Repurposed Crib into Book Storage

If you have been following my blog for a while you may have seen this photo posted back in December. 

Well, I finally finished it!!
The project itself was actually very simple. Not sure why it took me so long to complete. Lack of motivation... too many other projects to finish... But the fact is that it is finally done and I couldn't be happier with the results.

Using the front and back panels of the crib, I started cutting out the slats leaving every third one attached.

I then took two of the slats and cut them into 3 inch pieces. These were used as spacers between the front and back.

After nailing the spacers to the front and then nailing the back piece on, I sanded and painted the whole thing 'ocean breeze'.

I used two pillow cases for the slings (one side of each pillow case per sling) I wanted to be able to remove the slings so that I could wash them so I attached them using snaps. The quote is from one of mine and the girls' favorite books, 'I can read with my eyes shut' by Dr. Suess.

The more that you read 

the more things you will know.

The more that you learn,

the more places you'll go.

I found a font on the computer that I liked, printed it, and traced it onto the fabric. I then colored in the letters with fabric paint.

It actually holds a lot more books than I had expected. I also love that Jocelyn can reach the top sling but Serenity can not. This allows me to put a few of Jocelyn's work books and writing journals up were Serenity can not rip them apart but Jocelyn can get them on her own when she want to do some work.

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Product Review - Expand 'n Grow

This post brought to you by Scotts®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Guess what we did last weekend??

Planted our very FIRST veggie garden!!!

Since Arizona does not have the best soil we decided to build some raised beds. Our two beds consist of a variety of peppers, melons, peas, beans, corn, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, squash, and cucumbers. I think we may have to build a third raised bed because there are a few other things we would like to grow.

This year I planted my garden with the help of Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix. I love Miracle-Gro's huge line of products. 

 

Why did I choose Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro™?

-Up to 3X the Flowers and Vegetables!* *versus native soil
-Significantly improves soil for multiple years
-Concentrated planting mix expands up to 3X when water is added
-Feeds for up to 6 months
-All natural fibers hold up to 50% more water than basic potting soil 

That last reason along is good enough for me. With Arizona weather being so hot and dry, I need this soil to hold as much water as possible. I can't wait to see what Miracle-Gro with Expand ‘n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix will do for my veggie garden. 

 **Expand ‘n Gro is available at lawn and garden retailers in the Midwest, Northeast and Texas. Please visit expandngro.com for in-store availability information. Also available at Amazon.com. For a FREE sample of the new Miracle-Gro Expand 'n Gro? Just head on over to the Miracle-Gro web site to learn more about it and request a free sample.

Who wants to WIN a sample size of Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix?

All you need to do is leave a comment sharing where you would use the sample if you won (ideas…garden, flower bed…flower pot…herb garden).  Winner will be chosen April 6th via Random.org

Are You Pinning Yet?

I am sure that you have all heard of pinterest by now, but are you aware of the business benefits associated with it?

The other day a fellow blogger received a comment from one of her fans, asking if she was on pinterest? The blogger kindly apologized, stating that no, she was not on pinterest. She went on to explain that she was trying to stay focused on her building her blog and viewed pinterest as a time waster.

This came as a huge shock to me. This lady has no clue what she is missing out on. Then I began to wonder how many others are missing out on this as well. I do realize that pinterest is not for everyone, however, if you run any kind of business at all pinterest could be your best friend.

If it were not for pinterest, I would not be were I am today. Pinterest is my main traffic source and if you don't know already, the more traffic you get... the more money you make. The money I recive from this blog is what allows me to stay home with my children and make a living doing what I love. I may not make quite as much as my husband, however, we are able to pay most (and some months ALL) of our bills with my pay check alone. You may think I am exaggerating here so let me throw in some facts.

In November I celebrated my 1 year bloggiversary. From July to October of 2012 my page views had been steadily increasing by about 2000 views a month. October I had reached just over 16,000. Then November came along and I was blown away by the traffic I was receiving. My page views for November had more than doubled, reaching a total of 38, 854. in November alone. In Januray my monthly page views reached half a million. Then February came and went and I reached a whopping 1.9 million. Yes, these are my monthly page views! Want proof?

My all time page views are now over 4 million. So what is the reason for all of this traffic? PINTEREST!!! Just check out my top 'all time' referring sites!

In the begining most of the traffic I was receiving from pinterest was directed towards one post. By studying that post (i.e. who was repining it, what were people saying about it, ect.. )  I was able to create other posts tailored to fit my readers, allowing my traffic to grow even more and direct traffic to a number of posts instead of just one.


Have I convinced you to start pinning yet?
Stay tuned to find out how to create pin worthy posts.

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Product Review (post 2/2) - Scotts Snap Spreader System

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I recently wrote a post telling you all how excited I was that I was going to be receiving a Scotts® Snap® Spreader System for review.

Guess what?

It's hear!!!

Our previous home had a beautiful lawn that was quickly damaged by the Arizona heat and two large dogs. Our new home, however, has no lawn. Instead, we have to deal with this...

Pathetic isn't it?

The good news is that the back yard gets lots of morning sun but the house shades it from the hot afternoon heat so I think our grass will actually have a chance to survive this year. Unfortunately the lawn was put on hold due to our fence being taken down. We will be finishing up our fence this weekend to keep the dogs (and the deer) off the lawn and by the end of April we should have a good start to a beautiful lawn.

Arizona soil is not the best so I know that our grass will need LOTS of help in order to grow (and stay) healthy and beautiful. Did you know a well-fed lawn is healthier, which means it has a better root system to combat HEAT, cold, drought, mowing, foot traffic and other stresses. Also, if you live in a dry state like I do, the lawn fertilizer is water smart. This means that well-fed lawns are more efficient at using available water.

Although the lawn is put on hold for another week or two, that did not stop me from taking this bad boy out and playing with it. Ok, actually hubby got to it first and hogged it for a good 15 minutes before I even got to touch the thing! I think he may have been more excited than I am.

All the hype that Scott built up about how easy this thing is to use... well, its true!! Just place the bag in and switch the green lever to the lock position.

And if you are wondering what the orange tab is below it... that's to let me know that the EdgeGuard is on. The lever for the EdgeGuard is located right below the handle so you don't even have to bend over to turn it on or off.

Spreader systems that I have used in the past were always a huge inconvenience. They were large a chunky and I always ended up spilling the seed. However the Scotts® Snap® Spreader System takes the mess and guesswork out of lawn care. Features include:

-A foldable handle for easy storage
-When you’re done, the Snap Pac self-seals upon removal
-Automatically sets the application rate
-A unique EdgeGuard feature that keeps product where you want it…. on the lawn! 


Not to mention that the lawn fertilizer is kid and pet friendly!!!

Want some PERKS? "like" Snap Perks on Facebook and join the Scotts Snap PERKS Program for the chance to win amazing prizes!

Eye Candy from PGI Precious Platinum

This post brought to you by Platinum Guild International USA. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have a confession to make... I don't wear my wedding ring!

I am horrible, I know.

Truth is that my fingers do funny things when the weather changes. They like to swell and shrink depending on the weather. Living in a colder climate, my ring fit perfectly. Then we made the move to hot and sunny Arizona. My fingers seemed to shrink an entire ring size! Although my husband and I talked about getting it resized, we were not sure if we would be staying in AZ. What happened if we moved back to a colder climate? We decided to put it off. I planned on buying some ring snuggies but never got around to it. Sometime during one of the several moves that we made over the past year and a half, my ring was misplaced. 

I recently learned that for the first time in recent history, the price of gold per ounce has risen higher than that of platinum. That means that platinum is more affordable than ever. So if you are in the market for a new wedding ring, platinum is definitely the way to go.

I found some amazing eye candy at precious platinum.

Fun Facts:

• White gold jewelry needs to be re-dipped about once or twice each year to retain its white color. Platinum, on the other hand, is a naturally white metal, meaning it will never fade or change color, or need to be dipped or re-plated.
• Platinum’s pure color means that it won't cast any color onto the diamonds or colored gemstones it holds, allowing the stones to shine brighter than in any other setting.
• Platinum is the densest precious metal making it the securest setting for a diamond. This ensures the stone will stay tightly held for a lifetime. How horrible would it be to loose the diamond out of your ring?
• Keeping the groom in mind... Platinum loses little metal to scratching or everyday wear; instead the metal is simply displaced on the ring’s surface, causing the ring surface to strengthen through work hardening. I don't know about you, but my husband's ring definitely goes through a lot of wear and tear on a daily basis.

Smart Thinking - Save Money on Food (Entire List of DIY Food Mixes)

I seriously feel like I just hit the jackpot!!!

While I was pinning around on pinterest I discovered this amazing list of mix recipes. 

 

Budget 101 has DIY mixes for everything from cakes to condiments.

She also included a section for diabetic mixes and gluten free mixes. 

Not to mention her section for kids mixes (i.e. Easy Bake, Queasy Bake, ect)

For more FUN FOOD IDEAS click HERE.

Do you have a organizing or cleaning tip of your own that you would like to share with DIY Home Sweet Home readers? Be sure to fill out the 'Get Featured' form (also found in the tabs at the top of the page). I am always looking for more ideas so don't hesitate to send more than one.

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Why Didn't I Think of That Wednesday

I'm starting a new series here on DIY Home Sweet Home. Every Wednesday I will share a few random tips and tricks to help you out with everyday life. Scroll to the bottom of this post to find out how you can share your amazing tips and tricks.

{I realize the text in the photo is hard to read so I rewrote all of the tips below as well}

1. Get Rid of Fruit Flies - Pour some apple cider vinegar into a glass. Add a small amount of liquid dish soap. Using some paper, create a funnel and fold the top of the paper over the glass. Secure with a rubber band. The cider and soap will attract the flies and the funnel will keep them from escaping.

2. Fix a Broken Sandal - Sometimes the holes in sandals can wear out and stretch allowing the rubber stopper to slip through. Attaching a bread tag to the bottom will put a stop to it.

3. DIY Splash Guard - Boiling or simmering you food uncovered can leave a mess on you stove top. To help reduce the amount of splashing cut a long piece of foil in half lengthwise then wrap the two halves around your pan. Pinch the top of the foil together to angle it inwards. Leaving the top open will allow your food to cook correctly bu most of the spits and splashes will be caught by the foil and drip back into the pan/pot

4. Vacuum Under Your Appliances - Using a sturdy, long cardboard tube, flatten one end and slip the other over your vacuum cleaner hose. The flattened end of the tube can easily slide under your fridge and stove allowing you to clean underneath without moving them.
Lose something under your fridge that you don't want to vacuum up? Slip a pair of panty hose over the tube. The panty hose will allow dirt to go through but will catch any larger items keeping them from getting sucked up by the vacuum.

5. Keep It Hot - Want to take food 'to go' without having to worry about reheating it when you get to your destination? Pour hot food into a mason jar, tighten the lid and slip it inside a pocket hot pad. I tried this with some tomato soup and after an hour long drive I actually had to let it cool off because it was still too hot to eat.

I am always on the search for tips and tricks to make life a little easier. If you have any tips you would like to share send an e-mail to diyhsh@gmail.com with the subject "Tips and Tricks". I would love it if you also included a picture or link with your e-mail as well.

If you have any crafty tutorials, organizing or cleaning secrets, or recipes scroll to the top and click on the "Get Featured" tab (or click HERE)

Crafty Creations - Adding REAL moss to your pots

I found this great tutorial at the Weekend Gardener for antiquing your clay pots by growing real moss on them!!! How amazing is that.

Using their homemade recipe, it will take about 8 weeks before the moss starts growing. This would also be fun to do on stone walls and pathways.

For more CRAFTY FUN click HERE.

Do you have a crafty creation of your own that you would like to share with DIY Home Sweet Home readers? Be sure to fill out the 'Get Featured' form (also found in the tabs at the top of the page). I am always looking for more ideas so don't hesitate to send more than one.

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More The Merrier #55

Happy Monday!!

Hope you all are enjoying spring.

(although I am sure some of you are still experiencing cold weather)

We just finished planting our 1st veggie garden. 

I'll be sharing a few photos of our raised beds and a short DIY here soon. 

Be sure to check out last weeks features. 

Can't wait to see what you have all been up to.

(P.S. Those of you that follow through Facebook may have noticed a lack of posts. This is due to some internet issues not letting me visit any https sites. This will be fixed by tomorrow. Please be patient with me.)

If you have been featured

please be sure to grab my button.

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Guidelines:

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2. PLEASE LINK BACK TO DIY HOME SWEET HOME OR GRAB THE MORE THE MERRIER BADGE.

3. Please Follow DIY Home Sweet Home.
4. Please follow me of Facebook (link on the left)

5. Please visit as many links as you want and leave comments.

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This post is sponsored by Social Spark. 

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Happy Friday!! 

I put together an Easter word search for you to print out for yourself or your kiddo's

Are you a teacher? Print out as many as you would like and pass them out to your students.

Click HERE to download

Weekend Crafting - Top 6 Crafts to Make This Weekend

Need some fun and simple crafts to do over the weekend?

Check out these fun creations that were linked up to this weeks More the Merrier Monday.

1. Make a Garden Apron - Garden Therapy shares a wonderful tutorial for this simply adorable apron.

2. Organize your closet - Hop on over to Organizing Homelife to see the before and after photos.

3. Organize your paperwork - This is definitely an area that I could use a little more help in. Thankfully A Pinch of Joy is here to show us how.

4. Make you own couch out of doors!! - At Home With K shares how you can make your very own door couch.

5. Make a pillow case box - The Cozy Condo made this adorable box using a piece of cardboard and a pillowcase.

6. Make some Easter Dresses from a shower curtain - Domestic Deadline made two simply adorable dresses from a $5 shower curtain. 

Hope you found some inspiration for some weekend crafts!!

Don't forget to come back Monday and link up your creative ideas.

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Do you have a crafty or creative tip, trick or tutorial you would like to share with DIY Home Sweet Home readers? Fill out the 'Get Featured' form to submit your ideas.