Thursday, February 25, 2010

Top 3 & Do You Freecycle?




It's time for:




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This blog carnival is truly as easy as it sounds...

Each week, The (Un)Experienced Mom will pick a category, then ask you to share your Top 3 thoughts on it. We hope you'll play along with us!

This week, we want to know...


What are the Top 3 reasons why you blog?


When I started blogging at the end of January, it was to blog about ways to save money. Since then, it has become slightly more crafty and home décor oriented while maintaining the thrifty vibe.

#3) I feel a deep sense of community with my fellow bloggers. I get to “talk” with so many others day to day and share experiences. . I make it a mission to “talk” to as many as I can each day.

#2) I get to keep in touch with my family and friends. All of my family and friends live out of state. I also share with my co-workers. I live quite a distance from them and this way they get to see what I have been working on in my spare time. They get to find out what's going on in my day to day life.

And my top reason for blogging is...

#1) An Outlet. I love to craft and repurpose items that are unwanted by others. I love to freecycle, frequent thrift shops, and peruse Craigslist for unwanted items that would make great pieces when refurbished. This way I get to document what I am doing and share with others.


What are your Top 3 reasons for blogging?
Note Have Fun!!



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Do you Freecycle?




The Freecycle Network™ is a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping good stuff out of landfills. The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,885 groups with 7,017,000 members across the globe.




Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer and membership is free.




Their mission is to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community.




To see where your group is, go to: their website.


Most groups are on Yahoo Groups, however as I looked over the site, I see some that list on the Freecycle.org site. There were even listings in Canada and the UK!




After joining your local group, you may post a message of a needed item or items tha you want to give, send an email to your local group's yahoo address or click on "messages" at the local Freecycle group web site. You can find your local group by clicking here and locating your group according to the region where you live. You may sign up to more than one group if you are around several towns. You also respond to posts if you want an item someone is givivg away.




What can you get? Anything that someone no longer wants. There are posts for clothing, cell phones, boxes, you name it!


I have personally gotten a TV nursery monitor, clothing, furniture, etc.




Run and enter the giveaway at The Undomestic Momma!





Frugal Meals: 4-Step Chicken


4-Step Chicken




Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian


Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 15 min Level: Easy


Serves: 4 servings


Ingredients


3 large chicken cutlets, sliced into thin paillards (slice while partially frozen)


Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


1/2 cup all-purpose flour


3 tablespoons vegetable oil


1 medium sweet onion, sliced


1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced


1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and julienned


2 tablespoons tomato paste


1/2 cup white wine


1/2 cup beef broth


1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes


1/2 tablespoon butter


Directions


Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste, and lightly dredge in flour. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and add the chicken. Brown on both sides, until nicely golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. In the same pan, add more oil, if needed, along with the onion, mushrooms and peppers and saute until softened and fragrant, but not limp, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomato paste and cook a few minutes to cook out the raw flavor. Turn up the heat, and add the wine/wine to deglaze the pan and let it reduce for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the beef broth and tomatoes. Once the mixture begins to bubble, add the browned paillards and any juices from the chicken and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the chicken is warmed through, about 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and stir in the butter. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Beautiful Bloggers


For this Wednesday post I wanted to feature some fabulous bloggers and their tutorials.




Anyone that has been following my blog knows how in love I am with glass crafts. I showed you my server/cake stands here.


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Well, How Does She has a FABULOUS new one that I MUST do this weekend! This is one cute cupcake stand!


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You will need:
1 Large (serving plate)
1 Medium (dinner plate)
1 Small (dessert plate)
3 Sunday/Parfait Cups
Flip One Sundae cup over and place the largest plate on top.
Easy! I know the Sundae/Parfait cups are available at Dollar Tree, so this can be made inexpensively.





Another great tutorial at How Does She is this amazing Floating Frame Tutorial.



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This Family Floating Frame is beautiful to display, unique, and easy to make! I have one I bought and it isn't as cute as this! I will be taking mine apart and re-doing.




Step over to How Does She and see all the great tutorials.





One of my favorite bloggers is Kathy at Creative Home Expressions.
If you are not familiar with her and her site, it is a must see!

Creative Home Expressions.


One of my favorite posts at this site is a Blog Project binder.
How great is this? There are so many projects I want to save.




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Saving too many favorites and too many files is harmful to your computer. This is a must for my house.


Kathy also made an ottoman IN AN AFTERNOON!



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How awesome is this? She was SNOWED IN and created a MASTERPIECE! I could go on all day! Go check her site out and aee for yourself!!


Many of these projects can be fit in to an afternoon or a weekend. Go make something today.

It's Post-It Note Tuesday!






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Monday, February 22, 2010

Award & Fabulous Finds

I'm so excited that I just been bestowed my SECOND SUNSHINE AWARD! To be featured with some fantastic bloggers like this is just great!

I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Jessica, Improbable Housewife .


Isn't it Pretty?

and now I must pass it on too

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The rules for accepting the Sunshine Award are as follows… 1. Put the logo in my post or within my blog. 2. Pass the award onto 12 fellow bloggers. 3. Link the nominees within my post. 4. Let the nominees know they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blogs. 5. Share the love and link to the person who gave you the award!

Now, I get to pass this award on to 12 bloggers who bring a little sunshine to my day!

Here’s my sunshine award nominees







Remodelaholic

A Lemon Squeezy Home

Cookin’ Lean Like Paula Deen

Embellished Bayou

jam*n*jilly

Jimmy Choos & a Baby Too

Lanie J. and Co.

Posy Pocket

Sew Chic and Unique

Sneaker Teacher

Someday Crafts

The Seasoned Homemaker

I hope this inpires all of you to go see these fabulous blogs!




Fabulous Finds



I love the lines of old furniture and to take it and change it to make it mine and unique. The process can be quite simple, depending on your piece, yet provide you something that will be admired and treasured. No one else will have YOUR piece.

Often it simply takes a light sanding to rough up the surface, then one-two light sprays of a quality primer, followed by light sprays of the color of your choosing, building until you reach the desired finish. Complete the process with a spray of polyurethane.

One of my projects,
this chair, went from drab to fab, by simply following this process and changing the fabric on the seat. This chair was purchased for $10. We spent $10 on HIGH QUALITY spray primer and spray paint. You can spend less on the paint but may not get the finish that is the best. We also purchased high quality upholstery fabric from Calico Corners. We paid $10 for a yard of fabric. We only needed a very small piece and have quite a bit leftover for throw pillows. So, for less than $30, we have a showpiece.

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Where do you find these great pieces? With patience and frequent trips to Goodwill, Salvation Army, other thrift stores or Craigslist and Freecycle.

To show you how great these items can be, I went on Craigslist today to show you what you can find.

Here is a fabulous
9 drawer dresser for $50!
This is a great deal! It has great lines and I would not be afraid to use it outside the bedroom. I would love this in my living room, near the front door with two lamps and a display of some sort. I would seperate the mmirror from the dresser. The mirror could also be used outside the bedroom with a little updating.

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Here is a great chair
that would not only provide additional seating, but would be a great decorator item, once completed. The chair is only $39.

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This shelf unit would be great in any room!
It would be useful to display items and provide additional storage. It comes with the tv for $150.

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And last, but not least, this dresser is beautiful!
Again, it had beautiful lines and would be a great addition to a home. The dresser is $99.

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Remember, a lot of people will negotiate. I purchased two chairs that had $25 marked for each. I asked the manager to make a deal and she said 2 for $30 and there is a $5 off coupon at the register! A great deal! I cannot wait to finish this project.

If you are afraid to embark on the adventure of refinishing, as many have disclosed to me, start small. Purchase one, inexpensive item with clean, simple, straight lines. Gently rough up the surface by sanding. Apply thin even coats of primer, followed by a quality spray paint, followed by a quality polyurethane. Always thin, even coats so that there are no runs. I was not out much money, and it turned into a fabulous chair with rave reviews.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Money Pit


I have a money pit.




I think everyone has one.




Mine is my husbands doing.




He has a saltwater fish tank.




The tank did fine in the beginning and looked fantastic.




Somewhere along the line his tank got red and green algae.




So, for about three years now, it has looked like crap with all the algae, has 1 fish, and he keeps sinking money into it.




Every couple weeks we pick up water for the tank. Special Water. This special water costs about $25 for (3) 5 gallon jugs.




So, let’s say he only picks up these 3 jugs once a month (although, I think it is a little more frequent than that). That is $300 a year!




Not to mention all the crap he has been buying for 3 years to try and make it go away, all the money he has sunk into the old fish and new fish only to die, etc.










If you have a Money Pit, tell me what yours is.

3 Favorites & An Award

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This blog carnival is truly as easy as it sounds...

Each week, The (Un)Experienced Mom and I will pick a category, then ask you to share your Top 3 thoughts on it. We hope you'll play along with us!

This week, we want to know...

What are your Top 3 favorite TV shows?

1) Criminal Minds:
2) Big Bang Theory (for comic relief)
3) American Idol

I'm so excited that i just received my first award, THE SUNSHINE AWARD! To be featured with some fantastic bloggers like this is just great!

I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Lottie, Kaffeine Addict.


Isn't it Pretty?

and now I must pass it on too

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The rules for accepting the Sunshine Award are as follows… 1. Put the logo in my post or within my blog. 2. Pass the award onto 12 fellow bloggers. 3. Link the nominees within my post. 4. Let the nominees know they have received this award by leaving a comment on their blogs. 5. Share the love and link to the person who gave you the award!

Now, I get to pass this award on to 12 bloggers who bring a little sunshine to my day!

Here’s my sunshine award nominees



Mama is on The Potty

Life As Lori

Adventures of WannaBe SupahMommy

Hope Studios

Bee Wise Bags

In My Own Style

The Transient Pod

A New Normal

Trendy Treehouse

Mommywood

Rachel's Ramblings

Frugal Fabulous Finds

I hope this inpires all of you to go see these fabulous blogs!



Happy Sunshine Award Day!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Check These Out!

The Trendy Treehouse
Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Saving Money & The Environment


This weekend we made a couple of purchases that fall in line with my Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose or Saving Money philosophy. I wanted to pass these finds along because they are great for use and I am hoping you will love them too!




The first is The Mr. Coffee Café Frappe Machine. I am ADDICTED to any frappe, frappucino, frozen sugary concoction. I had seen that it was to come out but hadn’t been available yet and I’d forgotten all about it. Happened to be at Target and it was on SALE! These drinks cost $4 and up at Starbucks & McDonalds!
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1 a day @ $4 = $28 a week!

Or $1456 a year!!!!

And I do not even want to know how many calories I have been consuming with those!

The machine comes with a cookbook and I did purchase the ingredients, however, I was able to find sugar free in all the sugary type ingredients!

My second (and to me FABULOUS) purchase was a reusable coffee cup. It is so cute, isn’t it? I got mine at Kohl's, although I am sure they are available almost anywhere.
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I just love both items and if you love frappe’s like I do, you can save money and calories! The cup will save money and the environment!

Special Note: I am preparing for my son and his girlfriends baby shower. Can anyone tell me how to go about making the cute cupcake toppers and the candy labels, etc? Any help is appreciated!!

Supahmommy Post-It-Note Tuesday






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Monday, February 15, 2010

Our Weekend of Projects!

Our weekend has been quite busy. Initially, we had taken Friday off work to run errands and clean the garage. Well, the garage plans were off because it rained ALL DAY. We ran the errands we could and we S.H.O.P.P.E.D till we dropped.


We do not exchange gifts for occasions, such as Valentine's Day. We spend time together and get what we want. Hubby wanted a welder and Harbor Freight had a great one on sale.

Guess what I got!!!!!!




Did anyone see my wishlist on the left?



I got a Cricut Expression!

However, I have only opened it. Upon investigating the Cricut forum, I discovered that you MUST know what you are doing. It doesn't "just do it". So, I am now scared I will cut my mat. If anyone has used a Cricut Expression, I would appreciate input greatly.

We also, did A LOT of Goodwill shopping. I bought:

A rocking chair and ottoman. The wood is in great shape, but, we will need to replace the fabric.

a great chair to redo

a table to redo and make a lego table

lots of toys for my grandson

more candle sticks and platters

I know I am forgetting something...


Our projects this weekend were cake plates and candle holders. While at the thrift shops, Goodwill and Salvation Army, I am always on the lookout for candle sticks and platters/plates to attach to each other. Here are a few from this weekend.



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Here is the top of this one:
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Here is the top of this one:

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And the top of this one:
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And the candle holders we made: (Can you believe these cost $2 to make!)


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Another angle:


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And the other:

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and the other angle:
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There is another fantastic project that I will post once I get the final shot! I can't wait to show you!!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Sleep

I get very little sleep.

Between 3-5 hours.

I know the biggest reason for this is how much I cram into a day. The other reason is because women are worriers.



It is what we do.

It is who we are.



We try to go to bed but our head is filled with the thoughts of:

Did I do this…Did I do that…
Would it have been better if I had done it this way?

My day, like I said, is crammed full of “stuff”.
I get up at 4 a.m. and …
Do the bathroom routine
Make lunches for hubby and I
Fill the dogs water bowls
Quickly check e-mail
Quickly do roll call for SITS
Start blog post
Leave a note for my son for whatever I may need for the day
If I did not iron the night before, I have to iron now. I try not to wear things that need ironing.
Get clothes for hubby and I out and ready, if not done the night before
Do my best to get hubby up on time. He does not like to get up and this is a fight every morning.
Is that it? I am sure I am missing something…
Commute to work 1 hr & 15 minutes
Attempt to catch up on sleep in the car (hubby drives both ways. He is a doll.)
Work 7:30 to 4:30
Work on blog post at lunch
Check in with SITS blogs at lunch
Commute back home 1 hr & 15 minutes
Attempt to catch up on reading in the car, review grocery ads for shopping list, etc.
Can you imagine if I had the doo-dad on a laptop that would allow me to use in a car?????
Get home
Change clothes
Do laundry
Make dinner or hope and pray one of the kids did
Eat dinner as a family
Clean up (or again, hope and pray one of the kids do it)
Laundry
Try to spend time with the kids catching up, catch up on TV shows we love (not just like), play WII together
Love on my grandbaby, Evan, the light and joy of my life
Get ready for bed routine.
Bed at 10-11 p.m. (hubby watches more tv. Swears he needs it to fall asleep. I swear it is why he is not rested in the AM and does not want to get up)




Rinse and Repeat every weekday

Here’s Hoping For Sleep!
Monday, February 8, 2010

Monday Makeover Madness!

I'm inspired by all of the fabulous projects I'm finding out on the our blogger friend sites! Take a peek at these fabulous projects and hopefully, you too will be inspired. Each are unique and save money to make ourselves!

First, a project by Ronda at Batchelor’s Way: Simple Projects. Ronda was creative and made a candle holder from items she found at the store. She created this for $1 each item.



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Ronda also gives us a wonderfulBeadboard Frame Tutorial. She describes in detail how to make these wonderful frames. This is a must make on my list!

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Our next fabulous project comes from Yolanda at Monkey-See Monkey-Do. She used found jars and vases along with candle holders to create Apothecary Jars.

She includes the how-to’s.

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I hope this inpires all of you to make something great and show off some great bloggers you may not have seen!


Happy Crafting!
For those I featured, please grab my button if you'd like to!
Follow extreme_measure on Twitter
Follow my blog!.
Sunday, February 7, 2010

Saturdays Thrift Store Finds

Saturday we hit our 4 Goodwill stores, a Salvation Army store and another charity thrift shop.
Woo-Hoo!!! I feel like I hit the jackpot! What do you all think?

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There are 2!
I feel like these are going to be beauties when I am done! They were marked $25 each. The caning is coming out and would need replacing and the stain shows it's wear. Do I need to mention the color?
The manager was walking by and I asked if she would negotiate. She said "How about $30 for both and there is a coupon up front for $5 off $20?"
LOVE IT!
I know I saw someone who had shown a redo of this on their blog and now I cannot find it!
This is my first furniture redo.
If anyone has suggestions, let me know. I want to pop out the caning and paint the chair black. I will probably do some sort of black material.

And how about this one?

I think this one will be nice also.
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My daughter loves this one so I want to redo it for her.
I will also pop out the caning and paint it black.
We also found a lot of candlesticks and platters to make cake stands. I will post some photos later.
Do you recall the candleholders? I featured from Life as Lori.
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We stopped at the Dollar Tree and purchased the supplies and made these(without the monogram). We also bought the short bowls and made those too! I will post photos soon. It was a great weekend with great deals!