I got the idea of a poolside daybed and started searching for the perfect one online. My expensive taste but limited budget always manages to keep me in check so naturally, I opted for another DIY.

Other than the cuts, this outdoor daybed was my first solo build, and I’m pretty proud of it. I followed Ana White’s plans and was able to finish building it in a few days, working between school drop-offs and pick-ups.

I will admit, I don’t love the current color of the stain. The Arizona sun is no joke and after one summer, I had to sand and reapply topcoat. The original color was a custom mix of Minwax Weathered Oak and Classic Grey, which was a lot less yellow. I plan to sand and stain again next winter. It’s already too hot here in the desert to tackle that project.

I ordered this mattress from Amazon and had the outdoor cover custom made by Patio Lane. All the pillows are from World Market and have held up really well in the sun. I made the canopy by sewing together three curtain panels, also from Amazon.

My backyard to-do list is still a mile long, but it’s such a great feeling to check off one [pretty] project at a time.

I love the way this outdoor daybed adds such a cozy and inviting touch to this little section of the backyard. It’s my favorite place to lounge in the evenings with a big glass of wine! Make sure to check out another favorite backyard building project HERE!

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We only had 2 weeks to plan, and with a long road trip coming up, we couldn’t spend a lot of money.  I found some awesome companies online that will send you all the supplies needed for a painting party, but they just weren’t in the money or time budget.  So of course, it turned into a DIY painting party- which is totally me anyway!  Thank goodness for Amazon Prime and 2-Day shipping!

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DIY Painting Party Supplies

• DIY Stencil (see below)
• Tabletop Easel Multipack
• 11″ x 14″ Stretched Canvas Value Pack
• Acrylic Paint Value Pack (plenty of colors for creative little minds)
• All-Purpose Brushes
• Paint Palette (one per party kid)
• Canvas Drop Cloth (to protect your table from spills)
• Disposable Cups (for water, one per party kid)
• Paper Towels
• Plenty of snacks!

I’ve linked all the painting supplies for easy one-stop shopping, but make sure to check out your local craft stores (and use their coupons) to get the best deals.

The first thing I did to get ready for the painting party was create a stencil.  My birthday boy wanted his friends to paint kitty cats.  We searched Google Images until we found a fun kitty design we loved.  I used Silhouette Studio to create a cut file using the image we picked and then cut it out on thick cardstock with my Silhouette Cameo.  That was the easy part.  The hard time consuming part was tracing the stencil on 12 canvases.  I used double sided tape to secure the stencil and a pencil to trace.

Our outdoor dining table and benches were the perfect spot for the party kids to sit and paint.  My husband covered the table with the canvas drop cloth and stapled the overhang on the underside.  I set each kid up with an easel, canvas, paint palette, water cup, paper towel, and 3 brushes (1 flat & 2 different sized round).

We had a couple younger siblings tag along for the fun, so I set up a small table with washable finger paint and blank canvases for them.

Before party day, I painted my own kitty on an extra canvas so the kiddos would have an idea of what their finished painting would look like.  I referred to my painting when asking them what colors they wanted for different parts of their cat. I kept extra paper towels and all the paint on a separate table so I could easily distribute both when needed.

Instead of just turning the kids loose, I gave them a few directions.  They started with the inner ears, mouth, and nose.  Next, they painted the kitty’s eyes.  Then the stripes.  I loved this part!  It was fun to see their creative minds turning when choosing paint colors.  Some kiddos kept it mellow, and others chose wild rainbow kitty stripes.

Once all the stripes were painted, we went inside for a snack to give the paint time to dry before finishing with the main face color.

After refueling with some snacks, the party kids were ready to get back to work!  Everyone put the finishing touches on their kitty cat paintings and we let them dry while our birthday boy opened gifts.

They all did an amazing job and it sure sounded like they had a lot of fun!  They were full of giggles the whole time!  Each party kid went home with their finished painting and a paint palette cookie.

Our birthday boy talked about his party for days and it’s definitely a theme we’ll have to repeat!  Except next time, it will be moms only and wine instead of cookies!  Hopefully this little tutorial will give you the confidence to throw your own DIY painting party.  With a little bit of prep work, you can put together a party that’s sure to impress!

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Growing up in a small farming town, one would think my childhood was full of farm fresh foods.  While that was occasionally true for our family (we had a garden most summers), a lot of our meals came from boxes with the word “helper” on them.  Our pantry was full of sugary snacks and soda was a staple. Throughout high school, I was a big fan of several fast food joints.  My husband tells a pretty embarrassing story about the first time we hit a Taco Bell drive-thru together.  I ordered enough for myself to feed a family of four.  Gross.  Looking back now, I know I made terrible food choices.  Unfortunately, you don’t think much of it when you’re raised eating processed food.

My view on food and the things I was putting into my body changed pretty drastically after my husband and I got married and started a family.  But we still had a long way to go when it came to eating “real food”.  I was basically just winging it, hoping I was making the right choices.  It wasn’t until I found Lisa’s blog that I really understood what my family’s real food goals should look like.

Lisa has released 3 cookbooks so far and each one has been a hit.  But her newest one, 100 Days of Real Food On a Budget, truly outlines how easy and cost effective it can be for a family to eat real food.

100 Days of Real Food On a Budget: Features I Love

1. Simple Ingredients

This is huge for me!  The day I received this cookbook in the mail, I was able to whip up 2 recipes without needing to make a special trip to the store.  (Scroll down to check them out!) I love that I can choose almost any recipe and there’s a good chance I’ll already have most (if not all) of the ingredients in my fridge and pantry.  There’s nothing like breaking your weekly dinner budget on one meal that needs fancy, hard to find ingredients.  Lisa stuck with the staples that most of us already keep stocked.

2. Budgeting Tips and Resources

This isn’t just a cookbook.  Lisa dedicates a whole chapter to giving tips and tricks on how to make and stick to your real food budget.  She includes ways to lower your grocery bill, reduce waste, tips on growing and preserving seasonal foods, and how to stock a basic real food kitchen.  Lisa also created a supermarket comparison chart so you can see where your money will stretch the furthest.

3. $15 (or less) Shopping Lists For Every Recipe

With prices!  Each recipe is broken up into 3 sections:

• shopping list (with prices and total cost)
• pantry and fridge checklist (so you can check your staples before shopping)
• ingredients left over (so you can plan your weekly meals and budget accordingly)

4. Special Diet Friendly

I’m dairy free so I love when I find recipes that can be easily converted to fit my needs.  Out of 100 recipes, 49 are (or can be) dairy free.  75 are (or can be) gluten free.  67 are (or can be) vegetarian.  And 83 are (or can be) peanut/tree nut free.

5. Color Pictures

Every recipe has a beautiful colored picture to go with it.  I love when I can see what the food I’m making is going to look like.  Plus, who doesn’t love pretty pictures of food?!

6. Weekly Meal Plans

Lisa created 4 seasonal seven-day real-food dinner meal plans, with prices!  Each plan is $100 or less!

You can get your own copy of 100 Days of Real Food On a Budget and enjoy all these features (plus more!) anywhere books are sold, or right HERE.

Recipe Sneak Peek

These are two of the recipes I’ve made from Lisa’s newest cookbook and my family wasn’t disappointed.  They both came together in minutes and I already had all the ingredients on hand.  That’s a win for busy moms everywhere!

Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bites

Photo: 100 Days of Real Food On a Budget

Easy Chinese Chicken

Photo: 100 Days of Real Food On a Budget

Photo: 100 Days of Real Food On a Budget

If changing the way your family eats is a goal for you, head over to 100 Days of Real Food for loads of information on how to get started!

The post Real Food On a Budget appeared first on A Hint of Home.

This pineapple jalapeño margarita is a little spicy, a little sweet, and goes down sooo easy! It’s a simple drink to customize, depending on what you like.  If you want more spice, muddle a jalapeño slice in your glass before you pour.  If you like your drinks a little on the sweet side, add a splash of simple syrup.

The chili salt around the rim is what truly takes this drink over the top.  You can probably do without, but I wouldn’t.  Plain salt or sugar on the rim just won’t give you the same flavor explosion as the pineapple jalapeño margarita mixing with the chili as it hits your lips.  Trust me.

Next time you’re sitting poolside, make sure you and your friends are sippin’ on these sweet and spicy pineapple jalapeño margaritas.  You won’t be disappointed!

As always, don’t forget to share and enjoy!

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Just like with the outdoor dining table, we used Shanty 2 Chic’s tutorial and Ana White’s plans to build our own outdoor bench.  It has the “fancy X” legs that match our table perfectly!

Ana White’s plans include a shopping list for both a 63″ and 96″ long bench.  We decided to be difficult and combine the 2.  Our bench top is 96″, which is just 3″ shy of the full length of our table.  And our legs are 63″ wide, so the bench is able to slide under the table.  We wanted plenty of length for seating, while still being able to push the bench in and out of the way if needed. These measurements were just right for us.

DIY OUTDOOR BENCH

I’m going to walk you through our build, but make sure to head over to Ana White’s plans to get full shopping and cut lists.

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Step One: Assemble “X” Legs

The base of our bench needed to be 63″ to be able to slide under our dining table, so we followed the 63″ bench cut list.  We made all of our cuts and then I painted each piece.  I learned my lesson on our dining table.. It would have been impossible to get good coverage in all those nooks and crannies if I waited until the bench was built.

I used Sherwin Williams Weathershield Exterior paint in Satin.  The color is Iron Ore.  I didn’t want the outdoor bench to get lost visually against all the wood of the table so I opted for paint instead of stain on the legs.  The dark grey is a nice contrast.

I laid all our cut pieces on a scrap piece of cardboard and rolled the paint on with a foam roller.  This gave me a nice smooth finish.

Once all the pieces were dry, we started assembling the “X” legs.  We used finishing nails and Gorilla wood glue to secure each board.

This step went fairly quickly.  We had all three “X” legs assembled in about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Create Pocket Holes

If you don’t already have a Kreg Pocket-Hole Jig, now is the time to get one.  I know I said it on our last project, but seriously.  It’s amazing! We used our Kreg Jig to make pocket holes in both the 1×3 stretchers and our “X” legs.  We took a tip from Whitney and decided to attach our “X” legs to the bench top using pocket hole screws.  For us, this was much easier than drilling into the bench top to secure the legs.  

Each “X” got 3 pocket holes, and the stretcher boards got 2 on each end.

Step 3: Attach the Legs

To figure out our spacing between each leg, we secured our 1×3 spacer boards with just one screw in each side.  We flipped the base over and centered the whole thing on the underside of our 2×6 seat boards.  We used our speed square to ensure the legs were straight.

My husband used 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws in the outside pocket holes first.  Then we removed the 1×3 stretcher boards so he could screw into the legs’ middle holes.  Once all three legs were attached, we reattached the 1×3 stretchers, this time using 2 screws in each end.

Step 4: Finish Assembly

We secured the 2 1×2 supports by countersinking 2″ wood screws.

And we attached the feet with finishing nails and wood glue.

At this point we flipped the outdoor bench over to see how sturdy it was.  It was okay, but my husband felt that it needed something.  We decided to drill 2 3″ deck screws into the bottom of each leg.  These countersunk screws eliminated any side to side movement and made the whole thing feel much more stable.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

Since lots of kiddos and people in swim suits will be using this outdoor bench, we took extra time to sand the seat really well.  My husband started with a coarse grit sandpaper and our belt sander.  After all the rough spots were sanded out, he used a fine grit sandpaper with our palm grip sander.  I went through with wood filler and filled any notches or grooves where the sanders couldn’t reach.  I also filled all the nail and screw holes on the legs.  Once the wood filler was dry, we went over it with a fine sandpaper one more time and touched up paint on the base.

I used the same stain concoction for the seat as I did for our outdoor table.. A mixture of 3 parts Minwax Weathered Oak, 1 part Espresso.  After I applied the stain, I whitewashed the seat to give it a nice weathered look.  When both the stain and whitewash coats were dry, I applied 2 coats of Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane to the underside and top of the seat boards.

We allowed the bench to dry overnight and it was good to go!  We placed it under our table and couldn’t wait to use it.  The boys have asked to have a “picnic” at our new outdoor bench and table almost everyday!  The bench is plenty long for the whole family and it’s sturdy too.  We had planned to only build one bench and buy chairs for the other side of the table, but we love it so much, we’re going to build another one!

Don’t forget to check out our DIY Outdoor Dining Table and let me know if you build an outdoor dining set of your own!  I’d love to see it!  Please comment below with any questions and as always, share away!!  Happy building, friends!

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This recipe is adapted from one my bestie’s mom shared with me years ago at a baby shower.  One thing I love about this fire roasted salsa is how easy it is to customize it to your family’s taste.  We like things a little spicy around here, so we amp up the heat by using whole jalapeños.  If you like your salsa more on the mild side, simply remove the seeds before chopping the jalapeño, or leave them out completely.  I’m also a huge fan of the crunch I get when I get a bite full of onions, so I tend to throw more in as I mix up all the chunky goodness.  I always taste as I go and add more salt, lime juice, or jalapeño if I feel like it’s missing something.

This fire roasted salsa is so quick and easy, even my husband (who is usually the master of the grill, not the kitchen) can whip up a batch in no time at all.  So if you have a fun family function coming up, or you just want a yummy snack for a lazy Sunday, give this recipe a try.  It won’t disappoint!

As always, feel free to let me know if you have any questions (or suggestions) and share away!

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Do you ever find yourself scouring the internet for new furniture, only to land on and fall in love with THE MOST EXPENSIVE product on the site? Yeah, me too.  All. The. Time.  I have notoriously expensive taste, but I definitely don’t have the budget to match.  It’s frustrating.

Now that our backyard reno is finally happening, I started searching all over the web for good deals on patio furniture.  Sure I found some decently priced pieces, but most of those came with awful reviews.  I want furniture that will last years and for that to happen, it’s going to need to withstand intense Arizona summers.  My solution? DIY!

Once I realized it would be so much better (and cheaper) to build our own patio furniture, my searches went from retail sites to good ol’ Pinterest.  There are so many awesome tutorials out there.  My husband and I chose to start with a DIY outdoor dining table since it would be the easiest thing to store until the yard is finished.  The couches, bench, and privacy walls will come a little later.  Luckily the husband is a very go-with-the-flow type of guy, so he was on board without needing much convincing.

While scrolling Pinterest, I fell in love with the Fancy X Farmhouse Table over at Shanty 2 Chic. Using Whitney’s tutorial along with Ana White’s plans, we were able to bust out our table’s base in 2 afternoons.  This outdoor dining table would have been super simple and taken a lot less time, but we decided to build a different top than what was used in the plan. Because we’re fancy. And apparently like to challenge ourselves.

I liked the herringbone style table tops over at Cherished Bliss and Deeply Southern Home so we used their plans as inspiration and created our own.  We tweaked things along the way to fit our design.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

DIY Outdoor Dining Table

So you want to build your own outdoor dining table?  First, head over to Ana White’s plans and assemble your base. We followed everything in her plan except the table top, so we skipped purchasing the 4- 8′ 2x10s.  If you’re going to follow her plan exactly, make sure you get those boards.  They’re important.

Also, if you don’t already have a Kreg Jig pocket-hole kit, I highly recommend getting one. It’s such a nifty tool and will really come in handy for this project and almost any other wood project you intend to tackle in the future.  Totally worth the investment!

After your base is fully assembled, fill any holes with wood putty and sand smooth.  This is much easier to do before you attach the tabletop.  Trust me.

We wanted the dimensions to be as close to Ana White’s original tabletop as possible.  We decided to keep the width at 37″ and our length ended up a little bit longer than her 8 footer.  It fits our table base perfectly.

Let’s Get Started

Table Top Supplies

• 15- 1×4 @ 6′ long
• 4- 1×4 @ 8′ long
• 4- 2×4 @ 8′ long
• finishing nails
• 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws
• 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws
• Gorilla wood glue
• electric sander (a must)
• speed square
• Kreg Jig
• wood filler
• wood stain
• top coat

Step One: Assemble the frame for the tabletop

We figured this out by a little bit of trial and error.  My husband is a very visual person.  So to help him understand what I was trying to explain, we laid all our boards out on the garage floor.  We knew we wanted our top to be 8′ long, but to our surprise, 8′ long 2x4s aren’t actually 8′ long.  *facepalm*  To make up the difference, we put our width pieces on the ends of our length pieces, instead of inside them.  This took our tabletop length measurement to 8’3″. Close enough for us!

We cut our end pieces to 37″ and left our [almost] 8′ boards uncut.  We assembled the 2×4 frame with 2 1/2″ pocket hole screws, 2 on each end of the 3 length boards, 12 total.  It’s important to make sure your frame is square, so take your time on this step.  We then flipped the 2×4 frame over so that the pocket holes were underneath.

We attached the 4 1×4 8′ boards to the 2×4 frame using 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws.  These will be the supports for the herringbone inlay, so they will be hidden.  You can see in the picture above that we only used 5 pocket holes on each board.  Now that our table is finished, we realized we should have added one more to each end to prevent any gaps between the frame and supports.

Notice the space above the 1×4?  The 1×4 herringbone boards will fill that space to create a flat tabletop surface, level with the 2×4 frame.

Step 2: Attach Frame to Table Base

We centered the tabletop frame and supports on the base and secured it with deck screws (which will be hidden).  We made sure to countersink all the screws so the herringbone boards would lay nice and flat on the supports. With 8 screws holding it in place on each end, this top isn’t going anywhere.  Make sure not to eyeball the placement of the top when building your own.  Measure all the way around and take your time until it’s centered.

Step 3: Measure, Cut, Repeat

Now this is where it gets interesting!  This step was definitely the most time consuming.  But worth it in the end.  We cut the majority of our 1x4s to 18.5″ with both ends cut parallel at 45 degrees off square.  To be honest, we didn’t actually measure each cut.  We started with the first board cut at a 45, fit it in the space, lined it up on the other side, and drew a line with the speed square.  Make sense?!  Here, my amazing husband will demonstrate:

One end is cut at 45 degrees off square and placed on the center support.  A scrap piece of wood and the speed square are lined up to create the new 45 degree cut line.  This method made the process go pretty smoothly.  We all know that there is no perfect board, so this allowed us custom fit each piece without a bunch of measuring and cutting mistakes. I recommend doing the same with your own tabletop so you can get the fit just right with each board.  We do have some gaps where the 45 degree cuts didn’t line up perfectly with our 2×4 frame, but since this table will be outside in the elements, those gaps will come in handy for water drainage.

We cut and fit all of our 18.5″ boards first, and then went back to the ends to make those odd cuts to finish out the split herringbone design.

One thing that I wish we would have thought of before we started is to mix up the boards.  We made 3 cuts on each 6′ 1×4 and put all 3 cut boards next to each other.  We didn’t notice it until we stained, but you can totally tell which boards came from the same piece of wood.  Mixing them up or cutting from multiple boards as we went would have given our table an even better finished look.

Step 4: Secure the Split Herringbone Inlay

It’s mostly smooth sailing from here on out!  We popped each piece out of place, applied Gorilla wood glue to both support boards, and put the wood back in it’s spot.  After each piece was glued, we went back with our Hitachi finish nailer and secured each board with 4 finishing nails.

Step 5: Fill and Sand

Before we could get to the fun part (staining) we had to fill all those nail and pocket holes.  We applied the wood filler and waited overnight for it to dry.  Once everything was plenty dry, we sanded the whole table smooth.  We started with a coarse grit to level out any unevenness and worked our way up to fine to smooth it all out.

Finishing Touches

Step 1: Stain

Picking a stain color is HARD.  We loved the look of Minwax Weathered Oak on the little sample they have in the store, but when I tried it on a piece of scrap 1×4, I hated it.  It was way lighter than I had anticipated.  So I did what any good DIY-er would do and made my own.  I must have stained 12 boards before I came up with a concoction I loved.

A light-and-weathered look is what I was going for, with a tiny bit of warmth.  I ended up using about 1 part Espresso, 3 parts Weathered Oak to create a color I was happy with. (no measuring here!) AND THEN to give it that weathered look I was after, I whitewashed the whole thing using a few tablespoons of light grey paint mixed with about 2 cups water.  After the whole table was stained (I didn’t even wait for it to dry) I worked in tiny sections to apply the whitewash.  I painted it on using a small brush and wiped it off with an old tee shirt before it had time to dry.

Step 2: Topcoat

Once the whitewash was dry, I finished the whole table off with 3 coats of Minwax Helmsman Spar Urathane.  We went with a semi-gloss, but I think matte would have been better.  The husband wanted gloss, so semi was our compromise.  It’s a little more shiny than I would have liked, but it still looks great! 

Step 3: Add a Little Detail

This step is completely optional, but we think it adds a sweet little touch.  We found industrial steel brackets, spray painted them matte black, and attached them to all 4 corners.

This DIY outdoor dining table took us several weekends to finish and we are extremely happy with how it turned out.  We’re very happy with the money saved and the time we spent working together.  We’re also pretty impressed with ourselves for knocking out such a big project!  I seriously stop and admire it every time I walk outside.  I can’t wait until our yard is complete and we’re able to enjoy meals and drinks (Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, anyone?) around it with family and friends.  That is after we build the benches to go with it, of course!

I hope my tutorial leaves you feeling confident enough to tackle this DIY outdoor dining table project yourself.  If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below!  And as always, don’t forget to share!!

UPDATE:

We finally finished our DIY Outdoor Bench to go with our outdoor dining table and we are LOVING it! Head over here to see how we built it!

The post DIY Outdoor Dining Table appeared first on A Hint of Home.

Now that Christmas is over and we’ve rung in the New Year, it’s time to start thinking about Valentine’s Day. If you’re anything like me, finding a perfect gift for your significant other that says “I love you” can be a daunting task.

My husband and I are the type of couple that doesn’t really “do” gifts. We tend to buy the things we want or need throughout the year (usually for ourselves). And we typically save the holiday gift giving to spoil our kids. Even though we never expect gifts from each other, I still like to surprise him every now and then with something completely unexpected. Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to give him a little gift to let him know that my love for him is still strong. Even 10 years later. AND I know he won’t be expecting anything, so the surprise will be even sweeter.

Even though my heart is screaming “I love this guy” I still struggle to find something that conveys that feeling. Every year I rack my brain for the perfect gift idea and end up falling short of my own expectations.  So I just don’t get him anything… which lucky for me, is totally okay with him.

BUT my friends, not this year!

When I first discovered JORD Wood Watches, my first thought was “omg Kevin would love one of these!” Let me tell you.. the pictures online and on social media don’t even do these watches justice.

Find my Frankie watch (pictured) HERE.

JORD

JORD uses a variety of uniquely gorgeous woods to create the bands on their modern and sophisticated watches.  With plenty of men’s and women’s designs to choose from, you won’t have any trouble finding the perfect one for your Valentine.

I received my own watch and was immediately blown away by the packaging.  When it comes to gift presentation, JORD really knows what they’re doing.  This gift is ready for giving, right out of the box. All you have to do is put it in a cute Valentine’s Day bag!  Easy enough!

Want to take your awesome gift to the next level? The watch AND the gorgeous cedar box it comes in are both totally customizable.  You can have a sweet message engraved on the watch’s backplate to let your love know how much they mean to you.  Want to make it even more personal?  Print out the JORD Box Engraving Design sheet and follow the instructions to have a custom hand written message engraved right on the front of the box.  Your special someone will love the extra heartfelt personal touches this Valentine’s Day.

+GIVEAWAY CLOSED+

Lucky for you, I’ve teamed up with JORD to giveaway a $100 gift code to use toward your own special Valentine’s Day watch! One lucky person will win $100 to use on the JORD site, but everyone who enters will receive a $25 code.  Not a bad deal, right? The giveaway ends 1/28/18 and the gift code is good until 2/28/18.  So hurry, enter here before it ends!

The post Show Your Love This Valentine’s Day with a Unique Wooden Watch appeared first on A Hint of Home.

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Supplies for a DIY Advent Calendar

• large empty frame (this one comes with almost everything you need)
• twine or ribbon
• small muslin bags (24)
• craft paint or iron on numbers
• number stencils (if using paint)
• iron (if using iron on numbers)
• hot glue gun
• mini clothespins (24)
• goodies to fill each bag

Make Your DIY Advent Calendar

First, you need an empty frame.  I was lucky enough to have my husband build one with some extra wood we had in the garage.  If making one isn’t an option for you, you can order a kit (like this one), or search your local Goodwill for one that can be painted to match your style.  Mine is 24″ x 36″ and is the perfect size for 5 rows of bags.

Next, number your bags 1-24.  Some people do a 25th bag, but I think waking up Christmas morning to presents under the tree is way more exciting for kids, so our last bag will be opened Christmas Eve. (I cut out a cute little tree to mark the spot for Christmas.) I used my Silhouette Cameo to create a freezer paper stencil for each number. (tutorial for freezer paper stencils- here) After I ironed each stencil on, I used a foam brush to apply the paint. Place a small piece of paper or cardboard into each bag so your paint doesn’t bleed through to the other side. An index card is perfect for this! Don’t overfill your brush and use a dabbing motion to prevent any bleeding under the stencil.

If you’re using iron on numbers, just follow the instructions on the package.

Once your bags are numbered, you’ll need to attach your twine or ribbon to your frame.  I used hot glue for this since I love burning off my fingerprints so I can easily peel it off and change out my string if I want a new look next year.  I laid everything out on my table to see how it would look. (I’m totally a visual person) I played with the spacing until it was just right.  Each strand of twine is 5.5″ apart.  Depending on your bag and frame sizes, you might need more or less room between them.  Hot glue each end of twine to the back of your frame, making sure to pull tight.  I held the twine in place while the hot glue dried to prevent any sagging. Frame complete!

Fill Your Bags

Now all you have to do is fill each bag with goodies, and attach them to your frame with mini clothespins.  Your DIY Advent calendar is ready for a Christmas countdown!

I’m keeping my bag items super simple this year (Hershey Kisses for the win!) but here are some super fun ideas your kids might enjoy:

• Rudolf nose
• Christmas themed mini erasers
• mini coloring book
• mini Play-Doh
• cookie cutters
• candy (always a hit)
• scavenger hunt clue (make it lead to a fun small gift at the end)
• Christmas poems
• movie tickets
• family coupons (good for one.. Christmas movie night, hot cocoa date, dessert before dinner, etc.)
• small ornaments
• Christmas PJs (include a note saying where they are)

The possibilities are endless!  I’ll be able to spend more time filling the bags with really fun treats next year since my calendar is already made.  I’m excited to start this tradition with my kids and I can’t wait to use this DIY Advent calendar for years to come!

Does your family have an Advent calendar?  What kinds of fun things do you fill it with? Let me know in the comments! I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas!

Merry Christmas!!

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How to Get Started

Toward the end of November, I pull out all our Christmas books and decide which ones I want to include.  Over the years, the baby board books have been swapped out for more age appropriate (and longer) stories.  Some of the books in our collection are from when I was a kid, so those are extra special.

If you’re just starting your Christmas book collection, Amazon is a great (affordable) place to shop. I’ve linked my book list below for easy shopping.

I wrap each book and number them from 1-24. I always make The Night Before Christmas number 24 so we can read it on Christmas Eve.

Starting on December 1st, each night before bed, my kids take turns opening one Christmas book and we read it together as a family.  Since they’re numbered, there’s no fighting about which book to choose next.

After we read the books, I leave them out in the living room so they’re easily accessible all month long.  The boys love to grab books throughout the day and lay in front of the tree to read together.

When Christmas is over, I put all the books back in storage until it’s time to wrap them next year.  This helps keep the books fresh and exciting when they’re re-opened year after year.

This tradition allows the boys to feel the excitement of opening presents before Christmas and it also makes us, as a family, focus on spending meaningful time together each night.  We all know the holiday season can make us feel rushed and in a hurry to get it all done.  Sitting down together for a special Christmas story reminds us of what’s really important this time of year.

Our 24 Books of Christmas

1. Bear Stays Up for Christmas– Karma Wilson
2. The Sweet Smell of Christmas-Patricia Scarry
3. The Very Smiley Snowman– Jack Tickle
4. Merry Christmas, Curious George– Margret and H.A. Rey’s
5. Santa Claus Funny Faces– Priddy Books
6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas– Dr. Seuss
7. My First Night Before Christmas– Clement C. Moore
8. Slide and Find Christmas– Priddy Books
9. The Polar Express– Chris Van Allsburg
10. The Very First Christmas– Suzanne Berry
11. The Snow Bear– Miriam Moss
12. The Christmas Story– Jane Werner
13. Merry Christmas Mom and Dad– Mercer Mayer
14. Clifford’s Christmas– Norman Bridwell
15. Olive, the Other Reindeer– J. Otto Seibold
16. Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree– Robert Barry
17. A Letter to Santa– Ned Taylor
18. The Christmas Story Pop-Up Fun– Gill Davies
19. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Look and Find– Bob Berry
20. A Charlie Brown Christmas– Charles M. Schultz
21. The 12 Bugs of Christmas– David A. Carter
22. The 12 Sleighs of Christmas– Sherri Duskey Rinker
23. The 12 Days of Christmas– Greg Pizzoli
24. The Night Before Christmas– Clement C. Moore

This list changes a little bit for us every year, but there are some classics that I plan to keep around for a long time.  I love this tradition and so do my boys.  We’ll keep it going for years to come!  Do you have any family traditions you’ve started with your own kids? Or do you keep the traditions of your childhood going? Let me know in the comments!

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