Square Foot Garden & Hinged Door Cage

Last year was my first attempt at square foot gardening and it was a complete FAILURE!  Despite trying every tip or trick I could find, my garden was eaten by the rabbits and squirrels that frequent our yard and didn't get a single fruit or vegetable out of my garden.  So this year I decided a completely covered cage was the only sure way to protect it.  

After getting a few ideas online, my husband made one from PVC pipe, chicken wire and zip ties. 

I got my square foot garden frame from Sam's Club and it's not the traditional 4'x4' size.  I couldn't have a cage that just lifted on and off like most of them I'd seen -- it would've been too awkward to maneuver. 

 I wanted something with "doors" so I could access my plants easily.  So my husband made some hinged doors using zip ties.

 

His idea was brilliant!  It stays shut with stakes on the outside (though we'll probably get a little latch at some point) and the two doors swing open so easily. 

I am so excited for my plants to grow! This year we planted sugar snap peas, zucchini, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, watermelon, cucumbers, carrots and beets.  We also have strawberries in a hanging basket and cherry tomatoes in a garden pot.  I admit I stand out there every day, just looking at my garden and grinning giddily.  Now those pesky critters can't touch my plants and I will be able to enjoy the harvest.  :)

WIWW-Chelz

Salmon Tank- Target

Cream Tank- Downeast

Navy Cardigan- Target

Cropped Pants- Buckle

Sandals- Payless (old)

Necklace- F21

Typical Utah weather has us guessing what the temperature will be day to day! This pic is 2 weeks old...sorry! We had some cold weather 2 weeks ago that had me bring some of my cardigans back out. It is kinda hard to tell in this pic but my tank is a really pretty salmon color.

-chelz

  

Linked to: Rae Gun Ramblings, The Pleated Poppy, Two Thirty-Five Designs, Rolled Up Pretty & Transatlantic Blonde

Easy Sugar Cookies

Every now and then my husband will make a batch of cookies for us once the kids have gone to bed. He will make different ones from my recipes, but one night he decided he wanted sugar cookies and I did not have a recipe for some. I have to admit I don't like to make sugar cookies from scratch cause they usually take a long time to make, so I usually make them out of the packets. Chris went onto allrecipes.com and found a sugar cookie recipe he wanted to try. They turned out great! It was a super easy recipe and you didn't have to chill the dough in the fridge. They were light and fluffy. Definitely worth a try!

1/3 c. shortening
1/3 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt


1. Cream butter, shortening, and sugar together.
2. Add egg and vanilla
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt and then add to the wet mixture
4. Roll dough into balls and dip in sugar


Makes one dozen.
350 for 10-12 min

-chelz

The Faeriewalker Series

Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars






I thought this was a good fun read. I like how I was immediately drawn into the story. It is a mystery in a way to figure out who can be trusted!






Shadowspell by Jenna Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There is a certain dark and sexy mystic to this book with the introduction of the Erlking! I really enjoyed this book.

Sirensong by Jenna Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Loved this series. It was and easy to get through. I love an ending where everything works out but I do have to say that I didn't like how the last few pages where spent talking about her mom...who cares... In my opinion.

I definitely recommend this series!  It was a fun twist on the Fae world and its inner workings! I loved all the characters in this series in their own way! There were lots of twists and turns to keep you on your toes and wondering what was going to happen next. The introduction of the Erlking brought on great chemistry to the books, and I actually enjoyed his character a lot! check out these books and let me know what you think of them!

-chelz

Frugal Friday: DIY Magnetic Play Sets

My kids love to play with little magnetic play sets but they can be quite pricey.  I found this idea on Pinterest to make your own so I thought I'd give it a try.  I bought these  Avery Magnet Sheets from Amazon. I've never used the magnetic paper before but was very pleased with how easy it was to use.

First, I found a couple of places with images to use.  I found these Toy Story ones and these Angry Birds ones.  (I actually used Photoshop to put all the Toy Story images on one sheet and same with the Angry Birds.)  For the other sets I just used google to find some images I knew my kids would like and pasted them into a word document.  Then I printed each set and cut them out.  The magnetic paper is really thin so it was very easy to cut them out, just a little tedious. :) 

I've made 4 sets so far: Nick Jr characters, Toy Story 3, Angry Birds & Superheroes.  (I still haven't figured out what to do on my last sheet!) You can download the documents I used HERE. 

We took these on a long car ride and my kids loved playing with them.  Some dollar store cookies sheets worked perfectly with them.  It was only $8 for pack of 5 magnetic sheets, so that made each set just under $2. Can't beat that!

 




Linked to: Craft-O-Maniac, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Keeping It Simple, Becolorful, C.R.A.F.T.  Sugar & Spice, Fine Craft Guild, Classy Clutter, Michelle Paige,

Things We Love Thursdays: Mini Popsicles

I just LOVE these mini popsicles!  They are the perfect size for little toddler hands and because they are small they get eaten quickly with very little mess.  I always stock up on these during the summer!

Origami Tie Father's Day Cards

These cards are so fun to make and I think they look adorable!  They are perfect for Father's day and my kids love making them. 

To make the origami ties, you'll need some fun scrapbook paper and THIS tutorial.  It might look intimidating at first, but these are seriously easy!

You can use the origami ties in a number of ways, but I like to make little shirt cards for them to go onto.  Just make one-inch slits at the top of the card and fold down to make the collar.  Then you can embellish it with brads & the tie.  I have a little "dad" stamp I added, too. 

Here are a couple more I've made with the kids:

Here are a few other cute ways to use the origami ties:

From Craft Chaos 4 Kids

From Stamping on the Bayou

From Carolina's Creative Pad