Messy Masterpiece

So in our living room, we have an empty, red wall, which we stare at often because our television sits in front of it. There hasn't been anything on that wall in some time because we have been looking for a particular piece of artwork, specifically one on a long, short canvas that would sort of lay above the tv.  Nothing we saw ever fit our budget or really fit what we were looking for ~ design-wise ~ so I thought why not just make something. I'm not intimidated by that.

I was inspired by a post “messy masterpiece” where daughter and mom created an artpiece “if it’s not messy it’s not fun” for her daughter’s room.

the original 'masterpiece' …which i love by the way

I liked the quote and I really loved the way it came out…and when it comes to brushes and paints and canvases, I'm easily inspired {let's just say I find the idea of teaching my boys arithmetic far more daunting than art}.  So this seemed to be an easy DIY that would allow us to showcase some of the boys’ creative talents WHILE filling up that blank red space at the same time. Two birds. One stone.

So I went out and bought a canvas and used some items I already had at home.

Canvas
Alphabet Stickers* {I used Artskills Poster Letters & Lettering}
Acrylic Paint and/or Finger paint

* I took the tip from her post and used white alphabet stickers. I had those in the lettering packet and I thought that might work best so that the kids wouldn’t try and pick at them. It was a success. Honestly, I think they were just really into getting paint all over their hands and then all over the empty, white canvas.

We used four different paint colors, mostly with an analogous color harmony, {or side-by-side on the color wheel, like red, orange and yellow}, with those that would work in our living room. I added purple to give it some depth.  We did one color at a time, and I used paper plates to separate each color. Since we did it outside on our deck, the paint dried up by the time we went to get our next color. {There are some "brown" areas where the paint didn't dry and the colors mixed together, but that's okay. It's supposed to be a little messy!}

Then we peeled off the stickers after everything was dry, and voila! Our masterpiece.

I had white paint that I was going to use to clean up the paint that found their way underneath the stickers, but then after taking them off, it really did seem appropriate. So I just touched it up a tad bit, but left a little of the color there.  I was planning to paint the words "life is" before it but then I just liked the way it came out so I left it alone.

{NOTE: If you don’t have the stickers, you could always just paint your word, or phrase, on there with stencils or free hand}

It was fun. I wish I had taken more pictures of us actually making it, but I didn’t think that far ahead. Anyway, here is the finished piece on our red wall:

Honestly, I love it. Especially since over the last few years I have come to learn and live with “messy” being a very big part of our vocabulary. It just seems appropriate, don't you think?

Tuesday Tip: Smoothie Ice Pops

So as most of you know {from the common theme in most of my posts}, time eludes me. I, like most moms of tots, have often been found cramming a days worth of work within the two hours of their nap time or in the few moments of the morning before they wake. Sometimes, I can catch up with my responsibilities in the evening hours after they have finally gone to bed, but that is usually on a rare occasion.  In any case, lunch ends up becoming one of the tasks that needs to get done instead of one of the luxuries I ought to enjoy.

Not all the time, just once in a while {I do enjoy my time with food}.

Since one of the items that Cj enjoys is a good popsicle {and they happen to not be one of the cheaper groceries that get on my list} I decided to invest in a good dollar store find: a popsicle mold.

not this one exactly..

In an effort to make those select lunches become more healthy AND yet also efficient, I decided to take the smoothies that we enjoy so dearly, create a large batch and freeze the leftovers in the molds.  I figured I could use half for the popsicle flavors that Cj would enjoy and use the other half for the healthier, less fun {well, in his mind} stuff for me.

Now on a day where I would have been reaching for the lean pocket or {perhaps the leftover chicken nuggets that Cj didn't finish}, I can now grab an ice pop and enjoy. Especially now as the summer hits us, it's refreshing, I feel full, I have enough energy to last for a few hours and best of all, I've been able to resist the need for my afternoon cup of joe.

At this rate I may end up not needing my morning dose either.

I might need to think of a new blog name soon...

Tuesday Tip: Promises...promises

So when you make a promise, you got to carry through. I've learned that when I tell Cj something, I need to be prepared to follow through, whether it be a threat or a promise. That means when I tell him he needs to do something or else "x" then I need to make sure "x" doesn't involve something that I can't do.  For example, if we are out and I tell him he needs to stop the screaming or else we are going to go home, I need to prepared for that possibility. Even if that means leaving everything in the cart or saying goodbye to my friends or whatever, it means I do it so I can take him home. I need to make sure I choose a threat or promise that is follow through-able {not a word, I know} or else I should stay quiet.

It really does help when he recognizes that I am not kidding around. I also think that because Jus and I have learned to follow through on what we say with each other, it's actually easier to have that same behavior spill over with the boys. Also, providing options allows Cj to not only be given a sense of ownership but actually gives him that. But, I still give him his options; I am still his mom. This provides him the opportunity to choose, within a framework and teaches him to make decisions. In some ways, he chooses his fate.

Sometimes he tests me, and that's fine. He's making sure that I am not just saying things, even though he knows that I am not. He doesn't do it often, and it's not always so obstinate. Its more like "I'm just checking," well at least so far that is all it has been.  I have noticed that he usually tests me after he has been with grandparents or friends, etc who probably let him get away with a few things here or there, which is fine because that is going to happen. I can't expect them to be on top of that with him, nor is their business to really {if they choose to do so on their own, god bless them}. He IS two. Right now, as long as he knows that we mean business when it comes to his mommy and daddy, we can help steer him in respecting all authority.

I actually like that he tests us {I'm so going to eat these words of mine. Just watch.} because it shows that he is already using the little brain of his to figure things out. I think when I was growing up, I was more of a "okay mommy, whatever you say," and in some ways that isn't always healthy {well, obviously I wasn't like that for everything, I fought with them too...} and sure, it may be easier for the parents, but a thinking child grows up to be a thinking adult {usually}. I'm not saying they shouldn't be obedient; I just don't think an obedient child and a critically thinking one have to be mutually exclusive.  Blind obedience doesn't help them understand {sometimes they might need to settle with that once in a while} but I'm hoping to do more than the "just because I said so" speech at every turn. I'd like to help them understand why.

Well as much as I know why, and as much as I can.

Tip-Me Tuesday: Laundry

So I thought I'd write a post about laundry since that's what I feel like I have been doing. Everyday.

Laundry is a never-ending, annoying disturbance that just refuses to go away. It's like a sink full of dirty dishes. The minute you turn away from an empty sink, there are dirty dishes back in it again. Except with dirty clothes, it's worse, because as the weekends come and go and the higher the piles get, the less clothes you have. At least with dishes, you could use paper plates or opt to go out. You can't really do that with clothes. Unless you have the cash to keep buying new outfits every time your laundry is overwhelmingly full.

So I've learned a few things, and a few things my fellow bloggers have taught me along the way. So I'd like to share them with you.

Endless Laundry Tips:

1. Not just weekends
I've learned to do my laundry during the week. Yes, that means from monday on. Even though I was so used to doing laundry on the weekends, this was a habit I was actually quite willing to break. It just made sense. I know there are tons of different people out there, and some like to wait till it has all piled up, but I'm really the kind of person that likes to clean-as-you-go instead (much like those dishes). So this was a notion that made sense to me, and I'm liking it. I started the practice of doing my laundry during the week  while I was working, and obviously it's much simpler now that I'm home, but I was still able to do it.  I'd rather use my weekends to enjoy my family than stress over sorting and folding and all that extra jazz.

2. Get to it right away
Here's what usually happens : a pile of dirty clothes transforms into a pile of clean clothes. Yes a pile of unfolded, yet clean clothes. Why?  Because I'd drag the basket up, turn it over on the bed so I could go go back downstairs and have the basket ready for my next set of clothes. Repeat said process, and then by the end of the day the entire pile would have to move from the bed to the floor to make room for us to sleep.  Then after a day or two would go by, I'd begrudgingly make the effort to put those wrinkly clothes in it's proper place.

Now I figured I would try out this new idea to do everything right away (nope, I'm not 100% there yet, but almost...). As soon as those clean clothes are in my room, I fold them. And as soon as they are folded, I put them away. It has really been such a time saver! I didn't realize what those purposeful actions would result in, and yes my natural self does try and rear it's ugly head by convincing me to leave it until another time with that obvious statement "well they are really not going anywhere" but I am standing firm and reminding my self each time that doing it right away really does make me a happier camper.  It's done and then there's more space on my floor and there is definitley a lot less stress to deal with.

3. Schedule
This might be the new thing I try to do that I have been seeing posts from all those great launderers out there who are blogging: set up a laundry schedule. I'm thinking it would sort of look like this: Monday : whites.   Tuesday : Kids  Wednesday : Bedding {or break}, etc.

You know me and my lists and schedules and lists.

This just might add that extra level of organization to the oh-so-wonderful, endless task of laundry =)