Mom Upcycles

Converting long-sleeve shirts into short-sleeve shirts

2014-05-30T15:21:00.002-05:00

My son is growing so quickly that it's hard to keep up! I find myself constantly going through his clothes and picking out things he's too tall for, or shirts that are too short. Sometimes, though, I come across shirts that still fit great, but are long-sleeve. I know that I've got 2 options—throw in the donate pile, or convert them into short-sleeve shirts. They definitely won't fit him by winter.

Being a thrifty mom, I decided to convert them. Here's how I did it (if you don't have a sewing machine, look into hemming tape, which you can find in any fabric store):

Place a short sleeve shirt over the long-sleeve shirt.

Cut the long sleeve shirt about an inch and a half past the short sleeve shirt.

Fold the shirt in half and line up the cut sleeve with the uncut sleeve. Cut.

Turn the shirt inside out and fold the cut sleeve over to your desired length. I did about an inch or a bit over or so. Also, these are jersey t-shirts, so one fold is adequate, since it doesn't fray. If it were cotton, I'd have folded 1/4 inch, ironed, then folded 3/4 inch, ironed, and sewed.

3 shirts, all ready to go!

Sew around the sleeve. Turn right-side-out, iron to set your stitches.

All done! Long-sleeve shirts now have use throughout the summer. Money saved!

Quick, Thrifty Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

2014-05-20T18:09:00.001-05:00

I've been extremely busy over the last couple of months, so I squeeze in an entry when I can. Yesterday, I made a very simple, thrifty, and satisfying soup for dinner, so I thought I'd share the recipe; just look at this yummy goodness!

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Shredded or diced cooked chicken (I had about 3/4 of a pound that I had frozen from a previous meal, but a rotisserie chicken works well for this, also.)

1 can fire roasted tomatoes or Ro-Tel tomatoes

1/2 cup salsa

1 can Charro beans (or any beans you have on-hand)

2 packets taco seasoning or 2 handfuls of your home made taco seasoning

1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

2 cups chicken broth

Sliced corn tortillas or crumbled tortilla chips

Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:

Diced avocado

Sour cream

Tomatoes

Pour all ingredients except chicken and sliced tortillas or tortilla chips in soup pot. Bring to a boil and let them simmer for 15 minutes. Add cooked chicken and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, 10 minutes. Just before serving, stir in tortilla strips or tortilla chips. Top as desired.

Like any soup, this recipe can be modified as desired; omitting or adding ingredients as you wish, and if you have a family who isn't into chunks of tomato, you could just blend the cans to create a smooth base. This meal was under $10 and serves 6, for a meal that is less than $2 per serving!

Getting Longer Use Out of Baby Clothes

2014-04-07T18:02:00.001-05:00

When my youngest son was around 6 months old, he started outgrowing all of his onesies in length. I cloth diaper, so I preferred t-shirts, anyway, and asked my crafty mother-in-law to convert my onesies into t-shirts, by cutting the bottoms and hemming them. This worked great and I got many more months of use out of them.

My daughter received the most adorable rompers at her "meet the baby shower" (we did not find out gender, so it was amazing how our families helped us out so much in outfitting our baby girl), but my favorite ones were in the 3-6 month range and she outgrew those months ago. At 20 pounds, this baby needs 12 month rompers. However, I noticed that the rompers had elastic at the top, which is very generous and I wondered....

Yep, I began cutting away (I'm a pretty fearless cutter):

I hemmed the bottoms (a simple straight stitch on my machine):

And proof that these are teeny tiny:

But that elastic has amazing stretch and check this little Miss out:

A closer look at my hems (I'm not winning any awards here, but it's literally one line of sewing):

They fit awesome and I anticipate getting another 6 months of use out of these now. Money saved!

Thrifty Baby Clothes Tips

2014-03-26T12:19:00.002-05:00

There are tons of expenses with babies, but clothes can be really low on the list, if you follow a few simple tips. Here are my best ways for cutting costs on baby clothes:

1) Buy second-hand, accept hand-me-downs, or save baby clothes if you are not positive you're done having children.

This is a critical way to save money on baby clothes. I saved a lot of clothes from my first son, even though there would be a 12-year gap between he and my next child. It was mainly for sentimental reasons, but it served me well. I have used his clothes on both of my babies after. I have also bough clothes for my babies at thrift stores and gladly taken hand-me-downs. Babies wear clothes for such a short time; it's practically new clothes. They really don't need new things.

2) Turn "boy" clothes into "girl" clothes.

Now, if you know me, I don't really believe in girl and boy clothes--I'm all about my boy rocking purple or pink and my girl sporting tractors and tools (who decided any of that was just for boys, anyway?). So, for me, this isn't strictly necessary. I understand that there are more of you out there that do want your baby girls in the more-embellished things, though, and that's fine! You can so easily turn things more traditionally geared toward boys into girly clothes. I've worked up a refashion here to show how simple it can be. You can use the principle I used here to dress up a more masculine shirt. Pair a bright skirt with a more "boy" top. You can also take a onesie and add a skirt to the bottom, using this tutorial, if you have basic sewing skills. Add lace the bottom or jeans. Think outside the box and you can easily turn your "boy" clothes into "girl" clothes.

3) Use an old trick: cut off too-short jeans to make shorts.

This is a very old idea, and it works. Kids outgrow pants so quickly, even when the waist fits fine. Just cut them to your preference (capris would be cute for girls, too) and hem. If you can't sew, you can buy hemming tape at any sewing store. This would work for other pants too--fleece or knits.

4) Don't discard too-short dresses!

Did you know that most dresses that become too short for your baby can easily become a top? As long as the shoulders and chest area are still fitting fine, make that dress a top for baby or toddler! This is an example of what I mean:

At 4 months old, this fit Eve perfectly as a dress (it was even a little big):

And today, at nearly 9 months--see how fast they outgrow things--it's too short. Add a pair of black pants, though, and it becomes a top! Yes I know it's not Christmas, but it was on-hand, and when you're just hanging out around the house, a Santa tank top is just fine.

Fold those dresses up and see if they can double as tops. Saves so much money!

I hope these helped. I know some are no-brainers, but it's nice to have all of these ideas in one spot for easy reference. Have fun, dressing up your littles!

Top 5 Thrifty Family Travel Tips

2014-03-18T14:32:00.001-05:00

This week's blog post is centered around family vacation travel! We are taking our 3 children on a short trip soon for spring break, and I thought it might be helpful to post a list of things I have done for years to ensure we don't go outside of our budget during trips. It is very possible to take a family vacation, without spending much money at all!

Here are my top 5 tips:

1.) Book a place that has a full kitchen.

This is the most important tip for thrifty travel. When we get to our destination, we unload the vehicles and then I take my pre-made grocery list (fun to do on the long drive) and we go to the local grocery store. We always figure out how many days the budget will allow us to go out to eat, and meal plan for the rest. For a 7-day trip, we usually plan for 2 dinners out and 2 lunches out throughout the week, and maybe 1 breakfast out on the last day. For the rest of the trip, we do fun dinners: make-your-own french bread pizzas, lots of barbecuing, fun fajita night. For lunches, we usually do picnics of sandwiches or meat, cheese, and fruit trays. I always cook breakfast or we do cereal. I know that people say they don't want to cook while on vacation, but it is THE number one way to save money. If you do the types of meals I lined out above, most of it is just simple things, anyway! Also, doing this makes the times we go out to eat super-special. We spend lots of time, carefully selecting where we will go, and enjoy it so much.

2.) Prepare car snacks.

Do not get caught in the trap of getting a snack at a high-priced convenience store every time you travel. Make each child a box of snacks and bring reusable cups with lids for drinks. We usually place a small cooler in the back with cold drinks and fruit, as well. It's fun to get a treat every once in a while at a store, but getting snacks and drinks at every drive can really add up.

3.) Book a cottage or room that has a pool, child entertainment, or swimming area within walking distance.

This doesn't need a lot of explanation. It will save you tons of money on entertainment, and the kids love it!

4.) Scout out low-cost or free attractions.

Yes, it is more work to map out your trip ahead of time, instead of just selecting a few amusement parks, spending the money and taking the kids there, but this will save you lots of money. When we go somewhere, I always have a list of 5 or 6 things we could do that will be little to no cost. I don't plan out our week as far as the days we are doing things, but I like to have a pool of things to choose from ahead of time, so that I'm not tempted to just go to the easy (costly) place. Check out state parks--so many beautiful memories have been made at some of the prettiest parks around for us, at $3 per person! Take a picnic lunch or something to grill and make a day of it. Local lakes are often extremely low-cost as well; one we love costs us $5 per car. Beaches, children's parks, fishing areas, outdoor theaters, are all good bets for low-cost fun. Some areas also have inexpensive mini-golf places that can be a lot of fun. I like to check out Trip Advisor to get a feel for those types of places. Research ahead of time, to save a lot of money!

5.) Don't underestimate the joy of doing nothing for a day.

I know, you've come all this way, and you just want to be out doing things. But, some of our best days, are days that we just hang around our cottage. Sleeping in as late as the kids will let us, making coffee, drinking it out on the porch, making brunch together, taking the kids to the cottage's pool or water hole, heading back to the cabin to eat sandwiches, taking a nap, playing board games, renting a movie, making popcorn and milkshakes, roasting marshmallows outside and grilling hot dogs--these are the types of days that we live for. Just simple, slow living. It costs very little, and is a wonderful break from the rush to do something. Try it!

And a couple of pictures from really inexpensive, but joyful past vacations:

Upcycled Shabby Flower Tutorial

2014-03-12T13:54:00.003-05:00

It seems that my blogging schedule has changed to once a week, since opening my new shop! I have tried to get to twice a week blogging, but so far, I haven't been able to. I'm just going to go with what I can do and accept that I'm not superwoman, so if you are still following along on my blog, I love you!

Now, on to this week's post!

A Facebook page friend asked me if I had a tutorial for my shabby flower that I sewed on baby girl's sweatshirt (that belonged to my teenage son, and my younger son) to jazz it up. I know that I used one when I sewed this summer, but I can not find one that incorporates both of these techniques, so I decided to create my own. First, the cuteness of this ~~child~~ flower:

Here's how I did it. Cut a small amount of fabric from anything cotton (I used an old dress). Rip the fabric the rest of the way, so that it frays. Any width or length is good, but err on the side of larger, so you can trim it down if you want it smaller or shorter.

Thread a long sewing needle, no knots at the end. Also, yes, my leopard-print leggings are amazing. Be jealous.

Run a basting stitch through the bottom part of the strip, leaving a long strand of thread at the end. Just keep loading up your needle with fabric, it doesn't matter at all how straight or even you get this.

At the end, you'll have an accordion. Pull your needle through and make sure you have 2 long tails of thread on either end.

You'll have something like this:

Now, pull each side, shaping your ruffle into a round flower. and tie both pieces of thread together into a knot. Trim.

You'll have an overlapping flap. If you are making a hair bow or anything that won't be washed, you can simply run a line of hot glue across this to seal. You could also use washable fabric glue. I sewed it closed, though.

And you have your flower! You can trim up the outside if it's too large, or even run another basting stitch higher up to gather it even more if you want it even more "ruffly".

At this point you could call it done, or put a cute button in the center like this:

If you want to finish it the way I did the corsage flower in the sweatshirt, you'll need that second strip of fabric. Tie a knot into the end.

Fold the strip in half, length-wise.

Using your knot as your beginning point, roll the clean edge of fabric around it, turning the fabric under a bit with each turn. If you are going to wash this, you need to have your needle ready to begin adding a stitch every couple of turns to keep it together, or try fabric glue. If this will be a a hair piece, just use hot glue at every few turns.

Twist and turn around and around.

And around…

And voila! (Random lint piece wanted to come play in this photo, sorry!) I love these little rolled rosettes and actually like them all alone as well.

But add them to the center of your ruffled flower to make it extra special (stitch it or use fabric or hot glue). Trim up the outside as you like.

I like to cup the flower around the rosette and stitch it just along the bottom part of the top edge of the rosette, or hot glue it there, to give it a bit fuller dimension, but it's lovely as-is above.

There you go: shabby chic flowers, good for hair, clothes, embellishing bags, tea towels, as brooches, oh, the list goes on!

4 More Meatless Monday Ideas

2014-03-05T09:45:00.001-06:00

I've got more ideas for Meatless (no red meat or poultry) Mondays! If you tried any from this post, you know how tasty days without meat can be, and the following recipes don't disappoint.

1) Blackened Tilapia (or any fish)

My family eats this up like candy—no exaggeration. My 2 year-old eats an entire large filet, and my 14 year-old does a little dance (don't tell him I revealed that) when he sees that this is for dinner. It's very simple! In a dish, pour flour and Cajun seasoning. I eyeball this, but it's usually 2/3 flour to 1/3 seasoning. Take your fish and dredge in the flour mixture (no liquids before). In a hot pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and just enough oil to cook your fish (we are not covering the fish in oil or deep frying, the oil is just there to put a nice, light, golden crust on each side.) Repeat for all fillets. I use a cast iron skillet and do 2 at a time. This is great, served with couscous or rice and any veggie.

2) Breakfast for Dinner

We love breakfast for dinner. In fact, I think I like breakfast more when it's served at dinner-time. For meatless Mondays, we usually do a cheese omelet and pancakes or waffles, but scrambled eggs, an egg and cheese sandwich, French toast, or anything without meat would work!

3) Shrimp or Veggie Fried Rice

Another winner in my house! Day-old white rice is the key to restaurant-quality fried rice, but I've made fresh many times (I have a hard time remembering to make it the night before). Click here for my go-to recipe.

4) Orzo Pasta with Roasted Veggies

This one is so good! If your family isn't a fan of feta, sub any cubed cheese, and any veggies work; you aren't limited to what is in this recipe. This is great with roasted broccoli or carrots. I have never added pine nuts, but if you have them, go ahead! I have found that Ina Garten never steers me wrong. Click here for her recipe.

There you have it; 4 recipes for meatless Mondays that won't even make you miss the meat! This is a great way to save on your grocery budget, too. Bonus!

Preemie Prefolds - Thrifty Uses for New Moms

2014-02-24T10:15:00.002-06:00

It's been a while since my last post, because I've been really busy, opening my new Etsy shop. I have been so lucky to receive orders, and had a particularly large one last week. With 2 babies, a teenager, husband, and house to take care of, sometimes I will have to prioritize. The blog may be a bit slow until I get into the groove of my new venture!

With that said, today's post is all about new moms. When I had my son, I decided to cloth diaper, and am still doing so, with my baby girl added to the mix. I came across a great deal in my diapering research: preemie prefolds from here for $12 for a dozen, and free shipping! While at first, I used them as newborn diapers (more on that below) there are other uses for these wonderful cloths if you are a new mom--and even a couple if you aren't!

First, if you've never seen one, here is what they look like after 2.5 years if washing:

They become about 10 inches long by 7.5 inches wide. They are soft, quilty, all cotton, and very absorbent. Do note that they only reach max absorbency after about 6 washes. I always threw them in with my towels for a few washes, then used them, though, so just know that they get better with time.

On to the uses!

1) Newborn diapers or boosters in disposable diapers

Yes, people do still cloth diaper! While you can certainly use these in the old-school way, with pins, I liked them tri-folded (simply keep the middle section viewable and fold under each of the thinner outer sections) into newborn diaper covers. These tiny diaper covers were my favorite and they are $4.99 each. You need about 6 a day in the newborn stage and at least a dozen prefolds a day for tri-folding and laying into the cover. I may do a more detailed post on cloth diapering later, but for now, googling cloth diapering will give you plenty of reading material. You could cloth diaper a newborn for under $100 total, though, which may seem like a lot...if you've never bought disposable diapers! If cloth is not your thing, you can still get use out of these in disposables by tri-folding them inside as a booster for older babies who leak through them. Wash them as you would any heavily soiled laundry, and with towels—hot water, plenty of soap, and an extra rinse.

2) Breast Pads

This is hands-down my favorite use. If you are breastfeeding, these will work very well for you. Simply tri-fold the prefold, place inside nursing tank or bra, and you are set! These are cheap, easy, and very absorbent.

3) Diaper Changing Mats and Burp Cloths

This is not new, but deserved a mention. These make great little changing mats when you need one and are ideal for wiping up drool.

4) Large Baby Wipes

These are so great for large messes. Fold in half, add some water and keep handy for big diaper messes. Nothing will clean as well as these!

5) Potty-Training Booster Pads

When baby potty trains, tri-fold these and place them inside undies for dribble protection. If you are handy with a sewing machine, you could even sew them inside underwear.

6) Cloth Napkins and Bath Wash Cloths

If you're not a new mom, you may be interested in these as cloth napkins or bath wash towels. They handle bleach very well, and are very absorbent. Great way to save money in the kitchen and bathroom.

7) Cleaning Rags

Once you've finished with these, and have no more use for them, these make the very best cleaning rags! Car, home, wherever, they are wonderful.

I hope this helps out a new mom! For $12, you have wonderfully absorbent, great quality cloths that will serve you for years to come!

Quick, No-Sew Valentine's Headband

2014-02-14T09:49:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is upon us and my babies are ready, with a couple of outfits that didn't cost a thing to make. I upcycled a plain shirt for my son here and used this wonderful tutorial to make my daughter a beautiful bubble dress. From a onesie that was too short and an old maternity dress...

...to this beauty!

I really love it!

Now, those of you who know me know that I am so not into many adornments—big bows big headbands, but I have really been liking the little turban-style headbands I've seen lately, and I had a good idea for that leftover bottom piece of the onesie.

This one is super quick!

Take any wide headband you have and an old scrap of fabric (t-shirt or jersey knit is best-won't fray and has stretch). How perfect was this red stretch headband?

Cut a rectangle that is wider that what you want to end up with.

Pull each end to stretch a bit, just until the ends curl under a little.

Find the seam in your headband and fold this piece over the headband (keep those curled edges folded under for a clean look. Trim the length if you need to.

Use a small line of hot glue under the bottom piece to adhere and that is it!

And just in case you need some "Awww" in your life, here are my models!

Valentine's Day Refashion - Boy's (or Girl's) Shirt!

2014-02-12T13:25:00.000-06:00

It's almost Valentine's Day, friends, and I realized that I didn't have any Valentine's Day attire for my littles! What I do have though, are t-shirts and fabric, and a nifty new sewing machine, so I got to work on a no-cost "refashion"! This one is meant for my son, but it is completely unisex. Of course, I think anything is, but that's personal preference.

I'm no stranger to upcycling old clothes to make them holiday shirts. Remember my no-cost Thanksgiving shirt for my son? Or, the super cute onesie I made for my daughter? These were made using only items I had around the house, and they turned out great. Look at these cuties:

On to the refashion!

First, I hunted down a semi-blank shirt.

Next, I decided what my appliqué would be made from. I had matching wool felt, (found in some craft stores and on Etsy) but you can use acrylic felt, jersey fabric (won't fray), or old fleece. I made a cute shirt that is similar to this one here, using fleece.

Cut out a rectangle, size depends on how big you want your hearts to be.

Fold the strip in half.

Cut along the folded edge into a half-heart shape.

Trim up, if you need to and voila! Cut out as many as you want for your shirt. I ended up with five.

I use the back tag or marking to line up my appliqué.

And it always helps if you have a toddler, prepared to help you with placement.

After we had it figured out, I pinned the hearts down.

I got excited that I could use my red thread (red is my favorite)!

I simply sewed one line down the center because I have 2 children under 3 years old, a blog to maintain, a new Etsy shop to stock, and I just didn't have the time to go all the way around each heart. I actually really like them this way, though. I didn't cut strings after every heart; I just raised my presser foot and moved the fabric along. It went super fast. (Don't look too closely at my stitching; I am learning.)

And with the strings all cut:

Ta-Da! My son is napping, so no picture of it on yet, but I love how this came out!

A note about felt appliqué on clothes: I have done a few of these, and it washes great. I do always turn the shirts inside-out and wash as normal, and line-dry or lay flat on the dryer to dry. It may get a tad fuzzy after a lot of washes, but a small trim with scissors will have it looking great again.

I hope this inspires you guys to re-make some clothes you have around the house. Remember, this isn't just an idea for babies! You can do this for older kids or even yourself. I still love my sweater refashion I did a couple of months ago. You can also hand-sew these appliqués on, or try fabric glue!

I have something in mind for baby girl and hope to have it on the blog tomorrow!

5 Meatless Monday Recipe Ideas

2014-02-10T12:01:00.003-06:00

While I don't always do it on Mondays, I do try to incorporate at least one day of a meatless (chicken, beef, and pork) dinner into the week. Not only is it good for you, it's usually a great way to cut your grocery bill. My guys are big-time carnivores, though, so I had to think of meals that they would eat without really noticing the lack of meat. These 5 ideas are winners in my house! (Sorry for the lack of pictures for the first 2 ideas; I need to be better about taking pictures of my food!)

1.) Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup

This is a classic for a reason—almost everyone loves it. The key to delicious grilled cheese is real butter. Add some softened butter to the bread, grill on one side, turn and add cheese of your choice, put bread together and grill until the cheese is melted and the bread is brown. I generally use Campbell's tomato soup, but I have made my own before, with this recipe and it was delicious!

2.) Shrimp Scampi

This is eaten so quickly at my house! The garlic and lemon flavors are amazing. I always serve it over angel hair pasta. I generally use this recipe, and often omit the wine/vermouth. You could put chicken broth in place of it if you like, or just leave it out.

3.) Bean and Cheese Burritos

These are tasty and an excellent source of protein. I blogged about how to prepare these here, and it is a very cheap meal that everyone loves.

4.) Quick Cheese French Bread Pizza

In our grocery stores, we have a cart where they sell discounted bread and bakery goods. There is nothing wrong with these items; they just taste better if eaten that day or if you freeze them that day. I always pick up a couple of French bread loaves and make quick, inexpensive pizzas out of them. Slice the loaf down the center, length-wise, and bake at 400° for 5 minutes. Take out and drizzle olive oil over the top, top with marinara and shredded cheese of your choice. I always add finely chopped spinach before the cheese, and usually top with Parmesan cheese. This is a satisfying and beloved meal in out home. Bonus: kids LOVE to help make these!

5.) Broccoli Cheese Soup over Baked Potatoes

I love this recipe, but I use frozen broccoli, usually, and have omitted the half and half on many occasions and it's still been great. Bake your potatoes in the oven, split open, and ladle this delicious soup in. It's so good!

By incorporating at least one meal into your week that doesn't use meat, you're omitting one of the biggest budget-busters from your grocery list. Give it a try!

Make a Valentine's Day Gift for Pennies!

2014-02-06T12:34:00.004-06:00

Valentine's Day is approaching and if you like giving sweet gifts to any of the young girls (or even adults) in your life, this post is for you! It takes a few minutes, requires no sewing, and costs mere cents!

Here is what you need:

Felt (Acrylic felt can be bought in any big-box store in the craft section for about 28 cents a sheet. Want a more upscale version? Purchase wool felt from a sewing store or online.)

Hot glue gun

Bobby pins (I used mini bobby pins, because it's what I had)

Small scissors
For presentation, any pretty paper around the house)

Cut out 2 rectangles. I placed my bobby pin over the felt to gauge about how long I wanted my bow to be. This part doesn't need to be exact; you will trim up the bow once assembled.

Trim them around the corners, rounding them.

Cut 2 smaller strips, long enough to wrap around the middle.

Pinch the rounded piece shut in the center until it is relatively even. You can see the bow now.

Wrap your thin strip around the bow. Hot glue the strip in place in the back (go easy on the glue). Trim up the bow until it is even on both sides, if it's a bit lopsided.

Once cooled, put a decent-sized glob of glue on the back and press to the bobby pin. Let cool. Look at these cuties!

Now, to turn it into something extra special, it's all about presentation! Get any decorative paper—I had leftover card stock, but a square of a pretty greeting card, construction paper, or even a square of an old Kleenex box could work.

Cut 2 small slits in the card and slide your bobby pins in. Decorate and you are done! A sweet, adorable gift that costs very little (likely under 25 cents!!), but will be appreciated way beyond Valentine's Day!

Thrifty Recipe: Homemade Taco Seasoning

2014-02-04T11:58:00.003-06:00

We have Mexican food often in our home, and I really prefer to make my own taco seasoning, rather than buying the oddly-colored, chalky stuff that comes in the packets. Don't misunderstand; I am not above buying them if I am just tapped-out, but if I can avoid it, I do. One way to avoid giving in to the packaged stuff is to make a large batch to have on hand. Here is how I do it:

I use an old, sanitized yogurt container or sour cream container.

Here is what you need:

The following measurements are my best estimate; I do not measure as a rule, and prefer measurements like "palmful" and "pinch", but I realize some of my more structured cooks will not appreciate this formula, so here goes:

3 cups of chili powder

1.5 cup of onion powder

1 cup of garlic powder

1/2 cup of cumin powder

1/4 cup salt

3 tbsp. black ground pepper
3 tbsp. tbsp oregano powder

2 tbsp. paprika (optional)

That's the basic recipe. If you want to bring this up to an even more delicious level, add in a couple of packets of this goodness:

You can find Goya seasonings in the Ethnic food aisles of most grocery stores, and some even have it near the salsa or regular bouillon cubes. It is amazing, added to any of your Mexican food recipes.

Mix it all up and store it in your container. (I'm running low; time to mix up a new batch!)

I usually use between 1/4 to 1/2 cup per pound of meat I cook, depending on how I feel. You just add it to the pan with your meat and add a cup of water and simmer. This is delicious as a base in soups as well. Good stuff, and comes out much cheaper than those packets. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Easy Upcycle: Baby-Led Weaning Helper

2014-02-03T12:16:00.001-06:00

Our little girl is 7 months old, and we were a bit late on solids—just started them a couple of weeks ago. We tend to have a relaxed approach to solids—we mix feeding purées with baby-led weaning (BLW), heavier on the latter approach. A more detailed explanation of BLW can be found here but it's just allowing baby to eat what you eat. They gum down banana, chomp small bites of fish, eat small bits of pasta, all under careful supervision, of course. It worked well for our youngest son (I didn't know about it with my oldest), and has been going great with our daughter.

The only thing that has been frustrating from time to time is slippery fruit. She loves it, but it's hard for her to grasp without is squishing out of her little hands. I do have a mesh feeder, but she isn't too big on it (I think she likes more surface area of actual food) and I am always a little nervous about whether it's getting really clean.

As I was trying to get her to eat a square of cantaloupe, something caught my eye: an old popsicle mold that my son plays with.

The handle is soft plastic and perfect for piercing chunks of fruit!

Just slide a square right over it.

And, bam! Happy baby.

You should keep your eye on baby at all times while doing BLW, (and, as with any feeder, don't let baby poke herself in the eye or something crazy) but it's a fun, easy, and inexpensive way to get baby used to all different foods and textures from the beginning, and promotes self-feeding. This little holder makes it easier, and is a great way to upcycle old popsicle molds, which tend to get used for one season in our home, then become toddler toys. Happy baby-feeding, everyone!

Upcycled Embroidery Hoop Earring Holder

2014-01-31T12:17:00.002-06:00

If you guys follow my Facebook page or Instagram feed, you know how much I love hand-embroidery. I love hand-stitching each piece and have even started to sell some of them. (I absolutely love when someone buys my hoops, but shhh, don't tell, I am not heartbroken if a piece doesn't sell—I'm beginning a hoop art gallery and up it will go!) This hobby means that I have a lot of hoops. As I was experimenting with sequins and beading on a hoop, I had an idea on a completely different way to use an embroidery hoop—as an earring holder.

Inspired, I gathered up some things: a 3" wooden hoop (these are in most big-box retail stores or in any craft store), thin scrap fabric from an old dress, and some dark pink netting material. There were tons of other fabrics I wanted to use for examples (fleece and felt), but the babies were not very cooperative, so these are the only ones I used for this post.

Put your fabric over the inner hoop (without the screw) and then place the larger hoop over it. Smooth out wrinkles and tighten the screw. Trim your fabric.

Just punch the earrings through your thin fabric, and of course, the netting doesn't require anything special. For hoops, I threaded them like this:

But you could also just hang them from the bottom of the hoop, connecting the post through the back:

Disclaimer: These earrings are from my "upcycle into something else" box. Don't judge me.

Prop it on a shelf or counter:

Or hang it:

Embellish it with whatever you have, if you like (I just grabbed the first couple of things I saw; a coordinating ribbon and better flower placement would look much better.):

You could also use a larger hoop, put ribbon around the edge or paint it, use felt to add an initial on the fabric, the possibilities are endless. For a couple of dollars, this makes a cute, but useful decoration or even a gift, if dressed up!

5 No-Sew Inexpensive, Easy DIY Gifts

2014-01-30T09:51:00.002-06:00

Since a big part of my blog concerns ways to save money, I thought that tackling one of the biggest potential budget-hits—gifts—would be helpful. If you're like us, you have a lot of birthdays that fall in the same few months, and that gets expensive.

To combat this, I give myself a gift budget and I stick to it. I've also found that a great way to cut costs on gifts is to purchase a $10 ITunes or Starbucks gift card and make a gift. Package them together in pretty paper, and you have a useful and thoughtful (doesn't get more personal than handmade) gift that will not break the bank. If funds are super-tight, many of these would be just fine as stand-alone gifts, too. This list if for the girls in your life, but I will do a post for boys soon, as well.

I have collected 5 DIY gift tutorials that I have had pinned on Pinterest for a while and that are super-easy. I know some of my readers don't use Pinterest, or are not looking to spend a long time searching through DIY ideas (plus, how many times do you pin something, go click on it, and there is no link?), so I compiled this list in one post, and all links work. Anyone can do these (I purposefully made this list no-sew), so give them a try! (All photos are from the blogs that I linked to each item.)

1) Duct-Tape Hair Clips

You need very few materials to make these, and most are things you likely have on-hand. Duct-tape comes in so many awesome designs now; I've even seen sports teams! I've seen it at craft stores and in limited supply at popular chain stores. Any girl would be thrilled to get these! Follow the tutorial here.

2) T-Shirt Scarf

There are a ton of tutorials on these on the internet, but this one is really easy to follow. An old t-shirt is the star of this gift. Go here for the tutorial.

3) Sugar Cookie Body Scrub

Kids and adults love bath products and this one looks simple and would make enough for lots of gifts. Go here to learn how to make this one.

4) Fabric Rosette Necklace

How beautiful is this one? And yes, anyone can do this! Use any scrap fabric or old shirts you have for fabric. You can get an inexpensive chain in the jewelry section of any craft store or use an old one you have. For the super-simple tutorial, go here.

5) Yarn-Wrapped Initial Wall Decor

This one is probably my favorite, so I saved it for last. You need so little for this one, and Jo-Ann's sells these paper-mâché letters for $1.99 each! Anyone would love one of these for their home or room. See how to make them here.

And don't forget to dress it up with a rolled flower. I love this tutorial for those.

Do you have any go-to handmade gifts or budget-friendly ideas for birthday gifts? Share away, if so. I just love handmade gifts; and I've found that the prettier the packaging, the more special the gift feels. I'll do a post later on a few pretty and inexpensive ways to package gifts. I hope these ideas inspire you guys!

Making Boot Socks Out of an Old Sweater

2014-01-28T13:20:00.000-06:00

Last week, I upcycled a sweater that was too tight into a soft infinity scarf. It was a no-brainer that I could upcycle the sleeves, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a hat or boot socks for me, or even leggings for my daughter. I finally decided to go with the boot socks.

I didn't use any type of tutorial or pattern, just winged it, but they turned out well, so I'll outline my steps.

Here is the leftover sweater:

Measure your length by just pulling those babies on. Cut at the point you like.

Turn inside out with seam running toward the back and round off the toe area if you are closing them like I did and pin them. You can also keep the bottom open so that you can have more adjustability, but honestly, I was cold, so I wanted the full deal.

Sew across, with about 5/8" seam allowance. If keeping them open, fold over the fabric about 1/2" and sew all around.

Trim your excess fabric.

Turn right-side out.

Now, definitely wear matching boots if you can, but to get my black boots, it would have required me rifling through the closet in the room of the sleeping baby and not posting this blog today. So, you'll have to imagine the coordinated cuteness. The only boots downstairs were these.

And they are super cozy on their own!

There you go: a quick upcycle from an outgrown sweater! No money spent and I've got a new infinity scarf and boot socks. I still have a strip of sweater fabric left, too. Hmmm...

Upcycling a Glass Jar for Storage Using Fabric Scraps

2014-01-27T14:18:00.000-06:00

If you haven't noticed, I'm really into upcycling my glass jars and cans into storage solutions. I did a simple five-minute up cycle here and even made my own button fabric here to reuse an old can. However, I do still love those pretty, stylish store-bought holders. The one I really liked at a fabric store in leopard print was $12, and I just couldn't spend that on a jar. With some fleece scraps and a marinara jar, though, I made a storage solution that I like as much as the one I was eyeing at the store.

All you need is a glass jar, fabric scraps, a hot glue gun, and any embellishments you'd like.

I used the jar with the scallops.

Wrap a band of scrap fabric around the jar and hot glue.

Cut strips of fabric and make rolled fabric flowers to your size preference. I use this tutorial.

Hot glue them to your jar. Take a bead or a pretty pin like I had and stick them in the center of your flowers.

And here's my "fancy" glass jar in use:

My homemade button-holder sure does look cute, too! It can be so simple to upcycle your cans and jars, just using what you have around the house. Try it out!

Desperation 7-Day Meal Plan Under $50

2014-01-24T15:00:00.002-06:00

I am new to the more crafty aspects of the blog, but consider myself an expert at thrifty cooking and meal-planning. It's simply a way of life for us, since you have to learn better budgeting when living on one income.

If you are like most people, you've had hard times, times when you weren't sure how you were going to get by until pay day. This 7-day meal-plan covers 7 evenings of meals (there will be some leftovers for lunch, but in hard times, PB & J and egg-salad sandwiches are my go-to solutions), on a shoe-string budget.

Just an aside—this is not low-carb, paleo, vegetarian, or gluten-free meal plan. This is a plan for people that don't have diet-restrictions and for times when you need cheap meals that will be filling.

Monday: Chili over brown rice

Tuesday: Chicken noodle soup

Wednesday: Chili Cheese Burritos

Thursday: Eggs and Pancakes

Friday: Chili-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Saturday: Chicken and Veggies

Sunday: Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Meal Prep:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday:
Make a huge pot of chili. The way to do this cheaply is to use mainly beans to a pound or 2 of ground meat, depending on your budget. I try to get 2 pounds of ground meat but have been known to stretch this with one pound and fill in with beans. If your budget allows, buy 4-5 cans of pinto, red, or "chili" beans. If not, go with prepared dried (they're likely better for you any how and cheaper) beans. Cook your ground meat with onions, salt and pepper, drain grease. To the empty pan, add 2 cups or cans of beans and mash well. Add back ground beef and mix. Add chili seasoning (your own or at least 2 packets of store-bought), 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, 1 can of tomato sauce, and enough water to cover. Allow to simmer as long as possible. Add in salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, onion, cayenne to your taste preference. Add in last 2 cups of beans 30 minutes before serving. Portion out about 1.5 cups of chili for your burritos, and 3-4 cups for your chili-stuffed baked potatoes. The rest will be served the first day over brown rice (and don't be stingy with the rice). Grate a small amount of cheese over the chili and rice and serve with bread or crackers. Your burritos will consist of flour tortillas with 1 tablespoon of chili, any leftover brown rice, and a small amount of grated cheese, rolled up and baked at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Serve with corn or whatever you like. For the baked potatoes, prepare them in the oven. Split open and top with chili and grated cheese (also any other toppings you like). A salad goes well with these.

Tuesday/Saturday:

Either prepare a whole chicken in the crock pot or oven or buy a rotisserie chicken. For the Chicken and Veggies, use this recipe or any other inexpensive recipe you have for these. For the Chicken Noodle Soup, use this recipe.

Thursday/Sunday:
Scramble eggs (this recipe is a winner) and prepare pancakes. If you have flour and baking powder, it's cheaper to do it from scratch, but even a mix is inexpensive. Prepare as many as needed for your family. I tend to go with Campbell's for my tomato soup, but that's up to you. I usually buy 2 cans and grill up enough cheese sandwiches to satisfy my crew.

Estimated price break down for a family of four (I do not include spices, oils, basic staples like flour or butter, or side dishes in my cost breakdown):

2 pounds ground beef: $6
1 bag dried beans: $1.50
2 cans crushed tomatoes: $1
1 can tomato sauce: 25 cents
2 packets chili seasoning: $1
Brown rice: $1.50
1 bag of russet potatoes: $3
1 pack of 30 flour tortillas: $2
1.5 pound block of sharp cheddar cheese: $4.50
1 family pack size of Mahatma yellow rice: $1.89
1 half bag of frozen peas and carrots: 50 cents
1 large box of chicken broth: $2.50
Rotisserie chicken: $6.99
Half package egg noodles: 50 cents
Half package carrots: 75 cents
2 cans Campbell's tomato soup: $2
1 loaf bread: $1
1 dozen eggs: $1.50
Pancake mix: $2

Grand Total: $41.38 for 28 servings of food = $1.48 per serving!

Hopefully, none of you find yourself in financial troubles, but if you do, just know that feeding a family of 4 dinner for a week cheaply can be done. I hope this helps!

Upcycling a Too-Small Sweater into an Infinity Scarf

2014-01-23T11:19:00.004-06:00

Most of us have it: that beautiful sweater that we washed incorrectly and is now too small, or the one that's simply too small, but we're holding on to it, remembering the days we used to fit into it. (Nostalgic sigh.)

I'm in the latter camp, because after three kids, a size small sweater just won't cut it. However, I love the softness and the color of this beauty. Just look at it!

I knew it would make a gorgeous scarf, so I went ahead and gave it a shot, since it involved sewing one line. Here's how I did it:

It was tough, but I gathered my courage and made a long cut across, under the arms.

Next, I turned it inside-out and folded the raw edge under and pinned it.

I sewed across with a zig-zag stitch on my machine. You could absolutely hand-stitch this. I didn't get a straight edge on it when it was done; it ruffled on me, which I ended up liking, but I assume it's because there is some rule to sewing on knits—a different needle, stabilizer, or some other trick I am clueless about. If you know, enlighten me! Here it is, finished:

Now, you can fold it inward, and it's a beautiful scarf!

Wear it with the original hem showing like this:

Or with the (accidental) ruffled edge showing:

I think they are both cute, and now my too-small sweater has new life. If you try this, or have tried this, please post a pic or email me one (momupcycles@gmail.com). I'd like to see your creations!

Name Hoop Art--Cameron

2014-01-22T10:35:00.001-06:00

Like my hoop art? Purchase it here.

The final hoop in my childrens' name and birth date series was my oldest son's. His was very challenging, because nothing babyish would do. He's a Teenager, with a capital "T", so I had to come up with something that wouldn't make him roll his eyes, haha!

Each of my hoops represents my kids as I see them now: Eve's is soft, dreamy, and calming, using lavenders and purples. Madden's is bright and bold, using primary colors and thick lines. So Cameron's could never be anything but gaming-related, since as soon as my mom bought him a Game Boy Advance at 5 years old, that's been his love.

His initial was a labor of love, and easily the most complex of all of the hoops. It represents an old-school Game Boy, and cutting out each piece was...fun. After many attempts at getting a "start" and "select" button cut out, I simply stitched them on. I placed his initial on the "screen".

I stitched his name in green, because it's his favorite color and because it's like him—not too bold, but still edging toward bright. I outlined it in thin green/gray. His birth date is done in dark gray and is a thinner stitch.

I wanted a frame for the wording, and nothing but a tangled charger cord would do. This is so him.

The final detail is a nod to both his love for gaming, and the fact that he is my first, my "1" of 3 babies. I really love this detail.

And here it is, finished, and, to me, absolutely perfect. He loved it so much, and that's the best compliment.

And the 3 of them, all arranged together.

One last detail I worked in on these is to put each child's age when I stitched them on the back of the hoop. (Go easy on my stitching—I didn't write them out first, so it's true free-hand).

I wanted to be able to look back and remember how I saw them at that moment—like a picture of their personality. I hope these hoops mean as much to them many years from now as they do to me now.

Thrifty Recipe: "Secret Ingredient" Scrambled Eggs

2014-01-21T14:10:00.002-06:00

When my best friend told me I should do a post with my scrambled egg recipe, I thought there wouldn't be much to it, but when I thought about it, there really is a technique I use for making scrambled eggs. Also, I add an ingredient that I have discovered not many people know about, and it makes the eggs. It's very thrifty to have breakfast for dinner, and these eggs are often on the menu for us. This carton was on sale for $1, so if I had added some pancakes with it, we could have had dinner for about 50 cents a person. That's my kind of budget!

You need:

Eggs (I used 10 for my family)

Milk

Salt

Pepper

The secret ingredient........Dill

Bacon grease (Optional, but kind of not)

Crack your eggs in a bowl.

Some people swear you should never add milk to eggs and they may be right, but I always have, so this is just my recipe. If you are an egg purist, look away! Add 1 teaspoon of milk per egg (I really do not measure, but when I did my tiny splashes, this was what I estimated, haha!)

Add one dash (measuring is for scaredy-cats!) of the secret ingredient--dill--per egg. These babies got 10 dashes of dill.

Next, add pepper to your liking. I usually put in about half as much pepper as I did dill.

Note, I don't add the salt yet. I have done it in the beginning and my eggs seemed to be flatter, so I wait on that.

Stir them up.

Next, could be considered the second secret ingredient—bacon grease. I know a lot of people balk at this, but it makes such a difference in flavor. I reserve my bacon grease (once warm and not hot) in a glass container (I think this used to be a coffee container) and store it in the refrigerator.

Get your pan to about medium heat and then add enough grease to coat your pan. See those bacon pieces in that glob? Yum!

Now, whip those eggs up again. This is important. You want to get air back in them so the eggs are fluffy. Pour in the hot pan. (Sorry for the blur.)

Stir every so often, but cook relatively slowly.

Once your eggs are nearly set, add salt to your liking. Remember, the bacon grease has saltiness to it so go easy.

Cook to your preference (my guys like a very dry egg) and serve! There you go, my technique for delicious scrambled eggs, and very basic thrifty cooking. If you already knew about the secret ingredient, let me know! Maybe it's not as "secret" as I think. :)

Upcycled Valentine's Day Door Hanger

2014-01-20T11:52:00.005-06:00

I never thought I would upcycle an upcycled project, but that is exactly what I did to create an adorable Valentine's day door hanger.

You guys may remember the fun I had with a wire hanger and cut up strips of t-shirts. I made this Halloween wreath this way, and this candy cane door hanger.

I was packing up my Christmas decorations and when I took down the candy cane hanger, I realized how easily I could turn it into a Valentine's day decoration.

I simply twisted the wreath into a heart shape:

You have a ton of options from here: hang as-is, hot glue valentines day cards or flowers around the heart, hang a monogram in the center, the sky is the limit! I decided to attach a banner in the center. You can achieve this result with a paint pen or fabric marker if you don't embroider.

I cut out a strip of pink felt.

Then, I penciled my word on the strip.

I embroidered it with black floss.

I wanted to be able to turn this back into a candy cane for Christmas, so I attached the banner to the back by pushing pins into the two short ends. Be careful if you do this that you bury the pins in the fabric and don't leave them exposed.

And done!

Here it is on the door, an upcycled upcycle! How cool is that?

Do you guys do anything crafty for Valentine's day? I'd love to hear about it!

Using Your Existing Crib as a Co-Sleeper for Baby

2014-01-17T10:15:00.000-06:00

When I was pregnant with my youngest son, we were living in a 2-bedroom home and space was at a premium. With that in mind, I bought a mini-crib and we set his crib up in a small alcove my husband built in our oldest son's room. I figured he'd sleep in a bassinet in our room until he was sleeping through the night, then we'd move him to his crib.

Little did I know that our baby would not sleep through the night until he was a year.

Little did I know how often we'd be up and down, back and forth, with him every night, or that even reaching over, pulling him out of the bassinet, settling him in to feed, then settling him back in the bassinet and laying back down would be a nightmare.

Little did I know that although it's satisfying to set up the crib in the nursery (and we had such a cute one) it could be put to much better use.

Very, very often, he'd end up in the bed with us, because I was simply too exhausted to get up and put him back in his bassinet. It was okay, but neither my husband or I slept very well, because we were worried we'd roll on him. That's when I started looking into co-sleepers. They are appealing because they simply extend your bed, safely, and allow the easiest access; no getting up required. Plus, if you breastfeed, the side-lying nursing position was made for co-sleepers!

I quickly discovered that they were expensive—a mini one that was only good until 5 months of age retailed at $170! My son was about 4 months at the time, so that wouldn't do. The full-size was expensive too, and we just didn't have the room. Plus, we already owned a nice crib and a bassinet; it seemed like overkill for what I wanted to be a very temporary problem.

Here is a picture of the above-mentioned expensive co-sleeper, in case you aren't familiar with how they look:

That's when I discovered this amazing post that outlines using your existing crib as a co-sleeper! You simply side-car your crib to your bed by taking off a side of the crib, leveling it with your mattress, and securing it to your bed via bungee cords or by wedging a cut pool noodle on one side of the mattress.

(Disclaimer: If you feel at all uncomfortable with this idea, please don't do it. You should have NO gaps on either side of the baby mattress. You should also check for gaps every single time you put baby in the side-carred crib.)

Our mini-crib is the Davinci Alpha, bought on Amazon. It's good up until 50 pounds, sturdy and inexpensive.

It came with a super-thin mattress. We bought a thicker one and with it stacked on top of the thinner one, and the mattress at the middle position, it sits level with our bed. We just put the crib against the wall and pushed our bed against the side and there you have it—instant co-sleeper that will last for years (gulp) if necessary. Our youngest son slept in it for 8 months and now our daughter is enjoying it (although we'd truly like it if she would sleep through the night so that we can move her out, but that's a different story). She has been in it since birth and it was so awesome. I wish I had learned about this or knew how taxing even having a bassinet nearby would be in comparison for my youngest son from birth. Many bad nights could have been made easier.

You can do this with a full-size crib, also, it doesn't have to be a mini. Please do visit this link for details on the way to wedge it and use bungee cords for extra protection. Once your baby decides to sleep through the night, just put the side back up and go back to your original plans for where baby will sleep.

Here is the set-up with our daughter:

And my youngest son in his side-carred crib in 2012:

And my daughter, NOT on her side of the bed, yesterday, haha!

I hope this post helps out a mom-to-be. Definitely make sure you have absolutely no gaps between either side of the baby's mattress, and you will be set with a co-sleeper out of an ordinary crib. Here's to many nights of better sleep!

Name Hoop Art--Madden

2014-01-16T09:17:00.000-06:00

Like my hoop art? Purchase it here.

Last week, I completed an embroidery hoop for my daughter. It was stitched on a cream-colored background and was done in purples and grays. I really like the romantic, dreamy feel of it. Eve is a calm, happy baby, and the mellow hoop suits her.

For my youngest son, though, nothing but bold colors would do. He's energetic, demanding, loving and fun, and currently obsessed with all vehicles. I hear "har, huc, boat, and up" (car, truck, boat and plane) a million times a day. It's what inspired the felt graphic I hand-cut and stitched for this piece.

The road was fun to cut out and the car was challenging because it's small, but I like both a great deal.

I left his name in red with no outline, because I thought the road and initial were bold enough. I used the same yellow I used in the road for his birth date, and kept it chunkier than the delicate stitching I used on Eve's.

And here is the finished hoop:

And next to his sister's hoop:

I have one final hoop to complete—my oldest son's. I already have an idea for his felt graphic. I can't wait to complete it and share the completed series with you guys!