Easter

 My sweet, sweet (with a little lot of spice) kidlets on EASTER!  LOVE THEM!!

 The kiddos baskets from the Easter Bunny.

Toothbrushes and paste were NOT second-hand. ;)

The Sing-a-ma-jigs are also NOT second-hand but I bought them over a year ago and have been saving them for a special occasion.  So glad I did!

MR. C's Basket:

 Life Jacket: $2.99

Sing-a-ma-jig: $3

Bubble Bath/Finger Paint: .25

MR. E's Basket:

 Sing-a-ma-jig-$3

Diesel Thomas Train: .50

Bubble Bath/Finger Paint: .25 

MISS J's Basket:

 Parasol: .50

Sing-ma-jig: $3

Bubble Bath/Finger Paint: .25

We had a blast going to two FAMILY Easter Egg Hunts, but you know what that means...SUGAR COMING OUT OUR EARS!  So I did a little trade with the kids, they turned in half there candy to pick prizes out of the "Good Behavior Bag".  Usually they only get one prize but they talked me into getting two this year. 

Mr C. chose: 

storm trooper costume- .50

Parachute Army Guy- .50

Miss J Chose:

A Golden dress- $3

Fake fruit for her kitchen-. 50 

I didn't get a picture with Mr. E's prize but we did get this little JEM!  Haha 

LOVE THIS LITTLE BOY!

Mr. E got a book: "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"-.25

Who Doesn't Like a Little Cash

This is a Birthday gift that I made for Mr. C's cousin.  I got the idea from a friend (thanks Abby).  I usually make capes, but had already made 2 that month and struck -out at the Thrift Stores when trying to find more material so i had to get creative.  Who doesn't like cash though, right? 

Everything used was already stuff that I had at my house. 

Don't you just L.O.V.E. Mason jars?  I do!  Pinterest is full of really great ideas of ways to use them. 

Here are just a few that I loved.

Put an APRON in a jar with a recipe. Such a cute gift!

Mason Jar cup! Kids (well anyone) would love this!

i want one of these...but where?  Ew! Above a tub!  That's Dreamy!

I need to make me some of these!

Tempted!

Here I am...I'm blogging.  Why.  Because I can. :)  Because I have a full day without plans.  Because my 1 year old is napping.  Because my 6 & 3 year old are outside, still in their pajamas, playing.  Because I'm slightly crampy, and a little bit bloated (too much information? Maybe.), and I feel very much like NOT getting dressed today. Because I've decided NOT to workout today or clean or do much of anything else. Because...I CAN!!!!

Now on to the goods.  Do you know that sometimes I don't like my project very much?  It's true, sometimes I DO NOT like it.  Those times usually hit when there are GIFTS involved.  Coming up with a second-hand present is HARD!!!!  Mister C my 6 year old was invited to a good friends birthday party and in two days I had to figure out a gift.  This is in the midst of being up at Girls Camp.  So in reality I had one day to create something awesome that a boy turning 7 would love.  I turned to the trusted Super Hero Cape.  (Remember it HERE.)  But this time I didn't have my Mom's help (who is an AMAZING seamstress), and it literally took me ALL DAY AND NIGHT to make!  My thread kept breaking and to stitch around the super hero emblems is beaslty to say the least!    YAAAAAAH!  There was a lot of stress and unpicking going on.  I was cursing my project and was TEMPTED immensely to just run on over to the Mart and pick him up something.  But I didn't I was strong.  'Cause ya know what?  I CAN DO HARD THINGS!!!  :)  I plugged through and at mid-night I finished!  I wrapped it up and prayed  he would like it.

Fast forward a week which was couple days before my nieces bridal shower. I had been picking my brain on what to give her for a good month.  But nothing was coming.  Late at night, 2 days before her shower, it hits me.  I remember that I had the cutest recipe cards that I'd been saving for 5 years.  Because I couldn't just use them for something ordinary they were WAY too cute for that.  See how my mind works? LOL.  Then I also remembered I had an extra wooden recipe box that my Grandpa had made.  Don't worry people I already had one that he had made for ME.  I would never give away my one and only handmade box from my Gramps.  Any who...I was so thrilled to do this for her.  I know when I first got married.   I was NOT a cook!  So to help her on her path of becoming a good cook made me feel happy.  I wrote down some of my favorite recipes and moved on to the painting of the box.  My first plan was to spray paint it a buttery yellow color.  But guess what? Couldn't find a butter yellow in a spray, but I did have one in a Acrylic paint.  BAD IDEA.  It takes 3x's as long to hand paint then it does to spray and it doesn't dry near as smooth, especially when you try and rush it, because you need to have it all done by 5 o'clock the next day along with 10 other things you need to do that day. BLAH!!!!  So once again I was tempted.  TEMPTED SO BAD!!!  Just let me go to the Mart, or better yet Target.  Ah target...:)  But NO!  On to plan B, I WILL make this work!  I sanded the box again.  Grabbed the Ocean Breeze spray paint that I had on hand and went to work.  It took me a total of 2 hours to respray and completely let dry ( I heart spray paint!!).  I added a cute twiggy tree rub-on to the side, an adorable little bird and the the word "recipe",  and woola!  It turned out so GREAT! I almost wanted to keep it for myself.  But the thought of having to come up with something else for a gift made me break out in cold sweats.  So into the gift bag it went.

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

Yeah, I really hated (strong word, yes.  It's how I felt.) my project but then I loved it once again when I got a text from the Mom of the Birthday Boy saying that he LOVED his cape so much and couldn't wait to show it to his dad, and When my Sister-in-law said "You might hate your project, but we all love it because we get awesome gifts".  Just knowing that the work I put into the gifts is appreciated really means the world to me!  Plus to know I'm using  things that have just been hanging around my house for years FEELS GREAT. :) I think I just need to plan a head so there is not so much pressure with a time schedule.

Anybody have any GREAT gift ideas?  Please say you do and that you'll share them with me!!!!  I NEED HELP PEOPLE!!!  In more ways then one but we won't get into that right now. ;)

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!

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!

Some of My Fav.s

What a weekend...or rather week! I have been so busy working on graduation gifts, birthday presents, entertaining the kids, and of course...YARD SELLING!  Remember my bottles, and bottles of buttons?  Remember how AWESOME Marcie was to give them to me?  Remember Nadine the little lady who owned the button collection before she passed away? (If you forgot go HERE.)  Well I was able to acquire some of Nadine's other belongings.  Marcie had a Yard Sale to raise money for her brother-in-law's friend who has a brain tumor.  Isn't she AMAZING! My Saturday started early at 6:20am to be exact, just so I could purchase this rockin' cabinet!  Well worth it!  Thanks for the heads up on the Yard Sale Marcie!!!  You are SO,VERY, AWESOME!!!

This is SO PERFECT for my room, from the size, to the color!  I LOVE IT!!!

Love all the shelving in it.  I recovered them in Contact Shelf Paper.  Made it look so nice!

Super cool retro stool.  How fun...right?  No more using my drawers as step stools kids! Although I absolutely LOVE the green color it might just need a paint job so it will go better in my kitchen.  We shall see.

I LOVE everything about this QUILT!  Polyester, happy colors, mismatched fabric, light weight, retro, lilac zig-zag top stitching, and made by a little old lady named Nadine!  What's not to love, right?  This is going to be on MANY family outings and loved over, and over again!

I also hit up a Yard Sale that had bags, and bags of candy.  I purchased these 6 bags (these are BIG bags people the picture doesn't show off their size) for $7!  That is dirt cheep!! They are 3-5x's the size of the 'Dollar Store' bags of candy.  Hopefully it will keep the kids and their friends happy through the summer. :)   

I'm always on the look out for gifts. Especially ones that are brand-new still in the packaging.  Picked this Snow White set up for a mere $2!!!!  I can think of about 10 little girls who would eat this up,  including my own daughter.  The big problem now is who do I give it to? ;)

*Anybody else go out this weekend?  Send me pictures please!!!  I want to see what you got!

Weekend Finds, and Show and Tell

I put myself on a strict $10 budget this weekend.  I mostly went out to hunt for gifts for upcoming birthdays, weddings, and graduations.

My FAVORITE find of the day was this picture of the Salt Lake Temple and easel.  This sells for $59.95 right now in stores.  I paid...$5 for both!  Come to find out, the person I had in mind to give it too is not getting married in this temple.  So I might just have to find it a permanent place in my house. :)

I bought someones button collection for $2. :)  Just a small collection, but it had a handful of really great buttons.

It came with these vintage, wooden spools too.  I love them!

Bought this cute little doll complete with 6 outfits for $1.  It will make a perfect gift for my niece. :)

How sweet is that face?

I also bought a bag of clothes for a $1, and some ribbon, chipboard tags, and a brand new (still in the wrapper) Jenny Phillips Cd (she is an LDS artist...who I love) for $1.50.  Grand total for all my finds $10.50!  Not too bad, eh? 

My neighbor/friend bought this really cool game table for $40 she talked her down from $75.00!  Great job Kayley! :)  Better yet it is not just one game but 4!  Air hockey, Foosball, Pool, and Ping-pong.  Party at their house!!

My friends birthday is today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY STACY!!!! LOVE YA!!!) and since I didn't find her anything at the yard sales this weekend, I made this cute little sign for her.  The  picture on the front was sent to me from my cousin-in-law (THANKS ANGIE), and I've been dying to do something with it!  I also made me one and hung it out on my porch.  HaPpY SprInG everyone!

Weekend Finds.

This weekend was not the greatest for Yard Sales I completely struck out on Friday but  still managed to get a few little goodies on Saturday.

I picked up this cute little Princess Party Set for $1.  It is brand new in an unopened box.  Love it when I find brand new items second-hand!

Ended up using it for a b-day gift for my niece.  PERFECT! 
*Even though she doesn't look thrilled (it was more about me taking her picture and less about the gift), she really did love the gift and so did all the other little girls.  They had it opened up in 2.5 sec. and the b-day girl was so nice to share her new gift with all her cousins. :) $ well spent!

Couple weekends ago I mentioned to the HH that I wanted to find a wooden step stool and low and behold I find this for $3! SCORE!

Note it: Eddie Bauer brand.

Kid's BYU Jersey $2!

At one Yard Sale a lady had over 600 beanie babies that she'd been collecting for years.  they were in mint condition with the tags still on.  I had a hay-day digging through all of them.  In the end I only came home with these nine.  They are SO cute!  They're going to make great gifts. :)

Hedgehog (which was given to Mr. E for Easter), Robin, and a Goat.  We LOVE goats around here and actually own two live ones.  Couldn't pass that one up.

4 ADORABLE little puppies.  My nieces are going to go CRAZY for these little guys.

A Pig, and A Elephant.

I also got HOOKED-UP with these two treasures by a cousin.   She found this 'Little House On The Prairie' set for $4 and the card game 'Bohnanza' for $1(looks brand new)!!!!  She already owned both so shared the love with me!!!  THANKS NATALIE!!!!  I've had my eye on this game for a good six months but couldn't bring myself to spend the $20 on it.  I'm glad I waited and have to say that the phrase, "Good things come to those who wait" must be true. :)

Even though it was a somewhat slow Yard Sale weekend I still had a BLAST waking up @ 6:30am and hanging with my Mom and Sister-in-law who got some great things of their own including a grocery bag filled with 13 pairs of shorts and 2 sweaters for $1, and a Pampered Chef mini-loaf pan for $2!  Good times, good times!