Love Mae
These are the cutest fabric reusable wall stickers. Let your kids' (or your) imagination run wild!
Find more of her wall stickers here.
Monday is a good day to clean...
With rubber bands
Reshape your broom
If the bristles of your broom have become splayed with use, just wrap a rubber band around the bristles a few inches from the bottom. Leave for a day or so to get the bristles back in line.
Wipe your paintbrush
Avoid a mess around the rim of your paint can by wrapping a rubber band around the can from top to bottom, going across the middle of the can opening. Now, when you fill your brush, you can just tap it against the rubber band and the excess paint will fall back into the can.
Anchor your cutting board
Cutting board sliding across the counter? Give it some traction by putting a rubber band around each end.
Extend a button
Having trouble breathing? Maybe that top shirt button is a tad too tight. Stick a small rubber band through the buttonhole, then loop the ends over the button. Put on your tie and breathe easy.
Gauge your liquids
Not sure how much paint is left in that can up on the shelf? Snap a band around the liquid containers in your workshop to indicate how much is left and you'll always know at a glance.
Brian Cronin, Illustrator
Monday, May 17, 2010
These are just a few of the illustrations selected for the American Illustration 20 book. View more here.
Monday is a good day to clean...
With Pillowcases
Dust ceiling fan blades
Grab an old pillowcase and place it over one of the ceiling fan blades. Slowly pull off the pillowcase. The blades get dusted and the dust bunnies stay in the pillowcase, instead of parachuting to the floor.
Cover a baby's changing table
Instead of buying expensive changing table covers, just pick up a few cheap white pillowcases and cover the changing table pad. When one is soiled, just slip it off and replace with a clean one.
Protect clothing hanging in a closet
You've just laundered a favourite dress or skirt and you know you won't be wearing it again for a while. To protect the garment, cut a hole in the top of an old pillowcase and slip it over the hanger and clothing.
Keep matching sheets together
Solve this host nightmare. File away your newly laundered and folded sheets in their matching pillowcase before putting them in the closet.
Use as a traveling laundry bag
When you travel, you always want to keep your dirty laundry separate from your clean clothes Stick a pillowcase in your suitcase and toss in the dirty laundry as it accumulates. When you get home, just empty the pillowcase into the washer and throw in the pillowcase as well.
Machine wash stuffed animals
Place stuffed animals in a pillowcase and put them in the washer. The pillowcase will ensure they get a gentle but thorough wash. If any parts fall off the stuffed animals, they'll be caught in the pillowcase so you can reattach them after their washing machine bath.
Monday is a good day to clean...
Friday, May 7, 2010
With Plastic Bottles
Around the house
Recycle as a chew toy
Maybe it's the crunchy sound an empty plastic 1 litre bottle makes, but dogs love to chew on them. Just be sure to remove the label and bottle cap and replace it before it gets too chewed up – broken pieces of plastic are choke hazards.
Place in a toilet tank
If you have an older model toilet, you can save a bit of money on your water bill by filling an empty 1 litre soda bottle with water (remove any labels first) and put in the the toilet tank to cut the amount of water in each flush.
Keep the cooler cold
Fill a few clean plastic jugs with water or juice and keep them in the freezer for use when transporting food in your cooler. This is not only good for keeping food cold; you can actually drink the water or juice as it melts. It's also not a bad idea to keep a few frozen jugs in your freezer if you have extra space; a full freezer actually uses less energy and can save money on your electric bill.
Store your paints
Why keep leftover house paints in rusted or dented cans when you can keep them clean and fresh in plastic jugs? Use a funnel to pour the paint into a clean, dry milk or water jug, and add a few marbles (they help mix the paint when you shake the container before your next paint job). Label each container with a piece of masking tape, noting the paint manufacturer, colour name, and the date.
In the garden
Create a drip irrigator for plants
During dry spells, a good way to get water to the roots of your plants is to place several drip irrigators around your garden. You can make them from clean 1 gallon juice or detergent jugs. Cut a large hole in the bottom of a jug, then drill 2-5 tiny (about 1/16 inch) holes in or around the cap. Bury the capped jugs upside down about 3/4 submerged beneath the soil near the plants you need to water, and fill with water through the hole on top. Refill as often as needed.
Isolate weeds when spraying herbicides
When using herbicides to kill weeds in your garden, you have to be careful not to also spray and kill surrounding plants. To isolate the weed you want to kill, cut a 2 litre soda bottle in half and place the top half over the weed you want to spray. Then direct your pump's spraying wand through the regular opening in the top of the bottle and blast away. After the spray settles down, pick up the bottle and move on to your next target. Always wear gloves when spraying chemicals in the garden.
It's all about mom...
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
With Mother's Day fast approaching, the kiddies and I embarked on yet another journey into "craft corner". Grandma from Ontario gets the first edition, as we have to get it in the mail for a timely arrival. Grammie from Halifax will be next, in time for our get together at her house on the "big day." I have a couple of great craft books that have truly beautiful items in them - it's always exciting to see what we'll try next.
First up – cards. Luckily I have lots of pretty scrapbooking papers leftover from Emma's dollhouse makeover, so that selection went pretty smoothly. I assisted in some cutting out, but for the most part, the kids were on their own to create at will. Minimal fighting ensued over scissors and markers, so we came out pretty unscathed.
Next up – our lovely tissue paper bouquets. All the petals are made from hearts (very appropriate for Mother's Day) so mommy spent her time cutting and cutting... We poked them through some sparkly pipe cleaners, shaped them, added some glitter and leaves and behold... a gorgeous bouquet of flowers for the centrepiece of the day.
Next occasion... Father's Day... Tissue paper tie perhaps?
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