Makely

Running errands with a toddler is about as easy as herding cats. Those of you who have or have had young children know exactly what I’m talking about. Those of you who haven’t reached this phase of your life have absolutely no idea. It’s probably better to keep it that way if you think kids are in your future.

All mamas know to bring a few small toys, a sippy cup and a snack when they are running errands. If you didn’t realize the vital necessity of these items, you will certainly never forget how much “fun” you had the first time you forgot them. Toddler melt down, much?

I try to get as many errands run in one trip as I can so I don’t have to run around town with Zack every day. Trust me when I say that it’s better for everyone involved. However, it got to be difficult because after a few stops he’d start complaining that he wanted to go home and would start sassing me, and it was driving me crazy!

I finally realized that Zack didn’t understand that we only had a few more stops left to make. It was a concept that he wasn’t able to grasp or visualize. One morning, I came up with his very own list of errands we needed to run, complete with pictures representing each store or activity, so that he could “see” what we were doing. It went something like this:

I know you are rolling on the floor laughing at my artwork, so I’ll just wait right here until you catch your breath.

Are you done? Okay, great!

I’d certainly never be mistaken as an artist (yes, that’s supposed to be a dog next to the Petsmart entry), but it’s good enough for my three-year-old. With this list, Zack is able to see the tasks that we need to complete. When we finish an errand, he draws a line through it and tells me what’s next on the list. A similar concept could be used for older children who have the responsibility of some chores around the house.

Zack’s errand list has made our shopping trips so much easier. Not only is he able to gauge how much longer we have to shop, but also I think it makes him feel like he’s participating by helping Mama know where to go next.

Try it next time you need to run some errands. It’s guaranteed to make your trip a little bit easier, and I know we all need as much help as we can get! The errand list definitely works for me!

P.S. Also, in case you were wondering, the “Treasure Store” is what we call Goodwill.

Remember this wreath? The one that I loved so much that I tried to recreate and then lots of you recreated my recreation and emailed me your gorgeous projects and all was happy in the world?

Urban Farmhouse

Yeah, well, I’m still not over it. In fact, I think about it every time I see my the wreath on my own front door. I think about it every time the Urban Farmhouse blog is updated. I think about it every time I see a new Kimba post (because she is completely responsible for this entire obsession). I’ve mentioned before that I have just a wee touch of an obsessive personality, right?

I decided that I really needed to try again to make a wreath closer to the original beauty. In order to do so, I needed quail eggs. The original wreath is made with faux quail eggs which is why they are so large, but I wanted some real quail eggs for a nest I have in my home and decided to buy extras for the wreath.

The only place in town I could find quail eggs was at the big Asian market. They were $7.99 for 24 eggs so I bought them and went on my marry way. I was trying to be a big girl about the whole situation – particularly given my whole aversion to foods I randomly deem “weird” – but when I went to blow the eggs and bits of tiny feathers came out of the hole, I promptly threw all 24 eggs in the garbage can and double bagged the garbage.

And then I ordered some blown quail eggs off of Ebay. Yes, I’m totally that much of a weenie.

Once my eggs arrived in perfect condition (I highly recommend that seller if you are in the market and share my weenie-ness), I set out to make *the* wreath. It was super easy to make with $2 worth of supplies from the Dollar Tree, the eggs, and a few sticks I found in my front yard. And, it turned out beautifully.

Steps to Create Lindsay’s Second Version of the Most Wonderful Wreath Ever:

1. Gather your supplies. You’ll need a bag of Spanish Moss, a small grapevine wreath (mine is 10 inches), quail eggs (I used 15 on my wreath), twigs, spray adhesive, and your glue gun.

2. Spray the adhesive on a 3 inch section of the wreath, font and back. Wrap a generous amount of moss around that section of the wreath. You may find you want to spray it again and add more moss to that section or you can just move on to the next section. You’ll just have to see how it looks and if it’s as fluffy as you want.

3. Continue the adhesive/moss wrapping until you have your wreath fully wrapped. Go back and fill in any spaces where you can see the grapevine through the moss.

4. Heat up your glue gun and glue your eggs randomly onto the wreath. I always lay mine out and do a “dry fit” before I attach them.

5. If you’d like to add some small twigs, you can hot glue them into place just as you did the eggs.

6. That’s it! Seriously, it’s only five steps.

Can you believe how easy that was to put together? It honestly took me a total of 15 minutes to complete and it’s probably my favorite thing that I’ve created. In fact, I’m just going to go ahead and say that I like it even more than my inspiration wreath. GASP! That, my friends, is a crafting success!

I put the wreath on top of a wooden pedestal stand I found on clearance at Sears, and we now use it as the centerpiece on our Breakfast Room table.

I’d like to put something in the center of the wreath (a glass cloche perhaps?) to add some more height. Any suggestions? Let me know!

I encourage you to try to make one of these great wreaths, too! I think it’s going to fit perfectly in my home all year long. Wouldn’t it look great in yours, too? I’ll totally give you major props if you have the guts to blow your own quail eggs, too.

Clearly, I’m completely hooked on quail eggs. What are you Hooked On this week?

Make Running Errands With Your Toddler Easier

Make Your Own Quail Egg Wreath in Fifteen Minutes