Easy Pottery Barn cork board pictures

As I've mentioned before, I tend to use the Pottery Barn Kids magazine as an idea base rather than a catalog. This week's post is another example of how I borrowed their idea and made my own version for far less cash.

To make this simple arrangement for above my son's desk, I started with three very inexpensive black frames from Wal-Mart. I found them in the craft section for around $4 each. I removed the glass and then primed the frames with white primer. I used the left-over semi-gloss accent paint from my son's room to add color to the frames, but glossy acrylic paint would work as well.

Next, I purchased a roll of cork at the craft store for $5 and cut it to fit into the smaller frames. The cork was a little thin and had a tendency to puff up in the frame; so I used hot glue to layer two pieces of cork together and then glued it all to the frame backing. For the larger frame, I created my own double mat with heavy cardstock and then added one of my son's preschool paintings.

It's not fancy or particularly creative, but for less than $20 it was a great way to add a little color and functionality to my son's room. Just thought I'd pass it on.

Quick information on the go with text messaging

Contrary to popular belief, text messaging isn't just for teenagers. Believe it or not, it's a great way to get quick information. I often use it throughout the day to stay in touch with my husband while he's at work. He's frequently in meetings or otherwise unavailable for a conversation. Rather than leave multiple messages for him, I simply send him a text such as "should I get a babysitter for Friday?". Regardless of whether he's on the phone or in a meeting, he's able to send me a quick reply. It saves both of us time and helps us stay connected throughout the day.

Google is another great source for text information. Most of us use Google online to get quick information like business phone numbers, movie showtimes, directions, weather and misc. information. What you may not know is that you can get all that information on your phone as well. Why pay $2 for every 411 call when you can get it from Google for free? Simply send a text message of your question to 466453 ('GOOGLE' on most devices). Generally within about 5 seconds Google will text you back with the info you requested. For example, if I want to know what time the movie 'Catch and Release' is playing at my local movie theatre I text 'catch and release 66062' to Google. After a few seconds, I get three text messages back listing the showtimes of that particular movie in each of my three local theatres (as well as their addresses and phone numbers). For samples of what types of questions you can ask and how to format them, click this link http://www.google.com/intl/en_us/mobile/sms/. I think you'll be amazed how much information is right at your fingertips.

Most cell phone plans include at least a certain number of free text messages. If you've never used it, you should check your plan and try it out. I've found it texting incredibly helpful and efficient. Anything that saves me time, keeps me connected, and doesn't cost me a dime is a keeper in my book. Just thought I'd pass it on.

Keep your car cleaner with this under-the-seat solution

To survive as a parent, you have to be able to multi-task. Unfortunately, your car does as well. All too often my kids end up finishing their breakfast on the way to school, eating lunch on the way to soccer or munching a snack on the way to church.

To help my car survive the many mini-meals, I came up with this easy solution. I removed the label from an empty Crystal Light tube and stuffed it full of plastic grocery sacks. Whenever I start to see the mess accumulating or when I'm getting gas and have a trash can handy, I just reach under the driver's seat and grab a sack from the tube. I pass it back to the kids and they dig around the car for any potential trash. The tube can hold around 10 sacks, so I rarely have to worry about refilling it. As a bonus, they also come in handy for stops at the mailbox and trips home from the pool in the summer.

To help prevent the tube from rolling around, I made another tube for napkins/paper towels and used two large rubber bands to hold them together. The rubber bands grip the carpet a little and help keep the tubes right under my seat. I'm sure there are tons of other ways you could use them as well, loose change, coloring pages & crayons, wet wipes, etc. It's a simple, free, solution that has tons of potential. Just thought I'd pass it on.