Reusing Gel Window Clings

Halloween has come and gone, but I'm already preparing for next year!  Just by neatly packing away this year's decorations, I'll be ready for next year when it comes.

I know they're usually just $1, but I like to reuse the gel clings we get for the holidays.  (I can't wait to unpack my Christmas ones!)

Easy to put away, easy to reuse!  Simply fold neatly into wax paper and lay flat when you pack up.  

My Spice Organization Nightmare

This is my spice nightmare:

Spice Nightmare!

I had about 4 of these tubs FILLED with spices.  I had duplicates of several because I wouldn't be able to find what I was looking for, so I would buy more.  

I am a bit of an obsessive when it comes to organization, but this is one area I constantly pushed to the back of my mind.  I don't cook that often, so this was easy to do, for a little while.

But with my husband working more constant nights, I was spending much more time in the kitchen and much more time looking for my spices! 

I wanted to get a rack, but I had two big problems.  I didn't want to clutter my counter top any more.  I like clean, open counters.  But my big, money-saving, waste-not problem was that almost ALL racks come with spices.  I don't need more spices, I need to organize what I have!  

There are A LOT of options out there for obsessives like me.  Here are a few:

1. Drawer organization

  If you can spare a whole drawer, you can alphabetize your spice jars, and simply lay them down in an organized fashion, or buy one of these nifty things.  Unfortunately, drawer space is at a premium in most kitchens!

2. Cabinet Mounted

  You can purchase a simple rack, or spice clips to mount within your cabinet.  This was an appealing idea, and probably the runner up to my ultimate decision (which we'll get to momentarily!)  

3.  Spice Stack

  I liked this idea.  You can fit 18 bottles in one, and they pull out pretty easily.  I looked at one at Bed Bath and Beyond and just wasn't impressed with the quality for $24 a piece.  Had it been cheaper, I may have tried it.

4.  Tiered Organizer

  Easy to organize and affordable - but I can't stand the wasted space under the "stairs"!

5. The Spinning Rack

 And the winner is... dumb luck.  I found this rack on sale online at William Sonoma online for $20 each.  Now that I'm an expert, I realize that this was a bargain!  I went in the store where they had two for $16 each.  Done and done.  Solid wood and beautiful!  They are fairly compact - so I was able to fit two perfectly side by side in my cabinet.  And they are gorgeous, so I wouldn't be shy about displaying them on my counter if I had the space.  

Spice Heaven!

I bought the glass jars at Bed Bath and Beyond and printed my own labels.  I am obsessed with the result!  All said and done, the project was about $45.  It's more than I wanted to spend, but I couldn't be happier with the result.  I smile every time I open the cabinet - and I did this project 2 months ago!  BONUS - I enjoy cooking even more now when I get to spin my rack, and easily find my perfectly alphabetized spice jar.  

Hope this post helps you achieve spice heaven in your kitchen! 

Pinterest Halloween Costume

I had a Costume Party on the calendar last night.  As I started pulling out my cat ears, yet again, I realized that I was lame.  LAME.  How many times have I lazily donned cat ears and a tail and tried to pass it off as proper Halloween attire?  As a child, it can be cute.  As a teen/college student, it's another cliche "sexy" costume.  As an adult woman, it's LAME.
So, with about 3 hours before my party, I began sifting through Pinterest for ideas.  It is a treasure trove, I tell you!  But I had limited time and materials and the ideas that fit my constraints were very limited.  UNTIL I found this: http://www.pinterestinterests.com/2012/10/pinterest-diy-adult-costume-fresh-from.html?m=1

Genius.  I am after all, a serious Pinterest connoisseur.  The directions on that link are very easy to follow and concise.  But here is what I did (basically the same except for use of a glue stick!):

Materials:
White t shirt, not too tight
Red Felt
Pins
Safety Pins

*you also need a computer/smartphone and printer

1. I googled a large sized Pinterest Logo, and copied and pasted to Microsoft Word.  Then stretched it to fill the page and printed in grayscale and draft quality to conserve precious printer ink!
2. I pinned the printed logo to my felt and began cutting.  (The original instructions recommend using a glue stick, but that did not work at all for me - pins worked perfectly!)  MAKE SURE TO USE GOOD SCISSORS - or this process will go very slowly and painfully.  I cut the whole circle out with crappy kitchen scissors before switching to my sewing scissors - and after that, it took just minutes to finish!
3. I used Krazy glue (but any Elmer's/craft glue should work!) to glue to my shirt.  Try the shirt on and find the best place for your logo before committing with glue.  Thankfully, it was dry 1.5 hours later when I needed it!
4. Print some of your favorite Pinterest Pins on a heavy paper - I used cardstock.
5. Safety Pin them to your shirt while you wear it.  

Ta da!  I'm Pinterest!  Now if I could get some people to follow me...

No, I did not win the costume contest, but I was a big hit!  And the whole costume stayed together very well.  I plan to wear it a few more times this October!  

Halloween Decorating

Happy October!  My boys are practicing their "trick or treats" tirelessly, and as of today, the house is decorated!  I'm not much of a seasonal decorator until Christmas, but I'll admit, as the kids get older, it's getting more fun to decorate for the other holidays.

Our front yard cobwebs might not be much to look at - but I was following the direction of one bossy four year old and his spiders.  This experience ended up being some serious quality time with S, while his daddy was at work, and little brother was napping.  

Now, for some tips!  I'm going to write a post about my new love affair with dollar stores shortly.  Today, I spent $4 at the 99 Cent Store on more cobwebs than I could ever use (or could I...?), two glitter bats, the hanging skeleton you see in the picture, and some gel clings for the glass door.  The cobwebs came with some spiders, and I had many more left from previous Halloweens.  

1.  Don't spend a lot of money - the dollar stores have the same packaged body parts, creepy skeletons, cobwebs, and any other decoration at the Spirit Stores or Party City, but they're FAR cheaper.  Halloween is about fun, you don't need to get too ornate of expensive!  (I like to save that for Christmas!)
2. Use what you already have.  For example, I simply stacked the boys trick or treat buckets on top of an old Halloween box - and I'm pretty happy with the tower effect!
3. Pumpkins!  You can't see them in my photos - but pumpkins are the best.  That's all.
4. Reuse the gel clings!  Just stick them between wax paper until next year.
   
5. Involve the kids!  S had a hard time getting the cobwebs to stay - so I let him direct me as I did it and he followed along with the spiders.  He LOVED putting the gel clings on the door, and rearranged them several times.  Next year, I plan to give him and his brother a few dollars and let them pick out more $1 decorations.

At my house during Halloween, I'm more concerned with the quality time with my sons decorating and enjoying each other than I am with the actual finished product.  It's not overly scary, or overly decorated - it's just fun.  And we had fun.  And that's what it's all about, right?!  

Scraps into Sign

  In my beautiful, new to me, rental house kitchen, there is a soffit above the sink, that has been dreadfully boring since we moved in.  It needed something.  But again, the budget.  Wa wa waaaa...  Not much room for decor in that little budget.  So I do what I do best, and I improvised!  

 I cut the "friends and family" out of a piece of scrap book paper a friend had given me, and I cut up a burlap wine bag I had with my wrapping paper collection.  I used hot glue to hem the burlap, and a glue stick to glue the paper. Finally, I added ribbon with more hot glue, and Ta Da!  My soffit is naked no more. 

  Eventually, I'd like to put something up there relating to pie..but I haven't figured yet what that is.. Mmm..pie..

Hanging Cork Strip

  Here is a super simple and fun way to use some of your old corks.  Mine is still a work in progress.  I don't like where I hung it, and I plan to build a shelf right there.  And I don't love the yellow ribbon.

 Now, I found the inspiration on Pinterest, and the Pinner suggested used a yard stick to glue your corks too.  This is GOOD advice.  But if, like me, you're in a hurry and don't have a yard stick, you can use ribbon. The downside to ribbon is that if you bend it too much, the corks easily come off, and you can only hang it vertically.  To hang horizontally, you really MUST use a hard surface, like a yard stick.                                                                                                                                            





SUPPLIES:                                                                                
1. Corks!  As many or as few as you choose                              
2. Hot glue gun and glue                                                            
3. Wide ribbon or (preferably) a yard stick

4. Scissors

Directions could not be any simpler: Glue corks to ribbon/stick.  Make sure you leave a space to attach it to the wall.  Hang and, Voila!  Practical cork art.  I love it.  Now I just need to find a better place to hang it...

Just call me Bargain Betty!

I have been working hard to stick to my budget.  But like many of us, I still get that itch to shop!  Often!  So I'm trying to get more into garage sales, rummage sales, and the like.  I've had GREAT luck lately!  So I wanted to share some tips with you.

1. Go early!  The best deals usually get picked up in the first hour - so get up early!
2. Go late.  Some of the best bargains and giveaways can be gotten at the end of the day when the sellers are tired and ready to see everything GO!  I scored my son's Pottery Barn Anywhere Chair (like theses http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/boys-anywhere-chair-collection/?cm_src=AutoCSLPIP) for $10 at the end of the day!
3. Don't be afraid to negotiate - especially if you're buying  a bunch of stuff and especially if it's late in the day.
4. Be inspired!  Some of my best crafts and kids' activities have been inspired by random stuff I found at garage sales.  You never know what you're going to find!

Stay tuned for tips on your own successful garage sale!