Picnic Table

This is my first wood project ever. Actually, it's really the first time I've ever wielded a saw or a drill. So while it's not perfect, it's not a half bad attempt at teaching myself basic carpentry with the fabulous instructions by Anna at Knock off Wood.

The process:
I didn't buy the super cheap wood. It all looked warped to begin with, so I bought the whiteboard. I figured I needed all the help I could since I've never made anything before. All together, screws and everything, I think I spent $30.

I didn't have access to a good electric saw. Well, I guess I could have paid a neighbor do it for me, but I kind of wanted to "own" this first project, cutting and all. I did all of this with a hand saw and a miter box and/or a make shift "miter box imitation" for the boards that didn't fit. I don't suggest doing either of these things. It was virtually impossible to get a square, level cut. At first glance it all seemed to be just dandy, but when I started putting everything together, it was not fantastic. I had to do quite a bit of sanding to make up for my less than perfect cuts to get the legs to sit level on the ground.

I did have fun with my 2 year old.
He enjoyed watching and "helping" me make it.
I love that he knows that mommy made it and not daddy.

When I got to the last two seat boards, I forgot to pre-drill the hole. I hit a knot and busted the support. I was SO angry. So very, very angry. I cried, and yelled. Maybe even cursed. I ended up having to unscrew and pry off the support board and re-do that side. It worked out in the end, but what a pain.

Here's the complete table with the first coat of paint (goblin green...my husband used it for a Warhammer table top, and there was a lot left over, so I figured, why not?). I will do a second coat when it cools off a smidgen. I only did the first coat so I could put it outside and reclaim my kitchen (It was in there for over a month). 107* with 50% humidity is just not ideal for working outside! It's been above 90* at night, so I don't even want to do it then. Blech. This is the time I hate living in TX.






And here are a few videos of my 1 year old enjoying the table.

Celia's Recipe Cheat Sheet

Well, I updated my recipe cheat sheet today. After that quilt, it's nice to have a project I can complete in one day!

I actually did a 2 sided document with 3 columns on each side. I'll put it in a page protector to help lengthen it's life. Thanks for that tip LeAnne!

If you're interested in seeing the recipes I have on mine, you can go here.

May Challenges

Seasonal: Mother's Day

See April's challenge for links and ideas for presents.
Free customizable Mother's Day card print outs


Self: Reduce Recipe Clutter
Recipe cheat sheet (another found here)
Essentially puts the ingredients of your "go-to" recipes on one sheet

30 Meal Plan
Step by step directions to finding 30 meals your family loves and getting them all in one place for easier shopping, menu planning, and pantry stocking

Everyday Meals
(you have to register and enter in your recipes online, but once you do that you can easily create menus and it will calculate and create grocery lists for you)

Kid: Prepping for pre-school
Basically the challenge is to find, print out, and organize activities for your preschool aged children. Here are some sites you might find helpful.
Letter of the week
File folder games
ABCTeach
Learning Page
Kidzone
If you're feeling really ambitious, you can build a Kid's Picnic Table or a Bigger Kid's Picnic Table

Recipe Recommendation: Dough-ntcha wanna try some?
Tried and true: Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls

These are divine. I've made tons of recipes of cinnamon rolls, but this is the best I've made yet. I've also used this recipe for orange rolls and used lemon pudding (since I didn't have vanilla pudding in my cupboard).

Something old: Wheat Bread (good enough for sandwiches)

Something new: Ezekiel Bread
What is Ezekiel Bread? According to info barrel, "The bread itself was said to be a recipe given to Ezekiel from god while his people were under siege and he was forced to live in the desert for two years. The bread is said to be nutritionally complete, containing more protein

than your standard wheat bread."

Their recipe is found here.

This recipe from Urban Simplicity looks superior, but it's more involved and takes longer than the other recipe.