It’s effing cold out. I don’t need to tell you guys that. We’re all stir-crazy and stuck in the house. And we all know how important it is to expose the kids to some “nature” every day. So what do we do when we’re stuck inside?

Well, remember if you’re effing cold, so are the birds. This book reminded me of something I know I did and enjoyed as a child. So a while back we decided to make some pine cone bird feeders to feed our outdoor friends. And it’s very easy - you know it is, because I was able to do it, and that tells you something. And what I really like about this project is that you can do it with things you most likely have in your house already.

You’ll need some pine cones and some wire or string. Thread and twist the wire through the top of the pine cone and make a loop for hanging. Then cover the pine cone with peanut butter.

Crush some nuts and raisins to roll the covered pine cone in. Just about anything will do. We just used unsalted peanuts and raisins and then spread them out on a plate.

Mmmm…yummy snack…

We then hung the feeders up right outside our living room window, under our patio and near a few bushes so the birds would feel safe and like they had a place to run and hide when, say, small boys ran up to the window screaming and pointing. It took a few weeks, and I was pretty sure nothing was ever going to come, but then…

We have birds out there every day now (you can see how much they’ve eaten). And they’re nice and close so the kids can really watch them. Then for Christmas my parents gave us a birdfeeder, which we filled with a mixed birdseed. So that one attracts different kinds of birds as well as having several holes for them to feed through.

To say we have flock of birds eating right outside our window every day is actually not an understatement at all. I can hear them right now as I type. And every day the boys spend at least a little time looking out at the birds, counting them, and seeing if they can approach the window quietly enough to avoid scaring them away.

Just one easy way to bring the outside in during the cold winter months.