Dollar Store Gifts

Most of you know by now that I have returned to school full time, so I have let my blog drop off....

But- WOOHOO!- it's spring break!! Am I at the beach? No- I'm blogging!

And, coincidentally, I had to prepare a speech for my public speaking class which I thought would fit perfectly onto my Living Simply blog!

Chinese philosopher Lau Zhu said, "Because we are frugal, we can be generous."

In today's economy, people are living from paycheck to paycheck (or in our case, paycheck to gas tank) and have very little extra money for gifts.  Since we all like to be generous and make people smile with a gift, I have put together several gifts that I bought from the Dollar Tree.  Yup, that's right- the Dollar Tree.

I was inspired by posts that I have seen on pintterest.com (so addicting!) and another favorite of mine: dollarstorecrafts.com,  which is a website that features inexpensive crafts that you can make with items found in your local dollar store.

Intrigued, and armed with $20.00, I went to my local Dollar Tree and was able to walk away with six gifts that I would be proud to give.  P.S. - nobody has to know it came from the dollar store! Let that be your little secret!

1. Nail polish 'cupcake'.  Simply put a nail polish in a cupcake liner and to with gift wrap crinkles. Tie up       in a cellophane bag with a pretty ribbon.  Perfect for a teen or tween, or as a party favor. (Idea seen on Pinterest)

2. Bride and Groom bottle toppers found in the bridal section of the dollar store. (yup!) Adorn a bottle of champagne and tie on a couple of dollar store wine glasses.  Champagne not bought at the dollar store, but still an inexpensive and tasteful gift.

3. For the cook: Fill a pot holder with a few kitchen tools and decorate with a matching dishcloth or towel.
I even raided my own pantry to add a pack of microwave popcorn and ramen noodles. Excellent housewarming gift!

4. For Mother's Day, or for grandma: Add some pretty scrapbook paper to an 8x10 desk frame.  Glue a chip clip to the front of the glass and add a sticker monogram and a pic of their favorite children..as a bonus, (because of the clip), the picture is not locked to a size, and can be changed out easily!

5. More scrapbook paper & sticker embellishments cover a mini clipboard.  Glue on a notepad and tie on or velcro a pen to the clipboard and voila! An easy, inexpensive teacher gift for the end of the year.

6. Fun for your front door! Hot glue Easter grass and plastic eggs to a straw wreath- add a bow and a stuffed bunny to finish the look!

$20.00/ 6 gifts = an average of $3.33 per gift!   Not bad in today's economy!! Happy Gifting!

Simplify the Holidays

Is there any such thing as simplifying the Holiday Season...?

I had wanted to write a blog about simple holiday preparations, but then I realized I have yet to achieve such zen.  Oh, my intentions are good. It's my reality that's messed up.

It's all my fault, too.  When my children were babies, I wanted them to experience a magical Christmas.  Sugar plums dancing in their heads, waking up to the wonder and awe of the arrival of Santa's gifts- a mountain of surprises left under the perfectly decorated tree, worthy of Southern Living magazine.  Even though they are no longer babies, how can I disappoint the magic of Christmas? Planning the perfect celebration often leaves me stressed and Grinchy.

The Result? The holiday always happens magically, without a hitch- but leaves me vowing for a better, more simple holiday next year.

Christmas Resolutions for 2012


1. I didn't do a Holiday card this year. For those of you who are reading this, you didn't get dropped from my list- everybody did! And you know what? It was quite freeing! I'm toying with the idea of a New Year's card instead....something I can concentrate on after the stress of Christmas is over.

2. My extended family doesn't pick names for gift giving.  We had tried before when the kids were little, and it didn't work out, mainly because our family isn't quite big enough.  I think the kids are all old enough to revisit this idea, and the idea is giving for the pleasure of giving...not giving for the need to get so-and-so something.....I think it would be hysterical to have a 'Dollar Store Christmas'... or an Ugly Christmas Sweater theme (and make everyone take their holiday pictures for cards and newsletters wearing the ugly sweaters).....or a 're-gift swap' among the adults.....or a 'handmade only policy'...you get the picture!

3. Shop for gifts all year.  I am happy to report that I have purchased the first two Christmas gifts for 2013!
(Note to my family: if you are reading this, and we decide to draw names, I will need to 'draw' Alisha!)
I am trying to devise an easy way for my kids  and husband to write down their desires for gifts all year, so I have a plan in mind, and can pick up bargains during the year.

4. I would love to take a family trip for Christmas, and forgo gifts altogether, save for one meaningful gift to be opened Christmas morning.  I think that memories would be magical, and we could focus on the reason for the season. After all, family togetherness is the key, and memories are priceless (All the better with a suntan!).

5. New Rule: now that my kids are teenagers, they want all of the traditions of Christmas' past, but are too busy to be around to help them happen.  I am one person- if you want to bake cookies and pie, let's set a date to bake cookies and pie together. Time spent together is a free gift well cherished.

And now that all the decorations are put away, and the holidays are but a memory remember this: in only 10 1/2 short months we get to start the holiday season all over again....let's all aim for a simpler, magical 2012!

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!