Tag Archives: how to

Pin it Tuesday- Hair Bow Holders

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This week I will be showing a craft idea I came across on Pinterest here. I thought that is just the cutest idea! But $15 plus shipping …hmm bet I could make it cheaper.

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Wooden block $1.33
Letter $1.49 with 30% off =$1.05
Paint and ribbon I had on hand
Felt 4 sheets for $1.00 I used less than three sheets for both holders combined
Felt owl template found here
And two gems for eyes I had lying around from a hair bow project.
Total for two- $5.76!

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I adore the way both of these turned out, and added some bows to send as well, and sent them out as gifts as part of my resolution to make every gift this year.

The instructions were simple and just made my way as I went.

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I painted the letter and wooden block using acrylic craft paints then used my glue gun to attach them. I then used ribbon to make to holder strings and wall hanger and backed the ribbon with felt and hot glued that to the back of the wooden block. To give it a more finished look I cut felt to cover the back of the wood as well and glued it to cover the attachments.

 

 

 

 

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For the sweet little bows I found instructions here

feb 019The hearts and owl at the end were very simple and pretty straight forward.

feb 020And ta da my first hair accessories craft item. With a girl in the house I feel many more projects coming this way in the future!

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Pin it Tuesday

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Every Tuesday I hope to glean a new craft or idea from that beautiful site Pinterest and attempt it myself. I have already gone under way with quite a few projects. I cannot wait to share them all with you. Today I gathered an idea from The Suburban Mom to make a kick butt Fourth of July wreath for the front door found here. We are a military family so why not a year round patriot themed front door!

feb13 001I love it! Following the instructions on the originators site I found this to be a very easy craft. Had to add a few of my own embellishments as well and found that I used less yardage when wrapping it around the wreath as opposed to the tying portion. I bought all my supplies at hobby lobby when ribbon was on sale.

Wreath – $3.99

Red ribbon $6.99 for 30 yards on sale for half off $3.49

White ribbon $6.99 for 30 yards on sale for half off $3.49

Blue ribbon $3.99 per 5 yards on sale for half off x 3 $5.99

Wooden letter-$1.49 30% off $1.04

Total for craft -$18.00

Not bad for a customized wreath, that I love and that I can use year round!

This Week’s Menu

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I’m so excited about this week’s menu!

Dinners:

Baked chicken sandwiches
Taco salad
Homemade pizza
Crock pot BBQ wings over biscuits
Salad, cottage cheese and fruit
Fruit pancakes
Tuna casserole

Lunches:

Left over baked chicken in salads and sandwiches
2 x lunches out
Burritos and rice

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal done 7 ways!

Snacks:

Red velvet cake
Homemade granola
Fruit parfaits

Frozen Hot Chocolate

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An inspiring sale lead me to this delicious concoction! A short while ago I found Instant Hot Chocolate Packages on sale for $.25 a box! Granted the store was severely overstocked from the holidays still and looking to purge, that did not stop my elation. I bought 4 boxes for $1.00 and they are set to expire after next season. So…score!

However, today while cleaning the pantry they eyed me temptingly. “I would love one of those frozen right now!” Here is what I came up with:

Frozen Hot Chocolate items

any type of semi sweet chocolate

instant cocoa mix

milk

ice

-Melt chocolate on lower setting until fully melted.

-Stir in instant cocoa and allow to cool.

-Slowly add milk until smooth.

-Place in blender with ice and added milk. Blend until smooth. ( make sure to fully blend ice)

Can be eaten now or for a truly tasty treat poor in mugs and place in freezer for an hour. Enjoy!

 

 

Good Deals at Walmart This Week

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I had a small shopping trip this week to Walmart and these were my best finds.
Pampers 72 count baby wipes $1.97 minus $.75 off one coupon = $1.22
Kings Hawaiian hamburger buns $1.98 minus $1.00 off one coupon = $.98
Ivory soap $1.24 minus $1.00 off one coupon = $.24
Revlon emery boards $1.87 minus $1.00 off one coupon = $.87
Total $3.31 saving $3.75.
Every Tuesday I will be sharing my savings with you to further motivate saving money! Some weeks are bigger than others.
I’d love to see links in the comments regarding your savings!
Happy saving.

This Week’s Menu

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So I tried to clean out the cupboards tonight and had luck. I used a Kikkoman stir-fry mix (that I bought with a coupon for free of course) added chicken, carrots and frozen peas over white rice. It was delicious, simple and budget friendly.Other things on the menu this week!

Dinners:

Tonight- stir fry and rice

Chicken fajitas and beans

Chicken and dumplings

Dinner out x 1

Onion burgers, salad and corn

miniature meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas

steak on the grill, mashed potatoes and fruit salad

Lunches:

Pasta and sauce

Left overs x 2

Sandwiches and fruit x 4

Breakfasts:

Bacon, eggs and bagels x 2

fresh fruit smoothies

oatmeal x 3

cereal

Snacks:

Fourth of July fruit cones

Cheddar and apple bake

Red Velvet cake!

 

I am trying a bunch of new recipes this week and will post links soon to my results!

 

 

 

Fourth of July Pretzel Snacks

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Today was a great day of getting out of the house. We had a play date that ended in melt down city so when we came off to bed little one went to bed. I had an unusual amount of energy today though so decided to tackle this simple “recipe”.

Pretzel sticks Ingredients:

- Pretzel Rods

- White chocolate mmmm

- sprinkles

That is it yay.

You will also need wax paper and a baking sheet to set them on to chill.

1. Melt Chocolate in microwave 30 seconds for each square. Stir to smooth consistency.

2. Lick spoon.

3. Dip pretzel sticks in chocolate and let drip excess.

4. Sprinkle with super festive colors.

5. Lay on wax lined baking sheet and let harden in fridge. 30 minutes.

After they are hardened you can decorate. I used saran wrap and ribbon so they were easy to hand out.
Total time spent dipping, sprinkling, chilling and decorating about 2 hours. Total money spent around $9.00.

Roast Chicken Repurposed Ten Ways

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Mmm…how I craved one tonight! I bought a small five pound bird for a small price and am already considering all the things I can make with the leftovers. As I stated in my guest post on moneysavingmom.com I love cooking chicken. It can be repurposed so many ways. Here are my top ten.
1. Sliced Chicken and gravy. This was one of my Mother’s third day leftover favorites. After serving the Chicken for two days she would often whip up her favorite gravy with flour, chicken stock and butter in a skillet on the stove. She would then simmer the meat for a few minutes to repurpose it into a whole new meal!
2. Chicken salad sandwich. There are a million go to varieties of this meal. My preferred having low fat mayo, diced red grapes and celery on a whole wheat roll.
3. Chicken soup. After picking all meat off the bone you can add noodles, a variety of vegetables and the chicken to stock you easily have a kitchen go to!
4. Chicken tacos. After having made these using a variety of spices I discovered my husbands favorite using McCormick’s spicy taco packets and very small pieces of diced chicken breasts.
5. Chicken fajitas. Again these can be made simply with a pre made spice packet in you grocery aisle and a few other ingredients.
6. Chicken and dumplings. Left over roast chicken is perfect for this recipe!
7. Chicken and enchiladas. Also a great use for leftovers for here.
8. Classic chicken sandwich. I love shaved chicken breast, mayo, tomato and lettuce on wheat bread. The real reason my “eating for two” self roasted a chicken tonight. Amazing!!
9. Chopped chicken salad. Veggies get a protein kick with this addition.
10. A chicken casserole. With the meat already made you can easily whip one up in less than 30 minutes in one pan. An ideal meal.

By buying a whole chicken instead of breasts you can save up to 50% off. With a little creativity and a few on hand ingredients you can serve the cooked meat many different ways before you family tires of frugality. What are your favorite ways to repurpose a chicken?

Things ARE Returning to Normal

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The husband is back from far away ville (for now). My little ones Birthday party went off without a hitch and our family has since left. The home is turned upside down from unending commotion but we enjoyed ourselves. Now back to real life. After the unending family time with my husband I am sad to return to routine. It is always “feast or famine” when it comes to time together, just like the civilian world I am sure, though our “famines” are quite a bit different.

This past bit we were able to hear the new little one’s heartbeat. It sounded strong! The baby also sounded very active. I could hear him or her swishing about as we listened. Such a blessing to have been able to hear the little one growing inside me. I feel renewed even through this worsening morning sickness and what I fear may be strep throat. Eep!

 

But onto the week ahead and my lingering goals!

I have decided after taking stock of my pantry that I could be making so many of the things I normally purchase. My goals this week will reflect a new sense of wanted domestic goodness.

Home Goals:

1. Go through pantry and outline things to make by hand.

2. Spend 2 hours “freezer cooking”.  My new devotion to weekly meal preparation!

3. Menu plan for the weeks ahead.

4. Have a baking session to replace at least 3 pantry staples with from scratch options.

Family Goals:

5. Start on my husband’s requested blanket

6. Mail Grandparents Birthday pictures

Mothering Goals:

7. Attempt to wean, again.

8. Find a Mommy and Me class locally.

Self Goals:

9. Read “Life on Planet Mom”

10. Make an Ultra Sound appointment!

 

Kid’s Cowboy Party Idea!

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My little man turned one this week and I had so much fun planning his party. We were creative with the cowboy theme and turned some old cardboard boxes into an “outlaw city” that the kids loved. We also started up the fire pit for Smores that were a huge hit. I made almost fifty packages and had only one left post party!  The men folk had a friendly apple bobbin’ competition that brought lots of laughs and our dime store mustaches were a bigger hit than I thought they would be. It just goes to show you that you do not have to spend a ton to make big memories.

Do you have any great Birthday party tips or ideas? I would love to hear them!