Magnetic Chalkboard Tutorial

Little by little our new family office is coming together. I just have a few key pieces to finish and then I'll be able to share the complete makeover with you!

One of the things I really wanted for me and the girls was a magnetic chalkboard. I am a huge list-maker and while I'm very organized, sometimes I need a visual reminder. The girls, especially Lo, do great with lists too. It really cuts down on me having to remind them over and over (...and over...). Initially thought I could use magnetic paint under chalkboard paint, but after a quick unofficial Facebook poll I found I needed a Plan-B (It was pretty much unanimous that the magnetic paint doesn't work). I decided to use sheet metal sprayed with chalkboard paint. In the end it was the perfect solution and I'm beyond pleased with the result!!! I used a combination of supplies I already had and a few purchased with coupons. In the end I spent under $10 to make both boards! 

Here's what you'll need:

• Empty frame - You can usually get a good deal on frames without glass in them at Goodwill or at your local craft store. The one I used was from my clothespin frame. It was originally purchased at Michael's in their "mistake" frame bin. The one I put over my desk is huge, 24x30in. The girls' is 11x14in.
• Chalkboard paint - I like Krylon spraypaint. In my experience the regular paint kind doesn't adhere to all surfaces well. They sell Krylon at Jo-Ann's so you can use a coupon. 
• Tin snips - Giant scissors for cutting metal. I borrowed mine from a friend.
  
• Leather gloves - I used my gardening gloves. Once you cut the metal the edges are sharp and can cut you. 

• Sheet metal-I went to 2 different home improvement stores before I got smart. I guess the secret is out that people are using sheet metal for various crafty projects. When I asked for the sheet metal the sales people at both stores took me to a display of "decorative" metal. The sheets were in various sizes and the one that I needed for my large frame was marked $29.99. Um no thank you! There was no way I was going to pay that much for thin, flimsy metal! Instead I "borrowed" a magnet from the store and went in the plumbing aisle and basically stuck it on every piece of metal I could find to see which ones were magnetic. The one I purchased was 30"x36" and was only $7.99 a sheet (as an added bonus there was a $3 rebate on them too!). You could easily make two smaller boards with one sheet of metal. 

Here's what my frame looked like before:

• I removed all the fabric, twine and pictures and painted it one of my favorite colors left over from Noa's yellow room (It was a mistake paint so I'm going to be so sad when it's all gone!).  I did the same with the girls' frame.

• Using the cardboard backing from the frames I traced the shape on the sheet metal. You really need to be exact. I found that it's hard to trim with the tin snips, instead of cutting it just bent the metal. One of my sheets was too big for the frame and it took a bit of work to get it to fit properly.

• Follow the directions on the chalkboard paint and cover the sheet metal with several thin layers of paint. Let it dry according to the directions on the paint. Once it is completely dry you can put your metal into the frame, just be careful not to scratch the paint. The metal is fairly flimsy, so you'll want to make sure you have some support behind it. I found using the cardboard and backing from the original frame was enough. My mistake frame didn't have backing so I cut a piece of cardboard to fit it and then used duct tape to keep it in (no one is going to see the back). 

• Before you can use your board it needs to be seasoned. Basically you cover the entire board with chalk. I usually let mine sit for a bit. I have no idea if that makes a difference, but that's how I roll! Once it's seasoned it's all ready to use. The more you use it, the more seasoned it becomes and the better it will wipe off

Ta-da!!!

I'm in L-O-V-E love! Now I have a place for notes, reminders and pictures of the family. The girls love theirs too and keep asking me to write down homework for them, that NEVER happens!

I've got some cute ideas for magnets that I'll be sharing with you soon! You certainly can't have a cute board without cute magnets too!

Thanks for checking in!

Stay-cation 2013 Comes to a Close (sniff, sniff)

Sadly our Spring Break Stay-cation has come to an end.  We truly had a great time hanging around home and we were so lucky to end the week with some FAB-U-LUS weather-hello 70s!

The BIG event was a trip to Build-a-Bear (BAB). I had really wanted to do manicures and pedicures, but sadly I was out voted. The last thing we needed around here was 2 more stuffed animals, but I agreed to take the girls if they found 4 stuffed animals to donate. Noa was happy to oblige, but Lo of course, acted as if I asked her to donate her kidneys and both legs. It was a VERY dramatic scene and she easily would have won the Oscar for lead actress in a drama. We saved our trip for the end of the week, mainly so I could hold it over their heads and insure that they were on their best behavior for our other activities. Our deal was that we would give each of the girls a certain amount of money to spend and anything they wanted over that amount would have to come out of their own money. We gave them enough for a moderately priced animal and clothing if they wanted it. They recently upgraded our BAB with computerized everything so it was very exciting for the girls.

Choosing their animals was the hardest part. I think Logan tried every single animal they had! Noa originally wanted the My Little Pony horse, but changed her mind when she saw it would cost all of the money we were giving her to spend.

Noa finally chose a very colorful bunny and named her Ella. After much debate Lo chose a kitty cat and named it Cream Puff.

We helped GG pick a dog and he named him Da.

I give props to BAB for making each child feel special. Everyone was so happy and helpful and treated the girls like they were the only ones in the store. They do a very cute heart ceremony while stuffing the animals and they girls got to choose how stuffed they wanted their animal. My girls talk A LOT and ask A LOT of questions and the woman at the stuffing station was extremely patient and answered ALL of their questions. 

All stuffed to perfection and ready for lots of hugs and snuggles!

A quick bath...

Then it was time for choosing outfits and filling out birth certificates. Logan is against animals dressed as humans so she just picked a microphone for her kitty. Noa ended up spending $20 of her own money on high heels, a fairy outfit and hair bows for Ella! We left "Da" without clothes, he is super soft and despite GG's tears by the end of the adventure, he likes snuggling with him!

When we were all done we took our new friends out to lunch. We hit Costco, the only place were 4 people can eat lunch, including ice cream, for under $10!

The last stop on our Stay-cation was Conner Prairie, a hands-on, interactive history museum. We got a great deal on a family pass so we have a whole year to enjoy all the fun.

The outdoor area was heaven for the girls. It was clear that they had been cooped up all winter long. It was like they were finally set free! They had a blast running around and exploring.

Lo's favorite area was the barn. It was full of animals and cute baby chicks and goats.

Prairietown is full of houses and buildings that the kids can walk through and explore. Some of them had Conner Prairie employees that were in costume and would tell the girls about themselves. They saw a blacksmith, a woman making clay pots and Civil War soldiers.

It was a great day and we're all looking forward to going back and exploring more!

We all had a great Stay-cation. The girls got to do lots of things that they wanted, we ate out a lot (which we don't normally do) and the hubby and I were really good about cutting back on our computer/phone/email/iPad time and really focused on family fun! It's back to our normal schedules today, but it was a nice preview of summer that's just around the corner!

GG loves ice cream?

Spring Break Stay-cation 2013

The girls are on spring break this week and since we have a big, fun family trip planned in June, we decided to stay here in Indy. Lo, my homebody, thought this was a terrific idea. I think she likes the thought of not having to be so scheduled. The plan was to do a few activities that we don't normally get to too often because of work, school and general craziness. 

First up was miniature golf. The girls had never been before and they had a blast. It was a little hectic since neither wanted to actually wait for anyone else to have their turn. Noa actually tried to hit the ball and Lo was more a shuffle-boarder. We didn't keep score, but I'm sure we all unanimously agreed that I won! I even had a hole-in-one! YAY me!

This reminded me of Happy Gilmore (Just taaap it in... taaap it in... give it a little tappy... tap-tap-taperoo!)

Nate was the official Ball-getter-outta-the-water Guy (Apparently he REALLY likes his job!)

Pouty Pouterson because we made her wait her turn...we're so unreasonable!

GG had a good time too...eating his shoes...losing his shoes... and wanting to be released from his stroller!

One day we'll get a picture where everyone is looking in the same general direction...

The next stop on Stay-cation 2013 was the movie theater, Noa's pick. We saw The Croods and it was very cute. We all thought it was funny. GG was there too and was such a good baby! I'm pretty sure he ate an entire canister of baby puffs, but it keep him mostly quiet and happy!

Lo's pick was the paint your own pottery store. She really wanted Mommy time so the two of us went together. Then when we got home Noa and Daddy went. It was nice to spend some one-on-one time with the girls, and they definitely liked the extra attention.

After much thought Lo picked this cute little kitty bank.

Lo found this owl bank for me-she knows her mommy so well!

This dog was about 18 in high (and $55!) and Lo REALLY wanted to paint it, but we decided we had nowhere to put it...phew!

She really took her time and did lots of "designs" on her kitty.

Our finished pieces. The hardest part is leaving them to be fired in the kiln and waiting a whole week for them to be done!

Before they went painting Daddy and Noa went to Panera for some broccoli cheese soup. She ate the entire bread bowl. She may be tiny, but she can sure eat!

Daddy picked an Angry Birds plate and Noa chose a fairy.

What a super-fun day! We have a few more days of Stay-cation 2013, and the weather is improving with each day so we're all very excited for the next few adventures!