Freezer Jam

What do you do when strawberries are 44 cents a pound at Basha's? You make jam! At least if you're me, you do.

Yep, that's right. I found strawberries for 88 cents for a 2 lb. clamshell and bought up a whole bunch. I already had the sugar and the containers.

If you have never made jam and it sound intimidating, it is not! It is so easy, especially if you make freezer jam. I actually prefer freezer jam; it has a yummy taste. And you don't have to seal jars for it to stay fresh. In fact, I use glad plastic containers because they stack well and don't take up a lot of room. You can also make jam from a variety of fruits and even jelly from apple juice! Just follow the instructions inside the Sure-Jell box.
Here are the quick instructions:

1. Wash and hull all of the strawberries, then blend them up in a food processor until there are only small chunks.

2. Measure the right amount of berries and sugar and combine them both in a bowl. Let that sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Heat a package of Sure-Jell and 3/4 cup of water on the stove to a boil; boil rapidly for 1 minute while stirring.
4. Add the Sure-Jell to the strawberries and stir for 3 minutes. Pour into containers and cover them.
5. Let it sit on the counter for 24 hours before placing them in the freezer. Make sure you put one in your fridge too!

Of course after I made all of this jam, I found out a way to use less sugar and buy a cheaper pectin. If you live in Arizona, you can buy a product called Ultra Jell at Shar's Kitchen/Bosch Center in Gilbert. Apparently, it is only $12 for a small bucket and so it is cheaper than buying boxes of Sure-Jell. You can also use less sugar with the Ultra Jell and still make freezer jam (non-cooked jam).

Highchair Makeover

I got this lovely highchair from my in-laws. It was in great condition although it was a little rickety and needed some screws replaced.
I decided to paint it black so it would match our dining room furniture. It was really pretty easy. I just used spray cans of primer, black semi-gloss paint, and a few coats of clear to seal it. I have not attached the tray yet, and I think I like it as it is for now anyway. It goes right up against our table and now Levi has his own chair and doesn't need that clunky plastic booster chair he was using.

He already loves it!

P.S. To those who asked, here is what I used to seal the highchair.

Bandanna Skirts

I found this great tutorial from V and Co. on how to make a girl's skirt out of a bandanna. I thought these would be great for the 4th of July with red or navy blue bandannas. I made a black and red skirt and a navy and red one. I also added a little ruffle using a 6-inch spool of white tulle. I just folded a long strip in half twice (longways) then sewed a gathering stitch through it and gathered it. Then I just sewed it onto the top of the skirt pieces before sewing them together. Easy!

The finished skirts:

Seriously, these are so easy- you've got to make one!

Mod Podge Memory Game

I stumbled upon this cute idea a while ago and have wanted to make it ever since. Robert's was sold out of the squares, so I decided to just do the rectangles instead. Sorry for the horrible pictures. I think the game turned out well. I do need to spray it with some acrylic sealer because the pieces are still a little sticky from the Mod Podge.

Also, if you don't want to go out and buy chipboard pieces, you could use cut up cereal boxes instead. Same cute result, but a little cheaper!

Husband's Old Shirt = Daughter's New Dress

My cousin-in-law, Dana, whom I totally want to be like, made these adorable dresses for her daughter out of men's button front shirts. She posted an awesome tutorial as well. The skill level was easy, so I decided to take a crack at it. They were really easy to make, and this is coming from someone who rarely sews clothes!

I used the measurements that Dana used for her dresses and cut the shirts. However, I forgot to take into account my daughter's huge barrel chest, so they do fit a little snugly. I made the blue one first, using the instructions from the tutorial.
Since I had already cut out the yellow shirt, I thought it would be a good idea to have access to the buttons so I could actually get the thing on my daughter. The blue dress has the sash sewn straight onto the dress and the collar is sewn shut, so no opening the neck. Hmmm. I decided to make the sash separate and tie it around the back in a bow. I still need to add some small belt loops along either side of the dress.

I think I quite like this idea. She can wear it with or without a sash, and I could make different colors of sashes as well. Might be a good idea for a solid white or black shirt dress.
Anyway, these are so fun to make. My husband is lucky he has any shirts left in his closet. I am going to have to find more shirts at thrift stores! Thanks, Dana, for the easy-to-follow instructions and the new obsession!

Simple Monogram

I have seen these huge monograms in lots of people's houses. Some people Mod Podge them with scrapbook paper or attach flowers and embellishments. But my friend has one in her kitchen that she just painted plain black and hung on the wall. It is really eye-catching and looks so simple yet so cute. So I decided to do what I do best- copy her idea!
These big letters are almost 2 feet tall and are found at Joann's. I bought one a while ago, and for the longest time, just had it hung on my wall as is. I was trying to get a feel for having a huge S on my wall. In fact, I didn't think I liked it, until I painted it black and added just a few ribbons. I really like the finished result! It'll look even better when my walls get painted...