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Ultimate List of Things to Do When You’re Stuck at Home

March 27, 2020 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

So, you’re stuck at home and feeling B.O.R.E.D.? If you’re anything like me, the best thing to do during this time at home is to stay busy! Learn something new, throw myself into a new project, teach someone something I know, and start a new craft.  I’ve compiled and herby present this – the Ultimate List of Things to Do When You’re Stuck at Home. There are a whole host of categories to choose from and tons of links and ideas within each section. Whether you are interested in exploring museums, science, and nature or would like to develop your cooking, crafting, or sewing skills, here you will find endless ideas for something to do with your free time!

photo collage with bright multi-colored dress, bread loaf, elephant face, boat on water, gelatin flowers, and MARS robot with textBelow you will find over 100 ideas for things to do from home and they are divided into categories: Food/Baking/Cooking, Sewing, Art/Culture/Virtual Tours, Crafting, Home Decor, Yard and Garden, Travel Planning, Beauty & Health, Outdoors, Live Web Cams, and PLAY!

photo collage of food items and text-man making crepes, closeup of folded crepe with bananas, overhead view of neutral colored French macarons, loaf of sourdough bead, orange and red flowers in gelatin domes

Food/Cooking/Baking:

  1. Always wanted to know how to make a Dutch Baby/German Oven Pancake? Need a Gluten-free German Pancake recipe?
  2. Perfect your Crepe making skills
  3. Make mini Ice Cream Sandwich pops
  4. Practice some simple Cake Decorating Techniques.
  5. Order a Universal Yums box and explore foods from around the world. Order a box for a friend or relative and you could open your treats together over FaceTime! We did this as a Christmas present for my daughter last year and it was a huge hit!
  6. Get your booze on with the BEST Kahlua Cake recipe.
  7. Pull a Monica and Make a million jars of JAM with these 20 recipes.
  8. Learn to bake Sourdough Bread
  9. Organize a family recipe box.
  10. Learn the craft of Gelatin Art
  11. Dive into online exploration of Canadian food and farming.
  12. Nothing but time on your hands? Play with icing and food coloring and make a rainbow cake! This was one of the most fun food projects I’ve ever done!
  13. Try your hand at French macarons!
  14. Give the kiddos a reason to play with their food with these free printable worksheets to use with Goldfish or any snack!

dress skirt covered in multi-colored pedals with text overlay

Sewing:

  1. First things first – need a beginner sewing machine? This Brother sewing machine is a favorite among us hobby sewists, reasonably priced, and you can get it delivered straight to your door through my affiliate link!
  2. Sew a mermaid skirt in 30 minutes!
  3. Sew a Cosmetic Bag.
  4. Finally learn about all those Sewing Machine feet!
  5. Make a Homemade Face Mask.
  6. Here’s a great resource for all your mask-making sewing patterns.
  7. Throw yourself into a really time consuming, detailed project like making this Petal Dress.
  8. Join this sewing community Facebook page for daily inspiration!
  9. Learn How to Sew on a Button using your Sewing Machine.
  10. Discover How to Sew a One-Step Buttonhole (with video tutorial)
  11. Learn How to Properly Gather Fabric and Sew Ruffles
  12. Make the kids’ waistbands adjustable!
  13. Learn how to install an invisible zipper.
  14. See if you have these Sewing Supplies that aren’t really sewing supplies!
  15. Maybe you’re a beginner and you don’t even know where to start, this is a great guide to sewing for beginners.
  16. Here’s a list of 25 free sewing patterns.

photo collage with MARS robot, Mo Willems holding up a pigeon drawing, text for the Secret Annex, and a prehistoric elephant on a black and white pillar.

Culture/Art/Virtual Tours you can do from home:

  1. Tour the Musee D’Orsay – super cool virtual walk through of the museum (this was my FAVORITE in Paris)
  2. Take a virtual tour of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam
  3. Virtually visit the National History Museum in D.C. – this was one of my favorite places I visited last month on my trip to Washington.
  4. Watch baby panda bears on this Live web cam
  5. Learn about California Waterfowl – art projects, activity pages, and lab projects
  6. Draw Lunchtime Doodles with Mo Willems
  7. Try an interactive tour of Ellis Island in New York.
  8. Learn how nature works with a plethora of virtual field trips and lessons!
  9. Try out calligraphy
  10. Explore the Secret Annex where Anne Frank hid during the Holocaust – absolutely one of the most moving places I have ever visited and you can visit online until you’re able to head to Amsterdam!
  11. Read the “Classics”
  12. Download and listen to FREE audiobooks for kids through Audible
  13. Go on a mission to MARS!

Craft:

  1. Add Mod Podge to Photos and Canvas for DIY Canvas Photos
  2. Make crowns out of lace
  3. Try out wood-burning – decorate some kitchen tools, make gifts, if you’re really bored, hey – you could even doodle on your fence!
  4. Make a stained glass sun catcher!
  5. Create graphic tees
  6. Make a disco ball out of paper mâché and mirrored contact paper
  7. Learn crochet basics while making the most fantastic floor basket!
  8. Make a pennant banner
  9. Spend hours decorating eggs with a pile of markers and this egg spinner! (affil)
  10. Turn animal figurines into cute necklaces
  11. Make crowns out of flowers
  12. Craft a microphone and sing karaoke!

Home Improvement/Home Decor Projects:

  1. Paint a room.
  2. Make throw pillows for your couch!
  3. Transform a vase or jar into a Mercury Glass lantern
  4. Sew simple window curtains.
  5. Use acrylic paint and a rubber stamp to make some new coasters
  6. Sort and organize your digital photographs; order prints online
  7. How to Change the Oil in your car
  8. Make reusable snack baggies.
  9. Install a backsplash in your kitchen.
  10. Clean the dryer vent

variety of small succulents planted in a tabletop stainless steel rectangular planter

Yard/Garden:

  1. Build Easy Garden Boxes
  2. Learn how to propagate succulents
  3. Make a fairy garden
  4. Make a side table from an old milk can.
  5. Photograph flowers in your yard or neighborhood as they come into bloom.
  6. Start your summer veggie garden – your local nursery may have curbside pickup!

photo collage of tropical water with grass roof hut, fishing boat, sea turtle underwater and text

Plan Travel for When you’re NOT stuck at home:

  1. Explore a trip to Washington D.C. 
  2. Plan a trip to a tropical destination like Bonaire
  3. Explore this ultimate list of National Park Junior Ranger programs – then you can plan which parks to go visit! These programs can be completed online and you can earn badges, too!
  4. Start scouting covered bridges and explore places to stay in Vermont.
  5. Curious about the Great Wall of China?
  6. Check out these restaurants in Puerto Rico so you’ll know exactly where to go on your next trip. LOL.
  7. Google is hosting incredible virtual tours of 5 National Parks including  parks in Hawaii, Alaska, and Utah – more to explore and add to your travel bucket list.
  8. Hop on the treadmill and take a virtual walking tour of Paris!
  9. Then check out Jerusalem or the Amalfi Coast!

Beauty/Health:

  1. Make something for Mom for Mother’s Day with one of these ideas.
  2. Rejuvenate the skin with this lemon coconut sugar scrub
  3. Make Bath Bombs
  4. Meditate for FREE with Oprah and Deepak
  5. Ask Alexa to do a workout – choose from yoga, abs, timed workouts, and hundreds more!

Get Outdoors:

  1. Explore a wilderness trail you’ve never visited.
  2. Set up a Glow-in-the-Dark Easter egg hunt
  3. Watch the sunrise or sunset from a new location
  4. Go for a long country drive
  5. Take a bike ride.
  6. Create a neighborhood scavenger hunt.
  7. Learn to skip rocks.

black background with penguin swimming in foreground and text overlay

Live Web Cams to watch when you’re stuck at home:

  1. Watch the Lion’s Den in Alabama
  2. Sip your cocktail and take in the beach view in Saipan
  3. Want to laugh? Watch the Sea Otters flip around or check out the other sea animal cams at the Monterey Bay Aquarium!
  4. Tropical fish webcam via the Baltimore Aquarium
  5. Check out the Cherry Blossoms via Washington D.C.’s Bloom Cam
  6. Shark Tank Camera via Baltimore Aquarium
  7. The San Diego Zoo has a bunch of live web cams – my kids are loving the penguin cam, especially!

Play:

  1. Build a Lego kingdom
  2. Write a handwritten letter! Heck, type a letter and email it to someone!
  3. Build a fort.
  4. Have a fashion show with clothes from your family members’ closets! How about a mom/dad apparel swap?
  5. Read a book and then watch the movie format – here’s a list of over 80 children’s books/movies!
  6. Set up a tent in the backyard and camp!
  7. Hang a hammock
  8. Binge watch Netflix – this show and movie list is even printable so you can check off all the shows you master.  hahaha.
  9. Do a crossword puzzle
  10. Learn Magic Tricks
  11. Host a Happy Hour over Zoom
  12. Laugh at Memes
  13. Learn a Tik Tok dance. I’m trying, but my kids don’t exactly think I have the moves!
  14. Check out my favorite things for spring and do a little shopping!

How many of these ideas have you already done? What else would you add to this list of things to do when you’re stuck at home? We can all use more ideas!

  1.  

Filed Under: DESIGN, Roundup Tagged With: art, crafts, inspiration, recipes, sewing, tutorials

14 Perfectly Sweet Valentine’s Dessert Recipes

February 6, 2020 by girlinspired 3 Comments

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and baking up a special treat is just my kind of love language!  Chocolate, berries, hearts, and sprinkles will all do the trick, for whomever you’re baking!!  I’ve rounded up some of the sweetest recipes from Girl. Inspired. and around the web – make something delicious to celebrate the season with these 14 Valentine’s dessert recipes!14 Valentine's Dessert Recipes

Do you have a go-to dessert you typically bake for holidays? We really rotate quite regularly between cake, pie, brownies, ice cream, lemon, chocolate, crepes, cupcakes, ummmmm….. all the sweet things!

Chocolate Desserts:
Chocolate Kahlua Cake - the easiest, richest, moistest chocolate cake you'll ever have!

This Chocolate Kahlua Cake is rich and decadent – so easy to make with just a handful of ingredients to dump and mix – this is one of our favorite boozy chocolate desserts!

Chocolate crepes with raspberries inside, drizzled with chocolate sauce, sprinkled with powdered sugar, served on a white plate.

If you’ve never made crepes at home, let this be the first recipe you try – Chocolate Raspberry Crepes are really not complicated, but you’ll end up with an chocolate lover’s treat that looks at fantastic as it tastes!
Chocolate crust, chocolate custard, and whipped cream layered in small mason jars with silver spoons and a text overlay.If you want Chocolate Cream Pie done right, this is the recipe for you.  You can make this rich, chocolatey treat as a whole pie or in individual servings.  This recipe from scratch is the real deal and SO GOOD!
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries are the quintessential Valentine’s dessert – nothing says luxurious like these juicy chocolate drenched berries!Ice Cream CakeWhat??! Did you know that you can make Ice Cream Cake at home and it’s about a thousand times less expensive than purchasing one PLUS you can customize it with your favorite cake and ice cream flavors – that’s a WIN-WIN-WIN!

Fruit DessertsStunning Berry Topped Cake - actually quite easy to decorate!

You can use this Berry Topped Cake as inspiration for a store bought cake if you didn’t have the time or desire to bake and frost a cake too.  Pile strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries on top of a cake and add a quick glaze for a fancy patisserie-worthy cake!Lemon Crepe Cake

More crepes for your social Valentine’s dessert? Yes please! This Lemon Crepe Cake is a blast to stack and feels like such an indulgance – I love fun sweets!

Pink frosting swirled on top of a chocolate cupcake in a pink cupcake wrapper and placed on a doily.

Maybe it’s not chocolate that you want, but something sweet and fruity? You MUST try this Strawberry Dream Frosting made with marshmallow cream – it’s good on cupcakes, cake, or even straight off the spoon! lol

Clever Desserts

Strawberry Nutella Poptarts

Don’t Poptarts take you straight back to the most yummiest of unhealthiest breakfasts? These Strawberry Nutella Poptarts look amazing – my Nutella gobbling kiddos would love to find these for breakfast on Valentine’s Day!

Conversation Heart Cheesecake Recipe

I don’t care how labor intensive these Conversation Hearts Cheesecakes look – they are SO cute and taste delicious too!

Kit Kat Cake

I haven’t personally made a Kit Kat Cake yet, but it is definitely on my to-do list – it is so much fun and my kiddos would just love the clever decorations!

 

flat pretzel chips with white candy coating drizzled over them and pink and red heart sprinklesValentine’s Pretzel Chips are super simple to make and so incredible addictive to eat!  The perfect blend of salty and sweet!Banana Caramel Cream Mini Pies

Banana Caramel Cream Pie Mini Desserts?  Don’t mind if I do.  Caramel and bananas are a combo I just can’t resist!

Fizzy Jello Drinks

Now – talk about clever! Have you ever seen such a fun drink for Valentine’s Day? Impress someone with these Fizzy Jello Drinks!

Happy Baking!!

 

Filed Under: Desserts, Food and Recipes, Holiday Inspiration, Roundup, Valentine's Day Tagged With: chocolate recipes, desserts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's desserts

23 Unique Gifts for Kids

December 4, 2015 by girlinspired 1 Comment

23+ Unique Gifts that Kids will Love - a great list of DIY, personalized, creative, or available for purchase gifts!

The Christmas season is in full swing, and I don’t know about you, but I want to spend less time shopping and more time making memories with my peeps!   With less than four weeks to go, it’s time to wrap up that gift-list headache and move on to the giving!  Having three girls ages 6-10 makes for an interesting experience each year as I see the same toys over and over again.  More and more, I am searching for new, unique gifts that my kids will really love!  Here are 23 unique gifts for kids that you can either buy or DIY this holiday season!  The pictures and captions should take you straight to each product – happy gift-giving!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

These fingerless knit gloves from Over the Apple Tree are too adorable.
Fun and unique gift ideas for kids!Why not create a stack of vinyl wall decals for tweens or teens?

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

These DIY Stick Horses are absolutely darling!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

This Hammer and Workbench Tool Set!!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

These Doughnuts are too cute to eat – and that’s a good thing because they are SOAP!!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

Put together your own Science Kit for Kids – this site includes free printables.  Fun and exciting with the bonus of educational!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

Holiday road trips can be a little less draining with these unique Busy Box travel kits!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

Think of all the treasures you can wrap up in a beautiful handmade zipper pouch!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

What’s better than a plastic store-bought stable?  A handmade wooden stable that you can personalize – DIY it!These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

I’m betting you can make some pretty extravagant forts with this cool Construction Fort Kit, am I right?  (affiliate)

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!Tons of adorable DIY projects for the American Girl fan club members!!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

What kid wouldn’t love to clean their plate with the Garden Plate and Utensils set??  (There’s also a construction plate set!) (affiliate)

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!A doll that on a real live zipline adventure?  Even I want a Goldie Blox!!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

Cold and rainy outside?  Indoor Hopscotch is the perfect solution with this DIY mat!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!Print out these Christmas Coupons!!  An inexpensive gift (FREE actually) that the kids will definitely appreciate long past Christmas morning!

Fun and unique gift ideas for kids!

These are not your average books for boys and girls!  They are essentially social survival guides, including activities and ideas for making the best out of life! Check out the Daring Book for Girls and the Dangerous Book for Boys for the full descriptions (affiliate).

Loads of cute and unique children's gift ideas!

Fashion Doll Crochet Clothes has all kinds of free patterns for darling crocheted clothes for Barbie dolls and other miniature dolls.

Loads of recipes and ideas for DIY Lip Gloss!

Find tons of recipe combinations and mixing ingredient ideas and make a big lot of DIY Lip Gloss!!

These unique gift ideas for kids are great!

 

This Gravity Maze marble game looks unique, educational, interactive, and super fun!

Make this Play Table plus loads of other cute gift ideas for kids!

 

Make your child a play table in just the right shape and size with this DIY Play Table guide.

Cute and unique children's gift guide!!

The tiniest, most precious things might be kept in this tiny treasure box.

A unique gift guide for children!

Yep!  This personalized “first train set” has grammy and papa’s name all over it!!

Unique gift guide for children!Aroma dough!!  Perfect stocking stuffers made entirely from all natural, food-grade safe ingredients!

 

Filed Under: Christmas, Crafting, Holiday Inspiration, Products We Love, Roundup Tagged With: DIY gifts for kids, gifts for kids, unique gifts

The Funny (Sewing) Things People Say

January 22, 2015 by girlinspired 6 Comments

I’m super giddy about today’s post and hello to friends coming over from The Daily Seam. Whether you’ve just come from seeing the best compilation video (at The Daily Seam) of sewing bloggers (and their kids and maybe even my husband) saying sewing words the wrong way, or you’re just stopping by, here I’ll be sharing the right way to say some commonly mispronounced sewing words! I’ve been previewing these videos and not only are they fantastic, but I’ve learned a few things, too! Some friends have worked to put a great little tour together for you, I hope you love it!

Appliqué

video: Craftiness is Not Optional

Armscye

video: Melly Sews

Batiste

video: Me!

Chambray

video: You + Mie

Crepe de Chine

video: Anne of Craft Gossip

Grosgrain

video: Grosgrain

Jacquard

video: SKG Magazine

CLICK HERE for the NEXT SET of tricky sewing words!

Filed Under: Roundup, Sewing, Sewing Ideas and Inspiration

The Best of 2014

January 2, 2015 by girlinspired 1 Comment

Top Ten from 2014
2014 was quite the year.  Professionally, I accomplished goals that I never dreamed possible while personally, I faced challenges like I’ve never known.  I’m looking forward to new beginnings, positive change, and the hope that a new year brings.   I’m so grateful for each of you along with me on this ride!  Before we kick off 2015, I wanted to take a minute to look back at YOUR Top Ten favorite projects from 2014!

Number 10:
Skinny Deviled Eggs - this recipe eliminates the fattening mayo for delicious, guilt-free deviled eggs

Seriously.  Because the only thing better than deviled eggs….are HEALTHY deviled eggs!!  And they still taste good!  

Number 9:
Sleeveless Peasant Dress Tutorial

THIS tutorial for turning a peasant dress pattern into a sleeveless, ruffle version!  Adorable-ness!!

Number 8:
Blueberry Kale Smoothie - get your greens in! This smoothie is so good!

You’ve got your sweet fix, you’ve got your healthy greens – this Blueberry Kale Smoothie will keep all your new year’s health resolutions right on track!

Number 7:
Olaf Cupcakes for Frozen birthday party

I mean, who doesn’t love Olaf?  Sculpt him and stick him on top of some cupcakes, friends!  Your little people will be quite pleased with these Olaf cupcake toppers!

Number 6:
Lemon Cream Cheese Cookie Bars - a chewy cookie base topped with a lemon cream cheese filling

These Lemon Cream Cheese Cookie Bars – a favorite in our family since I was a kid.  YUM!!!!

Number 5:

Easy, darling little hair bows – make a pile!50+ Super FUN Summer Activities for and with Kids of all ages!

Number 4:
Chocolate Kahlua Cake - the easiest, richest, moistest chocolate cake you'll ever have!

It’s only the richest, moistest, BEST chocolate cake you’ll ever eat – plus, it is so, SO easy to make!  Chocolate Kahlua Cake (aka heaven)

Number 3:

Elsa Dress Sewing Tutorial

The Elsa Dress Tutorial – no surprise here!  Raise your hand if you made an Elsa dress this year, too!

Number 2:
Ten Dollar Tutu

How to make this fully lined tutu!  Costs about $10 and all the lining keeps the itchiness off your sweetie’s skin!

and…finally…Number 1:
so many FROZEN Birthday Party ideas - you've got to see these!

Addie’s Frozen Party + some of the best ideas from around the web!

So there you have it! So many projects packed into the year – I love looking back through all we’ve accomplished! More great things to come! Love you all! Wishing you the happiest new year!!

Filed Under: Popular Posts, Roundup

More DIY Halloween Costume Ideas

October 15, 2014 by girlinspired Leave a Comment

DIY Halloween Costume IdeasDo you have your costumes together yet?  Do you dress up as a family, just dress up the kids, put a lot of effort into your own costume?  I’ve been ignoring the looming deadline, but finally asked the kids what they want to be.  Thankfully, my little one assured me that she wants nothing more than to be a black kitty again, so it’s just the older two that need costumes.  eek!  The kids like to encourage me to expand my DIY Halloween Costume experience.  I tried to toss out ideas for some of the costumes that have been used in the past, but there were no takers.

   Dorothy?

Dorothy Costume Tutorial

Little Red Riding Hood?

Red+Riding+Hood+1

This princess dress pattern is amazing for Halloween and every other day of the year!

 

princess-gownPrincess Sewing Pattern

Princess Dress Sewing Tutorial

Princess Gown Bustle Skirt Tutorial

ELSA???  Anyone?  Please?

Elsa Dress Sewing Tutorial No?  I have an order for an angel costume, so I can see myself getting way too carried away with the creation of some fabulous wings like this DIY Angel Costume:

DIY Angel Costume

I also have an order for “movie star”, which apparently means lots of sequins??…and an excuse for another trip to Jo-Ann!  Here’s my daughter’s inspiration:

Movie Star Costume

Wish me luck!!  At least I have my kitty cat ears done!  Here’s a so simple Halloween Headbands tutorial I shared over at I Heart Naptime last week:

Halloween-Headbands-2

Or maybe you just need to add a pair of easy DIY Leggings!

DIY-Leggings-20RB

Here are links to even MORE Halloween costume tutorials and inspiration if you’re finding yourself in a similar position to me!  GOOD LUCK!!  You have two weeks – GO!!

DIY Halloween Ideas

[inlinkz_linkup id=454935 mode=1]

Filed Under: Halloween, Holiday Inspiration, Roundup, Sewing, Sewing Ideas and Inspiration

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