Debt Free Jen

I Want "S'more" Cake Bars

2012-03-01T14:18:00.001-06:00

Finished S'More Cake Bars

My little man had to come up with a dessert that he could (mostly) make by himself to take to the Blue and Gold Banquet. This is a big deal banquet done each year to celebrate the birthday of the Boy Scouts. Our Den decided to go with a camping theme. What goes better with camping than s'mores?!
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Pink Labels to Organize Daughter's Room

2012-02-24T14:20:00.001-06:00

The Toy Storage

Can I just start with, holy moly my daughter has alot of stuff. Wait. ALOT of stuff. We are getting ready to move and over the last few months I have been systematically sorting, purging, and organizing. I confess I put off my sweet princess's room because of the shear VOLUME of things. Doll things. Barbie things. Play food things. Books. Puzzles. Random treasures from beloved fast food empires. Where to begin?
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Life Changes

2012-01-31T13:51:00.001-06:00

It has been two months since I last posted. This crazy little thing called "life" kind of got in the way a bit. My personal life has gotten a wee bit chaotic and I have had to put this little hobby of mine on hold.

My husband and I are getting a divorce. :-( He moved out in October and this single mom stuff is, well, hard work!

Our lease is up in April and I have been trying to figure out what I think would be best for the kids. I am not in a position to buy a house just yet. I really don't want to take my kiddo out of his school, but I also can't afford to stay in my house. So, it has been a whirlwind of looking for a new place and getting the household ready for a move. I am a big planner when it comes to moves and I am determined to simplify our things before then. I have been ruthless in sorting our possessions and if we don't need it or love it....it goes! I actually have some ideas about some blogs I could do about the process I have been going through, so stay tuned. I may be down, but I am not out.

Peace and love,
Debt Free Jen

The Big Toy Purge

2011-11-28T10:40:00.003-06:00

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend I had a lot of time to get some projects off my to do list. We may or may not be moving in the Spring and either way I intend to have less stuff! I figure if I can do one or two projects each weekend, I will have our house organized and streamlined by Spring. This weekend's projects included a major cleaning of the boy's room, and pairing down the holiday decor.
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Pink Princess Party

2011-10-09T00:04:00.001-05:00

Pink Princess Party

For several months my little girl has been telling me she wanted a "Pink Princess Party" for her birthday. Pink balloons, pink cupcakes, and princess tiaras! I could have just ordered some Disney Princess Stuff and called it good, but I wanted something a little different. And, I wanted to do it as frugally as possible!
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Spooky Halloween Food 2010

2011-10-08T19:12:00.005-05:00

Spooky Food 2010

It is that time of year when thoughts turn to all things spooky. I admit that before kids I was way more into "Autumn" stuff than anything "Spooky". My little boy has turned me on to the fun of silly, scary stuff. Well, mildly scary. :-)
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Tissue Paper Flowers

2011-10-08T17:53:00.002-05:00

Tissue Paper Flowers (or Pom Poms)

My little girl asked for a "pink princess party" and I wanted to make that happen as inexpensively as possible. I decided tissue paper flowers were a great way to go. They are cheap (about $1-2 for each one), easy to make, and make a big visual impact.
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Fabric Banner

2011-10-08T17:12:00.010-05:00

Pink Fabric Banner

It seems like every where I went picking up party stuff for my little one's princess party...I ran into banners! I must be the last person on the planet to pick up on this "new" trend. There are a lot of cute ready-made banners that you can pick up cheaply, but they seemed rather "disposable". I wanted to make something that I could reuse after the party by hanging it in my little girl's bedroom. I also did not want to spend much (if any) money.
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Swagbucks Update 10/03/11

2011-10-04T16:17:00.001-05:00

I do Swagbucks to save money for Christmas! I use Swagbucks as my default search engine and earn points. I also particpate in polls and watch some videos. For my efforts I am rewarded with points that I can redeem for Amazon gift cards. I started this project in June/July 2011. My goal is to earn $120 worth of Amazon gift cards in time to order Christmas presents for my kids. Each week I will update with my progress. Read more about Swagbucks here. Sign up for Swagbucks here.
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Swagbucks Wednesday Update

2011-09-14T22:13:00.002-05:00

I do Swagbucks to save money for Christmas! I use Swagbucks as my default search engine and earn points. I also particpate in polls and watch some videos. For my efforts I am rewarded with points that I can redeem for Amazon gift cards. I started this project in June/July 2011. My goal is to earn $130 worth of Amazon gift cards in time to order Christmas presents for my kids. Each week I will update with my progress. Read more about Swagbucks here. Sign up for Swagbucks here.
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GoGo Squeeze

2011-09-14T21:46:00.002-05:00

Have you tried GoGo Squeez? I will confess that when I first spotted a big display of this stuff at Walmart I thought, "what a ridiculous idea." My son begged, pleaded, and practically got on his knees whimpering to "just try it". Uhm, it is just applesauce. What is the big deal?
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Out, Darn Virus. Out!

2011-09-07T18:57:00.000-05:00

My apologies for my recent absence. I had grand ambitions for all the blogging I was going to do over the holiday weekend. Alas, my computer must have been playing with the wrong crowd because it came down with a nasty virus. Everything....Every. THING. Was. Gone. *GASP* I just got it back and now I am catching up on all the wonderful blogs everyone has posted. I have a few projects I am working on for little girl's upcoming birthday party so hopefully I can get those posted this weekend. I am so excited about her party. I will give you a small hint: pink, pink, pink!

Food Waste Friday - Week 2

2011-09-02T08:20:00.004-05:00

Every week I post about a cool challenge over on The Frugal Girl called Food Waste Friday. The premise is simple, you take a picture of whatever food went to waste for the week and maybe a few notes about what it is and why it was wasted. Don't we all just love a good excuse? The reason is not to gross folks out with garbage bag contents, but to hopefully minimize the amount of waste since we don't want to be embarrassed by it. Humiliation can be a big motivator!
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Aw Shucks! The Versatile Blogger!?!

2011-09-01T21:51:00.001-05:00

Here I was feeling a wee bit insecure about my wee little baby blog, when I am bestowed the honor of the Versatile Blogger Award. Aw shucks, now! A big ol' thank you to my new friend, adventuresindinner.
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What? Your Birthday was LAST Week?

2011-08-28T15:25:00.054-05:00

Teacher Gift

Last Monday was the first day back to school for my little man. He came home very excited and loving 2nd grade. In the middle of our daily, "Who did you sit with at lunch? What was your favorite activity" chat he casually mentions that last week was his teacher's birthday. It was on meet-the-teacher night. I am not feeling guilty for not giving a gift. I mean, we didn't even know she was his teacher until that night so how could we have prepared? But, I could not let the event pass without doing something for her. This week's Frugal Tuesday Tip is a frugal teacher gift.
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This Week's Trip to the Farm

2011-08-27T18:30:00.002-05:00

We are very blessed to live within a brief car rides distance to a couple of farmer's markets. But, our very favorite place to go is Homestead Farms. Mommy gets her fresh veggie fix and the kids run around and look at chickens and bunnies. My little girl seems to think she has the special power to communicate with the chickens. The Chicken Whisperer.
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Today's Thrift Store Finds

2011-08-27T17:04:00.006-05:00

Popcorn Bowl, Jeans, Flower Pants

I really enjoy shopping at thrift stores. It is like Christmas morning wondering what goodies I will get. I always keep a list of things to be on the look out for and with patience I will eventually come across something that fits the bill.
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Food Waste Friday - Week 1

2011-08-26T18:11:00.002-05:00

Click here to join us at The Frugal Girl

At the start of the week I posted about a cool challenge over on The Frugal Girl called Food Waste Friday. The premise is simple, you take a picture of whatever food went to waste for the week and maybe a few notes about what it is and why it was wasted. Don't we all just love a good excuse? The reason is not to gross folks out with garbage bag contents, but to hopefully minimize the amount of waste since we don't want to be embarrassed by it. Humiliation can be a big motivator!
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Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On

2011-08-26T16:09:00.005-05:00

Me at Jimmy Buffett concert last year

Lately I have spent a lot of time thinking about the Jimmy Buffett song, "Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On". It is sound advice. I made a sign with that written on it that I placed by my monitor as a visual reminder not to stress. Sometimes I just need a reminder that the past is gone. I can't change it. There is no sense spending too much time dwelling on it. Best to just start fresh and move on.
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Super Mario Birthday Party

2011-08-25T23:08:00.008-05:00

As my family and friends can attest to, I totally get into planning parties for my kiddos. I love the process and put quite a bit of thought into the details. I can't bring myself to just pick up themed party plates and what-not and call it a day. Now, I am not criticizing anyone else who rolls this way. I am just a weirdo that has to be different. Last month my video game lovin' son was turning seven and I really wanted to make it special for him. What better choice than a Super Mario party?

Super Mario Birthday Party

Invitation

Mario Invitation & Homemade Envelope

Invitation

I got the inspiration for my invitations from Chica and Jo. If you click on this link, it will take you to a fantastic tutorial they created showing how to make them. They even have a handy template you can download! I didn't actually use the template, but pulled images off the Internet and printed them on paper. The card stock and envelopes I made from scraps I had around the house. Total Cost = FREE

Decorations

Balloons, Mario Cubes, Hats, Crowns

Balloons - Probably the biggest splurge in the decoration department was a helium tank to fill up red, green, and blue balloons. I just love lots of balloons for kids parties and I think they make a big impact on setting a festive mood. I already had the balloons and string leftover from other parties so I only paid for the helium tank. Total Cost = about $20-$25 (Can't remember exactly)

Birthday Banner

Birthday Banner - this took more time than money. I created each letter on a different page in PowerPoint. I used PowerPoint because it is easier for me to edit than in word. There are probably better ways to do this, but this way works for me. I also made a couple of ones with Mario characters to place in between the words. Although it has a layered look, I actually layered the different color squares on the same page (one behind the other) so I would have fewer to print. I printed these, cut them out, and attached them to some scrap ribbon I already had. Total Cost = FREE.

Sign for the Party Favors

Party Favor Sign - I made this on the computer using graphics and clip art available online for free. Total Cost = Free.

Tablecloth - the table cloth I found at the dollar store for....a dollar. I used dollar store table cloths for my kitchen counter and I used that as a buffet. I used another one on a counter for the cake and cupcakes. Total Cost = $3.

Mario Question and Brick Cubes

Question Mark and Brick Cubes - I made out of old diaper boxes (FREE). I just cut one side off them to make them shorter. I printed the question mark and the brick background in a PowerPoint doc. I can't remember where I found the images, but a quick Google search (or Swagbucks search) will give you some good ones to choose from. I printed them and glued them to the box. Total Cost = FREE

Mario Characters - these are actually from a Mario Chess Set that my husband got for Christmas one year. Total Cost = FREE.

Mario Visor (for the Boys)

Princess Peach Crowns for the Girls

Princess Peach Crowns (For Girls) / Mario Hats (For Boys) - these are one of my favorite parts of the party. The kids went crazy over them and I was surprised that most of them wore them for the whole party. I found plain red visors at a party supply store for $1 each. I bought a white foam sheet, drew the Mario symbol and cut it out. I think I may have eyeballed this. I glued the foam on the visor. The crowns took a little more work. I bought gold colored felt, "jewels" and gold pipe cleaners. Crafty Corner has awesome directions on how to make these. This could easily be my very favorite part of the party! The kids loved their crowns and hats. Total Cost - I don't actually think I added this up, but I think I spent about $25-30. Having said that, I bought way too many supplies and have a bunch of things left over to use for other projects.

Wall Decoration - I had leftover bulletin board paper from work that I got for FREE that I used for the background. This was stuck in a supply cabinet and we haven't used it at work for six years so they told me I could have it. I found some great Mario Wall Stickers on eBay for about $25 (including shipping). My son and I had so much fun creating the Mario scene with the stickers. This picture does not do justice to how HUGE this was. (Our couch is really big!) This took up an entire wall in our living room. When the party first started I took a group shot of all the kids on the couch wearing their Mario hats/Princess Peach Crowns. Now that the party is over, my son wants me to cut around these stickers and put them up in his room because he loves them so much. Total Cost = $25

Food/Drinks

Beverages

Snacks (Sorry - No Pic of the Pizza)

Cake Pops, Cake, Cupcakes, Yellow Chocolate Stars

This is where most of our money went. I bought fruit, cheese, crackers, chips, and carrots with ranch dip. I was glad I did, because the pizza delivery guy was late and I was happy folks had something to munch on. My husband found a really good deal on pizza and spent about $30. I bought green and red punch at the dollar store (can't remember the cost, but cheap). I made peach tea. I put silly labels on these for "Power Up Juice", "One Up Juice", and "Princess Peach Tea". We also had soft drinks available.

Super Mario Cake

Cake - I had the bakery make cupcakes that were supposed to look like Toad (red with three white dots). I didn't think they turned out that well, but the kids loved them. They also made a small green cake. I added yellow chocolate stars that I made from candy molds and candy melts I had leftover. I put more Mario Chess guys on the top (Mario and Luigi). Super simple, and my son absolutely LOVED it.

Toad Cake Pop

Cake Pops - my very first attempt at cake pops, which I admit was a flop. They were supposed to look like Toad. They are pretty homely, but they tasted good anyway! Total Cost for Food - ??

Party Favors

Gumball Machine Party Favors

All the Gumball Machines

Gumball Machines - This is always one of my favorite things to plan for parties. I got this idea from Maddycakesmuse. You absolutely have to go check out her Super Mario Party right now. Seriously, right now. I will wait. Was that not completely fantastic? I love the details. She is my hero. Anyway, the gumball machines were about $5 each. The cards I made on the computer and the ribbon I already had. "Wii hope you had a ball". Get it? I crack myself up! Total Cost = $50 (I made two extra party favors "just in case".)

Super Mario Gummies, Chocolate Coins, Atomic Fireballs

Wii Candy Remotes

Other Candy - I started finding other things and couldn't refuse: Mario Gummy Candy, Wii Candy remotes (works like a pez, but has "Smarties"), Mario Gold Chocolate Coins, atomic fireballs, Bomb Ombs. Total Cost = I confess I don't even remember nor did I add it up. I bought a few things here and there as I found them. .(Keep in mind this was before my renewed commitment to saving money.)

Activities

I had planned to make up all these games from ideas I found, but that just didn't happen. An unexpected death in the family had me out of town the week before the party and I just ran out of time. You know what? It didn't matter. The kids were happy to just run around and play. They were having such a good time that the party ended up lasting a lot longer than I expected. It was so nice to just hang out and talk to the parents while the kids played and no one even noticed we did not have "planned activities." It turned out to be one of the most relaxing parties I have thrown.

Other Mario Ideas

During my brainstorming for the party, I came across so many cool ideas. Even though I didn't use them, I think they are worth checking out.

Nintendo Paper Crafts - templates to make various 3D Mario characters (Luigi, Yoshi, Bowser, Mario)
Mario Pinata
CoolPartyBlog.com - do a quick search here will give you different Mario parties.
Yoshi Egg Smash - fun game
Yvonne Byatts Family Fun - this mom blogs about the coolest Mario party she put together. You really have to check this out.
Givers Log - free pattern for Mario hat (and some other neat ideas!)
Super Mario Cupcakes - cupcakes
Downloadable Cube Template
Downloadable Mario and Luigi Box Templates
One Pretty Thing - more DIY Mario projects
Instructables - another downloadable coin cube.
Super Mario Character Templates
Mario Cake Pops

I was very pleased with how this party turned out. Even more important, my son was talking about this party for weeks. Happy birthday boy = mission accomplished!

Me in the Princess Peach Crown

Linked to:

Ginger Snap Crafts

Handy Man Crafty Woman

Someday Crafts

Somewhat Simple

Fireflies and Jelly Beans

Debt Elimination Success Stories

2011-08-23T22:29:00.001-05:00

I just love reading about other's success at eliminating their debt. It inspires me so much. When I am feeling a little un-frugally (shhh-that's a word, right?) I refresh my motivation by reading success stories. If only I could become a success story by osmosis. Oh - how I would sleep with my head on my laptop.
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First Day of School

2011-08-23T09:46:00.002-05:00

I vividly remember the first day I was home alone with my first baby. We sat in the rocker in the living room and I would spend hours just staring at him. I could not put him down. I remember looking out the window and seeing a school bus go by. Seeing the bus made this hormonal mama just break down sobbing. How would I ever be able to let go of him and send him to school?
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Frugal Tuesday Tip - Cupcake Liners

2011-08-23T06:19:00.002-05:00

I just love reading tips on being frugal. Some, I think, are just pure genius. Others are so simple and practical that I wonder why I didn't think of them before. Over at Learning the Frugal Life folks get together every Tuesday to share their Frugal Tuesday Tip. I thought this was a great idea! There are 31, count 'em, THIRTY-ONE Weeks of posts! I have so much reading ahead of me and I can't wait to dig in! I think I will grab a tasty beverage, pull up a chair, and get to work. But first, here is my Frugal Tuesday Tip.
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Food Waste Friday - Challenge!

2011-08-21T22:28:00.001-05:00

Click here to join us at The Frugal Girl

Yes, I know it is Sunday. But, I stumbled upon a fantastic blog "Food Waste Friday" at The Frugal Girl and I am feeling so inspired that I just have to share! I try really hard to budget well and plan our meals and snacks. But, I have been prone to whimsy and the leftover baked chicken I planned for dinner just doesn't sound as appealing as, say, a plate of nachos. I buy a big tub of yogurt (because everyone knows it is cheaper than all the little individual servings) and then I promptly forget it is hiding in the back of the fridge. When I come across these random science projects I am a combination of grossed out, embarrased, and frustrated at the wasted money. The Frugal Girl was experiencing much the same thing and decided to TAKE ACTION.

Every week she posts a picture of the food that has gone bad over the week. She figured that being accountable for the waste would help decrease it...and it did! It was so successful that she invited others to join her. Can you believe she has been doing this for three years?!? I am going to take the plunge and reveal all my (food) skeletons. As The Frugal Girl says, "save money, reduce your trash output, and get a little publicity for your blog!" So, grab your big ol' rubber gloves, gas mask, garbage bags, and a camera. Let's do this!

Click here to join us at The Frugal Girl

While you are there you should take a few minutes to look around. I admire this blog quite a bit and think you will, too.

Quotes and Sayings

2011-08-21T17:23:00.053-05:00

I love reading inspirational quotes and sayings. At any given time I have something taped to my monitor and reading it makes me smile. Here are some that inspire me. If you have a favorite, feel free to add it. As I find more I will add them. Enjoy.
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