Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Lego Storage


Welcome To The Cherry On Top!

Have you found yourself in the Lego Land Of The Lost?  After years of accumulation and periods where the boys wouldn't even dare try to play with Lego because of the disarray they were faced with, I've finally got a solution and it's a CHEAP one!  I scoured the internet for solutions, but they were all way too, expensive or just not right for our situation. 

So, if you have very limited space and a limited budget, but a huge problem, then you've come to the right place.  Check this out!

I went from this...



To this!





As you can see from the two images above, we purchased two...laminated particle boards?  Hehehe...They were very rigid and cost us under $10 for both!  My hubby, after a couple of weeks of "forgetting"  hehehe...cut them to fit perfectly under my son's bed.  They go width wise under the bed and are approximately 3 feet by 2 feet.  They are lined up side by side.

He put two small holes in and some string through and knotted it on the bottom to make some handles.  I would guess that a board must weight around 3 pounds with everything on it.


Above and below, you can see that I just saved up some rigid boxes and Chinese take out boxes that seemed like good sizes.

Whah!  Those are some serious Legos!  You might even have more!  Here I started the daunting task of separating by colour.  I put wheels, windows, and people related stuff like weapons and clothes in separate dishes.  I got one of my sons to help, but with a bit of Wii time as a reward.  Hehehe...


Next, figure out what box or container is best for the color or however you choose to separate the Lego.  I tried to use containers that would allow for more future purchase Legos.  When I came across a color that had A LOT of pieces I divided them up by big pieces and really little ones.  This way you only have half of the amount of pieces to go through when looking for a particular piece.


Then arrange the containers on each board so they fit nicely and have room in-between for future adjustments/bigger containers!


That big, green basket is full of the books and some sets that are all together in zip locks.  Zip locks take up very little space and are see through, so you know what's in there.

Get out your industrial strength double sided tape.  I think this may have been carpet tape?


Cut a piece that fits the size of the container.  If it's a small container, use a smaller piece.  Unless you are using cheapy tape that might not hold so well.  This stuff wasn't moving and we had it around the house.  I left all of the containers where I wanted them so I didn't have to guess where the tape would have to be.

Remove the backing of the double sided tape when you have it where you want it.


Then place your container on the tape.  Make sure you apply pressure and have a good firm set.  It's much easier if you don't have the pieces in there.


My son helped me carry it into the room, with relative ease.  So, if they wanted to play in the living room, it would be no problem to carry or slide it out there by themselves.


There's the final result!  Two boards that easily slide under my son's bed.  There is room for another board.  Hopefully, I won't need it!  As you can see, the area rug is right there.  So, they can play right where the Legos are.  Oh!  I now have a ton of space in the closet and recycled some containers!

I hope this will help you out!  If you have an excellent organization idea, share it here!

Thank you for clicking on The Cherry!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Summer Boredom Busters

Welcome to The Cherry On Top!

Summer has started.  For some of you, the summer vacation is almost over.  By now your kids might be driving you crazy.  I know mine are!  Hehehehe....  I am dedicating this edition of The Cherry On Top to parents, child carers and sitters.  In this edition you will find all kinds of activities for  kids.  Not just the little ones, but the older ones, too.

I have two young boys with Autism and keeping them constantly busy is a must.  Create a list of things to do when boredom starts to settle in.  Popcorn and a movie, Wii, computer games, yoga, exercise, outdoor play, hopscotch, swimming, Lego, boardgames, story telling, craft, paint....This is a necessity and a huge help to keep things cool around this crazy house.

The first two images are linked up to The Tip Junkie.  I love this site and visit everyday.  Yes, everyday!  There are so many great ideas, tutorials, boredom busters, beauty tips, crafts, pretty much everything The Cherry On Top is all about.  Make your own playdough from Koolaid for the smaller kids and then make your own lip gloss for the bigger sassy girls. I love that idea!




How cute are these bracelets?  For girls or boys and all ages, too.  These images are linked up to the Tip Junkie as well and there are a lot more ideas there.

 This image to the left, I thought was totally cool for older kids and capable young'ns.  The image is hooked up to a tutorial!

















And now for some outdoor fun.  I have to pretty much push my kids out of the door, but when I have stuff planned or an arsenal to hit up, it usually turns into hours of fun.  This image is also linked up to the Tip Junkie and there are a lot more ideas for more than one kid, too.

Another way to get hours of fun outside is taking your road carpet outside.  My little guy loves to play with his cars on the carpet, outside.


How about spending time picking berries?  Then coming up with something cool and refreshing to do with them.  Like this idea here.  I think I will be making this one today.  I've got berries ready for picking and the heat is on.  My boys love picking berries and making stuff with them.  We make cake pops, muffins, pancakes, waffles...they just love being in the kitchen.  If it's too hot, cook outside.  We put the fryer outside, the crockpot, the BBQ of course.  I even have a small oven in the basement so the heat can stay down there.


Another thing to keep the summer calmer is planning.  Don't ya just hate when you have to think about what to eat?  No one wants the same thing, you don't have the groceries, blah, blah, blah...Every Sunday I sit down and plan all three meals.  Then I make a list and buy.  It saves time, money and garbage.  I totally recommend it.  I also will not be buying sweets this summer.  If they want a snack, they are going to have to make it!  I have fresh fruit, nuts, pretzels and other healthy snacks that they may have, but no junk.  If they want the junk they are going to have to make it themselves!

Are you familiar with Six Sisters?  You will thank me for introducing you to this site if you don't already know it.  I make a lot of recipes from here.  Click on the image to get the link.


Below is another cool idea.  Especially, if you have some not so nice fruit sitting in your basket that keeps attracting those pesky fruit flies.  It is hooked up to an instructional tutorial.


Lastly, is some more outdoor activities for the kids.  We all know how important it is to get our kids outside.  Most kids do like nature, but grudgingly admit to it.  We plan on camping in our own back yard and roasting marshmallows on the BBQ.  We will talk about the things we see, hear and smell at night.  It's a real treat for them!  When they crash, we sit in our lawn chairs with a chilled glass of rose wine.  Hehehe....



I hope this edition of The Cherry On Top will be of help.  If you have any more tips for us, leave them in a comment.  











Monday, July 1, 2013

A-Manda Creation & Berry Good Inspiration

Hi there, Happy Scrappers!

I'm featuring A-Manda Creation, again.  These three kits are simply inspiring.  Not only that, they are CHEAP!  Look closely....75 cents.  That's right!  .75 cents.  Gorgeous papers, exciting elements that offer versatility as well as gender friendly.  These kits can be used for absolutely any kind of scrapbooking.

Take a look at what's in store:


The Inspiration^^^^^
The Kit:



The Inspiration :



The Kit:



The Inspiration:


The Kit:



Fabulous, right?!  Where else can you rock a deal at .75 cents?!  I can't even get a candy bar for that price!  Enjoy this great price while it lasts!  It just doesn't get any better than this.

Thanks for checking out the Cherry!