DIY Toys for Kids

I'm always amazed at kids toys and how expensive they can be, then you buy them and they end up playing with the box it came in-or it ends up in the bottom of a toy box soon after.  I have been making toys out of everyday items for quite a while now and these are a couple that seem to keep getting pulled out of the box and played with over and over. They were easy and cheap to make.  You can use plastic water bottles, soda bottles or something like it.  Then find all the little shiny, fluffy and interesting things you have in the junk drawer and put them in the bottle.  You will want to put some type of strong glue or hot glue around the inside of the cap to make sure it stays on and check it often to make sure it hasn't loosened.  These are good for infants, toddlers and even preschoolers.

The little ones like to look at it, roll it and shake it, and for preschoolers it makes a fun "I Spy" game. I filled that bottle with rice, a rubberband, some little letters from the craft store and other objects they can recognize. You can ask them to find the letter or something else in there, it's like the "I Spy" game.  These are also handy to have on those long trips in the car!

~Simply Angie

Bathroom Bling

Who doesn't enjoy a little bathroom bling? This is the most simple project (and maybe the strangest) I've ever done! I saw an idea on Pinterest with monogram initials on the toilet tank. I liked the concept but I was too impatient to order monogram letters so I decided I would buy some sparkly crystals for my project. I tried this in our shabby shic, guest bathroom because I wasn't too sure what my husband would think. Well, it brought a laugh and the typical roll of the eyes - haha!!
I bought a sheet of pink crystals (with adhesive on the back) for $2.99 at the craft store. I peeled off the crystals and applied them to my toilet tank. Done!


 Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Thrifty Frame Project

This old picture frame was one of my latest thrift store finds.  It had been gold with a damaged picture in it.  I didn't know what I was going to do with it at the time but I liked the look of it and the mirror between the frames. When I got it home I decided to paint over the gold with an antique white paint . I left it a little distressed and didn't quite cover all the gold, then I removed the picture and put the glass back in it. I am using it as a tray in my living room, but it could also be used to hold perfume, soap or lotion bottles. 

~Simply Angie

Nutty Granola Bars

I just looked at recipes and reviews for at least 20 different homemade granola bars and decided that I would make my own using my favorite ingredients! I figured if they didn't turn out, no one would ever know but if they did turn out, I could post them. Yep - they were delicious! I used my hands to mix them because I wanted to make sure everything was mixed together really well.
Ingredients:
4 c rolled oats (I used old-fashioned oats but I'm sure quick-cook oats would work)
1/3 c raw sunflower seeds
1/3 c sliced almonds
1 1/4 c peanut butter, I made homemade peanut butter from our archived recipes, Simply Homemade Peanut Butter
1/2 c honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T coconut oil, melted
I mixed all of the ingredients in a large bowl with my hands, they should be almost a little sticky because you want them to stay together. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and evenly pat the granola mixture into the pan, this will help them hold their shape after baking so they won't be so crumbly (you should expect a few crumbles though). I placed them in a preheated 300F oven for 15 minutes. Then I removed them from the oven and very carefully grabbed 2 ends of the parchment paper, then placed it on a cooling rack and cut the granola mixture into bars and squares before they cooled. I cut my bars down the middle (the length of the pan), then cut them the other way. I cut half of the granola into traditional granola shaped bars and the other half I cut into smaller squares. For me, they are better in small squares but the bars would be ok if you were eating them for a meal. I turned them over with a spatula and returned them to the oven for another 10 minutes. Then you can remove them from oven, let cool, and store in an airtight container. Enjoy your sort of crunchy, sort of chewy, healthy, nutty granola bars!

Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi