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IDEA 48: KID ART GIFT WRAP

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If you’ve been a BellaPamella fan long enough, you remember the “famous” BellaPamella Kid Art Calendar. (See more here).

Kids churn out such a quantity of beautiful work, I’m always thinking about new ways to use it. This idea is absolutely the perfect thing, especially for gifts to grandparents: Use some of that fabulous art as wrapping paper. Even if your gift is a box of chocolates, how much more fun is it to wrap the box in art made by your kids, and sent from the whole family? It’s not just original and cool, it gives kids a chance to make a contribution.

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Of course this idea is pretty self explanatory. The hardest part is deciding whether you want to use your favorite ones. But I’ve found kids have a bottomless capacity to crank out pictures, often of the same theme.

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I keep a collection of ribbons in a bin. There are great sales on rolls of grosgrain or satin ribbon to be found at the craft or fabric store. I buy a few rolls whenever I’m inspired. Then these can be used to tie up your packages. Fabric ribbon is so beautiful. And yes, I do save the ribbons once the packages are open. It seems silly to save the “disposable” kind of ribbon. But save the fabric ribbon, plop it back in your bin for use another time and it not only makes you feel a tad more environmentally friendly, your ribbon bin stays full.

If you find the artwork your kids are producing isn’t big enough, try giving them a large piece of paper to decorate just for this purpose. But don’t tell them it’s for wrapping paper or that could affect their designs. The fun part is that it doesn’t look like regular wrapping paper. At our house a large paper roll is a staple. A big roll of paper from the paper warehouse lasts for years. Sometimes it’s white. Right now the roll holder is filled with brown paper and I use it for everything. Try tearing off a sheet the size of the table and give the kids fat brushes and bright tempera paints and see what you get. You can then cut off as much as you want and wrap lots of gifts.

Sometime maybe I’ll do a whole blog entry on why your house needs a big paper roll dispenser. Years ago I asked for it for my Christmas present from my husband and I can’t think of a gift I use more. Come to think of it, there’s something to put on your wish list this year. Meanwhile, happy wrapping!

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Filed under 12 December, Celebrations, Holiday, Home, Inspiration, Kids, Projects, Uncategorized | Comments

IDEA 47: GIVE “OLD SCHOOL” A CHANCE

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Are you constantly asking, “is there’s an app for that”?

Technology is currently on such a high, it’s pretty certain you’re caught up in at least some of it. And it’s often thrilling. How cool is it that you can do your banking at the coffee shop in between shopping for a car and emailing your mom?

So I want to be clear. I love technology. But sometimes I find the ‘old school’ way to work better. So I use a mix of both. Even though I can have a to-do list on my phone, sometimes I need to keep a paper one on my desk. Even though my computer has an address book, my actual desktop also sports a rolodex. (Really!)

Everyone owes it to themselves to create the personal combination of preferences that works for them, with no apologies. Even your “OS” has “preferences”, because even the most tech-minded thinking knows: people are different.

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In tossing around this idea, I decided to create a BellaPamella shopping list. It’s a chunky 1/2 inch thick pad of long, narrow paper. At the top is a graphic of a grocery bag and one word: BUY. And I wondered, would people like such a simple tool? So, before I go deciding to sell BellaPamella shopping list pads, let’s see if there’s interest. The first ten people to contact me and ask for one will receive a free custom made BellaPamella shopping list pad in the mail. You don’t even have to include your mailing address unless you hear you are one of the ten, (in which case we will need it in order to send it to you). And we will NOT use, give away or sell your email or mailing address.

If I get a huge outpouring, I will be happy to offer the BellaPamella grocery list pad on the site. So, how bout it? Wanna try a little Old School?

Oh, and I’m sure I don’t have to remind you of another sweet “Old School” item: The apron!

Filed under 11 November, Food, Home, Inspiration, Organization, Traditions | Comments

IDEA 46: MAKE YOUR YARD A MULTI-TASKER

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On the radio one day I heard a master gardener suggest that if you live in the city and want to put something on a trellis, why not plant strawberries. The idea being, then you can have a snack every time you go out the back door. She must share a gene with my husband Mark who has made an art form out of using common growing things in an unorthodox way.

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We thought our patio could use a sun/wind/privacy screen, but really didn’t want to build a wall or fence. Mark made a frame for a large piece of chicken wire and planted a mess of beans at the bottom. Very quickly our patio had a living fresh green backdrop.

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He planted basil in a stone wall nearby. This is a place that would normally be reserved for flowers, or something decorative. The basil is decorative, but it has also keeps us in fresh pesto all summer.

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In our hanging baskets that last year housed Lobelia blooms, this year are brimming with strawberries.

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A sweet melon patch not only greens up the patio edge but provides a passel of mini cantaloupes.

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But maybe my favorite Mark innovation this year was the single row of corn forming an architectural element for the outside space. Held upright by one of his now signature tied stick trellises, the corn was well past knee hi by the 4th of July and heading on in toward an elephant’s eye.

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Of course, he likes to plant flowers too.

Filed under 08 August, Food, Garden, Home, Inspiration, Projects, Uncategorized | Comments

IDEA 43: MAKE A TIMELESS CAPSULE

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Is there a VHS videotape of your wedding somewhere in a box in your attic? How about some “Super-8” film reels from when you were a kid? If your house is typical, you have a few of these treasures, and you have no idea where they are.

Lately I’ve been noticing the shops offering to transfer my stuff to a current medium. And it got me thinking. How many of these things do I really have? I’m not about to transfer all the cartoons my kids used to watch, but I have only one wedding video. I have another cassette containing my fifteen minutes of fame (in my 30’s) on a local TV show. And a small hand-full of other things.

I decided it was time to collect and transfer these few precious things. But here’s the key: I won’t be putting them back in a box in the attic. I chose a basket/box with a lid that I also use as a bedside table. In here I’ve stashed the originals and the transferred DVDs. When the next new technology comes along I will have everything in one spot, hiding in “plain sight” so to speak, under a piece of glass that protects the lid of my bedside basket. In addition to this I’m keeping a file on my external hard drive, but that’s getting a bit technical, isn’t it?

You can choose any box or container you like. Maybe you’d prefer an interesting old box on the living room coffee table. But the point is to have something you keep out, not stash away in the attic. That way, you can add things as you collect them and you’ll actually be able to find them when the new media switches again. And you know it will!

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Filed under 04 April, Home, Keepsakes, Organization | Comments

IDEA 40: LOVE THYSELF

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I thought I was the first person to recognize that the flight attendant’s recommendation to strap the air hose onto yourself before helping your kids was an obvious analogy for how to approach motherhood. As the flight attendant points out (without actually saying it) you won’t be any good to your kids if you are passed out for lack of oxygen. Maybe I was the FIRST one to see it, but Laura Bennett beat me to the punch as her book (Didn’t I Feed You Yesterday–highly recommended, I might add) opens with that very idea. Never-the-less, it is obviously a good and valid idea.

Being mom carries with it slights and sacrifices so numerous you lose count by lunch time. We know it. We do it every day. But since we knew the job was dangerous when we took it, we feel we have neither recourse, nor justification for complaint.

So, this is that month when we all secretly hope to receive something that reinforces the fact that we are loved and cared about. And if you are one of the lucky ones, and get just exactly the flower, trinket or candy that you crave, in exactly the right setting, congratulations. You truly do deserve it. But if you are one of the many deserving that come up just a little disappointed, let me offer this thought: If it’s expected that on Valentine’s Day someone who loves you gives you flowers (or candy), than it should be required for you to give them to yourself. In fact, if you DON’T give yourself flowers on Valentine’s Day, you are just as guilty as every other loved one who doesn’t.

By the way, I’m aware that the Valentine tradition of giving things is secretly a marketing ploy started by the retailers of the world. So if you are of the mind to ignore it, I say more power to you, sister.

On the other hand, it does make for a pretty good excuse to reward yourself, don’t you think?

Filed under 02 February, Celebrations, Holiday, Home, Inspiration, Traditions | Comments

IDEA 39: SHORE UP YOUR DRAWERS

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You could spend this month trying to keep all those resolutions you made. Or you could forget that, and just work on getting your kitchen drawers organized. I just love a well-organized drawer. It makes me feel just a little bit in control of things.

So, edit your stuff if you have too much. Buy a couple of drawer dividers. And have at it. Here are some photos of my drawers. I think my newer pot-holders were in the wash, and several of my food storage containers were in the freezer, but I took a “come-as-you-are-party” approach to these photos. They’re not bad. And real is good.

This drawer may have been my inspiration for it all. Years ago, when we put new cabinets in the kitchen, I got real live built-in dividers for the silverware drawer. (Previously I had used the plastic unit that you just pop into a drawer, with empty space around it, which collected other stuff). The fact that this drawer has remained organized all these years I think is a testament to how the right organization device will take care of itself. There’s a reason someone coined the phrase, “A place for everything, and everything in it’s place”!

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There are four drawers in my “peninsula” which house stuff to set the table:

Place mats

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Candles, candle holders, napkin rings and paper napkins. The box that the candles are in a woven box with a lid. Very sweet.

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Table cloths

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Fabric napkins

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The drawers below my main counter are arranged by task.

Baking, grilling and roasting: measuring cups and spoons, rubber spatulas, grilling utensils. Hint: use a heavy rubber-band (like the one found on broccoli in the produce section) to keep the grilling tongs from taking over the whole drawer. This drawer has adjustable dividers from IKEA. (Classy AND inexpensive!)

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This drawer is at the stove: Stirring spoons, wooden utensils, flipper, spatulas, etc.

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A second drawer at the stove: Hot pads, oven mitts, trivets and matches and stove lighter.

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Pie plates and tins, and of course rolling pins.

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Food storage. I find this drawer is also a good place to keep empty water bottles for re-use.

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If you’ve been inspired, try fixing up even one drawer per weekend. In no time your entire kitchen will be organized!

Filed under 01 January, Food, Home, Inspiration, Organization | Comments

IDEA 37: SHOW YOUR THANKS

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Whether you are hosting a big dinner, or preparing to head out of town, if there’s a Thanksgiving meal in your near future, you know how lucky you are. Thanksgiving is often one of the few times of the year most of the family is together.

For this year’s table, why not make sweet little name place cards that do a little more than just point out where someone should sit? This simple idea combines a few things I love about Thanksgiving. It’ll make the table even more special, it’s an easy project, and doing it allows me to dwell on all the things I’m thankful for.

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For the project you’ll need some pretty paper and tiny faux green apples from the craft store, a hot glue gun, a pencil, a black fine point pen, something about 3 1/2″ round to trace around, like a glass, and either plain or fancy scissors.

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Use the glass and pencil to make 3 1/2″ circles on the pretty paper. You’ll need one per person. If there is a right and wrong side, make the circles on the wrong side. If you are using the fancy scissors, cut along the outside of the circle, so you will still see the drawn circle when it’s cut out.

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Once you’ve cut all the circles, on the top side, you may put a very light pencil line in an arc about 5/8 ” or so from the edge. (This is optional). Then, with the pen, along an arc shape, hand write “Thanks for [NAME]” for each person that will be at the table. The last step is to hot glue a tiny faux apple to the center of the circle.

If you don’t want to tell people where to sit, another idea is to name things you are thankful for. Then, like “stem gems” people can pick whatever sentiment they like! Some thoughts could be:

Thanks for being here.

Thanks for the happy.

Thanks for the warm.

Thanks for the calm before the storm!

Thanks for this family.

Thanks for this meal.

Thanks for the jokes.

Thanks for how I feel.

Okay, I couldn’t resist a little rhyme! Here are a few more pictures. I almost can’t decide if I like the plain or fancy cut. Do what works for your decor and make your thankful table as plain or fancy as you like! And Thanks for reading!

Thanks_fancy

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Filed under 11 November, Celebrations, Food, Holiday, Home, Projects, Traditions | Comments

IDEA 34: CHANGING SEASONS BASKETS

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This is a pretty simple idea inspired by those nifty bins with the place to put a label in a holder on the front. I was using them for off-season gear in our closet, but the contents (of course) kept changing with the seasons. My solution: For each bin I made up two tags, one for summer, one for winter. Voila, a solution for summer, (both bins use the winter tags) a solution for winter, (switch out the tags and both bins house the summer stuff) and, in a season like this, where only half the summer stuff is put away, use one of each. (Store the extra one behind).

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You can download and print these cute, visual, seasonal bin markers on card-stock, if you like. There’s extra background, so cut them to any size that works for your needs. Happy organizing!

Filed under 09 September, Home, Organization, Projects | Comments

IDEA 33: COLOR ME ORGANIZED

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It’s September. Which means you very well have replenished the stock of colored markers, pens, and pencils. Let’s face it. When you have an organized environment it really does inspire use.

This simple and sweet idea comes from my friend Anne who, like me and probably you, is thrilled to figure out a clever way to keep kid-stuff organized. Anne’s boys had a jumble of colored markers, pencils, crayons and pens. The supplies were a big hit when they were first purchased, but soon became spread all over the house, buried in various drawers, lost in the general chaos of life at home.

Then Anne got the idea to purchase clear glass jars from the kitchen department of a local big box store. The jars came in two sizes, so she chose a selection to house the various supplies. All the crayons went in one, the colored markers in another, and so on.

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The resulting jars now inspire her boys to create. They bring a jar to their room, and when they’re done, they bring it back to the shelf in an open cupboard in their sunny front room where the display looks as great as it is functional. (How many kid-stuff solutions can you think of that not only clean things up, but add to your decor as well)!

I don’t know about you, but now I’m inspired to go out and buy all new pens just to do this.

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Filed under 09 September, Home, Kids, Organization | Comment

IDEA 32: MAKE HEALTHY WORK FOR YOU

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Our family has taken to trust supplements and vitamins in a big way. It’s a great solution when you have kids running everywhere and you want to make sure they are getting their fair share of the good stuff. But if your kitchen counter is like mine, it has a way of looking cluttered even when you tidy up. The myriad bottles of vitamins, fish oil capsules and kelp were one thing, but when we started buying the mega-jars of whey protein it was getting a bit unsightly.

My solution? First, I found a sweet old basket with a lid at a tag sale. It used to be a picnic basket, I guess, but you could use any container with a lid that fits your decor.

All the little items went in without problem, then I found square jars that fit in the basket. I used peanut jars from Cosco. They are plastic and have large plastic lids. I cleaned the jars and removed the labels from the whey containers and taped them onto the smaller jars. Of course I had to cut the labels smaller to fit. I wanted to use the labels rather than just writing on the jars for two reasons: First, I wanted to keep the nutrition info, and second, I knew I would need the visual of the actual products so next time I would remember which one to buy! I scooped out enough of the whey to fill the smaller jars and the mongo ones went in the pantry.

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I used another empty jar to house small packets, and there was also room for a carb counting booklet. Everything fits inside and is easily accessible, then with a flip of the top, it’s all out of site!

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On the subject of ways to organize keeping the family healthy, we found a set of tiny, colored melamine bowls at the big box store. They came in a set of six, in six different colors. Since we have five in our family, we had each person pick their color. Now, in the morning, I divvy all the vitamins and supplements into the bowls. They sit there as a reminder to each family member whether or not they’ve taken their vitamins that day. By dinner time the last straggler has taken theirs and the next morning they all get refilled. An idea that not only beautifies your space but keeps you healthy? Now, that’s a very BellaPamella idea!

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Filed under 08 August, Food, Home, Organization | Comments


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