Hello! Happy Monday!

     The kids and I spent some time "in town" last week getting a few things for school, and I couldn't believe how fast this summer went! Well, first it felt slow, but then it flew by! Does that make any sense? Anyway, I'm gonna miss the kids when they head back to school. I know the "usual" joke heading back into school is the (tongue-in-cheek, soaked in sarcasm) "sooooo sad, the kids are heading back to school!", but I actually enjoyed the kids this summer! Hahaha, well, that sounded bad! Seriously though, the kids do the usual fighting, complaining, whining and asking "what are we going to do today" instead of just doing and being kids, but overall, I've really enjoyed watching my kids grow and change this summer. We had some pretty serious road bumps like the surfacing of some pretty little liars, and Caleb developing a stutter, but it was good. It was really good. And, besides that, it's the only summer I'll ever have with them being 12 (turned 13), 7 & 8. So, that's worth cherishing!
   
      Anywhooooooooo...... 

     I wanted to share today some school lunch ideas! A few years ago it dawned on me that sending "the typical" lunch with my kids was weird....because I never (ever!) give my kids a "normal" lunch all summer or on the weekends, so why would I send a "traditional" lunch to school?!? During the summer (besides when they're at camp) and every weekend, lunch is something like a 1 hour grazing period that includes fruits, veggies, leftovers, and, well, whatever! If I make the kids sit for a lunch during the summer and weekends, it's usually a "Dutch Lunch" as we call it, which consists of fruits, veggies, usually meats and cheese, crackers, pickles, raisins, ya know, basically a large snack. 

     I know a lot of Moms feed their kids like this is real life, so adding stress to the school year by thinking we're suddenly required to make a proper (sandwich, etc.) lunch is silly! ***SIDE NOTE**** If you do make sandwiches for your kids because they like them and actually eat them - then make sandwiches! This is not an "anti-sandwich" post, it's a "do what you've been doing!" post!  :)   Does that make sense??? No Mommy guilt here is what I'm trying to say! It takes all kinds of Moms to make the world go 'round, so do what you do, and do it the best you can!  

    If you journey with me to Fall 2014, you'll find a post a wrote about Back To School, where I share some of my tips & tricks for making the school year *relatively* stress-free (if your school year seems completely stress free...you're missing something....you may need your meds adjusted). I joke. Ok, I only joke a little. Anywho, read that post, then come back here. 

    I'll wait. 

    Ok, so, today I just want to share some easy, healthy, snack-meals for kids lunches!

   Enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to take a minute to comment and share some good kids lunch ideas with me! 

    This is the lunch menu I use for my kids. It's from a site called "Hello, Cuteness", which is currently on hiatus for some reason. Anyway, it's really cute, and I've been using it for about  4 years. 
 

​    I mention this in the Back To School post from 2014, but for me, making a lunch menu saves me grief. I don't want to stand and stare into the fridge wondering what to pack my kids for lunches. And because we do our grocery shopping only once a week, and at a grocery store 40 minutes away, I can't just helter skelter pack my kids lunches because I can't just run to the store to replace what I've used if I realize I needed it for a planned dinner. Yes, we have a little grocer here where I live, but things are more expensive, and therefore not cost effective for this one-income house. 
    
    If you don't want a lunch menu, then don't do one! Again, no Mommy-guilt here! I've said it before, and I'll say it again (and again!) it's about finding what works for you, and making it work! 

     In the lunch menu shown below, the girls are separate from Caleb because there are a few differences in their preferences, and so it was easier for me to have 2 menus. Also, "special fruit" in the girls' menu refers to a different fruit they get to choose during our Sunday shopping trip that I'll pack into their lunches. It's just a chance for them to have a fruit we wouldn't ordinarily buy, but that they really enjoy!

      Caleb's menu says "fruits" on opposite days of "Apple" because I didn't want to have to put exactly what that "fruit" would be, but I wanted to try to not send the same fruit every day because of a faulty memory! :)  So, "fruit" usually means a banana, orange, clementine, pineapple, peach, berries, basically whatever might be seasonal or on sale that Caleb enjoys! 

      I've found that my kids eat the most when they have a variety, and not too much of anything. If your child does like sandwiches, maybe just make them a half sandwich so that they aren't overwhelmed by an entire sandwich that they may not want or have time to eat. 

​    Here's a site you might not look at for kids lunches, but Beach Body on Demand has a post called "6 Simple No-Cook Snacks To make This Week" (it's a long title....and it's not no cook because hard-boiled eggs don't come out of a chicken that way!), but anyway, I still like the snack (lunches, really) ideas. 

 Rachel over at Following in my Shoes shares a post called "Paleo & Primal Lunch Box Ideas", and I love the cute food list she's created for it! Even if you're not feeding your kids Paleo or Primal, it's a super healthy food list, which any kid could benefit from.

      You'll want to check the post out because she shares the downloadable file for the list! Print it out,  and stick it inside a cupboard door for easy reference! 
 

   Check out my Pinterest board for "School Lunch Ideas" to see all I've been pinning, or check out my board "For Adam To Take To Work" for your older children or kids with a more adult palette! 

    I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know in the comments below if you did, or share with me your favourite lunch as a kid, and be sure to share any of your lunch packing tips! 

  This post contains affiliate links. Although I was sponsored for the publication of this post, all opinions and thoughts are my own! See the Advertising Affiliate Disclaimer for more details!  

     ​Hey there!  Thanks for checking in!
 
     I am so excited to share with you today the transformation of our guest room into our son’s new room!
 
    I’ll share some of the obstacles that we needed to sort out to get the room together, and I’m also so happy to be sharing a product that I LOOOOOVE! It’s something I was introduced to years ago by a friend, and I’ve sort of been hooked ever since! It’s a very, very affordable, clean looking, complementary to every and any décor solution for window fashion! It’s a fabulous product called Redi Shade! Seriously, I’m using Redi Shade in 6 rooms in our house (we only have 8 rooms total in our house), and am planning to add them to the 2 final rooms in our house soon!! I’ll be sharing some photos below!
 
    Now, there were two MAJOR problems we faced as we went to work on Caleb’s new room. One, the room we were working in is a meager 7 ½ feet by 12 ½ feet! Oi vey! The other problem (which was compounded by the first problem) was how enormous our son was growing everyday! In the time it took us to actually complete this project (about 3 weeks-actually, it’s “technically” not even finished. Just being real!), Caleb grew an additional 4 inches! I mean, what the frick?!?
 
    Another more minor problem was that we didn’t just want to plunk a bed into Caleb’s new room, and then if he had guests, or if we had foster kids (which we’ve finally been fully approved for! Yipee!), his room would be useless! He’s way too big for a single bed (trust me, he was in a single bed, and his ever growing {now} 5’7 frame was edging closer and closer to the ends of his bed {which in Canada, measures to about 6 feet}!). So…what should we do?
 
    Well, something gosh-darned crazy happened........my husband starting digging around on Pinterest (yes, MY husband on Pinterest! He's not ordinarily a Pinterest lover), and he came upon “loft beds”, and immediately knew that was what we needed to do.

​    Not only would it give us the room to make Caleb a bigger bed, it wouldn’t take up extra floor space to do so! And, we’ve had a futon in our room since we moved into this house 5 ½ years ago, and I was desperate to get it out! It was just taking up space in our room, but getting rid of it wasn’t an option because every time we had visitors sleeping over, we needed that futon! But, bringing Caleb’s bed up off the floor gave us that extra floor space to bring the futon downstairs to Caleb’s room, tucked up in it’s couch form, creating a fun space for Caleb and anyone else to hang out in!

​   ​  Once we had the bed well under way, I started thinking about what things would make this tiny room feel like it had more space. So, we decided to build a bench under the window, and a small “table” in the corner (this was also a necessity as we’d recently had a new furnace put in, and we had new pipes fitted throughout the house…...one of which ran right up the corner of Caleb’s room! So, we needed to frame that in, and make that slightly irritating corner more useful)! So, full disclosure, this a real blog, and I am a real human with a real (working, busy) husband, and stuff doesn’t always get finished….and, well, I’m posting this “room reno” blog, and the bench and small table aren’t finished! But, I’m not comfortable enough with my skills to want to mount hinges and doors and finish those 2 items myself, and I was tired of waiting for them to get finished so I could publish this post, so I thought I’d send this out into the WWW as a for-real-life reno!!! Not quite done! Be honest, you’ve got a few nearly-done things happening in your house right now. Right? Maybe? Anyway, moving on!
 
    The bench was a real space saver as it houses all of Caleb’s cars and toys. And the small table will eventually hold his books…but for now they’re just in the bench with his toys (you can see the making of the bench in the photo of the bed getting installed. It's in the bottom right hand photo)!
 
    Another thing I decided his new room needed was a cork (bulletin) board. His old room had slowly turned into a room completely plastered with colourings he’d done! Not only that, but every time he put up a new picture, he’d use 400,000 pieces of tape to do it! So, I thought a cork board would help keep his drawings tidy, and would also help him not use up so much freakin’ tape, and I hoped would encourage him to hone in on which pictures he really, truly wanted to see all the time stuck up in his room.
 
    I started by using the plywood from his old single bed. The bed itself was garbage, but that piece of plywood still had some life left to give. Because I was using cork tiles from Dollarama that came in 12"x 12" pieces, I cut the plywood down to fit the tiles. Basically, it was easier for me to cut the plywood then to have to trim the cork tiles!  I pre-drilled some holes where I needed the screws to go, then mounted it directly on the wall, using E-Z Anchor screws. I then used the cork tiles from Dollarama, and spray adhesive, and for some pieces, Weld Bond, and worked on sticking all the tiles to the plywood board. Some corners were creeping up, so I used teeny-tiny nails to set them back down. Once the tiles were dried and secured, I created a “frame” for the cork board by using random, mis-matched pieces of trim I dug out from our barn. Much to my husbands’ chagrin, I didn’t do perfect angles and make a “real” frame. Instead, I simply cut 2 pieces long enough for each side, then cut 2 more pieces to fit across the top and bottom – minus the inch or so trim I’d cut for the side pieces. If that makes sense? The board was 3' x 5', so I cut 2 -3' pieces for the sides, and then 2 - (approx.) 4' pieces for the top ad bottom. The end result is terrific, and Caleb was really pleased with it and had a good time picking out which pictures would make it to the board! 

  Can I just get back to the Redi Shade now? For me, finding blinds or curtains is painful! They can be expensive, you usually need to know the exact size (for blinds), and then it all requires screws and anchors, and way more hassle than I’m ever interested in!
 
    Another issue for me and finding blinds or curtains for our current house is that fact that it’s technically a 1 ½ storey, and a lot of the ceilings upstairs are sloped, or the windows are (beautiful) and “framed in” by the ceiling, making finding any room for a curtain rod nearly impossible. When we first moved in we daftly stuck nails and screws into our beautiful, original (100 year old) wood window trimming in an attempt at hanging up blinds and curtains. Makes me wanna cry.
 
    Well, we had friends who had these blinds, Redi Shades, and my reaction was kinda “huh?... They’re just sticky blinds?... There’s no strings?... And they cost what? That’s not very much!?”. So, I went out and easily found them at my local Home Depot, and at Lowes, and as soon as I could, I bought a shade for our bathroom (one that lets light in), and a shade for Caleb’s room (a room darkening one so he wouldn’t wake up with the sun!), and I was hooked! Those 2 blinds we put in over 5 years ago are still holding strong! The only “mishap” we’ve had was that the cat got all fired about catching a bug that flew behind Caleb’s blinds, and she made a few rips in it while attempting to catch said bug! I literally just used a small piece of tape and fixed them!

​​    As far as simplicity in installation, cost effectiveness, clean looking, and letting every bit of day-light in when open goes, these blinds are the winner, head and shoulders above all the rest! I’m not just saying that! My husband who works a rotating shifts (meaning he works days and nights), loves the room darkening blinds in our room. They block out all the bright day light so he can sleep during the day in preparation for his night shifts.
 
    I recently tried a different type of shade from Redi Shade called the Easy Lift shade, and it’s amazing!!! The original shades you need to put up (like an accordion) and clasp together at the top with the clips they provide, but these Easy Lift blinds have a small string inside that allow you to gently pull down to close, or easily glide up to open without the use of clips. The Easy Lift blinds are still very safe though (and by “safe” I’m referring to the dangers often associated with the cords and strings that hang down from regular blinds), but just offer a little more ease in use than the regular, Original Redi Shade.
 
    So, in case you hadn’t gotten the gist, I am a wee bit obsessed with these blinds! Just look at the pictures though - nice, tidy blinds, so much light when I want it (because there's no curtains blocking any of it), no curtains for anyone to grab at and pull down (the number of times I've had to try to re-mount curtain rods because of the kids pulling them down! Sheesh!), easy to install (no tools needed except a knife!), and affordable. I mean, c'mon, what more do you want from a window covering!?! 

    ​I don’t even want to mention the floor, but I will, briefly. We were just going to leave the laminate tongue in groove fake wood flooring, but then when my husband was working at something in the room I heard a “craaaack”, and went into see what had happened…he’d pulled up the floor and was ripping up the subfloor, which was particle board, and it was making a horrible cracking sounds as it came up! Anyway, I was shocked, but happy to see the nice, original pine board floors underneath, and decided it looked much nicer having the boards run the short way (you can see the laminate flooring ran the long way through the room, but the pine runs the short way, giving the room a wider, less long and narrow feel in my opinion). I spent a few days sanding the floor as it had been thoroughly mudded to be even in preparation for the subfloor and laminate floor. So, I sanded it down, and put 3 coats of a high-gloss, alykd enamel paint onto the floor. It was a standard grey colour, I literally bought the cheapest, construction grade paint. I didn’t really care exactly what colour it came out to be because I knew we’d have a carpet laid down, and also, I’m cheap. There, I said it.

   So, the finishing touches included putting up some small Ikea shelves for some of Caleb’s cars, putting up some of his pictures and paintings, installing a small shelf up in his bed for his books and alarm clock, and touching up some of the paint that got scuffed during the installation of the bed.
 
    We also needed to make his closet functional because of the fact we decided his tiny room couldn’t handle a dresser! (see middle right hand photo above) So, we hung a simple storage organizer from Ikea, and installed some shelves, and I stuck in a strange piece of furniture I’d purchased years ago. The shelves hold his extra toys in a bin (we rotate them), as well as some “off-season” clothing. The hanging organizer holds his pants and shirts. The picture of this looks pretty empty (laundry day!), but that thing holds all of his 9 pants, and 14 t-shirts. His jammies, socks and underwear are in that bizarre piece, and his sweaters and button-up shirts are hanging up. We can even fit his fan in there (white noise for sleeping!) Because his room is right next to the laundry room, I didn’t give him a laundry basket, he simply walks his dirty laundry directly to the laundry basket in the laundry room each night! 

    Overall, I am so pleased with how the room turned out! Yes, we’re not actually finished, but we’re finished enough, and Caleb moved in, and he loves it! I stand by my "real life" post and sharing this with you before it's actually finished, and not being sorry about it either! :)  
 
    If you have any questions about anything, don’t be afraid to e-mail and ask me! I will happily respond with any help I can offer!
 
     Don't forget to check out Redi Shade! I'm sure you'll love them as much as I do! 

     Thanks for stopping by!!! 


xoxo

​

    There are a few simple and easy things you need to make a campfire with s'more an event that doesn't end in everyone having melted marshmallows in their hair, and chocolate smeared on everything! ​

    All you need is a bucket, and a basket!......basically. : )

     So, first, you'll need to find a basket, any basket will do (we use an old basket that was once from a deep freezer!), and load it up with all your s'more items! 
 
     This may seem like a "duh", but having all the ingredients in one basket together helps to keep it from getting squished under someones foot, eaten by an unattended (and sneaky) dog, and it's just easier to have it all together instead of having your mallow all toasted and ready, then realizing the graham crackers are no where to be seen, and the chocolate was set too close to the fire and melted! 

    So, once you've got all your things ready, you'll wanna grab a bucket, throw some wash clothes into it, a generous squirt of hand washing soap, and hot water.

    Now, just bring your bucket and basket out to your camp fire, and make your s'mores! Do keep the wash bucket away from the s'more ingredient basket though - you don't want soapy hands dripping into your food! 
   

     That's it!
  
      It's not rocket science, but it sure makes campfires and s'more making a lot more fun! Well, maybe it's just my kind of fun...things tidy and clean.... : )  

     Things are gearing up, and we're leaving for camp this week. I won't lie, I am feeling completely overwhelmed. Not necessarily by the job itself anymore, but by the getting ready to go, and the great unknown that lies ahead. I am NOT a big fan of the great unknown!!! 

     So, I hope to put out a few posts this summer, but right now (with all this "unknown" business!), I'm not sure what I'll be able to do.

    Don't forget me, I'll be back. 


​xoxoxo  

   Good Monday morning to ya!  

   Yes, musical theatre is one of my favourite things (and where my title reference comes from), but today, on my Health & Fitness page, I share about some of the things that I have found helpful in my journey of being healthy & getting back into shape! 

​   To read that post, click here! Seriously, just check it out. Do it. : )    
    

   So, so another favourite thing of mine (besides the health related things) is being a complete idiot with my beautiful, wonderful sister. 

   My sister and I (who are brilliant, and not the least bit geeky) have a knack, if you will, for creating amazing ideas! For instance, we created "Realface", where when you're texting someone, if you can't find the right emoji to express yourself, you simply take a "Realface" (your actual face doing what you'd want an emoji to do) and send it. "Isn't that just a selfie?" you're asking yourself. Gosh, no! Selfies are meant to be taken at just the right angle to make you look your very best, but "Realface" is meant to make you look like a big dummie!  Try it sometime, you'll be the coolest person ever.

   
   More recently we've started sending "Footsies". Now this, this is the most brilliant thing ever! It's like a selfie....but of your foot in different places. I know, I know....it's just brilliant. 

   We haven't trademarked these ideas yet, so don't steal them! You can use them, of course, but don't claim they are yours because my sister and I know better! Also....please know how much I am joking about all of this!!! Do we do "Realface" and "Footsie"? Yes, of course!!! Hahaha! But, I am being a goon about the seriousness of our brilliance and coolness!  ​

   First day of school, first day of school!!!!!  I am excited for the kids because they are so excited, but truthfully, I will miss having them around. I really saw them grow up this summer, and so it feels sad watching them drive away on their bus and knowing that the things they are going to learn now will be mostly without me. My kids are gone for 7 hours total, and are only home (and awake) for 4 1/2 hours. That's a small window to feel like I can be a strong influence in their lives. Anyway, I'm just lamenting and sharing my heart a little.

   Anyway, what I'm sharing today is nothing new, but I still wanted to put it out there. The "salad in a jar" phenomenon is pretty awesome (I think). 

   Basically, it's a way to pre-make great, healthy salads that you can just grab and take with you to your job or school. I've made these for camping trips, for day trips we've taken, and smaller versions for Caleb when we're going somewhere and I need to pack him some gluten-free & Caleb approved meals. I'll often only eat a big salad for dinner, so I've made these when I'm prepping veggies for a meal, and can think to the next day or so and know that I would rather have my salad ready ahead of time in order to save time the day-of. 

   So, there is no "recipe" per-se for this! But the secret to this actually working is all in the layering. So, here are the basic rules when assembling a salad in a jar.

1. Put the dressing in first, right down in the bottom
2. Next put in any veggies that won't soak up all your dressing: think carrots, peppers, peas, celery, & onions. It's ok if some of the dressing gets soaked up because it'll make those particular items taste extra-yummy, but you don't want to go dump your salad into a bowl and discover you really have no dressing to speak of :( 
3. Now add meat, hardboiled eggs, or cheese if you want to! 
4. Next put your more sensitive toppings, nuts or seeds, beans or grains, and soaker-upper things like cucumber, shredded cabbage or fruits.
5. Now get your leafy greens in there!
6. To eat, just dump the jar out into a bowl! The leafy stuff will be at the bottom, the toppings, well, on top, and the dressing covering it all! Voila!  

  
So, a few points to remember:

• Dressing in the bottom, leafy greens at the top.
  
• Pack the veggies in to keep them from getting bumped around and smooshed, and also to keep as much air as possible outta there to keep the veggies fresh.
• A half leafy lettuce/half toppings is a good rule of thumb.
• Um....nothing else really....

   Sometimes I make my salad in a jar, but have the meat or hardboiled eggs in a separate container because I want as many veggies as possible in the jar. Then when I'm going to eat the salad, I dump it out of the jar, then put the meat or eggs on top (as you see in the photo above)

   Really, it's up to you! My salads are often just anything I have in the fridge, and other times I make specific recipes, like the ones at Lexi's Clean Kitchen. Some of her ideas include pesto chicken anti-pasto jar, and a cajun shrimp jar. Yumm-o! Go check those and her other ideas out!

   Well, I hope everyone had a great long weekend. We did here! Saturday we had a friend over for dinner and a bon-fire, Sunday we went to a pig roast at the home of an amazing family here in Tweed, and yesterday we went to a carnival Adam's work (Goodyear in Napanee) put on. Honestly, I'm not just saying this because my husband works there, but they put on a great family event. There was a ton of stuff to do! There were rides, a climbing wall, face painting, sparkly tattoos, balloon animals, bouncy castles, tie-dye a t-shirt, pony rides, and wonderful food! Lots of it! And they had porta-potties in different locations so that you were never too far from a toilet. They also had big troughs filled with ice and water bottles and juice boxes. It was a crazy hot day, but we all stayed well hydrated! Seriously, it is really well done, and a lot of fun. It was literally the perfect end to the summer! 

   Well, I know it's still summer and the fall hasn't officially begun, but the start of the school year really begins a new season. The new season for Bushel & A Peck will hopefully include a health & fitness element (as I said it would....way back in June!). I want to include weekly meal ideas, workouts, and my views on different health and fitness trends. 

   So cheers to seasons past and to seasons to come!

   Last summer we replaced the windows in our house. There were 16 windows total (so, 32 small windows-ya know? They were double hung?). Anywho, When the guys working on the windows went to load up our old windows, I came out in a panic, "No, no! Oh please, leave me these windows!". The guys thought I was hilarious/crazy. Both are pretty accurate.
   I gave a few windows away to friends, and worked on a few to sell. I (....my husband...) remembered that these windows were the originals to our circa 1880 farm house and they would be more special if kept here and used around our own house. 
    Anyway, I've since bought a bunch of windows from a few different & favourite antique dealers around me, and even found a beautiful one at the Tweed dump. I know, yuk, but I've found a lot of seriously wonderful things at the dump that other people thought were trash! And, as a bonus, an older man saw me dumpster diving for the window and gave me his phone number and address because he had a whole bunch of old windows he would sell me. Do you think I would have gotten that awesome window connection without rooting through trash at the dump? Nope. :)
   Anyway, wherever you find an old window, snatch it up! I have a few hanging in my house as plain old windows, and some made into new and useful things. 
   Today I run you through a cork/chalk board window. Enjoy!

You'll need:

• Old window
• Measuring tape
• Cardboard
  
• Exacto knife (or good scissors or a knife)
• Super glue
• Cork board
• Contact cement (it's a glue)
• Twine
• Hot glue gun (and the glue too)
• Paint for the frame if you wish

• Paint brush
• Chalk board paint
• Small paint roller and tray

• Hardware to hang the window (hooks, screws and anchors {if needed|)-and a screw driver or drill 
  

Method:

1. Start by cleaning the window properly
2. Prime the window if necessary (if you're painting it)
3. Use a measuring tape to measure your cardboard to fit the windows panes you want cork in. Cut out using the exacto knife or scissors
4. Use the super glue to attach the cardboard into the panes. You will likely need to weigh it down to keep the cardboard flat while it dries fully. I used cartons of almond milk
5. Alrighty, now you can go ahead and paint the window pane if you want to
6. Once you've painted the window and it's fully dry, you may move on :)  
7. Now measure the cork board to fit over the cardboard, and use the contact cement to adhere the cork to the cardboard. You'll need to weigh this down to keep it flat as it dries (follow the directions on the glue for drying time) 
8. Once the cork is completely stuck and the glue has dried, measure the twine to fit around the inside of each pane. I did this for one main reason, and it wasn't to look good....it was to cover up the fact that each piece of cork didn't fit perfectly! If your cork fits just right and you're happy with how it looks, you can skip the twine!
9. Anywho, if you're using twine, warm your hot glue gun and begin to adhere the twine to the pane/cork slowly in small sections until you've completed it all
10. Now you can begin painting your chalk board. This part can be fussy...I don't use tape to cover up the painted window, I just carefully "cut-in" with a brush, and then use the roller to finish the rest. It can take 2-3 coats of paint to fully cover the glass. Let each layer dry completely to make sure each layer is smooth
11. Once the paint is completely dry, attach the hardware that you've chosen. Setting the hooks to 16inches insures you'll find a stud (in the wall) when you hang it. Little building info: the main studs in a wall (behind the dry wall) are set at 16 inches. If you want something to hang sturdy without using anchors, find the studs!
12. That's it!

   Steps 1-6 
   Measure the cardboard, adhere it to the glass and paint the window. I use cardboard to back the cork board because otherwise the cork is too thin and any pin or tack you use is too long.  You'll end up with a tack that is sticking out from the cork too far. And cork DOES NOT stick to cork without an enormous amount of glue in varying types. Trust me....

   Steps 7-9
   Keziah was home from school one day while I was working on this and she gave this Ikea mouse a home in the cork roll. :)
   Like I mentioned in the method, I used twine to cover imperfections. Measuring the cork and cutting it carefully and hoping it fits just so is stressful...so I cut myself some slack and used twine to trim out the window. It was an extra step, but a relatively easy one.

   Step 11
   I like to pre-drill a hole for the screws for the hooks to be sure the screws go in without splitting the windows.
   When I give a window away or sell it I include anchors and screws for hanging the window up. I know I said to measure the hardware to 16inches so you can hang the window to studs (without needing anchors), but if your window ends up in between studs for some reason you will need anchors. An antique window with original glass is very heavy and you don't want it ripping a hole in your wall and crashing to the floor! 

   Here are some other windows I've made, some as full chalk boards, some as full cork boards, and some half and half. The bottom left photo was made special and because they wanted it exclusively as a menu board I used acrylic paint to write to the word "menu" as well as the abbreviations for the days of the week, that way it could be wiped and cleaned with the menu and days staying put. The other windows just had some fun fall-themed chalk art to make them pretty to sell.

   So, the task of converting an old window to a chalk or cork board, or both, can be a little time consuming, but it's worth it (I think!). I take custom orders, btw, and can make one for you ('you' being someone within a reasonable driving range of me!).  :)  
   If you take on the task of making one yourself, share your results with me!!! 

   Hey hey hey! 
   We had our first snow fall on Sunday and the kids were so excited. Man, kids and their enthusiasm is contagious! 
   Anyway, I thought I would share our method of operations when it comes to getting out the door for school (we actually did this even before some of them were in school, but they learned the drill!). Like some of my other tips, it's super simple, but I think it is enormously effective.

   Above you see, well, Keziah lying in front of a heater in the morning because the house was cool (and also our green Hot Box), but you also see that our "entry-way" is extremely cramped and small. If all three kids were jammed up into that small space, all trying to get their things out of that front closet, it would be mayhem!    

   So, while the kids are eating breakfast, I set out their things on the floor where there is a bit more room. Having it all out means I know if it's all there (no last minute, "where's my mittens!!!"), and it also gives them each room to get ready without being in each others way and fighting. 

   The only thing I leave at the front is their boots because I don't want mud/wet on the kitchen floor!
   And that's it! If your entry-way is small, but your living room is big, set their winter stuff in their, or in their bedroom, wherever there is room is a good place! 
   So, I hope you are enjoying the snow-if it is snowy where you are!
   In the next few weeks I hope/plan to post a lot of freezable Christmas cookie and square recipes, as well as some gift ideas to get you ready for Christmas! It's not too far off! 
   Farewell!

   Bonjour! I have a super quick and simple life hack for you this fine Tuesday!
   We've been doing this for a long time in this house, though, to be honest, it's always my drawer that unravels the quickest! But, in my defence, I don't own a ton of clothes, and, messy or not, I can (almost) always find what I'm looking for. 
   This life hack is most important right now to my girls who (at 4 and 6 years old) want to pick out their own clothes. This gives them a super clear view of what they've got, and it therefore keeps the drawers from becoming disaster zones! 

   So, in the drawer pictured above you can see that instead of being stacked on top of one another, the clothes are folded an extra time and put in folded side up. That's it, that's the life hack! :)  
  Going one step further and putting colours together helps with being able to choose even faster, and dividing different "groups" is helpful too. This drawer has t-shirts on the far side, then a basket with undies, then long sleeve shirts. 
   Putting clothes like this also helps make it more obvious if you've got a little too much of one thing. The girls did have 9 pink long sleeve shirts, but I made them pick out the favourites, then we gave away the rest. 
   Anyway, that's all! I hope if you've never seen this idea before that you went, "ah ha!", and felt inspired to organize a crazy drawer in your house! If you think this is not that great and think I'm a goon, that's o.k. too. And, like I already mentioned, my dresser of clothes doesn't always stay looking this nice, so don't go thinking I'm miss perfect, tidy housekeeper. That will make me laugh until I cry. Until I cry!
I dunno.
   As a Mommy side-note, this weekend in Belleville (to those who read this and live close by) there is going to be the Holiday Mama Market. The Mama Market is a mom geared vendor sale, and happens every three months in Belleville. 
   You can find their Facebook event page here   
   There will be at least 20 vendors there, including Bushel & A Peck and some of my baked goods! I will be bringing a variety of gluten free and regular cookies and squares, and also some cupcakes. 
    I'm really excited to be involved, though I am also having many sleepless nights worrying that I will mess something up or forget something important! This happens to me before these sorts of things!   

   Anyway, that's all for today! I bid you farewell! 

   So, the thing about life hacks is that sometimes you may be doing one, and have no idea! Those are maybe the best kind!
   That's what happened with me and giving my kids medicine. We had people over, and I needed to give my sick sickies a dose of medicine, and so I did what I always do, and my friend went, "whoa....that's brilliant!". Really? O.k!
   So, here it is, the easiest thing in the world (and I know it may not work for every child)-but the purpose of doing this was duelled. One, it was meant to water down the wretched taste of the medicine, and two, it makes it so the medicine isn't clinging to the measuring cup so that your child gets their full dose.
   So, pour the package recommended amount of medicine into a medicine measuring cup, add a smidge of apple juice (or any fruit juice), take a knife, stir it up, and hand it to the infirmed! 
   Like I said, not all kids will go, "ohhh, juice with it? Well then I will gladly drink that nasty medicine!", but most will be intrigued enough to try! And if you don't give your kids juice that often, it  makes it more alluring. 
   Can I just point out that I am not that brilliant though, Mary Poppins thought up the idea of adding juice to medicine....sort of. Please tell me you know what I'm talking about...?..."just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down"...please feel free to sing that all day now. :)

   Us parents will jump through hoops to get our kids to takes their meds because we know it will help them feel better. But kids often don't want to either because they hate the taste or syrup-y feel of it, or because they  feel so darned sick they don't want to cooperate! Fair enough! 
   Some other tricks to try if you need some more:
- Strait up bribing!: Hahaha....no, but seriously....I'm not necessarily talking a candy bribe, it could be a sticker, a stamp, a cool rock, just something you know your kid would actually love to have! 

- Hand over the reigns: As kids get older, they want to feel like they are active participants (if not the one in charge!) of their wee lives. Around 3 or 4, when a child can hold the measuring cup, put the medicine in it, hand the cup over to them, and let them take it. Again, I know it's simple, but for some (strong willed) type children, this could be just the pinch of power they need to take the meds.  

- Syringe it: If your kids are too young to hold the cup of medicine, and they seem reluctant, putting the meds in a syringe can help you be able to squirt the medicine inside their cheek (which can alleviate the weird taste by way of skipping some taste buds!), or you can just squirt it right down their throats. Then give them a chaser of juice!   

   Anywhoooo...., that's all! I thought I would write about this because currently everyone in our house is fighting something, and the medicine is a flowin'!  :)  
   Can I also say that we haven't always had rosy gardens over here when it came time to do medicine. Our lovely Caleb wouldn't take anything-ANYTHING!-for most of his life (we once had a very exciting experience at a hospital where 4 adults had to hold Caleb down while a doctor tried to give him some meds. Good times...)! Not until the last few years has he started to willingly take some meds. And the girls went through a time when they would start to cry as soon as they saw me take the medicine out! I've been covered in my fair share of sticky children's medicine, so I know it's not always fun! I know! 
   Anyway, if you have any helpful tips or tricks for helping with sick kids, please do share! I would love to hear them!   

   I literally cannot believe that I have been writing this blog for a whole year (technically a whole year tomorrow the 18th, but geez)!
   This year has been an up and down one, and parts of it have been chronicled here! 
   On the first day I decided to start the blog I put up 6 posts! Haha, I remember my sister saying something about being a little ambitious, and I just thought, "I dunno! I just had a bunch of things I wanted to post! I used up an entire weeks worth of ideas in one day! Fail. :)   
   Anyway, I wanted to take today to highlight some of my favourite recipes, DIY and life hack ideas, and some of my posts about autism. 
   I hope you take the time to click through and enjoy bits and pieces of what I enjoy! 
   ...But first, I want to give you a little history here on a bushel & a peck! Not history about me, but the term itself! Because I know you were dying to know! ;) 
   Well, a real bushel & a peck are dry measurements in agriculture. There's a pint, quart, gallon, peck, and a bushel. 
   But the real reason people know the phrase, "I love you, a bushel & a peck" is from a song written for the musical "Guys & Dolls".
   Back in 1950 the song was recorded by many artists, and the song was already so well known before the musical even opened that they moved the number from the second act to the first. 
   In the context of the show, "A Bushel and a Peck" is the intro to the Hot Box, a night club in which the headliner is Miss Adelaide. 
   Doris Day (among many others) recorded a version of this song, but she changed the lyrics a bit to remove some of the more direct references from the show and to clean it up for 1950's radio.
   And there you have it! If you've never seen Guys & Dolls, you should, it's a good show!
   Now, onto my favourite and most popular posts (p.s., just click on the green titles to go to that recipe!)!   

   This pie....oh this pie!!!
   It is honestly just the tastiest thing you'll ever eat! The homemade graham crust, the chocolate in the form of semi-sweet chips and chocolate bars of your choice, and gooey mallows....drool.... 

   When my sister invented this evil little sandwich I loved her so much! :)  
   Inside of that lovely, grilled and icing sugar dusted bread is peanut butter, Nutella, and marshmallows. Oh my goodness gracious, it is too good to be true.

   This project felt long in coming, but I was so glad when it was finished as it gave me the extra cupboard space I needed, and it was so unique and fit my house perfectly! Hazaa! 

   Just do this and thank me later. :)  

   I never thought these slightly strange looking cookie would be so popular, but it just shows you can't judge a book (or a cookie) by it's cover! 
   The Huffington Post even had this cookie in one of it's online articles, making this ugly, humble cookie my most viewed recipe EVER with over 20,000 views! 

   This easy-peasy recipe has been pinned on Pinterest more times than I thought it ever would be. It may be paleo, but it's crazy simple to make, has all regular pantry staple ingredients, and you can't beat a crock pot meal that's ready for you  at super time! 

   I love this post because it was all Caleb! His answers to my questions, and "hearing" what he thought about different things. It shows how sweet, and strange, and fantastic he is.

   This post was the first I ever did on autism. It was inspired by the fact that he was getting a Terrific Kid award at school for empathy. I still admire how he sees the world through very empathetic eyes, and I try to practice empathy whenever possible. 

   I am always amazed by this recipe, and how often it is viewed and pinned on Pinterest. 
  It literally was a recipe of. "oh crap! People are coming over! What do I have!", but I think that kind of recipe hits home for a lot of people! It is simple, but tasty. Win/Win!  

   This dessert is a layer of brownie, a layer of mallow fluff, and a chocolate peanut-butter Rice Krispie layer! What? I know! 

   I wanted to pick my all time favourite post, but I couldn't! In fact, my little Dory (from Nemo)-like brain was actually going through the blog and going, "oh yeah....I forgot about that....". Whomp whomp. Memory fail.
   Suffice it to say that writing this blog has (so far) been a blast. I have enjoyed being more experimental in the kitchen, getting some of my thoughts out of my brain, and knowing people like a few of the recipes and articles is a great big cherry on this Sunday! 
   I'm still writing this blog, fear not. I have been toying with the idea of buying my domain (instead of having it hosted by Weebly), and maybe changing my design too....but we'll see. I'm not a big fan of change! 
   So (insert cheesy music, and hear my voice all teary like I'm winning an Oscar), to all those who read here regularly, or just now and again; to those from Pinterest and Foodgawker who share recipes and ideas (hint hint-feel free to follow or 'heart' me!), and to my Mom, who almost never remembers to read my blog, merci beaucoup!  :)  
   I know, I'm a cheeky bugger. Here's to another year! Woot woot! (I love you Mom)

xoxo

Amy-Lyn