We have a detached garage which we see the backside of when we spend time in our backyard. Half of it is siding and the other half is an old non-functional metal door. It also has a window. Our backyard is surrounded by our chicken coop and vegetable garden on one side and a small strip of soil patch where I plant bulb flowers on the other. … [Read more...]
Compost tumbler vs compost bin: product review and comparison
I have been composting since I’ve started my vegetable garden in my backyard in 2008. It gives me great satisfaction to be able to compost our kitchen waste, grass clippings, dry leaves, and all other garden waste to use them in our garden again. We initially purchased a standard rectangular stationary compost bin and set it up at a corner of my … [Read more...]
Smart organization and storage ideas for kitchen cabinets
ORGANIZING KITCHEN CABINETS Our house is spacious and has an open layout where it looks like we have a big kitchen. However, compared to how much I use my kitchen and number of the tools and utensils I use, we have very limited counter space and cabinets. Not only do I have to be very selective in what I store in my cabinets, I also have to be … [Read more...]
Smart storage and organization ideas for small bathrooms
Struggling with organization ideas for small bathrooms? Small bathrooms require smart storage and organization solutions to keep it organized and free of clutter. Especially when all family members or residents are using the same small bathroom, you need to make the use of every nook and cranny including the cabinet under the sink, over the … [Read more...]
Chickens make great pets
LET ME TELL YOU WHY I THINK CHICKENS MAKE GREAT PETS We’ve celebrated our 4th anniversary of being backyard chicken owners this past month. It’s amazing how time flew since my son came home with a chirping shoe box and I had to scramble through the city to find baby chick feed, feeder, and waterer. Since then we had a rooster, which had to move to … [Read more...]
DIY: Trash and Recycling Center
DIY TRASH & RECYCLING CENTER We recently completed a DIY trash and recycling center hack. The trash bin with a butcher block we've built by hacking a kitchen cart with wire baskets 6 years ago started to fall apart. I really liked the fact that trash can was hidden and we had the additional space to use as either a cutting board when … [Read more...]
DIY: Dry erase whiteboard wall
I've been planning to turn one of the large walls in our basement into a dry erase whiteboard for a long time. I even purchased a set of dry erase paint, black chalkboard paint and magnetic primer but as always things got in the way. When I started to get ready and finally paint the wall, I read that dry erase paints had an expiration date and they … [Read more...]
10 uses of headlamp indoors
What do you use when you need extra, focused lighting: Flashlight? Lantern light? Smartphone light? Before smartphones, all we knew were flashlights. They are handy but hey always occupy one hand, leaving you only one hand to work with.I always knew people used headlamps outdoors in the dark but until a friend of ours got one for my son for his … [Read more...]
10 must-have products for parents on the go
I feel like I'm always chasing someone or someone is chasing me. And this is with only 2 kids. Sometimes, I feel like my mind is left behind while I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Somehow, most of the time, I manage to pull off looking as if I have my act together with the help of few life-saving products.For me, … [Read more...]
How to turn flat sheets into fitted sheets
Fitted bed sheets are one of my favorite modern inventions. It annoys me to my core when flat sheets slip, get crumpled at the corner of the bed and I find myself on the bare mattress in the morning. When I buy a single bed sheet I always opt for fitted ones. However, I also buy duvet covers as a set and most of the bedsheets included in the sets … [Read more...]
Upcycle: Sweatpants to leggings
My daughter has been wearing only leggings for quite a long time. She doesn't wear jeans, any type of fabric pants or sweatpants. She prefers tight and soft fabrics. That's fine during fall and spring but leggings are not cold-weather clothes. Definitely not for Chicago cold. Even though I consider myself a laid-back mama when it comes to kids' … [Read more...]
DIY: Hairdressers cape with window
I cut everyone's hair in our household. I have a small kit including Conair 21-piece haircut kit and a hairdresser's cape.I'm fairly quick but kids love to read books when I'm cutting their hair. Then hair clippings fall on to the book. It's annoying and hard to get rid of all the hair from the pages. I decided to put a clear vinyl window on the … [Read more...]
DIY: Laptop Stand for Fitness Equipment
I had purchased this Gazelle Edge Elliptical Trainer a while ago to keep me moving indoors during winter. I like it better compared to regular treadmills. It's easy on the knees. I sometimes listened to music or podcasts while I use it but I wanted to read a book or work on my laptop while I ran on Gazelle.It has an odd shape so you cannot … [Read more...]
DIY: Bedside organizer caddy with printable pattern
We still have bunk beds in our children's room. They don't have bedside tables to put their things on. They like to read and write. My daughter needs a place to put her eyeglasses away and likes to mark her calendar. My son needs a place to put his bedtime medicine. I have been planning to make this bedside organizer caddy for a long time. In this … [Read more...]
DIY: Minecraft knee patch for kids – w/ printable pattern
My son had already ripped two of his pants' knees before I was able to prevent them from being ripped. Those were good sweatpants. I didn't want to trash them. So I decided to patch them. You can find really neat knee patch ideas on Pinterest. My favorite is monster knee patches. My son wanted Minecraft instead of monsters.So I did it using … [Read more...]
DIY: Reupholstering the old office chair
We have an old office chair that is pretty sturdy but very uncomfortable. The seat cover has worn off and the cushion was flattened. I was having pain in my tailbone after sitting on this chair for a short while. Instead of throwing it out and buying a brand new one, I decided to reupholster the old office chair.This is what it looked like after … [Read more...]
How to prevent knee holes in pants
My son's pants never survive more than a month. It doesn't matter whether he is wearing jeans, sweat pants or cargo pants, knees get ripped within few weeks. Considering my son's growth rate, reinforced knee jeans are not that economical. Patching knees isn't easy either. I decided to do something to stop pants' knees from getting ripped.I got … [Read more...]
DIY: Chicken Waterer from Beverage Cooler
We use these galvanized poultry waterers in our coop. I decided to make a waterer with nipples, in order to avoid any illnesses that other birds might bring over by using our chicken's waterer. I first found a project with an extended water pipe and nipples attached. First we only have 2 hens and the effort would not be worth it. Second, we don’t … [Read more...]
How to grow potatoes in a reusable bag
This year, I wanted to try out growing potatoes in my garden. I had a reusable potato growing bag that I got for a buck last year. I would have purchased more, if I had known how many seeds I could fit in a bag. I found seed potatoes at a grocery store. Planting them was fairly easy.Directions to grow potatoes in a bag:1. Open up the … [Read more...]
Adventures of runaway chickens
The last two chicks we've adopted turned out to have very different personalities than the ones we had before. We had a White Leghorn Rooster (Fluffy), an Orpington (Yellow) hen and an Austrolorp (Chick Vader) hen before. From what I've read, these are heavier, more domestic, humand-friendly breeds. We usually let them roam in the backyard instead … [Read more...]