DIY Baby Gate from a Pallet

Materials needed:

• Pallet
• Reciprocating Saw
• Circular Saw
• Sander
• Stain
• 2 hinges (you can choose either 3 or 4 holed hinges, I chose 4 because more nails means more support. Also, I had 2 1/2" wood screws that did not come with the hinges but I used them ONLY when attaching to the wall, I used the ones that came with it to attach the hinges to the pallet. The gate is pretty heavy and the screws that came with the hinges were quite small. 
• handle of choice (I purchased this one from Lowe's for about $10. This is great because there is a lock on the inside handle. So if you have older children they can reach over to unlock, but the smaller ones can't. Works great for us!! 

1. Step One: Remove the front of the pallet using a reciprocating saw. Use a general purpose 9" blade (wood with nails blade) to cut right through the nails. If it doesn't cut pretty fast then you are cutting wood. You don't want to do this. You can wedge the blade between the wood to only cut through the nails. Now I left one piece of wood on the back as that is what holds all the slats together. 
   
2. Step Two: Decided the height and width you would like your gate to be. Since the width of my door frame was a little smaller than the pallet I was able to use the pallet just the way it was. I installed the gate a few inches off of the ground so our cat was able to go under neath it. I made the gate tall enough that no one can step over it. I alternated the height of each board, you can do this or make it the same height straight across.
   
    This is what it looked like after I removed the back and cut it to the height I wanted.
   
   
   Step Three: Sand, sand, sand........I used a 4x4" palm sander for the front and back, and used a single sheet of sand paper to sand in-between the slats. If you are using this as a baby gate like I did, then you want it to be so smooth so the children do not get any splinters.
   
   
   Step Four: Wipe down the gate with a dry towel to get all the dust off of it. If you choose to stain the gate, do so now. If you like the natural look, I recomend putting one coat of a varnish on it.
   
   
   Step Five: Put the handle and the hinges on the gate. I chose to put the hinges on the inside, but you could put on the outside as well. I purchased both the handle and hinges from Lowe's. Greatest thing about this handle is it locks from the inside. 
   
   
   Step Six: I did get help for hanging the gate. They held it at the height where I wanted it and I marked it off. Set aside and pre drill holes for the 2 1/2" wood screws. This is a picture after the gate has been hung. Enjoy your new baby gate!! I love ours and wouldn't trade it for any other kind!!! 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

A True Friend, A Best Friend, A Proverbs 31 woman

Have you even had a best friend? Someone whom you can call or unexpectedly show up at their house so they can pray with you. Someone that you love like family. Someone that challenges you to be a better person by the questions they ask. Someone that you feel pain when they feel pain. Someone that you just know God sent into your life to help you be a better person.

Today I am thankful for my best friend Tiffany. I am thankful that I now know what a best friend is. Before I probably would have considered many people a close friend or a best friend, but now I know there is a difference. You can have many "close friends." I would define a close friend as someone that I talk to occasionally, I share some of my stories about my life, but just can quite open up 100% about everything going on in my life, for fear of being judged or talked about with other friends. Tiffany is what I like to think of as a great example to other moms and wives out there. She is a woman of God. She has a heart of gold. She wakes each day to take care of those in her house, her husband and two children. She joyfully makes time to take them to the park or outside to play each day. She is transparent with her fears about life. She is someone that I just want to see succeed in life. She is someone that I look forward to seeing and talking to any chance I get. She is someone that I want to be around because her heart of gold and love for life just rubs off on you. She is someone that will share in your joys and sadness as well. She always has positive words to say. She is one of the most thankful people I have ever met. I thank God for this wonderful woman daily. I thank God for our friendship, our Bible study times, our transparency to one another, and any and all times we are able to just live life together. She does a great job cutting and highlighting my hair too :)

If you are wondering why I have done a blog dedicated to my best friend. It is because the sudden loss last week of a friend has sparked many questions, thoughts, and feelings in my personal life. We shouldn't wait until someone has passed to speak about how great they were. They should know the kind of person they are while they are still here on earth. People sometimes wonder if they have a positive impact on those around them, or wonder how they will be remembered. Let's share our thoughts and feelings with those close to us so it takes the wonder away.

My dear friend Tiffany, you are an amazing person, inside and out. You fit the description of the "Proverbs 31" woman spoken of in the Bible. Thank you for your friendship, and allowing our family to live life with yours. I love you sister!!

Proverbs 31:10-31

Description of a Worthy Woman

10 An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and flax
And works with her [a]hands [b]in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And [c]portions to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From [d]her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds [e]herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her [f]hands grasp the spindle.
20 She [g]extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And [h]supplies belts to the [i]tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the [j]future.
26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the [k]teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who [l]fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the [m]product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.