DIY Dollhouse

A few weeks ago I blogged about an Allred Family tradition where cousins draw names and exchange gifts with each other.  Since we now have Landon, we are responsible for one gift in this exchange, and this year we had our cute 6 year old niece.  Since Landon doesn't have much of a say this year, I took matters into my own hands...The budget is $10-$15, and I am excited to share what we did!  We didn't go over budget at all, and I hope she liked her present, we sure had fun working on it. 

We started with these two old desk drawers, wood scraps, and some old dollhouse furniture:



and turned it into a dollhouse:

The window frames in the front are small picture frames with popsicle sticks glued inside!

That little grand piano was my favorite!  And I am such a nice aunt, that I upgrader her refrigerator to stainless steel :)

Brett did a lot of the work!  I am so grateful that I have such a handy husband who happily (with a little coaxing), goes along with my "visionary" ideas.  It made me want to be a little girl again, so I could sit and play with a dollhouse and it be considered an "age-appropriate" activity. 

This was good practice, because when we have a little girl (that's not an announcement!), you can bet that Brett will be helping me out with another one of these!

Oh Summer!

Just thought I'd pass along my standard summer visiting teaching treat!  It's inexpensive, easy, and you will love the leftovers. 

It's otter pops!  And since they come unfrozen, you can just leave them that way, and they can freeze them on their own.  My mom and I do this every year, just add a personalized note or message, and you're set! 

And I just love having my patriotic decor out, it makes the house feel nice!  With Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Independence Day, it's a fun and festive time and a time to feel grateful for our freedom. 

I've always loved the colors red, white, and blue--they were even my high school colors.  Can't wait to get our little babe a cute red "toro" t-shirt, he'll make it just in time for football season, yay!

Lately...

For a date night last week, we rode our bikes down to Pete's Fish & Chips.

It is such a fun, old-school Mesa hot spot.  Everything is deep-fried, and it is cash-only. 

We recommend the chicken strips and deep fried burritos with chips.

We love utilizing our "I {heart} you because:" board in our bedroom to leave little love notes. 

It is so easy to make!  Just take an old frame, and place the phrase behind the glass. 

Use a dry-erase board marker to write the messages.

It's such a fun little thing to make it easier to remember to show love and appreciation!

I remember making these little "ghosties" when I was little. 

So for Family Night the Monday before Halloween, we made them

for our nieces and nephews and sent them in little Halloween care packages.

All it is, is a Tootsie pop with a tissue tied on it and a ghost face made with a Sharpie!

Brett's sister turned the big 4-0 last week,

so the whole family got their gifts together

and I made up the basket to drop off on her actual birthday.

The gifts ranged from adorable accessories all the way to wrinkle cream and more.

Brett & I did the "40 sucks" with the lollipop bouquet!

(She'd probably kill me for posting this, but I don't think she even knows I have a blog!)