Pinterest

For many months I had heard of this Pinterest site.  Being super busy I vowed to stay away...not to waste my precious few moments of time on a computer.  And then it started last fall - a Camp Pinterest Board was shared with me...and I will admit it had some pretty sweet camp ideas, awesome activities, and a few crafts.  So, I decided to check out Pinterest...although I got frustrated when I looked at the home page - full of fashion tips, crazy outfits and girly things I knew this wasn't for me.  Somehow when we were waiting for one of Jeff's doc's later in the fall I checked it out again - wanting to show Jeff some of those sweet Camp items I had seen on the first camp Pinterest board and pin them myself for reference as we made plans for summer camp 2013.  So, I logged in and created a profile...somehow with Jeff sitting next to me the first pins I liked were beautiful outdoor scenes, fly fishing photos (I'm not sure why - we don't fly fish), and random souped up mini-RV's.  Still, most of the pins that come up on boards I follow are of the random outdoorsy type - thankfully these are the opposite of the "girly" fashionable pins I try to avoid (not that there is anything wrong with that it's just not me).  

Then somehow I found the DIY pages...and starting a board of fun things to make with the kiddos - soon I was hooked - pinning things like crazy with nothing to show for it.  I decided this had to stop...I couldn't pin another pin until I actually made something inspired by a previous pin.  So, first up-  home made marble ramps with the kids - we used all sorts of card board boxes and tubes and made a pretty fun creation...once that one began to fall apart we tried again...this time with more durable tubes...it actually lasted several months but I failed to get a picture of it and it was recently torn apart.  There I had done it...I made something...I could pin again.  So, quickly Pinterest consumed too many of my quiet moments again.  I once again vowed that something must be done...it was time to create something from the many pins that were wasting my time.  Inspired by a $3 Wooden Pizza Paddle that I picked up at the local junk shop I decided to make a play kitchen for the kiddos for Christmas.  The kids love playing with the Pizza Shop at the Madison Children's Museum.  So, there is was - time to create a play kitchen.  First, I needed to find a piece of furniture I could "upcycle" then to work to turn it into a kitchen for the kiddos.  The goal was to have it finished by Christmas.  After a week or so of work on my own I pulled Jeff into the project to make the deadline.  Well, Christmas came and went and no play kitchen...in the meantime I made a few other smaller projects (so I could keep pinning of course) I put together a great little play wallet for Mary as she loves to take my wallet apart using some printables I found.  Then I turned some DVD cases into sketch books that held markers/crayons for our Christmas road trip.  Still no play kitchen.  My pinning came to a halt.  Finally last Saturday we found some quiet time to put the finishing touches on the project.  After much rambling I share with you the before and after shots of our play kitchen.

BEFORE:

 AFTER:
Special thanks to Ronny and Sandra for donating the old desk to the cause. 
Total spent: 13 dollars and lots of hours of love. 

Comments

Unknown said…
I'm sure your kids will love the play kitchen. You could add some empty spice bottles in the future or empty plastic containers from food.
Thanks Janet! Actually, ever since we showed the kiddos the play kitchen they have tried to take any empty bottle/container out of the recycle bin so we started saving the more usable containers and they love it.
B. Gaertner said…
Reba, you didn't tell us you actually MADE the kitchen! I thought you just assembled it. I am very impressed :)
Thanks Beth!
Noelle said…
Awesome! I'm impressed, too!