Following on from a post a few days ago of changing the boys room around to make more space and buying a 3-in-1 sofa bed I can now report that it has arrived.
2 big boxes with the postman outside the door in the pouring rain! Good job neither were heavy or it would have been a 2 man job to lift them.
We have a blue and silver version of the 3-in-1 sofa bed as boys room is blue. My 1st thoughts were they were not going to be very comfy as didn't look that deep. But when we opened it out and I sat on it, it is actually comfy.
the 3-in-1 sofa bed is made all in 1 piece of foam and covered. It can be stored folded as a cube, opened out with the small ends up as a low sofa or opened out fully with the small ends as a sofa bed. This is going to be stored as a cube so that the boys have room to play etc and it will only be opened out when people stay.
The boys have all laid on it and said that it is really comfy and we have had arguments over who was sitting on it to read. The cat has also given her seal of approval and has been laid on it asleep since we got in from the school run.
The only downside is its not long enough for adults to sleep on and we thought it may be as it was listed as a uni/student sofa bed. but if we have to buy a piece of foam the same depth then we will do, but as its mainly going to be used by the kids and their friends its not a big problem.
Friday, 27 November 2015
November 26th 2015 - Beef Stew
As the weather is cold and wet and horrid I have made a lovely beef stew in the slow cooker today. All 3 of the kids when they came in from school asked what was for tea as it smelt lovely.
It tasted as nice as it smelt and apart from some gravy left in the slow cooker there was nothing left.
It tasted as nice as it smelt and apart from some gravy left in the slow cooker there was nothing left.
Thursday, 26 November 2015
November 25th 2015 - Christmas Crafts
I was at the school for family learning today and we were doing Christmas Crafts and making things that could be given as gifts.
There was loads of options for them to do. They had the option of making tree decorations from sewing kits, making christmas pictures, and many more.
Lil man made a reindeer from brown paper and added magic reindeer food to it and needs to sprinkle it on christmas eve.
The middle one made a christmas bauble but as this was still very wet it got left at school to dry and 1 of the teachers will give them out later.
Lil man decorated a mini treasure chest and said that him and Daddy are going shopping for a diamond ring me to go in it.
They both made snowman countdowns to christmas. This confused lil man as he thought it was from today and didnt realise it was from dec 1st, but we explained he was fine.
The boys also decorated cakes as melted snowmen but these got eaten.
We also made candy cane star decorations which involved a hot glue gun to fix them together and to fix the decorations onto them.
There was loads of options for them to do. They had the option of making tree decorations from sewing kits, making christmas pictures, and many more.
Lil man made a reindeer from brown paper and added magic reindeer food to it and needs to sprinkle it on christmas eve.
Lil man decorated a mini treasure chest and said that him and Daddy are going shopping for a diamond ring me to go in it.
They both made snowman countdowns to christmas. This confused lil man as he thought it was from today and didnt realise it was from dec 1st, but we explained he was fine.
The boys also decorated cakes as melted snowmen but these got eaten.
We also made candy cane star decorations which involved a hot glue gun to fix them together and to fix the decorations onto them.
Tuesday, 24 November 2015
november 24th 2015 - jazzing up xmas jumpers
A couple of weeks ago I bought the kids xmas jumpers and although they have designs on them they are very plain and boring! So I asked the kids if they wanted them made better and they did. So today has been spent jazzing up the jumpers
Here are the 2 original jumpers:
Here are the 2 original jumpers:
To modify the 1st 1 lil man asked for a santa hat to be added, so I took 1 small santa hat, stitched it together and then to his jumper.
Lil man thinks his jumper looks good and is now ready for xmas jumper day.
The middle ones jumper wasn't such an easy task, well it was but it just took longer to do as I had to wait for bits to dry. He wanted the baubles on the reindeer to look more 3d, I did think pompoms but it didn't look right so I decided on bells!
I only had gold effect bells and they didn't look right so I set about painting them with blue nail varnish:
They had to have 2 coats and I was only able to paint the tops and then the bottoms each time because of placing them down to dry. Once both coats and all of the bells were done I set about attaching them to his jumper with black thread in the same place as the sewn on ones are on his jumper.
so now when he moves he jingles. He did ask about them going on the back as well as it's the back of the reindeer but we decided not to as they may dig into his back when he's sat on a chair at school. Again he is happy with his jumper.
November 23rd 2015 - technical difficulties
This picture is very true for today - i've done some walking to do the weekly shopping and I am now expiriencing "technical difficulties with my knees. Both of them are hurting like mad, pain killers are not helping, rest is not helping, heat is not working. It's going to be a long afternoon and evening if it continues.
Sunday, 22 November 2015
November 22nd 2015 - toilet roll yule log
I'm sure by now you are aware that my lil man loves making things, and especially likes using toilet rolls. Today he came downstairs with 2 toilet rolls and asked what he could make. He was told to wait 5mins as I was helping his older brother with something but I had an idea for a Christmas craft with them.
5mins later, we are working on making pages to print out and collecting our supplies to make the toilet roll yule log. To make it you will need the following things:
toilet roll tube
double sided tape
pictures of holly (or plastic holly)
birchwood effect printed paper (if you do the whole of an A4 sheet it will cover 2 tubes)
fake snow (optional)
glue (optional but needed for snow)
robin
paper plate
stapler
scissors
supplies and printed birchwood paper and holly.
Cut the paper in half so you have 2 pieces. place a line of tape from 1 end to the other on the tube. put 1 piece of the paper over the tape and wrap all the way round (you may need to cut it slightly smaller). Make sure both ends are fixed with tape on the tube, you shouldn't be able to see anyvof the brown tube now. If your paper is longer than the tube you can tuck the excess into the open ends of the tubes.
Take the stapler, the wrapped tube and the paper plate, fix the tube to the plate with the stapler on the middle of the tube so they are no visible from the top.
You next to cut to out the holly. we flipped our picture b4 printing so that we could double side it but you dont have to. As ours is double sided I taped them together before we cut them out so only cut once. Lil man folded our leaves slightly so they had shape rather than looking flat. We then putt a small piece of tape on the underside of the berries and stuck to the middle of the tube. This was then stapled as they kept falling off with tape.
Sadly this was as far as we got as we realised we didn't have any robins to fix into the middle and we cant add fake snow until we have the robbins in place. I have ordered some robins and they should be here in the next few days.
5mins later, we are working on making pages to print out and collecting our supplies to make the toilet roll yule log. To make it you will need the following things:
toilet roll tube
double sided tape
pictures of holly (or plastic holly)
birchwood effect printed paper (if you do the whole of an A4 sheet it will cover 2 tubes)
fake snow (optional)
glue (optional but needed for snow)
robin
paper plate
stapler
scissors
supplies and printed birchwood paper and holly.
Cut the paper in half so you have 2 pieces. place a line of tape from 1 end to the other on the tube. put 1 piece of the paper over the tape and wrap all the way round (you may need to cut it slightly smaller). Make sure both ends are fixed with tape on the tube, you shouldn't be able to see anyvof the brown tube now. If your paper is longer than the tube you can tuck the excess into the open ends of the tubes.
Take the stapler, the wrapped tube and the paper plate, fix the tube to the plate with the stapler on the middle of the tube so they are no visible from the top.
You next to cut to out the holly. we flipped our picture b4 printing so that we could double side it but you dont have to. As ours is double sided I taped them together before we cut them out so only cut once. Lil man folded our leaves slightly so they had shape rather than looking flat. We then putt a small piece of tape on the underside of the berries and stuck to the middle of the tube. This was then stapled as they kept falling off with tape.
Sadly this was as far as we got as we realised we didn't have any robins to fix into the middle and we cant add fake snow until we have the robbins in place. I have ordered some robins and they should be here in the next few days.
November 21st 2015 - Space saving
There is so much on this blog about space saving in a shared bedroom, some of which I have already done. My 2 older boys share the smaller of the 2 big rooms (I have the biggest). They are always moaning that they have no space to do anything (they would have more IF they tidied it!)
Anyway we already have bunk beds in there and use the space under them as storage with plastic boxes - shoes, lego drawing/colouring stuff etc. The bunk beds are in a corner of the room so not to waste any space. However, I would prefer a straight ladder rather than the angled stick out one, I think we may have a play at some point and see if we can make its straight and fixed to the bed.
The wardrobe that they had in their was old and not very safe and the drawers were broken. So we decided to dismantle it and move the clothes into the fixed cupboard in the wall, we did have to buy a new set of drawers to hold the clothes that don't hang like pjs, undies and jumpers. We also kept the fabric hanging rack so that they had some shelving as well. This has worked really well and reduced 1 item that needed to be in the room.
Next came the old computer table (still with computer on it) that hasn't been used in over a year by the eldest as he has a mobile phone and uses my laptop if he needs on the net for homework etc. This has been removed from the room as well, again giving a little bit more space. The younger ones computer is on his chest of drawers that hold his clothes so the drawers have a duel purpose, they are also tucked up in a corner out of the way.
The eldest son had a small square unit that he had when he had the small room on his own. It had small plastic trays in the square shelves which he has random things in - deodrants n bits in one, mini figures in another, odds and ends in another and so on. I wasn't sure where I was going to put this and then noticed that there was a spce at the end of the bed on the wall and it was as though it was made for the unit. So he has still has his shelves and baskets of odds n ends and they are out of the way.
They both have a 6ft high bookcase, which houses their tv and books. The younger of the 2 boys also had his games n bits on his bookcase and no room for more books. So hubby went to argos and bought and upright shelf unit (bathroom storage one) and this is now stood beside the head of the beds with the games and all other toys n stuff off the floor.
We are now pretty much sorted in their room and they had a big space down one side of the room. Me and hubby said about getting them a sofa bed as it would help if family/friends come to stay as well as their friends. Plus it would give them somewhere to sit and play rather than on their beds. We have bought a 3-in-1 sofa bed thingy - it can be stacked as cubes, opened to make a sofa or laid flat as a bed. I wouldn't say it will be great for daily use as a bed but for the odd night here and there it will be ok. This hasn't arrived yet but i'm sure I will do a post about it when it does arrive.
The boys are happier about their space, not so happy that they still have to share (but unless I win the lottery I can't convert the loft or build an extension.)
Anyway we already have bunk beds in there and use the space under them as storage with plastic boxes - shoes, lego drawing/colouring stuff etc. The bunk beds are in a corner of the room so not to waste any space. However, I would prefer a straight ladder rather than the angled stick out one, I think we may have a play at some point and see if we can make its straight and fixed to the bed.
The wardrobe that they had in their was old and not very safe and the drawers were broken. So we decided to dismantle it and move the clothes into the fixed cupboard in the wall, we did have to buy a new set of drawers to hold the clothes that don't hang like pjs, undies and jumpers. We also kept the fabric hanging rack so that they had some shelving as well. This has worked really well and reduced 1 item that needed to be in the room.
Next came the old computer table (still with computer on it) that hasn't been used in over a year by the eldest as he has a mobile phone and uses my laptop if he needs on the net for homework etc. This has been removed from the room as well, again giving a little bit more space. The younger ones computer is on his chest of drawers that hold his clothes so the drawers have a duel purpose, they are also tucked up in a corner out of the way.
The eldest son had a small square unit that he had when he had the small room on his own. It had small plastic trays in the square shelves which he has random things in - deodrants n bits in one, mini figures in another, odds and ends in another and so on. I wasn't sure where I was going to put this and then noticed that there was a spce at the end of the bed on the wall and it was as though it was made for the unit. So he has still has his shelves and baskets of odds n ends and they are out of the way.
They both have a 6ft high bookcase, which houses their tv and books. The younger of the 2 boys also had his games n bits on his bookcase and no room for more books. So hubby went to argos and bought and upright shelf unit (bathroom storage one) and this is now stood beside the head of the beds with the games and all other toys n stuff off the floor.
We are now pretty much sorted in their room and they had a big space down one side of the room. Me and hubby said about getting them a sofa bed as it would help if family/friends come to stay as well as their friends. Plus it would give them somewhere to sit and play rather than on their beds. We have bought a 3-in-1 sofa bed thingy - it can be stacked as cubes, opened to make a sofa or laid flat as a bed. I wouldn't say it will be great for daily use as a bed but for the odd night here and there it will be ok. This hasn't arrived yet but i'm sure I will do a post about it when it does arrive.
The boys are happier about their space, not so happy that they still have to share (but unless I win the lottery I can't convert the loft or build an extension.)
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