Monthly Archives: August 2013

Zip, Sliding, Away! ~ Wisconsin Dells Road Trip

We just got back from a week of holidays and I must say, I am glad to be back.  Our week away was jam-packed with shopping, adventure and lots of fun …. with a touch of relaxation.  It was a great holiday and we’ll be sure to go back, but hopefully I won’t be side swiped with a second bout of Strep Throat on our next trip.  Ugh!  I only missed one day of fun, but must admit I was struggling for at least 2.

DESTINATION:  Wisconsin Dells

I love road trips.  I love being internet free and having quality time to connect as a family. In Roy terms, this was a very short trip ~ only about 10 1/2 hours from our house to the Dells.  Of course, that would only be the case if we did not stop to go shopping for an entire day en route!  (Great deals and back to school shopping is officially done!)

The Dells is a very touristy town and that is not always my cup of tea.  Boutiques and quaint little shops will not be found on their strip.  Instead, the main drag is lined with tacky souvenir shops, homemade fudge shops and other cash grabs.  The town itself has about 2700 people, but it flows right into another town called Lake Delton which has a population of around 2900, so combined there are under 6000 permanent residents that live there.  Although I was unable to verify this statement, someone who we met said that the population grows to approximately 2,000,000 people during the summer.  I am not sure, but I am guessing he meant that they have around 2 million tourists visit each summer.  Despite the towns being relatively small, there are accommodations every where you look.  There is temporary housing for the students that flood in from all over the world for summer employment, exotic resorts, water parks, cottages and ample opportunities for camping.  There are literally dozens of things to do in the area and to be honest it is a little over whelming. Because we had never been there before, we decided to stay away from the resorts and try a variety of things.

Aside from all of the commercial tourist trap type stuff, the area is beautiful.  We have driven through Wisconsin several times in the past and it really is a beautiful state.  Lake Delton is a man-made lake with an interesting story.  The lake was originally made by Chicago construction company owner William J. Newman in 1926.  In 1940, Newman lost his shares due to financial difficulties.  By the 1980’s, the Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton had become a major tourist destination and home to several water parks and other attractions.  In 2008, a portion of the dike eroded under the pressure of flood waters due to high levels of precipitation.  The dike failed and the lake emptied and sat as an empty basin for most of the year.  Repairs were done and the lake was refilled and became usable again in 2009.

Lake Delton

Where Did We Stay?

For starters, we chose to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the main drags.  We rented an adorable little cottage from Kathy’s Kozy Kottages.  Kathy and Joe were wonderful hosts and our cottage was a quaint little gem.  They have many return customers and book very early, so we were lucky to get the one bedroom.  It was very small, but perfect for our needs as we were out and about every day.  The cottages were equipped with everything you need except for towels and BBQ tools (both of which are mentioned in the info).  The beds were comfortable and the cottage was very clean and well-kept.  Kathy and Joe were there every day to do general maintenance and up keep for their three cottages.  The beach front is shared by all three cottages, but it was perfect as the kids made friends and had a blast.  There is a BBQ (charcoal), fire pit, two docks, pedal boats and sand toys for smaller kids.  There is also a floating platform for the kids to play on.  Shay met a new friend and had a great time learning to fish.  We couldn’t believe their luck, they must have caught about 15 fish within just a few hours.

cottage

Our cottage’s bedroom.

The cottage was only $80 per night and allowed us to eat as many meals as we wanted “at home”. If we go back, we will definitely stay there again!

What Did We Do?

Haunted Mansion on Main Street – this was just a little time filler and a huge waste of money.  My husband and kids agreed it was lame (at best).

Bigfoot Zipline Tours – an expensive adventure, but very fun and worth the money.  It is a 2 1/2 hour guided “tour” in which you get to zip down 6 different lines ranging from 462 feet to 1397 feet. You are taught the basics as well as some tricks.  I am not very good with heights, but even I let go and sailed down the line upside down.  It was great!  It was $89 per person and basically suitable for anyone from 4 to 94 years old.  We were advised to buy the package deal from a friend that had previously gone to the Dells.  We paid $100 per person (ouch!!) and for that price we got the Bigfoot Zipline Tour as well as the Dells Army Ducks and the Wild Thing Jet Boat Ride.  This was a great deal and we purchased our package right at Bigfoot.  (I also heard from others that the Bigfoot Zipline is much better than the other one in the area).

Dells Army Ducks – this is basically a tour of both land and water on the army duck boats.  We did this on the first day and it was great to get some history and knowledge of the area before beginning our holiday.  We all really enjoyed the humour of the driver and the one hour tour.

Wild Thing – a fun and wild ride on a jet boat.  Be prepared to get wet.  It is a bit of a tour, but mostly lots of fun. The best part of both of the boat rides is that you get to travel up/down the Wisconsin River which has unbelievable rock formations along the banks. It is very picturesque and well worth the money.

Noah’s Ark – This water park boasts being the largest in the world and I can see why.  It basically has everything imaginable in terms of water fun.  From the amusement park type “log ride” to tube roller coasters, it has it all.  The kids had lots of fun at the wave pool and testing their fate on the “Point of No Return”.  There were many rides and the park seemed endless.  Unfortunately for me, I was fighting a fever and headache and not my usual dare-devil self.  Too bad.  The admission to this park was $39 plus tax, but we bought our tickets from a Kwik Trip outlet and got them for $29 each.  Something to note:  you can purchase a second day pass when leaving the park for only $10.  You can also pre-purchase your tickets on-line at good rates, but we weren’t entirely sure what we were going to do prior to leaving

Kalahari Resort offers lodging and both indoor and outdoor water/amusement parks.  This park was more expensive than Noah’s Ark by about $10 per person.  I was too sick to go to the park that day, so I opted to stay at the cottage in bed.  Luckily I was feeling slightly better by late afternoon and was able to sit on the beach and read (not so bad). The kids said it was fun, but another time, we would probably do Noah’s Ark two days in a row and get the second day rate.

Beach– one of our favourite days was spent hanging out at the little beach in front of our cottage.  The docks provided great fishing for the kids and kept them entertained for hours.  The lake temperature was incredibly warm and the sandy bottom and clean water made it an excellent place to swim.  The lake was calm and we were in a “no wake” zone, so the kids were pretty safe to swim out quite a distant or take the pedal boats out on their own.  It was relaxing, quiet and offered a good dose of nature at its best.  Loved it!

Dinner Out

We ate out a few times, but only one restaurant is really worth mentioning ~  the High Rock Cafe.  The food was fabulous and service was good.  We did have to wait to get in as this is a very popular restaurant.  We had planned on having dessert with dinner as it was Tim’s birthday, but the dessert menu really wasn’t that appealing.  However, after having our meals, we decided that really had to give the desserts a try as well.  We ordered a S’more Dessert and the Half-Baked Cupcake.  Illness was on my side this time and no one wanted to share my dessert for fear of falling sick! Yay!  I had the half-baked cupcake and it was incredible.  It was a vanilla cupcake stuffed with chocolate chip cookie dough and a cookies n’ cream frosting.  (I am actually having trouble writing about it without salivating.)  We would highly recommend this restaurant for a nice evening out.  The menu is on-line and it includes pricing, so you can check it out before going.  Mmmm good!

Vacation Summary

This was a great trip and lots of fun for the kids. Next time, I plan to be healthy (which I am sure will enhance the overall experience), and we all agree that we’d love to have more time at the cottage enjoying the lake and fishing.  Over all a great family vacation!

To Save or Not to Save….Deck Storage Box

This pine deck box was a freebie from a friend.  It has served as outdoor toy storage on our front porch for 5 years and was very weathered with broken hinges and all.  I was tempted to get rid of it as it just didn’t seem to be worth the work, but in the end we decided to salvage and repair it, as we still need a place for outdoor toys.

The Old Box

Unfortunately, the before shot is once again more of a mid way shot because I forgot to take one. The box was very beaten up as you can still see by the lid. The sides had already been sanded at this point.
old box

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Rejuvenated Deck Box

Basically we gave it a rough sand, darker stain and a few coats of urethane that we had on hand. My husband bought some new hinges that will actually hold the lid up when it is lifted. Hopefully this will help prevent the slamming of the lid and the wear and tear on the new hinges.  You can see the new look is much more rustic.  I really didn’t care about the dings and markings ~ they just add character.  Click the images to enlarge the photos.

Toss or Treasure? The Story of A Cheap Chair

I have had this old folding chair and desk set for years.  I can’t remember if it was a freebie or just a really cheap second-hand purchase, but the desk has made its rounds and has served as several different purposes over the years.  The chair was in my scrapbooking room, but I hated it and contemplated tossing it due to the large and ugly rip in the back.  I actually put duct taped on it. Can you believe it?  Anyway, I have been doing my summer purge and was about to toss it when it hit me ~ this would have to be the easiest re-upholstering project ever!

Cheap Folding Chair Upcycle

I am in the midst of tweaking my son’s room and because the matching desk is currently located in his room, I thought I would fix-up the chair to match.  This task was super easy (aside from having to find a staple gun that would load and fire 1/4″ staples) ~ thanks Chris!

I had the fabric from a previous project and it is perfect fit for my son’s room.  The back and seat of the chair unscrew and I just stapled the new fabric right over top of the old seat.  I removed the torn top piece because I knew it wouldn’t sit smoothly otherwise.  Check it out! Simple, $0 and looks way better don’t ya think?

Before and After Shots

Before

Ugly black folding chair.

torn back

Duct tape? Really?

finished chair

The finished chair.

Clean or Dirty?

At our house, the kids unload the dishwasher…or at least they are supposed to.  Originally it was set up that one kid would “fill” and the other would “empty” for any given week. However, what seems to have happened is that they both “empty” and whoever gets there first unloads the top rack which is of course, much easier than putting all of the cutlery from the bottom rack away.  It seems Tim and I are often on “fill”.  Ugh!

Clean or Dirty

The biggest problem with this little system they’ve concocted is that both racks are often not unloaded at the same time.  The result is that we are always in limbo not knowing if the dishes in the dishwasher are clean or dirty.  Obviously the system itself needs some work, but in the mean time, I made this cute little sign to help solve our dilemma.  I saw this idea online and just had to make my own.

original idea Steps to Making the Magnet

Step 1: I found a thin but sturdy piece of card board and cut it to 4 1/2″ X 2″ piece.

thin cardboard

Step 2: I cut a piece of scrapbooking paper equal in size to the cardboard.
paper
Step 3: I glued the paper on the cardboard. I also added little stickers spelling “DISHES” vertically down the left side.

Step 4: I trimmed any excess paper and gave it a bit of a sand to rough up the edges. I then added white ink to the edges to hide the cardboard backing.

Step 5: Put one coat of Modge Podge over top and edges. Let dry.

backing

Step 6: I used my paper trimmer as a guide to be sure I set the letter tiles on straight. I hot glued the outside tiles first and they also helped to guide my placement.

Step 7:  Hot glue magnets on the back and paint, if desired.  (I did paint mine after this shot.)

add magnets

The Final Project:

The project was easy to do and didn’t take long to complete (with the exception of dry times). As soon as the dishwasher is turned on, the sign should be switched to “CLEAN” and then flipped upside down once the entire dishwasher has been emptied.

on the dishwasher

finished project

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Save That Shirt!

Don’t you hate it when you buy your kids new clothes and they seem to outgrow them before the end of the season?  Well, check-out this post and learn how to re-use and upcycle old tops.

Vintage Jets T-shirt

My son has a Winnipeg Jets themed room and I am always looking for new and creative ways to pull his room together.  I was so disappointed when he outgrew this cute vintage style shirt, so I hung on to it thinking I might be able to use it in some way.

jets shirt

Jets T-shirt Becomes Cushion Cover

This project literally took me 10 minutes.  I simply flipped the shirt inside out and stitched a line across the top to close off the neck hole. I did it in white so you could see it.

stitched top

I flipped the shirt back (not inside out) and put a small throw cushion inside (I already had this at home). I then folded the extra length at the bottom of the shirt inside and pinched the bottoms together. I didn’t care if the stitching showed for this project and decided to do a zigzag stitch to make it a bit more decorative. This is not sewn well and I even ran out of thread part way through the bottom stitching. On another day I might have ripped it out and did again, but not today! This will do just fine. Obviously, the pillow cannot be removed without taking the stitching out. I think I will just toss the whole thing in the wash, when needed.

bottom seam

Finally, I took the arms and loosely tied them on the back of the pillow. I then added a bit of stitching (hidden under the top sleeve), to permanently keep them tied together.

tied arms

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Pinterest Project: DIY Key Rack

I am all about de-cluttering and am always looking for great ideas to keep the house neat and tidy.

Key Rack Project Suppliesblocks

  • blocks
  • board or something for backing
  • dowelling to hang keys on (or you can use hooks)
  • wood glue and/or screws
  • hook or something for the back to hang the finished product
  • paint and sand paper
  • drill

I had found some old wooden alphabet blocks at a garage sale and bought the whole box for $2.  I had all of the other supplies for this project at home.

Key Holder Project Steps:

  1. Pick-out the K, E, Y and S, and proceeded to clean and dry them thoroughly.
  2. Back board:  I found an old pallet board (free) and drilled four holes equal in diameter to the dowelling (maybe a smidge bigger) below where each block would sit.  I did not drill completely through to the back as I wanted to be able to glue them in place.
  3. Sanded the board down slightly, and then primed and painted it.  I very sloppily added a few layers of paint (green, blue and white). Be sure to let the layers dry in between. I then gently sanded the edges of the board to distress it.
  4. I painted the blocks and pegs white. Once the blocks were dry , I gently sanded them to reveal some of the original colour.
  5. Glued the pegs in place.
  6. Glued the blocks in place.  Later, once the glue was dry, I screwed them in securely from the back.
  7. I then added a hook for hanging the board on the wall.
DIY key rack

My finished key holder.

Here is another variation of the project.

variation of project

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DIY Pinterest Project: Cell Phone Holder

I got this cute idea off of Pinterest and just had to try it.  Basically you take an old lotion or shampoo bottle and upcycle it into a little holder for your cell phone or iPod, so that your counters aren’t cluttered with technology.

Cell Phone Holder

You cut the lotion bottle, so that the back is taller than the front and then cut out a hole for the plug to go through.  You then give the surface a rough sand (so the Mod Podge will stick) and then cover the surface in podge.  You cut a piece of fabric and apply it snuggly over the podge. Trim off the extra fabric and then apply another layer of Mod Podge.  The complete tutorial can be found here.

My Finished Project

Cell Phone Holder

Basically, this was a pretty easy project, but in the end a bit of a “fail”.  I did not actually try to fit my cell phone inside the container prior to doing all the work.  Duh!  The bottle I used was not large enough and so I ended up with a “mini” version of the original.  I hate it when that happens.  Although my phone does fit in (snuggly), it is a bit awkward because of the lack of clearance between the plug and the top of the phone.  I would totally do this project again, but be sure to pick a bottle that is large enough and test it before going to too much trouble.  We use our holder all the time, but for used batteries that need to be taken to recycling.  I have a recycling container at work that I take them to when our little caddy is full.  (Unfortunately, we would need to have a caddy on every plug-in the house to accommodate all the phones and iPods ~ one just wouldn’t cut it any more).

If you love to share your thoughts and interests and would like to get paid for doing what you love, do what I did and find some experts to mentor you. Click here to learn how a novice like myself was able to quickly learn techniques and strategies for blogging effectively.

Those Bi-Fold Doors Have Got to Go!

Despite the fact that our home is a 1921 home, somewhere along the line there were a few “upgrades” added that seriously compromised the integrity and character of the house.  The bi-fold master bedroom doors were no exception.

Before the Bi-Fold Door Removal

bi-fold doors

French Door Duo

We went to one of my very favourite stores ~ The Old House Revival Company, and found a matching pair of French Doors for around $80 (I think, it’s a while ago since we bought them). They needed to be trimmed a bit to fit, but adjustments were minimal.  (I am so glad my husband is handy.)We gave them a fresh coat of paint (white, of course) and voila!  It is funny how something so simple can make such a dramatic difference in a room.  Like every other room in my house, it is still a work in progress.  By the time I get it all pulled together, I will probably need new bedding and will have to start all over ~ yikes…don’t tell my husband!

french closet doors

IMG_7880

I had totally planned to curtain off behind the glass to hide the contents, but haven’t gotten to it and actually like it the way it is (minus the bright orange and white striped dress, that is).

Coffee Table Upcyle

Most women love the mall and shopping for clothes, but for me, nothing gives me a thrill like a cheap Kijiji purchase.  I scour the site looking for great finds, and then toss and turn all night, unable to sleep as my creative juices begin to flow. I often already know exactly what I am going to do when I purchase something old and used, but not always.  I saw this idea else where and just had to do it.

Grungy Old Coffee Table

french provincial style coffee table Clearly this table is not old and grungy. This is similar to the style of mine ~ French Provincial. I just love the curve of the legs.  However, mine was only $15 and is pictured below.

DSCN1424Not a great before shot, but you get the idea.  (You will often notice my before shots are more like midway shots, as I often get started and then say, “Oh no!  I forgot to take a picture ~oops!”  You can see I had the table propped up and was in the middle of sanding when I remembered to take a picture.

Upcycled Coffee Table, Turned Bench

The first thing I did was sand, TSP, rinse, prime and then paint the table.  What colour you ask?  You guessed it, my all time favourite colour ~ white!

To upholster the top, I took a piece of plywood and cut it to fit just inside the outside edge of the table top.  I then covered it with a 3″ foam piece that was cut to fit the board exactly.  I added some batting over top and stretched it over the top and sides, so that I could staple it on the underside of the board.  I then did the same with my fabric.  Once the “board” was upholstered, I centered it carefully on the table top and screwed it on from the bottom of the table.  This was a pretty easy project, and it is easy to find a complete tutorial on the web.

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Relax, Don’t Do It!

I generally pick and choose my commitments wisely because I can become totally goal focused and a bit obsessed.  The same is true for me with exercise.  Generally, I would consider myself a pretty active person. I grew-up loving sports and continue to enjoy playing volleyball most Thursday evenings. However, I have never enjoyed working out.  I have done it, but begrudgingly, because I wanted to look and feel better, not because I enjoyed it.

Years ago, a colleague told me that if I would just stick to running for 6 weeks, I would be hooked for life.  Liar, liar pants on fire!  Never happened, and I was committed.   I have had gym memberships, worked out from home with DVD’s (VHS too, I might add), tried running, and we own a Bow Flex and an elliptical machine.  To be completely honest I don’t really like working out at all.  There are some workouts I like more than others (or should I say dislike less than others), but I would be quite happy playing volleyball, going for leisurely walks/bike rides, actively engage in play with my kids, and completely avoid working-out all together.

My relationship with exercise is quiet extensive as I have tried many things over the years, but like other things in my life, I tend to be “all in” or “not at all”. I have difficulty doing something a few times a week and in the past have done better when I have a daily commitment (or at least 6 days per week). I can successfully complete a 90 day program, but that kind of pace can not be maintained long term (at least not by me). I often follow these intense programs with spans of time in which I fall into the pitfall of doing nothing at all. Unfortunately, lately I have been so busy with my blog and home projects, I fall in the latter category and am not doing much of anything.  Yes, I need to get moving, but at least there may be some good news for others like me!

What Are the Experts Saying?

I was pretty excited when I read Mark Stisson’s book and learned that he viewed exercise in a very different way than most.  In his book, The Primal Blueprint, Mark talks about the disadvantages of chronic cardio and recommends a fitness regime that is more reminiscent of our ancient ancestors.  The premise of his book is to eat and live like primitive man.  ( I am not totally on board with this and don’t follow The Primal Blueprint anymore, but he has some awesome ideas regarding health and wellness). Mark recommends sprinting once per week, HIIT (high intensity interval training) once per week and weight training twice a week for a total of 4 days/week. For Mark’s complete work-out follow this link.

I receive The Plan newsletter from Lyn-Genet and her latest issue was titled:  Do you exercise to gain weight, ruin heart health and hasten aging?  Now that’s a title that caught my attention.  Although the article is a bit of an ad for her fitness program, she does talk about the side effects of over exercising.  Here is an excerpt from her newsletter.

We have been compiling information for over 5 years and have found that:

  • Women (and men over the age of 40) who exercise 5-6 days a week may lose 25% less weight than those who exercise 3-4 times a week.
  • People who exercised every other day often had the best results for weight loss
  • Exercising for more than 30-45 min (depending on the exercise) may slow weight loss or caused weight gain.
  • The biggest culprits are bootcamp, crossfit style classes, Bikram and spinning.

There is more and more research coming out to support the idea that over exercise is not only keeping us from getting the results we want, but may also be harming our bodies.

Here are two more links to articles that have similar claims:  NY Times and WSJ

What Does All this Mean?

I know I feel better and sleep more soundly when I am exercising regularly, so I need to get myself away from my computer and get back on track.  However, it also means that I no longer have to commit to intense exercise programs like Insanity and P90X, as I have done in the past.  I think the key lies in the discovery of foods that completely agree with your body, so that you can begin to live each day without the inflammation that is resulting from specific foods in our diets.  We can then use exercise as a way to supplement our healthy eating, instead of killing ourselves trying to lose weight through exercise.  For me, I know that choosing the right foods has been essential in helping me to get my body to a place I feel comfortable.  I am not completely there yet, as I really do have to begin to get back on track with regards to regular exercise, but rest assured, there is enough research out there to convince me that killer workouts and bootcamps are not the answer I am looking for.

 

Want to learn how the pro’s blog?  If you or someone you know is interested in earning money from home, it makes sense to learn blogging and internet marketing techniques from the best on the web. If you would like to receive the same training that has helped me to launch my blog, follow this link.