Did someone say Mod Podge and chalkboard paint?  Seriously, what’s not to love?

I’m a little bit of a commitment-phobe when it comes to home-decor–I have yet to actually hang something on this big wall–so for me the biggest appeal of this piece of artwork is that I can change it up whenever I want.  I love that it is interesting to look at, but still somewhat neutral.  Who knows?  Maybe one of these days I’ll even *gasp* hang it.

Here is what you need:

BREAK

Step 1:  Tear out many, many, many pages of print from your magazines. This is a great task for kids!

Step 2: Trim your text into smallish rectangles.  I trimmed most of the white space off.

Step 3: Start Mod-Podging the rectangles onto the canvas.

Step 4:  Keep Mod Podging until the entire canvas is filled, wrapping the newsprint around the edges as well.  Be patient, it takes a while.

Step 5:  Prop up the canvas and let it dry overnight.

Step 6:  Using your blue painter’s tape, create a zig zag at one end of the canvas.

Step 7:  Fill the rest of the canvas with zig zag stripes.  I knew I would never be able to get them perfect (I don’t have nearly enough patience for that!) so I purposely made them a little imperfect.    I like it a little better that way, but if you are one of those super perfectionist types, this step might take you a LONG time!

Step 8: Paint over the portion of the canvas not covered in tape.  Let dry, but not too long.

Step 9: Very carefully remove the tape from the canvas.

Step 10:  Keep removing the tape until canvas is clear, then sit back and admire your stripes.  Let paint dry completely (overnight is best.)  You’re almost done!

Step 11:  Tape 2 pieces of black construction paper together, then cut out your desired shape.  I don’t know what this shape is called or how to tell you to draw it.  I just did it freehand.  It is also a little imperfect, but again, I like it that way.

Step 12:  Place your paper shape on your canvas to determine where you want the chalkboard section to go.

Step 13:  Once you are satisfied with your placement, carefully trace the paper shape with your black sharpie marker.

Step 14: Carefully fill in shape with chalkboard paint; let dry.

Step 15:  Do 2-3 more coats of chalkboard paint, letting paint dry in between coats.  After final coat, let paint cure for 24 hours, then season chalkboard by rubbing entire chalkboard surface with wide side of chalk.  Wipe clean and you are good to go!

There is so much you can do with this idea–use bolder stripes for a brighter look, or simply change out the message and accessories to correspond to the season.  Or sometimes just use it to remind yourself to breathe!

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How do you change up your wall art?

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!   I want to apologize for our technical difficulties with the link-up on Thursday.  I know it was very frustrating for those of you who tried to link up and couldn’t.  I am so sorry for any aggravation that may have caused!  I’m so happy that many of you did come back when it was finally working to share your great posts again this week.  It is always hard to pick my favorites, but here are a few of the links I really loved this week:

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First of all, this Crock Pot Dump Cake from Moms with Crockpots made me totally rethink the way I am using my crock pot.  Fruity warm cake in a crock pot?  Yes please!

I think I must be craving a spa day because several of my picks this week for homemade spa treatments.  The first was this DIY Gel Nail Manicure from Coupon Cravings.  Don’t her nails look great?

This awesome tutorial for Honey Almond Goat Milk soap  from Essential Eclectic seriously made me want to run to Michaels RIGHT NOW to grab the supplies.  I can’t believe how easy it looks!

This Honey Cinnamon Nutmeg Facial Mask from HomeWork sounds so decadent and luxurious.  Yep, I’m now dreaming of a hot bubble bath with this mask and some homemade goat milk’s soap…….

But moving on to more practical things, I also loved this DIY Ruler Growth Chart from I Love to Gossip.  My kids LOVE getting measured and I think something like this would look so cute in our homeschool room.

Speaking of kids, this healthy snack station from The Real Thing with the Coake Family was such a great idea!   I also loved her Hamburger Relay Race !

Moving on to less healthy things, this Twix Caramel Popcorn from My Recipe Magic looks SO good!  This would be a great way to surprise the kids on our next movie night.

These DIY Milk Glass vases from Krysta Steen turned out so pretty!  What a great way to update old vases!

I LOVED this Embroidery Hoop Art Gallery Wall from Grace and Joy Girl.  Funnily enough she said she was inspired from this post of mine, but I think hers turned out SO much better!  I’m actually inspired to re-do OUR entryway after seeing hers!

I’m intrigued by this DIY Shaving Cream from Hilde Hauc.  This would make a great Father’s Day gift!

How cute is this $1 Wooden Star from Grandparents Plus?  What a darling Memorial Day/4th of July project.  I actually love this whole display, with the old wheelbarrow, geraniums, & flags in the bucket!

I absolutely loved this Ruffled Maxi Dress Tutorial from Finley Gray.  It turned out so pretty!  I can’t wait to make some for my girls!

Finally, I loved this tutorial for baking Homemade Honey Wheat Bread from Life in Grace.  Even though I love baking, I don’t usually make my own bread.  After watching Edie’s adorable video I am determined to give it a try!

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What did YOU love this week?  Feel free to share any links below!

While my disability at this point is pretty minor, it has reminded me once again of just how taxing the role of caregiver can be.  A few years ago, when Trouble was just five months old, my elderly mother-in-law Marie came to live with us because she was no longer able to live on her own.  Already mired in the day-to-day chaos of caring for a colicky infant and an active toddler, we were woefully unprepared for this phenomenon called  ”Sandwich Years,” a time where you have both children and parents to care for.

Hindsight is 20/20, but looking back, I truly wish we would’ve been a little more prepared for the challenges of being a full-time caregiver.  I loved my mother-in-law and desperately wanted her to be a part of my children’s life.  I wanted them to grow up knowing her and having a close relationship. I thought that the benefits of having her live with us would far outweigh any detriments.  There was so much we didn’t know, so much I wish someone with more experience could have had told us.

If I could do it again, these are the six things I most wish I would’ve known:

You will have to make hard choices

We didn’t realize, going into it, how many difficult choices would come up.  There were an endless slew of medical decisions, financial decisions, and quality of life decisions that constantly needed to be made.  Sometimes what Marie wanted to do was at odds with what everyone else wanted her to do; sometimes we were unable to sway her towards a decision we knew was best, causing frustration and resentment.  There were many times we couldn’t convince her to make a decision at all.

I truly wish we would’ve had the forethought to sit down with Marie ahead of time, before it was too late, and address some of the end-of-life issues that are so hard to talk about.  I wish we would’ve been brave enough to have that conversation.  I wish we would’ve been able to agree on a plan of action, to determine what our priorities were and to find out, from the options that were available, what she really wanted most of all.  I wish we would’ve had medical directives in place from the get-go, along with power of attorney for both financial and medical matters.  We did get them in place eventually, but not before we caused ourselves a lot of undue heartache.

Being a caregiver to an elderly parent is nothing like having another kid

Sometimes kind-hearted people, in an effort to be sympathetic, would say, “wow, caring for your mother must be like having a third child.”  We would smile and nod in agreement because, really, what else can you do when someone is trying to be nice?  But the truth was that having an an elderly adult to care for was nothing like having a toddler.  My mother-in-law had lived a whole life before I was even born.  She was set in her ways–and rightfully so.

She was extremely hard of hearing, which meant communication could be frustrating and difficult and LOUD, but she was still capable of having an adult conversation.  She had adult feelings too, which meant if we simply went about our daily routine without engaging her–because engaging her took a lot of effort and yelling that I didn’t always have the energy or patience for-she would feel neglected and ignored.  Because she didn’t hear well she was often separated by a wall of silence, even while in the same room.  This often prevented her from being a part of our normal family life and dialogue.  She required care, but a totally different type of care, managing medications, arranging doctor’s visits, trying to convince her to try a hearing aid, and helping her maneuver around the house.

Caregiving can be embarrassing and uncomfortable

There were sometimes moments in the course of the day that made us cringe, moments related to a loss of modesty and increasing difficulty with bodily functions.  We had always loved to entertain, but because we couldn’t predict how or when those embarrassing moments would happen, we stopped inviting people over.  In retrospect, perhaps we should’ve been a little more laid back, realizing that those things happen, but at the time it just felt….weird.  Having someone live in your house sometimes means seeing and hearing more than you ever wanted to.

Your relationships will be strained

Caregiving is often a thankless job, and the effects of that can cause a serious strain on all your relationships.  During that time Chuck and I were often stretched to the max, and with no one else to take it out on, we lashed out at each other.  We were more easily frustrated with our kids, and often frustrated with Marie as well.  There were times where she seemed equally sick of us, and especially of the kids.  I had hoped for a closer relationship, but I forgot that sometimes grandparents need a little space from the constant neediness of kids.  Frankly, we all needed a little space from each other sometimes, and often there was just no place to go.

Our outside relationships were strained as well.  We were frustrated and resentful of family members who had no idea what we were going through.  Most of our friends just couldn’t relate to our stage of life, and one by one they disappeared too.  Had we known better, we would’ve joined a support group of other caregivers, but I think maybe at the time we were too proud & stubborn to admit we couldn’t handle it all on our own.

A doctor’s job is to worry about prolonging life, not quality of life

That is an important distinction to remember, and one that didn’t occur to us until it was too late.  Don’t get me wrong, all the doctors who helped care for my mother-in-law were kind and compassionate, and truly concerned for her well-being.  But their first concern was always dealing with the physical concerns that would prolong her life as long as possible–managing her blood pressure and her kidneys and her diabetes.  It meant lots and lots of pills and tests and doctor’s visits, and then later, after she had a bad fall and ended up in the hospital, even more extraordinary measures to get her “well” again.

Had we the chance to do it over, I think we would’ve looked at the situation much differently.  Our primary concern would’ve been making her final years and months as enjoyable and comfortable as possible, without worrying so much about prolonging her life as long as we could.  At the very least, we would’ve realized that our job as caregivers was to advocate for quality of life, knowing that the doctors were approaching her care from a different perspective.

You will need a break

After living with us for seven months, my mother-in-law decided on her own that she would like to move to a nearby assisted living facility.  It wasn’t until someone else was sharing the responsibility for her care that we realized how much we had needed the break.  Being a full time caregiver is at times difficult and stressful, especially when you add kids and the rest of life’s demands into the mix.   Sometimes in the midst of the daily grind it is hard to see the forest through the trees, but had we known how desperately we needed to give ourselves a break, perhaps we would’ve tried a little harder to find respite care.

Looking back, I now realize we entered our caregiving situation with a blind naivety that ended up causing problems that may have been avoidable.  I am so very thankful that we managed to resolve them, and that we were able to maintain a close and loving relationship with my very dear mother-in-law to the very end.  I am also so grateful that she was once again able to enjoy spending time  with her granddaughters.  She was a wonderful woman with an amazing heart, and I still miss her a lot.

My hope is that sharing our experience–and the lessons we learned–might help those of you who are caregiving now, or will be in the future.

This post was underwritten by Walgreens. All thoughts and opinions are mine. Another one of the difficult aspects of caregiving can include managing your loved one’s health care and pharmacy needs, as well as  navigating the sometimes confusing waters of Part D Medicare.  Walgreens Pharmacy can help make this process a little easier by providing free review appointments with a Walgreens pharmacist that can potentially reduce your Medicare Part D costs.  To get more information, visit www.walgreens.com/medicare.

 

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Have you ever been a caregiver?  What are some things you wish you would’ve known?

Here are the most clicked links from last week:

1. Snails Pace Transformation {4 Alternative Baby Shower Ideas}
2. An Inviting Home {Monthly Budget Breakdown}
3. Passionate Penny Pincher {Dollar Store Organizing}
4. The Real Thing with the Coake Family {20+ Organzing & Storage Solutions}
5. Mission to Save {Free Summer Reading Programs}
6. In God’s Economy {No Shampoo Tips}
7. An Inviting Home {Tips for Sorting Kids Clothes Year Round}
8. Life a Little Brighter {Million Dollar Cookies}
9. Karatootie {Organzing your Creative Brain}
10. The Real Thing with the Coake Family {Keeping it Real}

Never linked up to a party before? Here’s how:

1. Scroll down, find the little blue “Add your Link” Button and click on that.
2. Follow the instructions on the next page – add a great image of your project and an interesting title. Make sure you link to the direct page of your budget friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
3. Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
4. Finally, please link back to this post somehow. There is a badge available in the sidebar; a simple text link is just fine too.

That’s it! Feel free to tweet about Thrifty Thursday so others can join the fun, and don’t forget to check back here Sunday morning to see which posts have been featured this week!

But in case you ever do, this recipe is the perfect solution!  Not only is it SUPER yummy, (But not fattening at all.  Nope.  Not even a little bit.), it can be quickly whipped up in about 20 minutes, and uses ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Here is what you need:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Let pie crust sit out for 10 minutes; unroll onto pie plate.  Poke holes in bottom of crust with fork, then bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool completely.

Step 2:  Mix pudding and milk on medium speed for 2 minutes; pour into bowl and set aside. Don’t bother rinsing bowl before step 3.

Step 3:  Mix peanut butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, & 2 tablespoons heavy cream on medium high speed for 1 minute; spoon into separate bowl and set aside.  Rinse & chill mixing bowl for a few minutes, then whip 2 cups heavy cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in chilled bowl until stiff peaks form.

Step 5:  Place Oreo cookies in a Ziploc bag and crush with rolling pin.

Step 6:  Assemble pie; first spoon peanut butter mixture onto pie crust.  Sprinkle half of crushed Oreos over peanut butter. Spoon chocolate pudding overtop of Oreos.  Spoon whipped cream overtop of pudding.  Chill at least 1 hour.

Step 7:  Sprinkle remaining Oreos overtop of whipped cream.  Cut pie into slices and serve.

Mmmmmmmmmmm……

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Do you have any quick & easy “cheater” desserts?

Since taking (almost) all the girls’ toys away last summer,  I’ve had a lot of people ask what toys they still have and what things they play with the most.  I’m sure one of these days I’ll get around to writing a more in-depth update, but for now I’ll just tell you that when they are not reading, playing games, or doing artwork, they pretty much play with three things:  Legos, Barbies, or their dolls.

They used to have a cute little umbrella stroller for their dolls but Trouble literally loved it to pieces, mostly because when she was done pushing her baby she would sit in it herself.  Has anyone else had that problem?  I promised her I would sew a new seat and then promptly pushed the stroller to the back of my closet where it sat hidden and forgotten for a very long time.  When the girls re-discovered it a few weeks ago they begged me to fix it.  Surprisingly enough, the replacement seat was actually really easy to make and it turned out–in my opinion–even cuter than the original!

Here is what you need:

BREAK

Step 1: Carefully cut apart the seat back from the seat bottom to create a pattern.

Step 2: Pin the “pattern” to your fabric and cut out seat back, leaving 1″ allowance at the bottom.

Step 3:  Pin seat bottom “pattern” to fabric and cut out, leaving 1″ allowance around curved portion of seat.

Step 4:  Lay seat back, right side up, flat on table.  Place seat bottom, right side down, over top of seat back so that the bottom center of the curve is touching the bottom center of the seat back.  Pin in center.

Step 5:  Carefully pin the rest of the seat back around curve of seat bottom with right sides together.

Step 6: Stitch seat back to seat bottom along pinned curve.  If your kids like to sit in the stroller like mine do, I highly recommend reinforcing this seam!

Step 7:  Cut out a rectangle about 3″ long and the same width as the seat bottom.

Step 8: Fold over the long edge of the rectangle and pin in place, then stitch to make a clean finished edge.

Step 9:  Pin the rectangle to the bottom of the seat, wrong sides together,  as shown, lining up the raw edges together.  Pin in place, then trim the corners of the rectangle to match the corners of the seat.  Stitch in place along the raw edges.

Step 10:  Stitch a line on the rectangle approximately 1-2 inches from the edge, as shown.  Repeat on the other side.  This will create the pocket for the stroller base to fit into.

Step 11:  Fold ribbon over the raw edges of the stroller seat.  Pin in place, then stitch around all the edges to secure ribbon.  Be sure to get the back edge where the seat back and bottom meet!

Step 12:  If a seatbelt is desired, cut buckle from old stroller seat and attach new coordinating ribbon as shown.  Stitch into place on either side of stroller seat. Cut 2 20″ pieces of coordinating ribbon, fold in half, and stitch each center onto the top corners of the stroller back so that the ribbons can be tied to the top of the stroller base as shown.  If you prefer to use less ribbon, you can just make little loops for the top corner.

Slip the cover onto the frame, tie in place, and be prepared for much love and happiness from your grateful daughters!

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What is your child’s favorite toy?  Have you ever had to make an emergency repair?  How did it go?

Let me start by saying Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there!  Treat yourself well today–you deserve it!   There were 124 links added to Thrifty Thursday this week and seriously, all I can say  is WOW!   You all are AMAZING!  If you haven’t had a chance, be sure to check this week’s Thrifty Thursday post.  You will be blown away!  Luckily it is Mother’s Day so you’ve got the perfect excuse to sit back, relax, & do a little blog hopping.

Here were (just a few of) the things I loved:

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First of all,  these Key Lime Desserts in a Jar from My Litter were SO darling!  What a great little treat-to-go & a sweet gift for teacher appreciation day!

I must have a thing for individually packaged desserts because I was also in LOVE with these beautiful rainbow Jello cups from One Little Project!  I have been wanting to throw a rainbow party forever (check out my Rainbow Party Pinterest board!) and these would be the perfect addition.  Maybe one of these days I’ll be able to convince my girls!

And speaking of my girls, we are dying to learn how to knit so the three of us watched this tutorial for how to knit a dishcloth from Life in Grace about 14 times yesterday.  I think we are almost ready to invest in some needles and yarn!

I was intrigued by this Easy Spotless Window Cleaner from On a Wing and a Prayer.  It has a few more ingredients than my usual vinegar & water mixture but it promises a spot free shine.  I think this might be our next homeschool science experiment!

This Sour Cream Coffee Cake from A Few Short Cuts looked SO delicious!  I think I may be whipping this up this morning for our Mother’s Day breakfast!

These DIY Duct Tape Sandals from Greendoodle are SO cool!  This blog has some really great ideas–I also loved this DiY PVC Reading Phones post!

I really want to try this Homemade Carpet Powder from The Thrifty Couple.  Just the idea of a nice fresh smelling carpet gets me all tingly inside!  :-)

I was SO excited to see this awesome tutorial for How to Gather Fabric from the Seasoned Homemaker.  Gathering fabric is definitely a technique I still need to master, and I can’t wait to give this method a try!

Loved these tips for Dollar Tree Organizing from Passionate Penny Pincher. Such a useful store!

These Homemade Snowcones from Passion for Savings looked SO yummy!  Here in Florida it is already in the 90′s so we are always looking for ways to cool off!

And speaking of yummy frozen treats, this Fried Ice Cream for a Crowd from Growing up Gabel sounds amazing!

Since zucchini is so far the only thing we have actually been able to grow in our garden, I am always looking for great zucchini recipes.  These Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookie bars from Little House Living look scrumptious.  I can’t wait to try them!

I think I must be hungry because this recipe for Nutella Frosting from Spend with Pennies also caught my eye and now I am practically drooling.  Mmmmmmmm……Nutella…..frosting….mmmmm……

Finally, I thought these $2 Thrift Store Mod Podge shoes from A Little Claireification turned out SO cute!  What a great idea!

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What did YOU love this week?  Feel free to leave links to your favorite blog posts in the comments below, but only leave one link per comment or my filters will think you are spam!

My very favorite treatments were the manicures & pedicures.  I just loved having pretty toes and fingers to look at all week long!  Of course now that the perks of that job are only a distant memory, I no longer have the time or resources to splurge on getting my nails done on a regular basis.  Luckily, with all my spa experience, I have gotten pretty good at DiY manicures & pedicures.  Not only does it save time and money, but my two little girly-girls love it too!

The only part of home manicures I really don’t love is the polish–I can’t even tell you how many bottles we have spilled over the years!  No matter how hard I try to stay still, I always end up messing up at least one nail (if not more), not to mention that within 2 or 3 days they have usually all chipped.  It drives me crazy!

Thankfully a few months ago the girls & I received a very fun package in the mail that completely revolutionized our little home beauty parlor.  What was this miracle product, you ask?  Jamberry Nails.   They are so cool!  They are patterned nail decals that you heat with a blow dryer, then smooth onto your nails. They bond as you apply a little more heat, and they last much longer than regular nail polish without chipping–1-2 weeks on your hands and 4-6 weeks on your toes.  Pure genius.

Since the girls and I loved them so much, I thought it would be fun to share a little tutorial for this budget friendly DiY Chevron manicure & pedicure you can do at home!

Here is what you need:

Step 1:  Remove polish with polish remover, then rub down all nails with rubbing alcohol to remove any residual oil.

Step 2:  Push back cuticles with cuticle pusher.

Step 3: Trim nails to desired length, if necessary.

Step 4: Determine what size decal you will need for your first nail.  Carefully cut decal in half, then remove from sheet with a tweezers.  Heat decal with a blow dryer for 15-20 seconds.

Step 5:  Press the decal onto your nail, making sure to smooth out any bubbles.  Heat with blow dryer for a few seconds, the press & smooth the nail again.  Repeat heating & pressing once or twice more.

Step 6:  Trim the excess decal length with nail clipper.

Step 7:  Smooth edges with fine grain nail file, rubbing in only one direction.

Repeat the process for your remaining toes and fingers!

(And be prepared to do lots of little fingers too!)

So cute!

This post was underwritten by Marisa Anderson, an independent Jamberry Nails consultant.  All opinions are mine.    Jamberry Nails are a non-toxic, formaldehyde free, gluten free, latex free, never tested on animals, made in the USA nail polish alternative (for any age) that come in over 250 designs that won’t chip, fade or peel!

LWSL Discount: Buy 3 Sheets, Get 1 Free- Simply add 4 sheets to your cart .  Order here, then click the check out button. During checkout select “Living Well Spending Less Event” from the “Is this order associated with a party” drop down menu. You will automatically get the fourth shield sheet for free, making each mani/pedi only $3.75!

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Are you a DiY manicure/pedicure kind-of girl, or do you leave that one to the professionals?  What other beauty products & treatments do you splurge on?  Which ones do you do yourself?

Of course now it is time to link up your favorite budget friendly posts!  You are welcome to share any recipes, craft projects, decorating ideas, savings tips, or any other helpful household pointers.  Linking up more than one article is fine too, just please don’t repeat any projects you’ve already shared!  And don’t forget to check out a few other links while you’re here–it’s not much of a party if you don’t stay & mingle!

Here are the most clicked links from last week:

1. Moms are Frugal {Weekly Menu Plan}
2. Go Cheap or Go Home {How to Save Money on your Car}
3. My Sister’s Pantry {Baby Step 10 – What’ll You Have?}
4. Penny’s Vintage Home {Cottage Trailer}
5. Maison 1912 {Refrigerator Organization}
6. Snails Pace Transformation {50 Ways to Repurpose Clothes}
7. Sustainable Blessings {Baked Macaroni & Cheese}
8. One Little Project {72 Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifts on Any Budget}
9. I am THAT Lady {Cut Up Your Credit Cards}
10. Ang Says {Orange Scrub FAIL}

Never linked up to a party before? Here’s how:

1. Scroll down, find the little blue “Add your Link” Button and click on that.
2. Follow the instructions on the next page – add a great image of your project and an interesting title. Make sure you link to the direct page of your budget friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
3. Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
4. Finally, please link back to this post somehow. There is a badge available in the sidebar; a simple text link is just fine too.

That’s it! Feel free to tweet about Thrifty Thursday so others can join the fun, and don’t forget to check back here Sunday morning to see which posts have been featured this week!