Friday Favorite: Use Sunglasses as Impromptu iPhone Holder.

Pinterest pin and website link.

There have been a handful of "emergencies" where I've needed to hand my phone off to my kids so that I could get something accomplished while they're occupied.  These scenarios typically end in lots of whining / fighting over who gets to hold the phone, who can't see, who's sitting too close to the screen, etc.  Problem solved with my sunglasses!

Verdict: SUCCESS!

Friday Favorite: Organizing Cookie Cutters on a Paper Towel Holder.

Pinterest pin and website link.

My kids and I seem to use the same handful of cookie cutters again and again, so I loved the idea of organizing one the select few cutters we use all the time away from the big box we have shoved deep in the pantry!  The one problem is that we now have nowhere to put our paper towels :)  Guess it's time to invest in another paper towel holder!

Verdict: SUCCESS!

Friday Favorite: Water Balloon Basketball.

Pinterest pin and website link.

We've had a streak of hot days, and the kids loved this water balloon basketball idea.  They would have done this for hours had I been willing to fill up water balloons all day!

The set-up.

Shoot & score!

Verdict: SUCCESS!

Friday Favorite: "Lift and Peek" Teaching Clock.

Pinterest pin and website link.

My son is suddenly super interested in telling time, but is getting so frustrated when I try to teach him about the minute hand -- he just does not get it.  I made this clock today, and he was starting to catch on.  It was cute to see his little mind at work!  This was super easy to make using two paper plates, a Sharpie pen, one brad, two small pieces of paper, and some double-sided tape (to stick the two plates together in the center).

Verdict: SUCCESS!

Friday Favorite: Liquid Laundry Detergent Container into Bubble Refill Dispenser.

Pinterest pin and website picture.

I just mixed up a new batch of homemade bubble solution and poured it into this liquid laundry detergent container.  My kids can't wait until tomorrow (when the bubble solution settles enough to create awesome bubbles) to help themselves to more bubbles whenever they are running low!

Verdict: SUCCESS!

Friday Favorite: Binder Clip as Beer Stacker.

Pinterest pin and website link.

I love this binder clip idea to stack beer in the fridge without a) the bottles falling over and b) taking over the entire fridge with just beer storage.  I'll be doing this for our next party!

Verdict: SUCCESS!

Friday Favorite: OxiClean Paste.

I didn't have much luck using an OxiClean and warm water solution to clean my stained grout; the recipe never mixed into a paste and therefore didn't saturate into my shower grout.  However, I have since discovered that OxiClean does work wonders for cleaning when it is mixed into an actual paste and left on for many, many hours -- I couldn't find any recipes online, but instead scooped out some OxiClean powder, added a little bit of water and mixed the two together until it formed a very thick paste; make sure it's not too watery!  I then applied the paste with an old toothbrush, let it sit overnight for 12+ hours, and then used a grout scrubbing brush to work away the stains.  I had to do this process multiple times in my shower, and although it's not perfect, it looks so much better!

Stained grout (please don't judge me!).

What my paste looked like when I applied it to the grout:

What the paste looked like after 12+ hours of sitting on the grout:

Below was the result after the first 12 hours with the paste on my shower grout + scrubbing with a grout brush.  I still wasn't satisfied, so I mixed up more paste and applied it again for another 12+ hours.

I was so happy with my second attempt!

Verdict: SUCCESS!

Friday Favorite: Using Velcro to Organize Drawers.

Pinterest pin and website link.

My silverware compartment is always moving around in the drawer, and I typically have to move it down towards the front of the drawer to get all my silverware put away.

That little problem was solved by using this sticky-backed Velcro trick!  Simply stick Velcro dots onto both the bottom of the drawer and the bottom of whatever container you need to stay in place inside the drawer.  My only issue was that the bottom of our silverware compartment was raised, so I had to use sticky-backed furniture pads to level out the bottom, and then put Velcro glue dots on top of those.  It worked perfectly.

Done!

Verdict: SUCCESS!

Friday Favorite: Using Pillowcases to Clean Ceiling Fans.

Pinterest pin and website link.

I love this -- my ceiling fans are cleaned (for the first time since we moved in two years ago...) and the dust was contained within the pillowcase!

Friday Favorite: Turning Clothing Hangers Around.

Pinterest pin and website link.

This site has great tips for completing the "40 Bags in 40 Days" project,  but my favorite was this -- after you wear an item, hang it backwards in your closet.  If you have items not turned around at the end of the year (or every few months?), donate them.  I've started doing this already for my clothes, and plan to start with the kids' clothes too!

Friday Favorite: Crock-Pot Delicious Dinner Mixes.

Website link.

As you know, my favorite mode of cooking involves using my Crock-Pot, so I was excited to try one of these "Delicious Dinner" mixes when I saw them on sale at Bartell's.  I picked up the Chicken Marsala mix because I already had the additional ingredients needed at home.  We loved it -- and will definitely be trying more of these when I see them on sale!

Ingredients:

• • 1 pkg. seasoning mix (included)
  • 1 pkg. vegetable mix (included)
  • 1 pkg. pasta (included)
  • 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1¼ cup Marsala wine
  • 2 cups fresh-sliced mushrooms (I didn't have this many)

  

  I added a bagged salad from Costco, and dinner was done -- with minimal effort!
  

  

  Verdict: SUCCESS!

Friday Favorite: Muffin Tin as Condiment Dispenser.

Pinterest pin and website link.

I loved using a muffin tin as a condiment dispenser (even though this photo -- with the cheese / avocado squeezed on there -- makes it look a little awkward!).  I didn't have enough burger condiments to go in all the spaces when I did this, but if I did, I would have moved the cheese and avocado to a different plate!  I only had mayo, mustard and ketchup, but in the future, could include ranch, dijon mustard, relish, etc.

My only concern is that for a large group, there may not be enough of each condiment in each little space to go around -- in that case, I would likely prepare two of these trays so that we wouldn't run out!

Verdict: success!

Friday Favorite: Dessert Stand as Soap/Sponge Holder.

Pinterest pin (the website link looks suspicious, so I didn't go to the site).

I love my dessert stand turned soap / sponge / paper towel kitchen organizer.  It makes me happy to look at while I'm standing at the sink...for the seventeenth time that day...because my kids constantly eat and dirty every dish in the house!

Friday Favorite: Snack Bin.

Pinterest pin and website link.

This tip has made getting out the door so much easier for us -- whether we're heading out for school, to play with friends, or just to run errands, the kids know to pick up a snack on our way out the door.  I try to stock this with healthy options, but the kids have a way of convincing me to buy that gigantic box of Costco goldfish every few weeks!

Friday Favorite -- Corkboard Art Wall.

Pinterest pin and website link.

This is an easy way to hang kids' artwork -- just remove the original glass, spray paint the frames and adhere the corkboard (I bought mine in a roll) to the back of the frame.  And if you're like me (who typically puts thirty holes in the wall when hanging five picture frames), here's a tip about hanging gallery wall frames!

Friday Favorite -- Sweeping Game.

Pinterest pin and website link (I'll  be going back to this site -- there are some good tips here!).

The entire time I had this blue tape on our kitchen floor, my son would beg me to let him sweep after meals.  The second I took the tape up (because it was annoying me to look at it), he was no longer interested -- or even seemed to remember that he'd ever swept before.  I think ugly blue tape on my hardwoods is worth the extra help with housework -- it will be back in place tomorrow!

Friday Favorite -- DIY Foaming Hand Wash.

Pinterest pin and website link.

We love foaming hand soap in this house, particularly with young kids, but I jumped at the chance to try a less expensive option when I found the above recipe for DIY foaming hand soap.  I immediately tried it, but didn't think it was quite "foamy" enough with 1 teaspoon of liquid soap.  For us, the following is the perfect recipe:

Refill an empty foam dispenser with 3 teaspoons of liquid soap (I use the Mrs. Meyer's brand) or dish washing liquid and fill the rest of the dispenser with water.

Friday Favorite -- Upside Down Command Hook.

Pinterest pin and website link.

In the past, I've used painter's tape to hang a seasonal wreath from the back of our entryway mirror (which has not always been effective -- I've had wreaths fall onto my guests standing below!).  I saw this tip on Pinterest for using an upside down command hook as a wreath hanger, and immediately implemented it!  This has made switching out wreaths so much quicker and easier!

Ta-da!

Felt wreath tutorial and modifications here!

Friday Favorite -- Slow Cooker Liners.

I use my Crock-Pot A LOT.  These slow cooker liners have made my life so much easier -- just toss away the liner when your Crock-Pot meal is done, and the inside of your slow cooker is easy to clean!

I buy mine at Target, but I've seen them at most major grocery stores.