Yardzee! DIY Yahtzee for the yard
Our kids have been spending so much time out in the yard lately. It makes me so happy that I hardly mind that they keep slipping in mud and tracking it into the foyer.
I’ve been dreaming up lots of backyard activities for them, as I do at this point every year. We have some large projects coming up, hopefully, but I started with a simple one I expect is going to get a lot of use.
I give you … Yardzee!
Yup, it’s Yahtzee for the yard!
For full instructions, continue reading in my weekly DIY column, My Handmade Home …
FREE DOWNLOAD: Printable Yardzee score sheet for kids. (I had mine printed at the Staples Copy & Print Centre and had them laminated, too.)
Don’t forget to pin this idea for later, or to help other people find this project. Thanks!
A tale of two family rings
I was going through my jewelry box recently, while organizing my walk-in closet, and I was surprised by how many little treasures I found.
There were lots of baby teeth, mostly in unlabelled baggies (so I had no idea which kid they came from), a few carefully wrapped baby curls I’d snipped off my toddlers and a couple of vintage $2 bills saved by my husband’s parents back when he was a kid.
I smiled when I pulled out my gold daughter’s pride ring, which was given to me by my almost-stepsister back when I was a teenager. They were a big deal at the time — your birthstone set into a heart, plus the birthstones of your mom and dad.
I haven’t worn it since I was 16 or 17 because that’s when my husband (my boyfriend, back then) started giving me rings that took over the prime positions on my fourth fingers.
Then I had an idea …
Continue reading in my weekly parenting column, The Mom Scene …
Putting outdoor art to the test
Last spring, we built a pergola to go over the picnic table on our back deck.
It was a game-changer for me, as a pale indoorsy person who only appreciates a sunny day if I’m able to hide in the shade.
At some point over the summer, I decided to brighten up the inside of the pergola by hanging outdoor-friendly artwork I’d made from scrap wood — like a barn quilt and a few fun quotes.
Before I had a chance to show it to you, it was September and I’d switched my focus back to creating indoor projects.
This worked out well, though, because now I can report back on how the outdoor art lasted during the winter months.
What worked and what didn’t? How did I make the different pieces? Continue reading in my weekly DIY column, My Handmade Home, for the full scoop on my outdoor art!
Don’t forget to pin this idea for later!
DIY magnets three ways
I always liked crafting fridge magnets while I was growing up, but those were the days when everyone had a metal fridge door. Stainless steel appliances might look nice, but they’re no good for sticking up school papers with a ceramic watermelon or set of A-B-C magnets.
Our fridge might be limited to the few magnets we can stick to one side, but you might recall I just made a cool lace-covered magnetic board for my home office.
It was looking pretty sparse, but after a quick trip to the dollar store and the local craft store, I was able to make dozens of magnets for about $12 — with plenty of supplies left over.
This is an easy project to do on your own, but it’s also something you can do with kids — especially over March Break when the days start to feel endless! My son helped me with some of these magnets, and happily made a few to stick to the metal storage lockers up in his bedroom.
Continue reading in my weekly DIY column, My Handmade Home …
… or pin this post and come back to it later!
Interested in how I made the DIY magnetic board with pale pink lace? Here’s the full tutorial for it!
Momo Challenge a wake-up call for parents
When I was in my second year of university, I made the mistake of watching The Ring. I’d watched plenty of horror movies before and wasn’t bothered — well, except for that one traumatizing viewing of Candyman when I was eight.
I can’t say what it was about The Ring. Maybe Samara’s twisted, pale face and dark, wet hair kind of reminded me of myself when I get out of the shower, but that movie scared the crap out of me for years.
So, I guess it’s no surprise that when a certain pale, dark-haired, scary-faced girl started popping up in our social media feeds — the dreaded Momo — I was spooked every time. I’d literally shudder and hide the post.
If you managed not to hear about the Momo Challenge, it was supposedly a series of videos encouraging kids to hurt themselves and the videos were said to be slipped into popular YouTube videos kids were already watching, like Peppa Pig and Minecraft.
Rumours of the Momo Challenge started circulating last summer, but reached hysterical levels last month after a post was shared by a police department. Pretty soon, it was all any parent was talking about …
Continue reading in my weekly parenting column, The Mom Scene …
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Heather's Handmade Life 