Cereal Backdrop

I don't have any kids of my own, (yet) but I babysit a toddler here in Berlin a couple times a week. He is a load of fun!
I got this idea from Kate @ mini-eco. She has created a castle backdrop made from a cereal box. It is very nice, it looks store bought! She even has links to the patterns if you don't feel like freestyling!

I Free-styled! Mostly for two reasons. One, I made mine last minute, like half an hour before I had to leave to pick up the little man and two because he is a boy! He has tons of cars and trucks and Fire Engines. (What is it with boys and fire engines anyway?)  Well that said, I tried to make a Fire Station and an Auto Shop instead of a castle as you see on Mini-Eco.

You start with an empty Cereal box. One with out any damage.

Carefully open it along the seam. I used a knife so as not to rip it.

Then trace or draw a design and careful cut it out. I used a box cutter blade. Here I find it easier to use then scissors.

 I made the doors big enough that all his Fire trucks could fit through the doors.

Since this project was car themed I added a Auto Shop with garage door, mail slot and front door. (Jojo is the kids nickname.) On the second floor I added a balcony. We put some little men on it later and he rescued them with the fire truck ladders. I also added a bendable straw to the back drop as a Fire Pole. 

Here is a blurry action shot ( low camera Battery, my bad), the little man's hands actually fit perfectly around the fire pole and when his feet were up against the wall he could stay there!! I loved it!! And of course Jojo did too!

The scene after the daring rescue!

Taped to the book shelf.

This was a great Idea!! Jojo and I both had a blast. It is so simple and so much fun. On a functional note: the cereal box was a little flimsy and it easily would fall over. That problem was quickly solved with TAPE!! Thank the heavens for tape.  I fastened one side to the bookcase and on the other end I taped the base to the carpet and it work just fine.
It survived the first encounter with a toddler! Who knows how long it will last, but that doesn't matter, if he destroys it we can always make another. Now that he understands what it is and what it is made out of, next time we can make it together and he can choose the design and color it even!

Have fun making one yourself for the kid in your life.

Don't forget to check out Mini-Eco for more cool ideas!

Futon Coat Rack

I have no closets in my place. It is for sure a German thing, if not a European thing. So I have no place to stash my coats and guest's coats. Up until now, I have been throwing them on the bookshelf in the hall. Which is already cluttered with other thing and adding the coats just makes it look cumbersome and unstable.

So to solve this problem with out spending much money I figured how to reuse some things I had laying around.

This is actually a section of a three paneled futon from Ikea that did not last long in it intended function.

'L' shaped attachment

My Guy hung the futon piece on the wall using some metal 'L' shaped thingies (they come with wardrobes so that you can fasten them to the wall, so that they do not fall over).

Box O' hooks

Then I screwed in some hook for hanging coats and things, where ever I liked.























Ta da the finished product!! My Futon Coat Rack.

Spring Seedlings

I want to have a veggie garden this year. This is my third spring in my Berlin Apartment and I am ready to lay some roots, no pun intended, well maybe slightly.
I have started growing some seeds in egg cartons, like I learned from my mom, she has the green thumb, I however do not. Though that hasn't stopped me from trying.

I have planted cherry tomatoes, sweet peas, bell peppers, rucola, spinach, Swiss chard, parsley, basic garden lettuce and garlic.

I still have scallions to plant. I am waiting on more egg cartons, plus I need to check online for special care or techniques, I am clueless. Actual that said. I should probably check out the info for each different veggie I am planting. I haven't grown more then tomatoes and lettuce before. This project seems more daunting by the minute! Oh well, no going back now.

Since I live in an apartment on the fourth floor, my garden is going to be a 'container/balcony/window hanging garden'. I am kind of excited about the possibilities. Though that will come later, once the seedlings are ready to transfer. As of now they are propped up on empty wine boxes on the kitchen windowsill.

The slanted kitchen window sill.

A wine box with a magazine wedged underneath to level it out. (high tech)

Simple, temporary, and hidden with a kitchen hand towel.

I am quite happy with what I have selected to plant. For example Swiss chard!! Oh yeah Greens!! I will have to make some pulled pork and red beans and rice just to go with them! Yumm.
I miss my Mexican food and homemade salsas. It's bad. In moving to Germany I never though the lack of ( or extreem difficulty in tracking down) some ingredients would effect me as much as it has. So I am keeping an eye out for some Jalapenos and Cilantro seeds. That would just rock my world! I am crossing my finger but wont hold my breath!