Upcycled Bird House with #Idelight

We always love to find ways to appreciate nature at our farm, and we spend large amounts of time on our covered porch. I thought it would be fun to share delight by repurposing an International Delight iced coffee carton into a charming birdhouse. Even if you aren't artistic, I kept the décor simplistic enough that even children could be successful with this creation.

You will need:
1 empty International Delight coffee carton (August is National Coffee Month, and this is a great excuse to enjoy some iced coffee!)
Sharp knife
Spray primer
Spray varnish
Assorted paints
Paintbrushes
Permanent Marker
Awl
Ribbon

First, rinse out your carton and allow to dry. Using a small circle (a 50 cent piece or a child's medicine cup works well), trace the circle for the hole on the carton. Carefully cut this out with a knife (kids, let your parent do this part). Then spray your carton with primer until it reaches a solid white. You may need more than one coat.

 

Once the primer is dry, decorate your birdhouse. You can paint it in any way you'd like. I used the same children's medicine cup to trace circles to make the bodies of birds flitting about the house. Once your paint is dry, you can use a permanent marker to add contrast to the edges of the birds. Allow to dry completely.

Coat birdhouse with a layer of spray varnish. This will help protect your birdhouse from the elements. Allow to dry. Now the last step is to make a small hole in the top for a ribbon (I used an awl for this), so you can hang your masterpiece.

And now, your birdhouse is ready for the birds to move in! 

If you have a moment, click here to sign up as a member of the International Delight community, where you can find other inspiring ideas for your family and delicious recipes!  Plus, if you sign up this month, you get an instant coupon and are have access to exclusive giveaways, like a chance to win a tablet.

Disclaimer:  This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

Back to School with Mabel's Labels

It happened.  All three of my boys started school yesterday.  It's hard to believe the twins are old enough for kindergarten this year.  They have the same teacher that Pierce had, so I know they are in good hands.

The past couple of weeks we've been getting ready, and one of the things I love to do in preparation is label everything with Mabel's Labels.  I've been using these labels on the boys' possessions for a couple of years now.  I can say that they are very durable - they can go through numerous washings and there is no sign of wear - they retain their vibrant colors, they don't come off, and they do not fray.

They offer various packages, but we like the Ultimate Back to School Combo.  It comes with 3 different styles of labels, plus a couple of metal hang tags that are perfect for backpacks and winter jackets.

You can pick your colors and a small image for your labels.  Since Pierce is so into robots, it was an easy choice for him this year.

I stick them everywhere - lunchboxes, pencil boxes, water bottles, paint shirts - they go on pretty much everything! 

Yes, readers, I had all the school supplies in order, and everything neatly ordered.  The only thing that wasn't prepared to watch these boys get on the bus and head off was my heart.  I hope they all have a wonderful school year!

Disclaimer:  I received a set of labels for review purposes.  The opinions above are my own. 

A Foamy Situation

When we went to Touch A Truck in Salem, we went prepared.  Each boy wore a swimsuit and sunscreen. 

Because by far, the highlight of Touch A Truck is the massive pit of foam provided by the fire department.

I mean, when you're a little boy, is there anything more inviting than a pit of foam on a steamy July day?

And the foam just keeps coming, from the big foam shooter.  Every few minutes, waves and waves of foam.

A foam sea.

Yes, folks, I almost wish I was 7 again.

Muttonchops Cort:

The world's biggest bubblebath.

Afterwards, you can go under the firetruck mister to rinse off.

I use the term "rinse off" very loosely.

Mud dance, anyone?

 

Why, oh why didn't they have foam pits when I was a kid?

Ghost Truck

A couple of weeks ago we took the boys to an event called Touch A Truck in Salem, Virginia.  We've been several years, and it is always so much fun.  I will have another post showing an assortment of the activities available, but I thought I would do a post just on what the boys called the Ghost Truck.  Here is one of the doors:

Indeed, this truck was a little black, and a lot menacing.  Check out the dashboard on the inside.  Can you see all the skulls?  And the glowing skull plugged into the cigarette lighter?

This is the tailgate.

This is one truck I wouldn't recommend tailgating! 

What about you, readers?  Have you seen any ghost trucks lately?

 

Happy fifth birthday today to Cort and Reid!

We have lots of fun planned today, which I'll be sure to share in the near future.

Blueberries

When we visited my aunt and uncle in Greensboro a few weeks ago, their blueberry bushes were in full fruit.  I use the term 'bushes' loosely, as they were really the size of trees.  These blueberries are extra special though.  They were a gift many years ago to my aunt and uncle from my grandfather.  He sure would be smiling if he could see his great-grandsons picking those berries.

Cort picked a bunch of blueberries.  Reid picked a bunch of blueberries.  Pam and George picked a bunch of blueberries.  And I picked a good number of blueberries.

"What about Pierce?", you ask.  Didn't he pick blueberries?

 

Oh Pierce.  Quit eating all the blueberries!

 

Readers, have you devoured any berries this summer?



More Delightful Trash!

I can't believe it, but I found another of those incredible solar trash cans in Roanoke.  They compact the trash, and send an email to Waste Management when full.  But the part I really love is the historic picture on the can.

This is my fifth.  I think the original document I read said that there were five of them with the pictures (and 15 total solar compacting trash cans in Roanoke).  You can read about the others I found here and here and here. 

It was surprising when I drove past this one.  I was working and in an off the beaten path, not-so-great neighborhood when I drove past it.  I made a point to go back later to get a picture. 

Even though I think there may only be five of these, I'm going to keep my eyes peeled just in case they add any more.  They are such a fun and useful addition to the street corners of Roanoke.

A Rainbow in My Pantry

I can't believe it's already August and I have not yet specifically blogged about my garden. 

The truth is, I didn't plant that much.  But the things I've planted have done well.  Kale and lettuce, peas, yellow summer squash and radishes (to battle the bugs), cucumbers and an assortment of tomatoes.

I have been rather busy canning.  Below you can see (from left to right) strawberry jam (from our strawberry picking), jalapeno jelly, dill relish, wineberry jam (these grow wild on our land), pickled beets (thanks to a big batch of beets from Sunnybrook Farm), and sweet summer squash relish.  I've also done a number of squash pies for the freezer and some squash refrigerator pickles. 

I plan to plant a few crops for the fall.  Beets, spinach, lettuce, and maybe some more peas.  These are all things that tend to do well in the fall in my garden.  Broccoli does well too, but picking off all those caterpillars kind of gets to me after a while.

Readers, what's growing in your garden this summer?