Brag Post: DIY Small Footprint Kids Bookcase

Today's DIY focus is more of a brag than a tutorial.

Our kids love books. LOVE them. Because of this, every birthday and holiday they get books as presents. This is all wonderful and awesome. Except for one small thing: 

They pile up everywhere! There are bookshelves in their room, and piles of their books were overwhelming the bookcases in our living room. Sadly, every time they would go to grab a book there is would be an avalanche of board books crashing down.

We needed a solution. But with our limited floor space, it needed to be something with a really slim footprint. After doing a lot of research I found this plan by Ana White. If you haven't heard of her, she is a carpentry genius who graciously shares her plans with us mere mortals.

Using her bookshelf blueprints we were able to create an awesome bookcase that allows the kids to see all the books they have, take them down without danger, and still takes up less space than a traditional bookcase. Win!

We did make a few changes to her plans. Instead of making the bookshelf 3" deep, we made it 4". A lot of books to store people. Every inch counts.

We also chose to use leftover baseboard for the fronts of the shelves, versus plywood. A: I like the look of it over plywood. B: I am a big fan of using leftover materials. Call me cheap resourceful.

To attach the baseboard to the front, we used wood glue along the bottom and clamped it down.  Then we used our finish nail gun and added a few nails along the bottom and on the sides.

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Lovin' my chevron paint job? There are lots of complex mathematical formulas out there for creating a perfectly designed chevron. As the design is going to be covered 99% of the time by books, I decided to just wing it. 

First I painted the back section of the bookcase with white paint. Once that was dry, I cut out a small triangle and used is as a rough guide for marking my chevrons with masking tape. Then I painted the entire thing in a lovely shade of blue. Once dried, I slowly removed my tape. Voila!

The chevrons are  little lopsided, but this is a children's bookcase. I'll just pretend it adds character.

And there you have it!  All in all it cost us around $20, and holds 60 books! Trust us, we counted.

The kids love it!

Have you built something that is both functional and awesome for your family? Share it with us on our Facebook page!

Fevers, Chills, and a Virus Oh My!

It has been a long week here at the house. It all started Sunday. The little man woke up with a nasty fever. No runny nose, no cough, no third arm. Just a persistant fever leaving him feeling less than stellar.

Not that it kept him from his usual craziness activities. From Sunday until Tuesday we kept a close eye on him, but other than the fever there was nothing else to note. Now, before you hand me the worst parent of the year award for not taking my kid in right away, let me just say that I grew up in a medical household. I know that fevers under 103 with no other symptoms, while uncomfortable for the little guy, in my opinion held no danger. His body was fighting off a virus and the best thing I could do was help him stay comfortable.

Come Wednesday the fever was gone and other than a crankier than usual disposition all seemed to be back to normal. Que the crazy rash. This afternoon, out of nowhere, BAM! Small little red dots all over his back and chest. They don't seem to be uncomfortable and the fever is still gone, but there they are.

One quick check with Dr. Google and I think I have the answer. Roseola. Apparently it is a very common childhood virus, and also highly contagious. Which means the little puffalump will most likely be sporting the polka dot look pretty soon as well. I'll call and check with their pediatrician in the morning to be sure though.

Overall I think how we react when our kids are sick is a deeply personal choice. I felt confident letting his body fight the virus intruder. Based on his disposition, and a careful and consistent tracking of his temperature, I am comfortable with my decision. We all have to do what we think is best for our kids. For now, I think sleep, a cool bath, and maybe a special popsicle treat (along with a call to the Dr.) are the best options for us.

I guess the floor was cooler, because I kept finding him like this.

Finding Peace Right in Front of Me

Lately everything has been go, go, go around here. Projects to finish, time lines to follow, work for Trent, stress for me. Like a tidal wave it has washed over me, creating a great feeling of self disappointment. Disappointment that I cannot provide an answer all of our problems immediately. Disappointment that our children cannot be involved in all the things I want for them. Disappointment that Trent will most likely be working two jobs for at least another year.

Today I made a realization. What my children need is not classes or a minivan. They don't need a bigger house, or more toys. What they need is their parents to be present. Not simply there with them physically, but to have us actively involved in their lives. And when I do that, the oddest thing happens. I am happy. All of those things that had seemed like such a big deal seem insignificant in comparison to the relationship and memories I am creating with my children.

My children are a blessing in so many ways. And today as we played in our pool for the first time, they gave me yet another gift. Perspective. The house, the projects, the struggle. They are all for a purpose. But without the joy, love, and connection my children and I create by spending interactive time together all of the other stuff is pointless.


Today with my family left me feeling renewed and uplifted in ways I haven't felt in months. I love my life. I love my family. And our future will be wonderful - because we are going to actively make the choice everyday to believe so.