Saving 4 Six

Simple Spring Decor

2012-04-05T17:16:00.001-07:00

We are spending the week at my parent's in WV and have been LOVING the 70 degree temperatures. The kids have been playing basketball, swinging on the tire swing, and even got the opportunity to laser tag and Easter egg hunt at The Greenbriar Resort...wow, gotta love Spring Break!!

I left my Spring decor at home but wanted to share some of the simple, frugal ideas you could use to spruce up your place.
The first idea incorporated something I've seen all over blog land...printing on burlap. I really wanted to try it but was afraid it wouldn't work or would ruin my printer. BUT, I decided to give it a try anyway and it worked!!!!

I read a tutorial about ironing burlap on freezer paper (which I've had this same box for years!). It was very helpful...here's the link. The burlap kept jamming in my printer that feeds from the bottom...I never did get it to work in that one. The printer that feeds from the top worked perfectly.

After I printed "Spring" on this burlap, I just used an old frame, painted it blue, and made a little nest using some old grass.

I used little blue beads to look like eggs...worked perfectly and I had them on hand.

Spring flowers are so exciting to me. After the cold, snowy winter, it is such a miracle to see the beautiful daffodils peeking out of the cold ground. Anyway, I found this cute artificial forsythia and hyacinth for just over $2.

Simply sticking them in a mason jar has added some color inside the house.

Digging up flowers from your yard and putting them into a colorful watering can or some other unusual "pot" always looks nice and by digging them up from your own yard...it's not costing you a penny to have live flowers indoors or out. When they die off just throw them back into the ground for use again next year.

Another way to bring the outside, indoors is the use of branches. Sticking a cluster of branches in a vase and tying it with a bow is a nice centerpiece or side table decor.

source

These branches, painted white and little multicolored leaves added to them makes an adorable center piece. You could also tie pastel ribbons on the branches in place of the leaves.
Another simple and yummy decoration is to take a vase or glass bowl of some sort and fill it with Easter candy. I used m&ms (got them super cheap at a discount store :) ) and then placed a candle in the center of them.

You might only want to set this one out when you are having company because if your house is anything like mine...the gang will have them eaten in no time and your Spring decor will just be a bowl with a candle!!

Hoping your spring is colorful and bright and your decorations as well!

Blessings,

Linking up to some of these parties:
Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Remodelaholic 504 Main Lolly Jane

The Shabby Nest , Fingerprints on the Fridge , Chic on a Shoestring Life as Mom , Miss Mustard Seed , Tidy Mom , Whipperberry , At the Picket Fence , French Country Cottage 30 Handmade Days , Creation Corner , Finding Fabulous , Just a Girl , Stuff and Nonsense , Naptime Crafters Tatertots and Jello, My Romantic Home , While He was Napping Saturday: Six Sisters' Stuff Remodelaholic Funky Junk Interiors, Young and Crafty , Be Different, Act Normal , A Vision to Remember Sunday: Ask Anna The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, , DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime Under the Table and Dreaming , Monday: Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Skip to my Lou , Craft O Maniac , Sumo's Sweet Stuff , It's so Very Cheri , Keeping it Simple, Creating Really Awesome Free Things Dittle Dattle, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms , Between Naps on the Porch , The Girl Creative Singing Three Little Birds , Mad in Crafts , Organize with Sandy , Ask Anna Tuesday: Mommy By Day Crafter by Night At Home With K Polly Want a Crafter , Coastal Charm, A Bowl Full of Lemons , Tip Junkie , Sugar Bee Crafts , Not Just a Housewife , Today's Creative Blog , Balancing Beauty and Bedlam , 5 Minutes for Mom , Funky Polkadot Giraffe , All Thingz Related , DIY by Design Lil Luna, Blue Cricket Design, Hope Studios , Reasons to Skip the Housework , Time Warp Wife , Chef in Training Wednesday: Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic Savvy Southern Style Raising Homemakers , Crystal & Co. , We Are THAT Family , Women Living Well , The Trendy Treehouse , Passionately Artistic , Night Owl Crafting , Feeding Four , Handy Man, Crafty Woman Someday Crafts , Fabric Bows and More , This Chick Cooks , Seven Thirty Three, Sew Much Ado , Sugar & Dots A Creative Princess , Dragonfly Designs , Beyond the Picket Fence , The Thrifty Home , Creations by Kara,Gingersnap Crafts , A Little Tipsy , Thursday: Shabby Creek Cottage , Diaper Diaries , Delightful Order , Somewhat Simple , House of Hepworths, Saved by Love Creations , Feeding Four , It's a Keeper , Thrifty Decorating , The Frugal Girls , Miz Helen's Country Cottage , Little Knick Knack , The Thirty Sixth Avenue, Raising Mighty Arrows

Guest Posting at the Frugal Girls

2012-04-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

Since I consider myself to be a frugal kinda gal, I count it an extreme honor to be guest posting over with THE Amazing Frugal Girls.

If you've ~~been living under a rock~~ missed The Frugal Girls by chance, head on over there today. The site is an awesome resource for frugal living. While you're there, you can check out my guest post and see what else is going on in the world of The Frugal Girls!

Blessings,

Wiggle Worm Dirt Pudding

2012-04-04T05:30:00.001-07:00

I had my niece and nephews over last week and the weather here was fabulous!! I decided to take all seven kids to the park and knew they'd be hungry for something yummy and cool when we got home. Before we left we threw together these fun treats. This is what you need to make these delights:

Put cookies into a zip bag and close tightly.

Using a rolling pin, roll and crush the cookies until crumbly.

Set aside.

Pour the milk and chocolate instant pudding mix into a large bowl.

Whisk well until all of the pudding mix is dissolved.

Let stand 5 minutes.

Add the Cool Whip and 1/2 of the crushed cookies.

Stir until well blended.

Place a large spoonful of crushed cookies into the bottoms of the plastic cups.

Add the pudding mixture on top of that until the cups are 3/4 full.

Add 1 large gummy worm so that it is half in the cup and half hanging out of the cup.

Spoon in more crushed cookie around the worm to hold it in place.

Serve chilled.

You can find this recipe in its entirety here.
Blessings,

Linking up to some of these parties:
Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Remodelaholic 504 Main Lolly Jane

I'm an organizing junkie

Simple Burlap Ideas

2012-04-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

The burlap craze has hit me hard! I love the look and the functionality of it and have used it in several projects lately. I thought I'd show you a few and how simple but how much impact a little piece of burlap can make.

The first one is a simple canning jar...

This is the before with a sprig of forsythia in it. Nothing fancy.

I just cut two strips of burlap and tied one in a bow and then hot glued one around the jar and the bow to the front.

Pretty simple, huh? But what a difference that little piece of burlap makes.

The next project could not get any easier. Covering a book with a piece of burlap.
I just used a scrap piece of burlap and wrapped it around this book. Then, I tied it with twine.

{LOVE} it!

Just a little hint...the twine was cheaper in the hardware section of my department store than it was in the craft section. Try the hardware section to save a few dimes!
Finally, is the burlap covered boxes. I've showed you these before but I just love them.

When I was at Aldis the other day, I started seeing all the boxes and it hit me that all these various size boxes could be turned into burlap covered storage!!!

Such inexpensive, practical, cute storage!!

There you have it...three cute ways to use burlap.

Later this week, I'll show you some of my inexpensive Spring decor and tell you about my printing on burlap experience.

Blessings,

Linking up to some of these parties:
Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Remodelaholic 504 Main Lolly Jane

I'm an organizing junkie

My 12 Week Organizational Challenge Recap

2012-03-29T21:20:00.001-07:00

I've made great progress on organizing my home over the past 3 months. I'm thrilled with all that has been accomplished. Much of what I have done has stayed the same. I have however, made a few changes. I'll give you a re-cap of the past twelve weeks and update you on any little changes.
Week 1 - My Kitchen Canisters - They were not being used as they should have been and needed a little makeover. They look just the same and have held up beautifully. Storing flours and sugars in canisters is such a brilliant idea!! :))

Week 2 - The Kitchen Cabinets - During this week, I cleaned and organized my kitchen cabinets.
The tags I made for the boxes in the cabinets didn't hold up very well. So I made some new ones and laminated them.

My chalkboard painted cabinet doors is something we use every day. I'm so glad I painted them!

Week 3 - The Craft Space - I'm happy to say that although I have worked a lot in my craft space since the reveal, it still looks exactly the same. All the appropriately labeled storage has worked out perfectly!

Week 4 - The Laundry Space - Between my new (to me) washer and much more pleasant looking laundry space, this too has stayed looking the same. I do leave the detergents on my washer now though because I'm just too short to reach up into the boxes!

Week 5 - The Sewing Space - This space has mixed reviews from me.

Remember the storage totes under the table? Well, I need to access them more than I thought I would and I need help every time I have to get something out of them. I need to think this through a little more, but for now, I have kept it the same. The only difference was what I found down here on Valentine's morning...

I told you all I wanted one of these!!!

I'm so thankful for My Better Half!!

I do love having my sewing supplies so easy to access. I have been sewing a lot more...even if it's just sewing on patches and mending ripped stuffed animals!
Week 6 - Fabric Covered Cabinet - Love, love, love this cabinet! The only addition is the old Pepsi bottle at the top.

Week 7 - Bathroom Vanity - Like I shared with you in my Linen Closet Makeover, I took the plastic boxes out from the vanity and put them in the closet. I replaced them with a laundry basket under the sink. WOW!! Why didn't I do this sooner?? Who knew a simple laundry basket in the bathroom would keep all the clothes from landing behind the bathroom door!
Week 8 - Kitchen Sink Base - No changes here and still just as organized!!

Week 9 - The Linen Closet - This one was a biggie.

I am so thankful for my new linen closet. All the burlap boxes have kept everything so organized.

The labels with our names on them were running from getting wet.

I made new labels for these and laminated them to seal them up from the contact with water.
FYI...I am now allowing the family to use the new towels
Week 10 - The Mini-Van - Our minivan gets a lot of use so I was a bit skeptical about this one. We are using all the new storage spaces and the van is staying neater than it used too.

I have updated the labels in here too...they were too thick and started peeling off.

I will say, that my favorite thing about organizing the van was the assigned seating chart. No more fighting about who is sitting where...{LOVE IT}
Week 11 - The Bedroom Closet - I'm pleased with how this one turned out and haven't really had an opportunity to change anything.

I did want to share with you an idea that someone left me in the comments about closet organization. "a little closet hint...when you hang up your clothes..hang the hanger backward..when you wear the item put it back on the hanger the right way.. when you purge you can easily see what you haven't worn.. the backward hangers were never worn."
Brilliant...don't you think?!
Week 12 - Master Bedroom Built ins and Attic Space - Last week I shared with you the purging that took place in this space.

My room can better be the sanctuary it was intended to be.
I hope you have enjoyed these twelve weeks of organization. They have been extremely beneficial to my home. I hope they have inspired you on your organizing projects. I've been asked if I'm going to continue this series and I am...just not in the next few weeks. I have some big projects coming up and need to devote more time to those. I'll get back to organizing soon and will let you know when I do!

Blessings,

Linking up to some of these parties:
Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Remodelaholic 504 Main Lolly Jane

I'm an organizing junkie

Taco Salad

2012-03-27T18:13:00.002-07:00

Taco Salad is one of my favorite meals. During the Spring and Summer months we consume it A LOT! Last week I took it to a family gathering and decided to spruce it up a bit by layering it in my trifle bowl.

It looked really pretty and tasted especially yummy!!.

This is the taco salad recipe I use:

Printable Version
2 heads of lettuce
2 cups Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
2 cups Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
(you could use 4 cups of the mexican blend instead)
2 lbs of ground meat (fried and drained)
2 packages of taco seasoning
2 medium tomatoes (diced) ( I don't always add these because not all of us like tomatoes)
1 bag of crushed tortilla chips
2/3 of a bottle of Italian Dressing
sour cream (optional)
chili beans (optional
Usually I mix all of this together and then add the chips and dressing right before I serve.

It makes my big tupperware bowl completely full.

The layered look was for the special occasion. The quantities in the recipe are for the large bowl not the trifle bowl. The trifle bowl used about 1/2 of the recipe above.

Either way is delicious!

Blessings,

Linking up to some of these parties:
Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Remodelaholic 504 Main Lolly Jane

My Spring Porch

2012-03-26T18:00:00.002-07:00

Spring has sprung and here in NE Ohio it is GORGEOUS!! Typically, we are still fighting the snow storms but not this year...{Love it}!! I've decorated the inside of the house for Spring and God has taken care of the flowers and trees on the outside. The blooming forsythia, daffodils, and tulips are lovely. It is nice to enjoy all these beauties so early this year.
I love decorating my front porch and was able to use things I had around the yard and garage.

I use my little ReStore chair regularly when I decorate my porch. It is just the right size and I got it for only a few dollars. The hand planer was just a buck or two as well...gotta love ReStore!

I dug up daffodils from my yard when they were just coming out of the ground and was hoping they would bloom in this ReStore watering can. YAY! It worked!

The "Spring Sign" was my first attempt at making rosettes. How fun!! I used old stained and ripped shirts for the material and the board is just an old piece of recycled decking.

I've had this grapevine wreath forever and just change it out for the different seasons. Adding this pretty ribbon from my loads of ribbon and a few plastic Easter eggs from past egg hunts, does the job!

I love to find things around the house to use for decorating and try to make or use things on hand. Decorating is so much more fun when you can do it for a little bit of nothing!

Look around...what can you find that would make a beautiful Spring display??

Blessings,

Linking up to some of these parties:
Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Remodelaholic 504 Main Lolly Jane

Organizing Challenge Week 12 - The Built Ins and Attic Space

2012-03-22T17:55:00.001-07:00

Several years ago my Better Half designed and built these beautiful built-ins for our bedroom.

They offer a ton of storage to our little room. With storage however, sometimes comes disorganization. This was the case for us.

This beautiful window seat was hiding a nasty secret...a big fat mess...leading to another big fat mess. Below this window seat is a lot of storage space which leads to our attic crawl space. Both of which were in utter disarray. I didn't take before pictures because you really couldn't tell how bad things were until you got down in there, so instead, I took pictures of all the stuff that came out of there.


FOUR bags of stuffed animals. We purged them down to two!

Now you can see what it looks like under the window seat and in the attic space.

The boxes on the right are filled with my children's artwork. I can't bear to get rid of them!

Some of the stuff had to go back in there so we packed most of that in Space Bags and cut down on the space it took up.

I left the luggage within arm's reach. I never know when I'll need to ~~run~~ get away.

We also got rid of a ton of stuff as I purged and organized the drawers.

So now that I have the drawers and the closet all cleaned and organized...and even the attic space, I can call this room done! PTL!!!

I'm really learning through this process, that half the battle of being organized it getting rid of the "junk" that I don't use anymore. It allows me to be more organized and consequently better at a whole lot of things in my life.
Wow, twelve weeks of organizing done! Next week, I'll give you an update of all the projects and let you know if they are holding up and the changes I have made since all this organizing began.

Blessings,

Linking up to these parties:

The Shabby Nest , Fingerprints on the Fridge , Chic on a Shoestring Life as Mom , Miss Mustard Seed , Tidy Mom , Whipperberry , At the Picket Fence , French Country Cottage 30 Handmade Days , Creation Corner , Finding Fabulous , Just a Girl , Stuff and Nonsense , Naptime Crafters Tatertots and Jello, My Romantic Home , While He was Napping Saturday: Funky Junk Interiors, Young and Crafty , Be Different, Act Normal , A Vision to Remember Sunday: Under the Table and Dreaming , DIY Showoff , Nifty Thrifty Things, Homemaker on a Dime , Monday: Skip to my Lou , Craft O Maniac , Sumo's Sweet Stuff , It's so Very Cheri , Keeping it Simple, Creating Really Awesome Free Things Dittle Dattle, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms , Between Naps on the Porch , The Girl Creative Singing Three Little Birds , Mad in Crafts , Organize with Sandy , Ask Anna Tuesday: Polly Want a Crafter , Coastal Charm, A Bowl Full of Lemons , Tip Junkie , Sugar Bee Crafts , Not Just a Housewife , Today's Creative Blog , Balancing Beauty and Bedlam , 5 Minutes for Mom , Funky Polkadot Giraffe , All Thingz Related , DIY by Design Lil Luna, Blue Cricket Design, Hope Studios , Reasons to Skip the Housework , Time Warp Wife , Chef in Training Wednesday: Raising Homemakers , Crystal & Co. , We Are THAT Family , Women Living Well , The Trendy Treehouse , Passionately Artistic , Night Owl Crafting , Feeding Four , Handy Man, Crafty Woman Someday Crafts , Fabric Bows and More , This Chick Cooks , Seven Thirty Three, Sew Much Ado , Sugar & Dots A Creative Princess , Dragonfly Designs , Beyond the Picket Fence , The Thrifty Home , Creations by Kara,Gingersnap Crafts , A Little Tipsy , Thursday: Shabby Creek Cottage , Diaper Diaries , Delightful Order , Somewhat Simple , House of Hepworths, Saved by Love Creations , Feeding Four , It's a Keeper , Thrifty Decorating , The Frugal Girls , Miz Helen's Country Cottage , Little Knick Knack , The Thirty Sixth Avenue, Raising Mighty Arrows

I'm an organizing junkie

Spring Lollipop Bouquet

2012-03-20T16:51:00.001-07:00

I love Spring. Winter is usually hard and long here in NE Ohio and so when Spring hits, I am eager and ready.

I made this bouquet for my girls 5th grade class at church a few weeks ago but think it would be perfect for a Spring celebration.

It was really easy too. I cut out the flower part with my cricut but they would be easy to cut out by hand and you could use a paper punch to cut out the little hole in the center.

I wrote a verse on the petals...you could write a verse of your choice or leave them plain.

After putting them together with the blow pops (you could use regular suckers or tootsie roll pops), I stuck them in a vase with Easter grass bought last year on clearance (it's the best time to buy).

The girls loved them...although I must admit, they were more interested in the lollipop than the flower!

Blessings,

Linking up to these parties:

Linking to some of these fun linking parties:

The Shabby Nest , Fingerprints on the Fridge , Chic on a Shoestring Life as Mom , Miss Mustard Seed , Tidy Mom , Whipperberry , At the Picket Fence , French Country Cottage 30 Handmade Days , Creation Corner , Finding Fabulous , Just a Girl , Stuff and Nonsense , Naptime Crafters Tatertots and Jello, My Romantic Home , While He was Napping Saturday: Funky Junk Interiors, Young and Crafty , Be Different, Act Normal , A Vision to Remember Sunday: Under the Table and Dreaming , DIY Showoff , Nifty Thrifty Things, Homemaker on a Dime , Monday: Skip to my Lou , Craft O Maniac , Sumo's Sweet Stuff , It's so Very Cheri , Keeping it Simple, Creating Really Awesome Free Things Dittle Dattle, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms , Between Naps on the Porch , The Girl Creative Singing Three Little Birds , Mad in Crafts , Organize with Sandy , Ask Anna Tuesday: Polly Want a Crafter , Coastal Charm, A Bowl Full of Lemons , Tip Junkie , Sugar Bee Crafts , Not Just a Housewife , Today's Creative Blog , Balancing Beauty and Bedlam , 5 Minutes for Mom , Funky Polkadot Giraffe , All Thingz Related , DIY by Design Lil Luna, Blue Cricket Design, Hope Studios , Reasons to Skip the Housework , Time Warp Wife , Chef in Training Wednesday: Raising Homemakers , Crystal & Co. , We Are THAT Family , Women Living Well , The Trendy Treehouse , Passionately Artistic , Night Owl Crafting , Feeding Four , Handy Man, Crafty Woman Someday Crafts , Fabric Bows and More , This Chick Cooks , Seven Thirty Three, Sew Much Ado , Sugar & Dots A Creative Princess , Dragonfly Designs , Beyond the Picket Fence , The Thrifty Home , Creations by Kara,Gingersnap Crafts , A Little Tipsy , Thursday: Shabby Creek Cottage , Diaper Diaries , Delightful Order , Somewhat Simple , House of Hepworths, Saved by Love Creations , Feeding Four , It's a Keeper , Thrifty Decorating , The Frugal Girls , Miz Helen's Country Cottage , Little Knick Knack , The Thirty Sixth Avenue, Raising Mighty Arrows

I'm an organizing junkie

Spring Butterfly Cake

2012-03-19T17:50:00.002-07:00

Happy Spring to you, and Happy Birthday to Kiersten my princess, and to Colton my oldest. Colton turns 15 today...I can't believe how the time has flown!! You are a gift my son and I love you dearly.

Kiersten was 7 yesterday. After three boys I never knew what I was missing until God gave me a daughter. I am so thankful for this blessings.
I saw a cake on Pinterest a while ago and knew I wanted to make it for Kiersten's birthday. My mom is the cake decorator...not me. I was convinced to try however, and this is how it turned out...

The inside was really cute too!!

This is how I made it...First I cut out butterflies using this cutter kit and fondant.

It was my first experience with fondant so I didn't know what to expect. It was really just like cutting out cookie dough.

I did go a bit overboard on the number of butterflies I cut out...I wasn't sure how many the cake would take. I laid them along these foam plates so their wings would bend making them look like they were flying off the cake.

I used a regular white cake mix and then divided it into fourths...coloring the four different colors for the cake.

I baked the cakes in my $1 pans from ReStore.

I froze the cakes to make for easier handling.

I frosted in between each layer and then frosted the whole cake.

Finally, I applied the butterflies.

This cake was really easy and made the perfect birthday cake for my princess. It would also make a nice Spring treat or Easter dessert.

Blessings,

Linking up to these parties:

The Shabby Nest , Fingerprints on the Fridge , Chic on a Shoestring Life as Mom , Miss Mustard Seed , Tidy Mom , Whipperberry , At the Picket Fence , French Country Cottage 30 Handmade Days , Creation Corner , Finding Fabulous , Just a Girl , Stuff and Nonsense , Naptime Crafters Tatertots and Jello, My Romantic Home , While He was Napping Saturday: Funky Junk Interiors, Young and Crafty , Be Different, Act Normal , A Vision to Remember Sunday: Under the Table and Dreaming , DIY Showoff , Nifty Thrifty Things, Homemaker on a Dime , Monday: Skip to my Lou , Craft O Maniac , Sumo's Sweet Stuff , It's so Very Cheri , Keeping it Simple, Creating Really Awesome Free Things Dittle Dattle, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms , Between Naps on the Porch , The Girl Creative Singing Three Little Birds , Mad in Crafts , Organize with Sandy , Ask Anna Tuesday: Polly Want a Crafter , Coastal Charm, A Bowl Full of Lemons , Tip Junkie , Sugar Bee Crafts , Not Just a Housewife , Today's Creative Blog , Balancing Beauty and Bedlam , 5 Minutes for Mom , Funky Polkadot Giraffe , All Thingz Related , DIY by Design Lil Luna, Blue Cricket Design, Hope Studios , Reasons to Skip the Housework , Time Warp Wife , Chef in Training Wednesday: Raising Homemakers , Crystal & Co. , We Are THAT Family , Women Living Well , The Trendy Treehouse , Passionately Artistic , Night Owl Crafting , Feeding Four , Handy Man, Crafty Woman Someday Crafts , Fabric Bows and More , This Chick Cooks , Seven Thirty Three, Sew Much Ado , Sugar & Dots A Creative Princess , Dragonfly Designs , Beyond the Picket Fence , The Thrifty Home , Creations by Kara,Gingersnap Crafts , A Little Tipsy , Thursday: Shabby Creek Cottage , Diaper Diaries , Delightful Order , Somewhat Simple , House of Hepworths, Saved by Love Creations , Feeding Four , It's a Keeper , Thrifty Decorating , The Frugal Girls , Miz Helen's Country Cottage , Little Knick Knack , The Thirty Sixth Avenue, Raising Mighty Arrows

I'm an organizing junkie

Organizing Challenge Week 11 - My Bedroom Closet

2012-03-16T05:18:00.000-07:00

I've told you several times that my house is small. The closet I share with My Better Half is VERY small but it works for us. A small closet motivates me to purge more often and not hang on to clothes that may or may not ever fit me again (wink, wink)!

My closet was bursting at the seams (much like other ~~people~~ things in this house) and needed help. So needless to say, it was my organization project this week.

I started with the shelf that holds our under clothes. I bought these matching boxes a couple years ago and they work well to hold this kind of stuff. My BIL built this shelf for my birthday a couple of years ago...didn't he do a great job!? I emptied everything out and started fresh...separating white and dark socks, undies, slips, tshirts, and so on. LOVE, love, love it now.

I showed you earlier in the week how I took a scrap piece of peg board, left over baskets, and spray paint and turned it into an organizer for my jewelry. I love being able to see it all and being able to easily access what I want.

Next, I went through the closet itself and purged.

All of these clothes and many more went to charity this week. Ahhhh, what a good feeling!
I switched out clothes hangers from around the house so all the ones in my organized closet are white.
So, here is the finished, organized closet.

Don't you love it!? I actually want to get dressed now...oh well maybe not...my jammies are still more comfy!!
Anyway, next week I'm on to organizing the rest of my bedroom. My built-ins and attic crawl space...should be messy!!

Blessings,

Linking up to these organized ladies:
Friday 504 Main Lolly Jane Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Creation Corner, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Life As Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic
Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

Sunday Ask Anna The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Tuesday Reasons to Skip the Housework Mommy By Day Crafter by Night At Home With K Thrifty Decor Chick Lil' Luna Sugar Bee Crafts Tip Junkie Today's Creative Blog A Bowl Full of Lemons Coastal Charm Home Stories a to z My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Chef in Training Someday Crafts

Wednesday Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Sew Much a Do Wow Us Wednesday Ginger Snap Crafts Power of Paint Night Owl Crafts
Thursday I Heart Organizing Thrifty Decorating Saved By Love Creations Design Dazzle Somewhat Simple The Shabby Chic Cottage House of Hepworths Just a Girl Delightful Order The Frugal Girls Thrifty 101 Diaper Diaries A Little Knick Knack The 36th Avenue

Peg Board Jewelry Organizer

2012-03-14T05:13:00.001-07:00

I'm working in my bedroom this week. I love the sanctuary feel that my Love Letter on the Wall brings but I hate the feeling of chaos that the disorganization of the rest of the room brings. I'm remedying that this week!

My jewelry was hanging on this little hanger that my son bought me last year...it's cute and I appreciate it because it is from him but it is not practical for my jewelry. My bracelets and earrings were buried in this, my bedroom junk drawer.

Are you seeing how desperate my need was of my organizational challenge!!?? Don't forget to check out the previous 10 week's posts in the right sidebar to see the progress made so far.
Anywhoo, I was eyeballing this piece of pegboard in the garage and knew that it wanted me to use it for something...so I put two and two together and got busy.

I used this piece of pegboard, cut off the nasty parts and then cut it in half. I spray painted it with my paint and primer in one. Next, I took two of these plastic baskets that were left after my linen closet makeover and spray painted those as well.

My Better Half built a little frame so the peg board would stick out from the wall enough for the pegs to go in and then hung it up for me.

He was even nice enough to share some of his pegs with me and so I can return the package I initially bought for this project. So, this didn't cost me a cent...I was able to use stuff I had on hand...{LOVE} it!
I can arrange the pegs anyway I like to hang my necklaces and bracelets and I put my earrings in the baskets at the bottom.

Do you have any creative ways to store your jewelry?

Blessings,

My entry into Show Me Extraordinary sponsored by Appliances Online and Bosch Washing Machines.

Linking up to these parties:

Friday 504 Main Lolly Jane Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Creation Corner, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Life As Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic
Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

Sunday Ask Anna The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Cleaning The Micro Fiber Couch

2012-03-12T17:17:00.000-07:00

I will start this post with a disclaimer: I am not a professional couch cleaner or an expert on microfiber. I am an owner of a 10 year old second-hand microfiber couch and I have tried and succeeded at keeping my couch look relatively new by using this particular cleaning method.
First of all, for over-all cleaning of my cushions and pillows, I have the luxury of unzipping the padding from the covers and I throw them in the washer and then hang them to air dry.
This is the cushion before I washed it in the washer...

I hang them on clothes hangers to dry.

They looks almost like new afterward.

I understand that some are not able to do that with their cushions and that you require another method of cleaning which tends to leave water spots. This is how I deal with that.
Here is a spot in the middle of the ottoman.

I use a damp rag with a bit of dish soap on it and scrub the spot.

Next I come in with my trusty shoe shining brush...I know that this sounds weird but this is what I use and it works.

I brush the wet spots aggressively every 5-7 minutes until it completely dries. This seems to "feather" out the wet spot enough that it doesn't leave a water mark. This is the after of the spot on the ottoman.

I use this same approach on the arms of the loveseat. This is the before:

This is after I have used the brush to brush out the wet spot the first time.

Remember I continue to do this every 5-7 minutes until it is completely dry. I know it is hard to believe but this is indeed the after of the same arm.

I use that same shoe shining brush to brush my couch every day to make it look neat and have nice lines on it.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, this is what has worked for me. I hope it will work for some others plagued with a dirty couch.

Please try this method in a inconspicuous spot first just in case it doesn't work for you the same way it works for me.

Blessings,

Linking up to these helpful sites:
Friday 504 Main Lolly Jane Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Creation Corner, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Life As Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic
Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

Sunday Ask Anna The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Organizing Challenge Week 10 - The Mini Van

2012-03-08T16:59:00.000-08:00

I love my mini van. It has been a very reliable vehicle, it’s spacious for all six of us, and best of all, it’s paid for!! One bad thing about my van is that it is a mess!! We haven’t done well at all keeping it clean…much less organized. So I searched Pinterest for car organizing ideas that would work for my family.

Trash in the car is one of the biggies that we deal with. We eat in the mini van, do school in the mini van, haul things in the mini van, and basically anything else that can be done while driving…we do. None of my kids are great picker-up-ers and since I’m only one and there are four of them…You get the idea, I’m sure.

I came across a garbage using a plastic cereal box with a bag in it. I thought it was a great idea but I didn’t have one and didn’t want to spend any money on this project so I had this pitcher that was waiting for a good use. I put a bag in it and it’s now filling up with trash in my mini van. Not to be gross or anything but we have a child that is inflicted with car sickness and I could have used the pitcher on more than one occasion for more than garbage…enough said.

Another idea I came across was to use this cleaning supply carrier to organize all the little odds and ends that float around the van. We always carry tissues, wipes, and snacks in the car but they are usually just randomly floating around the van and when we need one we are all searching under our seats for them.

This carrier fits neatly between the front two seats of the van… all its contents are easy to access.

The next idea I saw was to sew a holder for the back of the van seat. The holder had a bunch of pockets and reminded me much of a back of the door shoe holder. Then it dawned on me that I had one of the shoe holders under the steps in my basement (another organizing project coming up here soon).

It didn’t look that great but I thought I’d give it a shot. One row of pockets was ripped so I just cut that row off the side and then cut it lengthwise to fit the seat. I threw it in the washer on the delicate cycle to clean it up a bit and then made labels for each of the pockets.

One pocket for each child and a couple for extra accessories.

My final car organizing idea is not so much for the mess but for the bickering kids. My kids "call" who will sit where, every time we get in the van, soooo....I made up a schedule and attached it inside the glove box. Hopefully this does the trick.

All of these are new to my mini van...I'll let you know if they help to keep it more organized.

Blessings,

Sunday The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Tuesday Mommy By Day Crafter by Night At Home With K Thrifty Decor Chick Lil' Luna Sugar Bee Crafts Tip Junkie Today's Creative Blog A Bowl Full of Lemons Coastal Charm Home Stories a to z My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Chef in Training Someday Crafts

Wednesday Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Cheeseburger Stromboli

2012-03-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

My parents were in town for a couple of days and we had them over for dinner last night. My mom is one of my very best friends so anytime that I get to spend with her and my dad too is precious. For dinner, I made my usual Stromboli which is always a hit. I've shared that recipe here before but will share it again because it is that good.

However, on a couple of the Stromboli, I changed it up a bit and combined another recipe I had on shared with you a month or so ago...Cheeseburger pie.

When I put the Cheeseburger Pie filling in the Stromboli it made for a scrumptious concoction!!

This is how I made it:

Filling:
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
1 onion (chopped)
2 cups cubed prepared cheese product
( I used Velveeta)
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
Directions:

1. In 12-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.
2. Stir in cheese, dressing and the mustard. Reduce heat to low; cook 2 tp3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.

This is a double batch. I like to have lots of leftovers!

Here's the recipe I used for my dough. This is also the recipe I use for my pizza dough.
Dough:
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tablespoon yeast
(stir and let those two sit for 5 minutes)
1/3 cup of white sugar
1/3 cup of cooking oil
2 heaping teaspoons of salt
6 1/2 to 7 cups of flour
1. Knead to a nice dough like consistency and let raise for at least an hour ( I usually let mine rise for 2 or more hours...I make it before church and then throw the Stromboli or pizza together when I get home 4 hours later).
2. Spread 1/3 of this dough recipe out on a greased cookie or baking sheet.
3. Spread 1/2 of the filling on the dough and fold over one side of the dough and then the other...sealing the ends.
4. Melt 1/2 stick of margarine or butter, add about 1/3-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese to the butter and stir it up. Then take a pastry brush and paint it on the top of the Stromboli (nice and thick).
5. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until the tops are nice and golden brown. Make sure the bottom of the Stromboli doesn't get too dark. The butter/margarine melts and can cause the bottom to get brown very quickly.

HERE is the printable version of the above recipe. Below is the link with lots of pictures for the other Stromboli recipe.

It belongs to my Sister in Law and she graciously allowed me to share it with all of you. For convenience, I sometimes use frozen bread dough instead of the dough recipe I gave you above.

Either way, it makes for a scrumptious meal and is just as good when heated up the next day!

Blessings,

Friday 504 Main Lolly Jane Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Creation Corner, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Life As Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic
Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

Sunday The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

10 Ways I Save Money

2012-03-05T18:21:00.003-08:00

Saving money is a way of life. Looking for ways to save has become a habit in our household as it probably is in many of your homes. I wanted to share with you ten of the things that have worked well for us and have allowed us to save money to use for memory makers or investing elsewhere.
10. Cutting our own hair.
A haircut at local shops range in price from $12-$22. I know there are the occasionally specials that come up but still, with six of us, after cut and tip, it sets us back a minimum of $60. That's painful!! I invested in set of hair clippers and watched a few online tutorials and now I cut all four of the boy's hair and my Princess' hair.

It ~~can be~~ is messy but still $60 that could be spend else where is pretty nice. I do get my hair cut professionally but trim my bangs in the in between times.
9. Accepting hand-me downs.
I LOVE hand-me-downs but have been surprised lately as to how hard it is to get rid of them. Some just don't like them, don't have the space to store them, or various other reasons. Not me...I'll accept your hand-me downs. If we don't use them we will give them to someone that can use or donate them to charity. I've found that hand-me-downs come in forms other than clothes.

My hand-me-down furniture and $1.50 pillows

We have a full living room set that is hand-me-down as well many other things that were just being given away.
8. Stockpiling when things are on sale.
I'm not the big couponer I used to be but I do look for a good sale and stock up when I find one. Yesterday was the perfect example. I ran into Aldis to pick up a few things and I always stop back at their meat section to see if they have any discounted meat. I hit the jackpot. They had 6 lb packages of ground beef for $7.

I know the tag says $7 off but they gave me each of them for $7. I bought all they had. So last night I cooked up, drained and froze 42 lbs. of ground beef. Forty two pounds of ground beef for $49. CRAZY!! So look for those deals and stock up when you find them.
7. Buying thrift and salvage.
My boys are growing like weeds and so jeans and shoes are needed every couple months. Most hand-me-downs of boys jeans and shoes have holes in them or are worn out. So before we head to the "real" store, I always run to the thrift to see if the item I'm looking for is available there first...hopefully for a fraction of the cost. I realize this is not always the case.


Thrift Store Outfits

Fill a Bag for $1 Sale

Thrift bread stores are a fabulous resource. I make a trip to the bread store about once a month and buy BIG...20-30 loaves of bread and once again stick them in the freezer. I can usually get a loaf a bread for $.25 to $.50 per loaf at the Nickles bread store.

Bread Store and Salvage Store Trip

Amish Salvage Stores are plentiful in this area. These are store where mostly food and health/beauty items are very discounted because of scratches and dents at the "real" store. They also have food that is past date. I can almost always find a deal here.
6. Searching for coupons or coupon codes.
I was so proud of my 11 year old the other day. He was looking up an item online to purchase and after he found the item, he immediately opened another tab to search for a coupon code. Often, coupon codes don't work or you may have to try a few to find one that does but they are well worth the few minutes it takes to look for them.

Linen Closet Makeover

   I told you last week that I bought new bath towels for the first time in 19 years. I bought them online and was able to use two different coupon codes. I found these just by searching "Kohls coupon codes". The towels before sale and coupon codes would have cost over $270...I paid under $80. Worth the search, I would say!
5. Use the library to its fullest capacity.
     We have a tremendous library! We are there several times every week. They have good programs and are often eager to purchase a book for me if they don't have what I'm looking for. They are now offering many e-books for loan. I love staying at home and having the ability to download the book I'm looking for for FREE.
There is also a great free resource to keep track of our library books called Library Elf. This service sends us updates via e-mail telling us when our books are due (3 days left, 1 day left, due TODAY) and warns us if we have anything that is overdue as well. It looks like a national program...check to see if your library is affiliated with Elf.
4. Check the local radio station's website for deals.
     Our local radio station has what is called "Half Price Deals". We often cash in on deals like this for movie tickets. We can get 4 movie theater tickets for $15 through these deals. I buy these for birthday, Christmas, and anniversary presents. They make a great gift. There are other family, fun activities for half price through our radio station as well.
3. Make things you can make.
     Recipes for laundry detergent, foaming and regular handsoap, and dishwasher tablets are all over blogland. I have used many of them. The money saved on laundry detergent alone is astounding. It really is not difficult to make and doesn't take very long either. If you find a recipe that gets the desired result...USE IT!

Dishwasher Tablets

Homemade Swiffer Refills

Meal planning falls into this category as well. I can almost guarantee that if you plan your meals, you will be less likely to impulse buy, order in, or eat out. Search online for the recipe for your favorite restaurant meal...you'll probably find a recipe for it. Just think it may taste better and will probably cost a lot less!
2. Buy used appliances
I list this hesitantly because we haven't been burned...yet. We have had tremendous success buying used appliances at ReStore. We saved hundreds of dollars when we bought our dishwasher and more recently our front load washing machine.

Laundry Space Makeover

They were both very good purchases and work way better than any new appliance we have purchased in the past.
1. Swallow your pride
This is listed as my number one because I think it is the most beneficial and the most difficult. Be willing to ask if there is a discount available. Apply for a scholarship. Use coupons when you can. Make the most of the hand-me-downs. Drive the used car. Walk into the thrift store without worrying who sees you. Pick up the pennies that others dropped and then walked on. It's amazing how much I save when I quit worrying about what others think!!

These are several of the ways I save. How do you save? I'd love to hear your money saving tip.

Blessings,

Linking up to these parties:
Friday 504 Main Lolly Jane Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Creation Corner, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Life As Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic
Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

Sunday Ask Anna The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Organizing Challenge Week 9 - The Linen Closet

2012-03-01T16:29:00.004-08:00

I've been telling you all about the mess my linen closet was in.

Pretty bad, huh?

Well, I am ecstatic to say that it is now COMPLETE!!
I cleaned off all the shelves and emptied out all my mismatched containers.

This whole process was pretty tedious as I took out all the shelves and recognized that the closet had been painted over wallpaper which was papered over plaster. This just made for one mess on top of another! Boy am I glad it's done.

I painted the closet with Behr Sonata, ( I'm hoping to paint my bathroom that color in the near future) and painted the shelves white.
I purchased some cheap foam trim to put on the the front of the shelves.

This gave the shelves a finished look.

So I'm pleased to present my finished and organized linen closet.

The top three shelves are my burlap covered boxes. They are labeled and holding various health and beauty items.

The bottom of the closet has some bigger boxes that I covered in burlap and lined with muslin.

These boxes, whatever the size, are so inexpensive to make and are very practical.

The other little boxes were dollar store boxes that I had in my bathroom vanity. I moved them to the closet and re-labeled them with matching labels.

I purchased new bath towels...the first time in nineteen years!! I am so excited to have new towels, I haven't even let my family use them yet!!

Another organizational project is now complete...YAY!!! This one was a biggie for me, I'm so glad it's done and I can enjoy the outcome.

Blessings,

Sunday The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Crockpot Creamy Chicken Risotto

2012-02-29T04:44:00.000-08:00

I love cooking in the crockpot. It's so nice and easy to throw it together in the morning then have dinner cook throughout the day and be just about ready at dinner time.

This recipe for Creamy Chicken Risotto will not disappoint. The Parmesan cheese gives it just the right zip.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cups water
2 cups uncooked instant white rice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 can (10 3/4 oz)condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix chicken, onion, carrot, garlic and water.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 7 hours.
3. Stir rice and butter into chicken mixture. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 5 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in soup and cheese. Cover; cook 10 to 15 minutes longer or until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately. **Pillsbury Best Slow Cooker Recipes**
Printable Version

Blessings,

Sunday The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Sew Much a Do Wow Us Wednesday Ginger Snap Crafts Power of Paint Night Owl Crafts
Thursday Thrifty Decorating Saved By Love Creations Design Dazzle Somewhat Simple The Shabby Chic Cottage House of Hepworths Just a Girl Delightful Order The Frugal Girls Thrifty 101 Diaper Diaries A Little Knick Knack The 36th Avenue

Basement Steps Secret Storage

2012-02-27T18:49:00.001-08:00

My basement steps were foul! I mean nasty. I have evidence...brace yourself, it's bad!!

Hello, hello, are you still there or did you pass out??

I took a nasty fall down these steps a few weeks back and so it motivated my Better half and I to get busy making them more user and visually friendly.

First, we removed that awful carpet and the treat that was waiting for us underneath was well... DISGUSTING!!

After removing the carpet from these bottom 3 steps we realized how unsafe these steps actually were.

The treads on all the steps were only 7 inches wide so we repurposed the treads from the upstairs steps that we replaced last summer.

The steps are now covered with carpet so it didn't matter what the treads looked like, just that they were wider than the previous 7 inches.

Ahhhh, isn't that wonderful!

I saw the idea to add drawers under our steps and was convinced to do this!!!

Thankfully My Better Half is a genius and was able to take this dresser and turn it into...

Drawers in the steps!!

This is the pictorial of the building process:

After new carpet and some paint, they are not just beautiful but extremely practical.

I love, love, love all this extra storage.

Blessings,

Linking up to these sites:
Friday 504 Main Lolly Jane Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Creation Corner, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Life As Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic
Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

Sunday The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Organizing Week 8 - Kitchen Sink Base

2012-02-23T18:04:00.009-08:00

I know you think I'm holding out on you with my linen closet but I am SOOO not!! It is still not finished! Let me just say, "painted wallpaper", "wallpapered ceiling" and worst of all "painted, wallpapered, ceiling of plaster" should NEVER be used in the same sentence, much less the same CLOSET!!! That is what I have been dealing with and I'm getting tired of it!! I do see the light at the end of the tunnel thankfully, and so while you're waiting, I'm showing you what I did under my kitchen sink when I couldn't bear to look at my linen closet mess!!!
My kitchen sink base was looking pretty bad and not living up to it's full potential.

I had this cute (not for the kitchen), princess box holding my towels. I moved my towels to the island...(like 3 months ago) and never got rid of this box. Out it goes. The oatmeal container that was in here holds my homemade dishwasher soap tablets.

I used the recipe from Lady With The Red Rocker and really like them.
I emptied out everything else and put back only what I use.

I had these little plastic boxes from another project so I just reused them here. I downloaded and printed labels for the boxes.

They add a little color under the sink and it's always nice to have things labeled.

I'm hanging my cleaning products on a simple suspension rod.

TaaDaa!!

The organizing process is really coming along and things are starting to come together around here. Isn't so nice to be organized??

Blessings,

Linking up to these parties:
Linking up here:
Friday 504 Main Lolly Jane Craft Junkie Too Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Creation Corner, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Life As Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic
Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

Sunday The Kurtz Corner C.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Making the World Cuter The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday Southern Lovely Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Wednesday's What I Found - Shabby Frugal Finds

2012-02-22T05:04:00.002-08:00

I've been trying to stay away from thrift stores and my favorite ReStore lately. If you've been following along for my organizational challenge, you know I'm purging and organizing rather than collecting more. I will say however, that I have had a few moments of weakness and have purchased some little things.

My first and biggest purchase was actually made last fall so it doesn't count against me.
I had been looking for a trunk for my boys room and when I saw this one it was on sale at my ReStore and I knew I wouldn't be going home without it.

It stores a ton of stuff...their instruments, my youngest son's golf bag (it is new to him and he can't bear to put it in the garage yet!), and some bigger toys.

I used my old washboard in my laundry room makeover so I picked this little one up for $3 to have on hand for an unknown upcoming project!

The picture frame was only $.50 and I think they look so cute just sitting on a shelf empty. Not sure if I will paint this one or add some chicken wire or something...the possibilities are plentiful!

This glass vase came in a set of two for only $.50. I was so excited because I've seen so many ideas on pinterest for these and then a pillow fight broke out in my house and the set of two was down to one lonely vase...urggg!! Oh well, I better enjoy these moments with the crazy boys because I'm sure I'll wish they were back when they're gone!

My old Folger's coffee can is my prize possession. It was holding drill bits at ReStore and I asked one of the volunteers if they would sell it to me. He threw a $.25 price sticker on it and it was mine!! I love it in my coffee corner...so fun!

Have you found any great deals lately?? It's getting close to the end of the month and my local American Cancer Society Thrift store puts all their stuff 50% off the last few days of the month...I may just have to stop and browse. I'll let you know if I find anything good!

Blessings,

Linking up here:
Friday Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Creation Corner, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Life As Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic

Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

SundayC.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Dittle Dattle Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Tuesday Mommy by Day Crafter by Night At Home With K Thrifty Decor Chick Lil' Luna Sugar Bee Crafts Tip Junkie Today's Creative Blog A Bowl Full of Lemons Coastal Charm Home Stories a to z My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Chef in Training Someday Crafts

Wednesday 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Sew Much a Do Wow Us Wednesday Ginger Snap Crafts Power of Paint Night Owl Crafts
Thursday Design Dazzle Somewhat Simple The Shabby Chic Cottage House of Hepworths Just a Girl Delightful Order The Frugal Girls Thrifty 101 Diaper Diaries A Little Knick Knack The 36th Avenue

Burlap Covered Boxes

2012-02-20T05:22:00.002-08:00

I'm working on organizing and giving my linen closet a makeover. It was in pretty bad shape.

I wanted some nice storage containers but didn't want to pay a lot for them.

My Better Half was able to get some boxes from work and so I decided to cover them with burlap. To make the most of my burlap I only covered the outside of the boxes.
Using my rotary cutter I cut strips of the burlap just big enough to fit around the boxes. I tried spray adhesive and Elmer's glue to get the burlap to stick on the box...no success.

So, I pulled out my handy yet painful hot glue gun and it quickly did the trick.

I used some ribbon from all that ribbon I got for $15 and just wrapped it around the boxes and hot glued it to the box.

Cute, huh?!

I still have to make some tags to go on the outside but I didn't get that far yet! They are going to look so nice in my updated and organized new linen closet!

Blessings,

Linking up to these parties:
Friday Five Days Five Ways Delicate Construction Creation Corner, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Life As Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic

Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

SundayC.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Dittle Dattle Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Tuesday At Home With K Thrifty Decor Chick Lil' Luna Sugar Bee Crafts Tip Junkie Today's Creative Blog A Bowl Full of Lemons Coastal Charm Home Stories a to z My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Chef in Training Someday Crafts

Wednesday Blue Cricket Design 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Organizing Week 7 - Bathroom Vanity

2012-02-17T04:42:00.000-08:00

This is my bathroom...you have my spray painted faucet, my spray painted vanity and medicine cabinet (they used to match my kitchen cabinets...what a transformation, huh?), my spray painted garbage can and so on...looks pretty harmless, right?!

WRONG!!! Oh me - oh my...my bathroom vanity is a MESS!!

How do things get this bad?!

Not anymore...I'm tired of the mess. We are going to use the space we have and use it well!!
I paid one of my boys to take everything out and organize "like things" throwing away any junk.
This made it easier to get it all together after I picked up some Dollar Store containers.

I labeled them with some burlap tags (I just cut strips of burlap and then used a sharpie to write on them) and each of us has one to keep our personal things in.

I cleaned out this nasty vanity as well.

I guess I could have wiped it out but I have no intentions of using it again!

If When I redo my bathroom, the vanity is going and I want to replace it with a nice mirror. So I thought I'd get a jump start and store the stuff from it in our own little boxes.

Doesn't it look so much better? We've been using this system of boxes for a couple of weeks now and everyone is doing very well putting things back where they belong. It makes for a nice clean counter top too!

The drawers are now holding just washcloths and hand towels.

I found this organizer for inside the door. It's a great place for our toothpaste and my curling iron and brush.

LOVE it!

Are you getting organized and staying organized??

It's such a good feeling!!

Blessings

Linking up to these parties:
Friday Stuff and Nonsense Delicate Construction Creation Corner, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, At The Picket Fence, Tatertots and Jello, Thirty Handmade Days, Life As Mom, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, The Frugal Girls,The Grocery Cart Challenge, While He Was Napping, Miss Mustard Seed,Remodelaholic

Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

SundayC.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Under the Table and Dreaming The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Dittle Dattle Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Sew Much a Do Wow Us Wednesday Ginger Snap Crafts Power of Paint Night Owl Crafts
Thursday Crafty, Scrappy, Happy Design Dazzle Somewhat Simple The Shabby Chic Cottage House of Hepworths Just a Girl Delightful Order The Frugal Girls Thrifty 101 Diaper Diaries A Little Knick Knack The 36th Avenue

Open-Faced Hamburger Phillies

2012-02-15T05:04:00.000-08:00

I love fried onions and peppers on just about anything so when I came across this recipe for Hamburger Phillies I knew I was gonna love 'em!

This is how you make them:
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup creamy Italian dressing
1 loaf (1lb) Italian bread (12 inches long), halved lengthwise
4 slices (6oz) thinly sliced provolone cheese, quartered
Directions:

1. In 12-inch skillet, cook beef, bell peppers and onion over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in 1/4 cup of the dressing.

2. Spread remaining 1/4 cup dressing on cut sides of bread. Place both halves, cut sides up, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove bread from broiler.

Spread beef mixture on cut halves of bread. Top with cheese.
3. Return to broiler; broil 4 to 6 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut each half into 2 pieces.
Makes 4 Sandwiches

YUM, YUM!! Fast, Easy, Delicious, and Inexpensive...sounds like the perfect meal to me!

Blessings,

Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

SundayC.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Under the Table and Dreaming The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Dittle Dattle Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Love Letter on the Wall

2012-02-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, my Better Half and I will of course celebrate Valentine's Day but more importantly today we are celebrating our 19th Wedding Anniversary. I use the word "celebrate" loosely because we don't really do much for these days but are so very thankful for each other nonetheless. My Better Half...I'll call him Mark (because that's his name <3) is a romantic. He always has been! This is what I come down to every morning.

He prepares my coffee and then leaves me a note each day.

They are adding up!!

He's also an amazing letter writer and card giver.

I went through the cards and notes that he had given me and that I had given him and decided to make note of the special phrases we have repeatedly said to each other over the years.

Because our bedroom is our sanctuary, I came up with the idea to put these phrases on our wall.

I printed out the phrases on a transparency and borrowed a projector from our church.

I projected them on the wall and took a permanent black marker and traced the projected words onto the wall.

It looked kinda plain once I got the words up there so I spruced it up with the stencil I had used on other walls in the room.

I love it! Our sanctuary is even more personal than ever!

Do you have anything special planned for Valentine's Day??

Blessings,

Saturday Funky Junk Interiors, I Heart Naptime, Be Different Act Normal, Young An Crafty, Six Sisters' Stuff

SundayC.R.A.F.T, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, DIY Showoff, The Girl Creative Homemaker on a Dime

Monday Under the Table and Dreaming The Better Mom Between Naps on the Porch Crafts Keep Me Sane Dittle Dattle Skip to My Lou Craft-O Maniac Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Wednesday 733 Blog Passionately Artistic The Trendy Treehouse We Are That Family Raising Homemakers The Thrifty Home Wicked Awesome Wednesday