Susiej

The snow brought another day off school. So, the boys built a fort.

that started on the ceiling.

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The soap boy is now into WRENCHES. He really likes wrenches. So, of course, he wanted a “wrench valentine” box. After puzzling for weeks, I finally convinced him today (the day before the Valentine party) to create a toolbox valentine box, complete with a bolt and wire secret clasp. We can now add this latest creation to our ongoing list of valentine boxes.

Must add the caption, “We Work Great Together!”

This was a “learn as you go” project, but oh so easy. You can reap the benefit of learning from my mistakes.

We found that it was best to cut the box, without the aluminum foil, first, and then wrap it in foil. Once the cardboard was cut, it was easy to just feel around for the slits and use an exact-o knife to cut the foil.

• Glue or tape closed the top of an empty cereal box.
• Cut the top off the box, only on three sides, so that you have a “flap” lid.

• Cut a slit below your lid so that kids can insert their valentines. (Resist the urge to follow your 6-year-old’s please to cut this slit into the shape of a wrench. The effect will be lost, and you’ll end up with a crooked, off-center slit. See box above.)
• Wrap box like a present with aluminum foil, using duct tape as tape.
• Find your cuts, and slit the aluminum foil with an exact-o knife.
• The cut edges will stick up, so finish them off with a nice layer of duct tape to hold them down.
• For the bolt closure, reinforce, with duct tape, a spot on the inside and outside of the box where you want to insert your bolt. Directly above the slit, centered.
• Somehow make a hole, smaller than your bolt, and work your bolt through by twisting. You want your hole to be smaller than the bolt so that it will stay in place.
• Follow the same procedure for the wire on the top of the lid, only a much smaller hole.
• Cut 4 inches of picture wire and insert through the hole, securing with a knot and duct tape on the inside of the lid.
• Now, you simply pull down the wire to wrap around the bolt. You now have a secure “seal” on your valentine box, so no girls can get to your stash.
• My teenager used sandpaper to cut out letters to write his name. Wire would have been best… but, it’s the NIGHT BEFORE THE PARTY!
• For embellishment, we added a real wrench. (Try saying that 6 times real fast.)

He is thrilled to have this toolbox valentine. He thinks the picture wire is real “electric wire” and wonders if his kindergarten teacher “will even allow it!”

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We had no time to make a complete Gingerbread House, so, we just made the trees instead.

These were simply made from a box of sugar cones,

thin licorice,

red hots and royal icing.

Royal icing makes such a great “cement” for these projects, but unfortunately, it is made from raw eggs. Much better to use meringue powder — which I think you can find at cake decorating stores and Michael’s — two stores I rarely visit.

As much as we remind the kids not to eat it, there’s no stopping those licks.

Recipe for Royal Icing:

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. Immediately transfer icing to an airtight container to prevent it from hardening. We stored it in ziplock bags in small batches, and took out only what we needed for a few minutes at a time.

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It’s about 6 weeks before Christmas, a respectable amount of time to make your own pure vanilla extract and bottle it up to give as a gift. It takes about 8 weeks for the extract to sit. So, if you start making it within the next week or so, you can have a supply ready in time for the holiday gifts.

Why bother? Because it’s so easy to make your own vanilla extract. It smells amazing — much nicer than the “pure,” stuff in the plastic brown bottle on the grocery store shelf. Plus, you can keep topping it off with more vodka, so you will never run out. (It’s recession proof!) You’ll probably end up keeping a jar for yourself, because it’s nice to have this on-hand.

Here’s how:
Supplies:

* 6 vanilla beans
* 2 cups vodka
* glass jar with tight fitting lid. (Recycle something.)

1. Cut open the vanilla beans, but do not open it all the way.
2. Place vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid.
3. Cover completely with the vodka.
Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while. Store in a dark, cool place for 2 months or longer.
4. You can now pour into individual little bottles for gifts with a label. If you insert a vanilla bean into each jar, you can continuously add more vodka as you use it up. So, it’s perpetual… never running low.
5. Shake well before using.

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I’m so forgetful and I loose my lists. I find bits of scrap paper everywhere with lists I no longer need, and never the one I do need. I wanted a big place to record jobs, (water the Buckeye tree — it’s dying!) and lists (don’t forget laundry detergent) at the lake.

A chalkboard, big and grand, with lots of space to spill out my ideas, would be perfect place to collect my thoughts where I could plainly see them. I asked all the neighbors, and anyone who walked by, for their opinion on where I should paint my chalkboard. Because what would be worse than putting it in the wrong space, and then having to paint over it all again?

When I gathered enough input on location and proportion and finally decided, I taped off the spot and “lived with it for a few days.” The chalky black paint can was opened and slapped on the wall… no drips. Once done, I was a bit horrified. The spot was too black, too dark, and definitely cut up the wall. In less than an hour, I erased my mistake and had already primed the wall. The next day, Dover White was back on the spot. In essence, I did the very thing I planned NOT to do.

A few days later, I found the remains of an old wooden mirror frame. The mirror was long gone and broken, and it was taking up space.

So, we washed it.

I opened the can of paint one more time and slapped it on.

It was almost finding a new piece of furniture… and the wood gives the black a nice break. Not too overpowering… perfect.

Although, the kids are having more fun with the blackboard than I am.

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I’m always looking for a way to add the scent of essential oils to the air.  I found this recipe for Pastilles, or scented stones, and discovered how these little flour balls hold the scent, and are able to scent a room for extended time.  So, if I can’t find my home made air freshener, or forget to use it, my little scented pastilles will be doing the work for me.  The ingredients are probably sitting in your pantry (maybe you’ll have to run out for powdered alum), so you can whip these up today in about five minutes.  If you do not have essential oils sitting in your cabinet, you could always use vanilla. Today, I used grapefruit and lavender.

Here’s the recipe for scented stones

• Mix ½-cup salt and ½-cup flour in a bowl.
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of powdered alum
• Add ¼ teaspoon of a favorite essential oil.
• Add 2/3 cup boiling water.
• Blend all ingredients, form into balls and allow time to completely dry.

When the rocks begin to loose their scent, seal them in a Ziploc bag with a few more drops of essential oil for a few weeks.  Then, remove them to have the smell back. Or, you could just make a new batch.

My best shot happened when the the boys made these nests, and carried off the rocks, as baby bird eggs. See more over at Tracey’s.

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