Day 23

So much to do, so little time. As the days to camp are dwindling, our household is really starting to feel the time crunch. In packing and planning, we needed a good way to keep a few snacks sealed for the road trip. Once again, Pinterest had the answer.
We have a few "store" hangers lingering around the house and this pin puts them to a good use. In a matter of seconds, the useless hanger became a very helpful chip clip! Genius.  http://pinterest.com/pin/238901955202944540/

Day 22

My poor baby. Thomas is 10 months old and STILL without his first tooth. He has been teething, and teething and teething....and with that- drooling, and drooling and drooling! We have a variety of teething toys for my little man, but are always looking for other options.
Plus, now more than ever, he is an eating machine. Without teeth, our options are limited for his menu. Thankfully, we found a pin that should help both of those dilemmas! We cooked up a batch of homemade teething biscuits and Thomas is a happy little guy! These will come in handy until his elusive teeth decide to make an appearance. http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494554653/

Day 21

The countdown is on. Only 4 more days until camp! We have been scouring Pinterest to ensure that we have enough activities to keep all the kids busy throughout all 10 days of camp. With children ranging from 10 months to 9 years, we have our work cut out for us!
We began the preparations today, with a good camp stand-by: coloring! I remember many rainy camp days, perfecting my coloring skills in one of the multiple coloring books at Grandma's cabin. Hopefully, my kids will have those same sweet memories.
Today's pin was making marbelized star-shaped crayons for the kiddos. The pin was easy to complete, and would be really fun for older kids- they could help "design" their own crayon!  http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494671155/

Day 20

I love it when family visits. It just makes the house feel so full of love! Scott's mom is visiting this weekend, and the kids are truly enjoying having their Nana here.
The older I get, the more I realize the importance to make guests feel at home...and appreciated. My mom has always been GREAT at this. She always has towels laid out, commonly forgotten supplies in a cute little basket and everything is "just so." While I may not be quite as skilled as my mom, I'm trying to be a good understudy. So tonight, in keeping with trying to be a good hostess, Scott's mom was greeted with our Pinterest project waiting on her bed: a towel swan! It may not be a well-arranged, thoughtful basket, but it's a start! http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494664513/

Day 19

Whew! With the family on the mend, we had a lot of ground to make up today. This is my last day off before the big trip to church camp, so we had to make the most of it. Between shopping, cleaning and packing the day was full! In the midst of packing, we took a break to pick our pin for the day, and saw one that we could really use for the trip.
Today's pin is simple. Cover an unused medicine bottle and voila!...a cotton swab holder perfect for travel. With a scrap of contact paper from covering the diaper boxes we completed this pin in a jiffy. http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494657257/

Day 18

Yuck. It was officially a sick day for everyone in our house. Between low grade fevers, multiple trips to the bathroom and the overall "ick"...we were homebound today. Including me. I think it has been about 4 years since I have taken sick time for something other than a pregnancy, but today it was needed.
That being said, we had a some extra time on our hands. Fortunately, I was just given a "new-to-me" smart phone, so I had plenty to keep me occupied after the kids went to bed. This is my first time owning a smart phone. I have been a hold-out. I just could not justify the additional fee on the cell phone bill just to own the phone...let alone the 3G. But, I had to join 2012 sooner or later, so here I am.
My new phone is a Droid X. I love it. So many apps, so little time! Thanks to Pinterest, I was also able to find some very good apps for the little ones, too. I have to admit, I have been known cast the judgmental glare at the Mom who allows her child to go through the whole store(or wherever), without any human contact what-so-ever, completely engrossed in their electronic device. But we have a 10 hour trip coming up, so I call that just good planning! I picked a couple from this pin, so hopefully they go over well! http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494650638/

Day 17

Knees are not meant to bend backwards. Apparently, Scott's knee did not get that memo. He has been nursing his injured knee for the past couple of days. Olive likes to point out that Daddy has a "boo-boo" that is "oww-oww." Living with a bum knee can be troublesome when trying to keep up with two active children under the age of 2.
Scott looked up any pin that might help his trick knee and was able to find a homemade ice pack! The ingredients were simple. Rubbing alcohol and water. After 3 hours in the freezer, it was ready to go. He said it wasn't just cold, it was cold-cold! Perfect for a knee that is quickly becoming the size of grapefruit- poor guy! http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494516973/

Day 16

Today was dedicated to deep cleaning. Sounds like fun, huh? Actually, I don't mind getting down and dirty with housework. It's the monotony of the day to day cleaning that I dread.
Today we wanted to organize more in my "favorite" room- the kitchen. If you have been following this blog, you know that I love to eat, but hate to cook. That being said, this pin was more for Scott than me. This pin took about 10 minutes to complete and made a big difference in the pots and pans cabinet! Because we have a cooktop directly above this cabinet, we were not able to utilize the vertical space, but we were able to implement the sane idea on the cabinet doors. Success! http://pinterest.com/pin/198017714835432971/

Day 15

You know those days that just come to an end before you've even blinked? That was today. By the time I looked up today it was 10:30pm! That being said, we were in the need for a quick pin. Don't judge...you know you've had those days, too! :o)
Lucky for us, we had the perfect pin on standby...and one that we could really use! Today's pin was ingenious. I think we might make a couple more for a couple of other bags of goodies, too! The "bottle top closure" took only a few minutes to make and works like a charm. http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494515705/

Day 14

Oh, baby do we have a ton of baby clothes! Our laundry room shelves have become overrun with diaper boxes full of Olive's and Thomas' clothes. While they are very convenient, they are also a bit of an eyesore. For today's pin, we took on the ugliness of these boxes to turn them from "Booo..." to "Boo-yah!" Now the clothes can have a box as fashionable as they are! http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494515683/

Day 13

 During the kids' bath tonight, it became very apparent that we do not clean the bath toys out well...or at all. Two words: Gr-oss. Thank goodness I just found the perfect pin! A little dab of hot glue, and those mildew factories are shut down. Now bath time will be even more sanitary. http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494586579/

Day 12

A trip to the grocery store normally does not invoke warm fuzzy feeling for me. Today, however, might have just changed my mind. We ventured to the new Kroger Marketplace and actually enjoyed our shopping experience! The store had lots of taste testers, which is a huge win- especially for toddlers, a Starbucks, home goods and my kids' favorite: the car shopping buggy. There were enough distractions to keep the peace for the entire trip!
Thanks to two wonderfully happy children, Mommy and Daddy were able to focus on the shopping list. Thankfully, we were able to check out Pinterest prior to the trip, so we would be prepared for today's pin. We picked up some cauliflower, cilantro and a rotisserie chicken to complete "Light BBQ Pizza."The rotisserie chicken was the easiest and best idea. We were able to have GREAT chicken sandwiches for lunch plus have some nicely seasoned chicken for the pizza, too. I think there might even be enough left over for some possible chicken salad tomorrow! 
The pizza tonight was really good. If you use this recipe, I recommend keeping the crust nice and thin. If it gets too thick it can be a bit soggy after applying the BBQ sauce. Overall, it was very tasty! We will be trying this one again! http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494515574/

Light BBQ Pizza- Half with pineapple (for Scott) and Half with cilantro (for Christina)

Day 11

After a day at the pool and a good nap, the kids were ready for some more action. Mommy and Daddy however...not so much. So, to Pinterest we went. Scott found a cool idea for a homemade fort that did not seem too labor-intensive, perfect! Well, two broken staplers, countless pieces of tape, a few grunts and an hour and a half later- the fort was finished.
The kids really did seem to like it! Thank goodness- it would have been sad to see all that hard work be in vain. Not only was it a hit just like it was, but throw a sheet over it, and it becomes a secret cave. Olive thought the fort made the perfect "reading sanctuary!"
Overall, if you can set aside a little time to make the newspaper fort, it's totally worth it. And, the best part, it's free!  http://pinterest.com/pin/29554941275064113/

Day 10

Whew! This week has been go, Go, GO! Thankfully, I have a super hero for a husband. Today, while I was out for meetings in Nashville, Scott took charge of our Pinterest project. Today's menu- Squid Hotdogs. Now, I know that we recently completed another pin involving hotdogs, but....1.) We normally do not eat hotdogs often  2.) at least we use chicken hotdogs! However, I can assure you that there were no complaints from Olive! 
This pin was a great success. Not only was it super cute, but it really encouraged her to eat everything on her plate. We will be having these "friends" for dinner again....just not anytime too soon! :o). http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494584193/

Day 9

Christina left today at for a meeting in Nashville leaving me to do the next 2 Pinterest projects and write the blog. I was looking forward to doing something fun for the kids today but the internet was out for over 6 hours. The kids had to go to bed before I could get online and get the instructions for the project I wanted to do. I started to clean up the kitchen and remembered one of the Pinterest that was for cleaning a cookie sheet and I actually remembered the instructions. So I got out the baking soda and peroxide which we had on hand from when Charlie got sprayed by a skunk so it was another no cost project. It did not work as well as everyone online said it did for them. As you can see in the pictures it is hard to see a difference. http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494576570/
                                            


                                                                         BEFORE

                                                                        AFTER

Day 8

We've officially past the week mark! Woot! With a very full plate today, we had to slightly scale back our Pinterest project. However, it is one that I was looking forward to completing!
I have been in LOVE with the Jimmy John's Beach Club for years. Throughout both of my pregnancies, it was the one thing I craved and couldn't eat. (no deli meat for preggos...possible listeria) But, for both Thomas and Olive, it was the first thing I ate after labor. I still LOVE that sandwich....although getting to Jimmy John's with 2 little ones is a very rare occurrence. So, to combat the lack of Beach Club in my life, Scott purchased all the ingredients so I could make my own at home!
One of my favorite things on the Beach Club is the avocado spread. It just completes the sandwich! With a couple of avocado pits going unused from today's spread that I whipped up (yes, I made something in the kitchen!), what better than to complete a pin?
We are now in the process of growing our very own avocado tree!  http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494532786/

Day 7

Long Day! I am so thankful for an amazing husband who truly takes care of this family. Scott is such a selfless man. Not only did he ensure the whole family made it to church in a semi-timely manner (so sweet!), but he also tackled our Pinterest project, too!
Sundays tend to be a packed day for our family. As soon as we get home from church, it's a quick lunch and off to work I go. Scott is left cleaning up lunch's guaranteed mess and getting both kiddos down for naps. During cleanup, he was able to complete today's pin!
Our dishwasher has been leaving some residue on our dishes lately. Scott found a pin that promised to clean dingy dishwashers and it held true to that claim. Just one cup of distilled vinegar run through an empty machine made all the difference! Now all of our dishes are sparking clean! http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494524725/

Day 6

I love Saturdays. It's the perfect family day. I love being woken up by a child saying "Mama" instead of the harsh buzz of an alarm clock. This Saturday didn't disappoint. We had a nice, slow morning, which gave us a little extra time to try out a Pinterest recipe: Nutella cookies! Nutella is one of my secret favorite foods. I try not to even keep it in the house because I have a knack for making it disappear...quickly!
Scott followed the recipe to the letter to start, but the batter was so dry, it could hardly be molded into cookies. After adding another egg, the cookies began to take shape. A mere 8 minutes in the oven, and the cookies were ready for a tasting. Not terrible. They had a consistency more like brownies rather than cookies, but overall they were decent. We won't be winning any blue ribbons for these cookies, but Olive seemed to like them! http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494524634/

Day 5

The evil "What's for Dinner?" monster reared it's ugly head today, but we struck back with Pinterest! We were looking for a fun and easy recipe for kids and found "Super Silly Hotdogs." This recipe combined two of Olive's favorite foods: Hotdogs and Spaghetti. Although they didn't look particularly appetizing to me, I just knew they would be a big hit for a toddler!
Scott effortlessly whipped up a quick batch for Olive while we opted for the more traditional serving. As we sat down for dinner, Olive caught a glimpse of her plate. That's all it took. She was hooked. The words "Neat!", "Cool!" and "Pretty" were all used before we had even taken a seat. These Silly Hotdogs were a huge hit. We will be serving these again! http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494544955/

Day 4

Finally, a day off with the family! Of course, no one told the weatherman, so a day of soaking rain kept us all inside. We went to our Pinterest board to pick our "Pin of the Day," and ending up picking one that I had just pinned the day before! This one just intrigued me. I'm not sure who thought of placing Ivory soap in the microwave, but I was up for it.
We try to pick pins that cost little to nothing, and this one lived up to those standards. We already use Ivory...well, truth-be-told, we use whatever is on sale that week....but this week, we use Ivory. After Olive, my oldest, tried to wash everything in the house with the "soaf," we were ready to get the show on the road. We popped the bar of Ivory into the microwave, set the timer for 2 minutes, and watched the magic. Olive seemed to really enjoy watching the soap expand...until we opened the microwave's door.
Once the fluffy mound of soap was on the table in front of her, though, she seemed to be intrigued. I however, was a little disappointed. I'm not sure if we had a "soap malfunction", but our fluffy soap seemed a bit brittle. In the Pinterest description, it seemed as though it should have been pliable and have the ability to be colored. Ours just seemed like a mess. A fun mess, but a mess just the same. However, I do think it will end up making for some fun baths! http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494532681/

Day 3

With the heat not letting up, we decided to look for some fun frozen treats on Pinterest. As soon as we found this pin, I was all over it. I haven't had a true "Pudding Pop" in years! Nothing says childhood like a chocolate pudding pop! Since it's impossible to find these in the stores, we thought we'd give it our best go to mimic JELLO's iconic summer treat.
Scott was able to hit the grocery store this morning, with both kiddos in tow, to pick up a couple of ingredients to complete this pin. Nothing makes me happier than seeing Cool Whip in a recipe! Scott had all the hard work was done before I came home for lunch. All I had to do was eat...and enjoy! While the Pudding Pop was pretty good, I guess it's just hard to beat the original. However, my soon-to-be 2 year old thought they were GREAT!  http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494524646/

Day 2

Another day, another Pinterest project! Today we decided to tackle another kitchen pin. I promise that every project won't involve this room, apparently we just needed quite a bit of assistance in this area! I'm not afraid to admit that I'm no gourmet chef. In fact, I try to avoid cooking at all costs. I'm more of a "burnt toast" kind of gal. Thankfully for me...and my kids...my husband seems to know his way around the kitchen. He actually picked this pin today!
We decided to go with placing cork board tiles on the inside of the kitchen cabinet doors. No more splatter for the stove, spilled milk or any other the other "cooking catastrophes" ruining another recipe! http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494523635/

Day 1

Yes. It's true. We are late to the game. However, just because we're late, doesn't mean we aren't going to jump in with both feet. We just joined Pinterest last night. (insert your gasp here...) After searching for less than five minutes, and several "Honey! You've GOT to see THIS one!"'s, we both decided that we could do a lot of these projects and make a big difference around the house. With 2 kids under the age of 2, we could use all the help we can get.
And so...it begins. We have challenged ourselves to 365 days of Pinterest. I have seen a couple of other blogs try to tackle this...but they do one project a week or month. We are, probably foolishly, going to do a different "Pin" each day. Luckily, Scott is an amazing stay-at-home dad, so we should be able to stay on track. So, without further adieu...let the 365 days BEGIN!


Day 1:
Tension Rod Spray Bottle Holder

We started with one that we could really use. Under the kitchen sink is just one of those places that can get very cluttered in a short amount of time.  http://pinterest.com/pin/141722719494515394/

To follow us on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/scottchristinar/