tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51445300127290416402024-03-14T01:10:29.469-07:00Confessions Of A Frugal MomThe Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-89894865796998226502011-08-14T13:05:00.000-07:002011-08-14T13:06:58.747-07:00This little light of mine!I am a regular at Lowe's, I think it is similar to Norm at Cheers...most everybody knows my name. During the re-do of<a href="http://confessionsofafrugalmom.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-bedroom-makeoveron-cheap.html"> my bedroom </a>and bathroom I was at Lowe's more than usual. Picking up materials and supplies, checking out sales and looking for inspiration. Most women hit the mall when they get a couple hours away from their kiddos, not me, I head to Lowe's. I LOVE to wander the aisles at Lowe's (no diss to Home Depot, we just don't have one close) just looking and dreaming and planning what I'd like to tackle next.<br />
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On one of my frequent trips to Lowe's I learned that in early to mid July they would be doing their annual lighting clearance event with serious discounts. I floated around the lighting aisle dreaming about the $90 lamps that I was hoping would get the big red sticker, they were perfect for my new bedroom. I waited....not so patiently for the sale to get closer. Finally, it arrived but I didn't make it. I was sick with a weird viral infection that caused extreme vertigo, dizziness and nausea which made it impossible to drive. My mom offered to take me but I really didn't even like riding in the car, it made me really sick so I passed. When I finally made it to Lowe's there were a few lights left, mine beloved (who had been marked down to $21) was long gone. *Sniff* Sniff*<br />
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The even sadder part was that I wasn't able to find anything I liked for less that $75 each, which was not in my budget. I knew that I wanted something different but wasn't sure what...So I thought long and hard and walked around Lowe's pondering. Then one, day I saw it:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmqq8dfewenYXVcaPHpwioImzjyJVPUwmuOgUHhaoOcJQCkhrfs9tyDfRxApJ3A2Py6almo74fUMc5sMuwhsBDt8KtM7lWReD2AeMPnaMAg5YMja0sxsPkl0sYar5ogrGHdp440gLdiI/s1600/267791_10150296759975280_746540279_9589478_4479716_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlmqq8dfewenYXVcaPHpwioImzjyJVPUwmuOgUHhaoOcJQCkhrfs9tyDfRxApJ3A2Py6almo74fUMc5sMuwhsBDt8KtM7lWReD2AeMPnaMAg5YMja0sxsPkl0sYar5ogrGHdp440gLdiI/s640/267791_10150296759975280_746540279_9589478_4479716_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
This simple, $3 <a href="http://www.lowes.com/pd_130421-2121-J102747-2_0__?productId=3406660&Ntt=lantern&Ns=p_product_price%7C0&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl__0__s%3FNs%3Dp_product_price%7C0%26Ntt%3Dlantern&facetInfo=">outdoor lantern was </a>going to become our new bedside lights. I quickly picked up the rest of the supplies I needed and headed home to get started. Saying I was excited would be as much of an understatement as saying Mike <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=the+situation&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1280&bih=570&tbm=isch&tbnid=bItxsu8Up_pU1M:&imgrefurl=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20420599,00.html&docid=kwQVSRROT4vciM&w=320&h=240&ei=9vtHTs_YKafk0QHm3Y2mDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=262&vpy=124&dur=2671&hovh=192&hovw=256&tx=90&ty=78&page=1&tbnh=126&tbnw=162&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0">"The Situation"</a> is self centered.<br />
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Here was the transformation process entailed:<br />
-Using wire cutters and pliers to remove a little piece below the swinging door to accommodate the cord. <br />
-Cursing under my breath for 10 minutes when I cut my finger removing the little piece of metal.<br />
-Using 87 rolls of blue painters tape to cover all the glass and opening. (Maybe not 87 rolls but it took a while)<br />
-Applying 3 thin, even coats of spray paint. By the way, when I am spray painting anything I skip the $2 stuff and get the $4-$6 Valspar or Rustoleium.. You should too, all the cool kids are doing it....and it works better!<br />
-Adding a <a href="http://www.lowes.com/pd_40570-1189-864L_0__?storeId=10151&Ntt=candleabra+base+switch&UserSearch=candleabra+base+switch&productId=1182231&N=0&catalogId=10051&langId=-1">candelabra kit</a> that I bought at...you guessed it, Lowe's. I paired it with a set of CFL candelabra 60Watt bulbs that I picked up at Lowe's too. I like that they were brighter than a nightlight bulb that I feared I may be stuck with.<br />
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After I finished and switched it on the bare glass was WAY to bright! Our bedroom could have been mistaken for an airport landing strip so I needed to rectify that. I found some craft paper that kind of matched and went with it. I'm thinking about frosting them at some point.<br />
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After, a week or so I decided to hang them on scroll hooks and love the final product:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskElrNQFli7EkXLO0vFOzHMJuJHiOgxn0H1SMbTOE0F6E-aXz00BSLcQWxBuZ5Qbyv_pRTQa7ZhWQ-odeQb1N93h96RzHdhlfeT7lX5-dOQULbEk5oBRYnniwJrfKNKBaJ0tnJhqgj8Y/s1600/DSCN2772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhskElrNQFli7EkXLO0vFOzHMJuJHiOgxn0H1SMbTOE0F6E-aXz00BSLcQWxBuZ5Qbyv_pRTQa7ZhWQ-odeQb1N93h96RzHdhlfeT7lX5-dOQULbEk5oBRYnniwJrfKNKBaJ0tnJhqgj8Y/s640/DSCN2772.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
At, night they are the perfect amount of light so I am in love with them...big time!<br />
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Here is the budget breakdown:<br />
2 Lanterns, $3 each<br />
2 Candelabra kits $5.34<br />
Spray Paint $4<br />
2 Scroll Hooks $3.98<br />
Pack CFL light bulbs $5.98<br />
=$34.62<br />
or $17.31 per lampThe Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-84691468580799983712011-07-28T07:46:00.000-07:002011-07-28T07:46:50.598-07:00Take a minute and soak it up!In our neck of the woods things are a bit different. It seems like bad news occurs far more often than good news: a lumber mill is closing and 100 people will lose their jobs, the EPA is making coal mining more difficult so coal jobs are down, a local hospital is closing, some one's house was lost in a fire, yet another business is leaving town, the Mountaineer's are having a bad year....I could go on. But, in all seriousness, there isn't a lot of job growth or new industry that decides to re-locate to the beautiful mountains of West Virginia so we hear our fair share of bad news.<br />
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A couple years ago it seemed like we were about to lose one of the things we have to be proud of in our little state. The Greenbrier and it's fabled history was on the auction block. After years of losing money the gorgeous resort was for sale, Marriott, an industry leader was in talks to come in and buy it. But everyone knew what would happen if such a large company was involved....hundreds would lose their jobs and we would get another strike in the "lose" column. But at the last minute, literally, a white knight rode in to save the day. Jim Justice, a local guy who made his money from coal bought the resort and vowed to bring it back to it's glory days. <br />
He started by bringing back hundreds of laid off workers, and hiring more. Issues with the labor union were quickly resolved, renovations and updates were started. He opened up the checkbook and has yet to stop! There have been so many changes and additions: a steak house featuring the name of WV native and NBA star Jerry West, an over the top casino, an ice rink, more stores and then the biggest of all, a PGA Tour event. <a href="http://www.greenbrier.com/golf/the-greenbrier-classic.aspx">The Greenbrier Classic</a>. The Classic is now in it's second year, last year was a phenomenal success, exceeding everyone's expectations. <br />
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But, this year Jim Justice upped the ante. After narrowly missing the award of the coveted 5th star last fall The Greenbrier was ready more than ever to show the world the better side of WV. It is a week of nothing but good news! On the <a href="http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=21128">golf course</a> Phil Mickelson, Tom Watson, John Daly, Sergio Garcia and returning champ Stuart Appleby. Most brought their families to the friendly resort, singing it's praises for creating the best family atmosphere on the tour. But, the fun won't stop when the sun goes down, Jim Justice upped the ante there too. Performing as part of the classic will be country greats (we mountaineers like our country music) Tim McGraw and Keith Urban with rising stars Miranda Lambert and Luke Bryan. Friday night the Allegheny Mountain will rock to the sound of The Black Eyed Peas, yes the same group who performed at the Super Bowl. Like I said, it is a week of good news in our little state. <br />
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So, you may be wondering why I am writing about this on a blog that is mostly about being frugal and saving money. Well, simply, I'm proud. I grew up in a one stop light town where people left their doors unlocked and wave a friendly hello. However, it is now long past it's glory days as a booming lumber town but still, neighbors care about neighbors, people wave and greet you with a "Hi ya'll." This is a big deal for our little state, short of the WV Mountaineer's winning a National Championship (Lord, are you listening, I've been praying for that for a while now?) this is the most exciting thing to happen here. I am a WV girl at heart and so proud of my little state that is on stage for the whole country to see this week. <br />
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Tonight, I'm going to take a minute to soak it up while enjoying the sweet voice of Tim McGraw. I remember first hearing his song <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-TXBniRz1g">"Don't Take the Girl"</a> when I was 15 and being awestruck. A few years later I danced to "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohC7o_PPPtY">It's Your Love</a>" as a new bride. When God blessed us with 2 little girls "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOWrfs4Ec7I">My Little Girl"</a> became a favorite at our house. There are so many more too, his songs resonate with me. <br />
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So, I'm taking a minute, I won't think about couponing, the next room I want to makeover, back to school sales or the bad news that will headline our news next week when 30 more jobs are lost somewhere in the great state of West Virginia. Tonight, I'm just going to soak up the good and be proud of our state and thankful for men like Jim Justice who don't forget their roots and save a little piece of WV for us to be proud of. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCf1SUMs_lZS7R03QxHEn6NnKZ6oNlVSPSoqU3gk-AFzzz_ZuDlnCFYS2AvWvC2-uVRwSYri1j3CKJLXfXTlcPkIy8QVc0kpekafYkdWMxKqlVCXZN2KyOV64pgJ_LqrwcEGJQlsjl7w/s1600/dancing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCf1SUMs_lZS7R03QxHEn6NnKZ6oNlVSPSoqU3gk-AFzzz_ZuDlnCFYS2AvWvC2-uVRwSYri1j3CKJLXfXTlcPkIy8QVc0kpekafYkdWMxKqlVCXZN2KyOV64pgJ_LqrwcEGJQlsjl7w/s640/dancing.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It seems like a lifetime ago, but here is my new husband and I swaying along to Tim McGraw at our wedding. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
If you aren't one of my local readers or aren't familiar with <a href="http://www.greenbrier.com/">The Greenbrier</a> is truly the pinnacle of a luxury resort nestled in the mountains of WV. The activities are endless. I hope that everyone has the chance to visit one day, if you do my husband, Lance, is one of the 1500 proud Greenbrier employees ready to make your stay everything you've dreamed of. <br />
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</a></div>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-18793978076331649262011-07-27T14:50:00.000-07:002011-07-27T14:50:09.030-07:00My bedroom makeover...on the cheap.A haircut, a decent bottle of wine, entree at a casual dining restaurant, trip to the movies....what do all these things have in common? The all cost more that my bedroom makeover which is totaling up to $10 right now...yep, $10! <br />
So, way back before summer got it's grip on me and never let go I was re-doing my bedroom...at least I was really wanting to. When I found tile for our bathroom it gave me a little inspiration to get started...I just needed more motivation. I didn't dislike our bedroom ao I wasn't terribly motivated to re-do it....it was in the "it'd be nice" category. Here is a look at our previous ho-hum bedroom:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9d_CwPQSOHNNR_-9SpTGInuKUmQVWkVKHW0ByTfpzVsc4mq8mckhKPrW4PFr602G4DjTzOIWwWdb4SmdeOw4vw2W03x_7S8x7-d_LBahLpVKXtHju6AvecOIJzhSgf2AKOvN-BXBhCOg/s1600/5888_149840875279_746540279_3896857_5508909_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9d_CwPQSOHNNR_-9SpTGInuKUmQVWkVKHW0ByTfpzVsc4mq8mckhKPrW4PFr602G4DjTzOIWwWdb4SmdeOw4vw2W03x_7S8x7-d_LBahLpVKXtHju6AvecOIJzhSgf2AKOvN-BXBhCOg/s400/5888_149840875279_746540279_3896857_5508909_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> It was a mission style bed that was orginally a cherry color but I painted it black one day...as well as the rest of our furniture. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Jp3W4ollpNqhzc1MylLDGNltVIFk0mtNhyRGBDrasTSek0-egnDU8LGWcg3FFNGvYFQLnnMwQKI4XsERkqaq7uavLUFeKK0KuAi4py6DWH1xufTNi_GuemeAVWTmHbd5KsLowoaCytc/s1600/5888_149840880279_746540279_3896858_1179781_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Jp3W4ollpNqhzc1MylLDGNltVIFk0mtNhyRGBDrasTSek0-egnDU8LGWcg3FFNGvYFQLnnMwQKI4XsERkqaq7uavLUFeKK0KuAi4py6DWH1xufTNi_GuemeAVWTmHbd5KsLowoaCytc/s400/5888_149840880279_746540279_3896858_1179781_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Speaking of furniture...we had a lot of it in our room: Queen bed, 2 night stands, dresser, small chest, armoire, and a bench. It all made our kinda big bedroom feel kinda small! <br />
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I happened to be at a yard sale one day when a friend was buying a queen size sleigh bed set for her daughter...for $250!! I was beating myself up for not getting there 10 minutes earlier and snagging it myself. Then she said, "I'm not sure if this will fit in my daughter's room, if not do you want to buy it from me?" As I tried to contain my glee and optimism I quickly nodded my head, I think I was unable to speak because I was so excited and hoping it wouldn't fit. An hour later I got the call: it was mine! For $250 I got a Broyhill sleigh bed, 6 drawer dresser, nightstand and even a queen pillow top Setra mattress with a new cover.<br />
After muting the phone and squealing like a tween at a Justin Beiber concert I put the wheels in motion for my bedroom makeover. But first, I needed to get rid of my furniture...a couple for sale ads and few hours later I'd sold it all for $500...yep, I made a profit (but I did sell a lot of pieces). <br />
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Here is a glisme at my new room:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfpCiltdE-ronFxZl391yY5DJXt74rpcmT-MTmafI4-_QRXJApQJqfiBekE9LwkSlyk7XQR-zVDiHYjllbRVmnEsgLfAN_JdzrA1L047BOIx6jDftzIZvQynwoTe8rLz3bnqngYxlgRg/s1600/DSCN2763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJfpCiltdE-ronFxZl391yY5DJXt74rpcmT-MTmafI4-_QRXJApQJqfiBekE9LwkSlyk7XQR-zVDiHYjllbRVmnEsgLfAN_JdzrA1L047BOIx6jDftzIZvQynwoTe8rLz3bnqngYxlgRg/s400/DSCN2763.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new bed!! Even though it is huge I way way more space in our room. The bed is really high too so I feel all princess and the pea like every night. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnp-FfTx-tvN8EpIpSTGcgt8cpCNk8JKfxwdfaPDepwhvW1FITp6rV9Jf4dqHFdO8-wroosdPoOkWdsigDPQ5zcJ3VMoCqEzaeZjK-1VhIAvqai94RLh2M1gN_CyOMq5jd3DW_jHNTjo/s1600/DSCN2756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnp-FfTx-tvN8EpIpSTGcgt8cpCNk8JKfxwdfaPDepwhvW1FITp6rV9Jf4dqHFdO8-wroosdPoOkWdsigDPQ5zcJ3VMoCqEzaeZjK-1VhIAvqai94RLh2M1gN_CyOMq5jd3DW_jHNTjo/s400/DSCN2756.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>This is opposite the bed, it is hard to get the scale but that dresser is 65 inches long so it is quite large. Yes, the clothes basket is in the corner....I'm keeping it real. It is almost always in that corner...that's where it belongs. <br />
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Obviously, there was a BIG color change. I wanted something more....fresh and bright. We went with Valspar Cornflower Blue, it was love at first roll. Well, not really. I actually have serious paint commitment issues and almost always hate the paint until around day 3. But, now there is serious love. And everyone who has seen it loves it too. <br />
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This is in the corner beside the left side of the bed. I decided to use the nightstand as a little chest instead. It only had one nightstand and I wasn't really feeling it beside the bed but we could use the extra drawer space so I thought I'd put it somewhere.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of my favorite new things in the room is this leaning mirror that I got on clearance at Lowe's. It was black but I've never been afraid to paint something if I like it! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFufgxCXGPO4H_ExOUXtxSwyaJnz1OPnyi-zriHv2AgIvwxNp2UMx4ssiCSwYRdoLQ-ZAXlkPbwKH-ZSC5l4j2VBSzjhjZFuHXeVSYjhb6FahCQgCa7hVNpJD1YCfnTNw5KBUD4jrCbh0/s1600/DSCN2759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
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One of my other favorite things are these great 10x10 white picture frames that I got at walmart.com for $13/pair. The super cute girls in them add to the appeal!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFufgxCXGPO4H_ExOUXtxSwyaJnz1OPnyi-zriHv2AgIvwxNp2UMx4ssiCSwYRdoLQ-ZAXlkPbwKH-ZSC5l4j2VBSzjhjZFuHXeVSYjhb6FahCQgCa7hVNpJD1YCfnTNw5KBUD4jrCbh0/s1600/DSCN2759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFufgxCXGPO4H_ExOUXtxSwyaJnz1OPnyi-zriHv2AgIvwxNp2UMx4ssiCSwYRdoLQ-ZAXlkPbwKH-ZSC5l4j2VBSzjhjZFuHXeVSYjhb6FahCQgCa7hVNpJD1YCfnTNw5KBUD4jrCbh0/s320/DSCN2759.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> I decided to go the black and white route. I love that one of the last things I see everynight (well, every night Teen Mom isn't on) and one of the first things I see every morning is my sweet girls. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwWZy0pgRh-eXZp7HL0VAKz2r-L2PWswHg7EYvCwHPOYAKafQmClAhRk7x1nNaDkkXwcb1iu1hyAJLGPWhftHO7ExgwQer_4Ak134gxftji7X885Ds0388yhLUabPdv11e5FUUavnrco/s1600/DSCN2761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtwWZy0pgRh-eXZp7HL0VAKz2r-L2PWswHg7EYvCwHPOYAKafQmClAhRk7x1nNaDkkXwcb1iu1hyAJLGPWhftHO7ExgwQer_4Ak134gxftji7X885Ds0388yhLUabPdv11e5FUUavnrco/s320/DSCN2761.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
This room is full of details or deets as I like to call them when talking to my husband. So, I delve into the deets next week. Possibly tomorrow but I'm going to see Tim McGraw tomorrow and my little country girl heart is all excited and I have a hard time sitting still long. <br />
<br />
<br />
Here is a budget breakdown of the entire room:<br />
Bed, dresser, nightstand and mattresses $250 at a yard sale (my BEST bargain ever!!!)<br />
Bedding ( more on that later) $69<br />
Pillows, $31, Pier 1<br />
Nightstands, $51<br />
Picture frames, $26<br />
Leaning mirror, $31<br />
Paint, $26<br />
Lamps, $22 (much more on those later!)<br />
Painting, $5<br />
Art above bed that has yet to arrive, $39<br />
=$550<br />
I sold previous things from our bedroom for $540, leaving me to cover $10 of the cost.The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-15296984204276960952011-05-05T12:01:00.000-07:002011-05-05T12:01:23.997-07:00Get your tile on!The other day I was at Lowe's getting some white 6x6 tiles for my 4-H club to make trivets for Mother's Day (we did hand prints cut out of cardboard) the process was the same as this fun <a href="http://confessionsofafrugalmom.blogspot.com/2010/12/coasting-to-christmassorta.html">Christmas gift</a>. Anyhow, as I was high tailing it to the tile section I passed a box that had glass mosaic tile blends in it, I did a double take when I noticed the price: $4.98 a sheet! Here is a look at the tile that had my heart aflutter:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDHFw9hkb_WakinCHl7i-337FmxmsTQO9Agio8hJLb_gl2gPUVTLUyrRX1jzslOFFZjZuRee93NMZcMC3aHfESdHhX4nXZXBu4cFx6cWyr-Std1h17m0EFx4TWVI7qp1X4t5bszLMxjk/s1600/lowes+tile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPDHFw9hkb_WakinCHl7i-337FmxmsTQO9Agio8hJLb_gl2gPUVTLUyrRX1jzslOFFZjZuRee93NMZcMC3aHfESdHhX4nXZXBu4cFx6cWyr-Std1h17m0EFx4TWVI7qp1X4t5bszLMxjk/s400/lowes+tile.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Ever since my hubby and I tiled our kitchen backsplash last year we have been wanting to do our bathroom. You can check out our kitchen tile and our actual kitchen<a href="http://www.modwalls.com/brioblendrockyroad.aspx"> here</a>, the company gave us a credit for sending them some pics! Ours is the 6th and 7th pictures. We loved the company and their product was great, we had hoped to use them to get our bathroom tile but we just couldn't find a tile that I loved, here are two I liked:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6DXDOWnjB-7Z2uha2lQwTCYAszuE-dloJqJlnJihh5OiFxeU0mIFnUYllenkGF-Dx4YesPONVXhPg8Bj-tFIbTp6uROriFe3_16ERc72v0itu9BCJ3Oj251NAI7wKTx9LSqCVghuZh4/s1600/Lush5x2Kahuna_300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6DXDOWnjB-7Z2uha2lQwTCYAszuE-dloJqJlnJihh5OiFxeU0mIFnUYllenkGF-Dx4YesPONVXhPg8Bj-tFIbTp6uROriFe3_16ERc72v0itu9BCJ3Oj251NAI7wKTx9LSqCVghuZh4/s200/Lush5x2Kahuna_300.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTRYBYBGp2Cqkay9bND51ExpLqI6ZZvYj5cU4eJ4bNJRE-XvyrpbiRN78ppEayoOBebQLZa63cYsOf1HEyRMj-Kw0n-AMIUb2wQ3TO1lGopGDh73I2Ld0QlpbQnrUeOyJE0zLmgvANfo/s1600/CostaRicaMB0131_100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTRYBYBGp2Cqkay9bND51ExpLqI6ZZvYj5cU4eJ4bNJRE-XvyrpbiRN78ppEayoOBebQLZa63cYsOf1HEyRMj-Kw0n-AMIUb2wQ3TO1lGopGDh73I2Ld0QlpbQnrUeOyJE0zLmgvANfo/s200/CostaRicaMB0131_100.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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As I said, I liked not loved them and at $22 a sqft it would be a lot to put into something I didn't love, a whopping $615, actually. Our $100 credit would barely put a dent in it. I really wanted a 1x2 inch tile for the bathroom to glam it up a bit instead of the 1x1 inch we used in the kitchen. Lately, my hubs has been bugging me about just picking something, I had decided to go with the green and do only an 8 inch backsplash instead of the entire area behind the sinks to lower the cost and keep him from having heart failure. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyhow, back to my destined trip to Lowe's...I stopped and checked out the tile closer and knew I was in love! I liked the brown, white, greyish and steely blue color combo and the brick type layout of the tiles. Feeling pretty sure my better half would agree I calculated how much we'd need to do the 26 sq. ft area behind our sinks. By the way, that sounds like a lot and makes our bathroom seem HUGE, it isn't. That area is a little over 5x5.5 feet, about the area most that have a double vanity would have. This tile is an "in and out" item at Lowe's, meaning that they get a set amount and when they are gone their gone. Not wanting to chance the utter disappointment of buying 1 to show my husband and discovering they we sold out I quickly snapped a pic on my iphone and sent it to my husband's Black Berry with the message: You have about 3 minutes to tell me you hate these before I get to the register. Side note: when doing a project it always helps to have an idea the dimensions or size of the project in case you run into these special buys! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After almost 9 years of martial bliss and 11 years since our first date I know a few things about my wonderful hubby. 1) He likes blue which this tile has featured. 2) He is a pretty easy going dude and would typically agree with my design choices unless the words pink, floral or south western were used in the description. 3) He loves me and unless the tiled made him want to vomit he would most likely agree so we can continue our marital bliss. He was in a meeting and didn't respond to my text within 3 minutes, but I knew I could return them if necessary. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So my 4 year old and I loaded up the tile we needed and headed up to the check out armed with my 10% off coupon, I always keep them with me as if they were my third child. We still have all the tools, adhesive and grout leftover from the last time so we are all set for this project. I'll also be using the gallon of Chocolate Brown Valspar paint I got out of the "miss mix" section for $4 a few weeks back. As soon as I find 2 mirrors to put over the sink (don't want to go back to the ugly builder ones) I'll be all set to get this tile project started!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you want to score your own $5 a sheet tile you can check out some on <a href="http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalogDisplay?Ns=p_product_price%7C0&Ntt=elida&langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&N=0">Lowes.com</a> or swing by your Lowe's, ours had 6 - 8 different colors! I was super pumped to find these babies at online tile store for $14 a sq ft, meaning I saved $8 per sq ft. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are the project cost deets:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">27 sheets of tile =$135 - 10% =$121</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Grout =free (already had)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Adhesive= free (already had!)</div>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-57556286129682215142011-05-02T07:09:00.000-07:002011-05-02T07:09:40.368-07:00CVS deals 5/1This is a great week at CVS to stock up on many things, here are the top deals!<br />
<br />
(2)Colgate Max Clean Toothpaste $2.77, $2.77 ECB<br />
<em><span class="limit"></span></em><br />
<em>Pantene Pro-V Hair Care, 5.7-12.6 oz, $3.48, $1 ECB/2</em><br />
<em>Charmin Basic, 12 ct., Ultra Strong or Ultra Soft Bath Tissue, 9 ct., $4.99, $1 ECB</em><br />
<em>Tide 2x Ultra, HE, Total Care liquid, 19-32 loads, or Powder, 31-40 loads, $5.99, $1 ECB</em><br />
<em>Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color $7.99, $2 ECB</em><em> </em><br />
<em>All Laundry Detergent 2x Ultra, 28-32 loads, or 3x Small & Mighty, 32 loads, $4.99, $1 ECB</em><em> </em><br />
<em>(2)Dawn Dish Soap, $0.99 </em><em> </em><em></em><br />
=$38.47<br />
<br />
Use:<br />
(2) $1 off Colgate from May All You or $0.75 off SS 5/1 (makes it free + profit!)<br />
<br />
$3/2 Pantene Pro-V<br />
$1 Off Charmin from PG mailer or $.25 off PG 5/1 <br />
$1 off Tide from PG mailer or $0.35 off PG 5/1<br />
$3 off Clairol from PG 5/1<br />
$1 off All, RP 4/10<br />
(2) $0.50 off Dawn Hand Renewal <br />
=$26.96<br />
<br />
Get Back $10.54 = $16.96 (A little high but not bad considering that it includes 2 Laundry detergent)The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-46647994457381498342011-04-08T09:01:00.000-07:002011-04-08T09:01:42.400-07:00DIY headboard..... in less than 1 hourAfter I finished making over the dresser for Quinny's room I knew we needed to address the headboard situation...or rather the lack thereof. Since we moved Quinn to a "big girl" bed 5 years ago (can it really be 5 years...!) she has never had a headboard. She had a pretty pink princess canopy that would have hidden any headboard we used so it was never really a priority. I've been itching to do a DIY upholstered headboard for quite some time now and thought I'd try out one for her room.<br />
<br />
When<strike> I was</strike> we were creating <strike>my</strike> our vision for her room I really wanted a big, fluffy gray tufted headboard. Kinda like this cute one from <a href="http://www.westelm.com/products/2038990/?catalogId=43&bnrid=3902401&cm_ven=Shopping&cm_cat=Google%20Base&cm_pla=Headboards_Bed_Frames&cm_ite=AllProducts&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=2038990">West Elm</a>:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DF4NHSw-n0ap7wew6qcHdWTdGNxOYS-xocKBQLrNWUzYQp0h1exMcDXZSnGTdj31h1ZQbmVidPgxw642bswsBKsqFK4yP-_Of9ukXkCJBeJ-uKsostXAQjQaUoXoIA3uFKkC1uG62CE/s1600/west+elm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DF4NHSw-n0ap7wew6qcHdWTdGNxOYS-xocKBQLrNWUzYQp0h1exMcDXZSnGTdj31h1ZQbmVidPgxw642bswsBKsqFK4yP-_Of9ukXkCJBeJ-uKsostXAQjQaUoXoIA3uFKkC1uG62CE/s320/west+elm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
But, the $350 price tag just isn't in the budget, so I watched a bunch of You Tube videos until I felt like I could make one. Which, by the way, is the same method my hubby and I used to build the confidence to do our own backsplash in the kitchen. Then I was off to Hobby Lobby to pick up the supplies: a couple yards of fabric, foam (actually my mom had some left over from a project), and batting. Then I went to our local hardware store and got a 20 inch x 3 ft. piece of 1/2 inch plywood for $2 (I love living in a small town somtimes!).<br />
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Basically, the process of making it is kinda like wrapping a present with many layers. I wish I could have taken pictures of the process but until that 3rd arm sprouts from my head I'm not that talented so you'll have to imagine it! I found this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSircVnX_uY">video</a> helpful, and followed each step using my mom's electric staple gun to get things attached.<br />
I REALLLLLYYYY wanted to tuft it and add in the buttons but truth be told: I chickened out! I can't sew....at all, so I get nervous when anything involves a needle. I decided to forgo it and snaz up the headboard with some cute beaded trim that I found on clearnance and Hobby Lobby. What do you think:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEVo165wvukxxobJGpdecLXKkq3wrt8tXD1x8014II1hM2gK6mavFCapX1pOZ90gTu7Ye3kFLuczah0JRz0ZiXKioaNPzabB-X_Nhsi2bOGhyphenhypheneAU9MDNUYULYZtAzZIS9Ly8vENRM6Bc/s1600/q+bed2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEVo165wvukxxobJGpdecLXKkq3wrt8tXD1x8014II1hM2gK6mavFCapX1pOZ90gTu7Ye3kFLuczah0JRz0ZiXKioaNPzabB-X_Nhsi2bOGhyphenhypheneAU9MDNUYULYZtAzZIS9Ly8vENRM6Bc/s400/q+bed2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I'm happy that I decided to do the trim instead of the tufting, as my hubby reminded me a couple times, "This is our daughter's room, not yours!" She is 7 so she totally likes the beaded, fluffy trim waaaaayyyy better than she would have the tufted look. I used a picture hanger thingy (technical term) that I bought at Lowe's for $5 to attach it to the wall. It said it holds up to 75 lbs so I thought it could handle a somewhat rambunctious 7 year old.<br />
Here is a look with the bedding:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBu82ZTHxI9saw44SrcoUvJkw9ACMicCgWVozI0OgzldE3IF_LJHlZ-kQkkNR2pHnGLEOzXqMK8bHkV5G-FDL-lnBDf0iOSXiWwou1uPDmnLFiDKUcmzw8GSJNl7dTwKhDhT1es5Kwb0/s1600/q+bed1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBu82ZTHxI9saw44SrcoUvJkw9ACMicCgWVozI0OgzldE3IF_LJHlZ-kQkkNR2pHnGLEOzXqMK8bHkV5G-FDL-lnBDf0iOSXiWwou1uPDmnLFiDKUcmzw8GSJNl7dTwKhDhT1es5Kwb0/s400/q+bed1.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Overall, I'm pretty pleased with it and the process has given me the courage to try to do another one...maybe for our room and I'll tuft that one! Here is the financial info for this one:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fabric: $7.99/ yard at Hobby Lobby, I got 2.5 yards and used a 40% off coupon = $12</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Foam: free, my mom had some left over</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Batting: $7.99</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Beaded trim: $2.99/ yard at Hobby Lobby, I snatched up 3 yards, since this was a different day I had another coupon!!! =$5.40</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Picture hanger thingy: $5 from Lowes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">= $30.32 for the entire project...not too bad, especially when compared to the $350 one!</div>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-8612182577194511342011-04-07T07:28:00.000-07:002011-04-07T07:28:32.695-07:00Dresser + paint =love!A few weeks ago my hubs and I made plans for a trip to PGH (Pittsburgh). We decided to head there for a few reasons, first his uber smart best friend is doing his residency there and we could visit him, 2. there is a cool downtown, 3. there was an Ikea and 4. I could find some craigslist deals. About a week before we left I started looking on craigslist for things on my wish list: a dresser and desk for Quinn's room were at the top of my list.<br />
<br />
On Sunday afternoon I came across a listing for a dresser that I loved, it was more of a chest actually. Tall with 4 drawers, decent shape and beautiful lines...sort of an antique style and the $25 price was right up my ally. I waited until Monday morning to send an email, (since a lot of craigslist business goes on over the weekend), I tried not to get my hopes up and waited to see if it was still for sale. I hit send and waited...about 2 hours later I had a one word reply: Yes. Woohoo, let the happy dance begin....but I now I needed to talk this person into holding it for me until Saturday. After a little back and forth the seller agreed. 5 days later Lance and I pulled up with a Uhaul trailer attached to the back of our SUV, Lance used his supreme deal making skills, handed over an Andrew Jackson ($20) and we were on our merry way with this girl:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqVbZ_T6y54sSbk5trdcUN9kFAwQMqI4nZ2gC39JA0NQKBMdwDCl3DQ1mTGY1HmEPUAuajAxVcV2ynfoOeW4aRvLqMIhhABxfhDQQ9vUDTDMnmPXZjLe9NzCc8-AilNSOSAPgXyt3gF8/s1600/dresser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqVbZ_T6y54sSbk5trdcUN9kFAwQMqI4nZ2gC39JA0NQKBMdwDCl3DQ1mTGY1HmEPUAuajAxVcV2ynfoOeW4aRvLqMIhhABxfhDQQ9vUDTDMnmPXZjLe9NzCc8-AilNSOSAPgXyt3gF8/s640/dresser.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>She had seen better days for sure, but under that blue marker and dirty grunge was potential. She had been kept in a garage so there was a bit of a musty odor and one of the drawers needed some repair work. I gave her a good scrubbin' with some hot soapy water and knew that she was going to be a star. The musty smell was gone, and she was looking better. I took some wood glue and repaired the drawer that needed mending and putty to fill in the un-used knob holes. Then I was off to Lowe's to pick out paint. After much deliberation, I decided on a color called "Muted Ebony" from Valspar. It is kind of a steel gray, I wanted a dark, sophisticated gray so I thought this would work. Retrospectively, I wish I'd gone for a lighter gray, but it is growing on me. After 3 very thin coats of paint with a foam roller this is what I am left with:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcPJIkMF5nKgTLiMHQlLWFsIk1iQT1CSQmH-H505uCL-wHeAKSuLlOL1fZ3NQNypnCjqNIcRHH9QxC-vwAIoaepR9YXPbMt0JQQZkwbyi0d4bvrS119uhFXgioMsuX-kIYp0V4Y0h8Qw/s1600/dresser2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcPJIkMF5nKgTLiMHQlLWFsIk1iQT1CSQmH-H505uCL-wHeAKSuLlOL1fZ3NQNypnCjqNIcRHH9QxC-vwAIoaepR9YXPbMt0JQQZkwbyi0d4bvrS119uhFXgioMsuX-kIYp0V4Y0h8Qw/s640/dresser2.jpg" width="366" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The gold handles and knobs weren't cutting it anymore, so I took a can of $1 spray paint and gave them a little makeover. I may change them out later but this works for now. The top was a different material, kind of a slick, lacquer so I didn't plan to paint it. I gave it a scrubbing and left it white. I love how it turned out, although I may add a bit of flair and paint the trim black, this area to give it a bit more character. Thoughts???</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_T8M5Om9KyYvjBiKSHrgex6a2W6RHAEWKolJ6pgEFQ86mneFhaKp-8PW9RMMpg081WSUVG4SCRkXVCN8s9eNqa7YmZ3r9sOLSD0FRmlXVNNheRVaauAAUtxEPIFt-WUFuN2jEA8G4hI/s1600/q+dresser2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_T8M5Om9KyYvjBiKSHrgex6a2W6RHAEWKolJ6pgEFQ86mneFhaKp-8PW9RMMpg081WSUVG4SCRkXVCN8s9eNqa7YmZ3r9sOLSD0FRmlXVNNheRVaauAAUtxEPIFt-WUFuN2jEA8G4hI/s400/q+dresser2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>I'll let you know how it turns out if I go that route. All in all, I think my $20 dresser looks like a million bucks. Ok, maybe not a million but a good $999,999...here is another looksy:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5mTIEJjfgpiUHfVwWKInLrQJ3CvlSNgd7cD9wss-ean0WldS_QEwi2WuxtlSViiys2MVIXJVLQt2ABSS9WeEj3XCdYRAHGLJa9pgkH4NPbeX8SfHxgnqauRt_AdTaecjBdQ7TgjIpYI/s1600/q+dresser3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5mTIEJjfgpiUHfVwWKInLrQJ3CvlSNgd7cD9wss-ean0WldS_QEwi2WuxtlSViiys2MVIXJVLQt2ABSS9WeEj3XCdYRAHGLJa9pgkH4NPbeX8SfHxgnqauRt_AdTaecjBdQ7TgjIpYI/s400/q+dresser3.jpg" width="287" /></a></div><br />
Here is the budget breakdown:<br />
Dresser- $20<br />
Paint - $11<br />
Spray Paint - $1<br />
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Grand Total: $32 for a pretty snazzy dresser that really set the stage for the room re-do!The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-25644403664774464652011-03-24T04:16:00.000-07:002011-03-24T04:16:40.734-07:00Reagan's room part IIBack again for the rest of Reagan's room, the details and fun stuff! When I was planning Reagan's room it was important that she had an area where she could enjoy reading. I was a total bookworm as a kid and hope to instill a love of reading in my kids by encouraging them as much as possible. So the book nook was born! Take a look:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BUAUP-aAFLuerxAhl-GNHikLRemXmLh1oCQL9lCc2hGIyNy_c5DWT2MUPSeKFNk0yeKOT9-sP3CG-RPyT-NLg8Nivg_SYl-zcJqAY81lbgrmHoKB-ApOMDfdvrFupx0W0vP4MYNlAEQ/s1600/book+nook1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6BUAUP-aAFLuerxAhl-GNHikLRemXmLh1oCQL9lCc2hGIyNy_c5DWT2MUPSeKFNk0yeKOT9-sP3CG-RPyT-NLg8Nivg_SYl-zcJqAY81lbgrmHoKB-ApOMDfdvrFupx0W0vP4MYNlAEQ/s640/book+nook1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The book nook is basically a soft, cushy area we made from an Ikea mattress. The cool thing is, the mattress we bought came in 4 sections because it is for an expandable bed. We used one of the sections as a backrest at the front part of the bed (Reagan loves using the top of that area to sit her little stuffed animals). When we were on our big city trip to Ikea we picked up those fun pillows for the nook, at $5 and $6 bucks a pop they were an affordable way to add some comfort and color to the space. After we had the mattress in place we realized that we had a 16 inch opening at the foot of the bed. The wheels in my little brain got to turning and I wondered if we could fit a bookshelf in that space, sort of like a built-in. Since I'm not handy and neither is my hubby (and there was snow still flying outside meaning it would have to be built in the living room) I decided to see if I could find one that would fit in that space. Low and behold, a $15 one from Lowes had the dimensions that would work in the space. It was white and plain but for $15 it was a go, especially since you can't see much of it. Here it is in the nook:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg519JoAihPL2U_X3cby0rVyy4rqcAlh22dLHMq0XE5kQ3yJdqvr__GSCCO7Skzmd5lkP7ndEadBvgIzcFBCaivsT2ORKLlYV1k9l2WwnCyoMMyEM9tbbwiYMIA-Qsf1YXAOGIhOESqmAI/s1600/book+nook2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSDJhyk01hCwV9hHL1IIK1vl8ShL5wB16hTPqby2lYegEJhLTbA9hvYJUjjuYHd3EtGfrxTfZFGEehB6a_18uKjDwGAIXhVEpv6Qtz4RMFaHU6Sw4WTqoHLtX4tt_GMyAKEu2gHRhse8/s1600/book+shelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqSDJhyk01hCwV9hHL1IIK1vl8ShL5wB16hTPqby2lYegEJhLTbA9hvYJUjjuYHd3EtGfrxTfZFGEehB6a_18uKjDwGAIXhVEpv6Qtz4RMFaHU6Sw4WTqoHLtX4tt_GMyAKEu2gHRhse8/s640/book+shelf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I decided to make it a bit cuter with some Ikea fabric I bought., Since I don't sew my inquisitive husband wondered what I was going to use the 2 yards of fabric for, I assured him I hadn't a clue but would figure it out. And I did! Before we attached the cardboard like backing to the shelf I ironed the fabric, sprayed adhesive on the back and carefully adhered it to the backing. Then we nailed it to the bookshelf as you normally would. I think the fabric really made it super cute and Reagan loves it!<br />
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The other favorite feature of the book nook is a cute flower wall lamp we got at you guessed it...Ikea! Seriously, I could move in that place and would work there in a heartbeat if we had one within 250 miles. Here it is in all it's glowing glory:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg519JoAihPL2U_X3cby0rVyy4rqcAlh22dLHMq0XE5kQ3yJdqvr__GSCCO7Skzmd5lkP7ndEadBvgIzcFBCaivsT2ORKLlYV1k9l2WwnCyoMMyEM9tbbwiYMIA-Qsf1YXAOGIhOESqmAI/s1600/book+nook2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg519JoAihPL2U_X3cby0rVyy4rqcAlh22dLHMq0XE5kQ3yJdqvr__GSCCO7Skzmd5lkP7ndEadBvgIzcFBCaivsT2ORKLlYV1k9l2WwnCyoMMyEM9tbbwiYMIA-Qsf1YXAOGIhOESqmAI/s640/book+nook2.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div>To say it's a hit would be an understatement! It has a super easy switch so the kids can easily turn it on and off and the bulb is securely covered there are no worries about the kids getting burned. The book nook is under the top bunk and can be a bit dark the so light serves as a good reading light too. We snatched it up for $9.99, a steal! It really sets a nice vibe in the nook, I may have to sneak in there with Pioneer Woman's new book (that I'm hoping my hubby got me for my upcoming bday) when the kiddos are at school. <br />
Another super fun and thrifty aspect of Reagan's room are these fun flags:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJU6XgwkgWTkncggNKdmV5DEhvHABJJHerYmY1dXcWGcmck9QV80cXeLiflqunwlWaAXUCxPW37g3YG1QzascIfG6gEodhLb-5fX4BPoXKDioleHHWakQzd4VA-dmW8gAf87M492LkY4/s1600/flags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJU6XgwkgWTkncggNKdmV5DEhvHABJJHerYmY1dXcWGcmck9QV80cXeLiflqunwlWaAXUCxPW37g3YG1QzascIfG6gEodhLb-5fX4BPoXKDioleHHWakQzd4VA-dmW8gAf87M492LkY4/s640/flags.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I got the idea from the <a href="http://confessionsofafrugalmom.blogspot.com/2010/08/time-to-break-out-garland.html">birthday garland</a> I did for Quinn's rock star birthday, paper is the one thing I can sew. For this fun project I called up my mama and borrowed her sewing machine, went to Wal-Mart and bought a $5 pack of scrapbook paper then cut it into triangles and sewed the together to create this cheap and cute decoration. I thought it went well with the similar flags on Reagan's canopy and would add a nice visual element to draw your eye upward and make the room seem bigger. Remember, Reagan said that a princess room has to have a canopy, her daddy and I agreed and bought her this cute <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20130878">one</a> in the "as is" section at Ikea for $8.99, it was open but didn't have anything wrong with it. I love it when that happens! Here it is in her room, rocking out with the flags it inspired:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2km81eW3pl5t1dOsgxZuo8Zmy0UlXLD13BJL_6an3vKilWUFGrmwOMt7pcXmGHLpmtj7d7sF_ZOnlrqN2haPGw6KjOko-7DMai4Cpgb8RceFgP6mpV8AyYLxGr8WJPSJB3vsC8EJVJ7w/s1600/canopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2km81eW3pl5t1dOsgxZuo8Zmy0UlXLD13BJL_6an3vKilWUFGrmwOMt7pcXmGHLpmtj7d7sF_ZOnlrqN2haPGw6KjOko-7DMai4Cpgb8RceFgP6mpV8AyYLxGr8WJPSJB3vsC8EJVJ7w/s640/canopy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Did you notice the second rail on the end of the bed with the cute little buckets? We got those for chalk storage since I knew I was going to go the chalkboard paint route. Keeping my theme of turning paper into decor, I decided to cut out the letters of Reag's name in cutesy paper, I then used clothespins and twine to create a simple but large decoration for over the dresser:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-EOpQdKR5ubjLn5qq5lhEkbGJVkWm8BlHlD7bFH-7jKRO41ntTtj1bL5dbbYq9xGTyFvg09BmbciltYlE9oyugHVEHRwZbYg7z0AgeIZ63g2oNUUOMh4lk7PAW4-IYMQaJf_rW1XSRw/s1600/name.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-EOpQdKR5ubjLn5qq5lhEkbGJVkWm8BlHlD7bFH-7jKRO41ntTtj1bL5dbbYq9xGTyFvg09BmbciltYlE9oyugHVEHRwZbYg7z0AgeIZ63g2oNUUOMh4lk7PAW4-IYMQaJf_rW1XSRw/s640/name.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
It has been getting rave reviews and cost a whole $1.12 so if one gets blown down when we open the windows to let in a spring breeze I won't be stressing. I'll just grab a piece of scrapbook paper and make a new one. That is one reason I used so many different paper patterns, I am not limited to making it match! <br />
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Want to see my favorite thing in her room? I love it so much I want my own:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LtSAQOnoWtpdUwFrCux08GmlmOMnT-nyLzkwwb0OIBLDsBGxy9I5L9wRMd31TbkXHdwl2IhOftU12LFxwZs5AlouLjecJek42OwlyQsi3DAl79MYU_80Pw_t2UsE0BIdIueXGUU9vao/s1600/rug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-LtSAQOnoWtpdUwFrCux08GmlmOMnT-nyLzkwwb0OIBLDsBGxy9I5L9wRMd31TbkXHdwl2IhOftU12LFxwZs5AlouLjecJek42OwlyQsi3DAl79MYU_80Pw_t2UsE0BIdIueXGUU9vao/s640/rug.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>That awesome, fun and quirky rug really sets my heart aflutter! I spotted i<a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30151709">t </a>on Ikea's<br />
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So that brings us to the end of Reagan's room tour...now for you number nerds here is the total dinero that we dropped for this room:<br />
$225 from<a href="http://confessionsofafrugalmom.blogspot.com/2011/03/reagans-fun-and-functional-princess.html"> this</a> post<br />
$16 for pillows<br />
$15 for the bookshelf from Lowes<br />
$6 for fabric for the bookshelf<br />
$9.99 for the wall flower (I couldn't resist)<br />
$8.99 for the canopy<br />
$6.12 for the flags and name<br />
$39.99 for the rug<br />
All the other decor in the room was free! We reused it from our other daughter's previous princess room. I just refreshed it a bit by painting the frames with paint we already had.<br />
=$326.98 total<br />
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Pretty good, but remember, we sold her old furniture for $325 which brings the grand total down to $1.98! So we re-did this room top to bottom for less than a gallon of milk! The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-26938460443291299162011-03-22T08:50:00.000-07:002011-03-22T08:50:27.111-07:00Reagan's fun and functional "princess" room: the breakdownOur 4 y.o., Reagan, has big imagination and even bigger ideas, but somehow they get lost in translation. She is truly one of the most interesting kids I know and would like to spend an hour in her mind. She and I spent a lot of time discussing what she wanted for her room....we don't want to re-do it again for several years so it was important that it be something she enjoys now and will continue to enjoy for years to come. That reason alone is exactly why we don't have any characters or character bedding...a fade that passes too quickly.<br />
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Reagan said she wanted a princess room, which as we discovered meant a canopy over her bed like her sister currently had in her princess room....easy enough! A trip to Lowes and she quickly (or not so quickly) selected pink and green as her bedroom colors, her only other request was a bunk bed. The foundation was set. I decided that chair rail would be a nice (and inexpensive) way to add a little character to her room and be a nice transition between the pink and green.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The hubs and I had a trip to Pittsburgh planned, it was a perfect opportunity for me to hit up Ikea and scour craigslist for some second hand deals. Since the deals are always more plentiful in a city. The Steel City treated us well and we found a ton of stuff and had a really great kid free weekend. Sidenote: there are so many local beers in Pittsburgh my hubby almost decided to stay. before we went on our trip we had to take care of getting rid of Reagan's current furniture. I listed it on craigslist (even though results can be limited for us in such a small area) and a local facebook yardsale site our area has, a few days later a nice family came to pick it up, so before we knew it this cute Ikea set our youngest had slept in since 18 months was gone: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCQ4mGrwVT2MiYYtmWezGfGAyb7J84P63Q8aDetzmmKvslhFkRW_hz9a4ZCVVGMMPVKlAJIi2ewIU7juGo5vY2QxuqugI3MQWzt27uOhc6H3BKJHgomfkOTfsSDVabSob2u1PDCBy9Oc/s1600/DSCN0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCQ4mGrwVT2MiYYtmWezGfGAyb7J84P63Q8aDetzmmKvslhFkRW_hz9a4ZCVVGMMPVKlAJIi2ewIU7juGo5vY2QxuqugI3MQWzt27uOhc6H3BKJHgomfkOTfsSDVabSob2u1PDCBy9Oc/s640/DSCN0835.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Don't worry, we kept the dog, We sold her furniture for $325 so that was a good start for funding the new room. Which really helped keep the entire project costs low.<br />
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I started checking out bunk beds, we thought that <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10123996">this</a> cool bunk bed from Ikea was perfect for Reagan. It is reversible so it can be either high or low but even when the bed is on top it isn't too high. Still with me? A picture may help:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH785tKlh16-963vIwDwICRyrFdD9UwEvri81mVJxoy5s6m3oYBXds4m2qxbcp0p2mQax02Yhpbcw7Ih2sOVlgPDZure5Waa8hbaRNnhrhW4UXkjilqkPMShw4XNMNmmfywVQL_qW5FWQ/s1600/kura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH785tKlh16-963vIwDwICRyrFdD9UwEvri81mVJxoy5s6m3oYBXds4m2qxbcp0p2mQax02Yhpbcw7Ih2sOVlgPDZure5Waa8hbaRNnhrhW4UXkjilqkPMShw4XNMNmmfywVQL_qW5FWQ/s640/kura.jpg" width="640" /></a>The $199 price at Ikea is reasonable but I was thrilled to find one on craigslist for a hundred bucks...and they were willing to hold it for us for a few days. We negotiated and brought it home for $80! Sweeeeeeet! But I had big plans for the bed, I grabbed a quart of chalkboard paint and went to town painting those ugly blue panels:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02OVmhU50fW2dNUM6ovlxxfULswPwmZrl4OZIExsBe4HMWh5_H6PKlxTsD0c_k1Hvg_KzqwrHeau8sXKC99ZTCCO99ll1tWeyRVlqL2zxBHXR6DuT4wcg-E3ZG0Jtm70iMLY3Tpvbo0k/s1600/r+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02OVmhU50fW2dNUM6ovlxxfULswPwmZrl4OZIExsBe4HMWh5_H6PKlxTsD0c_k1Hvg_KzqwrHeau8sXKC99ZTCCO99ll1tWeyRVlqL2zxBHXR6DuT4wcg-E3ZG0Jtm70iMLY3Tpvbo0k/s640/r+bed.jpg" width="632" /></a></div><br />
Now the kids have a cool outlet for their creative visions. We call the area underneath the bed the book nook...more on it later! <br />
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After securing the bed the only other major piece of furniture we needed for her room was a desk. I hit up craigslist again and we found a cute and 4.5 year old friendly desk and chair for $30! Those nice folks had ties to WV so they were willing to hold it for us, again Pittsburgh rocked with it's nice people! My sweet talking hubby sure did get them down to $20! Yay! Here it is in Reagan's room:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIdsxDVWDbuDEf3IiQk94Djnlbh_RBIbnUFlmx5Tb541M26glkssuTWHkl1J6sRC1IPwj3i4rTS6H_Lj9kNs4QbvUpNVsliXIJRbYovDV-IO5dXZl0djZ4pqFqeBGyY_0DriH6q70Lyc/s1600/r+desk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIdsxDVWDbuDEf3IiQk94Djnlbh_RBIbnUFlmx5Tb541M26glkssuTWHkl1J6sRC1IPwj3i4rTS6H_Lj9kNs4QbvUpNVsliXIJRbYovDV-IO5dXZl0djZ4pqFqeBGyY_0DriH6q70Lyc/s640/r+desk.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br />
I loved that it wasn't huge and had a little shelf. I have big plans to sand and refinish it this summer, not sure if I am going to paint or stain it. Ideas? Reagan LOVES it and feels very important when she does her "homework" at it!<br />
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Her dresser has been around for a while: we snatched it from our older daughter's room since we were going in a different direction there, before that my hubby used it in college and when we first got married, before that it was at my in laws house. Many years ago it served as my hubby's dresser when he was still chillin' in his under roo's. He thinks it may have belonged to their neighbor before that... so yeah, it's held up well. Did I mention that I have painted it 4 times in the last 9 years! It's now white:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vFswA4Q5PopZ4UsBw5t3Q_3Awi95XOhEKfoCWUoXEDqZk20oSKZhdGkLgu8whdBa_mEmNi4l-Ui5B_ks191Xpn4Wle8NDUfCnze_hol91r67Qy1UTnr1b7dxNR-TEaVP2KazoLuPzVo/s1600/r+dresser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vFswA4Q5PopZ4UsBw5t3Q_3Awi95XOhEKfoCWUoXEDqZk20oSKZhdGkLgu8whdBa_mEmNi4l-Ui5B_ks191Xpn4Wle8NDUfCnze_hol91r67Qy1UTnr1b7dxNR-TEaVP2KazoLuPzVo/s640/r+dresser.jpg" width="354" /></a></div><br />
The big door on the right has a rack to hang clothes but we prefer to use it for game storage and find the area underneath perfect to slide in weird items (i.e. Hungry Hippos and huge drawing pads) that don't seem to fit good elsewhere. The paint job isn't great but Reagan is a bit rough so it will suit her well. <br />
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We decided to keep the 9 cubby shelf that Reagan has had since she was a wee lad of 18 months. We love that she can easily access it and that the fabric bins can store small items. We seriously need to do away with the red cubbies and get some green ones though...yikes:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ32dJJmiTScDOXKQMyMUkxJ92aihEtaR50qPObn_hJWULnMuIevT7JlVcIRJbZxL7e9BE5BCSxgPDMDexCiNHK2usz622tTQesEFv3UDMi7gf5QAisA1B2mIuBRvTmMdYq9ZGBQhhBh8/s1600/r+shelf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ32dJJmiTScDOXKQMyMUkxJ92aihEtaR50qPObn_hJWULnMuIevT7JlVcIRJbZxL7e9BE5BCSxgPDMDexCiNHK2usz622tTQesEFv3UDMi7gf5QAisA1B2mIuBRvTmMdYq9ZGBQhhBh8/s640/r+shelf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
See that big frog hanging beside the desk? Like you could miss it! We picked <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60139301">it</a> up at Ikea for $9.99 (on sale!!). I thought is was super cute and fit our "princess" room, plus it serves as great storage for small toys like matchbox cars, My Little Ponies and Zhu Zhu Pets. Reagan can easily get her toys in and out and see what is in each compartment. Reagan isn't great at picking up her toys so we are trying to giver her good, easy storage options.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQH-heVEIh80bF9uxS0ppOG50P8GSYa2O9HEQuLt2C73lueE-RCYf7_tggFT-2j1RFEVv1zwEET8NzW9ISmYg9zAuVBvqIlEc3SDmuFfhffIjUnpmpp9_HC1Ys5MxN88uOqRpeJsSTetM/s1600/froggy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQH-heVEIh80bF9uxS0ppOG50P8GSYa2O9HEQuLt2C73lueE-RCYf7_tggFT-2j1RFEVv1zwEET8NzW9ISmYg9zAuVBvqIlEc3SDmuFfhffIjUnpmpp9_HC1Ys5MxN88uOqRpeJsSTetM/s640/froggy.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> Doesn't that frog make ya smile? Reagan loves him and his storage capacity! Want to see another fun yet clever storage option we fit in her room? Sure you do!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeD9RdFz87S_OUuwlJ4r67EYncu3CfGNtWtLs44l820M-IXlIQtqGkcEV2fIqAwQA1KXscc7v1OxSleh8DxwI5jv6Jrs9A_rrU2OLzZRvj0kuLVATANIyMwrcxjOAl-EjwgcFdeoYL6A/s1600/r+rod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNeD9RdFz87S_OUuwlJ4r67EYncu3CfGNtWtLs44l820M-IXlIQtqGkcEV2fIqAwQA1KXscc7v1OxSleh8DxwI5jv6Jrs9A_rrU2OLzZRvj0kuLVATANIyMwrcxjOAl-EjwgcFdeoYL6A/s640/r+rod.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>How cute are those? Can you guess where we got them? Yep, Ikea. The <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50072645">rod</a> was a whopping $1.99 and each <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30184446">container </a>was on sale for $0.59. So for less than $4.50 we have cute and kid friendly storage for pencils and crayons. Those cute containers easily snap off the rod so she can take it to the floor or her desk, which she loves. I love that they are durable and wipe down/ wash out easliy!<br />
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Curious about our paint colors: they are both Olympic no VOC paint from Lowes (side note, I wasn't impressed with the paint, it's coverage was terrible!), the green is asperagus and the pink is cotton candy...what a combo! <br />
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That's all for today, but come back tomorrow to see some more including the book nook and the cute flags that people have bee asking about!<br />
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For those of you tallying the budget here is a rundown so far:<br />
2 gallons of paint, $15 each (I had a 20% off and there was a rebate bringing it down from $23)<br />
Bed, $80 on craigslist<br />
<a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50155117">Matressess</a> for upper and lower bunk: $35 each at Ikea, we lucked out and found them in the "as is" section because they were discontinued! But they are still on the website so not sure what's up with that?<br />
Chair rail, $5.17 each (we used 5) at Lowes but all of ours had busted up ends (you cut those off anyway) so I got them for 50% off and then used a 20% coupon = $10.34 for all 5!<br />
Desk, $20 from craigslist<br />
Dresser...free, we owned it already and <strike>we</strike> my mom already had the antique white paint so it was a total freebie!<br />
Rod and containers, $4.50<br />
Frog and toy storage, $9.99<br />
=$224.83The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-14921507790307263332011-03-21T12:14:00.000-07:002011-03-21T12:16:51.184-07:00One month MIAYep, I've been MIA again. The thing is when you have two munchkins a "I'll do it tomorrow" can get put off for a month. Add in the fact that we had the flu (nasty, nasty stuff!) and a stomach bug. Over the last two weeks I have been super busy re-doing both of my girls rooms. What made me think it was a good idea to do them at the same time is still undetermined. But I guess the plus side is that our house was only a wreck for 2 weeks instead of 2 weeks on 2 different occasions and since they were both getting new rooms the jealously was at an all time low!<br />
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Our oldest who is 7 (going on 17) decided that she wanted a Paris themed room: pink and black with lots of Eiffel tower charm. Our youngest decided that she was all about a Princess room. Since the older had a Princess room my brilliant husband thought we should just switch them and only redo one room. But after a few conversations with the 4 year old it turns out that "princess" to her means a canopy above her bed. <br />
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So I got the wheels turning and started coming up with ideas. Obviously I wanted to stick with a pretty small budget, originally we had said less than $500 for both. I'm happy to report that it will be less than $250 for both!<br />
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I'll have more details on...well, the details of each room soon. But here is a sneak peek of the "princess" room:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnClZeeSoJUm_78A-7kN-6LSj6-CV7BDUh3VmFABQpTxvCwuqOkMQttFr0HvE69sjXqAgy8HfQcIqbPW1XUy4tcVN_AKNH358nJaAKfrFdWo6PRUxCHBIL78q4jSzs2117hykE3Z0d-cQ/s1600/Reagan+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnClZeeSoJUm_78A-7kN-6LSj6-CV7BDUh3VmFABQpTxvCwuqOkMQttFr0HvE69sjXqAgy8HfQcIqbPW1XUy4tcVN_AKNH358nJaAKfrFdWo6PRUxCHBIL78q4jSzs2117hykE3Z0d-cQ/s640/Reagan+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The fun rug was really what got everything started for this room! The low bunk bed and book nook underneath are perfect, she loves them!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKxynHWJJLxXqRxDHooOikRXhzFUh2OpBZDOpMKRI9Hlx7HyolgvCWAD1P1d_xOUVHY77fbW-jea1z25vSotnodUJ91Mhry3bt685dZ82KlMkfkXuNU_qyEoaKOgicXp8BBPQ0zzOAXQ/s1600/r3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKxynHWJJLxXqRxDHooOikRXhzFUh2OpBZDOpMKRI9Hlx7HyolgvCWAD1P1d_xOUVHY77fbW-jea1z25vSotnodUJ91Mhry3bt685dZ82KlMkfkXuNU_qyEoaKOgicXp8BBPQ0zzOAXQ/s640/r3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We re-painted a dresser we already had to save some $$$!<br />
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And now get your passport ready for Paris:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSy67zSGQBYNoOX8hFTLHp9Isy1gjmupBarnNU0wTnFgtppt-Uzwq5kcmheNL9Fwp4vqKmJ0NqbZbi7KOAh2rD2izBpFLOPwAB-5oqFjRGxH1HCfBwKPakQPu8_TPt7NcSKcsCoUs2m-k/s1600/q1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSy67zSGQBYNoOX8hFTLHp9Isy1gjmupBarnNU0wTnFgtppt-Uzwq5kcmheNL9Fwp4vqKmJ0NqbZbi7KOAh2rD2izBpFLOPwAB-5oqFjRGxH1HCfBwKPakQPu8_TPt7NcSKcsCoUs2m-k/s640/q1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>We still have a couple projects to do in her room!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgii0_1TFQndXBd48wEqlBbsCP9QZXqZu6Q3xvOU8c8JiqKRNIs79PqFmDn14BBOKfHP5ApaN3K6TUzLQ5rOnaPRU23NKHFtFbq3gleqVgkGE87ON0RnirxDnqd6O-XJ4QwDzXvMxjKD4s/s1600/q2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgii0_1TFQndXBd48wEqlBbsCP9QZXqZu6Q3xvOU8c8JiqKRNIs79PqFmDn14BBOKfHP5ApaN3K6TUzLQ5rOnaPRU23NKHFtFbq3gleqVgkGE87ON0RnirxDnqd6O-XJ4QwDzXvMxjKD4s/s640/q2.jpg" width="342" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That dresser that I re-painted was a $20 craigslist find....woohoo!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Stay tuned for more!The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-30277334752224319462011-02-13T13:08:00.000-08:002011-02-13T13:08:22.847-08:00Just roll with it...a sweet deal!Raise your hand if you plan to paint a room this Spring? Whoa!!! That's a lot of hands up! I'm raising both of mine and a leg, we plan to paint both of our <strike>tax deductions</strike> kids rooms and our bathroom. I'll be a painting machine, I'm hoping I can sweet talk my mom and brother into pitching in. I've seen my hubby paint...it ain't pretty so he'll be on kid duty, if he isn't out bringing home the bacon. <br />
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Anyway, paint supplies can add a good bit of cost to a project. I am holding out for a mail in rebate before I start buying paint but found a deal today that I couldn't pass up! Right now our friends over at homedepot.com are having a sweet online sale on Behr paint supplies: 75% off and free shipping! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDt_7HYKM_wxrJBPumgemu7yHtpgPaaXePAVHO_N5Lux5wbGJLtDChfnejRi869dkb33u9tzafpzV22OCpG2YRwEGfORXiPI7gOmNzlgGMJWQeeVNgKqP9VdNe2o0M1kOGAo4OEU_tJVQ/s1600/behr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDt_7HYKM_wxrJBPumgemu7yHtpgPaaXePAVHO_N5Lux5wbGJLtDChfnejRi869dkb33u9tzafpzV22OCpG2YRwEGfORXiPI7gOmNzlgGMJWQeeVNgKqP9VdNe2o0M1kOGAo4OEU_tJVQ/s400/behr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I decided this 5 piece set was the one for me (and my mom). With a 2 1/2 inch brush, a roller, 2 roller covers and a tray it offered everything we needed! It rings up at $15.97 but after discount squeaks in at just under $4 plus tax. I ordered 4, 2 for me and 2 for my mom. and paid less than $17 shipped! <br />
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If you want to grab some of these (or other Behr Paint Supplies) just enter BEHR75 at check out! Make sure you go through ebates.com (click the link below to get started) to score 3% cash back!<br />
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<a href="http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=%2FilKjAKi2qRUa3LHywgb6Q%3D%3D" target="_blank">http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=%2FilKjAKi2qRUa3LHywgb6Q%3D%3D</a>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-57872065282310229062011-02-07T07:24:00.000-08:002011-02-07T07:24:51.132-08:00My deals and steals this week 2/7CVS<br />
I stopped by CVS after church yesterday and scored these deals:<br />
4 Quaker Oatmeal 2/$5, $3 ECB<br />
3 Kelloggs Cereal at 3/$10, $4 ECB<br />
1 Dove Visacare Body Wash $1.99<br />
=$21.99 <br />
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Used:<br />
$5 off $15 CVS purchase emailed to me <br />
(4) $1 off Quaker Oatmeal coupons 1/2/11 Red Plum<br />
$1/2 Kelloggs Cereals 1/2/11 Red Plum<br />
$0.50 off Kelloggs Total 1/2/11 Red Plum<br />
$1 off Dove Visacare Body Wash<br />
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=$10.49 <br />
- $10 ECB from last week<br />
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=$0.49 oop<br />
<br />
Get back $10 ECB<br />
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Rite Aid<br />
2 Finesse Hair products 2/$6, $5 UP Rewards<br />
4 Old Spice Antiperspirant or Body Wash at 2/$8, $3 UP on 2<br />
4 Gillette Body Wash at 2/$8, $3 UP on 2<br />
2 Welch's Grape Juice at 2/$6, $1/UP <br />
=$44<br />
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<br />
Use:<br />
$5 off $25 purchase that showed up in my Video Values dash board <br />
(2) $1 off 2 Old Spice Products, P&G 1/30<br />
(2) B1G1 Old Spice, P&G 1/30<br />
(4) $2 off Gillette Body Wash P&G 1/30 (limit 4 like coupons)<br />
(2) 2 off Welch's printable coupon<br />
=$17<br />
Use $16 UP from last week <br />
=$1 oop<br />
Get Back $14 UPThe Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-295238758981778372011-01-31T16:46:00.000-08:002011-01-31T16:46:30.170-08:00DIY ValentinesI love a drug store deal just as much as the next coupon lovin' gal. Where else can you buy everything from toothpaste, medicines, oatmeal and beer. Kid's Valentines are galore at every drug store you go to, your choice of Toy Story 3, Princesses, Spiderman, whatever your kid's heart desires. I've never been a big fan of the pre-packaged $2.99 boxed Valentine's, we have always gone more of the DIY route.<br />
Last year we did Jonas Brothers Rock Star bookmarks that I created in Photoshop with design instructions from my then 6 year old:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2OX1ZAeRi309jW-EPCWxH6iowZJK7HVdc6t6lKSo-8mP2CCYnJnPdb1kR6yxWBI1SkjDt59alTue3i410pA0JYKe8E3PVH17wFAW40BrYwXchawfBHGPRQ2r_ZAnsyN_Qv5u3htrOj0/s1600/val.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf2OX1ZAeRi309jW-EPCWxH6iowZJK7HVdc6t6lKSo-8mP2CCYnJnPdb1kR6yxWBI1SkjDt59alTue3i410pA0JYKe8E3PVH17wFAW40BrYwXchawfBHGPRQ2r_ZAnsyN_Qv5u3htrOj0/s320/val.jpg" width="255" /></a></div><br />
To say they were a hit is an understatement, everyone loved 'em. She handed out 50 in about 4 seconds flat. Both of my kids wanted to go the bookmark route again, our oldest is a big Taylor Swift fan so she wanted a Taylor themed one. Our youngest, very spirited child wanted Barbie, below is the picture she initially chose:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkGdSNGKM6hJ3HL_NVHMFKZkMaJasq9ZRDzEqRPsukwpNWep-3_tAcyNCpAzHi-ijGh9bR1yDJ57af_iCD3c5w_FtwYCuasYDCL1XwSmzdj0dWnWrqpQUhCcgrZO95kw_FPr2zmnLYrk/s1600/redneck-barbie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkGdSNGKM6hJ3HL_NVHMFKZkMaJasq9ZRDzEqRPsukwpNWep-3_tAcyNCpAzHi-ijGh9bR1yDJ57af_iCD3c5w_FtwYCuasYDCL1XwSmzdj0dWnWrqpQUhCcgrZO95kw_FPr2zmnLYrk/s400/redneck-barbie.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>Yep, that is redneck Barbie. As much as I didn't want to squash my wee ones creative juices I also didn't want 16 calls from the parents of her classmates. So we went with a more suitable Barbie. I love the idea of a bookmark too, it is something that won't be immediately trashed and the kids actually use them.<br />
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If you aren't a photoshop pro (neither am I) you can do a DIY version. Get a pack of your kids favorite character stickers or the foam letters from the craft section. Even just some stencils, markers, glitter and a couple of hours and your kid could make them. <a href="http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Blank-Bookmark-Templates-FREE">Here</a> is a template for a blank bookmark, you can also google character or Valentine one's. If you have as many snow days as our kids you would have tim to make for everyone in your state. Maybe if we send Mother Nature she'll lighten up on all the white stuff we have been dealing with lately.<br />
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I may send out Valentines with the Barbie picture our 4 y.o. originally chose to family and friends who "get" her different personality...if so I'm thinking about this wording:<br />
This Bud's for You, Valentine. <br />
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P.S. If you are dying for the more professional looking photoshop ones, I'm happy to design whatever your kiddos desire for $10. You can get cardstock and print them at home like we did last year.The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-66191520778726177402011-01-22T08:03:00.000-08:002011-01-22T08:03:53.789-08:00It all started with a look...I was walking from the girls rooms, laundry basket resting on my hip, when I saw my husband standing in our bedroom giving me "the look". No, not *that* look, this is a family blog! He was standing near the doorway our bathroom putting on his tie, his brow furrowed, his lips pursed, then his head tilted to the side toward the bathroom. His eyebrows quickly shot upward and nodded his head. I nodded and sheepishly grinned. He didn't have to say anything, I knew exactly what he wanted, we have been married long enough to have conversations without saying a word. With the "conversation" over he went back to tying his tie and I continued my laundry duty.<br />
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So, what was "the look" and ensuing conversation about?? The crazy, unorganized state of our stockpile. See, completely PG stuff here kids. I love my house, it is great except one little detail: a serious lack of storage. So I have had to get creative with our storage. Luckily, in our bathroom we do have a reasonable amount which is great for our toiletries stockpile, however, we don't have ANY drawers...it's rough. We had to figure out a good way to organize "stuff". Back in December I had to hijack that storage to hide Santa's gifts for our munchkins. Since then our bathroom had been in complete disarray, I knew it needed organized and knew we needed a better system but didn't know exactly what I wanted to do yet. <br />
Here is a before...don't judge:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9Ti7xT38hRXzYN_ZrWsBKq06rApE30HAvYjQaYeZWsX1Y-v0LQmm9ZKZ56d0tVUWuNQXyW8lc4Av-3i0JygqTZUoXNXEXeEo1mEO49sc2y-jxcZCJPZETFF5T40jP2SvzyJFsTI4Amo/s1600/DSCN0687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9Ti7xT38hRXzYN_ZrWsBKq06rApE30HAvYjQaYeZWsX1Y-v0LQmm9ZKZ56d0tVUWuNQXyW8lc4Av-3i0JygqTZUoXNXEXeEo1mEO49sc2y-jxcZCJPZETFF5T40jP2SvzyJFsTI4Amo/s400/DSCN0687.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrNpVEaqFjSDGxufuiRClKOD9EceYCUbs22-QwPXgjottit8xV-W5_FrWWLIkXJ9U9sf1UwQ1YZry2Dsj_1LudinxrIJKvW2i9Kfo8rjwA9Rmr-kXQ97Lgv3GZnb7PUUJts3iWD3Z-QM/s1600/DSCN0689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdrNpVEaqFjSDGxufuiRClKOD9EceYCUbs22-QwPXgjottit8xV-W5_FrWWLIkXJ9U9sf1UwQ1YZry2Dsj_1LudinxrIJKvW2i9Kfo8rjwA9Rmr-kXQ97Lgv3GZnb7PUUJts3iWD3Z-QM/s400/DSCN0689.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had decided that stackable drawers would be a good option. But they were a bit too big and $7 a pop which was more than I wanted to spend. I went to my DG and found $1 stackable totes, they were small and clear and a buck...they were my solution. After a bit of cleaning and purging ( I took things we had waaaayyy too much of to our mission). Here is my new system:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxTv47N0QpRU9pQM7Pf5KCA5ocp_KWU5_WcVrC1JNbixOoOdQwYHf-fqiP6rObOBu6v2N4GVW3Zy9Qnk2HF86M_BJs5djZY8vCAssDq9Mnv9K8dgm0BbcdCGme8YBZqBhZ1Xpo-SmXVo/s1600/DSCN0694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxTv47N0QpRU9pQM7Pf5KCA5ocp_KWU5_WcVrC1JNbixOoOdQwYHf-fqiP6rObOBu6v2N4GVW3Zy9Qnk2HF86M_BJs5djZY8vCAssDq9Mnv9K8dgm0BbcdCGme8YBZqBhZ1Xpo-SmXVo/s400/DSCN0694.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuv5_4P1yK_5c6E0CE8WKTaG6hsRqxX4_ojJ9VjIf98mDX5PEkSr9n50hnJPsE9iEEIV1j6eIqAJLmyuoKxKIkcroSulkI4m15c6uL8in-9drwkBWRRppa98bSYcpTve8vNnKVGeNoLww/s1600/DSCN0695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuv5_4P1yK_5c6E0CE8WKTaG6hsRqxX4_ojJ9VjIf98mDX5PEkSr9n50hnJPsE9iEEIV1j6eIqAJLmyuoKxKIkcroSulkI4m15c6uL8in-9drwkBWRRppa98bSYcpTve8vNnKVGeNoLww/s400/DSCN0695.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I labeled each tub to make it eaiser to see what went where. I left the tall and easy-to-stand up shampoo, lotion and bodywashes out and just lined them up on the side. This really helped me see what I have on hand too. Since they were way in the back, I hadn't realized that we were down to 3 toothbrushes, one bad sickness could wipe us out! We have enough razors however to last until our girls get married and have kids...seriously!<br />
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Here is another look:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwZKjPpm-lreFuJAOorcInbSSVkH8asSlLg_6TJ2qlCOPbapoqksZ_6pFM9grk64PiceNZk1eFTKmicn7m5_HqeK2nINnjnQhZo2qpYCUDobnS6VczJhVBUNTZ7k0acPvHnCovGetZRk/s1600/DSCN0696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwZKjPpm-lreFuJAOorcInbSSVkH8asSlLg_6TJ2qlCOPbapoqksZ_6pFM9grk64PiceNZk1eFTKmicn7m5_HqeK2nINnjnQhZo2qpYCUDobnS6VczJhVBUNTZ7k0acPvHnCovGetZRk/s400/DSCN0696.JPG" width="300" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Feeling all elated and proud I decided to tackle another area of our bathroom. I felt like this area was always getting "fixed" and always messed up again thanks to the lack of drawers. I am a bit ashamed to even show this picture, it will shatter my image of an organized mom. Cue the scary movie music from Psycho ...here goes:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0S0SVJAxHal5MiFcgz8ybBmhZxdDymw6ZIeaQ67IUI4zx2XLH157hqYj8BuAhZEWSro5YrvzUYnwvlt74ngwikvkSU9MpZ4Hyfp-olFkwfeHGM3dXzYCJsIC5sNBt6HMqP8MXUS7bzvY/s1600/DSCN0697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0S0SVJAxHal5MiFcgz8ybBmhZxdDymw6ZIeaQ67IUI4zx2XLH157hqYj8BuAhZEWSro5YrvzUYnwvlt74ngwikvkSU9MpZ4Hyfp-olFkwfeHGM3dXzYCJsIC5sNBt6HMqP8MXUS7bzvY/s400/DSCN0697.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> and this:<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5KT65qN0t76FTYVu39g9iFCI9EeECRBygyLOQBb12lmyrlnjo0EuBqfPGCX8XcNWWGc7q9F44H95AAg0cBnWHnzH_IngnZembhqmqDu4iQn13FNSJcxX0wZMobCAThCTMucgT0s6xFs/s1600/DSCN0701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5KT65qN0t76FTYVu39g9iFCI9EeECRBygyLOQBb12lmyrlnjo0EuBqfPGCX8XcNWWGc7q9F44H95AAg0cBnWHnzH_IngnZembhqmqDu4iQn13FNSJcxX0wZMobCAThCTMucgT0s6xFs/s400/DSCN0701.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Now this was right after Reagan knocked a bunch of things over but whew, that's bad. I bought another of the stackable drawer thingies and got to work. Here is what it looks like now:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVP8alRwArJrJHxEA53PXzcHYHQLmdsRSRGbNOpQ1TBnWCnfCEBO_Pyztu0DgAmwowVHAG4UpFeBZ4uJVFkvpsblhNcs83wZEWgb0Ooczvd0pb_6N0MUSsvKPEKi8kg4BPr-Xw2-INNA/s1600/DSCN0704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVP8alRwArJrJHxEA53PXzcHYHQLmdsRSRGbNOpQ1TBnWCnfCEBO_Pyztu0DgAmwowVHAG4UpFeBZ4uJVFkvpsblhNcs83wZEWgb0Ooczvd0pb_6N0MUSsvKPEKi8kg4BPr-Xw2-INNA/s400/DSCN0704.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxIlx6NkfbyYVNnbLHqjU4wYVJm-mlPisXUFUJeC7F9TjRVwPQscmdfe6T_U4Q01Aa2U_WgoFKTAYtT9Zcdx7FSEa7bF7eG67RWbEjxsByL8MMgyGBuIwmwH6tM3LCnFbEfl79JjwdNA/s1600/DSCN0706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm sure one of those organizing companies or pros would think that this is still lacking. But the reality is I'm a busy mom living in a snow dome so I have to shovel, salt and repeat every 2 hours and this is good enough for me. We have been living with this for 2 weeks now and it is still organized...so I think this may work! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My hubby came home and liked it too, he very impressed. He even gave me "the look".... no, again, not *that* look. C'mom people, my mom and Mother-in-law read this blog. It was a "now let's think how we can better organize the building when the 37 feet of snow melts" look. </div>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-39280051775770033832011-01-14T13:16:00.000-08:002011-01-14T13:16:35.981-08:00Be our Guest, Be Our Guest....Put our magic to the test! If you have a girls I am certain you know that this hails from a Disney Movie. No, I have not lost my mind and decided to write about my favorite Disney Movie, The Lion King. Whoa, sorry, suddenly Elton John was in my head singing Circle of Life. I love that movie, my kids don't so much...it saddens me. Now that I am over that, let's get down to the business that made Disney movies pop in my head: 50% off Disney on Ice! <br />
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Woo to the hoo! Have you ever taken a kid to Disney on Ice? First off, it rocks. Second, your wallet can take a huge hit! When I was browsing Wal-Mart with my fam the other day I spotted a little tid bit about 50% off Disney on the Kraft cheese as a tossed it in the cart. On a side note, my 4 year old would live on cheese slices and only likes Kraft, I allow her to be brand loyal since she loves it so much. When we got home and I was unpacking the goods I noticed that the half off was for Disney on Ice, since I knew Princess Wishes was coming I was super pumped!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaI3QZ00gO9OYvMUPKmynu5lVcxHvjgAkith4qfferkMAM7RmyIjfiFjSzWdbYFkqSC2lFrl0g6gmbC4BTLMEvJgkPwQpp7lcBgRz6p4YvPpftJdBt7UKT7AUFrHKmjfvMWN54hVeJTE/s1600/american_red1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCaI3QZ00gO9OYvMUPKmynu5lVcxHvjgAkith4qfferkMAM7RmyIjfiFjSzWdbYFkqSC2lFrl0g6gmbC4BTLMEvJgkPwQpp7lcBgRz6p4YvPpftJdBt7UKT7AUFrHKmjfvMWN54hVeJTE/s400/american_red1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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I checked out the details on the back and learned you can buy 2 tickets per wrapper but use an unlimited number of wrappers. SSSAWEET! I would need 2 more wrappers (my mom REALLY wanted to go with us!) 18 inches of snow prevented me from obtaining them until today but I finally did. I was confused and thought I would enter a promo code to purchase them on the web but you can't go that route. You have to either go to the box office (which I won't be doing since we live 98 miles from ours) or mail it in (which I did).<br />
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If you have already completed a google search to determine that Disney on Ice won't be in your neck of the woods anytime soon don't depair....you can also use them for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. BUT, only if Disney on Ice won't be within 100 miles of ya. If neither are coming you can mail the wrapper in for a free 1 time use camera from Kodak, if you are going to the show I think you get one too!<br />
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While you get half off you can't use the wrapper for Front Row or VIP tickets but can for lower level! So you can score tickets for as low as $7 per person if you go for upper level. We purchased lower level, after tax and fees the were $13 each for the $24 seats. <br />
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Here is a link for more info:<br />
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<a href="http://www.disneyoniceoffer.com/">50% off Disney on Ice tickets</a>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-55034118177087855682011-01-10T16:38:00.000-08:002011-01-10T16:38:05.485-08:00My deals and steals this weekToday I hit up both CVS and Rite Aid for some deals, although I haven't had a chance to plan my CVS trip so I was getting stuff from last week that I had a coupon for. There are a lot of great deals out there, but since I have a good stockpile I was only getting stuff that we need or was a <i>REALLY</i> good deal....here is what I scored:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8a8_cokPK8XqRo80mC6q0zg0ATDkf7GsnjLqNTMVkzjQeC4JLyfnryheMx9VEUnOOkADQLpsYOu7nl5LAQPmCYb6cXTGxY_IDdibvv8xfoPfIgYxxxtsHta5MikiwoOyuPlGT6o3_TXE/s1600/deals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8a8_cokPK8XqRo80mC6q0zg0ATDkf7GsnjLqNTMVkzjQeC4JLyfnryheMx9VEUnOOkADQLpsYOu7nl5LAQPmCYb6cXTGxY_IDdibvv8xfoPfIgYxxxtsHta5MikiwoOyuPlGT6o3_TXE/s400/deals.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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CVS:<br />
I must be teaching too many people my couponing ways because they were all out of Excedrin every time I went in last week. Luckily, I got my rain-check and waited patiently. This week they had 100ct. Excedrin on sale for $6.99, my rain check was Get $10 ECB WYB $20 worth. I also had some (ok 6) of the coupons Excedrin has been pumping out, I asked the cashier and she said I could just pay the difference if necessary.<br />
So I picked up 3 Excedrins and an Advil (I had a coupon for a free bottle of it too). When i got the the register the coupons worked for the full amount and the cashier said she couldn't adjust it if it worked so each coupon covered the entire $6.99...woo hoo!! <br />
My OOP was a whopping $1.21 (darn taxes!) and I got $10 in ECB's for next time! <br />
Hopefully, if there isn't a snowday tomorrow, I'll get a chance to plan out my CVS trip for this week's deals!<br />
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Rite Aid has a ton of deals this week!! Here is what I got and what I used:<br />
4 Tylenol Precise $5, $3 UP Reward<br />
2 Motrin PM $3, $2 UP<br />
2 Special K Red Berries at $4.79 B1G1 Free<br />
2 Quaker Oatmeal, 2 for $5, $2 UP Reward<br />
2 Clean & Clear at $6.99 (part of spend $25 get $10 UP)<br />
Aveeno Lotion, $3.49 (part of spend $25 get $10 UP)<br />
Lubriderm Lotion $6.99 (part of spend $25 get $10 UP)<br />
=$65.04<br />
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I used:<br />
(3) <span class="q">-$6/2 Tylenol Precise or Motrin product <a class="print" href="http://www.southernsavers.com/about/smart-source-coupons/" id="edwd" target="_blank" title="printable">printable</a> or SS1/9 coupons</span><br />
<span class="q">B1G1 Special K cereal, 12 oz. <a class="print" href="http://www.southernsavers.com/2011/01/b1g1-special-k-printable-coupon-deals/" target="_blank">printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">$1 off Quaker Instant oatmeal <abbr title="Red Plum">RP</abbr> 1/02</span><br />
<span class="q">$4 off $20 Beauty Care purchase <a class="print" href="http://my.adperk.com/splash/d30b50da/index.html" id="xj_s" target="_blank" title="printable">printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">$1 off Aveeno Products in-ad coupon</span><br />
<span class="q">$1 off Clean & Clear in-ad coupon</span><br />
<span class="q">(2) $2 off Clean & Clear product <abbr title="Smart Source">SS</abbr> 1/09 or <a class="print" href="http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=zbppekd22938059&bt=vg&o=61553&c=CC&p=aNKA1FTM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">$1 off Aveeno Body or Baby Product <a class="print" href="http://www.southernsavers.com/about/smart-source-coupons/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">printable</a> or SS 1/09</span><span class="q"> </span><span class="q"> </span><span class="q"> </span><span class="q"> </span><span class="q"> </span><span class="q"> </span><br />
<span class="q">= $25.46 (I had some previous UP's)</span><br />
<span class="q">Got back: $30 in UP...= $6 profit! </span><br />
<span class="q"> </span><span class="q"> </span><br />
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</span>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-54833179839403178612011-01-05T17:31:00.000-08:002011-01-05T17:31:18.942-08:00Month O' Menus FAQIt seems like my month long menu has sparked some curiosity as to how I pull that it off so cheap. Are we raising our own Chickens...uh, no. Nor do we have a cow in the back. Hopefully I can help answer some of the questions you have sent and help you start saving some moolah!<br />
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#1) Where do we get our meat and how do we get it so cheap?<br />
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Answer: We buy 90% of our meat at a local meat shop, Jackson's Meat Market for the local readers. We like to shop at Jackson's for a couple of reasons, first we like to support a local business. Second, they have a great selection of hormone free meat and third, great prices, frequent sales and reduced meat. We also are able to buy in bulk there which is how we save so much $$$. Take boneless pork for instance, pork is typically $2.89 - $3.99 a pound in our neck of the woods. But, at Jackson's, we can but a 12-15 pound pork loin for $22 - $26 (or $1.60 - $1.80 a pound). Then, the fine folks at Jackson's cut it up for me (to our desired thickness) and package it up, 3 to a pack. So I get 9 - 15 packs of pork chops all in vacuum sealed packs which will usually last us 1.5 - 2 months. <br />
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But, it doesn't stop at pork. I often buy LARGE packs of ground beef (73/27%) at a significant savings over regular prices and when it's on sale I really stock up and fill up our chest freezer. I NEVER buy any meat that isn't on sale and always buy whatever is on sale or reduced to put in the freezer. Since my bill is usually around $100 the fine folks at Jackson's try to accommodate my needs, like cutting and packaging my meat for me (for free)! I'm sure that if my little town has a meat shop like this each of you probably do too: ask around, check the yellow pages and if all else fails ask a lil' ole' lady at your church that knows how to cook up a storm, she'll know.<br />
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2) Where do we get our chicken, do we raise or own?<br />
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Answer: Heck no this ain't no chicken farm! We only buy hormone free chicken, boneless, skinless chicken....usually Tyson. I ALWAYS buy it on sale at Kroger, Jackson's or our local grocery store for $1.89 - $1.99 a pound. Again, when it is on sale I stock up and buy 7-8 packs that will last us a while. I also cut the chicken breasts into several smaller pieces to stretch them a bit further.<br />
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3)Are all of our veggies out of date or from the dented aisle?<br />
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Answer: No, we actually use frozen steamer type veggies. I buy them, as you probably guessed, on sale and use a coupon. Our local store typically have them on sale 10 for $10 every couple of months, I can get coupons for $0.50/2 which they will double so I get them for $0.50 each. I REALLY stock up when they are on sale. We made the switch to frozen in order to try to lower our sodium intake. Now, we really love the steamers!<br />
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I think that covers a lot of them, hit me up if you have any more!The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-92217814463846542812011-01-02T17:12:00.001-08:002011-01-02T17:21:11.410-08:00Our January dinner menu....$90!Here is our month long menu, I will make all these dinners for less than $90, about $87 but $90 gives me a little wiggle room. My hubby usually works evenings toward the later part of the week so we usually have our bigger meals in the early part of the week. I'm no Paula Deen so everything is pretty simple, as if you thought Sloppy Joes were fancy!<br />
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The open days are days I know we have something planned. This isn't etched in stone and can be altered to accomadate sales, days I need to switch items for some reason or dinner invitations...anyone wanna invite us over??<br />
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We aren't real big on leftovers so that is why they aren't scheduled often, that is also why we typically only have 3 items per meal. We are simple folk, no 7 course meals here for the most part. Did you think this was the Ritz-Carlton??<br />
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<tr><td><div class="shape" style="padding: 0pt;" v:shape="_x0000_s1027"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: 5.4pt;"><tbody>
<tr style="height: 0.5in;"><td style="height: 0.5in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="BoxesHeading2">Sun</div></td> <td style="height: 0.5in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="BoxesHeading2">Mon</div></td> <td style="height: 0.5in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="BoxesHeading2">Tue</div></td> <td style="height: 0.5in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="BoxesHeading2">Wed</div></td> <td style="height: 0.5in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="BoxesHeading2">Thu</div></td> <td style="height: 0.5in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="BoxesHeading2">Fri</div></td> <td style="height: 0.5in; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="BoxesHeading2">Sat</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 71pt;"> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 71pt;"> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">2<o:p></o:p></span></div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">3 <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Boxes11"><span style="color: red; font-size: 10pt;">$6.78<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Brisket</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Rice</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Corn</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">4<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$3.45<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Maple Pecan Pork Chops</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Twice Baked Pots</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Green Beans</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">5<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$3.70<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Roast</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Potatoes</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Carrots</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">6<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$4.78<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Fettuccine Alfredo</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Chicken</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">7<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Open</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">8<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$3.40<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Hot Dogs</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Macaroni</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Raw Veggies</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 71pt;"> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">9<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$6.10<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Panko Breaded Chicken</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Twice Baked Pots</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Asparagus</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Brushetta</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">10<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$3.78<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Beef Stir Fry</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">11<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$2.89<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">BBQ Chicken</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rice</div><div class="MsoNormal">Macaroni</div><div class="MsoNormal">Salad</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">12<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$4.02<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Casserole</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Biscuits</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">13<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$3.27<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Chili</div><div class="MsoNormal">Grill Cheeses </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">14<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Leftovers</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">15<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Dinner Party </div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 71pt;"> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">16<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$5.29<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">London Broil</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Mashed Pots.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Corn</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">17<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$4.25<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Alice Spring Chicken</div><div class="MsoNormal">Smashed Red Pots.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Broccoli</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">18<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">$<b>4.35</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Homemade BBQ Chicken pizza</div><div class="MsoNormal">Pepperoni Pizza</div><div class="MsoNormal">Grilled Chicken Salad</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">19<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$3.79<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Pioneer Woman Baked Lemon Pasta </div><div class="MsoNormal">Garlic Bread</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">20<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$3<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sloppy Joes</div><div class="MsoNormal">Raw Veggies</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">21<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$2.52<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Breakfast for Dinner</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">22<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$1.79<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Soup</div><div class="MsoNormal">Crackers</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 71pt;"> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">23<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$5.89<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Beef Stew with Mushrooms (from Pioneer Woman))</div><div class="MsoNormal">Croissant Rolls</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">24<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$4.79<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Chicken Parm. & pasta</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">25<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$3.27<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Pan seared roast with red wine reduction</div><div class="MsoNormal">Baked Potatoes</div><div class="MsoNormal">Carrots </div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">26<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$2.58<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Hot Dogs</div><div class="MsoNormal">Zucchini fries</div><div class="MsoNormal">Applesauce</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">27<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$3.67<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Gorgonzola steak bites</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cheesey potatoes </div><div class="MsoNormal">Salad</div><div class="MsoNormal">Brown rice</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">28<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Leftovers</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">29<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$1.25<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Baked Ziti</div><div class="MsoNormal">Salad</div><div class="MsoNormal">Bread</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 71pt;"> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">30<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$4.57<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">PW Fiesta Lime Chicken</div><div class="MsoNormal">Pico de Gallo, Rice</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tortillas</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">31<o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;">$1.10<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Brown Beans</div><div class="MsoNormal">Jiffy Cornbread</div><div class="MsoNormal">Venison</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.9pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></td> <td style="height: 71pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 100.95pt;" valign="top" width="135"><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div class="Boxes11"><br />
</div></div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table></span> </td> </tr>
</tbody></table>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-56846197451920549462011-01-02T16:52:00.000-08:002011-01-02T16:52:40.213-08:00Get you coupons ready....deals and steals 1/2/11I am really excited about a couple of deals this week! Here goes:<br />
<br />
Rite Aid:<br />
<em><span>(8) Aquafresh Toothpaste at $2.50, $10 UP wyb $20</span></em><br />
<em><span><br />
</span></em><br />
<em><span>Use:</span></em><br />
<span class="q">-$1.50 off Aquafresh Advanced toothpaste 5.6-6 oz (Rite Aid coupon), <a class="print" href="http://my.adperk.com/splash/d30b50da/index.html" target="_blank">printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">(2) -$1 off Aquafresh Advanced 2x Whitening <a class="print" href="http://www.aquafresh.com/Savings.aspx" target="_blank">printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">(2) -$1 off Aquafresh Advanced Enamelock Formula <a class="print" href="http://www.aquafresh.com/Savings.aspx" target="_blank">printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">(2) -$1 off Aquafresh Advanced or Advanced 2x whitening, 5.6 oz + <a class="print" href="https://www.wealthoforalhealth.com/Coupons.promo" target="_blank">printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">(2) -$1 off Aquafresh Extreme Clean product <a class="print" href="http://www.aquafresh.com/Savings.aspx" target="_blank">printable</a> or <a class="print" href="https://www.wealthoforalhealth.com/Coupons.promo" target="_blank">printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">=$10.50</span><br />
<span class="q">Get back $10 UP ($0.50 for 8 tubes of toothpaste!) </span><br />
<br />
<em><span> CVS:</span></em><br />
(4) Excedrin at $5.49<em><span></span></em>, $10 ECB wyb $20 worth<br />
(5) Wisk Detergents $5 ea <br />
<em>(3) Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch, Frosted Flakes, Mini Wheats, 16.3-18.2 oz., Special K cereal 12-14 oz., Special K, Nutri-Grain or Fiber Plus bars, 5-8 ct., $3.33 each, $4 ECB wyb 3</em> <br />
= $56.96<br />
<br />
Use:<br />
Any of the free Excedrin coupons that have been mailed out (I have 6!!)<br />
<span class="q">-$1 off Excedrin Express gels, 20 ct + <a class="print" href="http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?bt=vg&tqnm=zlwabjq15262703&o=56231&c=EX&p=qdrPKylH" target="_blank"> printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">-$1 off Excedrin Migraine product, 24 ct + <a class="print" href="http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?bt=vg&tqnm=zlwabjh74129265&o=56232&c=EX&p=uP4BRQLY" target="_blank"> printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">-$1 off Excedrin product <a class="print" href="http://www.southernsavers.com/about/smart-source-coupons/" target="_blank"> printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">-$2.50 off Excedrin PM, 20 ct +, <abbr title="Smart Source">SS</abbr> 12/05</span><br />
<span class="q"> </span><br />
<span class="q">5 -$2 off Wisk laundry detergent, <abbr title="Red Plum">RP</abbr> 1/02</span><br />
<span class="q"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="q"></span><br />
<br />
<span class="q">$1/2 Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats <a class="print" href="http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/KelloggCoupon.aspx?id=1992" target="_blank"> printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">-$1/2 Kellogg’s Raisin Bran cereals <a class="print" href="http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/KelloggCoupon.aspx?id=1992" target="_blank"> printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">-$1.250/2 Kellogg’s Kids’ Cereals <a class="print" href="http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/KelloggCoupon.aspx?id=1992" target="_blank"> printable</a></span><br />
<span class="q">-$1/2 Kellogg’s Special K cereals, 11.4 oz. +, (register) <a class="print" href="http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/KelloggCoupon.aspx?id=1992" target="_blank"> printable</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="q">= $23.75</span><br />
<br />
<span class="q">Get Back: $24 ECB's = $0.25 profit!!! </span><span class="q"></span>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-71600174028666168012011-01-01T11:39:00.000-08:002011-01-01T11:39:13.447-08:002011 Goals....out there for the world to see!Goals seems more attainable to me than resolutions. Goals have objectives that can help you achieve the end result, resolutions seem more like promises not to do something. So I am setting goals for the next year, some are blog related and some are more personal...so here goes. <br />
<br />
* Develop a plan for blogging. Most days what you read is something that I thought about 4 minutes before and decided to write about it. I am a pretty organized person and would like to plan and organize the blog better so I can quit blogging so much just by the seat of my pants.<br />
<br />
* Become more organized in my overall life. I am not just talking about knowing where whatever item we are looking for is or eliminating the clutter. I want to *plan* and organize our lives better. Those who know me well know that I am a planner but I want to get better at it. I want to plan out our dinner menus for at least 2 weeks, preferably a month so I can know what I need and stop the last minute (expensive) store trips.<br />
<br />
* Staying with dinner theme, I want to get more creative. I want to try new things and feed my family new dishes. I am very picky but want to broaden our horizons on the dinner front. So if anyone has a food blog that may help in this area feel free to share it. But, it has to be budget friendly too, I can't spend $25 just to make dinner and since we are limited in our shopping options you have to be able to get everything from Wal-Mart. <br />
<br />
* Sticking with food again, I want to lower our grocery bill a bit more, I'd like to get down to $275 per month for groceries. I plan to plant a garden this Spring/Summer to help lower costs.<br />
<br />
* Since I frequently play "the drug store game" I'd like to start sharing more of the things I get for free or cheap. Donating bath and body products to the mission or churches to distribute.<br />
<br />
<br />
* I want to do something (sans children) with my husband once a month. It could be as simple as lunch and perusing Lowe's (yah, I enjoy Lowe's) or dinner...nothing fancy. Just a meal where no one spills juice and the only food cut up is our own. In the summer we may go to the lake alone or on a scenic drive, just something We get so busy in our day to day lives that we sometimes forget to make time for each other. We are trying to be great parents to the 2 beautiful kids we have created that we forget to nurture the relationship that created those great kids. By the way, in order to make this goal possible I am now accepting free babysitting services...just kiddin'...sorta. <br />
<br />
* Try to plan at least one family outing per month that is something new or different for our kids. A new museum, a trip to our State Capital, a train ride, trip to the fire station....ect. Something we can all do together that doesn't involve ipods, Nintendo DS or any other electronic device. Hopefully this will allow us to spend more time together and expose our munchkins to new things. <br />
<br />
* Send at least one hand written note to someone every month, to someone for something. Whether just a note to a child hood friend or a thank you or I'm thinking of you for someone. <br />
<br />
* Re-do both of my kiddos rooms for less than $300 each. Our 7 year old has declared that she is too old for the Princess room she has had for the last 5 years. She wants a Paris themed room, we have started looking at options today. She needs a room that serves her better too, with a desk and reading area. Our 4 year old is dying for a Princess room. I plan several DIY projects in each room to help lower the total cost and we can recycle some of the older ones things for the younger ones room. Feel free to share any ideas that may work in either child's room : )<br />
<br />
* Learn how to say NO! I love helping out and volunteering but I need to decide what is important to me and commit to those activities and say no to those that are not as important to me at this time. Currently, I serve as PTSO President, volunteer at my kids school (a lot), coach a soccer team, serve on the Board of Directors for our soccer league, serve as a 4-H club leader, assist as a religious education teacher at our church, attend the meetings and assist when needed for the ladies group at our church....and a few other things. Between all of that, being a wife and mom I find myself way too stressed sometimes!<br />
<br />
* Teach at least 50 people how to coupon. Couponing has drastically changed our lives and I want to teach others how to change their lives and bank account through couponing!<br />
<br />
* This last one is difficult for me, it is extremly<br />
<br />
Thankfully for me, my mom never even considered the new way to "take care of it" and made many sacrifices to raise me as a single mom. My mother and father never spoke again, when I was 2 she met and later married the man I called Dad, my step-father. But, there has always been this feeling of angst in me and a desire to know my father. Now that I have kids it is not only a desire to know him and possibly have him know them but also the medical side of things, I only know 3/4 of our kids medical history. Our oldest has a seizure disorder and I wonder if that came from my father? Or is cancer common in his family? heart disease? diabetes? There is the emotional aspect of just wanting to know who you are and where you came from. The scary part is the possibility of being rejected (again), will he want to talk to me, meet me, introduce me to his older children? Has he wondered who I have become over the last 31 years or have I never crossed his mind...I need these questions answered or at least I need to try to get them answered. This is something I've wanted to do for a while, my husband has always been very supportive even though he doesn't really understand since he *knows* his parents. I just need to get the courage the start this journey so putting it out there will hopefully help me start this journey. The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-80291834446483924372010-12-31T17:41:00.000-08:002010-12-31T17:41:19.666-08:00Around here you gotta earn your keep!I have some goals for 2011 (wow! that is crazy to write...er, type!) that I'll be sharing one day real soon, if I was on top of it I'd have them finished already. One of my goals is to continue to trim our family's grocery bill. I have considered many options: skipping meals, having the kids alternate who eats dinner each night, a meat free existance. None of those seemed viable- I was completely joking about the kids (don't call CPS), I get waaayyyy grouchy when I don't eat so skipping meals is out and we are a carnivorous family who enjoys meat! I went back to the drawing board and remembered a Christmas gift my hubby gave me:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIjn0SH5GNKmgIvdPnW56B7eEQdLqmT8ETJ9xD3z109zjaQ43OoZRai7uJWoZUVFyN4zdnd1AVBjwJEBYLuMpqNUQ31b-EiLBKZzq03qdaaBPnxSXBQJOh_grTRoRBVApDl7zgekUIsc/s1600/DSCN0445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIjn0SH5GNKmgIvdPnW56B7eEQdLqmT8ETJ9xD3z109zjaQ43OoZRai7uJWoZUVFyN4zdnd1AVBjwJEBYLuMpqNUQ31b-EiLBKZzq03qdaaBPnxSXBQJOh_grTRoRBVApDl7zgekUIsc/s320/DSCN0445.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Ignore the bed head and focus on the waffle maker, that is my money saver. Yep, that $10 waffle maker is an investment! Our oldest is an oatmeal kind of girl, she eats it every morning without fail. I had already figured out how to save money on oatmeal, you can scope that out <a href="http://confessionsofafrugalmom.blogspot.com/2010/08/diy-oatmeal.html">here</a>. But, my youngest, she is not a big fan of oatmeal. She is a waffle gal, everyday the kid eats waffles. Have you checked out the price of waffles lately though...whew! At our Wal-Mart they run $4.38 per 24. That makes them 18 cents per waffle, doesn't seem like a lot but she eats an average of 10 a week so that's $95 a year.<br />
<br />
With my new handy dandy waffle maker I'm going to lower that breakfast cost for our 4 year old. A box of Krusteaz waffle mix is $1.78, add in the eggs and oil and it is about $4 to make the entire box. A box makes about 12 large, round waffles with 4 pieces each. So the cost to make 48 smaller (child size portions) is 8 cents per waffle, using the same 10 per week formula our waffle consumption cost goes down to $41 per year. I could probably lower the cost a bit more using flour and other ingredients instead of a box mix. But the reality is that I am a busy mom so a box mix works for me. <br />
<br />
I plan to make these in one big batch and freeze them, just like the fine folks at Eggo. Some will be plain, some will have blueberries that I froze after buying them at Wal-Mart reduced to $1 a pint and some will be filled with strawberries that we picked and froze over the summer (free and family time!!). I may get really crazy throw some chocolate chips in some for the weekends. <br />
<br />
Now, I know you are thinking: that is an awful lot of work to save $55!! It isn't really that much work, it will take less than an hour, be healthier than the store bought frozen variety and save some moolah. But add that to the <a href="http://confessionsofafrugalmom.blogspot.com/2010/08/diy-oatmeal.html">$132</a> I save in oatmeal and we are saving about $190 a year to feed our munchkins breakfast and that is without coupons, which I occasionally find on the items needed for these DIY breakfasts! Again, some of you may think $190 isn't that much money but here is some examples of how it compares to other aspects of our expnses:<br />
$190 = 1/3 of the total cost to insure our house or cars<br />
$190 = The cost to pay our water bill for 5 months<br />
$190 = Our cell phone costs for 3 months<br />
$190 = a summer of entertainment with a family pass to our local pool : )The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-85152270777221538042010-12-30T17:19:00.000-08:002010-12-30T17:19:07.617-08:00My 75% off Target tripToday I went into the big city, one with more than 1 stop light and a Target! And a Panera Bread, be still my heart. I didn't have high hopes of finding any good deals since my Wal-Mart was barren of after Christmas deals yesterday. But was I delightfully surprised! Here is a quick recap of my visit:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2O3MFE5BjtDdXZGkNj7PvB9Z-LBYmUEvCMmHhqvtLioY7kgcLP3_POg6Eoct2yqXiVebRVgx-bO8vI0bGNdS78LFiZgkOmXgdGiLEGJR2hr6qD1Ep9ZJJ4WfnH4fVF6iQoFBv6r1mzvo/s1600/DSCN0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2O3MFE5BjtDdXZGkNj7PvB9Z-LBYmUEvCMmHhqvtLioY7kgcLP3_POg6Eoct2yqXiVebRVgx-bO8vI0bGNdS78LFiZgkOmXgdGiLEGJR2hr6qD1Ep9ZJJ4WfnH4fVF6iQoFBv6r1mzvo/s400/DSCN0528.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My stomach is always on my mind so of course I started grabbing food! The Poppycock (in the back) were only $1 each (reg. $3.99), the brownie mix with a wooden spoon was $0.75!! I will use the brownie mix at our church family bingo or give as a thank you with a note about being sweet to someone deserving. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2YWX5_kw208PMFxcsXzZMAw8ieamFviKIdUpNn5sPiFh0_YEUvDEOEXf0kf064IY7nV5fq9dYrt2SfqI6ALaKQvVdPe6epbDN6W-6xGGvLViV5pzCvKmrWpWant5WkuIhXomw8cnh5A/s1600/DSCN0533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD2YWX5_kw208PMFxcsXzZMAw8ieamFviKIdUpNn5sPiFh0_YEUvDEOEXf0kf064IY7nV5fq9dYrt2SfqI6ALaKQvVdPe6epbDN6W-6xGGvLViV5pzCvKmrWpWant5WkuIhXomw8cnh5A/s400/DSCN0533.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>My 4 year old was so confused as to why I was buying wrapping paper, I tried explaining...she just wanted to look at toys. Here were my deals, 5 rolls of wrapping paper at $0.62 (reg. $2.50) each and 2 at $1.25 each (reg. $5). I also scored 3 rolls of tape for less than a buck, 6 shirt boxes for a $1, bows for $0.50 each and two packs of gift tags for $1 each! My wrapping supplies for next year total $9.35!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XIMZ94xtQ2jfFo0eAEL2hNCR0KjoMgvOqS0eR4ckkoPwEm-kHnRXN_NtZS7oN0Sg5EQA4YWElKpNnF7nYkCFJYhCZs-yU0NPPe9rmWdRwQX3AnzKdQ5LwaNlf3bOXX9yQgrXoBh-e18/s1600/DSCN0538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1XIMZ94xtQ2jfFo0eAEL2hNCR0KjoMgvOqS0eR4ckkoPwEm-kHnRXN_NtZS7oN0Sg5EQA4YWElKpNnF7nYkCFJYhCZs-yU0NPPe9rmWdRwQX3AnzKdQ5LwaNlf3bOXX9yQgrXoBh-e18/s400/DSCN0538.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The stockings <i>will </i>be hung with care with our new stocking hangers. Our old ones were not cute....at all. They came from The Dollar Tree 7 years ago before they had kinda cute stuff aaaaannnnddd they were gold. I hate gold! So I was on a mission to replace them this year, these cute snowflakes fit the bill, 12/24 they would have rang up at $25.98 for the set of 4 but today they came home with me for the bargain price of </div>$6.49!!! Less than the original cost of 1! I can't wait to use them, no one else in my house was feeling the excitement that I was about these babies, I showed them to the dog and he gave me this look:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAj-QizBnq_ePmR-Jg6cu3GKjHFCHEIY39Wae5zF3Bvdm4sGiAu1XFZpJuIUc7xTxLuOuc9OET-DFCVfIqDOtlrJ_gSnEWW6Oryd4oYgyfm50uWaF9lAJ_F5bbu1uSIznWcVwxaiyr5I/s1600/Bo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaAj-QizBnq_ePmR-Jg6cu3GKjHFCHEIY39Wae5zF3Bvdm4sGiAu1XFZpJuIUc7xTxLuOuc9OET-DFCVfIqDOtlrJ_gSnEWW6Oryd4oYgyfm50uWaF9lAJ_F5bbu1uSIznWcVwxaiyr5I/s400/Bo1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Thanks Bo! No on here loves a deal like me...back to the bargains<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDbA-bUzWaeXqY7ufl5KyHeGHFV75P7FI4TM6a_BBvfC45nA9xi961X2Mw75910KqFy_nivgOuAbVyK_aqD3tw-OtCXr1tVQPZhmXZHkG_FeWjGRIlph39NmDcRBxaobWICEHqu5oMwY/s1600/DSCN0541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDbA-bUzWaeXqY7ufl5KyHeGHFV75P7FI4TM6a_BBvfC45nA9xi961X2Mw75910KqFy_nivgOuAbVyK_aqD3tw-OtCXr1tVQPZhmXZHkG_FeWjGRIlph39NmDcRBxaobWICEHqu5oMwY/s400/DSCN0541.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A little home decor...yah! The Dt. Mtn. Dew was not purchased at Tar-Jay not is it part of this segment, I just have to have one within arms reach to function...no, seriously I do! See that wreath there, I have long dreamed of a cute berry wreath but the problem is I'm cheap so I'd never buy one. Until today when that $20 wreath joined us for 5 smackers. And yes I know $20 isn't a lot for a wreath but it wasn't on my radar for $20, $5 works for me. Those beeeaautiful chrome thingmajigs beside the wreath are actually flowers and planters, they were $2 each! The planter is super nice and worth more than $2, the flowers are an added bonus. Let's all cross your green thumb (is that possible) that I don't kill them, I'm not a gardener. Here's a closer look:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOG-I6yUiwIcAM0GCk9NoyNMgEaaWCpjiNNMUyCiSM0v5dmbxYijw9m8hIdBsAlMTWpeBVzbcX_Ek9QNSOOBH1oWGbUqN8LTEe4xrNW0UXorThK75Igs_FOZTeEaFgqY79BHfv4cZx2k/s1600/DSCN0542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOG-I6yUiwIcAM0GCk9NoyNMgEaaWCpjiNNMUyCiSM0v5dmbxYijw9m8hIdBsAlMTWpeBVzbcX_Ek9QNSOOBH1oWGbUqN8LTEe4xrNW0UXorThK75Igs_FOZTeEaFgqY79BHfv4cZx2k/s320/DSCN0542.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Plus, my mom will be happy I have an indoor plant. Our lack of plants bothers her. Are you happy Mom? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now for the Grand Finale!! Drum roll please......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYgxR9gMdKNNWHEpJYrowwsB3kV9q3ynCp8XMyzCrgQjeAFke3ofPjJTuxr82spLNTG51h-T5QMO29qdLCSwByurShv4fpJfizT-N28iHAptrW2pOck2Ev8B-wyeCGcYfeRT7bq8vxYc/s1600/DSCN0547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKYgxR9gMdKNNWHEpJYrowwsB3kV9q3ynCp8XMyzCrgQjeAFke3ofPjJTuxr82spLNTG51h-T5QMO29qdLCSwByurShv4fpJfizT-N28iHAptrW2pOck2Ev8B-wyeCGcYfeRT7bq8vxYc/s400/DSCN0547.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yep, a dining set! No, not really but I did score the table runner, napkins and napkin rings. Wanna guess how much? How does $8 sound...yep for all of it! The runner (reg. $19.99) , 8 cloth snowflake napkins (originally $4.99 for 4) and 8 silver napkin rings ($7.99 per set of 4)!!! Woo to the Hoo!! Double bonus, we live in a snowy area so I feel like I'm ok to leave this out through January so I can enjoy it a bit even though I HATE snow! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpnLbs8JGyLT6YyVoQ5gfWRM8WgLJyN0Ps23qtoeL524yUIjVIZaXUupo_dYJblG0teAdSGMSBIZrizt4D5YTZz_KZBkK9hDnuJZD3A0Pk7C_q6EDLch2BM9PaPZit_eOyaUuJylsdhk/s1600/DSCN0550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpnLbs8JGyLT6YyVoQ5gfWRM8WgLJyN0Ps23qtoeL524yUIjVIZaXUupo_dYJblG0teAdSGMSBIZrizt4D5YTZz_KZBkK9hDnuJZD3A0Pk7C_q6EDLch2BM9PaPZit_eOyaUuJylsdhk/s400/DSCN0550.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Isn't it pretty?? I'm so excited!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So here is my Target total.....$38!! A few things were 80 - 90% off so it was better than I thought!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Regular price would have been $180</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I saved $142!!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Did anyone else score any post Christmas deals?</div>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-48451056986068827312010-12-23T16:34:00.000-08:002010-12-23T16:34:12.320-08:00Need a last minute gift?Ok, raise you hand if your still Christmas shopping? Whew, both my hands are busy stuffing Christmas goodies in my mouth so luckily I don't need to put any in the air! But, you over there in the corner with your hand up, you still need a gift? I've got a super easy one that you can whip up in a jif!<br />
Here are your needed supplies:<br />
-1 white salad plate (scored mine at the Wal-Marts for $2.96)<br />
-Modge Podge<br />
-Scrapebook paper<br />
-a Dry erase marker (look for one with a magnet on the lid)<br />
-Magnet (optional)<br />
Plate stand (any craft store for $2-$5 buck-a roos)<br />
<br />
Using Word type "Notes" in a font that makes you all warm and fuzzy inside, print it in your cutesy paper or just a colored paper. Cut it out in an oval or circle.<br />
Carefully Mod Podge it on your plate and let it dry.<br />
If you go the magnet route adhere it to the back edge of the plate.<br />
Ok, your finished!<br />
Wrap that puppy up, you have given the gift of communication or organization and a cutesy message board!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNchXMYphNEAjrxI7ehQBSLKBW3u4vfDS94tDLQrNYY1LoyzgJRg9gZTOF7ub_Ss3KVLMq1-_qaOZv-cXYhf5hQNZucWUUkmSYfeYSZ9sjjNTa_mhgocvaHBu1cJkkDaWr98yQbOmC3wE/s1600/plate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNchXMYphNEAjrxI7ehQBSLKBW3u4vfDS94tDLQrNYY1LoyzgJRg9gZTOF7ub_Ss3KVLMq1-_qaOZv-cXYhf5hQNZucWUUkmSYfeYSZ9sjjNTa_mhgocvaHBu1cJkkDaWr98yQbOmC3wE/s400/plate.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
If you have the paper and mod podge you could easily complete this for less than $10!<br />
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Merry Christmas!The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-17374503041684408842010-12-16T09:38:00.000-08:002010-12-16T09:38:59.099-08:00Coasting to Christmas...sorta!It's official, my family has moved to a snow globe that some pesky kid keeps shaking! It is the 16th day of December, we have had the white stuff falling all but 3 days this month and today we are getting hammered! My kids have attended school 2.5 of the last 9 days, and are sure to make it 2.5 of 10 tomorrow! Needless to say, I haven't had time to blog! I have been too busy dressing and re-dressing kids, barbies and babies, refereeing squabbles and determining whose turn it is to lick the spoon after we make our latest baked treat. But, I did want to give you an idea for a DIY Christmas gift that you could do this weekend This one is sure to be a hit with Grandmas, Grandpas aunts, uncles...the whole crew! <br />
<br />
Here's what ya need to get going:<br />
- 4 4x4 white tiles from Lowe's (these ring in at about $0.25 a pop)<br />
- 4 pictures, trimmed to fit the tiles<br />
- Mod Podge (you know I love me some Mod Podge!)<br />
- Mod Podge clear acrylic sprat <br />
- Paint brush<br />
-Cork or felt<br />
-Glue gun<br />
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This is a super simple craft! After you have trimmed the picture go ahead and slather some mod podge on the back of a picture. Carefully adhere it to the tile then brush a layer of mod podge on the front. Repeat for the other 3 tiles. <br />
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After and hour or so apply another thin layer of mod podge and a bit later one more for good measure. After the final layer is dry you can start the layers of acrylic spray. Do 4 or 5 thin layers of spray allowing 15 minutes dry time in between. <br />
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In the meantime cut your felt or cork to fit the back of the tile. Either will work, felt is WAAAAAY cheaper though and happens to be what I used. When everything is good and dry use you handy dandy glue gun to secure the felt or cork to the tile. Stand back and behold your awesomeness!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlbrKkTpcH3_hDArWbREJxvE4CysozmA99DL253wltcIG7UsxLTlqwIVHZ1iyvvdszZEi7JKYTQeJgETDSt06LWuDcm82DdFTICSp5F0rfGWnVJEKnjkI_Qq54AefGEzGUjzWEaJlH6w/s1600/DSCN0141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlbrKkTpcH3_hDArWbREJxvE4CysozmA99DL253wltcIG7UsxLTlqwIVHZ1iyvvdszZEi7JKYTQeJgETDSt06LWuDcm82DdFTICSp5F0rfGWnVJEKnjkI_Qq54AefGEzGUjzWEaJlH6w/s400/DSCN0141.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This set will be in my Mother in Law's gift, those are her 4 darling grandkids. My mom is getting a set too! Since my hubby and I were basically teen parents I forget that some of you may not have kiddos to show off. Ok, to clarify, I was 23 and he was 24 but we had only been married 13 months when we welcome our oldest so I feel like we have been parents FOREVER! <br />
Anyhow, some ideas if you don't have kids would be vacation pics, or pictures from the internet of favorite spots. You could use word to create a cute monogram for your sister or initials for newlyweds, favorite quotes or bible verses even showcase your favorite sports team...Let's Go Mountaineers! Sorry, it is a reflex, I hear sports and think WV!<br />
Just have fun! And the best part is these are cheap-o! If you have everything but the tiles this project will only set you back a buck! If you have to buy the spray and mod podge try making multiple sets to lower your total cost per set! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsqN8wMzlEESq7eDFkAnxuSEg1QvUPORLboN_TpCLgbws5pjfkFVv0yLdC0sN0xASr1HW5yEZtsCmq1TBHUNHjd58YurWU_JcFl0nXuQYmBNwPpy0oF63PJW05BIdtR8xHwvDGH3I_t0/s1600/DSCN0145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsqN8wMzlEESq7eDFkAnxuSEg1QvUPORLboN_TpCLgbws5pjfkFVv0yLdC0sN0xASr1HW5yEZtsCmq1TBHUNHjd58YurWU_JcFl0nXuQYmBNwPpy0oF63PJW05BIdtR8xHwvDGH3I_t0/s320/DSCN0145.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5144530012729041640.post-43529798871690791012010-12-09T16:24:00.000-08:002010-12-09T16:24:42.895-08:00DIY gifts for the Grandma's....well sortaMy girls are lucky to have two Grandma's who adore them, Quinn, our oldest is the first grandchild on both sides of the family. My hubs parents had waited awhile for a wee one, although I don't think they expected their youngest child who had been married only 5 months to call and say he would be providing them one! They were over the moon when she arrived 7 and half years ago, our oldest nephew joined the crew just a few months later. Rounding out the posse on my hubby's side is our Reagan who joined us 4 years ago and Michael the baby at 2. My girls are still the only offspring in the grandchildren category among my brothers and I. In an effort to chronicle the kids in their early years and give the Grandma's something to show off to their friends I started making photo calendars as Christmas gifts a few years ago. <br />
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5 years into this tradition it is less of a surprise and more of an expectation from both Grandma's. I joked with my mom that I just didn't have time to do it this year....she didn't laugh....at all. She then told me to go to my room and make a calendar and don't come out until it's finished!! Yes ma'am!! The first year I started doing this there was only one or two places that offered photo calendars, now my email box receives offers from a different company daily. <br />
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I consider this gift to be a DIY sorta because it does require a couple of hours to sort through the pictures and arrange them in the calendar. Most places even let you include birthdays, anniversaries or other special events too. I have used several companies over the years, this year and last I went with Vista Print. They offer great prices, good quality and quick turn-a-round time...everything I look for. They are currently offering 50% off!! Woo to the hoo!! By the way, I didn't do the express shipping, I ordered last Monday and received them on Tuesday...so just 8 days! At around $8-$15 each they are affordable for everyone too, you usually get a discount for buying more than one too and since we have found that aunts and uncles enjoy them too why not get a few made! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is a gift that is truly enjoyed all year and since I know both Grandma's have everyone I've made stashed somewhere they will be enjoyed for years to come!</div><br />
Here are some of the cuties gracing this year's edition of the Raffo Family Calendar:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfcV4XGrYlZedvehvqTz_kXxrgbeLc8l53WzIqFOn9T-Xw4RmQQYrSJKBFoZg3b9_WGe70lDhM4Q3W_4PWxRszI0wPBxXUagaP8oEtPZOwrexc7lcGAIBJxSvdmP_a80itRSFD9d_UIOm/s1600/REAG+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfcV4XGrYlZedvehvqTz_kXxrgbeLc8l53WzIqFOn9T-Xw4RmQQYrSJKBFoZg3b9_WGe70lDhM4Q3W_4PWxRszI0wPBxXUagaP8oEtPZOwrexc7lcGAIBJxSvdmP_a80itRSFD9d_UIOm/s320/REAG+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Reagan: The elusive rebel </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYl8u0K3AA9qu-I7P45ACt5kYTzS0_Oe3FOm_3xgyaIl4W4gSO9WRou3yzwtGqRg3K_JcgLDMviP4vCqdPyMOSNQ_nALcZ1bBYeAgVrg_tU3uOWflv5IZ_sG9ROk7nJKO1lWx0N1N4XE_5/s1600/PB120160edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYl8u0K3AA9qu-I7P45ACt5kYTzS0_Oe3FOm_3xgyaIl4W4gSO9WRou3yzwtGqRg3K_JcgLDMviP4vCqdPyMOSNQ_nALcZ1bBYeAgVrg_tU3uOWflv5IZ_sG9ROk7nJKO1lWx0N1N4XE_5/s320/PB120160edit.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anthony: The Dare Devil </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYOaDU-_k7VVPrLT-bikLhzSAkHOP31Dor54x6hbY0hnT-OJjyH2NAWWp8NVNVSbzEspqjs66k6VdNCnf9n1yWnVjXTOcCR4MpriFRoKnHmkC_Zu6TE6dJ5SqIN2fyB1bC2HiuNmv45uJ/s1600/Quinn+park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYOaDU-_k7VVPrLT-bikLhzSAkHOP31Dor54x6hbY0hnT-OJjyH2NAWWp8NVNVSbzEspqjs66k6VdNCnf9n1yWnVjXTOcCR4MpriFRoKnHmkC_Zu6TE6dJ5SqIN2fyB1bC2HiuNmv45uJ/s320/Quinn+park.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Quinn: The Sweetheart </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ST8Ly5a_0VOGYKczR1lsircjjXH4Ufxp5SkAJfYVqn6AkXMaPjoESMX2Qi87rNg6gWS6Tby3FYqdknD3wy8_05piFNT49CmBCm0FV-srw5r4zhLKia4bwqyOR4EsqyTgMG7IFeoZMflF/s1600/mike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ST8Ly5a_0VOGYKczR1lsircjjXH4Ufxp5SkAJfYVqn6AkXMaPjoESMX2Qi87rNg6gWS6Tby3FYqdknD3wy8_05piFNT49CmBCm0FV-srw5r4zhLKia4bwqyOR4EsqyTgMG7IFeoZMflF/s320/mike.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Michael: The Wild Man</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">P.S. The peeps at Vista Print are not aware of me or my lil' blog and did nor compensate me to include them... just sayin'. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>The Frugal Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543931838385934376noreply@blogger.com2