We live debt free on a tight budget and don’t do debt or credit cards (thanks to Dave Ramsey
Frugal Living: Our Top Five Tips for Saving Money with a Baby
Category: frugal
Toddler School: Make an Easy Easter Egg Garland with Your Child
The Bear and I love a good project. This little Easter Egg Garland was a really fun one to create with him, and gave him lots of great fine motor skill practice. Stringing objects is part of his upcoming skills check with our pediatrician’s ages and stages questionnaire, so we’ve been working on it together. I thought making an egg garland would be great practice and give us a festive decoration for our mantle at the same time. He is so proud of his creation, as you can see above. His two year old attention span couldn’t handle making the whole thing in one day, so we worked on it bit by bit over several days.
Two Minute Tiny Turban Headbands for Baby and Toddler Girls {with Tutorial}
Today I’m showing you how to make a super cute tiny turban headband for the little cutie in your life, made from old onesies or t-shirts. These are so simple and quick to make, but I love the way they look and that my daughter’s stained and outgrown clothing can find new life in darling accessories. These require no sewing and can be made in about two minutes, seriously.
Here’s all you need to make these cute headbands:
scissors (sharp for cutting fabric)
old baby t-shirt or onesie with at least a 2 inch stain free strip in the middle
Patterns and stripes are especially cute if they are a similar shade on both sides of the fabric.
Cut a strip out of the middle of the t-shirt or onesie. Knit fabrics are ideal because they are less likely to fray. I like to cut a 2-3 inch strip for each headband, but you can test different widths and see what you like the best.
This is the perfect use for all of those outgrown onesies with stains around the collar, and is so quick and easy. After you cut out your strip, stretch it out using your hands. Then twist it over once, then once more to form the turban style twist shown below. You’re done. See what I mean about super quick and easy? Find a cute baby to wear it and whip out 20 more while you catch up on Downton Abbey.
Isn’t it the cutest on my Pearl Girl?! Another bonus is the headbands are super comfy because they are made from soft, worn in fabric. Here’s another fun idea: make one in your size to match your little one. You can also cut the strip and tie a knot to create another style of headband.
What is your favorite way to upcycle old clothes?
Easy Last Minute Frugal Valentine’s Day Gifts
Do you have a Valentine’s Day gift for your sweetie yet?
Nope, me either.
Our gift budget is tight right now and I am the queen of procrastinators. There are a million things I’d love to buy for Jed, but unfortunately they all cost money. The Cirque du Soleil tickets I’d really love to get him are WAY over our budget. He doesn’t really care about Valentine’s Day, but I want him to feel loved. I’ve rounded up a few fun ideas for last minute Valentine’s Day gifts from blogger friends to share with you with permission from the creators. Feel free to pin this post for the round up but always pin individual projects from their blog of origin through the links below. I hope your Valentine’s Day is filled with love. Check out my frugal date night ideas here for a little more V-day inspiration.
Frugal Friday: Ten Frugal Date Night Ideas {Perfect for Valentine’s Day or Any Day}
With two small children galavanting around our house, date nights are hard to come by. I love dinner and a movie, but sometimes you want a little something different even if you don’t have wiggle room in the budget. Today I’m sharing ten frugal ideas for your next date night (or day) that are cheap or free after polling my girlfriends to get some fresh ideas for our own marriage. These dates would be perfect for your Valentine’s Day celebration or any night you can get away with your sweetie. If you need a frugal babysitting solution so you can afford to go on a date, check out my post on cheap/free babysitting options here. Read on and please share your frugal date night ideas in the comment section.
Frugal Family Fun in DFW: Visiting the Dallas Zoo in the Winter {$5 Admission}
We love the Dallas Zoo all year round, but my favorite time to visit is during Penguin Days in January and February. We are blessed with some gorgeous sunny days during the winter months here in DFW, and our family loves to be outside. The Dallas Zoo offers discounted $5 admission during January and February, and kids 2 and under are always free. The Zoo is open from 9-4 daily except on Christmas Day. Parking is $8 per car, or you can ride the DART Red Line train to the Zoo stop.
Frugal Holiday Guest Post: Spending Less and Giving More with The Three Gifts of Christmas
Today’s guest post is brought to you by author Jamie Younker, a mom of four and contributor to the brand new SmartMom.co. Take it away, Jamie.
Last night the kids and I cozied up together on the couch to watch what is possibly one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, the old cartoon version of Dr. Seuss’s iconic tale- The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. We sat close together, watching in delight as the Whos down in Whoville, the tall and the small, celebrated Christmas without any presents at all. I felt the familiar tug of my heart strings as the narrator recited my favorite part of the story:
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling. How could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
I remember my daughter’s first Christmas like it was yesterday. It was so fun to watch her wrestle with her presents, scratching at the wrapping paper with her chubby little uncoordinated fingers. She seemed to get more enjoyment out of the packaging than she did with whatever was inside. It wasn’t until her presents had all been opened, leaving her shipwrecked in a sea of wrapping paper, that we realized our mistake. We had been so excited to finally have a baby to enjoy Christmas with that we may have gotten a little carried away.
That got us thinking- what do we really want our children take away from the Holidays? Gifts? Toys? Santa? Christmas is so much more than that. It’s about spending time with the people we love. It’s about giving, not receiving. Most importantly it’s about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
No, Christmas certainly does not come from a store. But that’s not what the media would have you believe. So how can we protect our families from the enticing voices of commercialism that seem to be particularly loud this time of year?
I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I will tell you 2 things that have worked for us:
First, we wanted our children to spend less time thinking about gifts and more time thinking about others, so we started doing The 12 Days of Service for people in our community. As the kids have gotten older this has become one of our favorite traditions. Watching our children learn to put the needs of others before their own has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
Secondly, we came up with a plan to make it easier to resist buying unnecessary presents. When the wise men visited the Savior they brought him three gifts- Frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Frankincense was a useful herb with many medicinal purposes. Myrrh was popularly used as a perfume and burned as incense, for enjoyment. And gold was something valuable, something to be treasured.
(Now, before you tell me I’m wrong about these interpretations, please know that I’ve done a lot of research and I know there is much more to these gifts than my simple explanation. I also know that there is a lot of symbolism behind each one. However this is how I chose to break it down because it’s clear and simple, and I knew it was something my children could understand.)
We decided to implement the same philosophy in our family, so for Christmas our children get three things:
1. Something they need- A new coat, new socks, snow boots, etc…
2. Something they want- A toy from Santa
3. Something they will treasure- a homemade gift, or a family experience
We figured if the three gifts were good enough for the Christ child then they are surely good enough for us.
And yes, you read that right- they get ONE toy. Before you feel bad for our kids, please understand, there is no shortage of toys at our house. In fact I am always shocked at the amount of gifts we accumulate during the Holidays. To my thoughtful friends and relatives who are so sweet to give my children gifts- I want you to know that we appreciate them. We honestly and truly do! So don’t feel bad when I say this- But what if, instead of giving our kids more stuff, we gave them what they really want? Us! They want our time, our attention, and our love, and it’s easier to give than you may think.
Which brings me to gift #3-Something they will treasure. This can mean so many things! Some years it’s a scrapbook documenting all the great memories we made over the past year. Sometimes it’s a coupon for a special date, where we can enjoy some much needed one-on-one time. Without fail, these are always our children’s favorite gifts. In fact, giving “treasured gifts” has been such a hit we recently carried the tradition over to birthdays as well. For example, my oldest girl is obsessed with princesses, and over the years she has collected more princess memorabilia than we know what to do with. So for her birthday, instead of getting her another toy, we took her to The Princess Festival with her sisters to enjoy an afternoon together as family. She still talks about it being the best birthday she’s ever had!
The reality is, years from now the majority of their toys will either be lost or broken, but the memories we create together will last forever. Our tradition of The Three Gifts of Christmas has blessed our family in many ways! We are more content to spend less. And we are able to fill our lives with relationships and experiences, instead of things. So as Christmas approaches and the store ads start popping up in your email and your Facebook feed, luring us in with their steep discounts and “Gotta have it NOW!” philosophies… just turn off the computer and turn on The Grinch, and rejoice in the wise words of Dr. Seuss. After all, there is no way that Christmas could come from a store! Because Christmas, of course, means a whole lot more!
About the Author: Jamie Younker is a contributor for SmartMom, an easy way to receive fast answers to all of your parenting questions from the convenience of your mobile device. Jamie has four beautiful children, and is married to her Superman. She’s a former Elementary School Teacher who dabbles in photography, musical theater, Zumba and baking… sometimes simultaneously
Thanks so much for sharing your story with us, Jamie. We are trying hard not to get sucked in to the consumer craziness of the season and stick to our Christmas budget while creating special memories for our family. I love hearing ideas from other folks. How do you teach your kids about giving during the holidays? Do you keep a Christmas budget? You can read more of my frugal Christmas tips here.
Frugal Friday: Sell Your Junk and Make Money with a Multi Family Garage Sale {Ten Helpful Tips}
categories: frugal
We had a problem.
A pile of stuff was growing in our garage.
We didn’t have quite enough to host our own garage sale because we got rid of so much stuff during our move and my simplify purge last year. We also donated a ton to two Young Life garage sales over the past two years.
But, the pile of stuff still grew.
After talking with a few of our friends we discovered that all of us shared this same problem and we decided to do something about it. The Berres volunteered to host because their garage is large and they live in a high traffic area. Perfect. Everyone had an assigned tag color and we all prepped our own stuff. We brought it over on a Friday night and held our sale on a Saturday morning from 7-12. It was a blast. Everyone worked hard, the kids played, and then we all went home for lunch and a nap with less wasted stuff in our homes and more money in our pockets. The Bear had possible the best day of his entire life and then took a 3 hour nap. Hallelujah. Everybody wins.
I asked my lovely co-hosts to share their best tips for throwing a multi-family sale. They came through with some fabulous suggestions. Gather a few friends or a few other families and throw a sale of your own.
Ten Tips for a Group Garage Sale
1) Designate people for each part of the sale. (adding up purchases, making change, bagging purchases, tracking tags, organizing, watching for shoplifters, etc)
2) Assign each family or person a different colored sticker to tag their stuff.
3) Take the time to price all of your stuff. You will make more money in the end.
4) Bring plastic grocery bags to help people carry their purchases home. This is a great way to get rid of all those unwanted Walmart bags.
5) Have a sheet with each families name at the top. Place the tags from their sold items on their page to track their sales. This makes it a cinch to add up at the end.
6) Bring a calculator. Trust me on this. You are not as good at math as you think you are.
7) Set up the night before and start early, but don’t put your signs out until you are ready to go. If you advertise online and in the paper, be ready a half hour before you said the sale started. People are crazy and will show up at the crack of dawn for a deal.
8) Price reasonably. No one cares about your emotional attachment to that old blender. They just want a deal.
9) Merchandising is key. Display your stuff so it is easy to sort through. Bring as much stuff out in to your driveway and yard do that people aren’t crowded and can easily see things. Display like things together.
10) Remember the point of your garage sale is to empty your home of stuff you don’t need or want without sending it to the landfill. Making money is secondary and an added perk.
Bonus: Pass out your old wedding favors as freebies to customers. (See below.)
If you have enough folks, sell water and soft drinks to your shoppers. They will appreciate it and you can make a few extra dollars. Good luck!
Have you ever thrown a group garage sale? Share your tips in the comment section below.
Saving Kid Art {No Hoarding Required} ~ Make A Kid Art Mini Bunting
We have entered in to the classic parent dilemma. What do we do with all of the treasures our wee ones create without ending up on the show Hoarders? The Bear is quite the prolific painter, and can turn out 5-6 masterpieces in one sitting. I know we don’t need to keep all of them, but my mama heart has a hard time parting with his first creative endeavors. I’ve seen some great ideas out there I want to try, and came up with a few of my own. I’ll share them all with y’all, starting with today’s mini bunting. This project is super easy, taking less than one nap time. Let’s be honest, that’s how we measure our free time.
To make the bunting you need a pile of your child’s paintings or drawings, a 2 inch circle craft punch, a hole punch, and a length of twine or hemp cord cut a little longer than the desired length of your bunting.
Start punching circles out of the paintings. Be strategic about your cuts and get the precious details: little finger and palm prints, great color mixing, etc.
Punch holes at the top of each of your tiny circle paintings, and string them on to your cord. Tie a knot after each one to help them stay in place. Leave extra room at one end of your bunting to add more later.
Because I’m a tad bit ghetto fabulous, I used duct tape to secure my bunting to the back of the mirror in the Bear’s room. It is hidden, so know one knows except the internet. I can easily adjust the length and add or subtract as needed.
This project could easily be one your child helps with, or a surprise gift for them. I surprised the Bear with it, and he LOVES it. He calls it his rainbow upside down. Precious boy. Below you can see a bit more of his room and how mini the bunting looks next to his gigantic wall art. My plan is to add additional layers of bunting as he creates more art work.
How do you save your child’s artwork?
I love linking my ideas at these blog parties. Click the links to check them out and find crafty inspiration. If you’ve never visited a blog party, you will be blown away by the creativity shared and imaginative ideas.
Monday: CraftOManiac, Mad in Crafts, Sew Chatty, Keeping It Simple, C.R.A.F.T., Boogie Board Cottage, and Sumo’s Sweet Stuff
Tuesday: Hope Studios, Today’s Creative Blog, Coastal Charm, and New Nostalgia
Wednesday: The Trendy Treehouse, Polka Dots on Parade, Lil Luna, and The Thrifty Home
Thursday: All Things with Purpose, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Girl Creative, and House of Hepworths
Friday: Sugar and Spice, Kojo Designs, Diana Rambles Pin Me Party, and The Shabby Nest
Weekends: Sweet Tea Social @ Texas Women Bloggers, Tatertots and Jello, Serenity Now, Buttercream Bakehouse, and Candace Creations
Vintage Blue Mason Beach Memory Jar
I am blessed to have a small collection of vintage blue Mason jars from my paternal grandmother, my Meme. Most of them have their original tin lids and are in perfect condition. I display them all over our house and am constantly changing out the displays. Every time I help host a bridal or baby shower, the jars come with me to add a bit of vintage flair to the decorations. After our recent beach trip, I decided to add to the beach memory jar I started a few years ago. It is a simple and affordable way to preserve our special finds and remind our family of our amazing travels. I filled the bottom of the jar with the pure white sand of the miracle strip of beach we visit in Navarre Beach, Florida. It looks like sugar and reminds me of one of my favorite places in the world. Next I carefully drop shells into the jar one by one. I use the tines of a fork to arrange the shells. It is a bit tricky to get everything positioned the way I want it, but worth the effort. I love that I can easily add to and rearrange my little collection with special finds after every trip.
How do you preserve travel memories?
If you would like to start your own collection of blue Ball Mason jars, the company recently re-released a heritage collection. You can use the link below to get a set of 6 for around $2 a jar.The link is an affiliate link, which means you pay the same price but your purchase helps support our family. We appreciate it any time you use a sponsor or affiliate link. Thanks for reading!
I love linking my ideas at these blog parties. Click the links to check them out and find crafty inspiration. If you’ve never visited a blog party, you will be blown away by the creativity shared and imaginative ideas.
Monday: CraftOManiac, Mad in Crafts, Sew Chatty, Keeping It Simple, C.R.A.F.T., Boogie Board Cottage, and Sumo’s Sweet Stuff
Tuesday: Hope Studios, Today’s Creative Blog, Coastal Charm, and New Nostalgia
Wednesday: The Trendy Treehouse, Polka Dots on Parade, Lil Luna, and The Thrifty Home
Thursday: All Things with Purpose, Somewhat Simple, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Girl Creative, and House of Hepworths
Friday: Sugar and Spice, Kojo Designs, Diana Rambles Pin Me Party, and The Shabby Nest
Weekends: Sweet Tea Social @ Texas Women Bloggers, Tatertots and Jello, Serenity Now, Buttercream Bakehouse, and Candace Creations