The Porch Swing @ Shady Creek Hollow

5 Easy Cheap Stocking Stuffers

If you're a mom, chances are pretty good you're already wondering how you're going to fill your child's stocking this year without investing your life savings to do it. Times are tough but your baby should still get the joy of looking into a bulging stocking on Christmas morning. I know this because our grown kids and our son in law have told me that the stocking was their best memory of Christmas morning. Josh [our dear SIL] said that his mom has sent his stocking to Iraq and several other places he was stationed while in the military. It always meant Christmas to him wherever he was.

So, saying that, I'd like to tell you five tried and true methods for stuffing a stocking cheaply. These five items may not take up all the space in a really big stocking- but they'll surely get you most of the way there. Oh and BTW if you don't have a fancy stocking for your little ones, you could always buy a package of tube  socks and use them. Gray work socks with red heels and toes are really cute hanging from the mantle, bedpost, or kitchen chair as well. That way your kids or hubby get a stocking and a practical gift at the same time. Or if you don't have the funds to buy new socks, just put out an old clean one- that's what we did back in the day. Nobody I know has grown up to be a serial killer because they were deprived have an expensive monogrammed store bought stocking.

OK, now for the 5 items:

• 1. First put a big fresh orange in the toe of your stocking. It smells great and you'd be surprised how kids love to peel and eat an orange in sections on Christmas day. They labor over the peeling like they are digging for a treasure. They strip off the white stringy pith like it's a poisonous substance. Basically. its an edible toy. Who knew?   
• 2. Next put in a Christmas Pez dispenser, candies  included, from the Dollar store. This seems like a splurge but it's not. It's an investment. At the end of Christmas day the candies are gone and you confiscate the dispenser. Pack it up with the Christmas decorations. Then every year you put it back in the stocking with new candies. It becomes a tradition. We've been doing this for years and everybody adores finding their old Pez dispense- it's like seeing an old friend just once a year. 
• 3. Add a box of animal crackers. That's not very special you moan, but yeah it is. Girls play like the box is a purse all day. Boys love biting the heads and body parts off of the little cookies. And at some point during the day both sexes turn animal crackers into edible puppets.
• 4. Add a couple of homemade popcorn balls wrapped in cellophane. These take up space, are tasty, and you can use the extras as 'bread and butter' gifts. Easy recipe here: Popcorn balls  The trick is to make these up one night when the kids are asleep & hide them so that they are a surprise. If you aren't into making popcorn balls substitute that old standby- a box of Cracker Jacks.
• 5. One of your child's favorite large sized candy bars or theater candy boxes. Yep, just one. Nothing spoils Christmas morning more than a sugared up hyper charged kiddo who's already in sensory overload. These are readily available at most Dollar Tree Stores. At our house these would be a box of Hot Tamales, Lemon Heads, or Nerds.

These 5 items are our standbys and will take up the bulk of any given stocking, but you'll need to fill the 'gaps' in your stocking as well. I recommend any one of these Dollar store items divided among how ever many stockings you need to fill:

1 bag of tootsie roll pops, 1 bag of Pixie Sticks [a few of these look especially festive sticking from the top of the stocking], a bag of Blow Pops, a bag of small candy canes, or a bag of old fashioned Bubble Gum

If you're filling a stocking for a preteen, teenager, or adult I'd consider hygiene items [every year my 26 yr old son anticipates the Dollar Store nail clipper set in his stocking- he likes it because he's always misplacing his clippers, Allie favors the nail polish or hand creams. Hutch is a chapstick fanatic], small blank journals, pens, crossword/word find puzzle books, etc from the Dollar Store in lieu of the animal crackers. Also for this same crowd a personal letter from you telling why the giftee is lovable, capable, and listing their best qualities is great. This letter presented in the stocking, rolled up and tied with a ribbon, is a very nice touch.

I hope these 5 cheapie ideas are helpful to you and that they inspire you to brainstorm ways to make your holiday more festive and inexpensive.    

         

Frugal Shopping for the Month

I've had a very busy and productive day today. Yesterday afternoon I got a bee in my bonnet about getting more organized with the meals here at Shady Creek. The impetus for this line of thinking was that we ate out three times last week!! Yep, 3 times. We haven't eaten out that many times in a week since I retired from teaching. It was an extremely busy week, but that is no excuse. I figure if I'd been more organized we could have saved a ton of money, eaten at home, and eaten healthier meals to boot. Sooooo....

I used all of Sunday afternoon to make 'The Plan'. OK here's the plan in a nutshell- make every meal at home and buy the bulk of the groceries in one big shop day. That was today. I will still need to get a limited amount of produce [Hutch is a rabid salad eater] and probably a gallon of lowfat milk weekly. I use dry milk to cook and bake with but Hutch is also a rabid fresh dairy fan. With the amount of miles he runs each week and the time he spends in the gym, he needs the calcium and protein. Fresh milk serves him well. So other than those few items, I'm done with shopping for four weeks.

My grand total was 255 dollars and change. That comes out to about 1.40 for a meal. I'm pretty happy with that since we have been spending waaaaay more than that lately. Here's my disclaimer: I go to the price plus 10% grocery store. It has no bells or whistles. It has no fresh seafood department, deli, or bakery. It is much like a very old timey Mom & Pop grocery store from the 50's. I've been shopping there for 15 years. I very rarely go anywhere else [except, I confess in the last two months I have succumbed to the seductive allure of Walmart *sigh*]. But I'm back on the wagon. Even Sam's Club can't beat the prices at Food Depot.       

Here's what my plan looks like in terms of meals:
Breakfasts are a variety combo of oatmeal, cereal [generic Cherrios], French Toast, biscuit, eggs, bacon, fruit, sausage, & grits- Of course not all of this at once, but I bet you figured that out already, huh?

Lunches are: soups, hot dog salads [recipe here], grilled cheese sandwiches, leftovers

Afternoon snacks: sardines in mustard sauce [OK- this sounds disgusting to me but my DH adores it], vienna sausages [read message about sardines- ditto the sausages], either a piece of fruit, or a handful of almonds  

Dinners are: salsa baked tilapia, slumgullion [here at recipe button], spaghetti, burrito bowl, hamburgers, mac & cheese with veggies, chicken stir-fry on rice, chips & salsa, crockpot chicken and cornbread dressing w turnips, corn & zipper peas, Tacos, & homemade pizza. 

I've incorporated a couple of desserts a week. One is on Friday nights- homemade M&M McFlurries for me & strawberry milkshakes for Hutch. The other is Sunday lunch which is our church fellowship meal. For this meal the dessert will be a pie of some sort. Either Lemon, Cherry, Chocolate, or Apple.

We're aiming for 5 fruits or veggies a day and limited red meat, sugar, & fat. I use seasoned ground turkey in many of the ethnic dishes. It's cheaper and much better for you. I pretty much add beans to everything. It stretches the amount of meat you have to use in a recipe and it's an internal body scrubber. I use whole grains as much as possible [brown rice, ww pasta]. We use low fat cheeses for the most part [Cabot lowfat sharp cheddar & lowfat mozzerella].  Our one really bad meal is the Friday night splurge- hamburgers, french fries, baked beans, and dessert.

The 255 dollars I spent today included all clothes detergent, bathroom, & kitchen cleaners. As well as paper products. Disclaimer here as well- I make a lot of these cleaners [recipes here under Frugal Tips], but you still have to buy the basic ingredients. I also use paper towels very sparingly. Usually only to drain fried foods- of which we eat very few. Instead I use my trusty supply of dish rags for general kitchen use and wash them often.  

I also buy items to stock our emergency pantry. We fill plastic bins with things that could be grabbed and tossed into the trunk of the car rapidly in case there's ever an evacuation type emergency. I just buy one or two things at the time, but it sure adds up! And I did buy my monthly Glade candle. Some things are just worth the extra pennies. A fragrant candle by my writing desk is one of these things.

And yes, I'm one of those folks who already have their Thanksgiving turkey and ham in the freezer. I don't do 'last minute' LOL. I'm just not wired that way, I guess.

So there you have it....my baby steps start to being more organized about meals. My research shows me that the typical two person household in the US spends about 338 dollars a month on groceries [this does not include cleaning or paper products etc]. As I wrote earlier, we've been spending much more than that, especially when you factor in our 'eat out' nights. Hopefully this new plan will be more in line with the average and maybe I can tweak it to get it even lower without sacrificing tasty favorites. I'll let you know.       

Easy Cheap Christmas Presents

OK, what gets me started on this particular topic is a documentary I saw last night on Johnnie Mercer. He was born and raised in Savannah [where I used to live and would dearly love to live again]. The documentary ended with a long shot of his grave in the family plot at Bonaventure Cemetery. If you're familiar with Savannah you know this place very well. It's a very old graveyard outside Savannah on the banks of the  Bull River.

In the long shot of Johnnie's grave there's a clear view of his mother's grave....OK I know this is sort of a convoluted explanation. But- I have a lovely rubbing of the top of her grave on my bedroom wall. It is a fantastically ornate Celtic cross that Johnny and his sister had commisioned as the art for the top of the grave slab. 

Allie [my daughter] and I had already made several framed pieces of cheap art from the words on tombs at Bonaventure. We used copy paper and a black crayon for the rubbings then she framed several in Dollar Store Black frames for a collection that set above her TV in her apartment.  

I loved Mrs Mercer's huge celtic cross [it is over 5 feet tall]. But the day Allie and I were at Bonaventure we only had standard copy paper. Allie is very smart, so several weeks later she went back to Bonaventure with a roll of Dollar Store wrapping paper. It was printed on one side but white on the backside. With Josh's help [he was her fiancee at the time, now her dear husband] they made me an incredible rubbing of the whole cross.

It sat around rolled up for a year, until my own dear husband had it framed for me as a Christmas gift. When we remade our bedroom over as a Medieval retreat, the huge celtic cross was a perfect fit. It sits at the peak of the very high ceiling and gives the impression of a black and white stained glass window.

Now I know you're saying, "Getting something that big custom framed is not frugal or cheap." No you'd be right it isn't, but our original idea for rubbings of words or dates and framing them in Black Dollar Store frames is extremely cheap. I have one such piece of art that is just a date- 1797. It is both graphic and old at the same time. It is framed in a small acryillic frame [Dollar Store]. It seems to float in space and and I love it!!! Allie's favorite piece was the word 'Beloved' that we found on an out of the way grave stone at Bonaventure.

If the words or dates are quite small you can mat them in black or mount them on black and white toile wrapping paper before framing to lend the art a very custom look.

So you see you could make a whole raft of unique and lovely artististic gifts by just finding a suitable old graveyard and arming yourself with copy paper and a black crayon. Hope you'll give this cheap and easy way to create one of a kind art a try.

I'll try to take a photo of my Celtic Cross and post it so you can see how it looks.     

Veggie Soup on the Cheap or Making a Soup Jug

Something about Fall makes me want to eat soup. Back when I was a kid soup and cornbread were a regular meal. My Mom still makes it at least once a week. A long long time ago when I was doing my student teaching a very kind Christian mentor of mine told me about making soup on the cheap. It really works- so I'll tell you her secret. Keep a soup jug in your freezer. Yep, that's it.

Cut the top off a gallon milk jug & keep it in your freezer. After dinner every night put your left over veggies, and suitable meat, gravy etc. in the jug. Put enough water on it to cover the food. When the jug is full take it out of the freezer and put it in the crock pot. Add a can of diced tomatoes, one chopped onion, and some garlic. Set it on low and let it cook all day. Season it to your liking right before supper.

This makes super easy, cheap soup that tastes delicious. Every time you make it, it will taste like a different soup, but they're all delicious.  I've got a big pot bubbling on the stove as I write. Yum!!

Hope you try this very frugal and tasty idea.      

Ragamuffin Music

Hutch and I visited the greatest music venue this past weekend. OK, we are musicians so we love music in all its various forms, but this place was very very special. It is Ragamuffin Music in Roswell, Ga.

The folks who run it are Christian but the venue itself is not marketed as Christian. It is marketed as a place where all ages are welcome. There is a tiny front part that comprises a counter where you can buy ice cream, coffee, and lattes etc. Then you go into a bigger room that is furnished with old sofas, chairs of all descriptions and a very small low stage. The decorating is a pleasing amalgamation of funk and shabby chic. It's just hard to describe....but it works.

Right now you're saying....hmmm...that just sounds like a low budget coffee shop. It's not! In fact you feel like you've been invited over to somebody's cozy home to just sit in the living room and hear some really good music. And the music that night was incredible. Two wonderful guitarists- Jeffrey Ables & Shaun Hopper performed. Shaun travels a lot so if you ever get a chance to go hear him in your hometown, take it!

We had a lovely time at Ragamuffin Music [I had my 1st ever latte LOL] and now here's the best part: It only costs 5 bucks a head. Yep, for 5 bucks each we got more than three hours of a once in a lifetime sort of concert.

We are going back as often as we can. It's bit of a hike from where we live, but we feel that it's surely worth it to experience that type of special evening. Go here if you're interested: Ragamuffin Music.  

 

Lemon Lavender Luxury

If you stop by here often you know that I'm a real candle/scent junkie. I just think a home is so much nicer when it smells good! On our recent vacation I ran across my new favorite candle scent. I've decided to make it my home's signature aroma. It is The Yankee Candle Co.'s Lemon Lavender. OK here's my normal disclaimer: I have never bought a candle that is expensive. And these are sort of pricey.

But thankfully a few years back my aunt gave me a beautiful wax tart warmer. You know what I'm talking about. It is warmed by a cheap tea light underneath and you melt a scented tart in the basin on top. Even though Yankee Candles are very dear, the tarts can be quite cost effective.

I'm burning the votive I bought [1.99] on my vacation as I write and it's wonderful aroma is swirling around my computer desk here in the kitchen. Smells great!!

I believe that even as I'm striving to live a simple & frugal life, some things are truly worth the extra pennies you invest into them. For me, this particular candle/scent is one of those things. Hope you find your own frugal luxury today.   

Thinking Christmas

Yes, I'm already thinking Christmas....in fact I'm pretty much finished with my Christmas shopping. How you may say? Well, for one thing we have drastically cut down our Christmas gift giving list over the years. Currently it's down to immediate family and grandparents. We give little hospitality type gifts to neighbors and friends. Nothing pricey, but I do try to come up with something unique every year.

This year I'm giving the neatest little candle metal holders [they have the word 'Wish' cut out of them & I must say they are too cute] with a suitable peppermint scented candle. I got the holders at Garden Ridge for a dollar [just about everyone I saw the day I was shopping with my Mom had their cart piled with these little beauties, so they're probably sold out by now] and I'm using some of the leftover yet still new candles I bought last year from a local DollarTree.

I found a Christmas themed book that I just loved written by Dorethea Frank Benton & I was able to score a bulk sale on them from Amazon. As you know I've already made my moonshine jelly [recipe here at the blog].But my most favorite holiday early shopping secret of all is a new website I found from China. Go here to check it out:

Christmas Bargains

This is one of the few Chinese vendors that will let you buy only one item if you so desire. It has real merchandise, not knock offs, & the prices are incredible. If you like nice handbags, perfumes, jewelry, watches, sunglasses, name brand shoes, and apparel you just might want to check this place out. Best of all, you can pay with paypal!

Here's the disclaimer, there are no prices listed and you have to make a list of product numbers from the items you like and actually e-mail one of their agents to get your final price....but all I can say is that I was very pleased! I've got two huge boxes of items coming my way and Hutch estimates that I saved us around 800-1,000 dollars in various holiday, birthday, & anniversary expenses for the coming year.

Now is the time to be shopping and planning for a frugal Christmas season. My motto is that with enough planning anything can be made more frugal. Hope you are doing some planning of your own.  

Cheap & Easy Tricks to Living a Gracious & Simple Life #2

This is the second in what I hope will become a nice lengthy series of tips for attaining that simple, gracious, & hospitable life we all crave. A few years back I was watching way too many of the home makeover shows and lusting after granite counter tops and bamboo flooring.Then I would grab a ladies' magazine and be desolate because I haven't worn a size 4 since college. I was a crabby and unhappy woman, let me tell you. I was never content and was always thinking in 'if onlies'.

You know what I'm talking about. If only I had a newer car I'd be happy. If only I could lose ten pounds, I'd be happy. If only we could put in high end flooring I'd be happy. Then I joined a ladies' Bible study and one sentence somebody said changed my life.

That sentence was, 'Love what you have'. It sounds too easy doesn't it? But that simple sentence did radically change the way I look at life. I started to look at my home and my husband and my kids and my clothing with that in mind. Of course I already loved my family, but just looking at them through the filter of that one sentence made me appreciate them so much more.

It made me appreciate everything more. Honestly, I'm not being a Polly Anna here, I still have the same carpet that has been in my living room for 20 years. I have not lost ten pounds, but I have lost a  few pounds LOL. I'll probably have the old car I have now until the wheels fall off of it. Nothing has changed in my life except my attitude. But I'm content. Really.

We are big on long term planning and goals here at Shady Creek Hollow. Some of the things I'd like to fix around the house are on that plan to be renewed in several years. Some of the things that had been on an earlier goal list got accomplished this Summer. They weren't at the top of my personal list, but they were needed so that the house kept its value. I'm learning to be patient and prudent. In the meantime I'm finding that I can truly love what I have. Nobody can make me feel deprived but myself.

Two lifestyle changes that have really helped me in this effort to love what I have are: I limit severely the amount of home renovation TV I watch [my home started looking better to me as soon as I did this!] & I realized that most magazines essentially function as a venue to make you crave the stuff they advertise [Actually to make you feel like you NEED the things they promote to be really happy, of course that's a lie].

A glass of ice water and a good book on the porch swing make me happy. You can't get much more simple or frugal than that! I bet if you did a personal inventory of what really makes you content you'd be as surprised as I was when I did this exercise. Who knew a simple bubble bath would make me as happy as an expensive dinner at a fancy place? Make your own list and see for yourself. You might be pleasantly surprised too.     

   

Cheap & Easy Tricks to Living a Gracious & Simple Life #1

I'm starting this as a numerical kind of list thingy.... I guess you can tell I've been playing around with the blog today- all day. I like the new look & name and I hope you will too. So back to this cheap but elegant life topic. I will start numbering my thrifty ideas from now on so you will know if they are new to you.

Tip Number One is how to make sure your car smells like a million bucks all the time. I know, I know, somebody reading this is going to say, "just do the cloves trick". The cloves trick, to those who haven't heard of it, is to sprinkle whole cloves in the cup holder/center divider of your car. I tried the cloves trick, it does work. However, except at Christmas time I'm not that in love with the strong scent of cloves. Not to mention that the little brown cloves look sort of nasty just sitting there in the cup holder. Soooo....

The next best thing is the 'drawer envelope trick'. Very simply put, you buy one of those .99 envelope drawer sachets. They sell them everywhere, especially at Dollar Stores. Slip the sachet envelope of your choice in the side door pocket of your car. It's out of the way, it smells divine, and you won't need to replace it for a long, long time.

You can make your own with an envelope, cotton balls, & essential oils [or your favorite perfume]. I know because I tried it. This trick [like the cloves trick] is even less expensive than buying the .99 sachet....but I found that the homemade version didn't last very long. So my vote goes to buying the .99 sachet.   

So if your car is getting a little on the stinky side and you hate getting in there, use this cheap and easy trick to make your like more gracious & simple.      

The Library

              

It may strike you as odd that I have listed this post on the Library under the frugality category....But I find that folks who are truly into saving their money make great use of their local library. I am a huge fan of libraries. Reading opened the world for me when I was in third grade. Until then I couldn't read, I even had to repeat the 2nd grade. By the third grade for some reason I 'go it' and reading became my most avid hobby. I could never understand the phonics of reading, and since that's the way it was exclusively taught back then I failed over and over again.

Then in the 3rd grade I had to spend a few weeks in the hospital. Back in those days hospital rooms had no TVs and I couldn't read so it was stupefyingly boring until someone, I can't recall who, came to visit me and brought a stack of comic books. Oh my.....it just all fell into place. I could read!

Anyhoo, I volunteer at our local library and this week we've been signing kids up for the Summer Reading Program. So far we've got about 600 hundred children involved. It's a great deal for parents as well because the library not only gives them[the children] prizes to inspire reading, it offers many story times and programs in its big community room several times a week.

I get books at the library [of course] but I also get documentary DVDs to use while I run. Folks come in and just sit and read the magazines and enjoy the quiet. And then there's the ability to go online for free. There are also Cds galore in every music style. One of my favorite sections is the Large Print shelves. Our library also has a wonderful collection of art....some of the best folk art I've seen outside of a gallery. Right now the library is even offering job seekers a limited amount of free copies of their resume.

Outside is a lovely garden maintained by our local Master Gardeners. It has shady places to sit and enjoy the flowers. All in all the library is a great place. And the best thing about it is that its FREE!

Beach House Decorating

                 

No this isn't our Beach House. The truth is that we only own one very modest home. But that doesn't stop me from dreaming about a place at the beach.... or bringing the beach to our landlocked humble abode during the hot Georgia Summers.

Although we haven't turned on our air conditioning yet, I know Summer is just around the corner. I love this particular time of the year in the Deep South. We have our window fans running all the time and their steady drone is sort of the musical background for my life these days. The sound reminds me of my childhood and that dinosaur that no one has much any more...the attic fan. Anyhoo, before I get too sadly off topic, I will say that I wish we had an attic fan like my grandma. That simple unobtrusive fan made a huge difference in the quality of my life as a kid!

But back to the topic at hand 'Beach House Decorating'. Summer seems like a time to drastically downsize the amount of 'stuff' I have laying around. My experience with beach homes, though admittedly minimal, tells me cleaning lots of knick knacks is a very low priority with the 'surfy' set.

So my first step was to clear off the top of every space in my home. During the cooler months I have the dining room table set with china and crystal, I have stacks of old books on the mantle and side tables. I have candles everywhere, especially in the living room, bathrooms, & on my writing desk. There are cozy throws at the end of each bed, armchair, & sofa. Our bed has a black heavy suede like duvet cover and rich patterned brocade bed hangings. It looks warm and cozy. But let Spring get here and it all seems stifling!

So this time of the year I pack it all away, I don't worry that I'll miss it, since most things will come back out in the Fall. I find that by changing out some of these items my home stays fresher and each season it seems like I have fun as I switch things out.

Soooo....saying all that let me give you a quick rundown of what I've done lately to refresh my home. You already know [if you read here often] that I took down art and got most everything off the walls. This weekend I switched out my bedding and lampshades. That sounds expensive, you might be saying. It's really not. I used white bedding I already had [antique chenille bedspread I inherited, white sheets & throw pillow from linen closet]. The only expense I had was simple white sheers [84 inch long works for my bed] for bed hangings and two simple white lampshades all from Walmart. If you have a four poster bed and need the 'how to' check out my original re-do of the bed here at the blog. It's super simple and only involves clear fishing line and curtains.

Now my bedroom has a distinctly Caribbean feel to it. I especially love the way the sheers ruffle in the breeze from our small window fan. I really feel like I'm at the beach. 

If you don't have a poster bed and still want to get the effect, there are loads of mosquito net type canopies in every color available on eBay for very modest prices. They attach to your ceiling and give that same beach house vibe.

I thought long and hard about putting a black script monogram on the lampshades to give them a more custom look [you can do this easily with a hot glue gun, black braid for top and bottom, & a purchased single letter or symbol that is an iron-on or even rub-on]. But in the end I went with just the simple linen shade.

I'll try to post pictures of the bed in its new 'Summer' look. This week I need to paint my front porch rockers white...again. And one of our next projects will be putting molding around our boxy 80's kitchen light and master bath mirror. I'll let you know how we accomplish that and how it turns out.

Hope your day is getting off to a great start!

                  

Do It Yourself Easy Dog Grooming

                 

My Aunt owns a very successful dog grooming and boarding business. In fact she employs several family members as well as 10 others. And she began by realizing that she couldn't afford to get her own dogs groomed. She got a book from the library that set out the basics. She experimented on her own poodles then started working at a vet's washing dogs & grooming the animals that didn't need fancy cuts. After a year or two she got another book from the library [this one on the various poodle cuts] and bought herself a few grooming essentials. Pretty soon she was in more demand that the vet. He encouraged her to set up a separate business and the rest, as they say, is history.

Of course these days there are all types of certificates you can earn in the differing cuts, and my Aunt has gotten most of them and taught so many others, myself included. In our family all the teenagers had a built in job if they wanted one....learning the 'family' business. I did my stint as a dog washer/ clean up groomer. Here's the disclaimer- I never did elaborate show cuts. If that's what you want for your dog this is the wrong place to find out how. But if you just want to save a ton of money and make sure Fido looks clean and neat, I think this article will fit the bill.

First Step: Washing Poochie- This is the easiest step. The only real insider trick here is to brush your dog out first. If you will spend just a few minutes once a week on this brushing chore, you'll never have to deal with the dreaded 'matts'. If your dog is matted badly you might want to take your time and either pull the matts apart [that's what groomers do] or if your dog isn't going to be posing for a doggy fashion magazine soon, you can do a little judicious snipping of matts with a small pair of scissors. A helpful tip  Unless your dog is used to being groomed regularly you may need a helper to hold the dog. If you will place your hand over the top of your dog's nose you will control the dog. Remember, if you control the nose you control the dog. 

OK, now that Killer is brushed out it's time to soap him up. Buy a cheapie bottle of dog shampoo from the Dollar Store for this. Don't use dishwashing liquid or people shampoo. Your dog will start itching and drive you crazy scratching if you do that. In the summer my dog takes his bath in the driveway by the garden hose. I soak him with water, soap him up, & hose him off. I take special care to be gentle around his ears and face. I crouch by him so that I can control the amount & force of the water cascading over him. Dogs do not take kindly to water in their ears or nose!!! I back up and let him shake a few times.  After that you can towel your dog off and let nature take it's course for a couple of hours to dry him. Most groomers use a blow dryer with the handle tucked into the neck of their groomer's smock/ tee shirt to dry. They control it's direction with their chin...really. That leaves their hands free to use a brush to speed drying, just like when you blow dry your own hair. My dog Ernie has a silky double coat that dries flatter & better naturally. So I don't use a blow dryer on him.  

After he's dry, I clip his toenails [dogs do get used to this and its no problem]. Don't use people toenail trimmers!!!!! The shape is wrong for dogs. If you're scared, do what I did and buy dog toenail clippers with a guard on them from Petco. You literally can't make a mistake with these babies. White toenails are easy to clip as you can see the 'quick', black toenails are trickier. If you cut too far, your dog will yelp once, bleed profusely [a quick dip in cornstarch will slow this down], and then forget what happened to him. It's not the end of the world and it happens every day in grooming shops.

Now it's ear cleaning time. Use a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol [Wintergreen Alcohol leaves a nice scent] to clean out your dog's ears. This has the added benefits of killing ear mites, its not painful, & it dries super quick. Again, dogs don't like the feeling of anything wet in their ears! If the ears are really nasty it might take a few of these soggy cotton balls. If you're squeamish at this point, use a long pair of tweezers to hold the cotton ball as you clean the ear, that's what the pros do. OK, on most pups you're close to being done. But not if you have a mix [especially anything poodle-yorkie poo, peekapoo, labradoodle- you see where I'm going here]. These type pups require that their coat be shaped. For about 10 bucks at Walmart buy a cheapie clipper set. You will more than pay for this in just one grooming.

Again you might need a helper until your dog gets the hang of being clipped. It doesn't hurt them but some dogs really hate the sound of the clippers. Groomers use a stand that actually supports & restrains the dog. If you are on your own but committed to saving money on regular dog grooming, you might want to consider buying one of these from an on-line source. They clamp to any table and aren't very expensive. Also if your dog's a biter there's no shame in using a muzzle at this point. Groomers do it all the time and it doesn't hurt your pooch. I've used them many times on dogs I didn't know well. Better safe than sorry! Remember if you control from the top of the nose you control the dog. Don't try to control Fluffy's head by grasping her chin...you will get a nasty nip if that's your dog's inclination. 

Now....Brush out your pet's dried coat. You literally want it fluffing out on its ends. Sweetie should look like a frizzy puffball at this stage. Put the shortest guard onto your trimmer. A basic 'puppy cut' is very easy- trim your dog's face [go a little above her 'browline'} and feet up to the ankles. You can also use this short guard to get between toes and trim a little around anus & genitals if needed. OK, that's the worst part and its done. Now put a longer guard on your clippers and trim the entire body staying away from ears and tail [if you're grooming a poodle or poodle mix, tail can be trimmed with short guard, just be sure to leave a full pouf at the end]. OK, now that's done too.

Take a pair of scissors [some folks like long blades, I prefer short] and trim up the ears and tail. I'm talking hair length here, not shape. A professional groomer would not use scissors to dramatically alter the shape of either ears or tail. The only exceptions would be poodle or schauzer types, or dogs with textured hair and docked tails. Turn that fuzzy poodle tail pouf into a manicured compact sphere [think golf ball sized] at this point on poodles and mixes of that type. Textured docked tails [schauzers come to mind here] look best clipped to match hair length on rest of body or even shorter. Go slow and take small amounts off. You can always come back and take off more. Stand back and take a peek at the whole dog. Does the body look uniform or does any one area stick out as needing a little more scissor work? If so do it sparingly.  

OK, almost finished. If you desire, now is the time to paint Sugar's toenails. Any people polish will do, and black looks good on boy dogs. A dog stand comes in handy here so that Chopper doesn't sit on his wet nails and get get nail polish into his coat. Laying down works just as well. Use a dog cologne next. I bought one from Target in a designer scent [Giorgio] five years ago and I still have loads left. It was well worth the five bucks. You can also get a powder spray that freshens your dog's breath [I just brush my dog's teeth with a rag and dog toothpaste]. If you don't want to put your hand in your dog's mouth just put the toothpaste on a big piece of old thick towel and let Fido chew on it a while. Watch him for choking though & if the towel starts to fray and disintegrate into smaller bits take it away before he swallows it!!

OK, this woman is a nut, you're saying. Brushing a dog's teeth????? It's not that I want Ernie to look like a hollywood movie star with white capped teeth, honest. Most folks don't realize that one of the most common and costly vet bills is for tooth extraction. Dogs get cavities just like people and untreated they & the infections they cause will kill. I'm just trying to be thrifty.   

For the finishing touch either tie a brightly colored bandanna [Walmart has a great selection or just use fabric you have cut into a suitable triangle] around your dog's neck, make a teeny tiny bow [like a florist bow only reaaaallly small with very thin satin ribbon] for it's topknot [this is especially good for silky haired dogs as it keeps their topknots out of their eyes- some groomers use the rubberbands from teeth braces to secure the hair first then add the bow], or tie those same minuscule bows raffishly over each ear where the ear connects to the head.

OK, now I know some professional groomers out there are rolling their eyes. What about a flea dip they're asking, or expressing those nasty glands down by a pup's rectum? I've been there and done all that, but for a non show dog [my dog Ernie for example] I skip them. A monthly flea treatment & nature take care of both problems. 

That's it in a nutshell. Anybody can do this......honest. The first few times might be challenging, but you'll get the hang of it fairly quickly. And your dog will learn to stand still and let you bathe and groom him over time. Ernie knows that he's not allowed to shake off water or move unless I give him an oral command. I use the word 'OK'.   

You might be asking this question, what if my dog is an outside dog who looks like he's getting ready to attend a convention for Rover Rastafarians? In other words, you have a very dirty, extremely matted, nasty smelling pet on your hands. In that case do what groomers hate to do but must resort to at times- clip before washing. Just use a long guard and clip your dog completely. This will get rid of most of the truly toxic matting that just can't be brushed or pulled out. Then go ahead with the washing steps. You can always clip or scissor some more during the process when the dog is completely dry. Don't wash Scooter with matts still intact!!! That will 'set' them and tighten them & just make the whole process of getting them out worse.

Ernie has a 'spa' day like the one I've described once a month around the 13th. I've found that keeps him smelling and looking his best. Ernie has gone through this drill since he was a baby so he is trained and is an easy keeper. Just a quick wash, brush, feet trim, a little scissor work on his tail and ears, toenail clipping, ear cleaning, toothbrushing, & he's done. 

You can save yourself a ton of money by learning to do simple grooming. Hope you give it a try.

               

Easy & Cheap Homemade All Purpose Cleaner

I've been trying lately to live off the fat of the pantry....that means make do with what I have & make as few trips to the grocery store as possible.

 Very early on here at Patty's Pen I posted a recipe for a wintergreen cleaner that I got over at the message board of The Family Homestead [go to the right and click icon to visit]. Anyhoo, I really liked that cleaner, especially the smell of it, but this week I'm out of wintergreen rubbing alcohol. And I needed cleaner soooo....I found this recipe-again from The Family Homestead but I changed it up just a little.  I've used it all week and I must say I'm sold on it. 

OK, here's the disclaimer: After I do the dishes for the final time at night I usually fill the sink with warm water and add a few squirts of diluted dish liquid [I always dilute mine to make it last longer] and a cap full of amonia. I use this cleaner to wipe down the counter tops, stoves, dishwasher, etc. Then I flush it down the disposal. This is a pretty good way to keep gunk from building up in your kitchen & a way to keep the disposal smelling 'sweet'. I learned this nifty trick from Hutch's Aunt Martha Ann.  

But I wanted a cleaner that would work and smell nice everywhere [including acting a a Swiffer type formula for mopping hard wood floors]. This stuff fits the bill and you could make it to suit your fragrance fancy. Here goes: 

Ingredients:

a big empty gallon jug

2 tbsp ammonia

1 tsp dish detergent

2 cups rubbing alcohol

a half cap full of lemon body oil [this was about what I had left over from an old Watkins bottle of the stuff] or use essential oils as recommended by Crystal at the Family Homestead.

Put in empty jug [I used an empty vinegar jug], fill with water, cap, & shake. Use it to fill spray bottles, or just soak a towel in it and start cleaning. As I said, I was most pleased with how well it did in mopping. It is great in the bathroom as well.

I have an old Swiffer type mop, but buying the disposable refills gets pricey. So I took a couple of old towels, cut them to fit, hemmed the edges and voila...instant reusuable Swiffer rags. As I said this solution worked extremely well on my floors as I used my Swiffer. It also makes a great glass cleaner and general toilet doorknob etc cleaner. 

Hope you give it a try. I really think you could use anything oil based to scent this stuff. And a gallon of cleaner for this price sure beats even the Dollar Store!    

Common Sense Ways to be Healthy

                          

Today I spent a good part of my time researching easy ways to be healthy...ways that don't cost a lot. I know some folks swear by gym memberships and diet meals purchased online. But that just seems counter productive to me. My idea is that common sense would serve me just as well. Soooo.....here are a few things I've found out that amazed me.

I've always been a proponent of deep breathing and quiet times. Today I found out that I could combine some soft music to my deep breathing regimen and it would enhance the benefits. Deep belly breathing can reduce stress and high blood pressure. Especially if its done with soft instrumental music in the background. I made myself a little get away spot in one of the guest rooms. It's the room my mother uses when she visits. It's decorated in a way that is soothing and pleasing to my eye. I just moved a CD player from another room and added a Celtic music CD I already had.

I was able to do my deep breathing for much longer with the quiet music and I plan to do it for 15 minutes a day until I can work up to 30 minutes. The nicest thing about using the music is that it sort of hinders you from falling into the trap of thinking too much instead of just enjoying the deep breathing.

I do exercise. I have written about that many times here. Especially about how my resuming running on a regular schedule has helped my back and once frozen shoulder. Now I'm adding walking on the off running days. My goal is to do some kind of exercise every day. Admittedly walking is not that great of an aerobic exercise for me. But just putting in the time on the treadmill is good. It's burning calories if nothing else. And I have started lifting light weights several times a week. I just hop off the treadmill when I'm done with that day's workout and head to the garage where the weight bench lives. I don't give myself time to debate it....I just do it.

We want to eat healthy but frugally as well. I've mentioned before that we like to eat beans alot. We are using them in many different recipes to reduce the amount of meat we eat. We're shooting for three warm veggie or salad suppers during the week with one red meat dinner, one fish, one chicken, & one eat out supper. I'm also a big fan of tofu crumbles which can be used in any dish that calls for browned ground beef. I'm also experimenting with low fat cheeses. Hopefully I'll find a few that work for us. I'll let you know when I do.  

Journaling has also become a big part of my daily routine. I find that it is very stress reducing to journal. It gives me a chance to process some of the things that are on my mind without getting bogged down in them. I also journal as a way to connect with some as yet to be born great great grandchildren. 100 years from now they might really get a kick out of reading about the 'good old days'.  

I encourage anybody interested in finding frugal but healthy recipes to check out 'Hillbilly Housewife' at the icon to the right. She has a section specifically designed for folks who want to eat lighter and better. 

Those are a few of the ideas I'm trying to put into action in my life. Hopefully I'll be able to incorporate them into my everyday schedule. Hope your day went well. More tomorrow.         

   

    

    

Free Stuff on Your Birthday

Since tomorrow is my birthday....I'm not saying how old I am LOL. I thought it would be sort of fun to do a search on all the free things you can receive on your birthday from restaurants, vendors, etc.

I found a very interesting site that lists them all in one place, and even by area. Be sure and read past the first post though, since there's lots of good info in the ensuing comments. Go here: Free Birthday Stuff 

I hope you'll take a minute to check these offers out, it would be fun to surprise your loved ones with something 'free' on their special day. And in this economy anything free is good!

Hope you're warm & cozy & your day is going well.   

The Ten Second Rule

            

No, this post is not about the cleanliness of food that has fallen to the floor. This is about how to curb your impulse to buy something... at say my place of personal downfall...Walmart. OK this is what I'm talking about. I try very hard not to get out into the marketplace more than once a week. And as a rational adult I know how much money I have to spend. Sooo....it seems like there wouldn't be a problem would there? 

Unfortunately there is a problem. Let's say I see a really pretty blouse for half off at Walmart. Instead of just scooping it up, placing it in my cart, & gloating over my wonderful bargain buy all the way to the check out-the best thing I could do for myself is count to 10... ..slowly. That gives me time to think this impulse purchase through. It gives me time to ask a few internal questions such as....do I even need another blouse? Do I want to spend my 'fun' money on clothing? Even if its a bargain, do I need it or even rally want it? 

I find I really need to practice this simple exercise in self control every time I'm in a store. Even a grocery store...its really hard for me to pass by those beautiful tubs of fresh roses, especially if they've just been reduced. Anyhoo, just simply counting to ten could help me keep my part of the budget under better control. What is that old saying???....'Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without'. There's a whole lot of common sense in those humble words.  

Now, about my trip to Wally World today...Uh...Excuse me...I need to count to ten.        

Be a Savvy Consumer!!!!

I ran across a really nice website today that was right up my road. It focuses on Consumer info and is wonderful if you want the 'whole' story on some tightwad type tips. Go here: Consumer Savvy to see more.

It has lots more than just savings tips, there are many informational ideas that you could use in everyday life. Since we're still learning to simplify this is definitely a good site for me to explore.

I'm still scrolling through the whole site, but I must say I've learned a bunch already. I was researching Sucanat when I found this site, and it certainly answered my questions quite well. Hope you give it a try! 

Full of Beans

If you're like me you're horrified at the rising cost of groceries these days. So I've fallen back on some old standbys from our early days of marriage. We eat very little meat and when we do it's sort of a garnish instead of a full meal. An example is that I'm baking a ham right now and it will show up all week in soups, salads, casseroles, egg dishes, and sandwiches. I eat a pretty vegetarian style diet most of the time anyway and Hutch has quit being the carnivore he was in years past. 

Another thing we're both doing that saves money and calories is just plain eating smaller portions. Since we don't eat out much anymore we can control our portions in the kitchen easily without the temptation of the HUGE platters of food that are served in most places here in the South.

We also drink mainly water. I have soy milk on my oatmeal and granola, but otherwise I drink ice water. I don't even miss my morning coffee amymore. I tried to drink a cup last week and wondered why I ever liked the stuff to begin with. 

Right now I'm eating a whole grain dish for breakfast- usually oatmeal, then I'll have a salad and a piece of fruit for lunch, and for supper I'll have a soup or maybe another salad with meat on it with fruit for dessert. I can honestly say it was very hard at first not to eat bread and baked goods. I was apparently very addicted to sugar because when I quit I had a whale of a  headache for almost a day and a half! I think I'll go back to only one sweet thing at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. That's what I used to do and it worked for me fine.

So if you're budget is tight I suggest going to the Hillbilly Housewife icon to the right- she has some really great budget menus and recipes. In fact I think she's got a super duper low cost menu for a week that costs around $25. Of course it may cost more like $50 but for a family of four that's pretty good. 

I personally like beans alot. I know, I know....it sounds like starving student fare. But I like them in most soups and when you add some brown rice to the soup with the beans it makes a complete protein [like meat]. I wish I'd taught our kids to eat a healthier way when they were small, but thank goodness they are learning now. 

On a typical night I'll fill the crockpot with water and throw in enough beans to make soup. I'lll set it on low and let it cook overnight. In the morning I'll drain off the water and fill it back up to cover the beans well. Then I'll add whatever I have on hand.....a diced onion, a couple of chunked potatoes,a can of tomatoes, a can of corn, green beans, bouillon cubes or a bit of meat [Polish sausage chunks make a good meal]. You can season it to suit your fancy...just don't put the salt in yet because I think it makes the veggies tough. I'll let it simmer away on low until about an hour before supper then if I haven't used potatoes I'll add a starch of some kind [rice or ww noodles]. I'll salt and pepper it right before I serve it.   

Add a piece of fresh fruit for dessert and you're all set.  

         

Not Just For Men

OK, to understand this post you will have to take my word on the fact that I have almost invisible eyebrows.....My grandmother, back in the 70's, suggested I use brown mascara to fill in and actually make my wispy brows show up. I tried it...I didn't like it. I looked like Bela Lugosi as a vampire.

I toyed with the idea of getting my brows tattooed....but I'm really a chicken and it seemed like way too much pain. And then there was the chance that the eyebrows would have a reaction to the tattoo dye and fall out permanently.

So.....what to do, what to do? A few years back one of Allie's buds who is a hairdresser tinted my brows for me. I loved it, but I'm too cheap to get it done every month. So I experimented today with that old stand by for guys, 'Just For Men'. I bought the mustache and beard version for 6 dollars at Walmart. There is enough in the tubes to last at least a year. And it looks totally natural!!!! I'm so thankful to finally have solved this problem.  

If you have wispy brows, you may want to try this solution too. Hope your day was good.  

Apples in the Crock Pot

This morning my house smells great because I've got a whole load of cheapie apples in the crock pot making homemade apple sauce. I went to the grocery store yesterday and got tons of off priced apples. They didn't look too pretty, but they'll be wonderful in apple sauces, pies, & apple bread.

             

I just peel them, chunk them, put in about 1/4 cup sweetener of my choice [sometimes honey, sometimes even molasses]. Today I used some of the Sucanat I bought a while back. I set them in the crock pot on low to let them cook a few hours. I like my applesauce chunky and spicy so I add 1 tsp of both cinnamon and powdered cloves. I got the apples going early and then I went to the back porch to do my Bible time.

Hutch and I were chatting last night about how we've come to really treasure a quiet home. No TV blaring in the background demanding out attention, no music either just lately. I must say though, I do love to do housework to the PBS station's classical music. I turn on a radio upstairs and one down too so my music sort of follows me as I clean.

I think I might make a batch of roasted veggies today as well. I got some of them off priced yesterday too. Sweet potatoes, squash, & green beans. I'll bake the sweet potatoes, but the rest I'll just chunk  up [I've got a few Vidalia onions to add to the mix], roll them around in a little olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and little garlic. I'll let them roast for a while and see how they come out.

I must say I'm loving this time of the year a lot. The temperatures are so much cooler- just in the low 80's so I can have my windows open and my window fan twirling. I love hearing the sounds of nature spilling in throught the open wndows.

I surely hope that wherever you are, the weather is nice, and that your weekend is starting off just right.      

The Simple Life

                          

I've had a great morning. I've been trying to catch back up to my schedule. Being sick really shot a hole through my last week. And I've been trying to implement a few of the Real Age Strategy tips into my life as well. I'm a firm believer in only trying to change a couple of things at the time.

I've already been taking 2 baby aspirins a day and a multi vitamin. Fish oil is part of my every day as is walking/running. But I'm adding the three basic weight bearing exercises he suggests. Crunches, lunges, & push ups. Of course I'm having to do the modified ones at first. But hopefully soon I'll be doing the 'real' ones. It's just ten minutes each morning- easy enough to schedule time for.

Go here to find out more about the Real Age Makeover

I'm also having to get back to eating at least 5 fruits or veggies a day. I've really slacked off in that area. So now I'm keeping a tally of how many I have each day. Hopefully that will get me back up to speed.

I've been decluttering some this morning. I love to declutter because I always find something that I'd forgotten I had. This morning it was a journal I started a couple of years ago and put away when I ran out of pastel gel pens. It is a journal with black paper and I loved the way the pastels showed up against the black surface. Anyway I pulled it out and since I now do have more pastel gel pens I can start writing in it again.

I figure that some time waaaay off in the future my GGGGGchildren might like to know what it was like to live in the 'good ole' days. I have a diary of my mother's from the Second World War and it is very fun to read.

Well, this is getting sort of wordy and I have another drawer that needs decluttering so I'll try to get back here later. Hope your day is nice.       

Fall is in the Air!!!

 

I am so glad I got to go outside some this morning. It is nice and cool out there and there is just the hint of Fall in the air. You know the smell I'm talking about. It's a freshness that is so needed at this time of the year.

Speaking of spending time outdoors...we are having to be so careful. The ticks are very bad this year. You have to check your shoes etc and the dog every time you go outside. My next door neighbor and I were chatting about that last week. She's having as bad a tick season as we are. I found a really simple homemade tick repellent on-line. Go here to see how to concoct it.

Anyway, I need to keep going on my 'to do' list. Hopefully I'll actually get some things done today as I'm feeling a smidge better. One of the things I need to get on right away is bread baking. Can't wait. It will make the house smell so wonderful!!!

More later. Hope you have a simply amazing day.      

I Love Clark Howard!!!

 

If you live near Atlanta, you know who Clark Howard is. He is our resident frugal everything expert. I found this very neat site today that lists all his FREE links. Thought somebody out there might like it. Go here to see.

I was amazed at some of the things available for free. Anyway, hope you go and check it out.

Time to Start on Your Christmas List

 

Yes, I know. You think I'm crazy. But I'm not, truly. This is the very best time to get started on your Christmas gift list. If you've read this blog much, you know I get fanatical around the Christmas season about saving money. We've done the 100 dollar Christmas and lots of other neat kinds of ways to celebrate the holidays. What we finally landed on was presents for immediate family members only and those are very frugal.

We like to focus on family traditions: examples- decorating the Christmas tree with hot chocolate and cookies afterwords, decorating Christmas cookies, going to a candlelight service, singing Christmas carols as Hutch plays the piano, watching Christmas movies together [must watches are Elf, A Christmas Carol, & It's A Wonderful Life] & reading Christmas stories [I love the Bird Family Christmas, even if it sooo sad]. Potluck type meals are high on our list of Holiday favorites too. I've found over the years that a gift card works well for my children along with some small token gift to open. My mother likes gift cards as well with something small, sentimental & often handmade to open. Hutch's Dad likes food gifts, magazine subscriptions, puzzles, & books. Hutch and I have the very hardest time coming up with something for ourselves. Hint to Hutch: I still want that lollipop tree!

I'm thinking of a couple of really cute and inexpensive ideas that I can't reveal here [the family reads my blog]. But I did want to give this really helpful link for homemade but not cheesy gift ideas. Go here . These are unique gifts that are personal without being cheap.

Now is the time to get the deals at the Thrift stores as well. Baskets and such will get scarce as the holidays approach. So it pays to be organized. First write out your list of giftees. Pare this down to a bare minimum. Most folks are just as happy with a card. OK, the steps to a successful frugal holiday are easy:

1.Decide what your total budget will be.

2.Divide this among your folks accordingly.

3. Then, this is the hard part, STICK TO YOUR PLAN!!!  

Now, pardon me while I go put a Christmas CD in the kitchen player and plot and plan my holiday.        

Cheap Alternatives

If you've read much here, you know I'm really a tightwad. And today's entry should highlight that fact yet once again. If you need baby wipes, face wipes, bug wipes....or any other types of wipes but don't want to pay the really high prices for them, I encourage you to try any of the following 'recipes'. They all begin with a roll of Bounty Paper Towels with the cardboard cylinder removed from the center. Now bend it flat so it will fit in your container. Of course these can be torn off in different sizes to fit your need. A word of warning.....cheaper types of paper towels are not strong enough for these 'recipes'- try them at your own risk. Of course you will need an old cleaned out sealable container to store these little gems. Why not use an old baby wipes or Swiffer box? You just put your paper towels in the container of choice, pour over the concoction, close lid and let it sit to absorb. As always, you can get most of the basic ingredients at the Dollar Tree Store 

Baby Wipes:

Mix together- 2 tbsp baby lotion, 2 tbsp baby wash, & 2 cups water

Make Up Remover Pads:

Mix- 2 tsp. baby wash & 2 cups water

Bathroom Surface Cleaning Wipes:

Mix- 1/2 cup pine cleaner & 1 1/2 cup water

Glass & Multi Use Wipes:

Mix- 2 tbsp vinegar or ammonia

2 cups water

Bug Wipes:

Mix- 1 cup Avon Skin So Soft

1 cup water

These are all good tried and true recipes. Hope you give one a try. 

First Love What You Have

 This phrase from a Bible Study I was in a long long time ago has been percolating through my head for the last few months. It's so easy for me to fall prey to not being content with what I have, that at times I know I must ruthlessly make my will conform to this simple truth- Love What You Have- even when my flesh wants to battle tooth and nail for some 'thing'.

I don't know if anybody else faces this like I do... 

Some practical things I try to do are, limit how often I shop. That's an easy one with gas prices the way they are. And I also am very selective about what I watch on TV. There's been times I literally can feel myself falling into a trap of discontentment by just watching a home 'fix up' show. So now that I know I'm susceptible, I'm not watching them anymore. 

And I'm also learning the wonder of postponing buying anything on the spur of the moment. I find that if I can curb my urge to immediately buy something [ie paint, new flooring,  new plants etc.] chances are pretty good that by the next day I will have found a great substitute for the item I thought I needed to buy already around the house. 

You know for me, I've come to realize that a false sense of immediacy often spells trouble!!!  

The other night I was taking the dog out. I stopped to look around- the night air was full of sweet scents & comforting cricket song, the stars were amazing, & the moon was so fat it looked like I could actually reach up and touch it. In that moment I realized how very very blessed I am and how much I have to be truly thankful for.  Hope wherever you are you're able to count your blessings today too!

Making Your Bathroom Into A Spa

My taste in decorating has undergone a huge shift in the last few years. If you'd come into our home before that you'd think you were in A Cracker Barrel Restaurant....well maybe not that bad, but pretty darn close. In the 80's and early 90's it looked like a mad stenciler had run amok downstairs. And a mad wallpaper hanger must had set up shop in just about all the other rooms. I even had heart wallpaper in a bathroom *blush* It is really painful to confess all that now.

The change started when I realized that my husband had good taste :), really good taste. And that for years he had been quietly lobbying for less bric a brac and a more serene color palette in our home. I'll never forget the week he was on a business trip and I convinced our son Jon to help me paint the master bedroom bright [almost neon] yellow with the added Mediterranean accent of a dark true blue on the tray ceiling.......OH MY!! That didn't last long, and rightfully so.  But I stray from the point, don't I?

I did finally see the light about 'less is more'. And when I did, I started my decluttering days. Then I wanted to take that a step further, since I loved the preliminary results. So I decided to make the master bath our own personal spa. Of course I had very limited funds so the actual hardware in the bathroom had to stay as it was. Thankfully it's all white and beige with a slate type etching through it. In a word, quite neutral. So what did I do?

I decided that spas, just like really nice hotel rooms, have no clutter- zero. Nothing on the counter tops but fresh thick towels, soaps, perhaps a nice candle on the tub surround, & maybe a squat vase of fresh flowers centered under the mirror. So that was my blueprint. Everything that had marched across the counter was stowed in a drawer or thrown out. I had inherited the perfect ruby glass vase to hold a few lilies. I had plenty of candles and nice soaps too. Jon painted the whole bathroom a lovely neutral gray that picks up the slate color in the counter top, I am buying one new fluffy towel a week in stark white. The color accents in there are the dark red vase, and two floral prints with dark red touches [ I already had both as I love to shift art around in the house occasionally]. Hutch painted the dark wood cabinet white and we ordered a few glass reproduction knobs on line. It is very serene in there now. At some point we are going to replace the faucets and the shower door. But not any time soon. Because at the moment I'm really loving it just the way it is.            

Vista Print Idea

I'm very happy with a money saving idea that I came up with recently. Vista Print is offering all kinds of free deals right now. And they are truly free except for shipping. I got postcards to send as seasonal cards for Halloween, Christmas, & Easter. They were less than 6 dollars per set of 100. They have loads of great photo art work and you can even download family pictures if you prefer a customized card.

I just typed in Christmas, Easter, etc to see what they featured once I got to the postcard page. Click here to go to the site.

Well my cards came in today and I'm really pleased with the quality of both the printing and the art. These will save me a lot when I mail them,  as post card stamps are less pricey than mailing a regular card. I realize that it would be cheaper to just not send cards. But sending something to friends and family over holidays is a fun thing I really cherish. So why not get creative, make a one of a kind postcard and enjoy? That's my Autumn card featured here.     

Hope you day is great and that you are busy doing things you love.  

25% Off Clearance Candles at Yankee Candle Co.

Go here to get 25% off already clearance priced candles at Yankee Candle Co. Print the coupon and use by July 6th.    www.yankeecandle.com/yc/html/retail/Email_HTML/web_InStoreClearanceFinalCoupon.html

Tips on Ordering a Wedding Dress From China

 OK, I'm putting this here for the folks who have asked me about Allie's wedding dress. This photo shows it from the back. Here's how we got a thousand dollar designer wedding dress for $16 plus $120 [in that ballpark] for shipping. First we went to a high end boutique and Allie tried on lots of dresses till she found 'the one'. We wrote down the designer's name. Then we went home and found that designer's website. From there we found the name of the gown and its style number. Then we went to Ebay and shopped the online import bridal shops [there are literally tons there and they each sort of feature a different designer] tilll we found that exact dress. Here's an important part... be sure and read each vendor's feedback. We found a match to the dress and a reputable vendor. We bid on the dress and got it- for the prices I stated earlier. Then we went to a cloth store where one of the ladies was glad to measure Allie. Be aware there are tons of measurements to be taken not just a few, so get somebody who really knows what they're doing. Then we ordered the dress a little larger than we needed. We did this so that a final exact fitting could be made. 

When we got the dress [this process takes a while and can be impacted by Chinese New Year....so start waaaaay ahead] Allie asked a friend who makes theatrical costumes to do the final fitting. He also made a French bustle out of the train so she could hook it up for the dancing. We did pay him a very nominal fee as well. In a nutshell, that's how we did it. If you go to the online album at www.joshandallie.org  you can see exactly how the dress turned out.

Many folks don't realize that most designer gowns are made in China- this goes for prom gowns, as well as pageant type gowns. Vendors are not allowed to sell these [patented designer ones] directly to the US for obvious reasons, the vendor's site we chose had an Australian address. So if you're willing to do lots of research you can find your dress for much much less than the going retail price here in the States. Oh BTW, the veil which matched perfectly is from Michael's- I used one of the 50% off coupons. If you don't have a coupon, just ask. They will let you sign a list and get it [50% off] on the spot. Hope this helps all those wedding dress seekers who have a tight budget like we did.         

Another Neat Website

I was surfing earlier this week, and I came across the neatest website: www.costumejewelrywholesale.com It has great items, especially Christian stuff. I got several bracelets that have Bible verses engraved on them and one that has The Lord's Prayer engraved upon it. The shipping was very cheap and so were the prices. In fact if you needed multiples of a given piece the price gets lower and lower the more you order. I'll let you know how the merchandise looks when it gets here. 

Here is a picture of one of the bracelets. Of course it has the rest of the verse going around the other side of the bangle. Anyhoo....I hope you go by there and give it a peek.

Another Drug Store Product I Like

At the end of last season I bought a tube of Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer [Firming]. I must admit I didn't use it much over the Winter. I tend to not worry about my skin as much in the Winter since I'm pretty much covered from head to toe.

But since Spring is in the air, I got out this tucked away tube of Jergens. I've been using it all week. And I must say I really like it. It has given me a soft even tan over several days and I don't look at all orange. And I think I'm seeing some difference in the firmness of my skin as well.

I highly recommend this product. It is cheap and it works!!!

Vintage Scarves

I'm putting this post under the heading 'Frugal' because wearing a vintage scarf truly is a great way to save money and still dress with distinction. I'm constantly on the lookout for vintage items of clothing that will fit into my wardrobe. I typically wear lots of black- it's so easy to mix and match. But I do love color.

That's where vintage accent items save the day. Here's an example. For Allie's Bridesmaid Luncheon I'm wearing a new black skirt [the only thing new I purchased]. I got this at Sam's Club for about 15.00. The reason I got it is that it has the newer silhouette [slim with a slightly puckered/ruffled look at the hem]. This is important if you don't want to look like a bag lady.

I knew when I bought it that I could build many outfits upon the base of this stylish black skirt. For the Bridesmaids Luncheon I'm pairing it with a Thrift Store pink silk blouse I got several years ago and a very cute 60's scarf with shades of pink and black in a geometric pattern I purchased from www.thevintagescarf.com

This on line store has a great selection of vintage scarves at very low prices- shipping is quite low too. I think I mentioned that I'm borrowing a pair of low heeled black sandals from Allie for this particular event.

If you like a funky sort of 'out of the box' look, like I do, then checking out The Vintage Scarf may give you many ideas about your wardrobe. Hope your day is great.       

New Pea Coat

I've been meaning to blog about this for several days, but just keep forgetting. Over the weekend I went by my local thrift store and was able to find something I've been looking for for a very long time.

Let me back up a moment and explain. Over the Christmas Holidays Allie and I were shopping at the local mall- well she was shopping, I hate malls so I was just keeping her company. She was getting a new cell phone. As we were sitting there waiting [you know how long it takes when you get a new phone] we saw a group of ladies stroll by. One of them was wearing a beautiful pink pea coat.

Allie and I both looked at each other at the same time and exclaimed over how nice that coat was. Allie said she was going to catch up with the passing ladies and ask where the coat could be purchased. She did just that and came back with a starling answer. The coat had been a one of a kind bargain gotten on Ebay.

Although we were sad about this, I was encouraged too since I've found quite a few great bargains on Ebay. Maybe another similar pea coat would be listed. I've been watching for several months and no pink pea coat. So I just wrote it on my list of 'things I want to find someday'.

This weekend as I was strolling through the thrift store I found, not a pink pea coat, but a bright Sapphire blue Kashmiracle Pea Coat. I was entranced.....is was a great happy shade of blue and it felt so soft and comfy, I had to have it.

So I got a new coat for next season for under 5 dollars. It is a fun vintage [looks like the 50's] coat. I'll drop it by the cleaners then pack it up for next season's cold weather. I marked the coat off my list. Having a 'things I want to find' list helps me keep focused on what is a real bargain and what is just a frivolous expenditure.

As a note, I just looked Kashmiracle up and the brand was widely available in the 1950's-1960's even into the '70s -prices in vintage online clothing stores can be as much as $150.00 for a similar coat. I think my $4.99 was spent wisely.   

   

Cheap Instant Peach Tea

I've been brainstorming lately about exactly how to make a cost effective Iced Peach Tea that could be served at Allie and Josh's wedding. We're trying to feature regional items at the reception and in the Hospitality Bags for the out of town guests. I could of course buy the expensive premixed instant peach tea.....but where's the fun in that? Not to mention it would be sort of pricey.

So far my favorite experiment has been to buy very cheap 'no name' instant tea [.99 for a really big jar] and mix one cup of this with a box of peach jello. This produces an iced tea with a peachy undertone that is not really sweet. If you liked sweet tea you'd simply add 2 cups sugar. You can make it very strong by only adding one quart water to the above mix, but I prefer it not quite so strong- so I mix it with two quarts water. And I've found it makes a really nice hot tea as well. Just mix the one cup instant tea, peach jello, and sugar together and store as a homemade mix. One teaspoon added to a cup of hot water makes a soothing delicious tea.

I'm pretty pleased with this recipe, it qualifies for all my criteria : It's cheap, it's instant, it tastes good, & it seems very 'Southern'.   

Moving the Furniture

Do you ever get a bee in your bonnet to move your furniture around? My husband would probably say I needed a 12 step program for this particular foible of mine. I do love to move around furniture. In my mind it is the cheapest [free] way to enjoy a little new decorating.

Once, in a galaxy far far away, and a long long time ago I convinced my husband to help me move a piano up a flight of stairs into my toddler son's room. Yes, we did it....just the two of us. No wonder the boy is so musical.

Anyway, I love to change things around. And I'm no respector of room designations either. Just because some architect decided to label a room, Living doesn't mean it can't function as a Dining Area. Once my husband left on a business trip to New  York- when he returned I had [with the help of a few of my son's burly high school buddies] entirely changed the floor plan of the downstairs. The Living Room was now the Dining Room, the Dining Room was now a cozy [read crowded here] study....you get my meaning.

Today I want to move a wing chair from the Living Room to a sunny corner of the kitchen. It will make the perfect personal retreat/ reading nook.  Of course this means all or most of the present Living room furniture will need to be reorganized. And I'll have to get creative with the kitchen table as well......

When we spoke on this topic over the weekend Hutch nodded, swallowed hard, and said he'd move anything anywhere I wanted it. But his face [ the look of resigned dread was quite obvious] told a much different tale. So I'm waiting for a few days until he has a chance to let this new idea of mine marinate in his mind.

I've learned the hard way that the most important thing is that he is 100% OK with any furniture moving I do. I'm hoping to have this move accomplished within a week. Wish me luck.

Recycling Old Clothes

I was down in the basement recently [that's where my treadmill resides]. Our son Jon has all his worldly goods down there too. He had an apartment until a couple of years ago when he decided to change colleges and also decided to live in the dorm for a season. We have a whole apartment full of furniture in one large room downstairs.

As I said, the other day I was finishing my exercise [running/walking] and I noticed a plastic garbage bag full of discarded 'Jon' clothing. On the top were a stack of new looking 'wife beaters' t-shirts. Jon wears those a lot in the Summer, especially when he was a life guard. Anyway it was cold that day and I was looking for layers to add under my fleece jacket.....

Yes I snagged those undershirts, and I must say they are working for me better than standard chemises. They are light, warm, and fitted so I don't have to worry about constant slipping. I love them. I don't think I'll let Jon have them back :).

It just goes to show that if you take the time to look around your home usually you'll find you already have something that will work for your current needs. Even if you need to think outside the box to do it. I love that old saying I heard from someone who grew up during the Depression, "Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without."

With the perilous financial times looming ahead, now is a good time to put this in practice again. Every penny saved, pinched, or earned makes a difference.         

Frugal Gardening Site

I just thought I'd post this link since some folks might be interested in trading seeds, plants, and such. This is a very nice site to facilitate that: http://www.plantswap.net/  Hope you find some of the things you're needing for your garden here. I like the fact that they have a regional section so you can trade with folks near you who might have older or heirloom type seeds that do well for your area.   

Daffodils Finally Up & Frugal Landscaping

I'm proud to report that the daffodils I planted at the end of last growing season are finally up and blooming. I do love these humble yellow flowers. As a child we lived with our extended family in a kit house from Sears and Roebuck. It was a big rambling Craftsman style home with lots of porches.

It was built during the First World War and the family who had lived there then must have had a dedicated gardener. That old home had a perfectly huge patch of daffodils that came up like clockwork every year out by the stable/car garage.

They were the first flowers up every Spring and I can remember laying in the lush green of the patch and smelling the heavy scent of the flowers. It's a great memory from my childhood. Sooo....I'm trying to recreate that daffodil patch in our own gardens now. Daffodils make new bub-lets every year so the patch should grow and grow with a little judicious digging up and bulb separation over the years. I try to buy all my bulbs etc. at the end of the growing season when Walmart puts them all on sale. Great bargains to be had if you can wait till the next blooming time.

This year I have been investing in day lilies from Sam's- only because the price is so cheap. 13.00 for 24 day lilies is pretty hard to beat. Although my plan is also to look for local new building where you can go and dig up old landscaping [bulbs, bushes, etc] for free most of the time. Sometimes you can get great old day lilies from dilapidated abandoned farmhouses and barns & just the side of country roads in this neck of the woods. I usually watch for them and after they finish blooming I get them. And this year the Farmer's Bulletin has listed places where older folks give away plants if you'll come dig them up. You can get lots of lirope that way.....

My husband tells a funny story about how his dad landscaped their lawn for free in Florida years ago. It seems there were lots of sod farms in that area. And my FIL had a traveling job. The sod squares would blow off the trucks that were transporting them back East. Every time my FIL saw a square sitting by the road, he'd pull over and out it in his trunk. He'd bring the square home and plant it in the front yard. Hutch says they had the nicest yard in the neighborhood:).    

Hopefully some day my grandchildren will get to lounge in a flowery bed, look up at the passing clouds, and smell the rich scent of Spring- just as I did once upon a time.      

Cheap Dog Medicine

I buy our dog, Ernie's, heartworm and flea repellent drops on line from a wonderful Canadian Vet Pharmacy, Universal Pet Meds. It is cheaper than over the counter and for most products you don't need a prescription. Ernie takes Interceptor and Frontline Plus. Right now orders over 99 dollars are shipped free. I have used these folks for 4 years and I have been very pleased with them. If you are in need of pet medicines please go here to check these folks out: www.universalpetmeds.com 

Hope your Valentine's Day has been sweet. I have had a lovely day. I made a few more corsages and I've done some in depth cleaning around the house. It smells nice and clean around here.   

Allie and Josh are in the process of deciding on a wedding photographer. Allie likes the photo journalistic style- I do too. I love the action shots and the unplanned serendipity shots. 

I know they will find just the right photographer. I sure have had fun looking at on line portfolios. Right now our favorite is a man named Ronnie Wolf. He really has a great eye. anyway, hope you continue to be warm and cozy.

New Pantry Shelves

We've lived in our home for almost twenty years, and in all that time I've struggled with my pantry shelves. They are the kind of closet organizer shelves that leave spaces in between the white wire slats. This causes everything to slump sideways and fall over.

After reading from another blog about a lady who had fixed her similar problem I mentioned it to my DH. He immediately set out to solve this puzzle. He's really good at thinking outside the box and coming up with neat answers to tough problems.

He proved his skill once again....He purchased inexpensive sheet Plexiglas looking fluorescent light covers. He cut them to fit my shelves. I feel as if I have a whole new pantry!!! The panels are light and will be easy to clean. I couldn't be happier.

As soon as we get back home from Mom's I'll try to take some pictures and post them.    

Roses Part Two

  I got my beautiful roses and I had great fun arranging them. I ended up with three large arrangements. One in the Living Room, One in the master bathroom, and one on the table in the foyer. I also had enough roses for bud vases in the downstairs bath and in my office. I'm looking at one of them as I write. These each had two roses. The Sam's Club two dozen rose deal comes with baby's breath and leather leaf as well. The roses were in nice tight buds, so they should last even longer than five days.   

So, for the grand cost of $17.41 I got it all. That broke down to 14.99 for the flowers and 2 dollars for the vases. I had the other vases in my under the sink stash. If you're thinking of getting flowers I really recommend Sam's Club.      

Inexpensive Valentine Roses

I'm on my way out the door to get my Valentine roses. I do love fresh roses, especially in the Winter months. They make a home seem so cozy and they smell wonderful. But here's the catch. They are ridiculously expensive around Valentine's Day. 

Because I know the lady who works at the local Sam's Club [she's really helped me with some research for Allie and Josh's upcoming wedding] she told me Tuesday that the bulk roses at Sam's go up over the Holiday. They will cost $14 for two dozen today and 28 dollars for the exact same two dozen tomorrow. The price will stay high until after Valentine's.

Sooo.....I'm getting my flowers today- they have a five day guarantee. I'll get my vases at the Dollar Tree and I'll get the Dollar Tree Pew Bows [think big white satin and tulle] to tie around my vases. Instant expensive rose arrangement. I'll try to post pictures of this later.    

We are going to my mother's this weekend. Hutch has a race down there and Mom's birthday was Monday. So we're multi tasking, so to speak. More on that later. I need to hit the road so I can get those flowers and get back home. Have a great day. 

Just A Few Frugal Wedding Tips

Today was errand day for me. But instead of going grocery shopping, I went researching Wedding things for Allie. You can click on the icon to the right that features Allie and her sweetie Josh to see their wedding site. It is the photo of them with the blk frame. Anyway, as I've said before I'm serving as Allie's Wedding Assistant.

Today my task was to find out the best, most cost effective food arrangements for the reception. Allie's wish is to treat the guests to a nice sit down meal. But....that might be out of her budget range. So today I was chasing down leads. She'd already spoken to a caterer- the best price she could get was somewhere in the 2,500 dollar range....obviously not in the budget.

But I found that Kroger, Sam's, and Walmart all offer pretty good options. Kroger will even cook all the food so that it could just be picked up warm by Allie's wait people [she's hiring two trained people], set up by them and be ready. Sounds great to me. Anyway the Kroger option would run either around 275.00 for fried chicken or 375.00 for roasted chicken- but somebody will have to cut up the chickens if I can't persuade Kroger to do it. Even so- I think that's pretty remarkable. This is for a meal of chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and rolls. So I guess I'll see what she and Josh want to do with the info about the food.

I must say God has certainly blessed them in providing for the wedding. My Mom is doing the flowers. She used to work part time at a florist. We're buying the roses from Sam's. 200 red roses for about 150.00. Then we'll need to buy baby's breath, leather leaf, & floral supplies too. One of Josh's friends has offered to pay for this as a wedding gift!!

Hutch's dad is making the wedding cake. He used to own a bakery. My mom is doing the Bridesmaid's luncheon and Josh's mom [Kim] is hosting the Rehearsal Dinner.

Allie got her wedding dress from China- Ebay bridal stores, you've got to love them!!! A friend of hers who is a professional tailor is doing the final fitting for a very small fee. She's making the veil. Walmart has the ones that are premade, you just attach them to your tiara or hair clips. They run under 6.00.

The colors for the wedding are red and black. Simple and elegant. The bridesmaids are all wearing a black formal dress- one they already own. So everybody will feel like they look good and nobody will have to spend a fortune.

A filmmaker student we've worked with before will do the video [she is very patient and has a wonderful eye] and take digital stills all day for a low fee. She's bringing an assistant who is a film student as well. Also Josh has a friend who is a photographer, she may be taking pictures too. Hutch will do all the post production work in his studio. We will print from either Walmart or Snapfish.

The decorations for the serving and dinner tables are going to be very simple. Lots of white tulle [it's cheap at Walmart] and fairy lights [love those after Christmas bargains]. Votive candles and pillar candles on mirrors. I found a good site online that sells these in bulk at nice prices. Linens, chairs, and tables come with the venue.

Instead of a guest book. Allie is getting a big mat [framing type] and asking folks to sign it. After the  wedding she will have her favorite picture enlarged [probably in black and white- she likes that] and frame it with the signed mat. Instead of throwing rice, folks will have sparklers [it's a twilight wedding and then the reception is during the evening]. The toast will be to small lifted candles as Josh and Allie stand on the steps of the McGarity House.

We're making the invitations, and Allie found a great website for designing her own save the date magnets. They were about 150.00.

And last but not least, about 5 yrs ago I made lots of bottles of sparkling wine. It should be just about right now. Allie and I are going to uncork a bottle the next time she's home and see if it translates in a champagne punch recipe. If so, we can save the cost of buying champagne for the punch.

One of the nicest things is that a best friend of Hutch's who also attends Allie's church in Savannah will be performing the ceremony. Josh has friends and family coming from everywhere- even as far away as Taiwan. I can't wait to meet them and get to know them all.          

         

Yes....Crisco Moisterizer

Yes, you read that right. I have been on a quest to find the perfect moisturizer for my menopause dry skin for about a year now. I remember my GM coming out of the bathroom after her nightly bath with cheeks so shiny you needed sunglasses to be in the same room with her. Forget having a lamp on to watch Ed Sullivan on Sunday nights- we had Grandma. I swore at that time I'd never, no never wear face cream so thick. Well guess what????

Menopause has changed my skin dramatically. Instead of the combo skin I used to have, now I have a face that feels dry almost all the time. Sooooo I began the face cream Odyssey. I've used the expensive stuff- 30 dollars for a tiny tube. I broke out from that one. I've used the discount store stuff- knock off of Oil of Olay. It made me feel like I was slipping and sliding through the day.

Then I remembered what my GM, who was a beautician in the 30's used to say- I'll quote her here. "There's nothing better for your hair than a tube of VO5 and there's nothing better for your face than Crisco every night." Of course with the arrogant elan of a fifteen year old, I was sure she was a lunatic.

But since I haven't been able to find the perfect face cream I decided what could it hurt to try the Crisco? One day as I was cooking baked potatoes, instead of washing the Crisco off my hands [I use it to coat the potatoes] I simply rubbed it on my forearms. My arms stayed nice and soft all day. Hmmmm......maybe GM knew more than I gave her credit for.

I bought a small tub of the creamy white stuff and dumped it into a mixing bowl. I proceeded to beat it with my kitchen beaters. It got light and fluffy- in fact it looked suspiciously identical to a very pricey pot of face moisturizer I had bought earlier during my year long quest. I dumped half a bottle of perfume oil [about.5 oz.] into the bowl and beat it some more. It got lighter and fluffier!!! I filled a cute pink pot with lid that I had bought at a garage sale, put it on the bathroom counter, and stored the rest back in the Crisco tub under my bathroom sink. I now have at least a year's supply of face cream for way under four dollars.

Voila!!!! I have the best, longest lasting, not gloppy feeling face cream in the nicest scent [Sugar Fresh bought on line from www.luckyscents.com ] I can't tell you how pleased I am with myself. And I must say, I tip my hat to my Grandma- makes me want to give that good old VO5 a try on my hair too, LOL.

Hope your day is great.         

Cheap Puppets

I worked with small children for many years- I was a kindergarten/ 1st grade teacher before I retired. Since I was employed by the public school system, there was never enough money to buy educational toys, craft materials, etc. So I had to learn how to stock my class for pennies.

I noticed early on that kids loved puppets and a lot of time they would use the puppets to express their own feelings. It was a sort of a neutral ground thing, I guess. I found out a little boy was being used to gain entrance to homes for robberies by watching him play with puppets. Anyway, the students were hard on the one set of puppets I had. They got used every day by lots of enthusiastic children and sad to say they barely lasted a year. Soo....During the Summer I was on the hunt for new puppets.

At a garage sale I noticed some hot pad gloves that looked like fish. Mmmm....they were sturdy and washable and the fish's mouth could be opened and closed. Those hot mitts were actually fish puppets in disguise LOL. With that success, I think they were a dime a piece, I started haunting the Thrift stores and garage sales for hot mitts that could enjoy another life as a puppet.

You'd be surprised at how many animal type hot mitts are on the market.  I easily found cows, pigs, lions, fish, dogs. cats. lobsters etc. It was incredible how many different puppet characters I was able to find.

And gosh were they sturdy!!!! At my retirement I washed them all one more time and packed them away for my future grandchildren. So if you are needing puppets, I suggest oven mitts. Oh and my DH made a simple puppet theatre for me out of three hinged pieces of plywood with a 'stage' jigsawed out of the middle panel. I painted it like a castle and sewed some curtains that could be dropped from the sides when the 'show' was over. I swear it was the favorite center in my kindergarten class.         

Sewing Diapers

I just bought the neatest diaper pattern from ebay. I saw that some of the ladies over at The Family Homestead had posted about how easy this pattern was. And the ones Crystal made for her new grand baby were so cute that I wanted to make some to send to Samaritan's Purse. The pattern is really several patterns for different styles and I must say I think even a novice seamstress like me might be able to make them. As soon as I finish a few, I'll post pictures. I may even try to make the 'Butt Sweater' LOL. It looks sort of easy to and the instructions were included with the patterns. The whole shooting match cost about 10.00 dollars, and that includes shipping. Cyndie Hamley is the smart lady who came up with the pattern and sells them on line. All her profits go to Samaritan's Purse so you really can't go wrong buying the patterns.         

Makes A Lot Of All Purpose Cleaner

This is a nice all purpose cleaner that you can make for pennies of what you'd pay at the store. You'll need a recycled gallon jug and how ever many spray bottles you'd like. I keep one in the kitchen and one in each bathroom.

Ingredients

1 cup amonia- scented if you prefer, I like the lemon kind

1 cup washing soda- this is not baking soda- you look for this in the detergent aisle of the store

2 cups warm water.

Put all ingredients in gallon jug and shake till dissolved. Be sure and label your jug. Now finish filling all the way up with water. When you want to make a spray bottle full, mix 1/2 cup of this to a gallon of water and fill your spray bottles. Or you can just make up a bucket full and take it to your cleaning site.

Good Inexpensive Make Up

I don't wear a lot of make up, but I do help nature along a little bit. I have found a site- www.eyeslipsface.com  that I really love. It has great makeup at super low prices- usually one dollar a product and really low shipping. They have tip sections that help the make up impaired [me] to make wise choices. I want a very natural understated look and they lay that out for me product by product, including application hints. I have found their products to be as good as the department store name brand kind at a fraction of the price.   

Another site I love is www.worldwideperfumeoils.com this site is an absolute treasure. If you are a perfume junkie like me, you will have to use restraint!!! But I encourage you to go there and check out the wonderful bargains.   

Free Magazine

OK, this is for real. It's not one of those things where you end up having to buy a subscription. I have enjoyed it so much that I've signed my mom up- she absolutely adores it. Now it is sponsored by Kraft, but here's the thing. Just because the recipes all call for Kraft products doesn't mean you have to use Kraft exclusively in the recipes. So go here : www.foodandfamily.com  and get your free magazine subscription.