My first Christmas centerpiece

I have always wanted something pretty to put on my table, and even more so at Christmas.  This year, I decided to just make one, and display it no matter how it turned out.  To my surprise and joy, I think it turned out nice.

Approximate cost breakdown:
Green metal bucket $2.00 a while ago at Target
Pinecones (scented) $4.99 for a bag
Battery powered mini lights $3.00 for 2
Tree $2.50
Red bulbs $1.00 for a sleeve of about 12
Star .79cents

Not too bad considering I can reuse most of what I have for other decor projects once the season is over.  I had coupons from JoAnns and Michaels was having a heck of a sale, so I didn't pay full price for anything.  I wish I had found a tablecloth or runner.  I'm hoping I'll get lucky with that next time.  I'm planning on using the leftover pine cones to make ornaments for the Christmas tree.  I'm going to glue ribbon to the pine cones and just hang them up.  I might let the kids put glitter on them, too.  The decor has to be skimpy this year because my 2 and 3 year olds will just tear up anything they can get their hands on, and I'm done spending money. 

Painted chandelier

I finally finished a project that I have been meaning to get to for months.  I got the idea to paint my hated chandelier from the other wonderful  blogs I stalk regularly.  The ladies out there are so talented and creative!  I can only wish.... 

I had already bought the supplies, so I don't have any idea why I waited until it was nice and cold in the garage before I did it.  Here's the chandelier before- all brassy and bugging me...

First I took the lights off and used painters tape to cover the light sockets.  Then I cleaned it and primed it with spray primer.  Finally, I painted a nice satin black.

  I still haven't decided if I like it better with the glass covers or without.  I plan to paint all the trim white and the walls another color.

I'm very happy with t he result.  It took 2 days because of drying time.  It was a really fun project, and only cost me a few bucks.  I think paint is going to be a good friend.

Completed projects

I've had a list of things I've been meaning to tackle.  Just some little crafty things.  The first was this crayon roll.  I made 3, and this one came out the best so far.  The cuts were wonky, so I've learned to use a ruler and got a rotary cutter so next time maybe it will come out better.  I'm learning to sew, so I keep looking for little projects to keep practicing.  One thing I learned, rick-rack doesn't like me AT ALL.

This one was the Hubbs' project.  Before the deck was grey and ugly.  See that bench?  That's how it all looked before.  It looks brand new now!  Yay Hubby!  Can't wait to get some cute patio furniture to put out there.  Hopefully next year.

Finally, I completed the wreath project that has sat in my closet for a year.  I know, sad.  But, I think it came out nice.  And it was a cheap project, too.  I didn't even use the glue gun.  I just shoved little bundles into the wreath form.  I might glue it later just to make sure it doesn't fall apart.  I'm not sure I like the burgundy ribbon, but it's fine for now.  Still  more to do, but I'm so happy to finally be getting stuff done.  I'm still working on my home management folder.  I fell off the wagon for a while, but I'm back on.  I'll post about that later.

Bathroom redo-done!

I am so  happy that the 1/2 bath is done.  It looks nice, if I do say so.  And it was done on the serious cheap!  So, here it is right after the Hubbs installed it.

  The flooring only cost about $30 for a box.  Yay!  Here is what it looks like all done.  Pay no attention to that ugly step stool.  That's up on my get it done before Thanksgiving project list.

And just in case you're interested, here is what it looks like above the toilet and at the vanity.  Still need to add the black knobs to the vanity.  That shelf unit only cost $20 at the resale shop, and the "Friends" sign was on clearance at JoAnn's for about $5.

That's all there is to it.  That bathroom is so small that you could run into yourself if you turn around.  But, that's what makes doing it up so cheap.  I want to add bead board and change the counter top someday.  We want to use the same flooring from the bathroom all the way through the kitchen and family room.  I think it'll look nice, and it'll be a fraction of the cost of other flooring such as wood or laminate.  And it was soo easy to put down.  All you need is a utility knife.  That's the kind of home improvement I like!

What's hiding in there?

We continue to slowly...slowly...slowly make our house into a home.  So, this weekend we decided to attack our tiny half bath.  It would be something quick.  It would be easy.  We could get a quick sense of accomplishment to motivate us onward to tackle more and bigger projects.  No sweat, right!  Eh, not so fast.   We already painted, so we wanted to install new flooring.  Right now two bathrooms and the kitchen and hall are this worn out sheet vinyl that I can't keep clean.  We decided on vinyl plank flooring from Lowes that looks like wood.  It's durable, waterproof, relatively inexpensive, and it looks nice.  Had great reviews on Lowes site. Well, gotta move that toilet, right?  So, hubbs pulls it out and what do we find?

Water!  
Yes, water that was apparently seeping under the vinyl.  This is as it's drying.  It was worse at first.  So, how long has it been leaking?  Who knows.  I'm just glad the floor didn't rot.   Where did the water come from you ask?  From the lovely leaking toilet.  The one with the rusted thingy underneath.  I don't know what it's called.  Well, now the thingy must be replaced.  And by the way- the toilet had to be broken to get it out because the bolts rusted and couldn't be taken out.  YAY!  So, bye-bye toilet.  Woo. Hoo.
Thank God we still had the old toilet we took out of our master bath.  There was no money left for a new toilet.  The budget is tighter than a tick on a fat dog.  Luckily, our supplies only cost about $40.  The Hubbs is working on that bathroom as I type. Why do simple little projects often blossom once you've started them?  I wish the flowers in the yard would blossom as much.  Anyway, I'm glad it wasn't a disaster. After pics coming soon!

Every day faith

Image by Glen's Pics via Flickr

A couple of days ago, I saw a movie called Facing Giants.  It was about a coach who was going through a really rough time in his life- he was in danger of getting fired because of his losing team, he and his wife couldn't have a baby, etc.  He turned to God, and began to really apply his faith on and off the field.  That really struck a chord with me.  It made me thing about how I can apply my faith in my daily life.  I think its a challenge because I am home with the kids all day.  But, it seems that living out my faith has more to do with my attitude and subsequent actions than on actions alone.  So, I must go about my day doing my everyday tasks with the attitude of serving the Lord in my present station.    As I thought about it, I have not been living out my faith as I think I should.  Church on Sunday is fine, but it's how I live my life daily that is the real deal.  And that's what will show God's work in my life.  So many people compartmentalize their faith and the rest of their lives.  I question if such people are who they think they are.  In Matthew 7, Jesus talks about knowing others by their fruit.  True faith should permeate every aspect of your life.  In my observation, it's those Christians who exercise their faith on a daily basis in every part of their lives that God uses to do incredible things.  If I have the right attitude, and act on that, then I will produce good fruit.  Even if it's only in my little corner of the world. And God can do incredible things on a grand scale, or in one little life like mine.

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Pulling out my hair

Why is it that when you decide to do something to get your finances in control, something comes along and throws it at least 3 steps backward??  I am so frustrated.  I gathered all my bills.  I made a budget.  I made a plan to systematically start paying off debt.  And what happens?  somebody comes out of the woodwork and demands a large lump sum payment.  The car breaks down.  The toilet cracks and is leaking all over the floor.  Why now??  Couldn't all of that crap have waited another couple of months just so at least a little progress is made?  NO.  What can I do?  There are no savings to dip into.  I guess the cards have to go back to the limit.  All there is to do is pray, grit my teeth and keep going, even if it's just on fumes.  Aargh!!

Cheap Trick Tuesday

Image via Wikipedia

It's Alive!!!

One way I've learned to cut corners is to make my own stuff.  For example, I experiment with making my own cleaning solutions.  It's actually pretty fun.  I get to play mad scientist! I'v discovered I can make cleaner that works well and smells good. We're having a pharoah ant problem right now, and I found that my cleaner also appears to repel ants!  Bonus!  My recipe for my general purpose cleaner is below.  I'm still experimenting, but I like this one so far:

To a spray bottle add
4 Tbs OdoBan (from Sams)
3 cups warm water
1 tbs washing soda

One tip:  Do NOT get the washing soda on your skin.  There are some nice cleaner recipes at thebudgetfashionista.com.  I'm probably going to add a little borax to the recipe next time.  This stuff removes odors like nobody's business!  The OdoBanis an awesome odor remover.  It's also a disinfectant, and works as a fabric softener.  It's a fab multipurpose solution.  I Lurve that stuff!

Getting organized

Image by Quack the Wooley Duck via Flickr

Is there someone you know who always seems to have their stuff together?  They're just naturally organized.  Everything has a place and their homes are always tidy.  My mom is like that.  I, on the other hand, am definitely NOT like that.  If you're like me, then organization is a real challenge.

I tend to feel really overwhelmed when I look at all that has to be done around the house, and I freeze, or I run around haphazardly, never really getting done adequately. I've been surfing around blogger land, and I know I have to work on organizational issues in my home.  So, I have decided I am going to start building a home management binder and doing daily tasks and weekly zones in my house.  I've seen both ideas on Flylady and Justorganizeyourself.blogspot.com.  Flylady and Joy are my go-to divas for getting organized.  Basically, it means I'm going to work on developing daily routines, and worry about deep cleaning and organizing one area at a time.  I'm starting with the bedrooms for this week.  There are a lot of things I feel need to get done in the bedrooms, so I might as well get moving.   I'm hoping doing this will help me move toward getting my house the way I want it.  I bought Flylady's book, too.

I know I need to be careful not to try to do too much at once.  But, I am eager to get my house in order.  I tried this before a while ago, but I fell off the wagon.  I'm hoping that blogging about it will help keep me on track.  I really want to succeed this time.  Guess I'll be shining the sink tomorrow.

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I'm Psych-ed

I love this show

Cheap Trick Tuesday

You know, everyone thinks cheap tricks are a bad thing.  I don't think so.  At least not when it comes to saving some cash.  I'm trying various little things I can do to save money.  Cheap tricks, I call them.  Today is Tuesday, so Cheap Trick Tuesday it is!  Dare ya to say that three times real fast...

Trick #1 Save money on hand soap.

I've got four little ones, one bigger one and a big old mess hubby in my house.  So, there's a LOT of hand washing that goes on around here.  Of course, I have to order ask them to do it.  We use the foaming hand soap because otherwise there is a perpetual layer of soapy slime on the bathroom counters.  Ick. Drives me nuts!  I found that there is much less slime when using the foaming hand soap, but that stuff is expensive!  So, what to do when you have no money?  Improvise!  Get a big refill container of regular hand soap (I get mine from Sams).  Fill a foaming dispenser with water, add about 2-3 tablespoons of liquid soap and shake.  Voila!  Foaming soap! Cheap!  You get more mileage out of the soap this way and you're recycling your dispenser.  Whoo-hoo!

HOW BAD IS IT?

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Well, I sat down this weekend and did what all the financial experts tell you to do.  I made a list of my expenses and debts, including interest rates.  I was not a happy camper.  Are you supposed to have an anxiety attack immediately afterward?   And every time you look at the sheet?  I wish I could say I was relieved to find that things weren't as bad as I had thought.  But, they WERE as bad as I thought.  Maybe I should be glad things aren't worse than I thought.  Anyway, I made a budget to try to start paying stuff off.  Well, to my horror and disgust, after bill paying, there was very little left for any incidentals- like buying school supplies or saving.  Aargh!  So I decided to find ANYTHING I could cut out.  I actually found a couple of things we can do without, at least temporarily.  And that did ease the palpitations a bit.  A bit.

Unfortunately, that means that I will have to be extremely cheap frugal  as I go about decorating my home.  I already knew this, but it looks like I'll have to be even cheaper than I first thought!  Every dollar has to count.  That means dedication to coupon clipping, discount shopping, and bargain hunting.  But, where to start?  It seems the best place to start is with the grocery bill.    That's where most SAHM's can begin to cut corners. If you want-or need- to tackle this task for your family, you can join me.  Check your newspaper and any circulars you get.  Another good place to look is Coupons.com and Deal seeking mom, which helps let you know what specific deals are in your area.  I use the CVS deals the most since I have to go there for prescriptions anyway.  I'll be on the lookout for any other websites offering useful deals or advice too. Any suggestions are welcome.

So, the first step away from the Border is to see how close you are to it.  It is quite unpleasant (believe me), but it really has to be done.  Write it out.  Then, after you have a drink, or a few drinks, or a pill, you can come back and look for things you can do without for a while.  Its a start.  And we all have to start somewhere.

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My first post

I was talking to a close, long-time friend of mine a couple of days ago.  We were sharing about how we are trying to create a pleasant home and feed our children (we both have 5) while having next to nothing available in terms of cash. It hit me that, given the present economic climate, we certainly aren't the only ones out there who are living on half a shoestring. I mean literally one paycheck-or less-from disaster. So, I decided to blog about my experiences as I live the frugal life and move toward my goal of becoming debt free.  I'll share tips and things I try along the way, and maybe provide a place for others like me to share our angst.