Craft, Play, Eat.
That would be the title of our family’s summertime memoir, if we wrote one. It may not be as exciting as “Eat, Pray, Love,” but it’s pretty descriptive of our summer days at home with kids.
And summer break has swung into full gear, Henry and I have been spending lots of time on the back porch working on projects during Lucy’s naps. This spot is perfect for projects and playing – painting, crafting, drawing, and water play.
And I’ve noticed that he’s gravitated toward our child-size picnic table for projects and play. The problem? It had seen better days – and it needed a serious face lift.
I knew a fresh coat of paint would do wonders – and I chose chalkboard paint to make it extra fun. Because chalkboard makes the table actually BECOME the project. Since it’s outdoors, I don’t have to worry about all the chalk dust filling my house. Plus, I could easily wipe it down and clean it off.
I cleaned it up and brushed on two coats of black chalkboard paint. It looked like a different table.
For paint cleanup (I’m a seriously messy painter), I used our tried-and-true Lava Soap. It’s the best and we have been using it since our first renovation 10 years ago. We still keep a bar in the bathroom and kitchen for messy cleanups.
Ryan uses it after changing the oil. I use it after painting tables (and most of my hand). Henry uses it after getting covered in sticky glue and paint.
If you haven’t used it – it’s like a mix of bar soap and pumice stone. It’s pretty incredible to see what it can gently remove from your skin. Find your local retailer for Lava soap here. 
Speaking of messy – the table is ready for it’s next messy kid projects.
I gave it a quick “seasoning” – basically just rubbing chalk all over the top and wiping it off. This prevents the next chalk art from staying on the top of the table forever. (If you skip this, you may never be able to remove all the traces of your chalk art.)
And then I filled a bowl with chalk – easy access is the best way to ensure it actually gets used. 
Now all we need is some lovely kid art to make this table even better.
The table is ready for all my son can throw at it – crafting, playing and eating.
Check out Lava Soap on Facebook and grab a coupon here.
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Hahaha. You are quite as messy as I am. My husband would say, ‘You go from painting surfaces to painting yourself’ I laugh at that statement, because it true. I love the color you chose, it would blend in with the newly decorated porch.
Would also check out the LAVA soap