Movies & Crafts

Almost a year ago I shared our basement remodel with you in this post.  It was a dramatic change and we were pleased with the end result; however, we weren't thrilled with it!

This summer Mother Nature provided us with a reason to redo our remodel!  We had some water damage, which caused us to re-lay the hardwood floor (more about that later).

Since we were forced to clear out the room we decided it was a good time to rethink the way we used the space.  We kept the theater room layout as it was and I gained a crafting space!

As a reminder this is what the original remodel looked like.

Original remodel

The room is one open space so we separated the "rooms" with paint colors...on the walls and the ceiling.  

The new theater room is red with a black ceiling.

We painted the wall behind the TV black so that while you're watching a movie your eye is not distracted...except for the DVD collection on the built-in shelves!  (Notice the Rock Band guitar...this is also the game room!)

My craft room is lime green...and I LOVE it!! 

I took a trip to IKEA for some furniture and organizational bits and bobs! 

You can see the difference in ceiling color in the picture below.  Also you may notice the black pipe running through my craft space.  This is a basement after all so there are some very important plumbing elements that run through the space.  Instead of hating the ugly pipes we chose to let them be a part of our design! 

I was excited when we chose our paint colors, then nervous as they went up, and finally overjoyed with the finished product!  

The walls still need some decorating, but there is one very special print already hung! We found this during our recent trip to England and couldn't resist it!

I have several project ideas, mostly from pinterest inspirations, that I'm hoping to put together and finish decorating this space.  The rest of this half of the basement is the laundry room...that is not ready for public viewing yet! 

My Coconut Obsession

As you may have noticed throughout my blog I tend to become focused on something and want to learn all that I can about it.  Actually, that sounds much more academic than it is...it's not necessarily that I want to learn all that I can, it's more that I just become obsessed!  For example, when I found a certain spray paint color...I used it on everything!  I shared a bit about my spray paint obsession, but trust me there's been more since this post!

Coconut oil is another one of my obsessions.  I started learning about it a couple years ago...and in this case I really did learn.  I won't bore you with the science behind it's health benefits but if you're interested I'd suggested checking out foodrenegade.com.

I've recently expanded my obsession with "eating" coconut oil to using it for other purposes.  I discovered an article that lists 52 uses for coconut oil and I might just try all 52!

The first one I checked off the list is #4. Use as a super conditioner on your hair (apply to dry hair, leave in as long as possible and then shampoo as normal).

I applied a fairly good amount right out of the container so it was like a paste. I then put my hair up in a bun and let it work its magic!  After about 2 hours I washed it out. I wouldn't say it was amazing and left my hair like golden silk...but I could feel a difference, especially on my ends! I might make this is a monthly hair treatment!

Biscuit Got Her Squeak Back!

Recently Biscuit had been a little sad.  She rarely squeaked and never ran around, jumping like hot corn popping; she spent most of her time sleeping!  I did some research to confirm and found that female guinea pigs tend to easily take to new babies and in general guinea pigs like to have a friend.


Although Biscuit enjoys playing with Sanka and the cats, they don't fit in her cage with her! We decided she needed a cage mate.

Biscuit took to the new baby right away!  Running and hopping, squealing with delight!  The baby does everything Biscuit does...it's amazing to watch nature take over!

Sanka has been very busy helping Biscuit take care of the new baby. It's so nice to see Biscuit back to her ole self!

The new baby does not have a name yet.  Any ideas?  

Post Valentine Wreath

I know I'm a little behind...but there's no reason pink and white can only be used for Valentine's Day decorating!

Originally I saw the idea for a burlap wreath with flowers at Scissors & Spatulas. 

Somewhere in the pinterest world I saw a wreath that used velcro as a way to change the "decor" on a wreath...so that's what I did! 

I simply wrapped burlap around a store bought wreath.  I used a little hot glue with each "wrap" around the wreath.  

It took me awhile to get the knack of creating the rose flowers.  If you try this don't give up!  I found a nice rhythm of wrapping and twisting.  Just like the burlap, I used hot glue as I created each wrap.  

 Once the glue was dry on the roses I placed a "dot" of velcro on the back of them and the opposite piece on the wreath.  I can now create seasonal decor to alter my wreath throughout the year!

Where's My Air?

Something seemed a bit off with our ventilation system...we weren't suffocating, but it definitely felt like we were missing some air.  

A trip to the attic revealed the problem...the duct work was not "working"! As I've mentioned before our house is over 100 years old.  Although this particular duct work is not that old, it sure seemed it! It was literally just crumbling at the joints.  

We used our multi-tool  (from Harbor Freight) to cut out the bad duct work!   

At this point we needed to decide if we should repair the problem area or replace it all.  After a quick budget check we decided it made the most sense to replace all the duct work (in the attic) with new more energy efficient materials. 

  

After some measuring and shopping we were ready to install our new duct work.







I think my favorite part of this project was opening the boxes of new duct work.  They just "popped" right out, like a slinky! The trickiest part of the project was figuring out lengths and connectors.  A crimped connector versus an elbow versus a tee...VERY complicated.  I suggest if you ever tackle a project like this to draw out your plans, measure twice and think through all your materials, including whether or not you need a transition between varying duct thicknesses.  

We changed the layout a bit to use the least amount of materials. I was pleased to see the new amount of storage space I now have too! 

This was a challenging project but in the end the lessons learned always make it worth doing ourselves!  For under $300 we bought ourselves decades of air flow!

Homemade Granola Bar

I love granola bars but it is impossible to find one that is not packed with sugar and ingredients I can't pronounce.  So I have embarked on a journey to create my own.  By creating my own I can include ingredients that offer vitamins and minerals I need but don't often get in my daily diet, I can omit added sugar and I can pronounce all the ingredients! 
My first stop on this granola journey was Pinterest!  I found a few pins with granola bar recipes and chose one to use as my initial baseline.  Happy Healthy Mama had encountered a similar quest as mine.  


Her ingredients were as follows: 
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
1 cup pitted prunes
2 small, ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips


I made a few changes for this first attempt: 

1. Instead of canola oil i used coconut oil.  
2. I did not have any prunes or raisins, but I did have dried cranberries so I added 1 C of those 
3. I used 2 large ripe bananas.  
4. I used regular milk chocolate chips.  

I mixed all the ingredients together with my Kitchenaid mixer.  Once everything was moist and sticking together I put it in an 8x8 glass dish.  I baked it at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. 


They turned out very tasty but I would like them to be a bit crunchier!  Back to my research...how to make them crunchy...

Not for the Dishwasher!

I am very lucky that my other half takes care of the dishes and dishwasher...the problem is he thinks EVERYTHING goes in the dishwasher!  My pig serving platters DO NOT!  I may not have made that clear to him...but he knows now!

I inherited these pig platters from my aunt when she passed away - I love them because they're so cute but also because they have her memory attached to them.  So you can imagine I was very disheartened when they were pulled out of the dishwasher and had lost their shine.  Being told that pigs like to roll in the mud so they're not meant to shine did not make me feel any better!


But don't worry the problem was fixed! As you may be discovering we often find a way to fix problems with someone that would normally be used in a mechanics garage, as I mentioned here.

The dishwasher had left a film on my piggies that did not come off with Dawn so out to the garage we went.

We buffed the aluminum just as you would with your car's wheels.

This little piggie shined right up!  One more to go.

Lessons learned: Do not put aluminum in the dishwasher & if you do, just buff it out! (Don't forget to thoroughly wash your dishes before using them to serve or eat!)

Linked to: WFMW

Save the Avocado

Save the Avocado...what a fun T-shirt idea!  Although I don't think they're in danger of being extinct...at least I hope they aren't! 


As someone who grew up in Pennsylvania my whole life avocados are still new and exciting to me! I shared my first experience with an avocado in my kitchen here.  I am a sucker for fun kitchen gadgets so it is no surprise that during a recent trip to Marshalls,  I couldn't help picking up this avocado storage container.  

I was told once (by suzyhomemaker) to store the pit with the avocado to make it last longer after its cut. 
Next time I'll use the half without the pit and store the other half.  Due to my new love of the avocado it won't be in the container long enough to go bad though!
 

Once Upon a Potty

Once Upon a Potty is one of my favorite children's books.  It is a honest and funny book for kids who are going through the traumatic stage of potty training!  I couldn't help remembering this book during a recent toilet install adventure!  Although our adventure was almost as humorous as the Once Upon a Potty book, I will spare you the details or our numerous trips to the store and the multiple toilets we bought.  (Perhaps I will share those stories at a later date!) 

Changing a toilet is disgusting...there's no other way to describe it.  The first challenge is emptying the water.  You'd think you could flush it away...but it's not that easy!  While my other half is very intelligent he doesn't always use his intelligence!  I walked into the bathroom to see him using a towel to soak up the water.  That would be smart if it was only a little bit...but it wasn't!  While I can't name movie stars, remember movie quotes or explain how electricity works like he can, I am a quick on my feet problem solver!  

I've seen him siphon "liquids" from parts of cars enough times to know he has a tool for this. 

I highly recommend using this handy dandy pump when you need to empty a toilet...or when you need to empty anything for that matter! 

Although emptying the toilet is annoying it's not the disgusting part...this is! 

Cleaning the old wax off...bent over the waste pipe is disgusting...but it's got to be done! 

Now that we have a white toilet we just need to replace the sink and tub to have our completely updated bathroom.  I'm sure there will be some good stories with that adventure! 

No Mess Slow Cooker Meal

No mess slow cooker?  Is it possible? YES! 

  

I really wasn't sure...in fact, I was pretty sure I had fallen for the marketing scheme!   I gave it a shot though and now I really love using my slow cooker!

The Reynolds slow cooker liner is easy to use, doesn't affect the taste of the food and makes clean up AMAZING!

Recently I made Chicken Tortilla Soup using a slow cooker liner.  I found the recipe on one of my new go to recipe sites: Chef in Training. I used their recipe as a baseline but adapted it to what I had on hand and what met the "needs" of the household picky eater.


Ingredients

• 2 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cans diced tomotoes with onion, garlic and green pepper (chili ready)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can corn
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
• 1-2 cups of water
• 1 Tbsp Goya Sozanador Total seasoning
• 1 Tbsp chile powder
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin

• tortilla chips
• sour cream
• shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

After lining the slow cooker it took less than 10 minutes to mix the soup's ingredients together.  

 I emptied the beans and corn into a colander and rinsed them together to save time. 

 Once everything is mixed together in the slow cooker, lay the chicken on top but be sure they're covered with liquid.  Cook on high for 6 hours.  

 After 6 hours I removed the lid and shredded the chicken.  It was so tender it just fell apart - perfection! I served it with tortilla chips and sour cream.  

The soup was very good, but I will experiment with a few things the next time I make it to perfect it a bit! 

I'm Back!

 I'm back! I have no real excuse for my absence...I wish I had a good one like I was off in Africa with the Peace Corp or I went on a cruise around the world exploring different cultures. 



Alas, other than a trip to England, I was actually just living my life...while nothing has been as exciting as traveling the globe it, it has been busy! 
I was as diligent as I could be photographing and making notes of all the things we've been busy with so I could share what we've learned with you. 


Here's a sneak peek of what we've been doing.

I have been experimenting with recipes and trying to gain an understanding of the chemistry behind cooking. 

Black Forest Cake

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The continuous home improvement projects have been mixed in with some emergency repairs. 

Flood in basement

New toilet installed

My goal for this year is to be more consistent with my blogging. 

Sanka & Biscuit

 Between the "have-to's" of life and some quality time with my furry kids, I will share what I'm learning as we continue to make our house into a home!