Today the kids went back to school, so exciting!!!! When they come home, their first lesson is to cover their books (along with a whole lot of forms to fill out!). Yes, you can buy those stretchy book covers for several dollars OR you can use what you have at home. Hopefully, my creative solutions will help you  keep those dollars for emergency lunch money!

1. Use your back to school shopping bags to cover books! I used an Urban bag and wrapped it so I kept the handles.

2. Old maps from vacations are remimders of summer travels.

3. Experiment with tape and paper bags. I used masking and washi tape.

4. Contractor drawings have great graphics. Ask friends and neighbors who are contractors for old drawings.

5. Spruce up a plain grocery bag by taping on a pocket with masking tape.

How to Make a Book Cover

1. Cut off the bottom of the bag.

2. Fold up the edges so it is the a little bigger than the book.

3. Fold over the cover and tape. Make sure the flap is a generous size.

4. Make sure you completely CLOSE the book when you tape the next flap or it will be too small.

5. Fold and tape a pocket.

6. Use masking or duct tape to adhere the pocket to the cover!

Voila!

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There is still a bit of summer time left to do some fun, simple, affordable arts and crafts! We were inspired by some stick art we saw on the Urban Outfitters blog.

Start by collecting odd lengths sticks, branches and twigs at the park. If you have some yarn, start wrapping it around the branch and put in a vase. If you have some paint, get out your brushes and start painting. You can use anything you have on hand, tempera or acrylic, even house paints. The only thing that won’t work is watercolors.

1. Whale my daughter and her friend Juliet made from a piece of driftwood, some wire and painted paper. They attached the painted paper to the wire with Elmer’s glue. They attached the wire to the driftwood with hot glue.
2. Stick that my other daughter painted with acrylics.
3. Inspiration from Urban Outfitters blog.
4. Inspiration from Aesthetic Outburst blog.

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Can you believe it’s that time of year again? Yes, back to school time! Here are a couple of cool ideas for your kids and office.

Turn your Whiteboard Green

Aus Pens are eco friendly, refillable, dry erase markers that last longer and are made without Xylene, so no stimky smell. They come in a nifty carrying case that includes six marker pens and six in refills. This one pack is equivalent of 246 marker pens!

Get Your Ideas Flowing with a Peel and Stick White Board

WhiteyBoard is a peel-and-stick dry erase board that adheres to any flat surface. It’s lightweight and transferable, so you can take it with you… when your brainstorming takes you elsewhere. You can restick it up to around 5 times.  It’s easy to customize, too. With scissors or a utility knife, you can cut WhiteyBoard to fit any shape, such as the back of a laptop, the wall above a dorm room desk, or a tabletop in a child’s playroom.

WhiteyBoard’s creators, recent college graduates Jason Wilk, Saachi Cywinski, and Sherwin Kim thought about the environment, too. Using WhiteyBoards can help to reduce paper usage. Also, to offset the impact of producing WhiteyBoards, a portion of each sale is donated to an organization that plants trees.
Here is my favorite fact, though. How much does a regular 4×6 Whiteboard at Staples cost?
A 4×6 foot whiteboard at Staples costs $229. By comparison, our version only costs $30. They accomplish the same thing. Literally!

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The weather is about to heat up again so I want to re-introduce some tips for the eco savvy that will help you stay refreshed. Even though you’ve heard them before, these ideas are the little luxuries in life that can change your day.

1. Chill your neck. Soak a bandana in ice water and wrap it on your neck to cool off the rest of your body. Stick some bandanas in your ice chest when heading out for Disneyland, the swap meet or the park. Great for an instant cool down.
2. Freeze summer fruit. Frozen grapes, blueberries and watermelon are cooling snacks in high temps. Put them on a skewer so kids can grab and go.
3. Keep hydrated with chilled beverages. Sun tea, lemonade or water with cucumbers are so refreshing. Make a handy pitcher to keep in your refrigerator. They look so lovely you won’t want anything else.
4. Take a nap. Afternoon naps on the weekend rejuvenate you so you can enjoy the cooler evenings. Take a tip from other countries that do this regularly. Everyone can use a good siesta!
5. Keep curtains closed in the day, open windows at night. At night open your windows to catch the breeze. You can even hang a wet sheet over the curtain rod to create a natural air conditioner. Spritz it with soothing lavender and it will help you drift off to sleep.
6. Find inner peace. When you feel yourself stressing out in traffic, pull over and grab a popsicle. Hit the yoga mat whenever possible, take deep breaths and be grateful for your blessings and your struggles.

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If it were up to me, everything in the house would be on wheels! I love the industrial look and it is so functional, too. The other day I added wheels to a cabinet with drawers that holds my wrapping supplies, (actually Dennis did it for me!), so I did some research and found I’m not the only one who loves wheels. You can put wheels on a basket or scrap wood for a coffee table and quickly move it out of the way when it’s time for the Wii. Put them on an Ikea trash can for rolls of wrapping paper. So handy! Put them on ottomans, chairs. beds and any kind of storage box for slipping under a table or desk. Anything old can have a new life with wheels!

I buy my wheels from Home Depot or Ikea. They have the best selection and price.

1. Wheels on a storage basket from Southern Living

2. Wheels on a storage basket from Martha Stewart

3. Wheels on a wooden storage box from Rocket St George

4. Wheels on a galvanzied box from Martha Stewart

5. Laundry basket on wheels from Restoration Hardware

6. Trash can on wheels from Chez LarssonChez Larsson

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