Popsicle Stick Puzzle Carrier

Don't forget to check out the Valentine's Giveaway: a hand-drawn portrait!

My sweet sister made the boys a bunch of popsicle stick puzzles for Christmas. They are all church themed, and the kids have loved playing with the sticks and putting the puzzles together during church. She gave us 9 sets and, as you can imagine, they get all mixed up and end up all over the bench and floor. So, in an attempt, to keep them a little more organized, I made this carrier. I used felt and bias tape (of course!... I could really be happy putting bias tape on everything) and it ended up being a pretty fast project. Each set of sticks has their own little pocket, and then the whole thing can be rolled up, tied, and tossed in the church bag.



Thanks Brittney!

Check out other fun ideas at the Classy Clutter Linky Party

Valentine's Giveaway: A Hand-Drawn Portrait!

**This giveaway is now CLOSED**

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to give away one of my hand-drawn portraits. I've been doing portraits for about 12 years, mostly for family and friends. I work exclusively in pencil from photographs and can combine more than one photograph into a single drawing. These portraits are perfect for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas... or Valentine's! The winner of this giveaway will receive one free portrait (up to 2 subjects—a $175 value!) It could be of you, your parents, your kids, a friend... whoever you choose.



Here's how to enter:
(Please leave a separate comment on THIS POST per entry)

Required:
* Follow this blog

Additional entries:
* "Like" The Blue Basket on Facebook
* Follow my portraiture blog (jessicajacksonportraiture.blogspot.com)
* "Like" Jessica Jackson Portraiture on Facebook
* Write a post about this giveaway on your blog (and leave me a link)

This giveaway will run through Monday, February 13th. The winner will be announced on Valentine's Day. Good luck!

Lego House

This might be as close as our family ever gets to owning a doll house (unless things change down the road and we actually conceive a girl!) My boys LOVE Legos and have for quite some time, so when I saw something similar to this on Pinterest I knew I had to make it. And the great thing about it? I didn't spend one penny! We just happened to have a couple sheets of this "wood" (I'm not sure what else to call it... it's not pure wood) in our garage. We don't have many power tools, so I ended up using a hand saw and an exacto knife to cut it, then wood glue to put it all together. Oh, and some of the kids blocks in each of the corners to help keep it sturdy. Pete helped cut some of the pieces and John helped sand, so we were able to get it done in just a couple days. So far the kids love it. We are now in the process of furnishing the house... something that is fun for even me to do!





Check back tomorrow for a fun Valentine's Giveaway!

Marshmallow/Pom Pom Shooter

You may have seen this idea floating around on Pinterest. Well, so did we, and we decided to give it a try. We had all the supplies, so this gave the kids and I an hour of free entertainment!



We made just a few changes to the tutorial we found here...

Nesting: carrier cover and burp cloth

Yesterday I added some bias tape to my carrier cover and made a burp cloth with the scraps. When I showed Pete what I had done later that day, he said in a cute (and somewhat sarcastic) voice, "Oh... you're beginning to nest!" So yes, I guess I am! I've held off long enough. I'm now just about 33 weeks along... I was going to hold off making any preparations until Valentine's Day (if I get too excited and prepared too soon, the last weeks of pregnancy will be very long!) but I just couldn't help myself. I also realized that if this baby were to come when Joe came, he would be here in 2 weeks! But I'm trying hard not to hope for or expect that. Thankfully, not too much needs to happen to get ready for a 4th boy. But of course there a few things that I want to do. So this is where I started. I already had a carrier cover, but thought it was awful plain, so added some red bias tape around it (I'm really liking bias tape lately... gives everything a finished look). Then I dug up a scrap of the fabric I had used and decided to make a burp cloth. The bias tape adds a twist on the burp cloths I have made in the past. I look forward to sharing more "nesting" ideas over the next couple months!

Paper snowflakes

John made snowflakes in school a month or two ago and has been at it ever since. When he has some free time, he will often grab the scissors and a blank piece of paper and whip out a new creation. We have started putting them up on our back sliding door. Since we haven't had much snow to look at through that window, we now at least have John's cute snowflakes to remind us that it is actually winter.

The 14 Days of Valentines

February has always been Pete's least favorite month. The snow often melts so everything is a muddy mess, it's cold, winter has been enjoyed but Christmas is long passed and spring is still a couple months away, and right smack in the middle of February is a day that makes every man out there feel pressure to do something or buy something for their special someone (not that that's a bad thing, it can just feel a little forced sometimes.) So ever since we were married I have done the "14 Days of Valentines" in an effort to make February a little more bearable. I first got this idea from my college roommate Janae whose mom did this for her when she was growing up. I don't know if they called it the "14 Days of Valentines," but that's what it is in our house. On each of the days leading up to Valentines, the cupid comes and brings Pete and the kids a little surprise. Treats, an activity for us to do together, a small toy... something to be enjoyed that day.



Read on for a list of what the cupid will be bringing over these next 2 weeks!