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repurpose

lego storage, organization, repurpose, Simply...Home

{Simple} Storage Idea for Legos

If your children like Legos then you know how quickly they can overtake your home. There are so many pieces, and many of them so small. My boys love ’em, but we are always struggling to keep them organized.

Fortunately, my 9 year old is quite the organizer, and recently came up with this very simple idea for storing his special pieces. He is the same one who made a Lego design wall for his room. {You can read about that by clicking here}

You see, he collects the Ninjago sets, and when we attend our local homeschool group, it is the latest craze for all the boys. They bring their mini figures and they trade with each other.  So, my son took this empty tackle box and turned it into a Lego carrying case.

So simple, yet so practical! I just love repurposing old items from around the home. Using what we already have, and giving it a new use!
Enjoy those Legos!


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Register now. It is only $9.95 for the entire conference and access to all mp3’s after the conference is over!

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

homeschool, lego, lego wall, repurpose, Simply...Home

A Lego Design Wall-Repurposing a Former Schoolroom?

My son is in love with Legos {what little boy isn’t?}.  Not only building them, but designing new creations, sketching his ideas, or using the Lego Designer program.  Recently we started using the Lego Master Builder Academy.  He said his dream is to meet a real Lego Master Builder!

So, my little master builder recently got his own room.

Yes, our once “school room”
Has now been transformed to his bedroom.  

Well, since the room was a “school room”, we had this large chalkboard on the wall that my husband had made when we first started homeschooling {ya know, when you feel like you need a classroom…;)}

We decided to move our school things elsewhere in the house and reconfigure things.  After all…learning doesn’t take place in the confines of a room.

So, my son had a brilliant idea. He asked if we could buy some baseplates and cover half of the chalkboard with them.  The other half we would leave a chalkboard. This way he could design his ideas on the chalkboard, and then bring them to life on the other side.

So now we have completely repurposed our school room, with one little master builder quite happy about that…

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

Dive Living off America's Waste, documentary review, feed poor, movie, repurpose, Simply...Living For Him

To Him Who Much is Given…

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; 
and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” 
Luke 12:48

Last night we watched the intriguing documentary Dive!: Living off America’s Waste.

What an eye opener to the amount of food this country wastes.


Do you know that HALF of all food produced in this country,
 is thrown away?

Do you know that the amount we throw away could feed the entire country of Haiti (a country that struggles with hunger and malnutrition-especially children) for FIVE years?

Mind boggling.

This movie is about how the grocery stores throw away the food on their shelves quite unnecessarily.  If the food is about the expire, or perhaps one egg is cracked in a carton {even though the others are fine}, it ends up in the trash.

Now, this movie is not necessariy about “dumpster diving,” which many people do.  It is more about how this food can be picked up and delivered to shelters and those in need.

But most of it is not.


Because the stores don’t want to deal the the “hassle.”

One thing that struck me in the movie, is when the narrator talks about how we, as a society, have become so distanced from our creation, that we don’t respect or care for it anymore.


When a society is so easy to toss waste, and to disregard the amount of money and resources to create that waste in the first placed…it is a problem.

We have become distanced from the caring of the creation, as well as our own neighbors.

A few generations ago, people wasted very little. They understood the value of what they had.  They grew their food, labored over it, and would not waste it. They saw the work and care that was put into it.

Nowadays, we don’t see what goes into making it.  Everything is manufactured far away and we simply put it on the table.

And food that is grown is a wonder of God’s creation for us. Have we forgotten that?
 In Genesis it tells us how God provided for our needs by creating the food!

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.  The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:11-12

Have you ever wondered at the marvel of a plant? From planting the seeds, to seeing it grow…it is a tiny miracle.  And in turn, it nourishes us. It is a connection with the Lord Himself, our Creator!

Today everything seems replaceable, and a commodity.  So there is no thought in tossing things. We think we can always replace it.

I am thinking long and hard about this movie.
I am having the children watch it for school, and dig deeper into these principles.

After all, if we don’t value our creation or those in it, how are we living out so much of what the Bible says?

Living more simply, means really paying attention to our needs and wants as well as those around us.  We can not turn a blind eye to the needs of our world…

We must feed the poor, take care of the orphan and widow…and look out for the needs of others.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. 
James 1:27

So I challenge you today, to take small steps.  Be more intentional with the provisions you have.
Not even with just food-with all things. Children loose toys, games, pieces, etc. We lose pens {always in my house}, paper, small things…all the time.
Why?
Because it is easily replaceable.

Can you repurpose things before throwing them away?

Can you save scraps for compost?

Can you reuse left overs, even if they aren’t exactly what your family “feels” like having for dinner?-Have it anyway, so we are good stewards of what we have?


Just because we have plenty, doesn’t make it OK to waste.

Do we always do everything in regards to what “makes us happy” or  do we look for what makes others happy?

We are not here on this earth for ourselves and our happiness {contrary to what the world tell us.}

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, 
but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

So today, please look at your provisions with new eyes…when we are grateful for what we have and don’t toss it away so easily, it causes us to become closer the Creator from whom all blessings flow…

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim

crafts, repurpose, Simply...Home

Simply Home-Finding Treasures in What We Have Already…

I have really been thinking about how to repurpose items lately. 
{Things that we already have, and giving them new life.}

For example, I save all of the little yogurt containers, plastic lids, jars, coffee cans, oatmeal containers, etc. They are always being repurposed by the kids into crafts.  But many of those things can be reused by grown ups as well!

Some ideas:

Cover those cans and containers with beautiful scrapbook paper or contact paper. You have a pretty way to keep things organized. We use this one for our boredom busters jar.

Liquid laundry detergent caps are perfect for holding paint when the kids are painting.  I keep the brushes stored in jars, and when they want to paint they can fill a cap with water and the rest with some paint.

 For littler brushes, simply use a large plastic lid from a container and turn it into a pallet!

{I saw this one on pinterest} Use your pack and play as a ball pit! {Genius!} Fill the bottom with plastic balls and you are sure to keep little ones happy and entertained!

Mason jars as flower pots, food storage in the pantry, candle holders, craft holders, gift jars, pencil holders, for science experiments; the list is endless for the use of these versatile jars.

Baby food jars are perfect for so many things. Holding little supplies in the garage like nails, screws, etc. Or inside for holding craft supplies.  Or in the kitchen as repurposed spice jars. So many options for these little jars!

Old cookie sheets as magnet boards for preschool letters.  Or to use for crafts-we use them to put under paintings to protect the table, or to play with {homemade}playdough on.  I always stick one under Ethan’s crafts while he works.

Old dishwasher utensil holder or a counter drying rack is perfect for holding art supplies.  The drying rack can hold papers, while putting crayons, markers, brushes into the silverwear caddy.

Masking tape. Use to make a track all over the room for matchbox cars, trains, etc.  Best things is, everyday can be a new track, and it is simple clean up!

Yarn from old sweaters.  Homeschoolers are notorious for craft projects. We are always looking for string or yarn for some kind of project.  Before you throw out that old knitted sweater, unravel its yarn. Save it in a bin for projects later.

Old pillowcases: Cut a hole into the stitched end and pull over your child’s head for an instant costume for dress up. Tie with a sash and you have a tunic.

Use old button down shirts for smocks.

Remove buttons from any old clothes before tossing.  Save them for crafts, manipulatives for math, or when you are in need of a button for clothes later on!

Old socks can instantly be used for puppets, filled with dried beans and you have bean bags, or put over your hands and you have a homemade swiffer. Better yet, put over your swiffer when you run out of refills and you have a duster on a handle.

Old towels can be cut into rags. I roll them up and keep them in a basket by the sink.  Instead of reaching for a paper towel for every spill or wipe, I grab a rag.  {It has saved us enormously from going through tons of rolls of paper towels.}  I also keep old fabric napkins by our table, so we use them at dinner instead of paper.  Simply wash and reuse as needed.

The point is to look at things differently.  Be a good steward of what we already have.

Instead of fostering the notion in our children that everything is replaceable, and we can buy things when we need them, teach your children to make the most use out of what they have. It fosters gratitude, appreciation, and even creativity!

So before you throw something out, really look at it and think of a new life for it.  I promise you, finding new ways to use things will be fun!


What are your favorite things to repurpose?

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

SimplyLivingforHim