Labeling E's Storage Tote

I decided to change over my previous blog to this blog. You can still find me over at twodaisiesandanelephant.blogspot.com. However, most of my blog posts from there will be transferred over to this one. So, at times you may see the "twodaisiesandanelephant" logo going across many of the photos. No worries, it is me. I promise.

Okay, so a few days ago I shared with you the fact of how I had stored Baby E's bassinet, swing, and bouncer in a large storage container. However, I didn't really talk about how I would come to recognize what was in that storage container. Besides having to remember. 

So, I grabbed the storage container that I had put everything in and put it to the side. Then I pulled out a few old sheet protectors and decided to cut them. I just went along the perforated edges and just cut/rip. Ending up with two sheets. 

I then printed up two signs. One to sit on the outside and the other to sit on the inside. 

After that, I went back to the sheet protector and folded it to make a large envelope. Once it was folded, I just grabbed some regular scotch tape and taped the ends shut. 

Once, it was all taped together. I opened it up just to make sure that it wouldn't come apart on me. 

Once I confirmed that it wouldn't rip open, I went ahead and placed the two sheets of paper inside of it. First to go in was the paper with the names of the stuff inside and then I placed the itemized list on the inside. 

Lastly, after everything was stuffed into the envelope. I just grabbed my tape and placed it onto the outside of the container. Mostly in a space that I knew I could see and easily access the list just in case. 

                                     

Once it was taped and all said and done. I just placed the storage container in Baby E's closet. She has the room and with the fact that it's been so hot especially in the attic... I'm just kind of being lazy and don't want to store it up there at the moment. Mostly, because I'd like to be able to breathe and not feel like I'm suffocating. So, for the time being until it get's cooler it's just going to hang out in her closet. Next to the storage bin with her clothes in it.

Oh, Hole No!

I decided to change over my previous blog to this blog. You can still find me over at twodaisiesandanelephant.blogspot.com. However, most of my blog posts from there will be transferred over to this one. So, at times you may see the "twodaisiesandanelephant" logo going across many of the photos. No worries, it is me. I promise.

Back in March we found a few places with what looked to be mold on the upper portions of the wall in our living room. Of course we were freaked out, especially with just buying the house back in December. So, we decided to go ahead and don some gear and break through the walls just to make sure there were not any major problems behind it. Fortunately, there was nothing. We decided to investigate a little further with a a few scrubbings and started to notice it was dirt and grime. The people who acquired this place before us just slapped some paint on the walls and called it a day. 

Now, pretty much 7 month's later we're finally getting to the holes. They were covered with contact paper to match the wall color. However, with E's birthday coming up I decided it was time to fix it. 

I just grabbed a few plaster patches from Walmart (they were about 2.97 for 2) and then a galvanized steel patch. Following the directions I placed the patches onto the walls and wet them. Then waited 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, I was able to cover them up. 

For my first time doing this, I think I did a pretty awesome job. Horrible place to have to sand, but in the end it looks good. I need to fix a corner piece where I caught it while sanding, but otherwise it's still holding strong. I just can't wait to paint it now. 

Storing E's Large Items

I decided to change over my previous blog to this blog. You can still find me over at twodaisiesandanelephant.blogspot.com. However, most of my blog posts from there will be transferred over to this one. So, at times you may see the "twodaisiesandanelephant" logo going across many of the photos. No worries, it is me. I promise.

Baby E has pretty much outgrown several of her essential items. So, the other day I decided it was time to pack them up. My baby girl is growing up. A bitter sweet moment.

So, before I started to pack everything up. I took pictures of everything. 

• how the item looked (before I broke it down)
• the items that belong with it (seating pads, screws, rods, etc.)
• the labels (everything that I labeled)
• everything together while it was broken down

Taking the pictures kind of helped me to remember everything that went together as well as hopefully help me in the future. 

~*~

Here are two of the items that I took pictures of before breaking them down. 

 

After I had taken the first picture, I began to break down the swing. I broke it down one by one and labeled everything as I broke it down. That way when we go to use it again for a future baby, we know how to put the stuff back together. This is mostly because my husband threw away the directions to the items and we can't find them on the companies websites.

 

Once everything was labeled and pictures taken, I placed them into the bin. I also grabbed all of the screws/tools and placed them in corresponding plastic sandwich bags. 

~*~

This is where it became tricky. I wanted to fit the swing, bassinet, and bouncer together in one box. And I was able to as well, except for the frame to the bassinet. That part didn't break down (I'll explain what I did with that part later). 

With trying to get everything to fit, I just had to find a way to get everything to work. I would lay out the different parts and move them around if necessary. 

Once, I got the basis down of how I wanted to lay the majority of the rods and especially the top of the swing. In the picture below, you can see that all the rods are in place for all three items. The top of the swing is laying on its side. I placed a few grocery bags around it to support it. I also took majority of the swings parts and placed it in the blue bag next to it. Also providing additional support.

Now, before placing the seat pads and other miscellaneous fabric parts into the bin; I made sure to wash each one. This way I could get any stains and funky smells that may have been embedded into the fabric. I can't stand putting dirty things away. Especially in storage. 

After everything was washed and dried, I placed them in several grocery bags and used those as cushions as well.

I then placed the seat to the swing on top of everything.

To ensure that the screws and other items that were in plastic baggies wouldn't fly everywhere in the bin or get lost at a future date, I decided to tape them to one side of the bin (on the inside).

After taping them to the side, I placed the swing cushion on top and then to top it all off... I also placed the wooden bottom and cushion of the bassinet on top of that.

Then closed the bin and that's all she wrote.

Now, all I have to do is write up the labels for the outside of the box.

Cork Board Project

I decided to change over my previous blog to this blog. You can still find me over a at twodaisiesandanelephant.blogspot.com. However, most of my blog posts from there will be transferred over to this one. So, at times you may see the "twodaisiesandanelephant" logo going across many of the photos. No worries, it is me. I promise.

I haven't quite figured out what I'm going to do with this cork board yet, but I'm thinking of quite a bit of possibilities! 

Here a few:

Thinking of maybe a place to store important notes in my makeshift office...
An art space for Baby E during each of the holidays...
A place to store menu's/weekly meals in the kitchen...
A place to store some of my husbands mini tools in the shed...

Baked Onion Straws

I decided to change over my previous blog to this blog. You can still find me over a at twodaisiesandanelephant.blogspot.com. However, most of my blog posts from there will be transferred over to this one. So, at times you may see the "twodaisiesandanelephant" logo going across many of the photos. No worries, it is me. I promise.

The other night I decided that I wanted some onion straws. I have no clue why I was craving them, but I wanted them. So, I decided to take the rest of an onion and make some. My absolute first time making them and they turned out pretty good.

All you need: 

- an onion (whole or left over) - I had half of one left and it made quite a bit.

- 1/2 cup of bread crumbs 

- 1/2 cup of flour

- 2 eggs

- 3 bowls

- baking sheet

- fork (to scramble eggs)

- old bay seasoning (any other seasoning you feel like adding)

- salt

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Line up your three bowls and place your pan at the end. 

Add 1/2 cup of flour into bowl.

Add 1 egg into one bowl. (add other egg when wash becomes low)

Add part of the 1/2 cup of bread crumbs into the last bowl. Sprinkle with old bay seasoning. (add the rest of the bread crumbs when it begins to clump)

** You're adding half because you will need more as the dry ingredients begin to clump **

Take your mandolin/knife and cut your onion into thin slices --- but not to thin!

Once you've sliced your onions. Begin by placing a few of your onions into the flour mixture.

Coat the onions well.

Then dip into your egg wash.

Then coat with bread crumbs/old bay seasoning.

Place on pan. 

Continue to do this until you have used your entire onion. 

Cook for 7 minutes. Check it. Flip over. Cook for another 7 minutes. 

Watch very closely.

Enjoy!

Em's 5 Month Favorites

I cannot believe Baby E is 6 month's old, time has seriously flown by! Baby E has seriously grown into something else. Watching her everyday playing with her toys and exploring everything around her has truly been amazing. She's really started getting into the majority of her toys that we gave her around Christmas and some that were given to us at the baby shower.

Looking back here are her favorite toys over the past month.

    

Bright Starts Pretty in Pink Exersaucer, Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Puppy, Rhino Toys Oball, Sassy Ring Rattle, Just One You Elephant Ring Rattle, Bright Starts Pretty in Pink Rattle, Lots of Links

These are several of her favorite toys as of right now. There are quite a few more. The majority of them she's had for awhile, but is just now getting into them. So if you do see some that have spilled from a month before it's because she's growing into them.

Does your little one have a favorite toy at this age?

Our Nightly Favorites --- For The First Few Months

~*~ I want to address this immediately before anyone blasts me for having a blanket in my daughters bassinet. This was mostly for her at night to support her legs. Right from the get go and I mean at the hospital get go, she was casted and had surgery; this provided us with the opportunity to keep the swelling at the minimum and was OKAY'D by her doctors. ~*~

Alrighty, since hopefully I possibly cleared that up without being fussed at (we were fussed at A LOT by family members); Baby E loved sleeping with a pacifier. This was probably the only thing that calmed her down during those rough nights --- not very many, but the nights that she was swollen we would have a tough time no matter what. This is were her blanket would usually come in... to help support her little legs.

The rest of the time we would swaddle her and rock her. She absolutely loved this. Majority of the time she'd fall asleep and we'd place her in her little bassinet and she'd sleep for the night. Now, back to the rough night's... for those sometimes we'd place her in her swing for part of the time. This also helped us prop her leg completely up.

With that, here are our favorite nightly things during those first few months:

   

Avent 0-6 Months Pacifier, Delta Sweet Beginnings Bassinet, Circo Valboa Big Dottie Blanket, Tiddliwinks Sweet Safari Receiving Blankets, Storkcraft Glider and Ottoman

Did you have any favorite nightly items during the first few months?

A "Mini" Closet Re-Do

As my daughters clothes began to fill her closet to the brim, literally. So, since I felt like it was an unorganized cluster of a mess I decided to rearrange a little bit and make her closet a little more useful. 

                                    

With that, I moved her clothes to her larger closet... you're probably thinking two closets, really?!?!... oh yeah, this child has two closets. Has never made sense to me on why you need two closets in a room, but hey... it somewhat comes in handy. Below is another shot of her "mini" closet.

                                             


Once I cleared out her closet, I grabbed her bookshelf and placed it in there. Now, that she's gotten older she's decided that everything is a climbing toy and with her doing so... I started to become a little freaked out that she would pull the bookcase down on her.

After, I had moved the bookcase into her "mini" closet it seemed kind of pointless to keep the door closed. And as you may have noticed in the above photos the two doors kind of butt into each other. Plus, Em likes to take her bedroom door and push it open as hard as she can... which usually leads to the bedroom door slamming into the closet door and then leaving marks. Also, it started to dawn on me... How was she going to play with her toys? With all those thoughts going through my mind, I decided to take the closet door off.

BEST DECISION EVER!

It literally opened up the room. Her room doesn't seem closed off anymore with a thousand doors. It seems like a normal room with just an open space.

Here's her room with the "mini" closet door closed.

                                              

















Here's the area once I removed the doors and what not. It's so much better. Now, I just need to fill in the areas where the hinges were. But for now... the holes will stay and the memories of watching my daughter playing in her "area" will last forever.

Goodbye Rocks!

I decided to change over my previous blog to this blog. You can still find me over at twodaisiesandanelephant.blogspot.com. However, most of my blog posts from there will be transferred over to this one. So, at times you may see the "twodaisiesandanelephant" logo going across many of the photos. No worries, it is me. I promise.

Okay, so I don't know if the previous owners put these out and created this little area. However, this girl likes to go barefoot and walking over these rocks gets a little old. Plus, they go everywhere. I mean end up at the end of the sidewalk, everywhere.

It even had this weird bumper around it to define the area. I wasn't feeling that either. So, my husband pulled it up and took it to the dump. Then, we were left with rocks. Lovely rocks.

With the fact that it was continuously raining or we were busy with Baby E, we never really got around to it. Until... I pick the hottest day to rake rocks. Even with that, it still looks better.

I had to rake them into piles, but that's okay. It still looks a lot better than what it did.

Now, to just get a wheel barrow. Scoop them up and take them out front. I'm just going to add them to the random hole in the driveway.

It just looks so much better. All I have to do now is figure out how to get the remainder of the rocks up. You know the ones that are stuck under the mounds and mounds of dirt.





Even the sidewalk, that seemed to gather the rocks on it as well. I honestly still haven't figured out how the sidewalk accumulated that many rocks. Here's a before and after shot.