Feed the birds in style!

Make a Recycled Milk Jug Bird Feeder

Snot, snot and more snot. The past week has been full of it, with all three of us down with colds, fever and chest congestion. The husband took two days off work, the kid stayed home from playschool and we all just kept each other company, coughing in chorus and balling up wads of tissue all over the house.

When Little Miss M. was feeling a bit better, I came up with a fun activity that would keep her occupied but not sap all her energy and mine. A recycled milk jug bird feeder. 

You will need:

No more black thumb!

Nothing like spending a few hours in the garden digging dirt.

My back is sore and my thigh muscles twinge every time I move, from all that exercise. Maybe I'm getting old. A few hours of gardening have done me in! But in a pleasant, happy sort of way.

The lazy person's guide to making a sandbox

Fact: Toddlers love playing with sand.

My two and a half-year-old is no exception. She can spend hours-on-end immersed in sand-play and not be bored.

The past month, I have been looking at DIY sandbox design projects. I figure I could get so much writing done if Little Miss M. is busy playing in her sandbox!

Inspiration: I saw this Indian tent display at The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum and thought it might be a nice topper for a sandbox.

You know, it provides shade from the sun and a cover of sorts to protect the play sand from creepy crawlies at night.

Toddler Room DIY

Five years ago, my husband and I bought a charming 1960's single-storey home in a part of town commonly referred to as the faculty ghetto of Carbondale.

Coming from an upbringing in India, where we didn't so much as put a nail into a wall, without first calling for a carpenter, it never ceases to amaze me how handy and knowledgeable we have become over the years, as we systematically remodeled, renovated and reworked every room in the house, to better reflect our personalities and design aesthetic.

Our latest DIY project is hopefully our last for a long while.