Tag Archives: DIY

A  few weekends ago, I hosted a trivia night. Three rounds, guys verses girls, with categories ranging from pop culture to geography. It was fun.

Admittedly the preparation for the event took over ten hours of researching and copying down questions, but it was worth it. Hosting parties is one of my love languages.

Once it was over and a few pictures were shared online, I had a bunch of inquires about the setup and realized the night would have been much easier with a little help.

So here’s your help. Supplies, directions, and a free question and answer download. Get your trivia on. You won’t regret it.

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Supplies

• White board and dry erase markers
• Index cards
• Downloaded Q&As
• Tape
• Math skills or a designated scorekeeper
• Stopwatch/smartphone to keep time
• Prizes for winning team

Set up

• Write each question and answer on the back an index card.
• Label each card with the category for easy set up.
• On the opposite side, write the point value.
• Separate and organize cards into rounds, placing each round in a labeled envelope for safe keeping.
• Set up a dry erase board in Jeopardy format with 5 category columns, 5 questions each in ascending order.
• Use tape.
• Label categories on white board with dry erase marker.

Directions & Rules

• Have your guests split into two teams. Optimal group size: 10-16 (5-8 on each team).
• Two minutes to choose team names.
• Coin toss for who goes first.
• Three rounds with five categories each. Each team has one minute to answer their chosen question.
• Once your team has answered a question, it is the other team’s turn to choose a category and question.
• You must say “final answer” after your final answer.
• If the team answering gets the question wrong, the other team has 30 seconds to guess for half the points.
• For answers that contain a person’s name, you must have two out of three parts of the name if it applies. (Example: Author Louisa May Alcott may be answered Louisa May or Louisa Alcott, etc.)

Question and Answers

Make up your own or use: Kate’s Trivia Set #1

Click Here To Download

Optional Picture Rounds

 I used this one,  this one, and this one. You can find more here.

Tips & Tricks

• For prizes, I found a few track and field medals at the thrift store and then made additional medals using vintage buttons and twine. It was my sister’s idea. She’s a genius. 
• As the host, it will take time to set up each new round. Use that time to allow the teams to earn extra points by completing picture rounds while you are arranging the new categories and questions. If the group is large (5+), you may want to provide two. In between round two and three, I handed out “Famous Doctors” and “Famous Waynes.” Each correct answer is worth +100. Incorrect answers worth zero (no negative points).
• Try to remain unbiased (it was hard to not help the women out).
• In the unlikely event of a tie, give each team a piece of paper, a pen, and 2 minutes to name as many of the 50 states as possible (do not disclose this prior to the tie). Whoever has the most states (or gets them all first) wins.

 Enjoy.

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(Photo contributions by Mo Nolt)

I am not hip to the DIY vibe. I guess I’m not really hip to any vibe as evidenced by the fact that I didn’t know what YOLO meant until I finally sat down and googled it yesterday (I was disappointed).

There are a few things I’ve managed, however, though I have to admit that most projects (including these) are also thanks to Baby Daddy who loves to stick his nose into my DIY business so it “gets done right.” I’d be annoyed, but then I’d also be sad it’s crooked and stuck together with the wrong paste.

Here are my two projects most asked about as of late.

Polaroid Window Frame

My inspiration for this project stems from my very first pin on my very first day of Pinterest. I saw it and said I MUST DO THIS. A year later, I finally did.

The first thing you need to do for this project is find an old window frame. I found mine at our local antique store for $3.00. Often you’ll see them on the side of the road, free, for trash pick up.

I actually ended up getting two frames. I used the one on the left for this project and I’m still brainstorming what to do for the one on the right.

After you find a frame, you’ll need to break the glass. I was worried about this, but it’s actually really easy. My friend Mo and I did it together with two hammers and an old sheet. Make sure to pick out any excess glass on the edges. I wore garden gloves.

Once you remove the glass, install eye-hooks at equal lengths apart on the inside back of the frame. I chose small, gold ones that are not visible once the frame is hanging and decided on four rows based on the size of the frame. Don’t worry if you don’t know what an eye-hook is. I didn’t either. Just ask a nice man at the hardware store.

Then you will need to find some twine. I found mine in the basement among Austin’s fishing supplies. I’ve also seen it for a few bucks at multiple craft stores, but I probably don’t need to tell you where to find twine.

Tie your twine onto the eye-hooks, stringing across. Don’t knot it too tight. You may need to tighten it later to suit the pictures and space.

Now all you need is pictures and clothespins. In my original pin, the creator used standard sized clothespins. I wanted smaller ones and found them at JoAnne Fabric for less than two dollars for a pack of 24.

For the pictures, I imported photos I’ve taken into Lightroom and used the Aged Photo preset to make them look old. If you don’t have lightroom, you can find tons free filters on websites like PicMonkey.

Once you edit your photos, import them into a Poloroid template (or create your own). I used this one.

Make sure to flatten the image in Photoshop once you are done resizing. Then all you need to do is print your pictures (I used Snapfish penny prints), and you’re done!

I chose to hang five in a row, though I might tone it back to four like the original pinner. I also printed plenty of alternate photos so I can switch them in and out when I get bored with the same ones.

It really is a great way to display pictures, and a nice change from only watching them pop up on my screensaver. If you have trouble using Photoshop or are worried about creating the pictures, feel free to send an email to kate@motleymama.com and I’ll be happy to walk you through it.

Bricks & Boards Bookshelf

After Austin and I got married, we lived in a string of very small apartments with very little money. It was fun.

One of his ideas to juice up the place was to install a series of bookshelves that we so creatively call “bricks and boards.”

Much to our parents’ dismay, we have hauled these materials from apartment to apartment, totaling over five times carrying over 100 bricks up and down stairs and across parking lots. Thanks guys.

There really isn’t much to it, once you’ve found the bricks and boards. We have two different sets, one set for a smaller space (pictured above) and another set for a larger space (pictured below).

Advice from Mr. Fix It:

-Rearrange the bricks until you find a combination that isn’t wobbly.

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You’ve seen it all over Pinterest. That thing with the crayons and the hot glue and the hair dryer that everyone else did first.

I know you’ve seen it, which means you’re probably rolling your eyes at this.

We were too, but we also wanted an easy, fun craft for a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Baby Daddy even got involved.

I knew he would. He can never stay out of my projects for too long.

He was all “this is stupid” and then ten seconds later, “I have an idea.”

I was overly optimistic and he was overly negative. You know how it goes.

Meanwhile my sister Kelly was enjoying herself and making something better.

And we persevered.

It ended up looking a lot like a first grade project, but I like it.

Maybe for a little girl’s room someday?

Here is my sister, making something better.

And Austin creating another “piece” that he would later call “fail.”

Anyways, that’s what we did on Saturday.

That thing with crayons and canvas that everyone else did first.

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I made pumpkin muffins this weekend and had an epiphany.

I will never make complicated things. I will never be a pastry chef. I will never bake perfect pies. I will never cook anything that has 52 ingredients because it’s just too much work.

And that’s okay. Most of the best foods we eat are simple things.

These muffins are no exception. Embarrassingly easy and perfect for someone who only has a few minutes in the kitchen at a time.

Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t ginger

(chocolate chips or glaze – optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups or grease pan heavily.

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips if you desire it to taste better (Baby Daddy does not).

Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full). I made mine in a greased mini muffin tin.

Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack. If you left out the chocolate chips because you are kind of lame like that, I would suggest making a simple glaze to add a little sweetness.

I also made some Christmas cards. Not because of my love of crafting ( I am not naturally crafty) but because of my slight obsession with stationary.

I found the idea on Pinterest (shocker) and then begged my sister-in-law, Zoe, to do it with me.

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She agreed, but only if I took some pictures of her kids. Too bad it was windy, cold, and all of them turned out like this (or worse):

But she agreed to help me anyway, and when all the kids were down for a nap–we began.

Two hours later and I only had five cards, proof that I am craft-challenged. At one point Zoe said, ever so sweetly, “Maybe crafting just isn’t your gift. You’re creative in other ways…”

A nice way of saying–uh, you’re done.

So I made 5 cards which means I will probably just keep them for myself because I am a hoarder.

Remember when you were a kid and obsessed with stickers? The Highlights magazine would come in the mail and all of a sudden it was man-to-man warfare with the siblings to divy them out? Well I still have all those stickers.

I’m not going to write out the instructions on how to make these cards because I don’t want to insult your intelligence. The pictures explain it all. And even if they don’t, I’m probably not the best one to ask. I had to have help with the scissors (note the very terrible circles at the end).

Good luck.

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