DIY Chairs to Bench - How To

Yes, yes, I haven't blogged in awhile, which is how I've been starting all my blog posts. School is kicking my behind, working night shift, is well -- hell, and the kids have one heck of a schedule. My house is pretty much condemnable BUT I found some time to finally make my bench.

We went from this:

 to this....

And this is how......

So I had these chairs in the basement - oh for about a year (and that's probably a generous estimation). The arm broke on one of the chairs. I've been seeing these really cute chairs to bench ideas on Pinterest and other blogs that I saved them to do that.  So finally did it.

 Removed the arms.

 Made a template for the bench seat

 Wood putty'd the holes -- only to realize I putty'd the holes with stuff that doesn't dry or you can't paint. Why would anyone need that -- so started all over with stuff that worked -- and made sure I read the packaging this time

 Seriously, why do they even sell non hardening non paintable stuff?

 Spray painted the heck out of them.  

 Then I rubbed some dark walnut stain into the chairs to 'antique' them.

We -- actually I -- yes, Jason let me use the jigsaw -- cut out the bench seat.

 Foam, cotton batting and...

 My bed spread. It was getting thread bare, but I love it, so figured this was a great way to keep it around.

 We screwed the front legs together in two spots, glued the bench down.  The glue didn't work, so we screwed the bench seat in.

et voila

so excited

we have a bench now

This isn't its final resting place--but it'll be a little bit before I can get it together to do that.  Im hoping to go to part time days and to finish my nursing education program in August and then I will have some more time.....well maybe.

Linking up on these cool blogs:
Live Laugh Rowe
Glimpse Inside
Take a Look Tuesday - Sugar Bee Crafts
Show Me What Ya Got - Not JUST a Housewife
Home Stories from A to Z

Bunco Girl's Night Made Easy

Bunco night is such a fun way to get together, hang out with some fun, talkative, gossipy (in a good way) women. It's girl time. It's get the husband and the boys out of the house time. It's getting to entertain time (this is actually fun for me, I get that not all people think entertaining as fun). I belonged to this Bunco group a few years ago but had to quit when I started nursing school. I since got asked to come back and I got January as my month. Even though I really like entertaining, I don't have a lot of time. So I thought I'd share some of my time saving tips.

Here's the Bunco layout, you need three tables for four. I had to borrow a card table and one table got a hodge podge of chairs.  I have a collection of vintage table cloths and it was fun to add some color and pattern by using them. I'll drop them off at the cleaners and they can deal with cleaning and ironing them (time savings here is worth the expense of the cleaners -- and we're talking 10$ for the three)

Table "1" in the family room

Table "3" in the dining room

Table "2" in the kitchen

So the food and drinks -- a lot of time this is what takes a lot of time. I decided to go really simple and only make a couple of things and buy everything else pre-made.  A total cheat and really if I had a lot of time I would have put more effort in this area because I really do enjoy cooking.

Drink choices -- bottled water, wine (including chocolate wine-yummo), and a variety of coffees and teas (I love my Keurig) I included some creamer and sugar etc for the coffee.

Okay, so I did take some extra time to fun up the water bottles.

  I admit, this is way over the top, but what a fun detail. I found the free pattern here (man I love Pinterest) and Jason (amazing husband) changed the pink to red and the kids were brow-beaten, bribed and guilted into helping me attach them (cut them out and scotch tape them to the bottles).

The starters -- another way I took the easy time saving way out. I bought some frozen Spanikopita and some pre-made some cheese and salami/prosciutto roll ups for the appetizers and filled it out with a relish tray.

The main meal -- nothing's easier than a crock pot and the cooler temperatures of January just scream soup -- so made a simple Italian sausage soup, salad with a store bought citrus vinaigrette, and cut up some yummy bread with a nice crunchy crust.

You won't believe how easy this recipe is. My friend, Shannon, who always makes cooking, baking, decorating seem so easy, gave me this recipe (to which I added peppers the peppers) and it's become a family favorite. I doubled the recipe for Bunco and still had a lot left over:

Italian Soup:
1.5-2 lbs of your favorite Italian sausage
1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tbs of minced garlic (I use the jar stuff)
1/2 carton beef broth
2 cans, with juice, of diced tomatoes (it's really good with the Hunt's fire roasted tomatoes)
1/2 bottle good red wine (if you won't drink it don't cook with it)
2 tbs of Italian blend spices
1 - 2 cups of pasta

saute peppers and onions together
brown sausage
place in crock pot with all other ingredients (except pasta)
cook on low for 8 or so hours
add pasta last 1/2 hour-45 minutes

serve with parmesan cheese

see -- really really easy.

The salad:

romain lettuce

cucumbers

red onion

red pepper

yellow cherry tomatoes

pepperonis

grated mozzarella cheese

citrus vinaigrette 

Tres Leche Cake  - I made it in a 9x13 baker and added a ton of fruit on top. You can find the recipe here (I posted the recipe awhile ago -- again, pretty easy recipe and a family favorite)

Now for some of the fun details:

It's obvious I'm not a teacher, I can't seem to write on a chalk board in straight lines -- but I thought I'd fancy up the menu. I so wish I had that ability to do the whole chalk art stuff -- but I don't. Even sans talent anyone (if I can, anyone can) can make it a little fun (everyone can draw hearts and squares - right)

Didn't make these, found them on ebay after a google search on Bunco decorations (wasn't even looking for them)

My living room -- nothing to do with Bunco, but it was actually clean, so thought I'd post pictures. Jason did such a great job with my book shelves -- they're an Ikea hack that I should blog about some time.

Another time saving tip -- didn't clean the upstairs because who cares! Just concentrated on the first floor.

Most importantly it's not about the house, about the food, the cute decorations, or really even about the game -- it's about an opportunity to spend time with people, to open your home and be gracious, and to carve out some time to do something you love.

Enjoy!

un-Pinterest Christmas

So -- how does one do Christmas when going to school, working full time and raising a family. Well let me tell you, it doesn't look like a perfect Pinterest scene and there may be a melt down or two )melt down coming from me, not anyone else).

Here's how I do it -- well how I half-ass it.

The thing is, the most important part about Christmas is remembering 1. the birth of our savior, and 2. being with family and friends, enjoying the warmth of their company and the realization of how lucky most of us are.

 To start, I found this super easy, super inexpensive gift idea for the neighbors (um, yeah it was on Pinterest -- but I dumbed it down a little).  So little work but a nice little something to let them know we were thinking about them.  You can see original post here. I didn't bother using fancy paper, just printed out the cute little poem on regular paper and attaching that.

 We spent the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas decorating, we have three trees, one in the family room with all the collected ornaments through the years, one in the living room that we cut down and decorate in red and gold and one in our bedroom (not pictured on this blog because our room is a mess) which has my husband's Star Trek and Star Wars ornaments on it -- he's been collecting these ornaments since Hallmark started selling them years ago.

Our Family Room

 Powder Room

 Living Room

 Dining Room

So Christmas Eve we have a party with family and friends. This year with my schedule I had to be super organized and to keep it simple (and for those of you who don't know me this really is simple -- and I can be organized - once in awhile)

A couple weeks before the party I started baking cookies, I had a variety of five different kinds (mint chocolate chip, lemon cookies, oreo rice kirspie bars, praline bars, & ginger cookies). 

The five days before Christmas Eve I was scheduled to work every (EVERY) night (I work 7pm-7am). So I'd prepare the chilis, salsa and some other things each morning I came home then I'd go to sleep.  I'd also give Jason (the best husband ever) a list of things to do and hired my sister to clean the house. (Oh and I know people hate me but I finished my shopping by the beginning of December and had the presents wrapped)

The menu

 Appetizers -- made easy!

 Bought some pre-made artichoke dip and threw in into a mini crock pot, bought shrimp and veggie tray. I did make the salsa and 'cowboy cavier'.

Appetizer section

 Chili 'bar'

 Ahhh, Hannah, letting us play with her -- she looks thrilled doesn't she

 Fortification 

 Drink area -- wine, drinks, keurig hot drinks and bottled water -- again, keeping it simple

 And.....the most important part of the evening -- friends and family

 Niece Bridget and her boyfriend, Ryan

 Cousin Emily and adorable son, Hudson

 My own adorable son and fabulous husband

 Isaac with our close friends Abi and Caitlin

 Abi and her dad, Kevin

 And what are cousins for, if not to rabbit ear your head during a picture (here's my other so, Jake, with his cousin, Bridget, and her boyfriend)

 Jason's aunt, Laura-Jane and her grandson, Hudson

 Collen, Caitlin, Katrina and Ag

 Us -- and my husband who thinks he's terribly amusing (okay, he is and I really shouldn't be putting this on the internet, but hey, we're keeping in real here at Zimmerhouse)

 Glenn (brother in law) and Mike (cousin in law)

 (Mike and Emily)

 (mother in law, Sher and Mike)

 Aunt Laura Jane and Bob (doesn't everyone have an Uncle Bob? I think so)

 Brother in law's brother, Russel and his bride Carrie

 Jason and his mama, Sher

 yum

Every Christmas we do a White Elephant Gift exchange that's loads of fun

 I suck at selfies -- I look like I'm having a stroke here -- or I look really tired -- worked the night before and only got three hours of sleep earlier that day

 The aftermath

 More fortification before putting out the presents from Santa and stuffing stockings

So -- Christmas day -- everyone super happy with their gifts -- we went to my sister and brother in law's for breakfast and cam home and hung out.

 Isaac putting together his new Minecraft lego set

I got a cute pair of Danskos and some baseball flip flops for next summer

Jason likes his new Darth Vader Potato Head

 Jake wanted clothes and Elite socks -- and he was quite pleased

 I don't get the whole elite socks thing -- but okay/

And my favorite tradition of all -- hubby and I play super scrabble in our pj's all day while the kids play with their new toys.  He always wins -- ugh, I even got to use all my letters one play and he still won.

And what was I most thankful for today? I got called off of work for a low census (yes I was scheduled) so spent the day with the family.

I hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday season, that you didn't work too hard, and that you enjoyed the warmth of your family and friends.

Merry Christmas

The Zimmers