1 For Today

I finally went Yard Selling this last weekend and I got some really great stuff that I am super pumped about.  I struck gold with boy things this time.  Remember how i've been struggling finding any decent boy toys.  Well not anymore!  I also got 6 pairs of name brand shoes for Mister E for $3 for all of them.  I think this boy is set on shoes until he's at least 16! ;)  I found some really great organizing cloth baskets for Mister E's room in the perfect color!  My Mother-in-law came with me this weekend and she also got a couple great steals.  She found some dress slacks that were in mint condition, dry cleaned and pressed for $1 for my father-in law and she found my Mister E's b-day present too.  It was way too much fun.  I only have a picture of one of our finds this weekend because I had all of my other stuff stashed in the trunk of our car so that the kiddos wouldn't see them because I'm saving some of them for presents, and the HH took that car to work.  BUMMER. :(  I'll try and post some pictures of the other stuff later, but for now here is Mister E with his new B-day present from his G-MA, and G-PA.

 The present is the Pack n Play NOT the sword. ;)

  I've been looking for a Pack n Play that I could take with us camping this year.  This is the 'Sport Edition' and is going to be so perfect to keep the sun and bugs off my little guy. It looks brand new too! She paid $40 for it which I was a little bit nervous to pay that much at a Yard Sale but then I came home and did my homework on it and the cheapest one I could find online was $140 used and not as good of condition as the one she bought.  The reviews get 5 stars cross the board and I guess they are really hard to find now and all the reviewers said if you can find it buy it.  So I think we got a great deal.   Thanks G-ma and G-pa looks like he/we are going to LOVE it!

Life Happens.

This weekend I ended up only hitting up one Yard Sale and the only reason I went to that one was that I practically hit it with my car. ;)  So why not stop, right?  I bought this fan which is a much needed item for our upstairs that gets very hot through the summer months.

Also got this key chain to add to my dad's Father's Day gift.

So I'm sure you're wondering why I didn't get out Yard Selling.  Well life kinda, sorta, got in the way this week. Life Happens, right? My sweet, innocent, adorable, daughter RIPPED my rear view mirror off my car.  So a chunk of Friday was spent dealing with that.  I also went to a MUCH NEEDED lunch with my sisters, who I don't see near enough anymore, and ran some errands. (THANKS HEATHER FOR WATCHING THE KIDDOS!) Since Friday was filled to the brim it left me with WAY too much to do on Saturday, plus the Handsome Husband had a long lists of 'to-dos'.  We also had family pictures Saturday night and all of you have had family pictures taken, this can be quite the stresser! Ugh!  I have a love/hate relationship with family picture day.  The love part usually doesn't come until I get to see the actual pictures.  LOVE THAT PART! Can't wait to see these. :)  So I guess waking up at the crack of dawn wouldn't have helped my patients any. But, It was KILLING me all morning to not be out there Yard Selling.  Next week FOR SURE!  I am just  dying to go.  Plus I have a new list of things to get.  I've gotten on a organizing kick and am dying to find anything that can help me organize every room in my house.  I. HATE. CLUTTER.  I know hate is a strong word but it is EXACTLY how I feel about it, and I have found my self letting clutter get out of hand more and more now that I have 3 kids(Was three kids a kicker for anyone else?).  So today I cleaned out 3 of my kitchen cabinets/drawers.  It doesn't sound like much but these are the drawers that I keep all my kids art supplies, activities, c.d.s and such in.  So it was jam packed full of  stuff.  It's been driving me nut-so for weeks.  It's just one other way that 'Life Happens' and clutter just seems to build up and then I notice I can't breath and I look around and know why...too much clutter!!! So I am determined to take the 'bull by the horns' if you will and tackle this.  I know it will take me forever with  my other motherly/wifey duties, and because honestly who wants to spend their summer inside cleaning. But it IS driving me crazy so I just can't put it off any longer.  So here it begins and it will be fun hunting for things I can use to organize with.  Wish me luck!

I wish that I would've taken some before pictures, but here are after pictures of the three cabinets I cleaned out today.  I'm feeling better already. :) 

Oh, and I hope that everyone enjoyed there Father's Day.  Here is what we gave to the Father's in our lives.

Here is Mister C modeling what he gave to the HH.  We also gave him 3 shirts and a 'stylish fanny pack' if there is such a thing. All this was bought at Yard Sales.  Total cost: about $5.  Total if purchased new: closer to $80!  Wowzah!

This is what we gave my Padre.  What do you get the guy who has everything and is impossible to buy for? FOOD!  Who doesn't love food.

We gave the HH's Dad a big bag of pistachios and a Man-date with him and the HH.  A little father-son bonding so they can see a ruff and tough, shot 'em up movie together.  It's a win-win! 

* Did anybody else go out Yard Selling this weekend?  Did you get something AWESOME?  DO tell!

My Newest Addiction

"One man's junk is another man's treasure." -unknown

I may or may not be 100% addicted to this show!!!  Yep, pretty sure I am! :)

Weekend Blues...

This weekend was NOT my week for Yard Sales.  The Handsome Hubby was out of town so that left me Yard Selling with three (very adorable) kids.  Friday I hit a couple and actually got a few things like some AWESOME GOLD BOOTS, and  some old books.  I am a sucker for old books!   Saturday I lasted all of 45 min and we didn't even leave until close to 9.  :(  I personally only spent .50 cents that day, but Mister C my 6 year old found a Boogie Board that he'd had me on the look out for at every Yard Sale for weeks.  He's cute! So SCORE for him.  He also found a really cool toy Police Helmet that talks and such. He loves it.  He Spent a total of $4.14 on his finds.  I've taught him well. ;)

The GOLD boots!  They are so great and are going to complete some very awesome Halloween Costumes.  Hooray!!!

Mister C with his finds...

 

Miss j also wanted a picture taken of her.  Her fairy costume just so happens to be a Yard Sale find from a couple of weeks ago...50 cents!

 

My favorite find of the weekend was this Children's Book that I paid .25 cents for.  I fell in love with the gorgeous illustrations.  I love the old vintage look, the colors, and how it makes me wish for lazy days...days that are slower.  You know what I mean?  I kinda want to frame the pictures and do a nursery around them or something.  Here is a little peek...

or

Like I said before, I'm a sucker for old books.  I bought these three at a Yard Sale on Friday and they went straight to Mister E's room.

Although it wasn't a super fantastic weekend and was largely cut short for me.  I know some of you did find some AMAZING stuff. Like my neighbor got a weed eater ($7), and seed spreader ($5) that are both in really great condition and look practically new.  My other good friend got two boxes full of really, really cute, name-brand clothes for her boys, and a really great vintage baby cradle...just to name a few.  I also was able to bum a super cute, vintage, mustard yellow tablecloth off her. ;) (THANKS APE!!!!)  Just realized I don't have a picture of it though. That will have to come in a later post.

Craft Day

"Frugality without creativity is deprivation." --Amy Dacyczyn

Got together with some of my favorite girls and had a craft day.  We made the cutest little flower wall decor that are made out of book pages!!! They are so very cute and didn't cost a thing!!!  Now that's THRIFTY!

 **Do you want to make one yourself?  Check out the tutorial HERE.

How great would these be at a wedding? Um, YES!

Weekend Finds, and Show and Tell

This weekend was the weekend for ...shoes/clothes.


I got these Rocket Dogs for me...$1

These for Princess J...$1. ( Perfect timing too since her other dress-up shoes just got broken in half)

and these for Mister E...50 cents! Who cares if he won't fit into them for another year, they're adorable!

Sorry no pictures of the clothes they are all currently being washed, but here is one of my cutie pie Mister E in his .50 cent P.J.s.  He would not hold still long enough for me to get a good picture of them.  They are so cute though and have a pic. of a drum set on them and they say, "Rocker Baby".

Super cool vintage spools to go along with the ones I already have and they make a great companion to my button collection. :)

Big ol' cork board that I plan on cutting up to use on another project I have in mind.  Projects!?  How does anyone get anything done in the Summer time?

Fun books for our Summer reading enjoyment.  Also These are the BEST drawing books! I had them when I was little and when I saw them, I just had to have 'em.  Oh, the joys of childhood memories. :)  My kids are having a ball with them, and if we are telling the truth...so am I. ;)


SHOW AND TELL:

My friend picked this Pottery Barn toy box up from a Yard Sale last week.  She paid $15 for it!  Original price...$200!  Way to go Shannon!!!!  Great, great find!

Handmade with LOVE

"Being frugal does not mean being cheap! It means being economical and avoiding waste." --Catherine Pulsifer

My biggest struggle this far is gifts.  I don't want people to think I'm a cheap-o.  I want them to like LOVE their gift and I want it to be something that I am proud to give.  So I spend  a lot time trying to come up with a inexpensive, second-hand, awesome, gifts.  Here are some that I worked on last week.

Graduations gifts for the girls in my ward... 

 Headbands made from bright colored headbands I already had wrapped in one of the Handsome Hubby's church shirts. Don't worry he was getting rid of it anyways. ;)  The flowers are made from some old t-shirts and and old skirt of mine, topped off with some cute vintage buttons.  

I've been struggling finding anything at Yard Sales that I feel comfortable giving as a gift to little boys.  All the little boy stuff is trashed.  Maybe because boys are harder on their stuff?  I'm not sure but it's been impossible to find anything in good condition.  So I came up with the idea of making capes.  I found a tutorial HERE.  It turned out so cute and what little boy wouldn't love one of these?  The material was either bought at a Yard Sale, Thirft Shop, or from my Mom's stash (THANKS MOM).

 

 This cape was made for a little boy that is about half the size of Mister C (my model).

 Mister C is dying to have one too, but he'll have to wait until I strike gold with some more fabric.

**Anyone else have some other great ideas for gifts?  HELP PLEASE!