young!).  I work full-time at the University of Illinois and I’m co-owner of Illini Photo Booth. In a word, I am BUSY.  But, I wanted something for me.  Something that had flexibility so if there were times I was busy with the kids, I didn’t need to answer to anyone or feel pressured to sell a certain amount of product.  I decided to start selling in December and have been extremely successful with it.  Some of my favorite products are our Hey, Honey! Healing Hand Crème.  It is absolutely amazing and was a life-saver during this past harsh winter.  I never had cracked hands, and with a baby, that’s really saying something.  I also love our Gender Bender Chunk Bar.  It is full of activated charcoal, silt, and carbon to absorb all the nasty gunk on your skin.  It also has soothing shea butter so it’s not over-drying.  I actually use this on my body, as well as my face, everyday!  I really love so many of our products, but what would round out my top 3 is our Neem & Tea Tree Hair Mask.  I rub it into my scalp, let it set for about 20 minutes, and then wash my hair as usual.  I only use it once a week (normally on Saturday when I’m not rushed to get in the shower) and my hair has never been softer or shinier.’

I’d chosen to review two highly rated products according to their website. I love the fact that you can rate and review their products on their website! I wanted to try a basic hand lotion and a sugar scrub.

perfectly-posh

I love the Sugar Fix Classic Body Scrub! It has a very light almond blossom scent that doesn’t linger after use. I would use it on my feet, knees and elbows 2-3 times/week which was super helpful now that those body parts are showing all the time for summer! You can use this product daily but it works so well that it’s not necessary for me to use it that much, which is great because it’s lasting longer! It is a top seller for Posh for a reason! It is a gentle exfoliant as to not shred my skin but doesn’t completely dissolve the second it hits my skin.

I also really like the Lil Snarky Big Fat Yummy Hand Cream (although the name is a mouthful!) I use this lotion before bed every night (that I remember.) It definitely has helped to soften my hands which is really important when handling my baby’s soft skin. This lotion has a very light, pleasant scent and does not leave a greasy residue. It’s a great size to throw in your purse as well. Not too little that it will be gone in a few weeks but small enough that it’s not weighing you down.

I’ve been using these products for a few months and stand behind the brand. Perfectly Posh prides themselves on having every item under $25 but best of all, they’re natural based!

 

naturalIf you don’t already know a Posh consultant, send me a message and I can hook you up with Lauren or you can order directly from their website! What methods do you use to keep your feet sandal worthy? Anyone else know of any great low scent products they like to use around their kids? PS. They also do parties! 😉
Shelly
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