Are you a Rebel??

Are you rebellious, and can being a rebel save you money?? Yes, and yes are my answers. So, what makes me rebellious you might ask, pretty much anything that is not "the norm".  For me that would be living without a checking account, having five children, homeschooling my five children, living frugally, and the list goes on. 

So, does living a Rebellious life save you money?  It does for my family.  By not thinking about what others are going to say or think about the way we live, has helped us tremendously.  We are surrounded everyday by people who shop at the most expensive stores, drive the nicest cars, and spend tons of money on groceries every week, but does all of that make them happy? 

I don't think it does.  It may make them feel good for a minute or two, but not truly happy.  Do those people know that I buy my clothes at thrift shops and I use tons of coupons, no they don't.  Regardless of what some people may think, you can not tell if someone is thrifty, just by looking at them.  Frugal and Cheap are two different things, and I like to go with thrifty!!
 
Does living a thrifty and frugal life make me happy, yes it does.  It feels so good to know that what I have in my house is mine, and I did not spend a fortune on it.  I like the fact that I can use the 50% I save on my groceries every week to pay for extra activities for my children.  Seeing my family happy makes me happy.

What about you all, does living like a "rebel" make you happy??

photo source: dspruitt

Spring Cleaning!!

Well, with Spring right around the corner, you know what that means. It means it is time to start cleaning!! That is right, you know what I am talking about, the "dreaded" spring cleaning!!

I say dreaded, but I think I kind of look forward to it. This year I am going to focus on clearing out!! We have had a few changes in our lives recently and it has made me realize that sometimes less is better!!

At our house, there are certain things that we have to keep, for instance, clothes. I keep sizes that older children have outgrown for the younger ones. They are usually only a size or two off, but you still have to store them somewhere. In our case the attic is where we keep it.

There are however, tons of things that we can, and will, be parting with. I plan to start at one end of the house and work my way through the entire thing!! I know some of you guys probably think I am crazy, but I just know I will feel so much better once this is done!!!

Along with cleaning our belongings, I am also trying to clean up the way that we eat. I have been reading a lot lately about clean eating, and am very interested. I am slowly but surly changing the way we shop and cook. Trying to figure out how to do it on a budget, seems like it will be the most challenging part, but I am up for a challenge.

So, what are you all doing to prepare for the spring time? Do you have any special routines that you do? If so, please leave a comment and share with everyone.

photo source: lusi

Dollar Tree Homeschool Supplies!!

I love taking a walk through the Dollar Tree to see what I can find. Recently I was in looking around, and found some of the neatest stuff. I guess it is their spring items, but they have the huge magnifying glass with bug tweezers. They have bug catching kits, butterfly nets, and containers. There are tons of projects that you could incorporate into your homeschool plans with these items!!

I was super excited, because things don't last very long around our house. There are several children who get joy out of destructing anything they can get their hands on!! However disturbing that may sound, that is how it is!!

For $1.00 I can afford to grab several and keep the extra on hand for when one is broken!!

So, the next time you are out and about, swing into the Dollar Tree and stock up on your spring time school items!!

Matching Spring Dresses!!

I found another project to use up some of the fabric that I had in my box. I made matching dresses for the two youngest girls. I think they turned out well. I bought the blue fabric from Walmart a while back, and the yellow material came from a shirt I repurposed.

I did not use a pattern, I know you are surprised (haha). I sewed the material into a tube. made a casing at the top and threaded my elastic. I made a hem at the bottom and attached the ruffle. I then added my straps. Just that simple.

I am linking to these great parties.

Sweater into pillow cover!!

I have had this cute sweater in my refashion bin for a while. It is so soft and comfortable, but has become a little too short. So, I decided to make it a sweater. I have seen several of these around in bloggy land, so I gave it a try.

First I placed the sweater on the floor, and shoved my pillow inside to make sure it would fit. Next I took out the pillow and turned the sweater inside out.

I then cut off the sleeves and hood and sewed the bottom and arm holes together.

Next, I turned it right side out through the neck, and inserted my pillow. I sewed up the neck, and that was it.

It took about ten minutes to give my ugly old pillow new life!!

I am linking to these great parties!!

Another super easy skirt!!

I went through my fabric box the other day in an effort to clean it out. I found fabric in there that, I am embarrassed to say, I forgot I had. I want to use us what I have, so I do not feel so guilty about buying more, so I made a list of projects.

This was on the list, I had a piece of this fabric, big enough to make a skirt. It is so simple, I did not use a pattern, or even measure.

I folded over the top and ironed it down. I then did the same to the bottom. Next I added a hem to both the top and bottom. I then placed right sides together and sewed up the side, giving me a tube.

I had some big black elastic, that I thought would look good at the top of the skirt, so I wrapped it around me to see how much I needed, and made my cut. Next I sewed the elastic together and pinned it to the top of the skirt. The elastic gathered the top of the skirt for me.

It was so easy and fast, and a great way to use up a cute piece of extra fabric. I usually make things for my children, so it was fun to make something for me.

I am linking to these great parties!!

Soda bottles into planters!!

I am so excited, it is time to start some seedlings!! I love to garden, and it is time to start seedlings here. However, I always run into the problem of not having enough planters without buying them.

Well, not this year. I saw a really neat article in the Disney Family Fun magazine that used soda bottles for planters, so I decided I would give it a try.

I saved up a few and cut them in half. Then I turned the top of the bottle over and placed it in the bottom. I placed some dirt in, and my seeds.

Then you fill the bottom with water, and the idea is that it will water itself. It looks really cute, and we will see how well it works. I have also seen egg cartons used for this purpose.

Do you have creative ideas for planter to start your seeds in?

While we were outside doing our seed planting, my almost three year old discovered lizards, and this is her holding one for the very first time!!

I am linking to these great parties!!

So you need a goodie bag??

Okay, lets face it, we all need goodie bags throughout the year. It may be for sports, birthday parties, holidays, or any other occasion. So, how do you fill them without breaking the budget?

Stock up on supplies at the after Valentine's day sale!! There is tons of candy on sale right now, and little goodies like bubbles and small toys. If you look for the kind that does not have hearts all over it, you can use them throughout the year.

For 50% or more off of the original price, you can make tons for goodie bags for only pennies each. So, make sure you keep that in mind as you are strolling the clearance aisle.

Holy Pants No More!!

Do you have holy pants??  We usually end up with a lot of theme here.  So, for the latest refashion I took these cute little jeans, that had holes all in the knees and chopped them off. I then made it into a skirt. There are tons of tutorials in bloggy land about that, so I won't bore you.

Then I took some pink fabric that I found in my scrap bin and made a small ruffle and a large ruffle. I also made a ruffle out of tulle. I placed the large pink fabric ruffle on the bottom, the tulle ruffle, and then the small pink ruffle at the top.

I love the way it turned out, and my daughter does too (it is pink after all). This was super simple, and really fast. I love finding new ways to use items. These pants were adorable with the embroidered butterflies, so I just could not stand to throw them out.

Front

Back

I am linking to these great parties!!

Why you should shop the clearance sales!!

Okay, I know everyone has seen those people, you know the ones who are there the day after the holiday filling up their cart, THAT WOULD BE ME!! I must admit, I am an after holiday sale shopper. I can not help it, what better way to prepare for next year??

We have five children in our house, so you can imagine how expensive it can be to get everyone something for Valentine's Day, Easter, you get the picture. By shopping at the "after" sale, I am able to stock up on all of the goodies I need, for at least 50% off.

The longer you wait after the sale, the more picked over things seem to be, but they will be cheaper. I like to go the day after the holiday, I went today, and get first pick.

I have found this to be a GREAT money saving strategy in our house. However, there is one important tip that you should know, don't forget what you bought. If you need to, make a list and keep it in your home management binder.

What is you favorite way to save money on holiday expenses?
photo source: Thoursie

Clearance dress refashion!!

A few months back I found this dress on clearance at Walmart. It was a size XS and I thought it had potential. So, I brought it home, and let it sit for a while, actually I forgot about it.

So, when I found it the other day, I was super excited. I decided to add a rosette, with a ruffle around it. Then I took this shrug that I made a really long time ago, and added it to the dress.

I think it is so cute, and my daughter loves it, it is for her!! So there you have it, a $3.00 dress refashion, fit for a "diva" haha (she acts like a diva sometimes)!!

I am linking to these great parties.

Skirt from Upcycled T-shirts!!

I saw this really cute skirt made from t-shirts the other day in bloggy land, so I decided I would try to make one. I have tons and tons of t-shirts, that are very worn, and some have stains and spots. Instead of throwing them out, this seemed like a much better option.

I started out with 4 t-shirts, but ended up adding two more. I used an old gray t-shirt as the base for the skirt. I cut it under the arms. Then I cut the other shirts into strips. I ruffled them, and placed them on the shirt.

Once I found an arrangement that I liked, I pinned them on and started sewing. Once I was done, I added the elastic at the top, and that was it.

My daughter loves it, and I think it is cute. I am linking to these great parties.

Super Easy Sparkly Scarf!!

The past two days I have been up to my eyes in scarves. My daughter is on a competition cheerleading squad, and their first competition was a couple of weeks ago. At the competition, I noticed a squad that had scarves that matched their colors.

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you probably know what went through my head, "I can do that". So, for the past two days I have been making scarves for the entire squad and some of the moms.

They are super simple. I picked out three fabrics, one is blue with sparkles, one is plain black, and one is plain blue.

I cut strips of fabric that were 5 inches wide and 45 inches long. Once they were cut, I placed them on top of each other and ran a stitch down the middle, and back up the middle. I do not want them to fall apart.

With that done, next I cut slits in the fabric about every two inches or so. I did not cut through all three layers at the same time. I staggered the cuts to give it a more full look.

I have to say, I think they look pretty good, and the girls love them. What little girl doesn't like sparkles, right?

I am linking to these great parties.

The top 5 reasons to stay organzied in the kitchen!!

Staying organized has many benefits, but today I want to share with you my top five reasons for staying organized in the kitchen.

#1  It saves you MONEY!!  That is right, when you are organized, you actually know what you have.  This prevents you from buying duplicates, which saves you money.

#2  It makes meal planning easier!!  By knowing what ingredients you have on hand, it is much easier to prepare a meal plan. 

#3 It makes it easier for the kids to help in the kitchen.  If your children have chores in the kitchen, I am sure you know how frustrating it can be when they do not know where to put something.  If everything has a place/home, it will be easier for them to do their chores, because they will know where items should go every time.

#4  It saves your sanity.  Nothing is worse then being in a hurry with 100 things to do, and not being able to find the one last ingredient that you need for your dinner recipe. 

#5  Speedy clean up when company arrives!!  Do you every have unexpected visitors?  Well, having an organized kitchen can make for a quick clean up job when that happens.

So, there you have it, my top five reasons for staying organized in the kitchen.  What are your favorite reasons to stay organized in the kitchen?

photo source: theswedish

Super Simple Cinch Sack!!

I was super excited with this project. I had some left over fabric form my $3.00 chair transformation, so I decided to try a cinch sack. This is the first time I have made a cinch sack, and was a little nervous, especially about the straps.

All in all, it was really easy. Mine is a little too long, I could have made it a couple of inches shorter, but it works. I also lined the inside and added a pocket on the inside. Those are also firsts for me.

I will be posting a tutorial soon. I am linking to these great parties.

Trash or Teaching Aid??

When you look at this picture, what do you see?

Is it just a pile of trash, caps that need to be recycled, or is it a super frugal teaching aid??  If you guessed the second choice, you are right.  This is not just a pile of discarded drink caps, this is a pile of math and color manipulative's for my preschooler and kindergartner.

**NOTE:  Your child should be old enough to not place these in their mouth!!  I do not want anyone choking on me!!**  I am pretty sure most of you knew that, but I just had to add it in!!

These are great for learning colors and numbers.  I can ask my child to get 2 green, and see if she knows the color and the number.  I was shocked when we first started homeschooling at the price of everything, math manipulative's are Expensive when you buy them at an Education store.  They do not HAVE to be expensive if you use what you have in a creative way. 

Okay, so there is my frugal homeschool tip of the day, do you have one to share.  I always love learning new ways to save money, especially on homeschooling, we have five children after all!!