Making Do with the Not So New

Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice

2012-01-31T05:27:00.000-06:00

1 tsp of Pumpkin Pie spice equals

1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Make a Fluffy Bathroom Rug From Old Towels

2012-01-24T22:12:00.000-06:00

Video Tutorial on how to turn old towels into this lovely thick bathroom mat at Fine Craft Guild.

Make a T-shirt into comfy short yoga pants

2012-01-17T22:04:00.000-06:00

If you've searched around my blog you know that I think t-shirts are the most versatile making-do item there is. Here's a tutorial for turning one into a pair of pants!

Lotion Bottle to Cell Phone Holder for Charging

2012-01-08T20:02:00.003-06:00

Directions at Make it and Love it.

Make your own Air Freshener

2011-12-29T14:25:00.000-06:00

Make your own air freshener tutorial at The Burlap Bag.

Diaper Wipes Containers for Playing Card Organization

2011-12-22T13:47:00.003-06:00

Visit Jazzie and Tahlia for a post on how she organizes her playing cards. Now, she did use purchased boxes, but I'm thinking baby wipes containers would work well for this.

Toddler Bed Frame Made from a Door

2011-12-10T22:04:00.001-06:00

Photos of the process of making an old door into a toddler bed frame--so so cute. This is at My Repurposed Life, readers of this blog should love the content there.

T-shirt Rose Pillow

2011-10-14T18:34:00.001-05:00

Wendy at Craft Goodies give you instructions on how to make this beautiful rose pillow from cut up t-shirts. I love t-shirts, they are such a handy making do material.

Hot Out There? Bake Cookies in the Car!!!

2011-08-03T23:16:00.003-05:00

114 degrees today, and a friend of mine decided to use the car as an oven for cookies! How cool is that.

Directions : Have a 100 degree day, Start Early, Be around several hours later (friend said 4), Make sure you're in full sun!

Here are directions I posted earlier on using your car as a dehydrator.

And if you just think my friend is the coolest, visit her blog at The Treasures of My Heart

That's Definitely Making Do!

2011-07-08T12:52:00.001-05:00

see more There I Fixed It

Make a Maternity Skirt

2011-06-20T09:43:00.000-05:00

Trudy has a wonderful tutorial up on how to make any skirt into a maternity skirt here.

Bread Tag Electrical Cord Identifiers

2011-06-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

If you have a mess of cords under your computer like I do, save up your bread tags. Unplggd explains the usefulness of tagging your cords like the above picture.

Making Home Work: Interview with Vickie McDonough: Home

2011-05-04T13:21:00.000-05:00

Come learn how Vickie McDonough dealt with working at home with children while she began writing novels and then enter with a email comment and book choice to win any book of hers that sound good to you!

Making Home Work: Interview with Vickie McDonough: Home: "by Melissa Jagears Today, our guest is Vickie McDonough. Vickie McDonough is an award-winning author of 23 books and novellas. Her books..."

Silk Dyed Easter Eggs

2011-04-21T16:25:00.000-05:00

I am SO going to the thrift store for some ugly ties!

Our Best Bites has a tutorial on how to transfer 100% silk designs onto eggs. So cool!

Make Your Own Reed Diffuser

2011-04-18T00:20:00.001-05:00

Make your own reed diffuser. In this Mother Earth News Article, they tell you want kind of nature things will work (don't need special reeds) and you can use any kind of jar you can find a cork stopper for.

Another tutorial using Bamboo Skewers.

Shout out to my friend, Noel, who has been supplying this over-scheduled Momma with some of these latest links! Thanks.

Make Your Own Knitting Needles

2011-04-10T22:45:00.000-05:00

Dawn gives you free knitting patterns and a how to make your own knitting needles tutorial with acorn toppers. Cute.

Making Home Work: Interview with Author Anne Greene: Home

2011-04-04T12:25:00.000-05:00

Free book drawing at my other blog. Check it out.

Making Home Work: Interview with Author Anne Greene: Home: "by Naomi Rawlings I'd like to welcome author Anne Greene to our blog. Anne will be back Wednesday as well, giving advice on how she manage..."

Beans instead of Glass Beads for Candle Decorations

2011-03-14T22:11:00.000-05:00

I've started blogging with a group of ladies who also stay home with children and try to provide a bit of income with different endeavors at Making Home Work.

And today, Cherilyn had a fabulous post about how to infuse some color to redecorate without spending much money. (She spent $23).

My favorite suggestion she had was for candles--skip the pretty candle aisle. I love her idea of beans instead of glass beads and they do look fabulous!

If you are a Mom needing encouragement as you stay home, think about following Making Home Work, you'll hear more from me there!

Leather Purse Bracelets

2011-02-25T20:14:00.000-06:00

How to make bracelets from leather purses At Second Street.

Grab a couple of purses from the closet or thrift store and play. And with your scraps, make baby shoes or headbands!

DIY Craft site

2011-02-09T07:43:00.017-06:00

Design Sponge has a lot of Do It Yourself projects that with a little imagination can be made from recycled stuff, if they aren't already.

Like these two projects made from spools:

Photo Holder

Spool Hooks

Groupon Deal from Chicago for Barnes and Noble

2011-02-03T16:20:00.000-06:00

4 days left to get a $20 gift card for $10 (limited quantity) for B&N. Good for online purchases.

Wowser Wednesday - Skirt to Shirt

2011-02-01T10:23:00.000-06:00

Take an skirt, turn it upside down, and do a little sewing and make it into a shirt.
here
and originally here

Preparing for a Winter Storm - Emergency Water

2011-01-31T16:12:00.000-06:00

There is a blizzard forecasted for my area, and I am seeing a lot of my friends stocking up on bottled water from the store. I'm sure the bottled water companies love the revenue created by a storm, but to save money, if your tap water is fine to drink, fill up pitchers and ice cream buckets full of water before the storm hits in case your pipes freeze, you're really not going to care if you are drinking brand name water in an emergency.

You can also have everyone take their baths the night before and fill up the tub with water to flush your toilet.

Free Sewing Patterns

2011-01-20T14:49:00.000-06:00

Snow again today. I know some of you out there are stuck again at home, we are. Have cabin fever? Why not sew? Tons of free sewing patterns here:

All Free Sewing

Tons of things to do with scrap material in a day like:

Hot Pads

Fall Leaf Pillow

Sweater Flower Hair Clip

Flower Tank

And a lunch sack or felt pencil case to send with the kids whenever you get to send them back to school!

Make a Coyote Call out of PVC and plastic trash

2011-01-19T10:43:00.008-06:00

Today, my hubby has been kind enough to give me some blog content! Yeah. Most likely though, most of my readers won't have a use for an animal call, but the men in your life might. He does his coyote-call-making just like my sewing, everything is eyeballing it.

This call will make a rabbit-in-distress call, coyote barks and coyote howls. Video at the end of the post will demo.

Gather materials: Scissors, 3 inches of 1/2" PVC pipe, rubber band and that heavy plastic trash containers you take off of toys, electronics etc. by screaming and yelling and ripping and jabbing and pulling, yeah that annoying stuff. Unless you get the nice ones that have the pop apart tabs.

Then mark 2" from one end. Then in a vise, make your cut diagonal length-wise from that mark to the tip with a hacksaw. See these two images for direction.

It will look like this when done.

Then perpendicular to the previous cut, cut 1/4 to 1/2 the thickness of your PVC. You're making a shelf for the reed to sit on.

Then take a file to make the cut part smooth and slightly rounded and to take out saw marks. Then sand with a 400 grit sandpaper to knock off burrs.

Take your plastic trash and find a flat piece. Cut out a rectangle about the width of the cut out area on your PVC.

Then set it on your reed shelf and cut it to the length of the end of your PVC and shape it to the end.

Wrap a rubber band around it to hold it in place on the reed shelf. The rubber band is siting on the reed shelf.

Then using a file or sand paper, sand the excess off the edges of the reed to match the sounding board. You don't want the reed to overhang the sounding board. It should look like this, click on the picture to see the nearly invisible reed.

Give it a test blow. If it doesn't make a sound, you may have to shorten the reed a little or change the angle of the reed shelf with a file to where the reed comes further away from the sounding board. And this is what you can do with it:

Not bad for making it out of trash.

Here's an audio track teaching how to blow on a coyote call. I'm sure typing into YouTube "How to use a coyote call" will get you plenty to look through.

How to get Recall Notifications

2010-12-20T08:17:00.000-06:00

I had a reader inform me of a possible recall on a product I used on the blog. When buying thrift store items or picking up free stuff it's advisable to check out if its been recalled.

I have been for more than a year now signed up to receive daily notices of product recalls. Takes a few seconds to glance through the list to make sure I don't have anything I need to check on.

Here's the CPSC website on recalls where you can look up products. If you want to sign up for the daily recall list, scroll down to the bottom and find "Join our recall notification list."

Personalized Santa Video

2010-12-15T04:02:00.002-06:00

If you think your child would enjoy having Santa talk to them on a video, try the Portable North Pole

Give "Santa" some information and photos and he'll talk to your child and encourage them to be good at something you've asked them to do this year. It can be sent via email to whoever you like: your child, niece, etc.

It's free unless you want to purchase the video for download.

How to Fit a T-shirt

2010-12-14T08:19:00.002-06:00

Do you have a boxy t-shirt that you wished looked better on you? If you sew, here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to fit the t-shirt to look good on you at Analog Me.

I absolutely love the image/slogan on her t-shirt.

Borax Crystal Ornaments

2010-12-13T08:10:00.002-06:00

Make ornaments for the tree with pipe cleaners and borax. Pretty.

How to here and here

Snowflake Templates

2010-12-10T21:45:00.003-06:00

As a kid, we spent our winter break decorating the house. I know that I was always trying to make intricate snowflakes. If that's your kid, you might try printing off templates from here.

Seriously, this one has bells and trees and candles and holly within the design!

Marcel's Kids Crafts site has several other free craft ideas that you may want to check out too.

Cheaper Medical Lab Costs

2010-12-09T10:24:00.003-06:00

This article ran on CNN yesterday. If you are without insurance or have a high deductible, you may want to get your doctor's lab order written down for you and order it yourself for much cheaper. Evidently, you order it online, pay online, print it out, and take it to the lab.

If you have a participating lab in your area, you might want to check it out.

Here is the CNN article

Here is the lab ordering website

Wowser Wednesday - Doily Table Runner and other projects link

2010-12-08T08:31:00.000-06:00

Have a lot of doilies sitting in a linen closet? Score a box full at a garage sale? Consider making this beautiful table runner or a vase, etc. See Crafty Claude's post on various uses for doilies.

Happy Birthday Baby!

2010-12-04T14:36:00.003-06:00

Making Do with the NEW baby boy born Dec. 1. Got some baby projects coming up!

Braiding and Hairstyle Tutorials for Little Girls

2010-11-29T07:53:00.002-06:00

Oh. My. Goodness. I can see me using this site often for my little princess who already asks for her hair to be put up in specific ways. If I had had this site available as a kid, I bet I would have driven my mother insane every Sunday morning for a princess hairstyle to wear to church. She only had to suffer with putting up our hair in rag curlers (or cushioned rag curlers) every Saturday night.

Princess Hairstyles

Easy 20 Minute Mermaid Costume

2010-11-23T14:27:00.004-06:00

My child was eating dinner in her underwear last night. Why? Because as a mermaid, she didn't wear clothes. I said she definitely couldn't stay in her underwear, so my kiddo asked me to make her some shells and fins.

So as I munched, I inventoried my scrap box in my head and then ran upstairs when I finished. I had a blue t-shirt and an ugly, but very bright fabric skirt I got for free somewhere.

I brought down the blue shirt and cut it while on her to make a "bra" for shells - I will do a much better job on the next one now that I have a pattern, only if I have to make a next one, she's happy enough with it as is. Kind of has a Flintstoney aspect to it at the moment. :)

Then I cinched up the skirt with the elastic band to fit her (It's too long, but we just rolled down the waistband--it'll grow with her if she intends to be a mermaid in the years to come) and with the excess material cut freehand a big fin shape. I zigzag sewed around it to keep it from fraying and then sewed it to the middle back of the skirt.

Tada!

And evidently if you press her belly button she sings like Ariel.

She's worn it all night last night, slept in it and worn it all day today even though it's 60 degrees in the house. Had a bit of an argument about how human mermaids don't wear their fins and shells into the bathtub though. :)

I love it that kids are so happy with such rudimentary things.

How to Time Contractions on Computer or iPhone

2010-11-17T16:29:00.003-06:00

I'm 38 weeks pregnant today, so I'll be having a baby any time now, and been debating on buying a stop watch since the one I had that could do that is dead, but do I really want to buy something I've not used in years for something I may not even need? (I had to be induced last time).

But, then I stumbled upon this: The Contraction Master. Just hit the S button on your computer or electronic device when they begin and end and it keeps track of it for you.

Sounds good to me, the laptop is almost always on!

Butter Wrappers for Greasing

2010-11-11T22:52:00.003-06:00

This is one of those things I said I'd never do (like wash ziploc bags) but started to recently. But when hubby asked why I had a pile of folded butter wrappers on top of the shortening bucket . . .

I didn't realize someone might not know why a crazy lady was keeping those. The residue of the butter is generally enough to lightly grease your baking pan.

Just rub it on, if not enough, grab another one.

Make Your Own Almond Milk

2010-11-10T15:52:00.003-06:00

A friend shared this link with me and I thought I'd put it here. I consume regular milk, enough to justify buying a cow sometime soon, but I have to admit I've always wanted to try almond milk because I love almonds. Maybe I shall make my own:

Almond Milk Recipe

Since it required a "nut milk bag" I was sure I could find someone talking about this elsewhere. Here are some ideas.

This forum, had these examples:

I read something by Carmella from The Sunny Raw Kitchen and she uses paint straining bags that you can find at a paint supply store or at Home Depot (I got mine at Home Depot). They are nylon and come in two sizes. I got the smaller ones. One package has 2 bags in it and was around $3! So that's $3 for 2 bags! I just cleaned it really well in hot soapy water before using and it has worked wonderfully thus far.

I have only ever used cheese cloth. typically it is easier to find and works pretty well. it helps to have someone help you keep the corners up. (I say why not just sew the cheese cloth into a bag???)

And I saw somewhere else someone used a flour sack.

Recycled Halloween Crafts

2010-10-22T15:36:00.003-05:00

Thanks to the crafty crow, here are some recycled Halloween craft ideas if you like to decorate for this holiday.

I think my favorite creative idea is the CD cases into luminaries.

Salvaging Gristly Fatty Beef

2010-10-21T15:15:00.002-05:00

Last year I bought this huge slab of beef. I have no idea what I was thinking, I am no cook. I must have had a reason, but I just had the hubby cut it in 3 pieces and place it in the freezer where its been for a year (I think). Hubby found it while rearranging the freezer, asked me what my plan was. Since I told him I've had no plan that I remember for a year, he took one out and treated it like pot roast. (We both have no idea what this piece of meat was. Sad. Sad.) It turned out really well.

So next chunk, he decides to smoke. My favorite saying is "Everything tastes better smoked." And I've tried everything in the smoker--including raccoon. So far, my pithy saying has held out--until this chunk of mystery meat. It was so gristly that my hubby, who would eat meat and only meat for the rest of his life if he could, didn't even attempt to make anyone else take a bite. He asked how I wanted to dispose of this large chunk of meat.

Figuring I could do something with it other than trash it, I decided to attempt to make stock with it. Yeah, usually you are using only bones, but it was trash anyway. So I put it in the crock pot and cooked it for 24 hours almost. I get him to help tip it out and strain it, when he starts poking around the meat and says "I think this might be decent meat now." Tore off a hunk and sure enough, a great tasting pot roast sans gristle and fat. Bonus dinner, always good news for me.

So, if you have an awful piece of meat, try fixing it by making stock. Worst case scenario is you'll still have to throw it away, but hey, you have stock!

My stock making procedure:

Put in bones, meat leftovers, veggie leftovers or those needed to be used up pretty soon and whatever spices you want. I usually throw in basil, parsley, salt and garlic cloves, onions, potatoes, with whatever else I have on hand (beware, beets work, but they make your stock funny colored). I go light on the salt, can always add more.

Cover with cold filtered water. Put in one T. vinegar. Sit for one hour. (Vinegar is supposed to draw out the nutrients in the foods. Don't know if that's true, but hasn't hurt anything)

Turn on low for about 18 hours or until the smell of it drives you crazy hungry.

Then strain, put broth in large bowl in fridge. The fat will rise to the top and you can just then break it off and discard.

Freeze in ice cube trays and store per this procedure.

Patching Holy Holey Jeans

2010-10-07T08:01:00.003-05:00

I've been very busy. Doing a lot of things I've already posted on this blog, getting ready for baby (such as making wool diaper covers and longies) And I need more maternity pants. So, I got these off the free pile but there was a very weak spot in the knee and once I finished turning them into maternity, they ripped the moment I tried them on. Well, I had no denim that even looked nice on this blue wash for these particular jeans for what I thought would be some kind of flower patch, so all I had was the waistband I had just cut off. And long rectangular strips just cry out to be a cross. So now I have Holy holey jeans. :)

That's about as original as I have gotten lately, but there you are.

Wowser Wednesday - Fall Leaf Crown

2010-10-06T12:47:00.004-05:00

What's great about this pretty fall crown is that you don't have to remember to take anything outside to assemble it. Like a daisy chain, if the whim hits you, the directions for making it on Twig and Toadstool require no tools. What princess wouldn't want one of these?

Bottle Top Bag "Clip"

2010-10-05T07:58:00.003-05:00

Someone sent this to me through an email forward, so I have no idea who this idea belongs to, but thought I'd put it up here, since I've never seen it before, maybe you haven't either.

Cut up a disposable water bottle and keep the neck and top, as in photo.

Insert the plastic bag through the neck and screw the top to seal.

Wowser Wednesday - Plastic Bag Iron-Ons

2010-09-08T08:33:00.002-05:00

Filth Wizardry had a fun idea to use those pretty shopping mall bags (Disney store, etc) as iron on decals for clothing, etc.

Tutorial here.

Helping Kids Put Shoes on the Right Feet

2010-09-06T07:54:00.004-05:00

I got tired of telling the kiddo that she had put her shoes on the wrong feet, so I decided to help her be able to figure that out herself. I took two smiley face stickers and put them on the inside curve of her shoe. I read this in some parenting magazine a long time ago.

Then I told her to make the faces kiss. She likes to make the kissing noise along with them.

Wowser Wednesday - Tablecloth Shirt

2010-09-01T07:44:00.003-05:00

Got a small round tablecloth not being used anymore? Why not make a shirt with it?

Tutorial here at Elizabeth Abernathy.

Clever Print-out Bookmarks

2010-08-26T22:32:00.004-05:00

This creative person not only drew these bookmarks, but lets you download them. I thought they were quite clever.

We Wilsons (Check it out for a lot of crafty/recipe posts) lets you download for printing these bookmarks here.

Wooden Beads Crafts

2010-08-26T08:06:00.002-05:00

Do you have a lot of wooden craft beads that you don't know what to do with? Check out the ideas at Fia Lotta Jansson for wood pearl projects.

Definitely like the Hot Pot Coaster Idea.

Wowser Wednesday - Scrap T-shirt Dresses

2010-08-25T07:58:00.003-05:00

Saw this lady's t-shirt dresses on Wardrobe Refashion and had to share despite no tutorial, but scrap t-shirts in rainbow covers make awful cute dresses. Click over to see two others she made for ideas.

Scrap T-shirt Dresses.

Free History Newsletter Mini-Units

2010-08-20T12:51:00.002-05:00

For those homeschoolers or teachers, etc.

You can sign up for a free newsletter (or just look in their archives) for short little mini-units of historical interest at Learning Through History News.

Little units with all kinds of links (primary sources, multimedia projects, etc) for topics like:
The Sphinx
The Silk Road
The War of 1812
Ellis Island
etc.

Wowser Wednesday - Dry Erase Plate

2010-08-18T09:37:00.000-05:00

A lady in town posted her fun little dollar store project. She has cute home fashion sense, I see pictures of her decorations every now and then.

She says: A cute, but inexpensive, melamine-type plate or platter from the dollar store makes a GREAT dry erase board for the kitchen, with the help of ribbon, a plate rack (I used a cookbook holder) and, of course, dry erase markers. :) excuse my awful south-paw handwriting, please.

Track your website visitors

2010-08-17T07:05:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many of you don't read my blog through a reader and have seen the new little map in the top right hand corner of my blog.

I use statcounter to track my visitors and where they are coming from whenever I am curious. And sometimes they are from such cool places as India, and sometimes I can even see that people of other language blogs are linking to me. I know that someone who writes in Chinese, Thai, and Spanish have all linked to my blog. Pretty fun.

So I thought I would share with my readers and show a map of people who are reading my blog. It just tracks where the readers' server is located. IPligence provided the map. In just a few days, It looks like I've had visitors from the USA, Australia, Canada, Italy, Ireland, UK, Poland, Maybe Hungary??, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, India, Japan, OOH! Looks like really close to Dalian, China where I spent a summer, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines and New Zealand. Fun huh?

And the blinking ones are who is looking right now.

Cheap Salvaged Elastic

2010-08-16T07:55:00.000-05:00

I needed elastic for some maternity pants and figured, why not salvaged?

Buy large-sized sweat or elastic waist pants or skirts with wide elastic or whatever size you need. Choose pants or items that have the least sewing through the elastic that you can find. Not that it hurts the elastic, just takes more time to get it out.

Take seam ripper and dislodge your elastic. Considering it cost me $2.59 to buy elastic for the last pair of pants I made, getting pants for $1 or less would be totally worth the about 20 minutes it took me to take the elastic out. And if you can cram as many items in a sack as I can on dollar day, my elastic only cost me 2.5 cents and time.

Don't throw away old sweats until you take out and save the elastic! I know I won't be doing that anymore.

Cheap Princess Party Game

2010-08-11T07:26:00.003-05:00

Trying to come up with a Princess party game that would cost me nearly nothing, I came up with:

"Pin the Crown on the Princess" Not too original, but it wouldn't cost me much.

(Which I am sure can be adapted to any party as long as you can find an appropriate coloring page or draw one if you are so talented: Pin the Eye patch on the Pirate, Pin the tail on Eeyore, Pin the Stetson on the Cowboy, Pin the shoes on the Ballerina, Pin the number on the racecar, etc.)

I photocopied a coloring page of a princess coloring book with a princess whose head was fairly large. My niece colored it. Then I taped it to a door. Then I printed out multiple crowns (I googled crowns in Google images and picked one to copy and paste several times over in Word and printed out in Black and White). Then each girl colored their crown and put their first initial on it.

Then I taped a loop of masking tape on the back, blindfolded them and told them to get it the closest to the top of her head. Whoever was closest got to choose a jewelry item that was a party favor anyway. As each girl won, they bowed out of the game and chose a piece, and we kept going until the last two girls went and then both got to pick from what was left. Easy, and they liked the game.

Barbie Doll Cake

2010-08-10T07:12:00.004-05:00

I watched this youtube video to get an idea of how to make a Barbie Doll Cake using things I already had.

I used 2 8" cake pans of one cake mix and a pyrex bowl with an 8" diameter opening for another full cake mix. I cut them were they bubbled up, so they sat flat on top one another, the bowl cake on top and upside down. Then I cut off used restaurant chopsticks and put two on each side of Barbie to anchor the cakes together. Then I cut out the middle hole with a knife and had to lift the cakes and have my niece shove the middle hole pieces down through the bottom.

I did not want to break any of your Barbies, so I thought 2 8" pans would be enough, but it wasn't, so I tossed her. Not wanting to spend the time to bake some more, I searched in your Barbie box for the Barbie that had legs jointed so much that she could bend her knees to 90 degree angles (In the picture where I am pulling her out, this is the configuration I had to put her in to fit). So she kind of squatted in your cake, she looks like a midget, but she was in there unbroken! Then I did a lame frosting job with a whipped frosting that didn't succumb to the paper smoothing treatment that the video shows works on buttercream frosting, and she waited in the refrigerator over night.

Beware: Barbie sheds Barbie hair in Barbie cake

Free White House Greetings

2010-08-09T07:48:00.002-05:00

Happy Bday to my big 4 year old girl!

If you want a greeting card or congratulations card for your baby from the White House,

Or these special times too:

Wedding (send your request after the event)
Baby's birth or adoption of a child
Retirement after at least 30 years on the same job
Eagle Scout Award
Girl Scout Gold Award
Bar/Bat Mitzvah or equivalent religious occasion

Follow the directions here .

My first baby was welcomed by George and Laura Bush, hopefully come Thanksgiving, I'll be able to ask for Barack and Michelle Obama to welcome my tiny bundle. You'll simply receive an embossed stationary card with their ink stamped signatures, but someone takes the time to hand-write the address. A little bit of fun for your scrapbook to be had for the cost of a stamp. I'm curious to see if the sentiment changes with presidents.

Reader Suggestion Friday - 20 minute scrap skirt

2010-08-06T07:55:00.000-05:00

Trudy at Sewing With Trudy, sent in her link to her post on a 20 minute skirt made from scrap material. See tutorial here.

$1 Bag Thrift Store Treasure Thursday

2010-07-29T14:01:00.004-05:00

The Presbyterian Church Thrift store has $1 bag days about once a quarter. I had nothing in particular in mind to get while there, but just needed some retail therapy. So it requires some out-of-the-box thinking. And I can always donate things back if they don't work out and I limited myself to one bag, stuffed how my ex-army husband taught me how to stuff for maximum volume capacity.

Description follows: Left to Right, back row first

*6 pairs of larger ladies pants without much sewing through the elastic to salvage the elastic from (I went initially to the sewing department hoping to see elastic (Nope) when it hit me--I'm surrounded by elastic!)

*2 blue t-shirts and 2 blue jeans to pair with the salvaged elastic to make cheap maternity pants/shorts.

* 2 pairs of drawstring scrubs for maternity pjs and two maternity shirts

*1 black dress I hope will fit post-pregnancy

*3 handmade never used pot holders

*7 Ribbon belts. Plan to save the buckles for projects such as Nursing Cover and of course, save the ribbons for crafts

*2 cashmere sweaters for baby diaper covers and longies or the myriad other projects wool comes in handy for like mittens and chalkboard erasers.

*1 pair child slippers

*4 placemats now that my child wants to eat on top of the lacy tablecloth that I don't want to wash every day

*1 Granny go-to-sleep cap for dress-up.

*4 cloth napkins already done up that I don't have to sew!

*2 books

Character Bandaids

2010-07-28T12:59:00.004-05:00

Has your kid seen and envied Character Bandaids? Will your child not leave bandaids on like mine? Try making your own decorated band-aids.

My kiddo won't stop picking at something, but she won't leave a band-aid on, so last night, we got out the bucket of stickers and let her choose what stickers to stick on her band-aid to keep her from pulling it off. 24 hours later, she's still wearing it. Think it worked.

Cheap Princess Bedding

2010-07-26T07:11:00.000-05:00

Decided to spruce up my kiddos bedding ensemble for her birthday. (She's using our old queen mattress with adult colored bedding.) But buying a queen size Princess bedding set is $80. Yeah, right. And for winter, we use feather ticks anyway, and she only sleeps with a sheet in the summer.

So, I took the off white sheet set she already had from us and dyed it pink in the washing machine with Rit dye. $4

Then I took an on sale beach towel $7.50 and made it into a pillow case, but I couldn't cut it since it's a useful item and one day she may tire of princesses. So I just folded it around a pillow and safety pinned it on.

Then I covered her own little pillow that she prefers with scrap fabric. $0

And picked up this princess canopy from the thrift store $3

Blanket she already had from Christmas.

New bedding ensemble=$14.50. Less than one set of plain pink sheets at Walmart. May not be impressive, but it's pink with princesses and as soon as she saw it she decided to pretend going to sleep. I think that makes it a winner.

Swapping Books

2010-07-23T11:53:00.001-05:00

If you are interested in swapping books over the internet or finding cheap books, check out this link.

Make your own Belly Band

2010-07-23T07:35:00.000-05:00

I personally don't use these, but if you wanted to buy a belly band for those in between stages of maternity when you are wearing your regular pants, but unzipped. Why buy one? Make one out of a t-shirt.

Here's a tutorial at Littler Inch.

Maternity Shorts

2010-07-21T15:19:00.000-05:00

One pair of thrift store pants one size too big:$1
One blue tshirt my size: $.25
1.5" elastic: $2.59
Plus one hour of sewing=Maternity Shorts: $3.84

(Which is actually more expensive than the shorts I am using for the model. If you have a JCPenney's in your area, check maternity at the end of the season. I bought maternity stuff there several times before getting pregnant at end of season sales. Most things were around $3 - 90% off.)

I used an already made pair to take my measurements from (I'm a medium)

Then I took measurements from the crotch seam, front was 6.5" and back was 13".

I ended up accidentally cutting it about 11.5" in the back but they really should have been 13".

Then since these were pants, I cut them and then hemmed them. I also took the extra fly material and zipper out and sewed that shut.

Then, I took a blue tshirt and cut a 6" band.

Since it was a bit bigger than the waistline of the pants, I lined up one of the seams with a side seam, pinned, and then cut it to be the same size over at the other seam (leaving about a .25" for the seam) Then sewed it back into a circle.

I then took 1.5" elastic and cut 35" (I would have been more comfortable with less inches now that I'm wearing the pants. They don't fall down, but I'd like a little more snug feeling). I sewed it flat against each other, zigzagging the ends on both sides.

Now, I took that 6 inch band and folded it over. Then I placed it around my shorts with both open rough edges lined up with my cut pant edge.

Then, I slipped the elastic in between the two layers of t-shirt, it did kinda scrunch up my pants around the hips. Then I pinned the t-shirt along the edge of my cut off pants.

Then I serged the material all the way around.

Once that's done, just flip the tshirt and elastic up and you're finished.

Now, as you can see the back is a little low for my "growing more generous" rear end. I needed that thirteen (maybe more) inches. But looks just fine considering maternity shirts are long and not tucked in.

Wowser Wednesday - Leather Purse Headband

2010-07-14T07:56:00.001-05:00

So, Ruffles and Stuff is on my blog reader (Unfortunately, she just wrote that she was stopping blogging, but she's leaving the archives up. Plenty to keep a crafter happy to look through) and I started scrolling down through this post and I was all like "I can so make this out of a thrift store purse!"

And guess what. She made it out of a thrift store purse. So, I'm not the only genius in the world. :P
Tutorial here.

Maternity Mannequin

2010-07-08T07:58:00.004-05:00

So, I already mentioned my refashion last week failed. I was attempting to not only make a dress out of some unlikely material, but since I needed a semi-formal dress for an upcoming conference, I also thought I might as well attempt to make it a maternity dress. But I needed a pregnant mannequin.

So I searched all over the house for something I could strap on to the mannequin since I am not full blown pregnant. I really wanted a basketball to duct tape to the thing, being nice and round and I really didn't relish the idea of attempting to make a stuffed pillow in the shape of a pregnant belly.

So, the roof was leaking at the point we stopped putting on the roof. Joy. But it made me move aside some carpet padding. Hmmm.

So I made a large circle. And then cut two lines about one third of the way in opposite each other.

Then I folded the piece up until it made a fairly large "belly." And secured with duct tape along the cut.

And duct taped it to the mannequin. Viola!

Works pretty good except for the two slightly pointy spots on the belly. But it was just to help me make a dress, that of course, I couldn't do for I'd gotten over my head. Maybe I can think of something else to make needing a fake pregnant dummy.

Wowser Wednesday - Elastic Waist Skirt = Dress

2010-07-07T07:21:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've been working on a refashioned dress from a big lacy shirt, slip, bra, and a sheer curtain, but I do not have the skills, so it's in the rag pile. If anyone can figure out how to make this dress from those materials for me, I'll send them to you. ;P I'll just have to come up with something else to do with the leftovers from that project. My creativity has superseded my skill set.

So, when I saw this no sew refashioned dress at Bytes & Bobbins, I'm all about looking for a long elastic waisted skirt now. :) No Skills Required!

Free Purex Laundry Sheet

2010-07-04T12:49:00.003-05:00

Go here:
http://www.trypurex.com/Purex_3-in-1_Free_Sample/

to get mailed a free sample of a Purex laundry sheet.

Wowser Wednesday - Record Book Ends

2010-06-30T09:17:00.003-05:00

If I had any LPs, I'd be making me some of these. Maybe will have to keep my eyes peeled for some free/inexpensive ones. My books could always use some help standing up. Of course, mainly because I need more shelving space and most of them are piled up on top of one another.

Tutorial on DIY Life

Chicken Stock from Scratch into Ice Cube Measurements

2010-06-09T07:35:00.001-05:00

We just butchered some chickens and had to eat one. Put it in the smoker and then I had a leftover carcass. I have always just thrown it away because I'm a lazy cooker and anything that requires me watching a boiling pot for over ten minutes is not on my list of fun. But the smoked free-range carcass--I had a hard time throwing away, so I thought I'd look to see if anyone had a crockpot recipe, that I could handle.

I found this one at Nourishing Days. She has no salt in it, I threw some in, but not enough so I'll have to add more salt when I use it, but this was so easy. My crockpot cooks way fast so I only had it on for 16 hours before the smell permeating my whole entire house drove me crazy, but it was done probably before that time. Very easy! I will do this again.

But, how was I going to store it? They said either keep in fridge and take out as needed (I use it so infrequently, I doubted I could use it before it went bad) or freeze it in jars (but when I do use it, I tend to only use 1/2 cup to 1 cup increments.)

So, I decided to measure my ice cube tray. One ice cube filled to the brim was only slightly more than 1/8 cup. Perfect! So 8 cubes equals a cup.

So, I froze the stock in the ice cube trays and stored them in a ziploc bag. I'll pull out just enough for my recipe. I've heard anything calling for water can be replaced with stock to make it more nutritious and I've also heard old chickens make the best stock, so when my layers are ready to be culled I think I'll be making lots of this and using it instead of water.

Early Maternity Pants Options

2010-06-08T12:25:00.002-05:00

If your belly is increasing because of pregnancy but you aren't into full blown maternity wear, there are a few making do solutions. Most you've probably heard of before, but one has to hear it from somewhere for the first time (or make it up themselves) so I thought I'd post it anyway.

One thing you can do is wear elastic waistband pants.

Another is drawstring scrub pants.

Really low, hipster regular pants will still work.

Or you can take a ponytail hair tie and anchor it to your button, pull it through the button hole and fasten over to the button again. You do have to wear a long enough shirt to cover your entire zipper for this often makes it easier for your zipper to come down.

Or the maternity pants that are low waisted elastic all the way around will fit this early in pregnancy.

Sheet and Pillowcase into Mommy/Daughter Work Dresses

2010-05-31T08:21:00.001-05:00

Ok, these things aren't going to win me any fashion awards, but I wanted a comfortable long dress that I could make in less than an hour that I can wear around the house when it's hot and I'm not intending to go anywhere. And because most of my clothing is too tight at the moment.

I have one of those dresses I picked up from the thrift store, laid it out on a twin flat sheet I picked up somewhere and hacked around it and sewed for an hour (mainly b/c of my dumb machine's bobbin kept tangling)

And then, I couldn't resist making a "matching" dress out of the pillowcase for my kiddo. Basically on that one, I cut off the top, cut down about a quarter way for arm holes, hemmed the arm holes, made a casing on the two tops and strung ribbon through the casings and tied at the shoulder. The material is rather thick, think it will look better on her tiny body with a thinner pillowcase.

So, we both look like we are wearing a trash sack as my hubby so gently put it, but we match and we'll be in the garden with them anyway. I call it good for about an hour and a half. Boy do I hate sewing.

I tried to make it less sack-like with some more of that ribbon, but it just showed off my pregnant belly. Not that much better considering I'm just showing but I look 6 months pregnant. I guess that's the horizontal striping for you.

But hey, some of you sewing people out there could make a better stab at it using a sheet and pillowcase.

Duct Tape your Window AC's Accordian Vinyl Panels

2010-05-28T07:39:00.003-05:00

Do you use window AC units? We do in the upstairs in our bedrooms at night. We program the thermostat to turn the AC to a much higher temp for the whole house at night and only use the bedroom AC window units for sleeping.

(Well, currently, we're trying to go as long as possible without it, so it's a toasty 85 in the house, but with the windows open it feels not so bad)

So that cuts us down from trying to cool 2500 square feet to 200 square feet for about 10 hours.

But, those accordion panels on the sides let in outside air and let out cool air. Not good, so how can you make that better? Duct tape. And what's nice, is duct tape comes in colors, pick the color right for you (most likely white) and seal that puppy off. No more tacky than the accordion thing. Energy efficiency goes up the less drafts you have coming from the outside (see my caulking post)

Reader Suggestion Friday - Uses for Yogurt Containers

2010-05-21T08:04:00.000-05:00

Sheri, a mother of eight, was kind enough to share some of her tips for reusing yogurt containers. Hope you get some ideas.

When people come to my house and wonder why we have a tall stack of these 1 quart containers, we show them! We stack them like blocks too! We make walls and castles for Ezra to knock over. (He's our youngest.) All my children have fun making the castles and walls with the cartons.

I also use my yogurt containers for drinks on the go! I mix up my protein drink in the blender and pour it into my 1 quart yogurt container and put the lid on, with a small hole cut in the top for my straw. It's kinda' my signature... I will reuse these containers until they are beyond use. With this recycled container, I don't mind if someone tosses it in the garbage. Which can happen when I am out and about. I have tried other containers, but they were too tall for my straw to reach the bottom and be able to drink out of it.

We have also had loads of fun with the yogurt cup lids! They are safe indoor flying disks! And easy for little children to make fly! I think we had about 20 lids that we were flying at each other one morning. We were laughing so hard, we got our morning exercise!

The smaller 6 oz and 8 oz yogurt cups can be used like those stacking cups and they are are free, once you eat your yogurt! If you want to reuse those smaller yogurt cups, some yogurt companies will send you the reusable plastic lids for free if you ask. Then I put my husband's daily yogurt into one of those cups for his lunch from the larger 1 quart container. I think I need to learn how to make yogurt! When we take yogurt in the car, I put a hole in the top and stick in a straw for less messy eating! It works most of the time. Some of those yogurts with bigger chunks of fruit might get stuck... I can even cut the straws in half for a more convenient size.

Free Fast Food Popsicles

2010-05-18T07:32:00.001-05:00

I don't eat out often enough anymore, but if you go to a fast food restaurant that lets you have free refills, fill up before you leave with lemonade, fruit punch or whatever fruity drink they have. Go home and pour it into popsicle molds. A lady from Dollar Stretcher says that you can get about a dozen popsicles from a medium sized drink. Free popsicles!

Thrift Store Clothes into Prairie Dress Up Clothes

2010-05-17T07:42:00.003-05:00

So, I've been looking for thrift store clothes that I can make into fake late 19th century clothing. Why? Because my bathroom is decorated in my families old sepia photos from that era and my color scheme fits those old photos (browns), but the middle photo frame across the wall is blank. That's for us. If I ever get us dressed appropriately. The blank (ghost filled) frame has been there for almost 3 years.

Thankfully, I had gathered my materials, but not the time. But the local homeschool group wants my hubby to come for their pioneer day to demonstrate blacksmithing and they are dressing up. Yeah! A fire under my butt.

So, Hubby was easy. Add some buttons to his jeans for suspenders and move the button on his old rendezvous shirt from high school.

Me: Unfortunately it was yellow (hate yellow) but this sundress was easy. Took off the straps and pulled the elastic gathered bodice down to my stomach to make it floor length and then I found a shirt that looked old fashioned (a little too much plunge in the front, but I'm just faking this)

The kiddo was the hardest, I took an old ugly grandma's dress that had old fashiony front and a man's pink oxford. And happily, an already-made sun bonnet (that I'm sure won't be worn very long).

No tutorial because it was all eyeballing and using my toddler's fake double. Basically I cut the collar off, the torso down and shortened the skirt, flipped over the elastic casing (like I did in the dress into skirt refashion from last week) and reattached it to the bodice. I didn't put sleeves because a) I suck at sleeves and b) it's summer and my child is known for taking off clothes and running in her underwear, so I figured I'd try to combat the attempt with making it quite summery.

Now, no more ghosts reside in my bathroom. :)

Free Dress=Free Skirt

2010-05-13T08:11:00.003-05:00

I found this dress on the free rack, didn't try it on, but it looked like it would be a good swinging skirt.

So, first I ripped out the zipper, then I cut it off right above the elastic casing. It was too big to stay up on its own, so I unpicked the seam holding in the elastic and pulled it out until it fit me. Then I sewed the elastic in place.

Then, I folded the casing over, pulled the elastic tight to make the fabric flush as I sewed it with the machine along the cut off edge.

Then I sewed up the zipper slit and now I have a new skirt.

Wowser Wednesday - Wine Cork Bath Mat

2010-05-12T08:04:00.003-05:00

Man, I wish I had collected all the wine corks we threw away when I worked at an upscale restaurant during college. I could have made a so very cool bath mat. See CraftyNest.

Hmmm, maybe if my freecycle community were more interested in collecting stuff for people, but I couldn't even get anyone to collect paper bags for me that weren't my personal friends. Sigh. No fancy restaurants in the middle of nowhere either to beg from.

Runny Mashed Potatoes Fix

2010-05-07T07:49:00.003-05:00

If I accidentally put too much milk in my mashed potatoes and it's more like soup than fluffy potatoes, I don't panic anymore. I have an emergency stash of cheap instant mashed potatoes and I just take small scoops out of there and throw them in until the consistency returns to fluffy clouds.

Maybe I should add milk only a little at a time instead of relying on my recipe measurements since potatoes don't have a definite measurement, but I like the simplicity of throwing in the 1/8 cup of instant potatoes that fix it right up.

Use Less Makeup or Makeup Less

2010-05-04T10:44:00.003-05:00

Ok, this hint may be more useful for those out of the teenage/early 20s and mothers (after you've found out you have baby poop on your shirt but go into the store anyway, you've really gotten over how you look).

I have gone to only wearing makeup to church and other really big functions (not that I attend many of those). Sunday I was just taking inventory of my makeup and man it's been a long time since I bought any and I still have a long way to go before I need any. Saved Money!

If I'm going out and think I look a little blah but my face is fairly unblemished, just blush and lip gloss.

Now about a year ago, I saw this lady advising to use a salmon colored concealer for dark circles under the eyes (I have horrible raccoon eyes) and watched her tutorials for how to apply makeup. My hubby says that this is the best makeup application he has ever seen on me.

Anyway, the lady's name is Eve Pearl (her makeup is expensive!! So I use the Abbot's Perk me up from Everyday Minerals instead, plus you can order for free from this company samples to make sure it works for you)

And here are some of the tutorials I watched. But you can watch tons of them at youtube, just type in "Eve Pearl Makeup Tutorial" and there will be all kinds of videos to pour through. Just changing how I apply blush and eyemakeup according to this lady's advice really helped. (I don't do the fake lashes though). I don't use as much makeup as she does but understanding her contouring tricks helps know how to make the best use of what you have, I think.

Wowser Wednesday - Hard Suitcase Play Cases

2010-04-28T07:17:00.003-05:00

What a fun recycle project for those hard suitcases you see at the thrift store! Make a play case. At Second Street, Kalleen give you a tutorial on making this dinosaur land.

And her dad made a Cowboy/Indian one and a zoo one on when she was little.

The possibilities! I could see making a car case with ramps and bridges. A small doll case with rooms and outdoor playground. A battlefield with trenches and landmines for soldiers. An aircraft runway on one side and an aircraft carrier in the ocean on the other, etc. Can you come up with any more creative play cases? Share your theme idea in the comments.

Oooh. Great project for an older kid to design/make for a younger kid for a birthday or Christmas gift.

Her blog is definitely a fun one to look through for creative projects.
Like a leather bag turned into jewelry

More Dog Food Bag Reuses, Butcher Paper and Hunting Seat

2010-04-26T07:11:00.002-05:00

Just thought I'd share two more uses that we use our Chicken Feed or Cat Food bags for.

Last week, we butchered a chicken, but had to bring it inside because it was too dark. I cut open a cat food bag and did it on the kitchen table. No mess! After finished, just wrapped the unused carcass bits up in the bag to transport it back outside.

I have now learned that my husband, when going out hunting, uses his food bag apron as a seat. Silly man. Now, I just roll one up for him and he takes it with him and unrolls the bag to sit on the ground so his tush doesn't get wet. This could be used for fishing or camping or whenever you might be sitting on the ground. Compact water barrier.

Puffy Paint Bottle Cap Stamps

2010-04-21T07:10:00.003-05:00

Make Custom Stamps with trash and puffy paint. Looks like fun! Tutorial at Pretty Little Things.

Wowser Wednesday - Dried Out Marker Jump Rope

2010-04-14T07:52:00.001-05:00

Instead of throwing away markers when they dry out, why not make a jump rope like featured on Mommy on a Shoestring?

Produce Bags to Bath Toy Bag

2010-04-07T07:48:00.003-05:00

Jaimi at Two Chicks and a Hen has come up with a project that I've been trying to figure out myself. Now, I can quit tying ear plug cords from hubby's work (It was crazy, but I was trying to figure out someway to crochet a plastic bag) and much more easily create one from produce bags. Much more sane! Instructions here.

Wowser Wednesday - How much soap to use in appliances

2010-03-31T08:19:00.002-05:00

I came across this wonderfully detailed article about how most of us use too much soap and therefore are wasting money in our washers and dishwashers. Complete with expert testimonials and directions for how to determine if you are in fact using too much soap.

Make Your Own Taco Bell Baja Sauce

2010-03-29T07:14:00.003-05:00

When I am pregnant, I crave Taco Bell Baja Chalupas. That sauce just always calls to me during those times for some reason.

So this last time, I was determined in those early craving days not to single-handedly support Taco Bell's operation especially since eating out is not frugal. So I made my own Baja sauce, I looked the idea up online and then worked at a version I didn't have to buy fresh produce for, I think it turned out well. (My hubby finds it especially good on turkey sandwiches.)

I forgot until just now that I have to make up some more that I didn't post it.

Baja Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise
1 T vinegar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp onion flakes
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cumin

Mix together and chill in fridge for several hours before use to let the flavors penetrate.

(I think I might actually try sour cream here instead of mayo, but it wouldn't be as long keeping in the fridge if I did it this way. So only if I am going to use it in large quantities quickly would I try it. I like that the mayo version though since it lasts as long as mayo.)

Fake Silk Screening/ Free Dress Refashion

2010-03-24T07:35:00.008-05:00

The other day, I got an itch to shop which is unusual. I have no money this month for frivolous things, so I went to the thrift store with the free rack. I used only the coins in my purse and car to buy anything (a total of less than $4.) and limited myself to the free rack after that.

For $2.45, I got my husband a pair of jeans, one almost new cloth diaper (I'm sure it was used only for a burp rag), two wool sweaters (off the men's 10cent sale rack), a black ribbon and a dress with some fabric I plan to refashion that is so ugly it shouldn't deserve to exist. This would have actually upped my price to $3.45 now that I think about it, but that's not what I was charged. The two old ladies exclaimed (literally) over the beauty of the dress material when I left my pile with them to be counted while I went to the free rack. I think they felt sorry for me that I was actually going to dispense money for the 70's horrible paisley silk thing, that they decided it should have been on the free rack and let me have it despite its "beauty."

The free rack gave me 5 white pillowcases, one shirt and one dress that is actually wearable as is, which was a pleasant surprise after trying them on at home, a prom dress for making a dress up dress

and several refashioning/use for fabric items.

Here is free item number one:

It fit, but ugh, plain and washed me out. Since it was linen, I was planning on making cloth napkins, but since it fit, why not try to make a dress I would wear?

I took that black ribbon I bought and some more black ribbon I had at home and outlined the edges of the dress. Then I googled "black vector drawings" to find a paisley pattern to copy (that 70s paisley dress was messing with my mind), but thankfully I found a non-paisley alternative. I used photoshop to print out two of the same patterns, had my hubby help me pin the papers behind the dress where I wanted them to be as I had the dress on. Then I used my auction light box (although a sunny window would have worked) to light the pattern from behind, then I used my different sized black sharpie markers to trace the pattern onto my dress.

And there you have it. My neckline is wonky, since I'm a sewing failure, but livable enough that I would still wear it out.

Belt Refashion

2010-03-23T07:28:00.003-05:00

So I saw this really cool belt that would fit an outfit I intend to refashion at home, but it was meant for a woman 3 times my size. No problem for a quarter!

I cut the seam that was holding the end of the belt to the buckle and pulled it through til it was the size I wanted.

Then I sewed it along the edge as close to the buckle as possible. Obviously, without the specialized machine they use, you will see the seam, but I'm ok with that. I got it as close as possible and tried to stay straight (I'm so bad at that, I almost did it) and cut off the excess.

Now the 2X belt is a size M.

Free Random Picking Software and Book Winner

2010-03-22T09:49:00.000-05:00

If you need to pick something at random, or put a list in random order, I use this free software called "The Hat." Now, if you have a blog giveway, like I did, this makes it totally fair by randomly picking one name. Or what if you want to shuffle an entire list? Let's say you have several children and you need to decide who cleans toilets which week. You can type in each name and shuffle the names and then you didn't decide what order they have to go in, the hat did. Or you have the option of importing names from a file. So lets say you want to encourage your kiddos to do something in order to win a prize. So if they wash the car, you can import your reward list from where you saved it, the kid can press the hat button and out pops either "Get $5" or "Choose a movie to watch" etc.

But that does require typing (If you are going to use the list again, save it).

If the list will never be used again, you could easily take a count of how many comments you have on a particular blog post (just look on your dashboard) and go to random.org, change the number parameters and whatever number it generates, is the winner.

Using Random.org, the winner of The Country House Courtship is WENDY.

Giveaway Day! - Free Book - Country House Courtship

2010-03-19T07:03:00.004-05:00

Linore Burkard’s fans devoured her first two Regency novels Before the Season Ends and The House in Grosvenor Square. Now, as her third novel opens, the year is 1818 and Miss Beatrice Forsythe is determined to marry well. After all, her sister, Ariana, married The Paragon, Mr. Phillip Mornay, five years earlier--which all but guarantees that she, Beatrice, can also make a famous match to a wealthy man.

But her sister and husband have disappeared from high society as they raise a family at their country estate. Can Beatrice persuade them to chaperone her in London? And what about Beatrice's business with the curate, Mr. O’Brien, whom she rashly promised to marry years earlier. At seventeen now, she has no wish to marry a mere clergyman—despite his agreeable countenance and gentle, understanding ways.

When Mr. Tristan Barton becomes the tenant of the Manor House, Beatrice's hopes seem to have found their object. But when Ariana falls gravely ill, secrets come to light, motives are revealed, and the pretenses that are easy to keep up in the darkness begin to crumble. Hearts are bared, truths uncovered, and when all is said and done, a country house courtship like no other has occurred!

CONTEST IS CLOSED

I have attained two copies of this book, and since I received them for free, I need to give them away!

One goes to my church library and one goes to a lucky commenter!

Rule: Leave a comment with your email address (Put it in a form like this: "me AT here DOT com", so the spam robots won't get you) or some other way to contact you and I'll send it to you if you win. I will randomly pick one come Monday and will post the winner some time that afternoon.

My one request is that you only sign up if you want to read it or know someone who would. Reselling a free book without wanting to read it when others do, lame. Only your integrity will determine if my requirement is fulfilled.

Now, regifting a free book? Frugalness!

Feel free to invite others to come see the blog and sign up.

Reader Spotlight - 9 year old making doer

2010-03-18T09:03:00.004-05:00

I had a lovely little email asking me if I would be interested in spotlighting a young lady's work/blog. Emily, the blog author of Super Stitches, made this decorated picture frame that she posted this morning.

Do you have a kiddo that's crafty or wants to blog? Check out Super Stitches' project on making rings with pipe cleaners or an easy sock doll tutorial. Maybe your crafty kid/beginning sewer might want to look her up and they could follow each other and share all their crafty stuff (Emily even did a giveaway, how fun would that have been as a kid? Sharing crafty ideas across the country? Bet I would have been better at that then those pen pals I tried to keep in contact with in elementary school.)

Reusable Worksheets

2010-03-16T07:05:00.005-05:00

Thanks to a frugal commenter on my post on tracing worksheets, I now have a reusable workbook!

Just slide your workbook pages inside page protectors and use a dry erase marker. A rag will wipe it off right away. I left marker on it for several days and a rag no longer worked, but it came off nicely with just a little rubbing alcohol.

I'll just keep a folder of these worksheets and switch them out anytime she gets bored with the ones in her current folder. This also could work for a homeschool consumable workbook that you want to use for more than one child.

Since she now wants to do letters and numbers, here are some more sites for free printables. The last site lets you make a worksheet with whatever words you want. I used it to print out her name for her to trace.

http://www.printactivities.com/index.html
http://www.first-school.ws/preschool/printable-activities/index.htm
http://www.handwritingworksheets.com/

Rag Curlers

2010-03-15T07:40:00.004-05:00

My little girl wants curls everyday now. When I was little, when I stayed at Grandma's, we always put in rag curlers and slept on them.

So, I took a knit sweater (We used to use flat cotton material, but the thicker and spongier the material the better, keeps your hair from being really tight at the ends) and cut it into pretty thick 3 inch strips.

When you start the hair on the middle of the strip, be careful to get the end of the hair tucked around nicely and not off to the side otherwise you'll have a kink instead of a curl at the end.

For this day, she wore the curlers from 9 am through her nap and took them out at 5pm for church. She's modeling her curls. She's proud of them.

Wowser Wednesday - Mother Daughter Aprons from Thrifted Skirts

2010-03-10T07:27:00.003-06:00

Donna form Homemaking Made Easy shared a cool idea.

Mother's Day is just 2 months away, keep your eyes peeled at the thrift stores for skirts that could serve as the base for matching aprons. Or pull one a skirt out of the fabric scrap pile and trim away.

Saving Tips for the Dryer

2010-03-08T08:23:00.002-06:00

If you've read my blog, you know that I line dry and advocate line drying, but I do use my dryer on occasion (like when it rains all week and the house is cold and humid making it take twice as long to dry and you need something, now!)

I'm guilty of just shoving clothes in the dryer without thinking, but here are a few tips on how to use less of your energy dollars when you use the dryer.

I always shake my clothes before I line dry them, but did you know if you do that for the dryer not only will they be less wrinkled, but they take less time to dry? How did this fact escape me?
Save up your several loads of laundry to dry and dry the lighter fabrics first, as soon as they are done, use that residual heat to dry the heavy fabric loads quicker by tossing them in right away.
If your machine has a humidity detector, use that, but I was told by an appliance man that unless you have a really expensive machine, that humidity detector isn't the best. Check your laundry periodically through the cycle for awhile to get a feel for how quickly your machine dries the load, if your humidity sensor seems to be good, fine. If not, start using the timer set at the time your machine dries certain fabric weights.
Always empty the lint catcher, makes your dryer work more efficiently and less chance of burning down your house. Seriously, the few seconds saved by not pulling out lint will not be worth it if you loose your possessions in a fire.
Also, regularly check the vent from the back of your dryer to the outdoors. Same reasoning as above.
If your clothes feel really heavy with water out of the washer, put them back in for a spin. Spinning your washer takes less energy than extra time in your dryer.
Do not overload your dryer; do not underload your dryer. Both are electricity wasters.

Make Adjustable Jeans

2010-03-05T06:37:00.000-06:00

Does your kiddo have problems keeping his/her pants up? Julie K has a tutorial on converting your child's pants to adjustable pants.

Wowser Wednesday -Newspaper Seed Pots

2010-03-03T08:26:00.002-06:00

If you are thinking about your garden and have heard of making your own seed pots from newspaper, but would like a tutorial, visit the Beginning Farmer's Wife.

Reader Suggestion Friday - Old Clothing for Embellishment

2010-02-26T07:41:00.001-06:00

Shona at An Artful Life, sent in a suggestion on using stained/old clothing for clothing embellishment - tutorial for fish patch here.

Lots of cute things you could do with this. Patches for holes in jeans, or cutting one stained item as a patch to cover up a stain on another item. Flowers, hearts, fish, etc.

HEY! If you've done this, I think it would be cool if you sent the photo to me and I'll make a post on all the cute patches we've done. I know I have one I could share! If I get enough people, I'll display our work in a post next week.

Pants to Shorts

2010-02-25T07:22:00.005-06:00

My girl REFUSES to wear pants. Dresses only. So, I have some hand me down pants that are idle and my girl is tumbling about showing her panties to the world. So why not cut them down and make them "bloomers"? I'm sure you could make fancy elasticized bloomers, but I don't sew well enough, so here are simple undershorts for girls that like to tumble for the sewing impaired.

Take some cotton stretchy pants and capris. (Good for stained knees.) Grab a pair of shorts for the same size kiddo as you want to make your shorts.

Line up the crotches so that your length will be what you want and cut them off.

Then zigzag sew around the bottom cut off (If you pull on the fabric as you sew, like I did the purple one, the more scalloped/ruffled the edge becomes). And now I have new no-show the underwear bloomers.

And then she tried them out for us:

Wowser Wednesday - Fabric Shade Mini Blinds and Masking Tape Wallpaper

2010-02-24T07:03:00.005-06:00

Jenny at the Little Green Notebook, shared a tutorial on how she changed a set of mini-blinds into a pair of fabric shades. Beautiful way to cover up those blinds that are yellowing with age.

I started browsing her DIY tags and saw her post on masking tape geometric temporary wallpaper. Is that not cool or what?

If you're big into house decorating, check out her DIY tagged posts. Some neat stuff.