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Olympic Rings Display

February 3, 2014February 3, 2014 chantelledoll

I have rented out this beautiful space to host my son’s 4th birthday:

I love the stone fireplace and think the ski lodge type vibe it gives off works absolutely perfect with the Winter Olympics theme I have chosen. It is, however, begging to be Dolled Up with a bit of decoration over the mantle – cue another DIY project!

Supplies

5 pieces of foam plumbing insulation tubing (found in the plumbing section of Home Depot or Lowes)
Sharp serrated kitchen knife
Crepe paper streamers in Olympic colors (blue, yellow, red, green and black)
White glue
Hot glue or wire to attach together

1. Gather all your supplies. I recommend Dollar Tree to find your streamers – I ended buying my streamers from Target, Dollarama and Party City because none of the stores had all 5 colors. Dollar Tree had all colors when I stopped there a week or two later.

2. Cut your plumbing insulation tubes down to your desired hoop size using a sharp serrated kitchen knife. If you make perpendicular cuts, the ends will not fit together to form a nice round hoop – you can see the angles I cut mine at in the picture. Once you have one cut to the desired size, use it as a template to cut the other 4.

I first considered using pool noodles for this project after seeing inspiration on pinterest, but I found that they were too thick and stiff to bend into a nice circular shape. The plumbing insulation tubes ended up working perfectly and cost me no more then the Dollar Store pool noodles.

3. Tape your hoops together using strong tape such as duct tape, packing tape or tuck tape.

4. Select a color of crepe paper streamers and begin wrapping all around your hoop. I didn’t bother gluing at the beginning because it held pretty well once I just overlapped the streamers.

5. When finished wrapping, apply a small amount of white glue to the end of the streamer to secure in place.

6. Repeat the wrapping and gluing process with each of the other colors on your remaining hoops.

7. Attach all hoops together using thin gauge wire or hot glue. I haven’t actually decided which method to use for mine yet, but the hot glue gun tends to be my go to.

And there you have it – an Olympic logo decoration for your party!

I did end up with a lot of leftover streamers so I think I will find a rainbow inspired craft to do with my playgroup kids to use them up.

Doll House, Our Forever Home

Finding Furniture and Decor Decisions

January 29, 2014January 30, 2014 chantelledoll

Last week was a rough week on my husband’s credit card. As we count down the days until we get possession of our new house, we have been busy ordering big ticket items like blinds and furniture, and shopping for décor items to help turn our new house into a home we can enjoy and be proud of.

My husband got to make the final decision on the new sectional couch for our bonus room so he left it up to me to select the couch and loveseat for the living room. This proved to be a much more overwhelming task then I was expecting. After many shopping trips we felt like we had exhausted all our options (and the kids patience) so we finally settled on and ordered this pair from Ashley Furniture over the weekend.

The shape is clean and modern like I was looking for and the grey should go nicely with the other selections we have made in the house. We weren’t able to view the actual couch in store or see a fabric swatch, so I am really hoping I love the set as much once it is in my home. Fingers crossed.

The other item we ordered through Ashley was this colorful accent rug. Again we weren’t able to see and feel it in person so I really hope it lives up to my expectations.

I did some playing around in Photoshop and this is the overall look and feel I think I am going for in my new living room. The chevron curtains are already bought and I think I have found the right paint color for the accent wall so all that is left will be buying a few throw pillows and finding the right coffee table.

Originally I was wanting something colorful and patterned for an accent chair, but I think I am kind of digging the idea of the Ikea Poang chair in the simple cream color. It is clean and bright and ties in nicely with the cream stripes in the carpet.

For our bedroom, I think I have decided on this green and grey comforter set. I will likely paint the back wall behind our bed in a rich grey color and then will need to find a few green accent pieces to finish it off, like the bench in my picture. I am also considering painting out our walk-in closet in a muted green before my husband installs the Ikea PAX shelving units we have for it.

Finally, the other room I have been focusing on this past week is my soon-to-be 4 year olds room. I really want the move to be fun for him and for him to feel comfortable in his new bedroom. I was hoping for something without characters, but he is insisting on a Ninja Turtle room so that is what he’s going to get. Luckily Grandma and Grandpa are currently in California so we had them pick up a Turtle bedding set I found and liked at Walmart down there. I also ordered a large Michelangelo decal online that will be going on one of his walls.

I have a few other things pinned on my Ninja Turtle Bedroom board and will probably incorporate some more artwork once we are moved in and I get a better feel for the room.

23 more days until we get the house and my vision can start turning into reality. I can’t wait to share the finished rooms with you!

Celebrations, Parties

Olympic Party Game: Pin the Rocks on the Rings

January 17, 2014January 21, 2014 chantelledoll

At 4 years old, I think we are finally to a point where I can begin planning some small games and activities for my son’s birthday parties. In the past it has just been a free for all with his toys, but this year I wanted to plan a few fun things that related to my theme.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey is a pretty common party game but I decided to give it my own Olympic spin by making it curling themed. My husband is a curler and the kids and I often spend time at the rink watching him play so I figured this was something fun my birthday boy would recognize and enjoy.

To make the board, I simply created a curling ring design and will be printing it as a 16×20″ print ($8.99 through the Costco Photo Centre).

The rocks are sized on 4×6″ sheets so they will be printed as standard photos and then cut out. I will attach double sided tape to the backs before the party so we are all ready to play the game.

For your own game of Pin the Rock on the Rings, please click on each of the images above and save as a jpeg to your own computer for printing.

Enjoy!

Celebrations, Crafts, Parties

Free Printable: Winter Olympics Party Banner

January 17, 2014February 5, 2014 chantelledoll

My little guys Olympic themed party is just over a month away so I have begun work designing printables for the party. I usually like to do a banner of some sort and when I saw these icons for the Sochi Winter games I knew they would look great as a banner great strung across a table or mantle.

I selected 10 of the icons and then put them against the bright colors of the Olympic rings.

And here they are printed and strung up, all ready for the party:

To print your own, please follow this link for the artwork: OlympicsBannerPrintable_DolledUpDesign

Enjoy!

Our Forever Home, Parties

It’s the Final Countdown!

January 14, 2014January 15, 2014 chantelledoll

Break out the moving boxes! After months of anticipation, we final got our notice of possession from our home builder today. As of February 20th, our Forever House will be all ours. What once just seemed like a completely unrealistic dream will now be a full fledged reality, and I couldn’t be more excited. Never did I think we would be able to make the move into an amazing house like this!

I posted an update with plumbing fixtures just the other day and my husband was onsite again today and was able to capture this picture of the hickory hardwood going in on our main floor:

It is gorgeous and I can’t wait to see it in person.

And since the packing, organizing and cleaning simply isn’t enough to keep me busy over the next month and a half, we are also counting down the last days of Camden being 3 and will be celebrating his 4th birthday just 3 days after we get possession! I have been pinning ideas for the past year and have a good idea of what I want to do, but it is still going to be a lot all at once.

His actual birthday falls on Sunday, February 23 which also happens to be closing ceremony day of the Sochi Olympics so we are working with a Winter Olympic theme. I have booked the hall, ordered the invites and managed to get the majority of the supplies bought for the DIY projects I am planning so I am still feeling pretty confident I will be able to pull off an awesome party.

I will try my darnest to share some of these projects in the upcoming weeks when I am not packing or dealing with the normal day to day of being a mommy. For now, I will leave you with a sneak peek image from the invite:

Please visit my Olympic Birthday Party Pinterest board to see my inspiration and ideas for the party!

Doll House, Our Forever Home

All Plumbed In!

January 11, 2014April 11, 2014 chantelledoll

The plumber was in this week and we finally have sinks, toilets and faucets in our bathrooms!

I can’t believe what a difference it has made in how finished the house now feels.

We originally wanted undermount sinks, but that would have required a solid stone material countertop such as granite or quartz. In order to help our already stretched budget we went with a laminate counter in all the bathrooms and had to choose a top mounted sink. Now that it is all in, I can say I am still very happy with our final decisions.

In our ensuite shower, we went with a large shower head and adjustable body sprays on one side and a pull-out spray hose on the other. It is a huge upgrade from the standard tiny shower we have now and will be nice to actually have some room to move and not be smashing my elbows against the walls when washing my hair!

The same pull-out spray hose is installed in our main floor shower to make it easy to hose down dirty dogs (and possibly kids!)

And, of course, we can’t forget the jetted tub in the ensuite. The faucets have been installed for a while, but I thought it was worth including a picture of.

Next week I am looking forward to seeing hardwood installed on the main floor, having the granite back on the kitchen island and hopefully getting our 35 day possession notice!

Celebrations, Four Legged Fun, Two Legged Fun

All I wanted for Christmas and more!

January 6, 2014January 15, 2014 chantelledoll

Christmas has come and gone so I figured it is about time I get back to posting.

We had a great Christmas! This year there were very few gifts under the tree for myself, but it was absolutely perfect. As lovely as the new cookware I received from my own mom and my mother-in-law was, I was way more excited to see what the kids got and their reactions to all the new toys and books. Christmas has definitely changed in our house and I am very happy to have it now be all about the kids.

Well, maybe not ALL about the kids – the dogs didn’t get forgotten either.

It was Rumbull’s first Christmas and it didn’t take him long to sniff out his stocking and figure out what was up. He watched longingly as we set the gifts out on Christmas Eve and he was the first “kid” up Christmas morning wanting to get into the pile.

Thanks to our Christmas Book countdown, my 19 month old also had the unwrapping thing down pat. On Christmas Eve, she was raring to go the moment we got to Grandma and Grandpa’s and she saw the pile under the tree. She was even lucky enough to get the biggest gift under Grandma and Grandpa’s tree – a Little Tikes Cozy Truck!

The bottom right picture is a bit blurry, but I included it because it captured my favorite Christmas memory. Camden had been asking for a Vtech Switch & Go Dino since October so he was ecstatic that his gift from his little sister was the triceratops. We asked him to thank her and he gave her the biggest hug I have ever seen. Melt my heart!

The kids were both asleep by the time we got home from opening gifts on Christmas Eve, but that made it easy for Santa to get everything set out for round two on Christmas morning.

In the morning, Camden was very excited to find that Santa had eaten his cookies and had a drink of milk. He immediately went for his stocking and started opening it all before I could even convince him to wait for his sister.

Between ourselves, grandparents, aunts and uncles, the kids were definitely spoiled, but Camden did a good job thanking everyone and acting grateful for all his gifts.

Unfortunately we saved the best item for the very last and the reaction to his brand new iPad from daddy was less then we were hoping for. Instead of being over the top excited, he acted sad that we were replacing his old, shattered iPad. Luckily, it only took a few minutes of coaxing and walking him through the new iPad for him to understand that it still had all his same apps and that he wasn’t losing anything by giving up the broken tablet. As was expected, it is now his favorite gift!

My husband and I made the decision not to bother with gifts to each other since we have a lot of items to buy for the new house in the upcoming months. I certainly didn’t feel like I was missing out by not having something to unwrap from him and we made up for it by picking up a few nice things on boxing day. Except for some boxing week shopping, we stayed home for much of the Christmas break and had a very lazy two weeks watching movies and keeping inside out of the cold.

It was a nice Christmas and I am hoping next year will be that much better with everyone settled into our new house. The only thing really missing was my sweet Bullini, but she certainly was not forgotten amidst all the chaos with a special place on the mantle.

I hope the 2013 Christmas season was just as Merry for all of you!

Everyday Life, Two Legged Fun

Christmas Fun: Portable North Pole and Reindeer Cam

December 23, 2013 chantelledoll

Have you seen portablenorthpole.com yet? I discovered it a few years ago and have made a video message for my little guy every year since. The first year I did it he was so excited to see Santa that I think we must have watched it over 100 times.

The program allows you to fill out personal details and customize the video to the child or adult. I get to input his age, photos, Christmas wishes, details on how we spent the last year and decide if he is on the naughty or nice list. The final video incorporates those pictures and Santa even says his name to make it that much more authentic. Camden started out somewhere between naughty/nice, but after a few quick changes this morning we re-watched and he was excited to see he has made it to Santa’s nice list!

Next year I will make one for each of them, but this year Keira is just happy to watch Santa and the elves in her brother’s video.

And if you are looking more Christmas fun, I highly recommend Santa’s Reindeer Cam! We have downloaded the app to the ipad and it allows the kids to check in on Santa’s live reindeer. There is also a feeding schedule so if you visit at the right times, you can see Santa feeding his reindeer throughout the day!

Recipes, Sweet

Christmas Baking: Chewy Ginger Snaps

December 23, 2013December 23, 2013 chantelledoll

There is a nine and a half year age gap between my little brother and myself. When he was still in elementary school, I was already out living on my own and attending university. While he was in grade four, his school put together a cookbook and he decided since I liked to bake and cook it would make the perfect gift for me for Christmas. It is one of the sweetest gifts I have ever received.

This Ginger Snap recipe comes from that cookbook. I used it for my first attempt making ginger snaps and they turned out so well I haven’t bothered trying a different recipe since. They have become a family tradition and it now isn’t Christmas without a batch of these chewy, spice filled cookies. Judging by how quickly my 3 year old made his disappear this afternoon, I don’t think it is a tradition that I will be breaking anytime soon.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar well.
Beat in the egg and molasses.
Stir in baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
Gradually add flour and mix well until combined into a soft dough.
Shape into approx. 1 tsp balls and roll in sugar.
Place balls on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes.

I typically roll my ginger snaps in a mixture of red and green sugars for Christmas to add a festive touch. This year, I decided to get a little fancier and dipped them in melted white chocolate and sprinkled them with some Wilton holly shaped sprinkles I found at Michaels. Either way they are delicious!

These ginger snaps were also the final item for the tins of baking I was packaging up for my siblings. Last year I had the bright idea to use coffee filters in the tins to separate each of the baking items and it worked so nicely I thought I would share. They keep the flavours for mixing and add a nice white ruffle throughout the basic Dollar Store tins I used.

Recipes, Sweet

Christmas Baking: Easy Maple Walnut Fudge

December 20, 2013 chantelledoll

I have a whole pinterest board devoted just to fudge. They all look delicious, but for my Christmas baking I resorted back to this recipe I made last year because I knew it was super tasty and easy.

Ingredients

1 can Eagle Brand Dulche de Leche sweetened condensed milk (You could substitute regular)
3 cups butterscotch chips (you will need two bags to get enough)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons Maple extract

Directions

Prepare a 9×9″ pan by lining it with parchment paper.
Pour butterscotch chips and sweetened condensed milk in a microwave proof bowl.
Microwave on high for 1 and a half minutes. Stir.
Microwave for another minute and a half. Stir well until condensed milk and melted chips are fully combined.
Stir in Maple extract and chopped nuts.
Pour mixture into pan and spread evenly. Put in fridge to set.
Cut into bite sized squares.