Just Call Me Miss Pottery Barn!

Remember when I told you how to make a homemade bulletin board out of an old sheet and a piece of cardboard?

Well, just look at what I found in my Pottery Barn Kids magazine today:


They call it a "Pin Board". It would be so easy to make!! Grab some scrap fabric, some corrugated cardboard, and some duct tape. I like the idea of making smaller panels and putting them together to make a bigger surface.

If you try it, make sure to send me some before and after photos!

A Frugal & Simple Way To Hang A Quilt

This is my baby boy...

And this is his room...
It was just a couple of months ago (he's 10 months old) that I decided I was tired of the bare walls in his room. I had purchased this cute quilt with the bedding set, but I never got it hung on the wall as intended.

One day I headed in there with a hammer and some good ol' straight pins. I was determined... and I was thrilled by how easy it was (and how well it turned out)! The tiny hole made by the straight pin did not damage the quilt (or the wall) either, and it's very securely hung. Give it a try!

Here are some tips:

- Find the top, center (approximate is fine) of your quilt.

- Holding it by that point, tap a straight pin through the quilt and into the wall at the height you want it.

- Next, do the corners to make it level.

- Add pins until the top edge looks straight as well.

P.S. Did you know that you can use straight pins to hang almost any light to medium-weight item on your sheet-rocked walls? They're amazingly strong, and they do minimal damage to your walls.

Check out my other WFMW posts, or head back to Rocks In My Dryer for more WFMW.

Thanks for stopping by!

How To Make A Homemade Bulletin Board

I wish I could say that I came up with this clever idea, but the credit has to go to my handy hubby.

I'd been searching for reasonably priced bulletin boards for my kids for quite a while, but anything that was a good size also carried a hefty price tag ($20-$30 each). So my genius husband came up with the idea to use some carboard, an old sheet, and some duct tape...of course!

We used a king size sheet that we haven't used in years (we're flannel sheet snobs now that we're used to them). Hubby cut the cardboard, and I cut the fabric. Then I taped the edges down on the backside of the cardboard (sort of like wrapping gift wrapping), and hubby hung them in the kids' rooms.

I was a bit skeptical, but normal tacks work beautifully! It was free, simple, fun, the kids love them, and it works great. Now THAT works for me!

BTW...I'm hosting a new weekly carnival starting this week. Come see what it's about!

From here you can:
- Check out my other WFMW posts
- Come see me at my Main Page
- Go back to Rocks In My Dryer for other great WFMW posts

Oh! And don't forget to sign up with Revolution Money Exchange... they're only offering their $25 sign up bonus for another day!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Save Tons of Money!

Speaking of coupon savings, you simply MUST check out this site: Money Saving Mom.

I plan to spend quite a bit of time at her blog to see if I can get this coupon shopping thing down to a science. Yahoo! Watch me save!

Amazing Coupon Savings!

What a great shopping day for me!

I've never been much of a coupon person. Oh, I clip 'em....I store 'em....but I never ever use 'em! I never had a good 'system' to organize them, and they just ended up in an irritating pile at the bottom of my purse or on my desk, or somewhere else just as un-useful.

Lately, I've had a renewed passion for coupons though. I just refuse to believe that with all the coupons floating around out there, that I can't figure out a way to use them.

Today, I saved $12.25 in coupons!!! For me, that's a lot. In fact, let me do the math...my subtotal was $38.85...so that's a 31.5% savings! (And all on things that I use all the time, not on things that I might try because I had a coupon to use.) Here's how I did it:

• First, I have 4 Sunday papers (yes 4) delivered to my house every Sunday. I pull out the manufacturer's coupons and the store inserts.
• Next, I clip all the coupons for things that I use. **Only for things I know I'll use** Otherwise, I just end up storing coupons that take up space and complicate my system.
• Then I store the coupons in my binder. My binder is sorted by various categories like "baking and condiments", "meat and dairy", "cleaning and storage", etc.
• The pages of my binder are baseball card holders...perfect for storing coupons! (Thank you to Amy at Memoirs of a Mommy for this idea)
• Once I've sorted through all the coupons and stored them, then I look through the store ads. I look for things that are on special, and I make a note of them and how much they'd cost with my coupons. This step is made much easier by only looking for things that I use.
• Then I make a shopping list, and hit the store. If a deal is really great, I'll use all 4 of my coupons and stock up.

One thing I'd like to improve on is knowing when a deal is really great. Lots of people use a "price book", but I haven't gone there yet. I'm hoping that I'll just get the hang of good vs. bad prices through my normal shopping.

Here's my coupon binder:

It's so much fun to get to the end of the shopping trip and hand over all my coupons! It's even more fun when the cashier scans all my coupons, gives my my new total, looks and me and says, "Wow! How'd you do that?!"

I'm hooked! (Like I needed shopping to be even MORE fun!)

Homemade Valentines

I read this post recently, and thought it was a great idea!

I was thrilled to find a great deal on some cute pencils at Target this morning: 10 for .50 (yes, 50 cents!). I bought three packages, and had enough for both my kids' classes.

That's all I had to buy. I had the rest of the supplies I needed in my scrapping stuff...fun scissors, 2 sided tape, and fun paper. Clara got a kick out of helping. Ben was irritated that I didn't do it his way (which would have required a trip to the store for approximately 2 miles of tape, some special buttons, and rubber bands).

I'm happy with how they turned out...and I finished them a whole 3 DAYS before Valentine's Day!!

Quick Tip: "Green" & Frugal Cleaning

This is my bathroom. Don't be jealous...it's rarely this clean, just ask my husband! After I unearthed the counter top this afternoon, I realized that I needed to clean the counters, mirror, and sink. I had Sammy "helping" and Thomas chattering to me in his "I'm getting bored and irritated" voice. I was trying to be quick.

I went to the cabinet under the sink where I keep my cleaning supplies for that bathroom. I found paper towel and sink cleaner...but no glass cleaner (Windex, Glass Plus, Perfect Glass, whatever). I didn't feel like I had time to go out to where I store stuff in the garage to find some. So I just wet the paper towel with water and got to work.

It was then that I realized just how brainwashed I'd become! I usually douse the counter, sinks, and mirror with the blue stuff and then scrub 'till it sparkles. I thought I needed it to really get things clean. But as I cleaned today, I realized that the reason that the blue stuff works is just that it's...wet! Well guess what else is really wet? WATER!

I'd been spending money that I didn't need to spend. I had been spraying chemicals in my house that were unnecessary. You can't get much more "green" than good ol' water!

Now, I should be honest. When I had time later in the day I did use a tiny sprits of the blue stuff on the mirror and chrome. And I did sprinkle some sink cleaner in to really get the gunk out. But I used far less of the chemicals than I normally do. And I have a new mind set now: wipe things down with a damp towel FIRST, and then use the chemicals only if necessary. I'll save money and it will be healthier for my family. Give it a try!

Sink Fun: It Works For Me!

Yet another tip from me this week about entertaining the kiddos on the cheap! I wish I could take credit for this idea, but I'm sure it's been around since the beginning of water, kids, and sinks...so I guess you could consider this more of a reminder.

There is just nothing that entertains my children more than water. For my older kids, I let them fill up the sink and choose their toys from my kitchen utensil drawer. For my smaller ones, I do those things for them. However they get there though, they just love playing in the water! They scoop, they pour, they "measure", they experiment. And of course, they get to wipe down the bathroom with towels when they're done.

For a little extra fun, add some soap or bubble bath to the water. Or let them use a bar of soap to see how slippery it gets. Ice cubes would be fun too. You can also challenge them to a game of "sink or float"- choose a few things from around the house, have the kids guess if the items will sink or float, and then let them find out for themselves.

Sink fun keeps them busy for a good hour. It's cheap. It's educational (sorta). It's not too messy. But most importantly, IT'S NOT TV!

Thanks so much for stopping by! For lots of other great tips and ideas, go visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer.

A Pizza Picnic: It Works For Me!

This is my first contribution to "Works For Me Wednesday". Yahoo!!

We are a busy family with 4 small children. It's TOUGH to enjoy a dinner at a restaurant with all of our little munchkins these days (you relate, I know you do!). This idea is a great way to enjoy a special meal with the whole family while saving some money (and sanity) too.

We call it a "Pizza Picnic" around here. I pop a frozen pizza into the oven, and the kids race to the drawer that contains our vinyl "picnic blanket" (table cloth). They spread it on the floor in the living room and take their places. When the pizza is done, I put pieces on paper plates and fill up plastic straw cups with lids for the kiddos. They think it's such a wonderful adventure to have a pizza picnic.

And we grownups think it's great to have such fun without spending a lot of money or leaving the house! Give it a try!

Thanks so much for stopping by! For lots of other great tips and ideas, go visit Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer.

Organizing A Diaper Changing Station

Hey, to all you moms-to-be out there...you do not...I repeat, you DO NOT have to buy one of those fancy diaper changing pieces of furniture. Sure it looks like it might convert into something that doesn't look like a diaper changing station in the future. And sure, it's a great match to the crib you want. But do you really want to spend that money? Do you really want to have that furniture forever?

Honestly, I don't have anything against those diaper changing/dresser things. I just didn't have the money for one when my first was born (still don't for that matter!), so I thought I'd share what we did instead.

Here's a picture of "The Poop Station" at our house. Let's start at the left and move right.

First, we have a good old fashioned dresser. When I say old fashioned...I mean OLD fashioned! This was the very dresser that my Dear Hubby had as a child. It used to be dark blue with wooden knobs and remnants of "A-Team" stickers on it. It's particle board. I had to dig deep to see it's potential.

I sanded it down, primed it, and then painted it this gender-neutral green (we didn't know if we were having a boy or girl). I added some cute knobs, and splurged on the fancy changing table pad. You can buy these, along with fabric covers, separately. It's important to attach it to the top of the dresser for safety. The pad I bought came with a way to attach it. Most do.

Moving on...the diaper pail. We had a number of different diaper pails. This garbage can works as well as any. Here's a news flash: poop and pee? They smell gross. There is not a fancy container in the world right now...nor will there ever be a container or bag ever invented that makes poop and pee smell good.

Use a good garbage can with a plastic bag. The garbage can lid should close all the way with no gaps. My favorite part of using just the garbage can is that we can use plain old garbage bags. Those special diaper pail liners/bags cost a fortune. Save your money for college...or for a massage (for you, not baby)...or for a second honeymoon...or, if you're really lucky, a cool minivan!

And then there's the storage. You'll need a place to put the diapers, wipes, lotion, Kleenexes, etc. I found this cute bookshelf at Target for a reasonable price. It would have been more frugal to find a used/old bookshelf and refinish it too...but I only have so much frugal in me! I wanted something new, and I just loved this particular bookshelf with all it's little shelves and cubbies. I got one for my older kids' rooms too...makes a great toy/book shelf for the older kids.

Do you see that I have 2 Kleenex boxes on the shelf? One of them contains...Kleenexes (surprise!). The other one contains plastic grocery sacks. I use these for the real stinky diapers. Toss all the smelly stuff into the bag, tie it off, and bring it right to the garage. The Kleenex brand tissue box (or any other "one up" type tissue box) is a great way to store your grocery bags. If you put them in one at a time, they also come out one at a time (and you'd be shocked by how many you can stuff in there!).

So that's it! That's my organizing post for the day...week...month? OK, year. :)

I'm just kidding. I really love to organize...I'll share some more ideas later (can you hardly wait?!)

Change To My Wish List

We woke to a couple of inches of excellent sledding snow this morning. See my friend, Becky's, blog for more fun sledding pictures. So fast and fun!

I finally broke down and spent the $50 on a Photoshop Book by guru Scott Kelby. I've been wanting one for a long time, but was too cheap to buy the book. I finally got frustrated enough while trying to figure stuff out by myself. My wish list has been updated to show that I bought the book...feels good to save for something and be able to buy it with cash.

Here's a frugal idea for you: don't forget to ask for a discount. I'm not very good at this - too shy about it. But when I went to buy my book today, I noticed that the edges of the book were a bit beat up. I mentioned it to the cashier, and she offered me 10% off. Saved me $5!

One of the most exciting things he talks about in his book is how to digitally and visually copyright protect one's photos. They're still not 100% safe, but they're safer than without it. Maybe I think too highly of my photos? Sorry 'bout that. What I'd really like to do though, is to figure out a way to sell my photos on line. It's tough to do that if they're basically sitting out there for anyone to take for free.

We had great progress with Samantha today. She actually took a NAP this afternoon (and no, we did not dig mimi out of the garbage can!). What a relief!

Well, Luke is kicking me off the computer so that he can pay some bills. Grrr. Bills schmills.

When My Heart's NOT Content: What To Do?!

I've been feeling the need all morning to write a follow-up email to one of the posts I put up yesterday. Did I give the impression that from that point forward, I was totally content with what I have? If so, I apologize.

Although I sure wish that the amazing moment I had while standing in the middle of Pottery Barn would have been enough to sustain me for the rest of my life...it just wasn't! I still struggle plenty. And although I'm lucky enough to have the memory of that moment forever etched on my heart, I still forget sometimes. I forget about what's important. I forget that I have all I need. I forget that "The Lord is my shepherd, and I SHALL not want".

So I thought that I'd write today about what I do when I'm bitten by that "I-wanna-but-I-can't-afford-it" bug. Here's some of what works for me (not in any particular order) - maybe it will be helpful to you too:

1. Pray! As you've probably realized by now...I'm all about Jesus! Sometimes it doesn't feel like he's listening to me...or even there at all. But I have faith that He is. If anyone can straighten my heart out, I know it's Him.

2. Focus on Gratitude. I'm sure you've heard this one many times before...but that's because it's really REALLY effective! Sit and meditate on your blessings. Write them down if you have to (I usually have to). When you really focus on all that you have, the things you don't have seem much less abundant.

3. Take great care of what I already have. This is a big one for me. On the days when I feel really discontent, I get cleaning. I focus on the things that I have and how I can make them really sparkle. By the time I'm done cleaning, I'm usually so happy with the way things look around here that I don't want to go buy new things.

4. List my Priorities. I sit down and write down my priorities (I think while I write, if you haven't been able to tell already!) My #1 priority is my family. I want to take great care of them. I could do all the shopping I want...if I went back to work. But I want to be the one to raise my kids. It's mind-numbing and exhausting some days, but I truly don't want to do anything else. What's more important...making the house look nice, or being a SAHM? It's a no brainer for me. There will be plenty of time for beautiful new furnishings...later.

5. Kill Boredom. I love to shop. I love the superstores that enable me to buy a new CD, a new shirt, a bathroom rug, some yummy new soap...all on my quick trip to the store for milk. I'm positively addicted to shopping. But I've realized that what I'm trying to fix is boredom. How can I be bored with so much housework to do and stories to read? I have no idea. But I feel bored a LOT. Instead of heading to the store for "milk", I try to call a friend, read a book, take some pictures...something to kill the boredom. The "gotta shop" crisis usually passes when I just find something interesting to do.

6. Play "5x Why" I love this game. I ask myself "why..." usually about 5 times before I come to an eye-opening answer. An example:

Why do I want that new rug for the dining room?

I'd be excited and would make my dining room look nicer.

OK, why would I be excited about making the dining room look nicer?

I have fun making our house look nice.

Why do I need a new dining room rug to make the house look nice?

Our current dining room rug looks ratty.

Why does it look ratty?

It's got play dough and peas mashed into it.

Why is it dirty?

Because I haven't cleaned it in a while. Maybe I'll pull out the steam cleaner and give the rug a good once over instead of buying that new rug.

7. Have a pitty party. Sometimes I don't feel like doing any of these oh-so-wise things! I want pitty! I want someone to feel my pain with me! I want to cry and have a tantrum! So sometimes...I'm embarrassed to admit...I have my little pitty party. I whine and complain and cry...and just get it out of my system. Then I feel silly and immature, but I also feel a wee bit better. Hey, I'm only human.

My Heart's Content

This post from Meredith at Like Merchant Ships made me think of a time that I went shopping at Pottery Barn. Is there anyone out there who is NOT a total Pottery Barn junkie? I love the place. I love their magazines. I love dreaming of what I'd like to do in my home to make it look beautiful. I rarely actually shop there because...well...I seem to have misplaced the "money tree" seeds. When I find them, I'll plant them in my yard and then I can shop at PB all I want. But for now, I just have to oogle at their magazines and improvise.

Anyway...I was shopping at PB when it first opened here. I was wandering through the store, just looking and smelling and touching. So pretty, so rich, so soft, so smooth, so cozy...I found myself staring at a woman who was loading...I mean LOADING up her basket with whatever she saw. She clearly had one of those trees in her yard.

I admit it - I was jealous. I coveted. I was positively green with envy. "Why not me, Lord? Why can't I do what I want to do in my house?" It wasn't a real question, and I wasn't expecting a real answer. But sometimes He answers even when we're not expecting it.

Suddenly I felt Him. You know the feeling? The feeling that He's right there? Like if you turn your head fast enough, you'll actually see Him. I love that feeling. And He spoke to my heart in that loving and gentle, yet firm voice of His. I love His voice too. Man, just telling you this story has put tears in my eyes.

He said simply, "Daiquiri, you have Me in your home."

That's all I needed to hear. I suddenly couldn't get out of there fast enough. There wasn't a thing in that store that I needed in that moment. I was so content. He was perfectly...enough for me.

Homemade Italian Play Dough

This is the best homemade play dough ever! Very soft and squishy. The kids play for hours with this stuff (especially when they've helped to make it). I got this recipe from my kids' preschool teacher...thanks Heather!

3 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Salt
1 Tablespoon Alum
2 Cups Boiling Water
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Optional food coloring, flavor extracts, and glitter

Put water in large glass bowl and bring to a boil (the micro works well for this).
Dissolve Alum in boiling water.
Combine salt with 2 cups of flour and add to bowl.
Add oil and food coloring to desired intensity.
Add flavor extract and/or glitter.
Stir well.
Add remaining cup of flour.
Stir well again.
Put dough on floured counter top and knead a few minutes, adding more flour if necessary until dough is of pliable consistency.
Store in airtight container.

* I usually add a bit more oil and flour than the recipe calls for. I also typically double the recipe.
**One of the nice things about this recipe is that it's not done on the stove top, so it's easy to let the kids help. They can do almost all of the measuring, dumping, stirring, and kneading. My oldest son and daughter LOVE this project!

Edited to read: See THIS post for recipe tips

My New Best Friend!

My glue gun and I have become best buds lately! I've had so much fun decorating my house for Christmas using cuttings from our tree along with ribbon and used floral stuff I had in my craft room.

My first project was in our small bathroom - the bathroom that gets the most use when we have guests. I already have a wreath hanging in there - just small white flowers. I took it down and stuck pine branches and acorns in it. I didn't glue anything here because I want to be able to take it down after the holiday. I did glue together a little arrangement to spruce up the towels though. I was just hoping to make it look nice without spending any money...an added perk was how fresh it smells in that room with all the pine. Now, to just figure out how to help it survive with 3 little ones (not including their friends) using that bathroom every day!


(Sorry for the dark photos...light was just bad. I'll figure out PhotoShop one of these days!)

My second project was to make plain gift bags a little more special. I love pretty packages, and I was especially proud of these. Again...just clippings from our tree, a little ribbon, an occasional pine cone from my floral bin...and of course, glue!

New Holiday Tradition

Last year after Thanksgiving I showed my big kids how to cut paper snowflakes. We had so much fun, that we just kept making them for hours. I decided at the last minute to tape them in our front windows. I was so happy with how they looked! We even had compliments from the neighbors (looks pretty from the inside too). It looks especially nice when it's starting to get dark outside and we have the lights on inside. What a frugal and unique way to decorate the house for the holidays!

So it's official...we did it again this year and we're calling it a Tradition with a capital "T". The kids still love it (they've been pestering me since June to do it again!). I'm looking forward to next year when Samantha will be old enough to use scissors and join in the fun.