insta.life {leap list edition}

I've been working my tail off this week trying to finish up some projects around the house. 

Due to a freak-ish burst of energy, I am happy to report that I can cross off five of the nine items on my {mini} leap list.

Three things you should know before we get started:

1) If you're looking for a little push to get started on some to-do's, post the list in a public place, i.e. your blog. Works like a charm.

2) This is not a normal level of productivity for me. The other 51 weeks of the year, you can either find me curled up with a good book or pinning furiously to my 50-some pinboards.

3) These projects were E-A-S-Y. Like only-requires-a-hot-glue-gun easy. As in your-five-year-old-can-be-your-assistant easy.

First up: adding names to my homemade chalkboard labels.

I cut the contact paper first, rounded the corners, and then sprayed them with 2-3 coats of chalkboard paint. I borrowed T's trusty chalk marker (because there is not one to be found in the greater Grand Rapids area.), slapped them on my fabulous new OXO containers and called it a day. Literally. 

I headed up to bed shortly after this photo was taken.

The next morning, while still in my PJ's, I screwed the legs onto an IKEA LACK side table ($7.99 and no tools required, thank you very much) and started lining up four blue Lego plates in a square. I added some blocks to ensure proper plate spacing and then went to town with a bottle of Gorilla glue. Remember: measure twice, glue once. 

Mid-morning, some friends joined us to work on a little winter break project: prayer pails. So often our kids either aren't sure who or what to pray for or they end up praying for the same things every night. To help spark their little minds, I thought this was a cute and functional activity. On the sticks, D & E wrote the names of friends, family and other people and things that are dear to their hearts. 

So far, they love pulling a stick or two out at bed time to focus on during prayer time. (Last night, Ella prayed for Caden and Dylan prayed for Nana Jen. So sweet).

Next up: a new collage wall for Ella. I realized as I worked on the Lego table for Dylan and re-organized Mady's room that my sweet middle child might start suffering from a teensy case of Middle Child Syndrome if I didn't send some attention her way too! We ended up moving her furniture around and as we did that, I realized she had outgrown the animal flashcards-turned-"art" that have been hanging in her room since she was a baby.

I am in love with how this turned out and the especially exciting part is that it was basically free. The printables I found on Pinterest here and here. The frames were sitting unused in my basement. The fabric came from my scrap pile (I feel so crafty being able to say that I have a scrap pile), and the 'E' was homemade by me at a previous craft night. 

The only real {kind-of} work was spray painting the three smaller frames Blue Ocean Breeze.  Voilà!

The new table is a big hit with our boy. Thank you, Pinterest. 

I am a better mother because of you.

One last project to round out the week. I had originally planned to wrap this letter in yarn too, but when I started to spot the fabric wrapped ones on Pinterest I knew I wanted to try it. 

Mady's new 'M' required hot glue-ing batting to the front and trimming off the excess. Then I cut a piece of fabric slightly bigger then my overall letter shape (leaving enough to tuck around to the back). I started gluing my way around the letter, folding around the corners the best I could, kind of like wrapped a present. 

Because of the angles of the 'M', I also needed to cover the sides somehow. I ended up creating a one inch strip of fabric by folding and ironing the edges under. I then did my best to carefully hot glue that strip around the edge. I am happy to report, it was a successful venture (with only one minor hot glue burn to report).

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There you have it! I'm still a bit of reluctant/closet crafter but I think I need to step up and start owning it. This is fun!

{Linking up to}

InstaFriday @ Life Rearranged

Finding the Lovely @ Jeanne Oliver

Monday Link Up @ a {little} dash of ash