Garage Makeover Inspiration + GIVEAWAY! Enter to WIN a "Smart Garage Door System" with Garaga

When we were looking to buy a home in Toronto we never thought we would get lucky enough to have a garage, let alone the big 2 car garage we managed to snag. The only issue was that it was a bit of an eyesore with peeling paint, old sharp metal siding and an ugly broken garage door that faces directly into our yard. Fixing up the garage has been on our wish list for the last 4 years, and finally this year we decided to do it. We love our gardens so much, and want to enjoy our beautiful backyard with a fresh backdrop. 

I've been gathering inspiration for our makeover on Pinterest, but it's been tough. I love a combination of old and new, and was originally thinking of going with a sleek contemporary look. After playing around with the options on Garaga's Design Centre I realized that I wanted to go with more of a country rustic vibe. I absoloutely love that you can add your own photo to their online designer to get a realistic sense of what it will look like. For someone like me who isn't as visual, this was a huge help.

Here's the super rough mockup of what we're thinking (I'm definitely not a photoshop expert, but it gives a good idea of the fresh look I'm going for). I'm still debating if we should add windows in the top panels of the door. Any thoughts? I'm also still deciding on what siding to use. I have some beautiful wood siding samples on the way from from Maibec to check out. 

I will be adding a new light fixture and some type of planter for the wall where the window used to be. I'm also debating painting the regular door black or keeping it white. Comment with your vote! Here's some of my inspiration. You can see more on Pinterest. 

If you have a garage that could use a little pick me up, check out this AMAZING Giveaway Garaga is hosting. You could Win the Garage Door of your dreams plus a Smart Garage System. AKA a garage door you can control from your smart phone! Genius for people like me who always question whether you actually closed the garage. The contest ends June 28th, so don't wait! See Garaga for full contest details. Enter by simply clicking here and following through to design your dream garage door and fill out your information. 

Huge thanks to Diana and the rest of the team at The Garage Door Depot (Local Toronto company who will be installing our new door) for all of your help narrowing down the choices and figuring out what we need.

Stay tuned for our Garage Makeover Reveal this summer and don't forget to Enter Garaga's Smart Garage Giveaway!

Care

*This is a sponsored post which means I was provided compensation and/or product for this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

Simple DIY Raised Garden Beds

With planting season upon us it seems like the perfect time to share a post that I've been meaning to write for 3 years! I've had tons of requests by readers and friends for a DIY of our raised garden beds, so here it is. Better late than never...right? Some of these photos are really old, so don't get confused. That's little Lucy!  These pics are making me so excited for our Garage Makeover on a Budget, coming this summer! 

These raised beds are so simple to make and such a great addition to any garden. You can make them in whatever size and shape works best for your individual space. Keep in mind that it's ideal to be able to crouch, kneel or sit by each side of your garden bed, and be able to reach at least half way across, so you don't have to hurt your back while caring for and harvesting your plants. 

Why use raised beds?

• You can grow a lot of high quality produce in a small area

• They prevent soil compaction a.k.a. keep your kids from falling onto your plants and on the soil ...most of the time ;)

• They provide a space to top up with high quality soil which helps your plants grow (Especially important in big cities like Toronto where our soil has been depleted of many minerals and nutrients and filled with many heavy metals and toxins)

• The soil warms up faster than than in the ground, so most plants can be added earlier

• They keep weeds out of your growing area, and are a barrier for slugs and snails

• They provide good drainage. Most vegetables need lots of sun, lots of water, and good drainage with loosely packed soil to grow optimally. *Keep in mind that raised beds will dry out quicker than the ground, but this is good for vegetable crops. Consider a rain barrel to help with your water needs. See my post from a few years ago for 3 Must Haves for Veggie Gardening Success.

Supplies:

• Cedar Lumber to make up the 4 sides of your beds

  • You needs 2 boards per side for a stacked box like ours. We used 1"x6" boards and made 10' long beds, so we used 12' long boards for the sides and cut them down to size. Our beds are 3' wide so we used a 6' board for each end and cut it in half to make 2 perfect size boards. You will have to choose the appropriate length and width for your space and plan accordingly. Please note that lumber isn't actually the width it says, which is so weird. A 1"x6" board is typically more like 5.25" - 5.5" wide, so keep this in mind with any projects. You could also do 1"x8" boards, or a single board instead of stacking 2 boards. That's the best part about these, you can totally customize them.

• 2"x2"x8' Framing Lumber

  • To be cut down to lengths for corner and side supports. We used a support in each corner and then 2 more evenly spaced along each long side. We cut our supports down to about 11.5" in length and constructed our beds upside down so we could offset the stakes (not level with top and bottom of the main boards). This means that when you turn your beds the right way the stakes go down into the ground creating stability and keeping your beds in place. We were able to get all 8 stakes for each bed out of one 8' long piece of framing. You lose a little length when you make your cuts, so we just cut 8 equal pieces and ended up with pieces approximately 11.5" long.

• 8x2" Deck Screws

• Soil & Plants to fill beds

Tools:

• Saw (or get the hardware store to cut it for you)

• Drill and bits

• Square

• Rubber Mallet

Instructions: *It's best to have 2 people for assembly

• Plan your raised bed(s) and size of all lumber needed (Measurements for our 10'x3' beds are included in the supplies section)

• Cut all lumber to size (or have them do it for you at the lumber area of the hardware store)

• Lay bed out and ensure all pieces are ready

• Begin assembly by having one person hold the top long board upright in place (this board will be siting on the ground as we're working upside down).

• Have the 2nd person screw one of the measured support stakes into the end of the board, flush with the end of the support stake. *Remember to offset the stake a few inches so they will be sunken down when you turn your beds over to install them. This means your stakes should be about 1.5" off the ground. *See photos

• Next, attach the short board to the same stake to create your first corner. Use your square to get an even corner each time.

• Continue to work your way around your bed screwing in each corner support to your 4 top boards

• Then add your 4 bottom boards (which are on top right now). *Your support stakes should be sticking up above the top of this 2nd row of boards

• Screw in additional support stakes spaced evenly along the long sides of beds. We did 2 extra supports on each long side at just over 3' apart each. Depending on the size of your beds you may use more or less.

• To reinforce the corners and keep the boards flush together go around the planters and screw through the end of each long board directly into the short end board from the outside in.

• When all of your support stakes and boards are screwed into place you'll need to till up the earth where they are to be placed. This is the most time consuming and tiring parts of the project.

• Once area is all prepped, flip beds over and set in place. Tap down each corner and edge gently with a rubber mallet to stabilize.

• Fill with fresh soil, add plants & water.

We love using our raised beds with our favourite Garden Covers from Lee Valley. 

Hope this gives you a little garden inspiration. Remember you can make these to fit any space, big or small. Don't hesitate to send along questions or projects you would like to see featured. 

Care 

From Caterpillar to Butterfly - Habitat Inspiration & A Super Simple Ikea Hack

As promised, I wanted to share some butterfly habitat inspiration as a follow up to my post about The Junction Wings Project. So here it is! Don't hesitate to post questions in the comments. 

Now that you've welcomed (or will soon be welcoming) some fuzzy little caterpillars into your home, you need to start thinking about a habitat. Lucky for busy parents, your caterpillars will remain in their little cup with their food for the first week, so you don't need to rush out to prepare this right away. 

There are tons of ways to make a great butterfly enclosure, but keep in mind how old your children are and what might be needed to keep said children from killing said butterfly ;) The enclosure doesn't need to be fancy, but it needs to allow fresh flow of air, have a place for your cocoons to hang down while waiting for them to emerge, and keep your little butterflies safely inside once they hatch. You can make some simple DIY versions with mesh netting and various household items (see pics below). You can also use a mesh laundry hamper (like the one below from Ikea). Personally, having something that can't be easily crushed, and that doesn't sit on the ground, is top priority in our house. Our littlest is currently in the "destroy all things" phase, so keeping them out of her reach and safe is key.

This is our 3rd season welcoming butterflies and we're still loving out Ikea mini greenhouse. We usually add a few plants and a mesh top. Last year we used simple bulldog clips to hold the mesh top in place (I used a recycled lime bag), but I found it frustrating with curious kids. This year I decided I wanted to improve the mesh top, so I removed one of the glass panels from the greenhouse lid and traced it out on a piece of cardboard (the box it comes in works great).

I cut out the square of cardboard and then cut out the centre of the square leaving only a 1cm wide outer edge frame. I then wrapped some organza (any type of soft mesh or screen will work. If you don't have a scrap laying around, your local hardware, fabric or dollar store will probably have something appropriate) over the cardboard frame and stapled it into place. The screen frame then slid nicely back into place in the top of the greenhouse. You could do both sides, but we're going to leave 1 glass and 1 mesh. Once the cocoons are ready and attached to the lids of their cups I will cut an X in the mesh and carefully lower the cocoons through. The plastic lids of the containers sit in the holes of the mesh so the cocoons can hang down into the greenhouse awaiting their arrival. 

Once your butterflies hatch they will need to remain in your habitat for up to a week to dry out their wings and gain strength. Don't worry, the instructions that come with your caterpillar will give you all the details on the food options eg. sugar water & sliced fruit. Once your butterfly is flying around it's ready to be freed into the wild. We love letting our butterflies go in our garden every year. 

Here is some more butterfly habitat inspiration:

Hope you have fun making a habitat for your little critters. Don't forget to share your adventures with #junctionwings. 

Care 

Simple DIY Floor Cushions

If your kids are anything like mine, they probably don't actually sit on furniture the way it's intended. Mine seem to sit on the floor most of the time, so I decided to make them some oversized floor pillows to make a cozy spot for reading books or watching a movie. 

I searched high and low on the good old internet for some appropriate cushions, but the prices were ridiculous. $150-$300 for a big cushion with cover! Not exactly what I wanted to spend on cushions that I knew would be covered in peanut butter and apple juice within hours. I wanted something that I could machine wash and toss on the floor without concern for ruining them. I even looked at dog beds, but turns out people spend A LOT on their dogs. Not that I don't love my kids, but seriously, I just couldn't justify that kind of money on floor cushions. So I decided I would make them myself. 

I found an amazing textile place in West Toronto, Nusso Textiles, that has an incredible selection of pillows and cushions, as well as options for custom orders. If you oder more than $100 at a time it's considered wholesale and much cheaper. I ordered a dozen throw pillows of various sizes for our screened in porch bench seats and 4 giant 32" x 32" pillows for the kids. I opted to upgrade to the polycotton covering so they would stand up to any necessary laundering. They came to $22 each and were ready to pick up in about 4 days. 

Next I wanted to make covers for the pillows, but again wanted to keep it simple and affordable. I chose some durable cotton canvas fabric (I recommend a cotton canvas or cotton twill, something with a little more strength than a soft quilting or craft cotton) from my favourite local fabric store Fabric Fabric. This place might seem a little rough around the edges, but I promise it has great fabrics and even better prices. I find I get my best deals from the ladies there when I'm pregnant or toting around a cute baby. Just a tip ;) 

I found this dead simple envelope pillow case tutorial online and set to work. This is definitely a project appropriate for a beginner, and can be adapted to fit any cushion size. The project involves:

1. cutting one piece of fabric
2. ironing said fabric
3. hemming two ends of the fabric
4. folding the fabric into the appropriate shape &
5. sewing a straight edge along 2 sides.

For each of my 32" cushions I needed 2 meters of fabric, which left me with extra fabric for smaller cushion covers or other projects. I cut 1 piece of fabric 32" x 72" (32"x2 +8" for overlap and seam allowance) and created my cover. Once I figured out my measurements each pillow case only took about 20 kid free minutes to make...if a baby or child is around this could be extended to several days ;) 

As you can see the kids are loving the finished project. The best part is that they cost about $40 each to make. A huge savings from the original ones I found on Etsy and other sites, not to mention you can customize them to suit your style. Hope this inspires you to make some cozy floor cushions for your family. 

Care 

DIY Baby Bum Balm Recipe

If you've ever battled a bad diaper rash with you little one, you know how difficult it can be to clear them up. After having a few with our kids over the years, and not loving any of the creams I bought, I decided to start making my own. This DIY bum balm makes a great thick barrier for sore bottoms and will help clear up even the worst diaper rash. It was adapted from a recipe handed down to me from my aunt, who makes it for her grandkids, and has healed more sore bottoms and cracked hands than I can count. I whipped some up over the weekend to help with Lucy's sore bum and within 12 hours it had worked its magic. It's that good!

This recipe is made up of a few simple ingredients and only takes minutes to make. I buy all my bulk ingredients at Anarres Natural Health right here in Toronto, but most can be found at your local health food store. The only issue making it, is that your handheld blender will be a mess after. Make sure to wipe off as much cream with a paper towel before attempting to wash it with soap and water. 

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp Shea Butter
• 2 tsp Zinc Oxide Powder *Please be cautious adding your Zinc Oxide powder, as it is dangerous if inhaled. Putting wet ingredients on top of the powder before mixing helps to decrease the risk. 
• 1 Tbsp Coconut oil 
• 1/2 tsp Calendula Oil
• 1/2 tsp Liquid Vitamin E

*Makes 1 small mason jar of cream

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix well with immersion blender. You can add more Coconut Oil if you would like to make it slightly runnier, or more Shea Butter if you would like it thicker. Scrape out bowl with spatula and store in a small mason jar or any other small jar with a tight fitting lid.

Apply to Baby’s diaper area when red or irritated, or use regularly as a preventative cream. Please always remember to use a diaper liner for cloth diapers when using any diaper cream with Zinc Oxide. 

Hope this helps your family as much as it has helped ours.

- Care

DIY Family Halloween Costume Inspiration

Every September as fall rolls in I think about Halloween and vow not to leave costume making to the last minute. However, every year on Oct 30th I'm scrambling to work my costume magic. 

Luckily this year I have a very eager preschooler keeping me on track. So when Ben informed me yesterday that "Halloween is really soon mama!" I heeded his warning and hunkered down to do some brainstorming and research to figure out the perfect costume for our family. You'll have to wait till Halloween to see our final pick!

Do you need some Halloween costume inspiration?

Check out a few of our DIY family costumes from recent years, plus some other great links to costume ideas below. 

Halloween 2011 - Olive Oyl, Popeye & Swee'Pea

Halloween 2012 DIY - Prince Ronald, The Dragon & The Paperbag Princess

Halloween 2013 DIY - A Family of Garden Gnomes

I love making DIY costumes because they save us money and often use repurposed & recycled clothing & materials which means less waste for our environment. Although I love to sew, I don't see the point in spending a ton of time sewing a costume that will be worn for a matter of hours, so my Halloween DIYs usually involve a trip to the local thrift store and the craft store followed by lots of pinning, stapling & glue gunning. Crafting at it's finest ;)  Keep it simple and have fun!

If you need more inspiration check out these 32 Family Halloween Costumes That Will Make You Want To Have Kids , or these hilarious Sexy Halloween Costumes for Mom & don't miss out on these 34 Babies In Halloween Costumes The Whole World Needs To See. 

- Care

DIY Honey & Coconut Face Scrub

For the last few years I have been searching for a great natural face wash. Something that isn't full of harsh chemicals, dyes, fragrances or unnecessary ingredients and that leaves my skin feeling healthy and looking great. Since I've suffered with eczema in the past I'm very picky about what goes on my sensitive skin. I've tried and tested dozens of "natural" skin care products over the years, all costing a near fortune, and to be honest I wasn't happy with any of them. I also question how natural many of these products are. With so many companies greenwashing their image to make us think that their products are natural, it's hard to keep up.

Because I have combination skin (both oily & dry at times) I was in need of a gentle exfoliator that would also moisturize at the same time. I wasn't happy with the commercial products available so I turned to the internet for a recipe, and what I found was awesome. My friend, Selena Burgess, had created a recipe for a Honey & Coconut Face Scrub. I was a bit sceptical at first, but after trying it I was so pleased that I did, and also a bit annoyed I waited so long. I've been using Selena's recipe for 3 months now and am thrilled with the results. I have less black heads, no dry patches and my skin feels super soft. 

The best part is that Selena's recipe is simple to make and only uses 5 ingredients that many people have readily available at home: water, baking soda, baking powder, raw honey & coconut oil. So if you've been searching for a natural way to keep you skin looking bright, smooth & beautiful, bust open your pantry and try making Selena's recipe. She's an all round cool chick and always has amazing ideas. Her new blog They Roar just launched recently and is sure to be a big hit. Check it out! For the full recipe click here.

Enjoy!

- Carolyn