John is obsessed with donuts, and since I needed to preoccupy myself while recovering from a concussion, I decided to make giant donut pillows that could double as halloween costumes. I am a beginner, self-taught sewer, so if I can make this, anyone can. You could also make tiny accessory donut pillows, if preferred. The steps are the same, you just need less material.
When John proposed to me this summer, he presented the engagement ring in this wooden ring box. I instantly loved the ring box and was even more blown away when I learned that he made it himself. So I asked him to share the DIY instructions on Cooking with Alison’s first guest post. Don’t worry if you don’t own any tools, because John doesn’t either. He shares below how he was able to get access to tools and woodworking help for very little money.
When John finally settled into his first home, we threw a housewarming party to thank everyone that helped him get set up and to show all of his friends his new condo. I’ve read that the tradition of having a “housewarming” started when neighbours would bring firewood and build fires to warm a new home and repel evil spirits (see source here). I’ve also read that in France, the original housewarming custom was to thank all of those involved in building the home by inviting them over for dinner (see source here). Nowadays, when we settle into and celebrate our new homes, our family and friends come bringing their warm wishes.
The budget for John’s housewarming party was fully dedicated to the party room rental and, of course, the food and drinks. We also spent a little bit of money on small, random take home gifts. So we had to spend next to nothing on the decorations (did anyone else hear, DIY project?). It didn’t take long for me to find inspiration online. I’ve shared my favourite housewarming ideas and DIY tutorials below. Happy Housewarming!
I wanted to make paw print impression keepsakes of my “new” old dog. But the only kits that I could find were surprisingly pricey (or had poor reviews) and came with display frames that I didn’t want. So I decided to save some money and make my own. These are fun and easy to make and they’re great as a kids’ craft project. You could make childrens’ hand prints too. How-to instructions are provided below.
Cooking with Alison 