Mattress Slide Tutorial

The first thing you need when setting up your very own mattress slide is...a steep set o' stairs protected by walls on either side.  Next you need 2 old mattresses that you don't use or care about....we store our in our icky storage room :) You also need a mat or some kind of barrier for the bottom of the stairs for protection.  If one of the mattresses is more slippery than the other put that one on the top because its faster that way.  For those who like a little more speed and excitement we tweaked it a bit by putting pillows and other stuff under the top mattress to form a ramp!!!

P.S. This is awesome - we do this whenever we can convince Mom to make the effort to put it up...to be fair she usually doesn't take to much convincing!!!

Hula Hoop Sprinkler...

So today the boys and I got a little innovative.  I was getting fun summer ideas on the internet last night and ran across a sprinkler made from PVC pipe in the shape of a square.  I went out and got some PVC from Habitat for Humanity and then got the fittings from the hardware store.  The boys enjoyed sawing the pipe and drilling the holes with the electric drill.  The trouble is we made it too big so the water did not spray very high.  So we went back to the drawing board and made it smaller by sawing off the longer sides (ours had turned into a rectangle) We tried again....but I drilled too many holes - so again the spray was not high enough for our liking.  We ended up duct taping several of the holes until we were sort of satisfied with the result.

So where does the hula hoop come in you ask?

While I was laying in bed after my nap later in the afternoon it occurred to me that the PVC pipe that I had used to make my hulahoops was the same thickness as the sprinkler!  So I got up and sawed apart one of my smaller hoops and put the t-joint and hose connector on it, drilled some holes and voila!  The best sprinkler we have ever had.  Kinda wish I had thought of it earlier - but then I guess we would have missed out on all the experimenting and science of water pressure ;)  Justin and I are thinking of making more and selling them to the kids in the complex.  Unfortunately my camera needs its batteries charged and my iPhone also needed charging at the time - so no pics :( but I will post some of the completed project later.  Just too bad I don't have pics of the boys sawing and drilling - cuz that was so fun :)

Hair update...

Well....I managed to not use product in my hair for over a week now!  I used the baking soda and vinegar for a second time because I noticed it getting a little greasy today - sure enough it washed up beautifully and I am happy to report that it still feels soft and doesn't stink :)  Maybe I am just blessed with a good hair type or something.  Whatever the case - I hope it means that I wont be needed to spend any more cash on salon products!

The Before and After Project...

Here is where I will post ongoing Hotspot transformations in the coming weeks.  I had the whole house decluttered and ready to show a couple of months ago - and now it is clear that I have some work to do.  Deep sigh.

BEFORE:

 

 AFTER:

I started with this area because it didn't look too challenging - I always find if I start with the small and easy spots I get motivated to tackle the more difficult ones.

BEFORE

 

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

To Poo or not to Poo....

So I am going all kinds of unconventional now...I have decided to stop using shampoo and conditioner in my hair! This pic was taken after one week of not using any products in my hair...

So how am I cleaning it?

Baking Soda mixed with water!

And for conditioner?

Rice Vinegar....no joke :)

So far my hair is soft, fluffy, and holds a shape when blown dry...I did not use my salon products!

So we will see how long this experiment lasts.....

Summer 2011....

Stuff I would like to do this summer:

Go Biking around the seawall with the boys
Plan a summer party for the kids in the complex
Buy hulahoop material with the girls and make hoops - then get together regularly to practice
Go to Edmonton to visit J & R and the kids - go to WEM and visit with Rechel's family
Go to the waterslides with the boys
Go to Whonnock Lake with Hessel and go paddle boating
Take neighbourhood kids to the creek at the park
Play capture the flag with the neighbourhood kids
Go to Holly's for a weekend and give her a hand
Go to crescent beach

What We Experienced Today Template

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