I am now blogging over at Richter Resonance.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
A DOZEN AMAZING Pinterest Boards About Homemaking and Frugal Living
Frugal living and saving money is something that is very important to me. Since we made the decision for me to become a stay-at-home wife, the need to be a better steward of our money and keeper of the home has become even more important.
I am a huge fan of Pinterest. Before Pinterest I would save magazine articles in binders. I have binders dedicated to recipes, children's activities, and ministry ideas. Pinterest is the modern day equivalent of magazine binders without all the clutter.
I wanted to share with you some of my favorite Pin boards on the topic of frugal living and homemaking.
1. Saving Money Ideas by Sarah Titus at sarahtitus.com
I am a huge fan of Pinterest. Before Pinterest I would save magazine articles in binders. I have binders dedicated to recipes, children's activities, and ministry ideas. Pinterest is the modern day equivalent of magazine binders without all the clutter.
I wanted to share with you some of my favorite Pin boards on the topic of frugal living and homemaking.
2. Household Tips & Tricks by Pam at BrownThumbMama.com
4. Cleaning Tips by Jesse Gaskins
5. Couponing by Sue Ramos Hook
6. Good to Know by Kendy Astleford
8. Family-Financial by Brooke Ross
9. Frugal Living by Kim Sorgius at notconsumed.com
10. Homemaking by Jamie Balmet at youngwifesguide.com
11. Homemaking by Christie H. at Satisfaction Through Christ
12. Budget Living by Melissa Massello and Tara Bellucci at
Happy Pinning!
Do you have a Pinterest board you want to share?
Be sure to check out my Frugal Homemaking Pinboard
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Goodwill Haul and Tips for Thrift Store Shopping
Here is what we found on our most recent Goodwill trip. It was 50% off of everything weekend!
I buy these exact shoes every year at DSW for about $55. They are super comfortable and fit the dress code at work. I wear a size 10 shoe so finding good condition shoes at Goodwill is pretty difficult. When I saw these shoes on the rack I may have let out a scream of excitement. Priced at $10. Score!
My husband also has pretty big feet. He is a shoe snob. He spends a lot of time standing at work, so he needs good quality shoes. He found this L.L Bean pair for $5. I checked the L.L Bean site and these were priced at $50.
Another pair of cute SKECHERS in my size. Both pairs looked brand new. Also found these on the SKECHERS website for $46. Goodwill price $7.
I was looking for a basket to put on the over the toilet shelf.I had a pink plastic container in there before to hold our nail care items. It held everything but it wasn't very nice. I found this set of baskets for $1.50. The larger one is just the perfect size. I am planning on filling the smaller basket with goodies and giving it as a gift.
This bowl is beautiful in person. I wanted it to place on our table. It will look beautiful with fruit or holiday decorations. This will be perfect for a 4th of July display. Goodwill price was $2.50.
This book is filled with ideas for cleaning your house. Did you know you could let a dryer sheet soak in water in a casserole dish to remove stuck on food? I didn't! Can't wait to try that trick! Got this book for $1.50.
My husband collect unusual ties. The stranger the better! He enjoys wearing crazy ties to work each day. The purple one is actually a really nice one. Each tie was about $.75.
This jar was an impulse purchase. It was on a shelf by the register. I don't have any immediate use for it, but it would be nice to fill will goodies as a gift or to store brown sugar in my pantry. I gave my mother a smaller version of this jar for Christmas. I filled it with hand lotion, a candle, socks, and hot chocolate. I paid $1.50. Great deal! It is nice and big!
Five Tips for Thrift Store Shopping
#1: Arrive Early!
There is no shame in waiting outside of the store before it opens. If you are one of the first to arrive you will be able to look over the merchandise before it gets picked over. You might be the first to spot that Ralph Lauren button down for $3.00!
#2: Be Patient!
Be willing to go through the racks. Don't stick to the sections just labeled for your size. I have found many of my treasures located in sections labeled for other sizes.
Don't be in a hurry, especially on Saturdays. At our favorite Goodwill the checkout lines can get pretty long. We use that time to chat with others in line. You might get tips from fellow shoppers on other sales going on in the area. The savings are worth the time going through the racks and bins.
#3: Look Things Over!
Look the items completely over. Is it perfect except a button is missing? One of my favorite sweaters was missing a button when I found it at Goodwill.Replacing buttons on a garment is pretty easy. I was able to sew a button on and the item was as good as new. Check thing over. Don't just pass on an item because of a minor flaw. Decide if the flaw is fixable or livable.
#4: You Don't Have to Buy Everything!
If you like it and can use it, buy it. If you want to buy it just because it is cheap, leave it. If it is just going to become clutter around the house and its not useful, you don't need it. Save money and space for items that you need and what you can really use.
#5: Treasures can be found, but not on every trip.
You are not going to walk out of the store every time with a treasure. I would say about 30% of the time we walk out of the store without buying anything. Don't get discouraged! Try different stores! Go back often! The savings are worth the time and effort.
What is your favorite item you have ever found at a Thrift Store or Garage Sale?
Stay in contact!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
"WOW" worthy bulletin boards!
With my job I get the opportunity to travel between five different preschools. Love seeing all the bulletin boards and displays around the schools. Check out these displays created by the wonderful, Rebecca Chapman. Not only is she an amazingly creative person she is also very sweet! It is always a treat to see what she comes up with. When I saw her on Tuesday she was working on Dr. Seuss displays.
The perfect vegetable soup color was created by covering red bulletin board paper with yellow tissue paper.
The two displays above were created for Parent Appreciation Week.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Stay connected!
Throwback Thursday
At age 11 or 12
It took me a while longer than normal to learn how to read. Once I finally caught on I could usually be found with a book in my hands. Even now I always have a book or five going on.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Throwback Thursday: The Beach at 5
This particular day I remember that my Mom wrote our names in and sand. I asked her if they would stay in the sand until we came back the next year.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Last Minute Valentine Activities
More snow?! I like snow, but it is getting out of hand. Brrr! Here are a few last minute activities to help ease cabin fever.
Red Heart, Red Heart, What Do You See?
I found this activity on Miss Tracey's Youtube channel called LittleStoryBug. She is my secret weapon for finding fun songs and activities for storytime. Her channel is a gold mind and always my first stop when looking for a song.
Check her out!
I created my board using a small chalkboard that I found. The hearts are made out of construction paper and felt. When doing this activity I just attached the hearts to the board with tape.
Valentines on a Stick
There is just something wonderful about things on sticks. Lollipops, corndogs,and popsicles are some of my favorites! Seriously the kids loved the sticks. Who knew?!
The hearts are made simply from cardstock. I attached the large craft stick to the heart using a mailing labels. Of course you could always use tape. Using the labels helped speed up the process as I created over 80 of these each day this week.
The kids decorated their valentine's on a stick using tissue paper,party streamers,yarn,pom poms,felt,and other pretty little things. You wouldn't believe how much time the kids spent looking through all the little bits and pieces to find just the perfect ones.
Sweet Tart Candy Heart Counting and Sorting
Each child was given ten SweetTarts Hearts. I chose this particular brand because they are not processed in a facility that processes peanuts and tree nuts. All of my schools are nut free.The SweetTart Hearts taste really good. You could use regular candy hearts if you have those around,but I highly recommend the SweetTarts brand.
The kids sorted the hearts on the sheet by color. Next they colored in the heart underneath. The final step was enjoying some of the candy.
Click on the link below to find the sheet that I created.
Hope that you and your family found these activities fun! Remember, spring will come soon!
Stay in contact! Leave a comment!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)