SUPER Easy To*Do Frame

Hiya! I've been WAY behind on posts, so I'm getting a lot done tonight posting.  I'm going to show you how to do a super easy, cute dry erase board.  *Also inexpensive :)

1. Buy a cheapo frame- I get mine for $1 at the Dollar Store, and sometimes paint over them, sometimes I don't.  Either way they work just as well as the $15 frames at Hobby Lobby- but I'd rather save 14 bucks:)

This is the one I got- it's awesome because it has some gold, which makes it look cool and old.  (Which is the look I'm trying to get, hehe ;)

2. Take out the picture that came in the frame.  Pick out some cute scrapbook paper to go in the frame.  WARNING: DO NOT USE DARK PAPER- I used dark paper on my mom's, and it is hard to read, so, for best results, use light paper.  Tape the picture from the frame to the scrapbook paper, and cut the scrapbook paper to fit the same size as the frame picture.  

This is the paper taped to the paper... if that made sense at all :)

Cutting the paper to fit the paper. :)

Taking the photo off of the paper.

3. Place the scrapbook paper in the frame.  Be amazed at how easy that was, and how good it looks ;)

It still is easy. Just get some cute ABC stickers- you can get them anywhere! Scrapbook warehouse, Hobby Lobby, Smiths Marketplace, Target Dollar Section, etc. On the top spell out "to do" or "Stuff" or pretty much anything :)

 Now this is just a dry erase marker.  It works on glass, erases with just about anything.  I use a tissue or an old cloth.  Just make sure you have the glass covering the paper!

Now, all you need is a good place to put it! Add all of the things you need to do, once they're done, erase it, add more, and it goes on! Mine is by my bed so I'll always see it and remember those things I should be working on.  It's also good to put events on it, like stake dances :)

Ta da! Now show me what you did! :D

Makeup Magnet Board

So, I had a magnet board.  It was a painted-white cookie sheet, with cute paper modge-podged to it.  My aunt made it along with some cute magnets, so I could have little reminders.  I loved it, but I didn't use it because I already had a bulletin board in my room.  It was so cute, but sitting in my room in my dresser.  So, I decided to put it to some good use!

  For Christmas, I got a whole bunch of makeup.  I am always losing makeup, because I am constantly taking it around to other places.  Here's what I did:

1. Got button magnets, makeup, hot glue, and the magnet board.  (I also used a small Altoids tin to hold the tiny brushes)
2. I hot glued a button magnet to the makeup.  I'd squeeze it tight for 10-15 seconds.  (or until it's hardened)
3. I did it with all of my makeup and brushes, and stuck them on the board! Now, I have all of my makeup on a board- it never gets lost! And, it's super easy to carry around- I'm not stuffing makeup in my hands and dropping it when I move around.

*another tip- mine has ribbon on it... sometimes I keep bobby pins on it so I have bobby pins where all of my makeup is, not just scattered around. :)

Ta-da! :)

Temple Blocks

This is a temple block.  I made this in my first year of girl's camp.  (2010).

What we did, was we got a small block of wood.  They had a few different colors of paint, so we each picked a color and painted the block.  Then, once the paint was dry, we glued a square of patterned paper on the block.  (the paper was a little bit smaller, so you could see the paint.) Then, we got a paper a little bit smaller than the last, and it was this picture of the temple, saying, "I'm going there Someday".  I still have it on the shelf in my room, so does my sister.  They both match our bedrooms perfectly! I remember making it at Girl's Camp and I don't think I'll ever forget! It was so fun to see how everybody's was different, and everybody loved making them!

Banana Bread

So, I've decided to make bread every Sunday.  My ward starts church at 8 o'clock, so it's nice to get back at 11.  I'll have plenty of time to make bread! So, I'll try to make bread once a week/every 2 weeks.  I'll try to post the recipe by Saturday so you could do it with your family, too! Today, I decided to make banana bread.  It's REALLY good! Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas.  (I almost had enough with 5, so next time, I'll use 6 bananas.)
• 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350º.  
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda.  
3. In a separate bowl, cream brown sugar and butter together.  Stir in the eggs and mashed bananas, until well blended.  
4. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture.
5. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan, and pour batter in.
6. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips onto the batter, so they are on the top.  
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.  
8. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then devour it! :D

"I Believe" Mirror

For YW's, we had a "Polar Express" activity.  While we were on the Polar Express, (small room, lots of girls sitting together at 4 person tables), we got to make a craft.  We each got a box all wrapped up.  We each opened up our boxes, and there was a little mirror, glue dots, ribbon, fake white flowers, beads, and vinyl lettering that said, "I Believe".  We could each decorate our mirrors however we wanted, and I don't know about the other girls, but I had a GREAT time doing it :) This is what mine looks like, hanging in my room:

(eventually, the ribbon for it to hang on fell off, so it's not hanging by that now)

So, that's the craft for today! It was super fun, if you're a leader in YW, you should definitely consider doing something like this for your girls :)

Elf Donuts

The other day, I had Jaynie and her friend playing together.  They were bored, so I decided to give them a little Christmas craft! I got out milk and white chocolate, cheerios, powdered sugar, and little sprinkles.  I melted the chocolate, and put everything in little bowls.  

  What we did, is we got a cheerio.  I'd dip it in some chocolate, stick a skewer through the hole, (or else the chocolate would dry over the hole), and dipped it in sprinkles.  We also made powdered donuts, by dipping the entire cheerio in white chocolate, then in powdered sugar.  You have to be careful though, because the powdered sugar clumps a little bit.  Once they had made a few, we put them in an Altoid's tin.  (I LOVE those things!!! :) They turned out super cute, and the elves devoured them.  Want to see?

Santa's Footsteps...

  So, I got this idea off of Pinterest, and thought it was so cute, so I had to do it! Here's what it was:

As you can see, it got a little messy.

What I did, was I got just a piece of paper.  I got my boot and traced it onto the paper, but tried to make it look like a bigger size.  Then, I cut out the shape of a boot, and put it on the doormat.  I got the flour, and sprinkled it on the mat, in the stencil, so it was flour, shaped like a boot.  Then, I flipped the paper, and did it again! It turned out so cute, and it will definitely be a tradition! (Our chimney is a fake one, so Santa comes through our back door:).  I told the kids (the ones who still believe in the magic of Santa), that it was the magic north pole snow, that never melts.  They loved it!