Sew, Sew, Sew

I got my hands on a sewing machine (it used to belonged to J's mom) and now I've found a new hobby. Up until last week I hadn't touched a sewing machine for almost 20 years, but I was somehow able to remember how to thread it (my grade 8 home ec teacher would be so proud) and haven't looked back since! I started off by making a few bibs for O and then decided to up the ante and made a pair of pyjama pants for K. I never thought I'd be able to sew a pair of pants. I made a lot of mistakes, but they are pants through and through...and now I'll be able to do better next time. You live, you learn. (Thanks, Alanis.)

DIY Kitchen Play Board

I've been wanting to get K a kitchen play set for a while, but with space constraints in our cozy house compounded with prices I saw (over $100 for one? no thanks) I decided to look for alternatives. There are some great ideas floating around on the internet, but ultimately I just improvised and came up with something else: I found an old unused cork board and, coupled with some craft paint, breathed new life and purpose into our would-otherwise-be trash!

Here is what I did: I started with an regular old cork board, cleaned it up, gave it a fresh coat of yellow and white paint, used a crayon to sketch out my "kitchen" (two stove burners, knobs, a sink, and faucet), then did some more painting, and voila!

The board can easily be used on any surface since it's just a cork board so it sturdy and flat, and storing it is easy because of its narrow profile. Even better still, this project cost me nothing because everything I used I already had on hand (I could really get used to this whole repurposing thing!). 

However, the best part of this project was seeing K's reaction to it when she got home yesterday: she stopped in her tracks, pointed at it, and said, "Mommy, see?" At first she didn't realize what it was, but after showing her the ropes she was off washing and cooking up a vegetable storm in no time! Love that kid.

Anyway, I know it's super basic and doesn't have any of the bells and whistles that these $100+ kitchen stations have, but it's perfect for us and that's what counts. :)