Archive for Uncategorized

DIY Wreath!

October 7, 2009 at 1:19 am · Filed under Uncategorized

The magic of a glue gun and some patience saves oodles of time. Skip the pricey store bought wreathes and opt for spending some time being crafty.

The wreath at the end of this post was made for under $5. Materials were purchased on sale and I also used a twig wreath from last year.

Step 1: Grab a twig wreath as your base. They are super cheap and come in a variety of sizes. Purchase fake berries, small gourds,  leaves or even colored buttons for  vintage look.

Step 2: Pick a starting point and start building your wreath. It is best to start with the larger leaves or flowers. Place smaller boughs and gourds in the bare spots. If you are worried about gluing everything down, try a couple different positions for your materials first then glue.

Step3: Glue guns ARE your friend! I have two different sized glue guns. Depending on the project they retail for under $12. ( check the paper for coupons both Michaels and AC Moore have coupons weekly for 10%-30% off full priced merchandise.)

The key to using the gun is a allocating a dollop and twisting the “pull” or glue reminisce until it releases from your material. Its all in the wrist and it takes practice.

Step 4: If you feel that you made a mistake pull the piece off the wreath after it dries, scrape off the glue and start again! When the season is over you can either store wreathes in a wreath box, or garbage bag in the basement.

I like to remove all matieral from wreathes and pull off glue at the end of the season and recycle materials for next year. I store each season’s matierals in labeled sandwich bags and place them with the season’s decor for storage.

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Slight addiction starting…

September 28, 2009 at 4:39 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged ,

Ok, confession time. I have a slight addiction starting… TO FELTING! Ugh my god I love it. I have made two hats one for Bay one to sell. Check em’ out:

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This one is for sale. I think it would be a 3-6 mos but I need to try it oun Bay to be sure.

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Top Ways We Save Moola.

September 27, 2009 at 8:57 pm · Filed under Domestic Arts, Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , ,

One of my favorite blogs did a blog post about cutting down on waste. It inspired me to talk about the top 5 ways we save money in our home. I hope this encourages you to share your tips!

As I have now been home for 8  months( wow,  has it been 8 months ?)  I have had the opportunity to reconnect with home life and really take the time to take a look at our budget.

Top 5 Ways We Save Money

1) Green Cleaning:

About a year ago I purchased a mega bottle of Simple Green cleaner for my home. I am still working on it. I think the bottle cost me $8? I use a vinegar and water mixture for sterilizing toys. I also have a few Seventh Gen, Sun & Earth and Caldrea products from sales and coupons.

We have put a serious dent in our paper towel buying by using rags made of my husband’s old undershirts. Cut em’ up, bleach em’ out and use em’. This was one of our New Year’s resolutions and we really don’t miss them. I do keep a roll in the house for puppy accidents or guests ( even though I always offer up a clean rag for them. )

2) Cooking

We cook every night. If we don’t, we don’t eat. Easy as that. I can not remember the last time we ordered out. It’s difficult cooking for a vegetarian, a meat eater and a baby eating solids but somehow I get it done. Cooking in not only saves loads it’s much healthier in the long run.

I make a menu every two weeks ( conincides with paychecks) and plan what we are going to make. I use leftovers and try not to be wasteful.

If you do opt to eat out try Restaurant.com for discounted giftcards.

3)redbox:

Top movies for $1 a night- enough said. Enter code BREAKROOM or DVDONME for free rentals. ( FYI- They only work once per card.) Sign up for their weekly newsletter to recieve  more free codes.

4) Cloth Diapers:

As you know we cloth diaper. It doesn’t take up as much time as one would think. I do a load every 2-3 days. I was using regular, non-green ( gasp!) laundry detergent but I recently switched to a natural homemade blend. ( Just call me Mrs. Duggar) a great recipe recommended by a fellow mom.

The investment in cloth diapers was a bit hairy but we do save by not having to purchase as many disposeables. I keep one pack of disposables in the house just incase we run out of cloths and its laundry day.

One way to save on creating your diaper stash is buying diapers secondhand. I would say that we have apromixatley 40% secondhand cloths. Check your local Craigslist or DiaperSwappers.

5) Making Gifts:

I always say my husband is the luckiest SOB I have ever met because he has not had to purchase a gift for anyone in the last 7 years. For Christmas last year we gave out hand stamped muslin cedar bags and small glass herb jars filled with organic French herbs.  They were a hit and were very inexpensive to assemble.The year before we took Mason jars and planted paperwhite bulbs with river rocks. Everyone loved that gift.  T Kids birthdays I make T-Shirts with cupcakes or bibs from ROBAY STUDIO.

BONUS) Water, water everywhere…. DRINK IT.

We have saved hundreds by elimnating juice and soda from our house! We drink water all the time. Over the summer we did splurge on some lemonade here and there but for the most part water is number one. No calories and best of all its virtually FREE. We installed a PUR water filter on our tap. Opt for the one that takes out 99% of pharmaceuticals.

6) Coupons ( We call them ‘Coups’ to make them sound a little more fun ;)

My mother did coupons when I was a wee little one and I always dreaded Sunday because she used to make me cut them. ( Can’t wait til Bay is old enough!) I recently have rediscovered the power of these magical pieces of paper. You cut them out and it saves you DOLLAR BILLS. Really they do.

The kicker is you have to get coups for what you actually use. I just put ink in our printer and have started printing them online. It’s important to call your stores and see if they accept them. Most do.

Last week I did a test to see how much using printed coups could really save me. Here’s the loot:

IMG_1907Cost for this shopping trip: $7.08

(2) Healthy Choice Meals priced at $2.50 used two $2 off coups=.50$ each

Nature Source Bathroom Cleaner priced at 2.99 used one Target $1 off coup + a manufacturers coup for $1 off. =$.99

Up & Up Target brand disenfecting wipes priced at 1.99 used a Target $1 off coup =$.99

* Note I usually don’t buy these but the world has gotten even germier. I keep them in the car and use after the library and grocery shopping.

Whole Wheat Pasta Priced at 1.19 used one$1 off coup=$1.38 for two!

Chef Michael’s Dog Food Products, used a few buy one get one coups plus a few free coups.

* I usually buy Trader Joes canned but these were a great deal!

Silk Soy Milk priced at $2 used a $.50 coup=$1.50

As you can see I saved a lot of $$$. I am so excited to do grocery shopping this week with our printed coups!

Now I ask you , what are your tips? How does your family or household save cash?

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Upping the Creative Anty

September 22, 2009 at 5:26 am · Filed under Uncategorized

Still sick. Poor little Bay is sick too! We had a good weekend though, made the most of it. Swimming has begun again and they are a bunch of energy filled  little ones!

We had the opportunity to go to Tower Hill in Boylston. They were celebrating one of their directors I believe and admisson was FREE! We were so excited to take Bay there. Here are some photos from the trip:

IMG_1846 Beautiful Fountain in the Atrium

IMG_1850Cherub Statue in the main Garden

IMG_1875Fountain Sculpture

IMG_1881Buddha’s Hand

IMG_1851Top: Meyer Lemon Tree Bottom: Lime Tree

As you can see it is a beautiful place. These few photos don’t do it justice. The weather was amazing.

I finally finished some shower gifts. Can’t post photos as the mom to be reads the blog ;) but I made the happy couple some beautiful much needed accessories for baby. Still shoe making but slowly. Things have been moving very slowly the past few weeks.

We finally put ink in our printer and I will now become a complete coupon whore. I have been dabbling with the  local paper but printables, well they offer another world of couponing. I have been reading a number of blogs on the subject- most based out west, coincidence? I think not.  I have been learning about how to properly shop at CVS, Walgreens and all the other stores. I think I get it and over the next few weeks I am determined to get more for my dollar while still maintaining our healthy eating style.  I’ll keep you posted…

Off to bed. Lets pray my cough is gone by tomorrow.

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When life gives you lemons…Make Shoes.

September 13, 2009 at 6:49 am · Filed under And we have a SON, Domestic Arts, Uncategorized

My little one went to the library this week and all the kids were wearing shoes. It was a crisp fall day so I could see why. There my little Baylen sat, shoeless.  I looked at him and said , ” Well kid, money is tight and you don’t even walk yet. When you are old enough Mama will buy you the best shoes money can buy.” He looked back at me as if to say, ‘ Screw you, I need some new Robeez.’ That little look launched me into a creative spin of course and I found a great pattern for shoes. Tada:

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My husband( my dear sweet patient husband) made the trek with me to Joann’s today to buy some fabric for Bay’s shoes. He got into it, dodging all the crazy quilters with our bolts of fabric. We decided on this really cute robot print lined with red and smoky grey cordoroy soles ( mostly because leather was out of our price range.) We also bought a green mod print I adore and a fall orange for another pair. We spent about $8.00 and went home happy.  I have enough for more pairs too!

I spent all night making these shoes. I lie, we ate dinner and made lactation cookies. Total time maybe 3 hours- but I was watching tv too. Ugh, I forgot photos of the cookie  process, but I am sure you get it. Oatmeal cookies with brewers yeast, flax meal and of course oatmeal. Here’s the finished product:

IMG_1779I have been bitching about our lack of funds but I have to say I have become ridiculously resourceful. It’s a better life this living simply and we are better for it. I do miss getting a pedi and buying shoes but hey, I get to be with Bay all day and that is payment enough. And Hey-  I can say I MADE shoes?! Who else can do that. Elves…

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Kids Green Clean Kit

September 2, 2009 at 4:34 pm · Filed under Crafty Craft Craft, Green Life, Organized Living, Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , ,

We have had a TON of birthdays over the past few months and I was a little sick of painting shirts. My husband’s niece loves to clean and loves to be green so I thought, why not make her a cleaning kit!  It was super inexpensive to put together and really came out quite nice. Would make a lovely housewarming gift too!

I hit up my local dollar store for some items and was able to find some great spray bottles and a widemouth plastic container. You can also use recycled materials just be sure to remove the labels. ( think baby food jars, salsa containers, even yogurt cups!– remember this is a GREEN gift!) You could even spray paint lids to make it more matching. Opt for a color theme to make your kit look put together. I chose silver and green of course.
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1)  I borrowed a book from the library on green cleaning for the project.  I chose a toy cleaner, multi-surface and a sink & tub cleaner. ( Tried to think, what would kids actually want to clean…) I copied the recipes onto index cards and laminated them with a laminating kit I purchased for around $5. ( Michael’s and AC Moore carry them+ remember their weekly coupons!)

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2) Label your containers. I used laminate at first but they kept peeling off so I used packing tape as a last resort.

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3) Choose accessories: I included 2 celluose sponges( $1.00), A small pump bottle of Dr. Bronners Castile Soap( Pump $1.00, soap was from my home), A spatula to mix cleaners ($1.00), reuseable cleaning cloths ($1.00)  all in a nice galvanized bucket I snagged at Goodwill ( $2.99). I crumpled up newspaper to give the items some height. ( The newspaper can also double as a window wiper with the toy cleaner!)

IMG_16754) Fill your containers! I chose to make a batch of the cleaners so the child  could start cleaning right away. I also included a small jar of borax, castile soap and a box of baking soda so that she could mix a cleaner. The recipes for green cleaning usually involve items you already have in your home i.e. vinegar.

IMG_16785) Assemble your items in the bucket or basket  and it is ready to give. This is a wonderful gift for all ages. Many people are intimidated about green cleaning but these simple recipes show that it can be done. ( And is cheaper!)

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A t-shirt for a First Grader!

August 31, 2009 at 6:10 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged ,

My dear friend and ROBAY partner in crime’s  daughter just started first grade today! Boy are we getting old.

When her daughter was two she was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease ie a gluten allergy. To make a long story short her birthday was coming up and I said I’d make her a shirt. She said she wanted a pink poodle shirt that said ‘ Gluten free Girl.” I convinced her into having a piece of cake with her slogan. She agreed and here it is!  I was thinking about starting a line of Ts like this!

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Recipe & Revelation!

August 30, 2009 at 3:57 pm · Filed under Domestic Arts, Uncategorized ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

Last night I invited a bunch of girlfriends  over for drinks as we all  needed a night out. When I came home I started freaking out over the fact that we had no ‘ good booze’ in the house or food to make appetizers with.

I ran to the store and pulled together some quick ingredients ( sadly I have no photos!!!) BUT I came to a revelation when I had an hour and a half to clean up my house and a  mere $15 – I LOVE ENTERTAINING. I think its what I want to do with my life. I want to entertain and teach people how to entertain.

I made pom spritzers with organic pomegranate juice and Korbel ( I know, yuck!) They came out really good! The second bottle I used a Martini de Rossi Asti ( Again, double yuck!) with pom and it also came out yummy.

I served two chopped bars of chocolate ( Cadbury) one dark, one milk with fresh strawberries. They were devoured.

I remembered reading inReal Simple about the beautiful veggie tart with feta. It looked impressive and I wanted to impress so I made it. It came out awesome! I am including the recipe down below.

The tart is the most simple and sinful thing to make it literally took me 5 minutes. You can use any ingredient you have around the house. Meats, veggies, cheeses- anything!

Here is the Real Simple tart:

image from Real Simple.com, Potato, Leel and Feta Tart

image from Real Simple.com, Potato, Leek and Feta Tart

Sweet Hours Goat Cheese, Tomato, Portobella Tart

1 store bought pie crust 9″

1 half log of goat cheese

Toppings:

1 portabella mushroom

1/2 jar of marinated artichokes

1 organic tomato

Cabinet Staples:

Butter, S&P,  EVOO, fresh herbs

Preheat oven to 375. Unwrap the pie crust and place on a cookie sheet. Spread on goat cheese. Place on toppings as you would a pizza. Leave a 2 inch border around the sides. Sprinkle S&P and fresh herbs. Fold the sides in towards the center. Bake for 5 mintutes. Brush on butter.  Be sure to keep checking so the tart doesn’t burn. Should take about 12 mintutes total to cook, depending on your oven.  Before serving drizzle on EVOO.

The tart will be crumbly. Be sure to use a spatula or two to transfer onto a serving dish or platter. Cut into slices or squares.

Variations:

~ cream cheese, top with rasins and honey.

~ricotta, fresh peaches and honey

~spinach and feta

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Swimmy

August 25, 2009 at 2:04 am · Filed under Uncategorized

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Mom Friendly: Smell Pretty All Day!

August 15, 2009 at 7:07 pm · Filed under Healthful Quest, mom friendly ·Tagged , , , , ,

Toms New Long-Lasting Deodorant

Tom's New Long-Lasting Deodorant

So you ask: Why is my deodorant ( moreover antiperspirant) bad? Well, here is the  simple answer: aluminum ( in many deos) has been linked to Alzheimer’s and if that isn’t good enough, breast cancer , lymph node issues etc etc

For years I looked, searched, tested and purchased millions of au natural deodorants. NONE worked, by the end of the day ( even sitting at a cushy desk job) I stank and had to revert back to my stash of Dove.

Well it’s a beautiful day, I have found one that actually works! Tom’s of Maine ( yes the toothpaste folks) have developed a super hero deodorant that won’t kill you slowly!

Made with hops to inhibit growth of odor- causing bacteria  and zinc ricinoleate ( say that five times fast!) sourced from castor beans absorbs bad smells. Best of all it offers 24 , count that, 24 hours of protection.

I was amazed. The only reason I purchased it was due to a coupon. The first day I wore it was a hot one ( 85) and I smelled pretty all day long. My husband even said, wow you smell good. I chose the Beautiful Earth Scent. Stop by Whole Foods ( $ 4.99) or your local health food store today.

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