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25 Days Frugal Summer Fun Day 1: Summer Bucket List

June 4, 2018 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Who’s ready for summer to really start? For the next 25 days we’re going to be bringing you some fun and inexpensive ideas for traveling, celebrating, and DIYing this Summer!

This DIY Summer Bucket List is a great way to get summer started and let your kids have some input on how to make the most of it! Don’t forget to include ideas for rainy days also.

What ideas will be on you summer to do list this year? I’d love to hear them! You can also check out my summer fun board on Pinterest for more summer fun ideas.

Fruit of the Spirit Jar

May 25, 2018 by Laurie 3 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

A few years ago, I shared my friend Melody’s idea for a “Fruit of the Spirit” jar that we used over the summer to help teach our children a small lesson in the fruits of the Sprit each day. At that time all three of my kids (then ages 11, 8 & 4) worked on learning Galatians 5:22:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Even though my kids have grown quite a bit since then, we still (of course!) have moments where we struggle with discipline. I happened to remember the Fruit Of The Spirit jar again (somewhere it had been stuffed back in a cabinet. . .) so I’m pulling it out again to encourage a little positive behavior in our home.

(PRINT YOUR FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT LABEL HERE)

It (obviously!) is pretty simple to make. I used a mason jar (an empty spaghetti jar would work too), some clearance Easter jelly beans (I really liked the idea of using Runts since they’re shaped in fruit shapes – you can pick those up at the Dollar Tree!) and labeled the jar with the verse.

Our original Fruit of the Spirit jar from 2011. Any mason jar and jelly beans will do!

I try to keep my ears alert for moments when they model the fruit of the spirit. If Jackson does something sweet for one of his sisters, I’ll ask which fruit he’s displaying and he picks a candy from the jar. (Folks, even at just-turned-15-yesterday, candy is highly motivating.) 🙂 If Caroline manages to show patience when she really just wants to hurry, she’ll choose a treat. And, when Reagan manages to make it down the stairs for school without any griping or complaining, she might get a treat too. I also ask them to share again what the fruits of the spirit are before they get their treat.

I am simply amazed at how much more effective positive motivators work in our home, compared to all my efforts at hollering, griping, and whining-to-the-point-of-exhaustion to encourage my children. Yesterday my daughter was so pleased with herself when she earned a fruit of the Spirit for helping make my bed without being asked. . . because that one definitely exemplified some goodness on her part, and made me much kinder to boot!

If you’ve been looking for a way to positively encourage your kids as well as teach them the values of the Fruits of the Spirit, take a peek at how we set up our Fruit of the Spirit Jar to work in our home. I’d love to hear what other tips you have on teaching biblical principals as well as encouraging good behavior in your kiddos, as summer is just a few weeks away and I have a feeling I’m going to have to be on top of this one again this year!

$2 Goodwill Menu Board: Supper’s (Almost?) Set for Summer!

May 11, 2018 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

$2 Goodwill Menu Board

I’m a wee bit excited about my little project today (and a whole lot excited about our challenge next week!)

I used the printable labels from our Supper’s Set for Summer Eat at Home Freezer Challenge starting next week, and made a little menu board using a $2 Goodwill bulletin board.

If you missed my FB Live you can watch it over HERE.

Success!

If you’d like to join us for our SUPPER’S SET FOR SUMMER CHALLENGE, here are all the details:

Freezer Cooking Challenge begins Monday, 5/14/18 at 9:30 AM Eastern Time and runs through Thusday, 5/18/18
Each morning together on Facebook live at 9:30 AM you and I will prepare 6 freezer meals, so we’ll get 24 meals done over the course of the week
To join us, you’ll need to order the Eat at Home Meal Plans ~ use the code PPP30 at checkout to save 30% (I promise, these are worth every penny!)

BONUS! If you want to be included in our first ever PPP Eat at Home PRIVATE group, sign up for the annual plan (these are as low as $1.20 per week, and I guarantee you will get your money back in savings the during this challenge alone, AND you’ll get an entire YEAR worth of grocery list and menu plans. YOU WILL LOVE THIS!

Here’s the schedule for next week’s freezer challenge:

Monday, May 14th – We’ll be working on the April Freezer Meal Plans (Taco Soup, Chicken & Rice Over Gravy, BBQ Chicken Fajitas, Apricot Soy Ginger Pork Chops, Pesto Tomato Chicken, Italian Beef)
Tuesday, May 15th – We’ll be working on the May Freezer Meal Plans (Sweet & Sour Meatballs over Rice, Sunday Dinner Chicken, Easy Shredded Taco Beef Over Taco Salads, Peach BBQ Sliders, Ravioli, Garlic Chicken with More Garlic)
Wednesday, May 16th – We’ll be working on the June Freezer Meal Plans (Barbecue Beef Sandwiches, King Ranch Chicken, Honey Mustard Pork, Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwiches, Chicken Fajitas)
Thursday, May 17th – We’ll be working on the July Freezer Meal Plans (Teriyaki BBQ Chicken Legs, Smoky Chipotle Tacos, Pesto Tomato Chicken, African Pulled Beef Sandwiches, Tangy Sweet & Sour Pork Chops)

We’ll be using these menu plans to cook through, so you’ll want to snag yours while they’re on sale at this price!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I’d love for you to join me over on Pinterest (I love that place!) If you have a blog and have done a little fluffing in your home, I’d love to see it, so leave your link in the comments section. Also, if there’s a craft you’ve seen on a website that you’re hoping to make, feel free to share that link as well (I’m always looking for new ideas!)

See more previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

Interact with 9736+ Penny Pinchers on Facebook and Twitter or Subscribe to Passionate Penny Pincher by email to keep up with all the penny pinchin’ deals!

Grove Collaborative: FREE Spring Seasonals Gift Set ($24 Value)

April 9, 2018 by Laurie 1 Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Grove Collaborative Free Gift Set is BACK!!

I’m so excited to share this with you!

Right now you can snag a COMPLETELY FREE Mrs. Meyer’s Spring Seasonals Welcome Kit from Grove Collaborative 🙂 (HOW. FUN?!!?)

If you missed my FB Live you can watch it here.

Last year I scored a deal on Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap and absolutely fell in love, then tried Mrs. Meyer’s Dish Soap next and I was hooked. Right now my fave is the Cream Cleanser – it’s amazing!

So I’m thrilled that you get to try out a few Mrs. Meyer’s Product for FREE!

For a few days only, Grove Collaborative is offering a FREE Spring Seasonals Gift Set – which includes Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap + Dish Soap + Multi-Purpose Spray + Grove Spring Dish Towel with your first order of $20 from Grove Collaborative!

The Mrs. Meyer’s Spring Seasonals Kit Includes:

Mrs. Meyer’s Spring hand soap ($5.30 value)
Mrs. Meyer’s Spring dish soap ($5.30 value)
Mrs. Meyer’s Spring multi-surface spray ($5.30 value)
Grove Spring towel ($7.95 value)
FREE Shipping + FREE VIP Trial
PLUS – some readers are reporting getting a FREE Bonus at checkout!

= $24 Value!

*** If you’re an existing customer, you’ll get a free set of Grove walnut scrubber sponges

Here’s Step-By-Step how to get yours!

1 . Sign up for Grove Collaborative Here. You’ll receive the Mrs. Meyers Spring Seasonal bundle for FREE + FREE Shipping when you sign up. Just add $20 of other items to your cart to get this offer. (You’ll also get a FREE 60-Day VIP Trial, so if you decide to order next month’s box, it ships free as well.)

2. To receive this offer, your order needs to be a minimum of $20. Choose the combination of products and scents you love and receive your first box within a few days.

3. You made it! Click Finish & Pay and place your order.

Here’s a sample scenario to get you thinking (But feel free to choose other products to get to $20!)

Mrs. Meyer’s Spring hand soap ($5.30 value)
Mrs. Meyer’s Spring dish soap ($5.30 value)
Mrs. Meyer’s Spring multi-surface spray ($5.30 value)
Grove Spring towel ($7.95 value)
FREE Shipping + FREE VIP Trial
+
(2) Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap – $3.89
1 Mrs. Meyer’s Dish Soap – $3.89
1 Mrs. Meyer’s Multi surface Cleaner – $3.89
1 Mrs. Method All Purpose Cleanser – $3.99 *New Honeycrisp Apple scent!
Total = $22.55 (*includes free shipping for the next 60 days!)

That makes each item just $2.50, SHIPPED TO YOUR DOOR, compared to $4-$7 per item at Target or Amazon.
.

5 . Lastly…. Check out and finish – your Grove Collaborative free gift set is on its way!

Easy peasy!

And even without the free gift guys – these prices are about the same as what we normally see on Amazon.

Although Grove is a monthly subscription program, you can cancel at anytime, and you can change your delivery schedule if you’d prefer to receive it every few months. You’ll receive an email 7 days before your next box ships reminding you about it and asking you if you’re still happy about what’s coming your way.

I LOVE that!

My friend Staci LOVES Grove and has been a member for some time – she told me it makes her so happy when the monthly box of cleaning products shows up at her door. 🙂

I think of Grove Collaborative as being similar to Amazon Prime – but for earth-friendly, natural products. So if you go through a lot of these products on a regular basis, it’s something to consider because it easily gets you the very best price on all natural cleaners, cosmetics, paper products and more.

Hurry – this offer ONLY lasts while supplies last ~ get yours here!

HOT Sale On Blue Host Just $2.95 Per Month: Start Your Blog Today!

March 12, 2018 by Laurie 4 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

If you’ve ever considered starting a blog (or website for your business), don’t miss this.

Right now, Blue Host is offering their web hosting for just $2.95 per month (which is an incredible deal.)

This is oh-so-worth it if you think blogging may be for you! I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am for blogging (it’s how I make a full time income as a stay at home mom), and I highly recommend it not only as a source of income, but even just as a place to keep an online journal of your every day life. Honestly, I never dreamed I would love blogging the way that I do but I’m completely hooked!

Curious why I think blogging is worth it? Here are my top 5 reasons to blog:

To earn an income from home. (Honest. I make a full time income here on PPP which is beyond crazy to me. Learn more HERE.)
It allow you to interact with other folks across the internet, and create a little “home base” online for family photos, stories and more.
It helps you become a better writer. I am so not someone who would consider themselves a writer, but blogging each day makes me re-think the way I use words. While writing still isn’t my strongest gift, working at it each day stretches my mind creatively.
It creates a place for you to think of others. I love that blogging (especially for a profit), forces me to think of ways every day to help other people outside of my home. I know that PPP is a better blog to follow when I write posts that really do benefit my readers, so I’m more creative in coming up with helpful content each day. (I love that!)
It builds your confidence. I struggle so much with having self-confidence, but blogging has helped me realize I’m really good at things that I never even knew existed. It’s taught me business strategies, internet savviness, social media awareness, and so much more. I love the marketable skills blogging has given me, and would never in a bajillion years thought I would love it the way that I do!

Once you’ve signed up with Blue Host, check these posts out:

Let me know if you have any questions ~ so excited to for you to get started!

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

DIY Hoop Wreath

March 2, 2018 by Cheree' Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

DIY HOOP WREATH

Note from Laurie ~ I absolutely LOVE this wreath and brought the supplies home to make one myself (since the wreath made up wouldn’t fit in my suitcase on the flight home!) I’m so thankful for such a sweet group of ladies to work with every day, and absolutely adore this cute craft we made together!

Laurie and I thought it would be so fun for our whole PPP team to do a group craft when we were recently all together in Nashville. (This was the very first time for some of us to meet and we had soooo much fun, ate waaaay too much chocolate and stayed up much toooo late!)

Anyway, we needed something that could be made quickly and with minimal supplies. 🙂 So, when Laurie mentioned she had been wanting to make a DIY Hoop Wreath, I thought that would be the perfect project for our sweet PPP team.💗

If you missed our facebook live you can watch it here.

Here’s how to make this DIY Hoop Wreath:

DIY Hoop Wreath Supplies:

14 or 19 inch steel ring (or you could use a small hula hoop from the Dollar Tree)
Gold spray paint (or any color you like)
Floral wire or sticks
Greenery (we used dried silver dollar eucalyptus, artificial eucalyptus, lavender bush and some airy fern type greenery)
Wooden or chipboard word
Fishing line
Ribbon
Scissors and wire cutters
Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Instructions:

Spray paint your ring and wording in any color you choose. We used gold for the hoop and glitter gold for the words.
Cut your greenery into desired lengths and lay on your wreath (moving them around until you get the look you want). We all kind of went for the asymmetrical look with our wreaths.
Next cut some floral wire or sticks into about 3 or 4 inch pieces.
Start wiring your greenery onto your ring, wiring as needed every few inches. Tip: wire your greenery on one side and then go ahead and find your ending spot and wire your greenery where the greenery (not stems) are facing out on the other side. Continue until you meet in the middle. Depending on which type of greenery you use, you may need to clip a few pieces and hot glue them to cover your stems and wire for a more finished look.
Decide how far down you want your word to hang and cut the fishing line to the desired length. Attach your word to the hoop by tying on the fishing line using small knots. Cut away excess fishing line after you tie your knots.
Finally, add a piece of ribbon to use for hanging your wreath. I attached mine to my back door using a command hook at the very top of the door and letting my wreath hang from it.

As you can see, everyone’s wreaths are a bit different. This DIY Hoop Wreath really has endless possibilities to customize to your personal taste.🌺

We all ADORE how Shannon’s turned out! I mean seriously, that is one cute wreath and even cuter kiddo! Shannon surprised her daughter Faith with her own personalized “faith” wreath and she was thrilled! 😍

This ended up being a really great group project! I feel so very grateful to be a part of such a sweet bunch! We figured our total cost per wreath was about $7 and that made our penny pinching hearts happy! 🙂

Jamie decided to put a different spin on hers with a St. Patrick’s Day theme. How cute is that?? I sent her home with another wooden word so she can change it out after the holiday. Such a fun idea!

I just LOVE how all the girls on the PPP team put their own unique style on their wreath. We had so much fun making this DIY Hoop Wreath!

Looking for a bit more DIY inspiration??? Here you go:

Upcoming Penny Pinching Coupon Class In North Alabama (3/8/18)

February 23, 2018 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

UPDATE: Can’t attend the course in real life? Assuming everything works, we’ll be streaming via Facebook Live as well and would love for you to join us. Mark your calendar!

Looking for a fun Girls Night Out? Come join Laurie and Shannon Thursday March 8, 2018 at 6:00 PM Central Time to learn how to use coupons strategically, and save over 70% on your grocery bill every week!

We’re so excited about our upcoming coupon class that we will be teaching Thursday March 8, 2018 at 6:00PM Eastern Time at Crosspointe Church address is 78 Hughes Rd Madison, Al (childcare not provided :(). We’ll discuss how to save money at Aldi, Publix, Kroger & Target, as well as share basic information on drug store coupon policies. We’ll also talk about how to organize your coupons, what all those crazy abbreviations mean, and where to begin if you’re a new couponer.

Please register over HERE! If you’re a new couponer (or even have been at this penny-pinching stuff for awhile . . . ) we’ll hopefully teach you a few new tricks, and promise to answer all your questions.

Not in the North Alabama area? Check out the list of beginners tips and videos, and as always, feel free to ask questions in the comment section or on the PPP Facebook page. We’re always happy to help!

Grove Collaborative: FREE New Year New You Gift Set! ($30 Value)

January 12, 2018 by Laurie 2 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Grove Collaborative Free Gift Set is BACK!!

I’m so excited to share this with you!

Right now you can snag a COMPLETELY FREE Mrs. Meyer’s New Year New You Welcome Box from Grove Collaborative 🙂 (HOW. FUN?!!?)

If you missed my FB Live you can watch it here.

So I’m thrilled that you get to try out a few Mrs. Meyer’s Product for FREE!

For a few days only, Grove Collaborative is offering a FREE New Year, New You Gift Set – which includes Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap + Dish Soap + Hand Lotion + Grove Cleaning Caddy + Grove Walnut Scrubber Sponges with your first order of $20 from Grove Collaborative!

The Mrs. Meyer’s New Year New You Kit Includes:

Mrs. Meyer’s hand soap
Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap
Mrs. Meyer’s hand lotion
Grove Collaborate Cleaning Caddy
Grove Collaborative Walnut Scrubber Sponges 2pk

= $30 Value!

*** If you’re an existing customer, you’ll get a free set of Grove walnut scrubber sponges

Here’s Step-By-Step how to get yours!

1 . Sign up for Grove Collaborative Here. You’ll receive the Mrs. Meyers New Year New You bundle for FREE + FREE Shipping when you sign up. Just add $20 of other items to your cart to get this offer. (You’ll also get a FREE 60-Day VIP Trial, so if you decide to order next month’s box, it ships free as well.)

2 . Answer 4 brief questions about your home. (It helps Grove make some initial suggestions for your box.)

3 . Finalize your basket. Add or Remove items. Browse your favorite brands to create a box you’ll adore!

4 . To receive the Mrs. Meyer’s New Year New You Welcome gift, you’ll need to add $20 worth of items to your box.

Here’s a sample scenario to get you thinking (But feel free to choose other products to get to $20!)

1 Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap, regularly $4.99 – FREE
1 Mrs. Meyer’s Multi Purpose Spray, regularly $4.99 – FREE
1 Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Lotion, regularly $3.89 – FREE
1 Grove Collaborative Cleaning Caddy, reg $17.95 – FREE
2 Grove Walnut Scrubber Sponges, reg $4.95 – FREE
1 Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap – $3.89
1 Mrs. Meyer’s Dish Soap – $3.89
1 Mrs. Meyer’s Foaming Hand Soap – $3.99
1 Mrs. Meyer’s Multi surface Cleaner – $4.99
1 Mrs. Meyer’s cream cleanser – $3.99
Total = $20.45 (*includes free shipping for the next 60 days!)

That makes each item just $2.04, SHIPPED TO YOUR DOOR, compared to $4-$7 per item at Target or Amazon.
.

5 . Lastly…. Check out and finish – your Grove Collaborative free gift set is on its way!

Easy peasy!

And even without the free gift guys – these prices are about the same as what we normally see on Amazon.

I LOVE that!

My friend Staci LOVES Grove and has been a member for some time – she told me it makes her so happy when the monthly box of cleaning products shows up at her door. 🙂

Hurry – this offer ONLY lasts until January 14th – get yours here!

Dollar Tree DIY

December 6, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Dollar Tree DIY

Grab my list of 101 Stocking Stuffers under $1 or less over HERE!

If you missed my FB Live you can watch it over here (I love reading the comments – that makes it so much more fun for me on this side of the screen and probably you too!)

Looking for a penny pinched Christmas craft? These are so simple, that anyone can do (and your kids can help too!)

Today on Facebook Live first I made this super simple Snowman Candle using a candle from the Dollar Tree ~ perfect for your kids to make and attach a small gift card too as a teacher gift this year . . .

And then I tackled this mass of ornaments. 🙂

As you can see in the video, to make this wreath I just used ornaments I’d gotten last year for 90% off at Target, along with a wire hanger.

Above is the picture of the one I made today on Facebook Live using just the wire hanger and ornaments (definitely the easiest, but you really do need to glue the ornament hooks to the ornaments so they don’t fall off!)

And here’s one I made a few years ago using a hot glue gun and wreath form instead. (I honestly think that one looks a little better, but I spent oodles more time on it – learn how I did that one over HERE.)

Looking for more Christmas fun at the Dollar Tree?

See more previous DIY projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

Easy Farmhouse Christmas Sign

November 2, 2017 by Cheree' 5 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Easy Farmhouse Christmas Sign

Note from Laurie: my friend Cheree made this DARLING sign for Christmas and I’m completely obsessed with it! Here’s how you can make it too.

I’ve been searching for a farmhouse style craft for the holidays and found just what I needed on Pinterest ~ I was just in love with this idea!

So, I headed to Hobby Lobby and bought a pre-made board, but realized I really wanted it a wee bit bigger!

Thankfully, my sweet husband mentioned SHIPLAP, and I realized that was what I wanted, so off we headed to Home Depot.

Now, if the idea of cutting and nailing involved scares you, just skip on over this part and get yourself a pre-made board like this one right HERE.

It’s okay to give yourself a little grace on that part. 🙂

Here’s what you’ll need to get started for the Easy Farmhouse Christmas Sign:

Supplies:

8 foot Shiplap board
8 foot 1 x 2 inch board
1 inch finishing nails
Ivory chalk paint (or acrylic) and dark wax (or brown acrylic) and brushes
Red acrylic paint
Small grapevine wreath
Christmas greenery pick (or you could totally use fresh greenery from your yard)
1.5 inch wired Christmas ribbon
Jingle bells or an ornament you may already have

My husband cut the SHIPLAP into 4 equal pieces and did the same for the 1 x 2 piece.

Piece your shiplap together (you’ll need to cut off one end where the shiplap has a little tongue groove so the board will be even).

Turn it over and place your 1 x 2 inch pieces evenly across the back and start nailing. Be sure to hold the board tightly together so it will be straight.

Next, give your board a good 2 coats of chalk paint (or acrylic or whatever type you prefer). I used some chalk paint in an ivory color that I already had on hand.

Learn from my mistake here and wax or dry brush on a darker color at this point BEFORE you stencil on your J and Y.

Trust me on this (especially if you are using wax). Wax and acrylic paint do not mix, just fyi! I used dark wax I had leftover from another project.

I made my own stencil letters out of poster board and it worked ok, but not great. I ended up having to really clean up my letters after I stenciled them. (I wonder if a Silhouette Cutting machine would come in handy for those letters???)

For the wreath, I happened upon a piece of grapevine on clearance at a local decorating store. You might be able to find something similar at the Dollar Tree. I really LOVE this little wreath, it just makes me happy!

I cut the grapevine and formed it into a circle and hot glued in a cute Christmas pick I found at Hobby Lobby. I wired on a simple bow and an adorable jingle bell ornament, hammered in a small nail and hung the wreath.

I’m just tickled with how this Easy Farmhouse Christmas Sign turned out!

Looking for a bit more Christmas inspiration???

How Cleaning Out A Closet Saved Me (At Least) $100

September 13, 2017 by Laurie 11 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

This is a re-post of one of my favorite closet cleanouts ever from way back in 2013, as I’m hoping it’ll inspire me to tackle a little more cleaning out this week. See more about how Reagan’s tiny room became a favorite spot in our home, and what we’ve done to frugally fluff it up.

Okie dokie folks, if you need some serious motivation to get a closet in your home cleaned, here you go.

I’m determined to get through all the closets in our area before Thanksgiving (because even here in Alabama we need to pull out those winter clothes!), so this weekend I tackled my daughter’s closet and bedroom.

I procrastinated for several weeks on this one, and every time I walked into her room I was completely (seriously) overwhelmed.

I even considered buying her new clothes because I had absolutely no idea what she had in hand-me-downs for winter, but the room was in such bad shape I didn’t know where to begin.

Now, in my defense, I had pulled down the winter clothing boxes from the attic a few days ago, and of course when Reagan saw those boxes she had to attack. 😉 So, her room normally isn’t (quite?) so bad? And, a few weeks ago she and her big sister decided they were going to start rooming together so they had moved her mattress. Puh-lease tell me I’m not the only one whose children have a tendency to move furniture without their mother’s permission . . .

Before (seriously, hanging my head in shame as I show y’all this stuff ~ eeeeeeek!)

After (ahhhhh, so much better!)

So, how did cleaning out that one closet (you can see the actual closet pics HERE) save me $100?

Simple!

After doing that cleaning I realized that Reagan had every thing she needed for winter, so I don’t need to buy her a single thing. (Unless it’s really cute, and in the budget, right?)

The best part is I have so much more peace each day when picking out her clothes for school. . . why on earth didn’t I get started sooner?

This is all the stuff that managed to get donated or given to friends ~ whew! My husband just couldn’t give up the horse though (reminds him of our kids being little, so it’s making it’s way to the attic) 🙂

Do you have a closet or two in your home that could use some serious TLC? Join me this month as we get them cleared out . . . I’ll post any updates as I do them, and would love to hear any tips that you have on organizing kids clothes too!

Looking for more tips on organizing? Here are a few posts from last year’s organizing series that might help get you motivated:

Dollar Tree Centerpieces for Fall

September 8, 2017 by Laurie 2 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

These Dollar Tree centerpieces were sponsored by Dollar Tree – but all opinions are 100% my own (goodness, I really do just love the Dollar Tree!) 🙂

Dollar Tree Centerpieces for Fall

Good.

gravy.

I just love the Dollar Tree. 🙂

I love how easily you can make Dollar Tree Centerpieces.

Using tons of Dollar Tree candleholders.

All for just $1.

{Since at the Dollar Tree everything really is just a dollar.} 🙂

With fall just around the corner (and it already feeling a bit like fall here in Ohio!), I made a trip to the Dollar Tree earlier this week and of course fell in love with a few of their deals.

I found all these fun Dollar Tree candles and Dollar Tree candle holders . . .

and with just a little hot glue and coffee beans turned them into these.

I used a simple grapevine wreath for just $1 and was able to add $1 berries and $1 burlap ribbon to make a cute wreath.

I used a simple Dollar Tree vase, some Dollar Tree candy corn, a votive and ribbon to make a simple little candle setting.

And I used a few of my all time favorite burlap pumpkins from the Dollar Tree and plopped them one right on top of the other some fun little happy fall decor.

If you love fluffing for fall but don’t want to bust your budget, seriously, check out the Dollar Tree before paying too much.

The best thing about Dollar Tree DIY projects is that if you don’t love them in a few years, you haven’t spent a bundle to create the project. These are definitely some of my favorite projects each year, and it’s so worth a trip to your local Dollar Tree to see what they have in store.

And, don’t forget you can order online at the Dollar Tree too ~ they have $4.95 flat rate shipping, and so many items available online that you may never find in your store. Go HERE to take a peek, and if you have something that you just love to buy at the Dollar Tree, leave a comment to share with me too!

Looking for more ideas like Dollar Tree Centerpieces?

Office Cupboard Cleaning

July 25, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Anyone else need to tackle a tiny piece of your home today?

This weekend, my girls and I made a trip to Michael’s (we love that store!) and I noticed they had their storage bins on sale for $7.

It didn’t take me long to figure out they were just what I needed to organize my disastrous cupboards in my office.

(You can see how we overhauled this room 2 summers ago over HERE.)

When we had the office built just over a year ago, I pretty much shoved everything in those cupboards and sat down to work.

From the outside things didn’t look so bad.

But from the inside.

Yikes.

Because I’m such a true penny pincher, I struggle with buying the right things to organize when I think I can somehow just make-do.

Except, I just make-don’t.

But those 4 new plastic bins on sale at $7 each (just $28 total ~ see them on the left?), completely inspired a much needed cupboard clean out.

(This is a note from my father-in-law who passed away a few months ago ~ for years he would mail me the Sunday coupons each week and I’ve kept this in my coupon binder forever.) 🙂

And I found a few precious memories along the way too. 🙂

If you have a few places in your home that could use some TLC today, it might be worth spending a few dollars to gather up the right supplies, and just tackle that project that’s overwhelming you today.

More rooms we’ve updated in our home . . .

Wall Shelves DIY

July 14, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Good gravy.

I started this project way back in March, and realized this morning as I was going through my draft posts here on PPP that I never finished it for you!

Because our basement is so dark, it’s REALLY hard to get decent photographs, but I decided just to share these quick ones from my phone with you.

I have a really hard time putting holes in walls (especially big walls!), but have a ton of pictures that haven’t gotten hung since moving to Ohio (3 years ago ~ eek!), and decided it was finally ready to tackle that job.

With a friend’s help I found these fun shelves at Hobby Lobby (which I love because I can swap pictures out without adding more holes), and was able to update a bland wall in our basement without spend too much.

(All I purchased were a few frames and the shelving, so I spent less than $100 by re-using the chalkboard, clock, chair & a few other items that I already had.)

It’s not perfect, and I know there are lots of designer/decorators who would do much better, but for me it’s a happy little space with a few of my favorite things. 🙂

(It really does look better in real life though ~ the lighting is just awful down there but hope this gives you an idea! If you peak closely to the right you can also see our almost finished basement kitchenette ~ I’m hoping my hubby will finish it up soon so I can show you the whole thing!)

If you have a space in your home that needs some fluffing, I encourage you today to first clean it up (that helps so much!) and then maybe pinch a few pennies so you can maybe spend a little money to fluff up that space you love. I’m glad I waited, but now that it’s done this area makes me so happy each day!

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

More rooms we’ve updated in our home . . .

Margaret Ann’s Country Cobbler

May 3, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

My sweet friend Margaret Ann was gracious enough to visit us again last Friday, and made the absolutely yummiest homemade Country Cobbler to share.

If you missed the video you can watch on Facebook here.

As I shared earlier, we met at Bible Study this year, and the minute I heard her sweet Southern accent I felt all-of-a-sudden-at-ease in a group of women who were completely new to me.

Isn’t it funny how a kind voice can do that?

Once we got to talking, I realized she cared about so many things that I just loved too.

Margaret Ann’s been a wife, mom, teacher, realtor, culinary school professor, chef . . . and she’s even owned two restaurants in Rome, Georgia.

In fact, one of the scenes from the movie Sweet Home Alabama was filmed in her restaurant Magretta Hall. 😉

I knew you would love Margaret Ann too, so I was thrilled when she offered to do a few “cooking classes” with us here on PPP.

She taught us in the Dinner’s Done Facebook group she taught us how to make omelets (I learned so much from her!), and the recipe she shared this week for cobbler is out of this world.

Like really ~ WOW ~ I wasn’t even positive I liked peach cobbler when she mentioned sharing this recipe with us, but now that I’ve had it I’m hooked!

(Note: I DEFINITELY recommen watching the video to see all of her tips – she had so many tricks that I’ve never read in a cookbook. Thank you Margaret Ann!)

Margaret Ann’s Country Cobbler Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups of fruit (peaches, strawberries, blueberries, etc…) (and some of the juice)
1 stick of melted butter
1 cup of flour
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup of milk

Directions:

Pour the melted butter into a 7×9 dish. Add the dry ingredients (right into the dish) into the melted butter and mix up a bit.
Next pour one cup of milk on top of the ingredients and mix that in just a little bit.
Add strawberries on top of the mixture with a little bit of the juice (don’t mix it!)
Pop in a 350 degree oven for 25 – 30 mins.

Margaret Ann’s Biscuits & Sausage Gravy Recipe

How To Shiplap On A Budget

April 14, 2017 by Laurie 3 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

This is a guest post from my friend Misty & Tim who created this faux shiplap wall in their family room. I LOVE this idea! Here’s a peek at how they transformed their space for under $150.

Let me start by saying that we have lived in our current home for almost 14 years. Two years ago we changed out our dark kitchen counters for a light granite, and I just loved how much it brightened up the space!

Since then I’ve been trying to decide how to change up the look of our family room that is open to the kitchen. I’m always slow to make these decisions because I don’t want to get it wrong then have do more work to fix it.

I’m a huge fan of home makeover shows, and my favorite (of course!) is Fixer Upper. If you’ve ever seen it, you know all about shiplap! I finally made up my mind that I wanted to find a way to add the look of shiplap to my room and keep it on a budget I could live with, just in case I ended up hating it. I decided that doing just the one wall behind our entertainment center would be perfect because that’s where everyone is usually looking anyway.

I did a lot of research online for faux shiplap and found a bunch of tutorials and different methods. I kind of combined several different ideas and went with it1

Finding the kind of plywood sheets that I wanted was the first step in the process. Also, I wanted to have the sheets cut into strips at the store to save on time at home. Depending on the store you may have to pay a small fee for this, but it may be worth it for you.

The main thing to consider about the wood is the thickness. If you have crown molding and/or baseboards, you will want the thickness to match up the best you can. I wanted boards that were about 1/4 inch thick.

Measure the area of your wall to determine how many sheets you need, and measure the height of wall to determine how wide to have the strips cut. Most likely your strips will not work out to be a perfect fit from top to bottom. I had the majority of ours cut into 6 1/2 inch strips, but the bottom row was only 5 1/2 inches. Always put the oddball strip at the bottom because your eye will not be drawn to it as much. I found the perfect wood at my local Home Depot. I bought 9 sheets at $11.99 each. This took us 2 trips because I measured incorrectly & didn’t buy enough the first time. The employees were more than willing the cut the sheets and didn’t even charge for the cuts! Here is a picture of the sticker on the back of the wood.

Besides the wood, the other tools we needed were a nail gun with 1 1/4 inch brad nails, and a saw to cut the boards to length. We used a circular saw. You can use a hammer and nails if don’t have a nail gun. We also used a stud finder & level to mark the studs to make sure we nailed into them as much as possible. Some people use an adhesive on the backs of the boards, but we didn’t want to do that.

To start the application, we used a full length strip at the top of the wall just below the crown molding. We used nickels for spacers between each row of boards. When we got the to end of the first row, we needed to make our first cut. As we continued down the wall, we made sure to use cut boards in a staggered pattern so that the seems on each row did not match the seems above or below it.

One more thing you need to think about when doing this kind of project is that your outlet plates will not fit with the extra thickness of the wood. You will need to get outlet spacers. I found these at Home Depot for about $3. They were hard to find in the store so take the picture with you! You can also order them here.

Once the wood was on the wall the real battle began! My husband and son wanted the keep the wood it’s natural color. It did have a very nice look, but I really wanted a lighter, whitewashed finish. So I did a few test boards and the boys decided they could live with it:)

Here are the products I used to create the finish. I used cheap white craft paint with water for the first layer. Then went over that with this Waverly liquid wax to add a protective coating. I applied all of the layers with a soft cloth. You can get all of these products at Walmart in the craft section. The large wax was about $9 and the smaller was about $5.

I used a combination of clear & white because my store only had one bottle of white. Here’s a close up of the finish. I love how it has an aged look, and you can still see the wood grain!

DIY Spring Wreath

April 6, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

I am soooo in love with this project and couldn’t even wait to share it with you!

I’ve fallen in love with several tulip wreaths I’ve seen on Pinterest, but wasn’t sure how hard it would be to make one.

Turns out, it’s not all that hard, just time consuming.

All you need are lots of tulips.

Seriously

A. lot.

Here are the supplies you’ll need:

round styrofoam wreath
10 yards satin ribbon
tulips – I used the only ones I could find at Hobby Lobby and bought 15 ~ I needed almost every single one!

Just wrap, and wrap and wrap the ribbon around your wreath form and tuck tulips in before hot gluing.

Like in the video, here.

You really can do this in about an hour, and the results are pretty impressive.

I really do just love this one!

I’d love for you to join me over on Pinterest (I love that place!) If you have a blog and have done a little fluffing in your home, I’d love to see it, so leave your link in the comments section. Also, if there’s a craft you’ve seen on a website that you’re hoping to make, feel free to share that link as well (I’m always looking for new ideas!)

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

Looking for more DIY? Here you go…

Marshmallow Flower Cupcake

March 27, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Looking for more penny pinched recipes? Here you go!

I’m soooooo excited about this little project I made today!

Over in our Dinner’s Done Facebook group, one of the members shared her pictures of these simple Marshmallow Flower Cupcakes and I was soooo impressed.

(I’d sure love for you to join the free group if you haven’t already!)

I wasn’t quite sure how big a job they would be, but it turns out they were super simple, and such a great project to make with my kids.

While they are a little more time consuming than the video shows (ahem), they really are pretty simple and require hardly any fancy skills.

I love that. 🙂

On a side note, I’m working on my videography skills (who on earth knew I’d ever need videography skills???) and have had fun trying out making videos mostly to share on Facebook.

(You can see a few of my favorites HERE, HERE and HERE.)

While they’re wayyyy more time consuming than I realized they would be (isn’t everything?), it’s always fun to learn a new skill, so I’m having fun along the way! If you have a fantastic Spring craft or treat you’d like me to try out, leave me a comment and I just might make it too. 😉

And, if you’d like to see me make these cupcakes live on Facebook, head on over HERE (and also take a peek at what I dumped in Mrs. Potts this morning ~ my kitchen smells amazing right now!) My goal is to be on Facebook Live this week at 9AM Eastern Time Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and I’d sure love for you to join me there. (I so enjoy chatting with you!)

Looking for penny pinched Spring ideas? Head on over HERE for more. Goodness, I just love this time of year!

Be Our Guest DIY

March 17, 2017 by Laurie 1 Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

I am sooooo pleased with how this little project turned out!

As I shared in the video below, my neighbor’s dad cut out the signs for us to use, so all I had to do was paint the board with acrylic paint and then use my Silhouette Cameo to make the lettering.

I love it. 😉

It’s hanging in our guest bedroom just waiting for a few guests to come visit, and I couldn’t believe how easy this project was to do.

(You can see the rest of our guest bedroom over HERE ~ I love this space!)

Success!

(Watch me make it here in the video ~ and if you’re interested in the Menu Plans I use that I mention, go HERE to check those out too!)

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

More rooms we’ve updated in our home . . .

Margaret Ann’s Biscuits & Sausage Gravy Recipe

March 10, 2017 by Laurie 16 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

My sweet friend Margaret Anne was gracious enough to visit this morning, and made quite possibly the best biscuits and gravy I’ve ever eaten to share with you.

good. gravy. 😉

We met at Bible Study earlier this year, and the minute I heard her sweet Southern accent I felt all-of-a-sudden-at-ease in a group of women who were completely new to me.

Isn’t it funny how a kind voice can do that?

And once we got to talking, I realized she cared about so many things that I just loved too.

Margaret Ann’s been a wife, mom, teacher, realtor, culinary school professor, chef . . . and she’s even owned two restaurants in Rome, Georgia.

In fact, one of the scenes from the movie Sweet Home Alabama was filmed in her restaurant Magretta Hall. 😉

I knew you would love Margaret Ann too, so I was thrilled when she offered to do a few “cooking classes” with us here on PPP.

Last week in the Dinner’s Done Facebook group she taught us how to make omelets (I learned so much from her!), and today she’s showing us how to make homemade biscuits and gravy.

Or as she calls it, ” thickening gravy.”

That you can lather with a little butter too. 😉

Honestly? They were all just a little heaven sent. 😉

The biscuits and gravy were perfection.

And if it were up to me, you would come right over to my kitchen and we’d let her serve us up biscuits and gravy all day long.

A girl can dream, right? 😉

If you’d like to make biscuits and gravy too, here’s what you’ll need to get started:

(Note: I DEFINITELY recommend watching the video to see all of her tips – I had no idea the importance of incorporating the shortening, and she had so many tricks that I’ve never read in a cookbook. Thank you Margaret Ann!)

Margaret Ann’s Biscuits & Sausage Gravy Recipe

*Makes a small batch of about 8 biscuits, but doubles beautifully.

Biscuit Ingredients:

2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup of Crisco Shortening (or softened butter works too!)
3/4 Cups of Buttermilk (or 3/4 cups of milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice, let sit on the counter for 15 minutes to sour the milk)

Biscuit Directions:

Whisk together the dry ingredients
Cut the shortening or butter into the dry mix with a pastry cutter (or you can use a couple butter knives if you don’t have a pastry cutter)
Work the dough until there are no chunks of shortening left (watch video for exactly how long to cut the dough)
Add buttermilk, and stir into the mixture with your hand until you have a nice dough
Sprinkle a little flour onto a clean surface and place the dough in the middle
Knead the dough with the palms of your hands (not using fingers) by pushing it down a few times and then folding it in half. Repeat 4 or 5 times and then pat it into a mound.
Roll out to a thickness of about 3/4″
Tap a cookie or biscuit cutter in flour and cut out the biscuits (Number will vary depending on the size of your cutter)
Place on a greased or sprayed cookie sheet and brush a little melted butter on top
Bake between 400 – 450 for 10-15 minutes. *Because all ovens are different you’ll want to just check for when they look just right to you!

Gravy Ingredients:

1 Lb of Pork Breakfast Sausage (Jimmy Dean is Margaret Ann’s favorite)
4 Tbsp Flour
1 Cup Milk

Gravy Directions:

Cook and crumble the sausage over medium heat (Do NOT drain)
Turn heat down to medium-low
Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of flour over the sausage and stir it in, cooking it for another minute
Add 1/2 Cup of milk and stir around as it begins to thicken up.
To stretch your gravy further or thin it a little, just keep adding more milk until it’s how you like.

The best part is that by making them from scratch, you’ll save a bundle, most likely using everything you have right in your pantry.

I’m hoping I can get her tricks down soon and make a batch for my bunch (but for today, we have just a few biscuits all ready to try for after school snacks.)

Let’s just call it their lucky day. 😉

Let me know how the recipe goes for you, and share any other tips in the comments. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Here are some tools that you may want to pick up if you plan to make biscuits often:

Non-Stick Pastry and Baking Mat

Pastry Cutter and Biscuit Cutters

Rolling Pin

Flour Sifter

Nonstick Cookie Sheet

Wilton 3-Tier Cooling Rack

$29 Sideboard Makeover

February 17, 2017 by Cheryl 1 Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Note from Laurie: My friend Cheryl is in the process of making over her living room, and goodness, I LOVE what she’s done! She was sweet enough to share with us here on PPP ~ take a peek . . .

Wow . . .

Just . . . wow!

I’m in the middle of a living room makeover (we finally updated our couches after 10 years) and after a tense afternoon of tax preparation . . . this was clearly NOT the time to buy more furniture. 🙂

Our search for sideboards has been going on for M O N T H S ~ all around the $500 range. This had me thinking . . . why not just paint the one we have now?

$29 can of chalk paint & wipe-on poly (optional – this was in the garage from previous projects)

If you haven’t use chalk paint before, it is amazing.

No prep.

No sanding.

Just, paint!

I went to Lowes and bought a $29.00 can of chalk paint, painted this beautiful sideboard to match my new furniture and in just a few hours it was done.

Before . . .

After . . .

I’m thrilled with how it turned out!! I can’t wait to show you the rest … ALL on a penny pinched budget (I’m learning a few things here at PPP! 🙂

Love chalk paint? Here are a few more ideas you may want to check out . . .

How To Make Homemade Chalk Paint + Our $48 Goodwill Sleigh Bed
How To Paint A Piano (using chalk paint)

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . Happy Fluffing!

Valentine’s Dollar Tree DIY

February 3, 2017 by Laurie 1 Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

My friend Cheryl made this super cute craft using supplies from the Dollar Tree, and I just love the way it turned out! Take a peek . . .

I saw this idea over on Pinterest, and just fell in love!

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Styrofoam Trees
Conversation Hearts
Glue

That’s it.

For real.

This is such a fun way to fluff up your home for Valentine’s Day. My 10 year old just loved sorting and creating these trees with me!

These candle holders were collecting dust in a cabinet so I used them to set the trees up high and think they worked out perfectly!

Happy Fluffing!

Have you made any fun decor for Valentine’s Day? I’d love to hear what you’re up to ~ leave a comment to share! And if you’re looking for more penny pinched projects, here you go . . .

35 Deals You Need to Buy at the Dollar Tree – Valentine Edition

February 1, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

You know I love shopping The Dollar Tree for just about anything, well Valentine’s Day is no exception! Here are a few steals you can’t miss when you’re there:

1. Stuffed Animals

2. Valentine Mugs

3. Valentine Globes

4. Valentine Balloons

5. Valentine Wrapping paper

6. Valentine Gift Bags

7. Valentine Bobble Heads

8. Hot Chocolate

9. Valentine Candy Containers

10. Valentine Ribbon

11. Valentine Candles

12. Valentine Paper Plates

13. Valentine Paper Napkins

14. Valentine Glass Flowers

15. Heart Vases

16. Heart Candy Dishes

17. Valentine Glasses

18. Valentine Vases

19. Valentine Door Hangers

20. Heart Shaped Doilies

21. Valentine Garland

22. Valentine Decorations

23. Chocolate Valentine Candy Hearts

24. Individually Wrapped Valentine Candy

25. Valentine Window Stickies

26. Valentine Cards

27. Valentine Card Kits

28. Valentine Pencils

29. Valentine Pencil Sharpeners

30. Valentine Erasers

31. Valentine Boxes

32. Valentine Stickers

33. Valentine Table Decorations

34. Valentine Table Clothes

35. Valentine Duct Tape

Love shopping the Dollar Tree? See a few ways I’ve used Dollar Tree finds in our home:

(FREE!) DIY Valentine Tree

January 27, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Looking for a fun, frugal, and free DIY? Here you go!

Gather up some branches from your back yard, construction paper, scissors and tape.

Put the branches in your vase (I put corn in the bottom of my container so the sticks stayed in place.)
Cut out a few hearts and tape them on your branches.

Done.

So simple, so fun, and you won’t feel one bit of guilt when you throw this craft away on February 15th.

Success! 🙂

Have you made any fun decor for Valentine’s Day? I’d love to hear what you’re up to ~ leave a comment to share! And if you’re looking for more penny pinched projects, here you go . . .

DIY Baby Banner

January 20, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

I’m so stinkin’ excited about this little project!

As I shared over HERE, we’re hosting a baby shower for a couple in my husband’s office tomorrow, so I got to crafting this morning.

Here’s what I used . . .

Brown yarn
Clothespins
Silhouette Cameo
Fabric strips (bought coordinating fabric square at Hobby Lobby, then cut into 1″ strips ~ cost was $6 after Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon)
Cricut Iron On Material $9.74
Pre-cut banners from Michaels, $4
Total = $19.74

I made the banner using the directions in this tutorial . . .

Then used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the letters for the top banner . . .

Success!

Now ~ as I shared in the video we still don’t have any idea what we’re actually making for dinner at this baby shower, so if you have any suggestions I’m all ears. 😉 And, if you have any other suggestions for craft projects I’d sure love to hear those too ~ Happy Friday!

Looking for more frugal baby shower ideas?

Need some frugal gifts for mom?

The Only Way to Organize American Girl Clothes

January 13, 2017 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

So . . . this idea is just genius. 😉

My friend Jamie gave me this suggestion for organizing American Girl Doll clothes ~ and goodness, it makes life so much easier!

Last weekend my girls set to work, and in about 12 minutes that mess was fixed.

Success!

These over the door organizers are also awesome for cleaning supplies, snacks, gloves, mittens, hats, Legos, toys, you name it.

So.

smart.

If you’re looking for an organizer, Amazon has these for just $8.99 right now, and I love how easy they make it to store just about anything.

And, if you have other suggestions on how to organize American Girl clothes (or other toys too), I’d love to hear them ~ leave a comment to share!

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

The Best Baking Supply Bargains

December 16, 2016 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Now that we’ve almost finished our 12 days of Christmas baking series (download your free grocery list and cookbook over HERE) I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite ways to package all those goodies up!

I found most of my supplies at Hobby Lobby . . .

wrapped them up with inexpensive ribbon,

and found a few bargains at Michael’s & The Dollar Tree too.

I love those stores.

Here’s how the math on each container added up:

Big red and white carry out box 66¢ per box

Santa tin $1.75 at Hobby Lobby

Tiny box containers at Hobby Lobby 20¢ per box

Sliding Boxes from Hobby Lobby 50¢ per box

Polka Dot Sliding Box Containers from Hobby Lobby 75¢ each

Plastic bags 12/$1 at the Dollar Tree 8.3¢ each

Merry Christmas tag from Hobby Lobby 5¢ each

Merry Christmas Box $1 at Hobby Lobby

Christmas Tin $1 at the Dollar Tree

Green Christmas Santa Box $1 at Michael’s

Merry Bag and Santa Hat tag 15¢ at Hobby Lobby

Polka Dot and Striped Bags 12¢ per box

Chalkboard Clothespins 13¢ per box

Gift Card Holder 50¢ each

Be Merry Box 75¢ per box at Hobby Lobby

Hope this helps you pinch a few extra pennies this Christmas, as well as spoil someone special you’re thankful for this year. Enjoy!

Looking for more bargain DIYs?

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

Interact with 570K+ Penny Pinchers on Facebook and Twitter or Subscribe to Passionate Penny Pincher by email to keep up with all the penny pinchin’ deals!

Dollar Tree Christmas Centerpiece

December 2, 2016 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Need an inexpensive Christmas centerpiece for an event this Christmas season?

This is for you.

Here’s what you’ll need:

a grapevine or greenery wreath $1 at the Dollar Tree
red candle votive $1 at the Dollar Tree
2-3 berry twigs $1 at the Dollar Tree

Just take the berries and place all around the wreath, light the candle, and you’re done.

I used a blanket scarf as my table runner (this weekend only they’re $12.95, shipped at Cents of Style when you use the code BLANKET16 at checkout.)

Done!

Looking for more Dollar Tree DIY?

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

Interact with 570K+ Penny Pinchers on Facebook and Twitter or Subscribe to Passionate Penny Pincher by email to keep up with all the penny pinchin’ deals!

Dollar Tree DIY

November 18, 2016 by Laurie 1 Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Need an easy Thanksgiving Centerpiece? Here’s all you need:

Glass Jar from Dollar Tree $1
Twine from Dollar Tree $1
Glue gun and lots of glue gun sticks

Before . . .

After . . .

Done!

Looking for more Dollar Tree DIY?

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

5 Reasons You Need to Get an Amazon Prime 30-Day Trial NOW

November 17, 2016 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

If you’ve been considering signing up for an Amazon Prime 30-Day Trial – now is the absolute BEST TIME in the whole year to do it.

Not later on this month. Not sometime before Christmas…

THIS. WEEK.

Why?

Folks, Black Friday is coming, Lightning deals are coming, Cyber Monday is coming – it’s all about to hit and I want you to be able to save some serious money during these sales!

5 Reasons to Get an Amazon Prime 30-Day Trial NOW

****NOTE****If you’ve already done your trial and are waiting for the membership fee to drop – don’t miss this!!

Amazon announced Wednesday they will offer a 1-DAY discount on Prime memberships TODAY, 11/17/16. For only 24 hours the cost of a 1-year Amazon Prime subscription will drop from $99 to just $79!

.

1 . FREE 2-Day Shipping

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ordered last minute gifts and the Amazon Prime 2-Day shipping saved the day. As we start getting closer and closer to Christmas – this will come in SO handy to put presents under the tree and send gifts to family around the country.

That’s why now is the BEST time to get a 30-Day Free trial – from now until a week before Christmas you’ll be scoring free shipping on just about anything you could possibly be shopping for!

2 . Cheap 1 -Day Shipping

For only $3.99, Amazon Prime members can upgrade to 1-Day Shipping. (The cost for non-members is $9.95.) In my opinion, that’s pretty reasonable for 1-Day delivery!

Plus if you live in select cities around the country – you may actually qualify for same-day delivery, which is just nuts! Those lucky ducks can get things delivered by 9pm (isn’t that incredible, really?)

3 . Early Access to Lightning Deals

Amazon shoppers who are Prime members will also get a 30-minute early access to select lightning deals.

Additionally, certain Amazon sales are ONLY available to Prime Members – you don’t want to miss those with all the Black Friday and Holiday Deals about to hit!

You can find out more about Amazon Lightning Deals and Black Friday sales in general in my post 5 Secrets to Shopping Amazon on Black Friday.

4 . Books, Movies and Music Streaming

Kids will be taking a break from school, family will be visiting, and some of us will be traveling.

It’s a great time to use the Free Kindle library, stream movies and tv with Amazon Instant, or make a holiday playlist on Prime Music. Check out the selection of great movies and shows here!

5 . Convenience!!

I’m telling you guys – I use Amazon for just about everything – it helps this busy momma stay sane sometimes!

Save yourself trips to the store for just about ANYTHING with Amazon Prime. It makes a crazy time of year a little bit less crazy – because there is such a wide variety of things you need at your fingertips. (And they all come right to your door!)

Grab extra cookie sheets for holiday baking, or a new turkey-roasting pan.

Restock on pantry items like paper towels and dishwasher detergent.

Even schedule in a Christmas movie night and the popcorn to go with it!

Check out my weekly post here on how to get an Amazon Prime Pantry Box filled with good deals and shipped for free 🙂

Not sure if Amazon Prime is worth the money? Go HERE to make an informed decision, but if you’re even thinking about it, remember it’s on sale 11/18/16 for 24 hours only. Love that!

22 (more!) Items You Should Buy On Amazon

See more Amazon Deals, and remember when you subscribe and save to 5 or more items in one month, you’ll also save an additional 15% on all of your subscribe and save purchases.

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Join Amazon Prime for one month free – Watch Over 40,000 Movies for free plus get free shipping on thousands of items

How Much Do Real Families Budget For Christmas?

November 15, 2016 by Laurie 9 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

A friend of mine once asked: “How much do real families budget for Christmas gifts for their children?”

Yikes.

If there was ever a question I didn’t want to get into at Christmas, that would be the one.

It did get me thinking though—and after sixteen Christmas mornings with a few of the cutest kids running around our home, our family has learned a thing or two.

1. Decide when your children are young what Christmas will look like for your family.

Goodness, I wish I could tell every momma of a one-year-old that they simply don’t need to spend more than $20 (at the very most!) on that little one.

Babies have as much fun with the boxes as they do the actual presents . . . and my bet is a few family members will add a bundle of gifts to their Christmas treasures.

By choosing to purchase less when they’re little, you’re paving the way for your child’s future expectations.

If you shell out $500 in gifts to a four-year-old, just imagine what their expectations will look like when they’re fourteen.

Start simply.

Be different.

Determine when your kids are young that Christmas will be about more than dozens of gifts under the tree.

2. As your children get older, continue to keep it simple.

Remember the thirty-two bins of toys you hauled to the thrift store last summer?

That may have been because your kids simply received a few too many gifts on Christmas morning.

Instead, choose a few items that your child will love and let the rest go. Before making a single purchase, consider if the gift will end up in the bottom of the toy bin in a week or two.

If so, your child probably doesn’t need it to begin with.

3. You don’t have to keep up with the Joneses. (Really.)

Be okay with doing things differently.

Inevitably, on Christmas day when neighbor kids race outside with Christmas treasures, my kids have occasionally felt a wee bit disappointed.

“Why did Santa like them better than me?”

That, folks, especially with young children, is a tough one.

Our answer has been that Santa checks with parents before he hands out the Christmas gifts, and since our children know we choose to live differently, they seem satisfied with our answer.

(And trust me, if you saw our home, you’d have no doubt that our kids have plenty.)

Rather than trying to make Christmas special for your child by keeping up with someone else, encourage them to make Christmas special for another child.

Adopt an Angel Tree child and let your kid choose gifts for them.
Donate food to a local food drive and let your child help do the shopping.
Fill an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox to send to children who may get nothing else this Christmas.

And on Christmas morning, be the parent who plops down on the floor to help build that new Lego set. (Your undivided attention will be more valuable to your child than any Christmas gift. I promise!)

4. Christmas will change as your family changes.

What Christmas morning looks like this year in our home is different than what it looked like fifteen years ago.

Our finances have changed and our kids have changed, so we’ve made adjustments along the way.

For Christmas this year, we’ll spend around $125 on my nine-year-old, thanks to some incredible deals I’ve scored shopping early (and she will have plenty).

Christmas for my sixteen-year-old will look a little different, though, and he’ll probably get a few things he needs, in addition to some fun gifts. (Gifts for a sixteen-year-old just cost more. I haven’t figured out a way around that!)

5. No matter their ages, set a budget for each child’s Christmas.

Don’t be tempted by a last-minute deal to fill up space underneath the tree. Instead, decide your limits ahead of time, and stick to them this year.
Don’t go beyond your budget to make Christmas special for your children.

Instead, make Christmas by creating lifelong memories, choosing unique gifts just for your kids, and making your home just the place your children want to be on Christmas morning.

Especially if your children are little, think small because that sets the expectation for the next year.

Determine to make Christmas special by enjoying family traditions, and know that the choices you make today pave the way toward financial freedom in the future.

Looking for more posts like this? Here you go:

Dollar Tree Gifts to Give

November 11, 2016 by Laurie 1 Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Grab my list of 101 Stocking Stuffers under $1 or less over HERE!

Dollar Tree Gifts to Give

Y’all know I love gifting from the Dollar Tree . . .

So here are a few ideas.

Grab a bucket from the Dollar Tree or One Spot at Target, and add the words “JOY” (I made mine with my Silhouette Cameo Cutter and contact paper.)

Make this cute snowman using candles and ribbon from the Dollar Tree (the bell ornaments are from the Dollar Tree too.)

So simple, and perfect to give as a teacher gift this year with a gift card attached, or even for kids to make as a class project!

You can also set your table using this cute scarf (seriously folks, I’m addicted . . . )

And you’re all set. Success! 🙂

Looking for more Christmas fun at the Dollar Tree?

See more previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

Interact with 353K+ Penny Pinchers on Facebook and Twitter or Subscribe to Passionate Penny Pincher by email to keep up with all the penny pinchin’ deals!

Best Cookie Jar Ever

November 4, 2016 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Oh my.

I’m so excited about this.

Like. I. *love*. this.

And I soooo hope you do too!

This last week my mom was in town visiting and we stopped by Hobby Lobby. They had their glassware marked down to 50% off (remember, almost everything is marked 50% off at Hobby Lobby every other week, and if it’s not marked 50% off, you can always use a 40% off coupon. You’re welcome.)

So, because I absolutely love playing with etching cream (remember I’ve used it before HERE and HERE), I decided to grab a jar to work on, and made a few fun gifts! I was struggling with what to put on those jars, then it dawned on me that it would be so fun for my own kids to have my cookie recipe written down for them. 🙂

You can print your free recipe cards for my chocolate chip cookies over HERE if you’d like ~ they really are the best. 🙂

Here’s what I used (as well as my mistakes – I may actually re-do this tutorial next week because a few readers helped me learn along the way!)

First, you need etching cream and a few glass jars (these are huge – the smaller one was $12.50, I think the larger one was $20 but it was a gift for my mom who wanted a bigger jar.)

I used my Silhouette Cameo (I love this thing!) to cut out the words on vinyl adhesive . . .

(Here’s a peek at me practicing some of the letters on the Cameo . . . if you don’t have a Cameo though, you could easily make this using a stencil pattern or stickers in a pattern you love!)

Then I removed the backing from the vinyl and attached it to the glass, and painted with etching cream.

(Note – I learned from folks over on Facebook live that your’e supposed to actually wipe off excess etching cream before peeling the vinyl off ~ I had no idea and am going to have to try another jar that way!)

Then my mom started fluffing those jar gifts using a few fun items from the Dollar Tree 🙂

These super cute bells and berries were from the Dollar Tree (the spatula was $2 at Hobby Lobby . . . )

And for the record ~ this would be SO much better to give as a gift with those homemade cookies in the jar, however it was the week of Halloween and I could not possibly bake one more sweet in my house to fill this jar. You get the idea. 😉

I found the ornaments on clearance last year at Target 90% off, the snowflake ornaments were $1 at the Dollar Tree for a pack of two, and the Merry and Bright sign was from Hobby Lobby for $3 (this small jar was from Walmart for $4)

And we attached a Dollar Tree star (I love those big stars!) to the the large jar with “grace” which headed home to my mom’s house.

Overall, I’m so pleased with these little projects and am going to make a few of the cookie jars as gifts this Christmas (I’m so excited!)

(And, if you’d like a video tutorial how to use etching cream, here you go. It didn’t work perfectly on the Dollar Tree plastic containers, but hopefully it will give you an idea of how etching cream works!

Are you working on any homemade gifts this Christmas? I’d love to hear what you’re making ~ leave a comment to share!

Looking for more Christmas fun at the Dollar Tree?

See more previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

Interact with 353K+ Penny Pinchers on Facebook and Twitter or Subscribe to Passionate Penny Pincher by email to keep up with all the penny pinchin’ deals!

101 Items To Buy at the Dollar Tree This Fall

October 11, 2016 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Getting ready for fall but don’t want to bust your budget?

Be sure to check out the Dollar Tree before heading somewhere else! Here are 101 items to buy at the Dollar Tree this Fall . . .

For Halloween parties

Halloween paper plates
Halloween table cloths
Halloween cups
Halloween placemats
Halloween candy molds
Halloween treat bags
Halloween paper straws
Halloween plastic rings
Halloween candy bags
Halloween candy buckets
Halloween creepy plastic creatures
Halloween cookie cutters
Plastic candy containers
Fankenstein plastic cups with lids and straws for kids

For Fall parties

Fall plates
Fall glasses
Fall bowls
Fall placemats
Fall cookie cutters
Aluminum baking dishes

For Halloween decorating

Glow sticks
Felt pumpkin decorating kits
LED strobe lights
Silly string
Pumpkin carving kit
Helium balloons
Halloween centerpiece
“Fright” tape for Halloween yards
Halloween paper lanterns
Outdoor halloween decor
Extension cords

For Fall decorating & crafting

Fake pumpkins
Fall leaves
Candles
Candleholders
Mason jars
Scarecrows
Fall ribbon
Fall flowers
Fall centerpiece
Thanksgiving platter
Metal wreath rings
Grapevine wreaths
Raffia
Foam blocks
Foam wreaths

For costumes

Princess tiara
Princess wand
Princess gloves
Cheer pompoms
Chef hat
Chef apron
Fairy wings
Fairy skirts
Feather boa
Witches hat
Witches broom
Spider tattooes
Fake nails
Plastic necklaces
Baton for baton twirling
Hair ties
Plastic rings
Toy binoculars
Cowboy hat
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Shell
Ninja sword
Ninja vest
Camouflage hat
Fake mustaches
Light up swords
Finger lights
Spider tatoos
Pet costumes
Stuffed animals
Poster board for costume
Cardboard boxes if needed
LED lightup necklaces
Construction paper
Tape
Scissors
Halloween makeup
Makeup remover wipes 🙂

For “boo” bags (print your free “you’ve been boo’ed” letter HERE)

candy
toy rings
deck of cards
coloring books
glow sticks
bubbles
sidewalk chalk
play-do
yo-yo
silly string
fall craft kit

Halloween Candy

NOTE: Check the price on candy, some of the Dollar Tree prices can be high when you count per piece. For example, right now at Amazon you can get candy for a slow as 5¢ per piece ~ make sure you’re not paying more than that before buying!

Tootsie Rolls
Blow Pops
Starburst
Whoppers

Miscellaneous Stuff

Fall cards
Halloween cards
Large project board

Looking for more ideas on what to score at the Dollar Tree while you’re there? Here you go:

How to Decorate for Fall at the Dollar Tree

8 Frugal Ways to Decorate for Fall

33 Deals You Need to Buy at the Dollar Tree (the Christmas edition!)

Dollar Tree Pumpkin Craft

October 7, 2016 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Looking for an easy Dollar tree craft this October? Here you go!

Supplies:

Small faux pumpkins (watch for these at the Dollar Tree)
White craft paint (check the Dollar bins as well at Target or Michael’s)
Krylon looking glass spray paint
(2) Foam paint brush
Mod podge or liquid glue
Black glitter

1. Lay a couple sheets of old newspaper down on your craft surface

2. Use your foam paint brush to paint your pumpkins white and let dry

3. Next take your pumpkins outside, lay another piece of newspaper down, and spray your pumpkins with your spray paint and let dry

4. Now paint the bottom half of your pumpkins with your mod podge and immediately cover with glitter (best to do the glitter over the garbage or outside)

5. Let your pumpkins dry, shake off any excess glitter, and display

Looking for more ways to decorate for fall on a penny pinched budget? Here you go:

Monogrammed Burlap Table Runner

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

Stitch Fix Review

September 15, 2016 by Laurie 8 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Sooooooo, I’ve been curious about Stitch Fix for quite awhile, and was scrolling through Facebook a few weeks ago when I saw a friend on Facebook recommending it.

I wasn’t sure it was for me, but have such a hard time finding time to shop (and honestly don’t like clothes shopping all that much), so decided to try it out.

I loved how easy the process was ~ I was able to put in my style profile, share what types of clothes I liked, how things fit me, and share an idea of what I’m looking for on my profile, and I got a $20 credit just for trying it out.

So when my Stitch Fix Box arrived Tuesday, I was pretty excited to open it up.

Honestly? I liked almost everything in there, and it was very much my style.

But.

At the end of the day, I’m a really frugal girl, and the prices were just high for me. (In fairness, you can keep include on your Style Profile your current spending preferences, I just completely missed that.)

Here’s what came in my box . . .

Black top $48

After much debating, this is the only thing I kept ~ since I had the $20 free credit for trying it out, I decided I’d keep it for a conference I’m attending next week.

Jeans $88

These jeans were very comfortable, however a little too loose, and way too long (like, 4″ too long, and I’m 5’7″!) At $88 for the pair, even after hemming and especially since they were a little on the baggy side, I just couldn’t justify them.

Checkered Scarf in picture at the top of the page $34

Not bad, but I know I can find one I love just as much for half the price at TJMaxx.

Blue flannel top – $48

I have a very similar top that I bought from the Gap for $20 (really, almost identical), so I definitely couldn’t justify the cost. This one also had buttons up the back and was open from my waist down, and I just didn’t love that look (I’m pretty traditional and don’t need anything accentuating my booty!) 🙂

Grey striped sweater $48

Just didn’t love it ~ returned.

My thoughts?

I loved the convenience of it all. Having clothes chosen for me that really did fit almost flawlessly and delivered to my home was great. If I worked outside our home I could definitely see how this would be such a benefit for me.

I also LOVED (like, LOVED) that returning is super simple – I literally am just going to drop it in the mail, the shipping is pre paid, and I don’t have to do a single thing (which is why I’m still signed up for next month’s Stitch Fix Box.

But.

At the end of the day the clothes were on the pricey side, and my penny pinching soul just can’t do it. I am going to update my preferences for pricing next month and will be curious to see how it works out ~ I’ll let you know when my next fix arrives.

Would you like to try out Stitch Fix? Sign up through this link and you’ll get $20 deducted off your first styling (which is like trying it out for free) when you purchase any one item, AND if you keep everything in your box you’ll save an 25% off everything in the box.

Here’s exactly how it works:

Sign up HERE
You’ll be charged $20 for your Stitch Fix Styling
Your box will come when you schedule it
If you keep ANY items in your box, the $20 you spend for the styling will be put towards your purchase (so it’s like getting $20 in free credit!)
If you keep your entire box you’ll save 25% off the entire purchase
Invite friends on Facebook or via email (or even text messages) to sign up through you and you’ll get $25 in free referral credit ~ love that!

One thing to note – you have to send your clothes back in 3 days, so be sure to be aware of that prior to ordering!

This post may contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy to learn more.

Silhouette Cameo: Iron On Glitter Projects

September 2, 2016 by Laurie 2 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Want more? Watch this video to see us at work.

Soooo, I haven’t had much time for fluffin’ in our home lately, but we’ve had our Silhouette Cameo pulled out for the last few weeks and are determined to make some cute shirts before we go to Disney later this fall! (Our 16 year old’s high school band is playing at Disney, so we’re planning to tag along!)

A friend mentioned that she uses Iron On Glitter paper to make super cute shirts and I was determined to try it out. (The glitter paper is much cheaper at Amazon than we found at Hobby Lobby and Michael’s, so it’s worth ordering if you’re doing something similar anytime soon!)

Here’s what we made using a few fun t-shirts, bows and more at Hobby Lobby, Walmart and Amazon . . .

We found the onesie and chevron print diaper cover at Hobby Lobby as well as this bow . . .

The headbands were from Walmart (I think they were 4/$3?)

The girls wanted matching Disney tees to wear so we picked up the tees at Hobby Lobby for $3.99 (these took a bit of work, but finally turned out perfectly!)

And we used this huge pack of cheer bows to make a few cute bows (we had to even make one for our OSU-Buckeye-neighbors ~ I need more red bows because those are my favorites I think!)

So, there you have it ~ no major space updates in our home the last few weeks, but we’ve gotten a good start on one of our favorite projects. If you’ve been debating a Silhouette Cameo I really do love mine (but wait for a sale – I paid $199 for mine and have seen it drop once to $179, so crossing my fingers we see that one again soon!)

Note – I learned how to make these iron ons by following the directions over HERE ~ if you have other tips I’d love to hear those too!

See more previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

Goodwill Chair Makeover #2

August 26, 2016 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

I tackled just a little painting today. 😉

Before . . .

After . . .

As promised in the video, here’s what I used:

Annie Sloan Duck Egg Chalk Paint because I had some leftover (however you can also find much less expensive chalk paint at Walmart or your local craft store, or make your own ~ Amazon carries it as well)
Chalk paint finishing wax
Purdy paint brush (these are my favorite brushes by far)

Now this chair has a partner to match 🙂

Looking for more ways to work with chalk paint? Here you go:

How To Make Homemade Chalk Paint + Our $48 Goodwill Sleigh Bed
How To Paint A Piano (using chalk paint)

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

Hobby Lobby Happiness

August 19, 2016 by Laurie 2 Comments This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Remember two years ago when we just moved in and my daughter was determined to have an IKEA platform bed?

Yup. me too.

Making that bed though was quite near the death of me, so I finally gave in and decided it was well worth the money to start fresh.

(Y’all, getting that bed made up with clean sheets was an Olympic sized feat ~ so much so that I had to muster up everything in me to keep any potty-words from coming out.)

(Seriously.)

(It was ridiculous.)

So a few months ago we bought Caroline a set of full mattresses (hoping she would occasionally let her sister snuggle up at night), and found a headboard similar to this one online. (I can’t remember exactly where we purchased it, but I wished I’d realized it was really meant for a queen size bed not full/queen. The board is a little wider than the bed, but it’ll do!)

Her dresser was the one I had growing up that we re-painted several years ago, and for now we brought up these garage sale nightstands from the guest bedroom. (Honestly, we don’t have guests all that often so it makes more sense for her to use them!)

Then I remembered this frame I’d found on clearance for $3 years ago (we’d actually moved it with us), and realized for just a few dollars we could update it to match perfectly.

We found fabric at Hobby Lobby along with a large piece of cork board . . .

cut the cork board to fit the frame (clearly Caroline and I aren’t expert cutters, but my sweet hubby came home and tidied things up a bit to make it work)

I stapled the fabric onto the board . . .

Caroline spray painted the old frame . . .

And for about $8 the bulletin board was done!

I found the flowers, lamp, and dishes at Hobby Lobby as well (all on sale for 50% off this week . . . )

As well as the signs to hang above her bed. (We’re actually waiting on one more anchor to go on the left side ~ our store was out but we had one shipped and it’s on its way!)

(She was in love with the anchor idea – I’m not totally sold on that anchor pillow but for now it works!)

I’d still like to find some inexpensive curtains and shades for those lamps (those lamps have been re-painted about 16 times, but I think with a new shade they’ll do?)

(Not that it matters too much – but Caroline isn’t allowed with a computer by herself in her room – however I was in there with her taking these pictures while she was watching the Olympics, and she used the computer to hide!) 🙂

And we may repaint those nightstands one day in a brighter color but for now they’re just fine.

We haven’t spent a bundle on the room, but it is so much better and should fit her through college. (I love that!)

If you have a room that’s needed some fluffing, a trip to Hobby Lobby might just get you all set up too. 🙂

More rooms we’ve updated in our home . . .

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DIY Tiered Tray

August 5, 2016 by Laurie 1 Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

Check out how one of my readers created her own version of the tiered tray from our recent post, 25 Days of Thrift Store Makeovers Day 19: Picture Frames ~ I love this! I asked her to tell me just how she made it so I could share – and here’s what she did. Love it!

After seeing this idea, I wanted to try and make one myself. I found 2 sturdy frames at a thrift store for $7 and a large wooden candlestick at another thrift store for just $1.

I was able to knock the wall mount off the candlestick and just sand down the spots where it attached. After wiping the dust from all three pieces, I used a leftover jar of sample paint to freshen them up. (Can’t beat free!) 🙂

The next step was adding the bottoms to the frames.

This project used pieces of pallet wood, but that was going to be too thick for my frames. I ended up using strips of lattice wood I had leftover from another project which just happened to already have that “weathered” look since they had been outside in the weather for almost a year 🙂

The thickness of the lattice wood was the perfect match for the frames. It was also easy to cut down to size with a small saw. After cutting them down, I glued the strips into place with a little E6000 Adhesive.

The next step was adding the candlestick to each tray. You’ll need a drill and a few long screws for this part.

The large end of the candlestick already had a hole in it (where the candle would normally sit), so I drilled a pilot hole into the center of the bottom tray and used a long screw to attach the large part of the candlestick to it.

For the smaller top piece, I drilled a hole into the top tray and used a screw from the top tray down into the top of the candlestick underneath. Before attaching the top tray to the bottom candlestick, drill a pilot hole for another screw to go up into the top candle stick. The holes will need to be close together so the screws will be hidden by the candlestick pieces. (You could also use glue for the this part!)

That’s it! Pretty simple. 🙂 I think it turned out great and only cost about $8 ~ yay!
I’d love for you to join me over on Pinterest (I love that place!) If you have a blog and have done a little fluffing in your home, I’d love to see it, so leave your link in the comments section. Also, if there’s a craft you’ve seen on a website that you’re hoping to make, feel free to share that link as well (I’m always looking for new ideas!)

See previous Friday Fluff Up projects and ideas . . . and Happy Fluffing!

DIY Platform Storage Bed On A Budget

July 8, 2016 by Laurie Leave a Comment This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and purchase something, I may earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you.) See my disclosure policy HERE.

My friend Misty created this platform bed for her son, and I LOVED the idea! Here’s a peek at how she made it for under $100.

My son turned 13 a couple of months ago, so I decided it was about time to get him out of his twin size bed that he has been in since he was 3! The only problem was that the old bed had a lot of storage under it, and I did not want to give it up. I started looking online for options to purchase, which were all too pricey, so I headed over to Pinterest to find ideas. Here are a few of my favorites pins:

My favorite idea was the first one. He has links to videos showing the entire process of his build, and I really liked the idea of using cabinets for the base. However, even Ikea cabinets would blow the budget, so I started my hunt for used kitchen or bath base cabinets that I could recycle.

I thought they would be easy to find at thrift stores, but after a couple of weeks searching all the local thrift stores, the Habitat ReStore, and Craigslist, I had not found enough cabinets to match up to build the base. On to plan B…I found these Better Homes and Gardens Square 4-Cube Organizers at Walmart for only $37.96 each.

I liked that these had a 100 lb. weight limit on the top of the cabinet. I had also seen so many cute pallet wood projects on Pinterest, so I decided to go with the new storage units and the old pallet wood for the rest of the base.

The next step in the hunting & gathering process was to find the mattress for the bed. This was important because I needed the exact measurements, including the thickness, to determine the platform size of the base. I wanted the mattress to have a flat transition from the slats to top of the storage units so the mattress could overlap the top of the storage units. I went with this mattress on Jet.com (also available at Amazon) which had great reviews and only cost $125 (after coupon).

I will say I enjoy building things and doing projects on my own, but I couldn’t have done this without my handy husband. Fortunately we had most of the tools we needed and borrowed the rest so we didn’t have to spend anything on that. We also had a lot of wood left over from rebuilding our fence a few years ago, so most of the 2×4’s we used came out of that. We did have to buy three 2x4x96″ studs to run the length of the bed frame and six 1x3x96″ boards for the support slats. We also had to buy screws and a couple of 2×4 hanging brackets.

You can also see in this picture that we decided to add a small headboard, which was not in my original idea. We added it to provide a backstop for his pillows and a shelf for his alarm clock. We used some of the longer old fence boards to create the headboard. After this step we added the 1×3 slats to the frame to support the mattress evenly and put the assembled storage units into place. (I did not permanently attach them to the base.)

For the footboard, I used an old pallet. I just measured the opening between the base posts and cut the pallet to fit. I’m planning to add a folding desktop to the footboard in the future…

The last part of the project was creating a door to conceal the storage area. I used a scrap piece of plywood for the back of the door then cut pieces of pallet wood to screw to the front creating a really rustic look. We had already positioned 2 support posts to the base of the bed where I wanted the door to go. We attached 2 hinges between one of the support posts and the door.

All in all we ended up spending right at $100 for the materials to build this bed, not including the mattress! My son loves it, and I’m happy to still have a place to hide the Legos and other stuff that he isn’t quite ready to get rid of yet. 🙂