Home Made Halloween

Indian- fringed t-shirt with feathers

Dice made from spray painting boxes

It's Halloween! Time for parties and trick or treat! Time to bob for apples! Time to head out to the Halloween specialty store and purchase a $30.00 costume for each of your children...? Add to that the cost of candy for trick-or-treaters....yikes! You'll need a loan to cover the cost of Halloween. Not this year.

regular zombie

Volleyball zobies

This Halloween, it's time to think 'outside the box' for costumes.  I'd like to issue a challenge: how can you and your kids have a cute Halloween for little to no money? Over the years we have been quite creative.  My kids have dressed as A Pair of Dice, Diva Ghosts, Crocodile Tears, and Crazy Bath Lady (that one won first prize!) to name a few.  Sometimes the kids come up with the idea and we figure out how to do it creatively, and sometimes we work with what's on hand. Easiest year: Volleyball Zombies.  Hardest year? The year I turned Colleen's stroller into a crayon box and dressed them both as crayons. My only rule is the costumes have to be no-sew, because despite taking home-ec in high school, I am a dunce with a sewing machine. My most disastrous year? The kids wanted to be the Statue of Liberty and a race car driver.  They were cute, but everyone kept calling them a princess and a Power Ranger...fail!

Crazy Bath Lady

First step: What do you have on hand that you can use to create a fun costume? Overalls + flannel = scarecrow...ripped jeans,bandanna & plaid shirt= hobo, bathrobe & curlers= crazy bath lady, rip up an old t-shirt and add some face paint for an instant zombie,  old prom or bridesmaid dress can be either a beauty queen contestant, or 'Carrie', concert tee + big hair + guitar hero guitar = rock star, old sheets can be turned into mummies or ghosts. Overcoat, old glasses &baby powder can turn a cute little boy into an old man.Crutches + gauze and some fake blood can make an accident victim. You get the picture.

"Crocodile tears"

Can't think of anything to use at home? Head to the thrift shop! They can be great sources for inspiration, not to mention that they sometimes have actual Halloween costumes for a fraction of the cost. Look for: doctor's scrubs, Hawaiian shirts, aprons, any black dress to make into a witch costume, leotards for kitty cats or add leg warmers for an 80's style aerobic instructor, suspenders and plaid pants for a nerd outfit, just to name a few.

Once you have the basics, head to the dollar store for face paint, make up, props and glow-sticks.  (They have bags of candy, too!!)

Another idea is to host a costume swap! Invite other families with kids near yours in age and swap costumes for a new-to-you look. make sure everyone brings one to get one, to keep things even and that also allows for plenty of choices.

Too many choices? Too many kids? Try a theme (haunted luau) or group costumes (zombie volleyball team).

Diva Ghosts- boas & false eyelashes glued to sheets

Whatever you decide, you can't go wrong- and soon you will discover that half the fun is creating something from nothing!

Happy Haunting!

DIY Housecleaning Products

I have been inspired lately to try some do it yourself housecleaning products. 

When it comes to cleaning products, my motto has always been keep it simple, keep it cheap.  For most house cleaning projects -kitchen and bathroom- I use ammonia, comet, and dish liquid. All of these products can be purchased for about $1.00 or less. My one exception is concentrated Lysol liquid (the brown stuff) which smells like my childhood, and I am convinced will snuff out any germ known to mankind.

I decided to try out some recipes for housekeeping, and let you know my opinions here. I do love that they are not made with chemicals, so I have a clean house without any negative side effects for people or pets.

1. All Purpose Cleaner   The simplest recipe I could find was a half and half mixture of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.  What I liked about this cleaner was that my counters were really, really clean!! I never really realized until then that the Fantastic or 409 or whatever was on sale leaves a soapy film on the counters.  There was no film at all. This cleaner worked equally well on windows and mirrors and didn't leave any streaking.  My faucets were shiny. However.....I admit that I had a hard time with the vinegar smell.  My daughter said it smelled like Easter eggs gone bad in the house.  I, too, wanted a fresher smell. After all, we have been raised on commercials that make you think that your house needs to smell like a pine forest.  After a little internet surfing, I came across this site:
http://www.jamhands.net/2011/07/diy-citrus-vinegar-cleaning-solution.html
This is the same idea, only it the principle of soaking citrus rinds in the vinegar for a lemony scent.  This is a concentrated recipe, that you later mix with water in a spray bottle. I figured worth a try. Results? basically the same solution as before with a slightly less vinegar scent, more lemony, but not exactly lemony-fresh.  Because I really like the way my counters feel, and both vinegar and lemon are natural disinfectants, I'm going to keep using this formula in the kitchen.  I may add a drop or two of citrus essential oil in my next batch, though.  Also, the recipe states to keep this formula in the refrigerator.  I haven't, and it has been just fine keeping it stored in a cool, dry, place.

2. Homemade Oxy-Clean:  Creativelydomestic.com lists a recipe for homemade oxy-clean
http://www.creativelydomestic.com/2009/06/homemade-oxyclean.html
Basically, mix together 1 cup water, 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide, and 1/2 cup baking soda.  Soak soiled clothes over night, or add directly to your washing machine.

Since it's not softball season in my house, I had no overly soiled clothes, so I just mixed up a batch and added it directly to my white wash.  I have an HE washer, and it didn't affect the washer at all.  Results: I do think that my clothes were brighter, but I'm anxious to try it out on red-clay soiled softball pants..  I think you could make a paste and apply directly to stains. Keep in mind that hydrogen peroxide is a natural lightener, so I would be leery using this on colored clothes. ( BTW, hydrogen peroxide works great for getting bloodstains out of fabric- even dried blood.)


 3.DIY carpet spot cleaner:  If you have pets and children like I do, then a good carpet cleaner is a must.  this recipe involves 1 tablespoon dish-washing liquid, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, and 2 cups of warm water. 
http://elizabethbryant.blogspot.com/2011/02/magical-carpet-cleaner.html

This does work well on most of your run of the mill stains.  I'm not sure how it would work on pet urine.  I mixed up a batch and put it in a spray bottle.  I sprayed the soiled areas, and used a stiff brush on the carpet. Then I sprinkled the area with baking soda, and let dry before I vaccummed.  Carpet spot cleaners are expensive, I will keep this recipe on hand for future carpet stains.

4. Cleaning Sterling Silver:  This recipe had the biggest wow factor for me.  I hate cleaning silver.  Silver cloths don't work, and let's face it- silver polish is smelly and requires too much elbow grease! I was very skeptical about this recipe, but was amazed at the outcome!
You can find directions and a tutorial here:  
http://crafted-love.blogspot.com/2011/03/spring-cleaning-cleaning-tarnished.html

The basic recipe is to cover the tarnished silver with baking soda and boiling water and let soak, but the secret ingredient is crumpled tin foil!  I don't know why it works, but it does! I cleaned a tarnished pair of earrings, a chain and pendant, a bracelet, and a small trinket holder.  All of the items returned to looking shiny and new! The directions said to put the items into a glass or plastic container, but I somehow missed that and used a baking pan.  As a caveat, the pan looked better than it had in years! So I crumpled up some tin foil and used the magic formula on my skanky looking muffin tin.....and wow! Not perfect, but 1000 times better than I've seen it!

This DIY is definitely a keeper! Imagine the possibilities- there are always tarnished items at thrift stores and yard sales...this recipe might make an heirloom out of a yard sale find!

My final opinion is that overall, these DIY recipes are definitely worth a try.  They are not too much effort to mix together, and they save you from breathing harmful chemicals inside your home. I think next I will try out some of the recipes for DIY beauty products and personal care!
 

Check out these websites for additional uses for vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda:

131 Uses For Vinegar   
http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/homemaking/vinegar.html

Using Hydrogen Peroxide
http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/

75 Extraordinary Uses for Baking soda 
http://lifehackery.com/2008/07/22/home-4/

Do you have any DIY cleaning tips that work for you? I'd love to give them a try! Leave me a comment with your ideas. 

We Downsized our Home to Upsize our Life

Most people around here think we are crazy, for sure.  We gave up our nice, spacious home in the relative safety of the suburbs and moved to a small, cozy, urban abode. Most people are dying to get out of the city- we couldn't wait to get in!

When we decided to send out children to the Catholic High School, we knew it would involve some sacrifice, and a thirty minute travel time each way.  We knew in our hearts this was the right place for the children to go, so we were ready to make the financial and travel commitments.

What we didn't count on was that our children would become so involved! What started out with Friday night football games evolved into clubs, sports, and friends.  Pretty soon, most of our time was spent running back and forth to the city.  It made sense- if our lives were going to be in the city, maybe we should be, too. 

Truth is, while we loved our "country home", my husband and I had both grown up in a more urban setting, and we were definitely missing some of the things the city had to offer: in the country, we could only ride our bikes round and round our neighborhood- we had to depend on our car to get everywhere. In the city, we ride our bikes to actual destinations- the farmers market, restaurants, the library, and even to church on Sunday.

In the country, everything was fifteen minutes away. In the city, everything is close to our home.  Our country house had sounds like cows, and birds, and even the occasional pack of coyotes. At our city house we can hear the school marching band practice, church bells, and train whistles.

There are other advantages to our smaller house: our country house had four bedrooms, three bathtubs, plus two half baths. That's five toilets to clean! The city house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms- more than enough room for us.  There is no designated "guest room", but when guests come, we make do just fine.
Our country house had a big yard with a pool.  It took us most of a day each week to care for the yard during our long, southern summers.  Our city home has a very small front yard, and the back yard is a brick patio with a pine-straw area for the dogs.We joined a community pool in the city, and let someone else worry about the maintenance. .

Half the house means half the cost to heat and cool.  Living in the city, our trash pick up is included in our taxes.

I used to fill my car up with gas at least twice per week, to accommodate all the driving.  Now I drive for a week and a half on one tank of gas.

We were a little worried about how the kids would adjust to the new, tighter, living quarters, but they have weathered the change just fine.  If they ever start to complain, they quickly remind themselves of the days when they had to leave the house at 6:30 a.m. for morning Mass on game days.  Most days, they aren't even awake at 6:30...and blessedly, neither am I.

 Our Southern Living style country home

Our little Tudor-style Midtown cottage

Are You Throwing Your Money Away?

I suppose because it's summertime, the topic of paper towels, paper plates, and disposable cutlery keep popping up. Sure, it's much easier to throw away your dinner mess rather than clean it up, but have you ever thought about how much money you are literally throwing away?

Many years ago while living in Georgia, my children attended a Catholic hybrid home-school program: Regina Caeli Academy.  I met many wonderfully wise women during our time there.  Many of these women had large families, and were stay at home mothers, who stretched dollars to make ends meet.  One day we were talking about cleaning products, and tips to save time cleaning the house, and one young mother stated that she doesn't buy paper towels-ever- because the only reason you buy paper towels is to effectively throw them away, and she did not have the money to throw away. She used cloth diapers,handkerchiefs, kitchen towels, and rags for cleaning- all of which can be thrown into the washing machine.

Wow! That was a light-bulb moment for me! While I do still purchase paper towels and napkins, I use them as sparingly as I can....like a luxury item.  Take a look at your trash and see how much money you are literally throwing away.Paper towels, paper plates, disposable cups, zip- lock bags, kleenex....just to name a few items.  Washing dishes via the dishwasher or by hand only takes a few extra minutes out of your life. Put leftovers and snacks into reusable plastic containers.  Rinse and reuse your zip-lock baggies if they only contained dry items.

Look in your cleaning cabinet.  Clorox wipes? Dust wipes? Swiffer products? I find I can clean everything in my home with ammonia, Comet, bleach, 409, microfiber cloths and sponges. (Of course, never use ammonia and bleach at the same time, or it will create toxic fumes.) Many people clean with lemon, vinegar, and baking soda. There are many recipes on the internet for home-made, non toxic cleaning products- even laundry soap!  I have not tried any of these recipes yet, but I hope to soon and will blog about my findings.

Here are some websites for cleaning recipes:

http://housekeeping.about.com/cs/environment/a/alternateclean.htm
http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/12/01/homemade-cleaning-solutions/
http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes

If you want to really go extreme, I have read several articles and blogs on people who are even going paperless in the bathroom! I, however, am not ready to do this- even though yes, I am literally flushing money down the toilet!
http://www.makingthishome.com/2010/09/29/a-paperless-bathroom
http://www.themomcrowd.com/living-without-toilet-paper



Do you buy several of these items every week? If you do, you could be spending up to an extra $25.00 on your grocery bill! I would rather use that money to splurge on entertainment for my family.

If you look in my closets, you will find some of the above mentioned items.  Sometimes convenience is necessary.  However, I use all the items sparingly, and replace them only about once per year.  My goal is to get better and reclaim some closet space by eliminating these items altogether. 

Pinterest, DIY, Messes & Successes!

I'm really all about giving "gifts from the heart".  Personally, I'd much rather receive anything you put your time and effort into making for me, rather than what you shopped for in the big box store.  On that same token, I'd much rather put my time and effort into making you a gift that wander aimlessly around a box store looking for something. Anything. A batch of my favorite cookies touches me more than a gift card that says 'I couldn't be bothered to figure out what you'd like- so here- you do it yourself'. My nightstand drawer is filled with homemade cards from my kids- they still make them at 14 and 16, and I hope they never buy me a card from Hallmark.

I have recently discovered the website Pinterest.com, and have become sufficiently addicted! Once you are a member of Pinterest, you can post pictures or tag pictures from the internet of things that interest you for other members to see.  members can then "repin" the photo to their personal board for future reference.  This site is full if DIY ideas, recipes, photos, fashion, home decorating, you name it! It has almost negated my need for magazines! (almost!)

I have been pinning gift ideas to my boards, and had decided to try a few out.
Project #1: Hand Stamped Washer Necklaces
I had seen several tutorials for stamped washer necklaces and I thought this would be a perfect gift for my niece's college graduation!  The tutorials said you need a metal stamping set you could purchase very inexpensively  from harborfreight.com.  True. I bought the stamping set, and I bought a lot of corded necklaces from etsy.com and anxiously awaited for them to arrive.  I went to Lowe's and bought three bags of washers because the tutorial said you might want to practice, and to have extras for mistakes. Check. thus far, my investment was about $25 for the stamping set, 10 corded neckaces, and washers.  Good thing I bought extra!

Stamping the washers was not as easy as it looked! I tried several different methods, and found the best way was to sit on my brick stairs and pound the stamp onto the washer there.  Even then, if your hand wavers even a little bit in between whacks, the letter image will come out blurry. After using most of the washers, I thought maybe it was the word I was trying to spell. My other niece has a birthday coming up, so I tried her name.  Her sister's name. The year.  After all the washers were used up, I had only about five sort-of usable stamped image washers.

Step two called for using a sharpie to fill in the stamped grooves, and wipe off the extra quickly with a baby wipe. This didn't work, either. ALL the ink kept coming out, no matter what I did- fat sharpie, skinny sharpie, shoe polish, you name it.  I double checked the tutorial, found other tutorials, and finally surrendered.  this project was a FAIL!

Project #2: Teacher Gifts
On pinterest, I saw that someone posted an idea for s'mores-on-a-stick, and I immediately thought this would be a great edible bouquet for end of the year teacher appreciation. 
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/06/23/smores-on-a-stick-from-todays-creative-blog/

I found giant campfire marshmallows and graham crackers at Walmart,  and purchased extra long pop sticks, chocolate melting wafers,cute cpcake liners, and large paper doilies from Michael's, I dipped the marshmallows into melted chocolate, and rolled the tops into graham cracker crumbs. I set the sticks in mason jars, and put them in the freezer for a few minutes to harden.  I used 5 s'mores sticks per bouquet, and wrapped them with a doily and ribbon. They came out super cute, and the teachers loved them!
SUCCESS!!

Needless to say, my niece got a check for graduation, and I have a lot of necklaces I'm going to try to use for future projects. If anyone would like to try metal stamping, I have the stamps you can use for free! And if you decide to check out Pinterest.com for yourself, don't say I didn't warn you- it's awesomely addicting!

Where's the beef? Meatless Meals

Almost everyone I know is doing some version of "Meatless Monday". Forgoing meat once per week is a great way to save money on your grocery bill.  During Lent, Catholics abstain from meat on Friday. That's already twice per week, So I wondered, could I give up meat altogether for Lent this year?

Yes!

Let me clarify: I gave up meat, but I did not go vegan.  Fish and eggs are still on the menu.

The first thing I did was go through my recipe box and write down all the meatless recipes I already had, and figure out which recipes could be modified to exclude meat.  I was a little bit scared that we would be eating spaghetti with marinara and fish stick for six weeks!

I was pleasantly surprised at all of my options...my list included items such as black bean burgers (a favorite of the whole family), spinach ravioli lasagna, eggplant au gratin, cauliflower macaroni and cheese, fish tacos, and shrimp and grits with spinach...when all was said and done, I had twenty-five recipes to get started.


I was a little worried, because my husband did not go meatless for Lent, nor did my youngest daughter.  I can honestly say that, as a family, we did not miss the meat at dinnertime.

When I was a part of a homeschooling co-op, I knew a very wise woman who had 10 children. One day she told me she was going to put a chicken in the oven for dinner. I asked her how many chickens do you need to cook for a family of 12? She said, "you didn't listen to me- I said I put 'a' chicken in the oven- when you have a large family, you need to stop looking at meat as the main course...it's a side dish." Hmmm. Like I said- a very wise woman. 

Lent is over, but I think we will consider meat as less of a staple, and continue include more meatless meals into our weekly dinners.

In case you would like to try going meatless, here are a few recipes for inspiration:

Rainbow Pizza
1 loaf of french bread, split
broil in oven until toasty (about 4 minutes? just watch it)
spread with alfredo sauce
add chopped red, yellow, and green peppers
add chopped purple onions
sprinkle with mozzarella cheese
place back under broiler until cheese melts (2 minutes?)
.....................................................................................................................................................................
Baked Nestled Eggs

2 packages Archer Farms squash risoto, prepared
(found at Target)
3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded
6 eggs
Stuff pepper halves with risoto,
spray Pam in baking pan, put remaining risoto in pan
arrange peppers among risoto, so they are level
crack eggs onto each pepper half
Bake at 400 for 30 minutes
salt & pepper to taste
.....................................................................................................................................................................

Creamy Cheese Grits and Spinach

28 pieces medium deveined & peeled frozen shrimp
1 package frozen chopped spinach, microwave cooked
1 cup quick cooking grits
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 package mozzarella/provolone cheese blend
bring grits, broth, milk, salt, and garlic powder to a boil
reduce heat & simmer, stirring occasionally for 10-12 minutes
until thickened
stir in spinach and cheese until well blended
Top with shrimp boiled with Old Bay seasoning

Our New Lawnmower is Reel Cool!

Our last house had a giant yard......our current house has a small patch of 'grass' in front.  I use the term grass loosely- the landscaping has been neglected for so long it's mostly leaves and weeds.

We used a riding mower to cut the yard before...but that was going to be a bit much for our little patch of lawn.  Our intention was to go get an electric mower that I could easily start.  After looking at our options, and realizing that we would need a 200 foot power cord from the outlet in the garage to the front yard, we took the plunge and decided to try a reel mower.  Lowe's has a 90 day return policy, so we thought, "why not?"

Well, so far, so good! On the pro side: it's really quiet and lightweight.  It uses no gas or electricity, so it's very eco-friendly.  The model we chose has an adjustable blade height, so that's a plus, too. The cons are: it uses no gas or electricity..you have to PUSH it! You really do need to add some elbow grease.  It doesn't do well over the bumpy tree roots- we have to go back over some areas with the [gas powered] weed-eater. On our first time out with it, two separate neighbors asked if we wanted to borrow their lawnmower!

The verdict is: I think we are going to keep it.. for now.  We'll have to see how it works with the thicker grass this summer.  I think if we can remember to walk it around every couple of days, and not let the grass get out of control, we will be fine. Who knows? Maybe I'll look into some drought resistant landscaping options and render our 'reel cool' lawn mower obsolete!

Secrets to Hosting a Successful Yard Sale

It's officially spring, so you know what that means.......Yard Sale Season!!

My husband will tell you that our home is tastefully decorated in "Early Yardsale".  Ha, ha! That's fine with me- I love the hunt for a perfect 'treasure', and I love that nobody else has the same decor...ours is definitely unique!

We recently held two yard-sales on consecutive weekends in March.  We did the first sale at our "old" house, then put everything that didn't sell into a truck and held a sale in our new neighborhood. Between the two sales, we grossed over $500.00! And we didn't even sell all that needed to go: we took a truckload to Goodwill, brought a piece of furniture to a consignment store, and broke a substantial piece of furniture, which we put on the curb and someone picked up (free, of course!) 

Here are some tips that I have learned over the years that help make your yard-sale the most profitable it can be:

1. Put the yard-sale on the calendar.  It gives you a goal to shoot for. A successful yard sale takes planning! As you get closer to D-day, if the weather looks bad, or you have an unplanned kids event you can't get out of, you can change the date- it's not set in stone, but writing it down makes it an event and it will help you to keep yourself accountable.

2. Now that you know when you're going to have the sale, you need to decide what to sell.  Designate an area to put everything you want to sell: the garage, a spare bedroom, etc. Let your family know to go through their things and put what they want to sell in your "area". Tip: I have encouraged my kids in the past to part with their things by promising them something special with the money they make. One year, we bought new beach toys with their proceeds. Maybe a new Wii game would entice your kids to part with their beloved belongings?  Make sure everything you are going to sell is in good condition, has all the pieces, is working, and is clean. If you are overrun with Happy Meal toys, put them in a shoebox and offer the children shopping with their mothers a free toy. This will keep the kids from whining and/or distracting their parents from purchasing your things!

3. Figure out where you are going to hold your garage sale. In the actual garage? The yard? The driveway? Are you  going solo, or will you have a neighborhood yard-sale? Don't wait until the last minute to figure out the details- yard sales start very early in the morning and you need a plan to execute everything smoothly.

4. Do you have tables to display your items? If not, see if you can borrow tables from family, friends, and neighbors. If you are selling clothes, use (or borrow) a clothes rack. This will make all the difference. if you cannot find a clothes rack to use, be creative! Tie a bungee rope between two sturdy trees and hang your clothes there, or if you have a garment rack for your car, back your car up to the sale area and pop the tailgate and hang the clothing there. Bookcases work well for displaying books..empty small ones in your house and bring them out side. You can use masking tape to mark "Display only- table/bookcase/rack not for sale". Unless, of course, you plan to sell it, too!

I used the armoire shelves to display items

5. Decide how you are going to advertise your yard-sale. I was shocked to find out the local paper charged $30 for an ad run only one day. Instead, I advertised on craigslist.org, facebook, and made directional signs.  I got tomato stakes from the garden store, and stapled poster-board sign to them.  Don't be afraid to get creative! One year, we had a blast making signs that said "you're almost there", "keep going" , "too late to turn back now!" Lots of people commented on how fun the signs were to follow. If your town recently had an election, sometimes you can gather up the old political signs (for free!) and staple your sign over that.

6. Make sure you have change. Small bills and lots of quarters. most people who shop yard sales know it pays to have small bills- easier to negotiate if you're not paying with a $100 bill! Also, decide if you will accept checks for big-ticket items.  you have a better chance of selling if you do.  It's a risk, I know, but amazingly, I've never had a bounced check for a yard sale item. It's your call- sometimes you just have to assess the person and hope for the best.

7. When you set up your yard sale, it's all about the display.  I often do a "drive by"- if I don't see anything enticing, I wont bother to stop and look. If I see a bunch of boxes and clothes on the ground, forget it! Put your big ticket items out front where people can see, and use tables to display everything else.  Try to keep like items together. You may even bundle things to get a bigger price.  I recently filled a plastic toolbox I was selling anyway with a bunch of hair bows and hair accessories. I got $10 for the whole thing, but would have had to sell each item for $.50. Also, I filled an old jewelry box with costume jewelry I was selling...$8 for the whole thing! I like to pretend my yard is my 'store' and make things attractive as if I were in a mall. At my recent yard sale, several people asked where my shop was!

Books organized by genre on table 

8. Which brings us to pricing. I know you like your stuff and want top dollar for it, right? Keep in mind this is a yard sale. People who yard sale are looking for a bargain.  If you have a one-of-a-kind-autographed-poster, you might be better off trying to sell that on eBay or craigslist.  Otherwise, the purpose of the yard sale is to get rid of your stuff and make some money so you can buy new stuff, right? So, price it to sell! Personally, I don't put a price tag on anything, unless I am firm about what I want to sell it for. Even then, you have to be prepared that you might not sell it at your asking price. You can put out signs for bulk items like "Books- 2/$1.00 or VHS movies: 50 cents each! Also, be open to bartering. This spring, a lady wanted a love seat, a rocker, and some buckets that I had for sale. She said she couldn't afford to pay for them, but could she clean my house in exchange? Heck, yeah! Since we were moving and getting ready to list our house for sale, her cleaning my house took one thing off my back, and she did a great job,too!

9. Here's an idea that's always worth mentioning: especially if you have older children that can help out, consider having a refreshment area. People shopping yard sales are hungry & thirsty! Sell lemonade and banana bread, or cookies and bottled water, have out a carafe of hot coffee - you get the idea.  Put the kids in charge of the refreshments, and you will make a nice profit on that, too!

10.  When the yard sale is over, have a plan for what to do with the stuff  that doesn't sell.  I usually have a box that goes up to the attic for the next yard sale, a box that goes to Goodwill, and a plan such as consignment stores for any big-ticket items left.  You can also consider freecycle.org for anything you just want gone.
 
Good Luck and Happy Selling! If you decide to have a yard sale, let me know- I do love a treasure hunt!

How To Live Well

 My mother sent my daughter this card for her 14th birthday......very wise and relevant- weather you're 14 or 144!

How To Live Well

May you keep getting to know yourself better-and keep loving what you discover.

May you never stop learning, growing, and dreaming.

May you travel to places you always wanted to go-and find yourself right at home wherever you are.

May you take up something new- or something old that you put aside once upon a time. 

May you take good care of yourself in every possible way- and let those who love you take care of you now and then, too.

May you remember all the happiness you've known and believe with all your heart that some of your best joys are yet to come.

May you live each day like you've only just begun. 

But most of all, may you never forget how deeply you are loved. 

-hallmark greeting card

Saving Green by Moving Green

     In my effort to live my life more simply, I am consciously aware of my carbon footprint, and what we are consuming on a daily basis.

    Nothing makes your consumption more evident that making a move. (By the way, you have no idea how truly dirty your house is until you move.....I really think people should be forced to move every five years purely for sanitation purposes- I thought my home was relatively clean: not!)

   During our latest home move, we were fortunate to be able to take our time moving, which helped the process go much greener than we thought.

   Our last move was an out of state move.  I hired a moving company, and decided to let the moving company pack the kitchen for me. With little kids, this made sense: I could use my kitchen right up to the move, which freed me up to pack the rest of the house. I was horrified when I was unpacking the new house, and  found the movers had used a whole box filled with paper to pack one serving platter. I was also horrified to find they packed my trash!!! Yup, I opened a box to find my garbage had moved across state lines with us!

   This move was different. I hired a local moving company to move the furniture only. I was able to save money by using a smaller truck, and I used a company that charged by the hour.   Everything else has been moved over with laundry baskets. I didn't buy a single box, packing tape, or packing papers. Since we are still readying our old house for sale, every trip I make, I pack up the car. Laundry baskets go back and forth with me. I use old bath towels to cushion anything breakable. No boxes, no tissue paper, just my laundry baskets and my own sweat equity.

   It doesn't sound very simple- it sounds like a lot of trips back and forth and a lot of gas, right? I'm making the trips anyway; in between cleaning both houses & driving the children to their activities, I haven't been doing any extra driving.  Plus a bonus, as I empty the laundry baskets in the new house, I put things away as I go- virtually eliminating packing or unpacking. I can see what is going to work in the new house, and what is going directly to yard sale. Double bonus: the kitchen was all set up before we even officially moved in!

The Key To My Simple Valentine's Day

In our house, Valentine's Day is a non- holiday.....a holiday invented by the greeting card companies that only makes singles feel bad about being single, and couples feel pressure to create that "perfect romantic evening".
I have long ago banned my husband from buying me overpriced flowers: I'd rather get surprised one day in June.  We may meet for lunch, but never go out for dinner where the menu has been inflated and the wait is too long. The expectations for the day are too high- and too many people are disappointed in the end.  We have long ago made a pact to only do cards or small tokens of affection. No pressure, no expectations, no disappointments.The same goes for the kids- who love waking up to a small surprise left on the kitchen table.

This year, we have just moved into a new home, so I decided to give the kids one of those decorative house keys you see at the big-box-do-it-yourself store.   Then it segued in my mind...the keys to our home- the keys to my heart. A quick Google search led me to printable Subway Art- I literally jumped on this train!

I found two printables "The Key To My Heart" for the girls, and a printable I fell in love with that I decided to print out for my husband. A trip to Walmart for discount frames and heart-shaped key-chains and I was almost done. This simple, inexpensive, gift was a hit! Top it off with chocolate croissants for breakfast, it almost made me believe in Valentine's Day.

                                                                   Google Image

                                                   Just Devine Style link "Key to my Heart"

                                                                   Subway Art printable

                                           Chocolate Croissants: refrigerated croissants rolled up
                                           with chocolate chips and sprinkled with powdered
                                           sugar- Yum!


                                          

Reduce, Reuse, FREECYCLE!!

If getting your home more organized was one of your New Year's resolutions, you're in luck!  According to the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), January is Get Organized month (or GO month, for short). There are still five days left in January, so it's not too late to get started!  This fits perfectly with my life- since we are downsizing our home in early February, getting organized now is a must!

Since my husband and I decided to make the move to The Big City, we have been purging, organizing, and stressing a little bit about how we are going to downsize our life into 1800 square feet. (Emphasis on "reduce"!)

I have brought carloads of outgrown clothes and toys to the Goodwill, I have weeded out the brand-name clothes and listed them with a local consignment store,  I have established a yard-sale-pile, I am selling some furniture outright, and I have "Freecycled" many items.

Freecycle? So many of my friends that I have mentioned this to are not acquainted with this great community, so I thought now would be the perfect time to blog about it. 

Freecycle is an online community group where you can offer items you no longer need. Everything offered must be free. The group is moderated, and you must fall within the guidelines of what you can give away. Most Freecycle groups will not allow you to offer pets, for example. The purpose of Freecycle is to offer your "trash" for someone else to use for "treasure". This keeps your unwanted items out of landfills, and gives someone else a chance to use the item, rather than buy new.

Some people rely on this service, as they cannot afford to purchase new, and some people, I have found, just like the treasure hunt!

E-mails from people who are interested in your offers are sent directly to you. Sob stories, or reasons why one person deserves an item over another person are frowned upon. Personally, I give the item to the first person who contacts me, period, as it should be. In most cases the person who wants your offered item will come to you to pick it up- you don't even need to haul it anywhere! I usually just put the item on my front porch with the person's name on it, and they come get the item at their convenience.  Of course, if you're not comfortable having strangers come to your home, you can make whatever arrangements you wish.

Freecycle is free to join, and you can join or learn more about this service at www.freecycle.org.  You can search for the Freecycle community closest to you. After you are a member, simply post any items you may want to get rid of, or browse the offers available.

Recently I have given away two artificial Christmas trees, an outdoor wreath that was only half lit, and I have an offer out for a poured stone mantle that fell off my wall five years ago. Everybody that I have met through freecycle have been extremely friendly and appreciative of my offerings.

The next time you have an unwanted item, before you drag it to the end of the driveway with the weekly garbage, think if that item might be useful to someone else. With minimal effort, you can do your part to save our planet.

Happy Freecycling!!

Re-purposing Christmas Cards

My favorite "gift" card!

It's January, so it must be time for the annual "Chopping of the Cards!"

I love Christmas cards! To me, they are like little presents waiting for me in the mailbox every day in December. (I also love to get mail, but that's another post!)

After I open the cards, I display them proudly around my door frame.  When Christmas is over, I'm sad to take them down, and they are so beautiful, I hate to throw them away. People put a lot of thought, effort, and money into their season's greetings, it's a shame to add them to the landfill.  However, the organized person inside me cannot just pile them up and keep them from year to year, either. I don't even keep credit card statements!

For several years now I have been turning these lovely Christmas cards into gift tags to use for the next Christmas. It is so simple to do, and it saves me a ton of money on commercial tags. 

After I take down the cards, I check the inside cover for any writing, and discard those.  They are not useful tags if they have writing on the back.  Then I use a paper cutter to separate the front of  the cards from the back of the cards.

 Perfect for large gifts next year

The next step is to analyze the cards.  Most cards can be cut up into several small gift tags, or they can be cropped down to showcase a pretty shape, etc. Some cards cannot be trimmed at all. These cards make great gift tags for large presents, just simply write the "To" and "From" with a Sharpie marker. 

The next thing I do is use my paper cutter to trim the cards to small square or rectangular form.  Depending on the image on the card, I might use my circle cutter, or cut a silhouette of a true shape.  I punch a hole in the top of the tag, and tie string or thin ribbon through the hole to complete the tag.  I cannot wait until next year to put all of these beautiful tags on my gifts!    

            

Living Well in 2011

Happy New Year!

In the south, the New Year is the time when we eat our black-eyed peas for luck, greens for money, and make our resolutions for the upcoming year. I didn't grow up a southerner, but I have adapted just fine, thank you. This year was my first attempt at making Hoppin' John, and it was delicious, if I do say so myself!

Last year, my goal for 2010 was to simplify my life. I decided to leave an overwhelming and underpaid "part-time" job, and consciously let a struggling friendship go. I succeeded in relaxing and enjoying my Christmas holiday (for once) thanks to a pre-Christmas trip to a secluded mountain cabin in Blue Ridge, Georgia. With two very active teenagers, I made significant strides,  but didn't quite completely make that goal to Simplify.

Onward to 2011, I am still desperately seeking The Simple Life... hoping I don't wake up one day as an old lady only to realize that I let my life pass by while amassing only material pleasures.  I have thought a lot lately about reducing the carbon footprint I leave on our planet. About cleaning less and walking more. About learning how to grow my own food, and how to live a richer life with less material possessions.

New Year's Resolutions, 2011 

1. Simply simplify my life

2. Start a blog- ha,ha! Check! Let me amend that to continuing this blog into the New Year and beyond.

3. Organize my recipes. Good Grief! They are all piled into a box- I'm going to finally get them out of the box and into a book where I can find what I'm looking for quickly!

4.  Start a vegetable garden. I have a black thumb, so this should be interesting. Last year I bought two blueberry bushes: the nice man told me growing blueberries were foolproof...result? Two dead blueberry bushes.

This blog is my journey toward organizing my life- my mental and my physical clutter.  It is about reducing chaos, sharing my ideas and creativity, and striving to maintain a sophisticated, simple style of living.