It's The Time of Year

Garage Sale season will soon be upon us! As a matter of fact, I've been to two already this year - both charity sales held indoors. With really decluttering our house I've already noticed a difference in what I pick up - not much! I see nice things that before I would have bought but now think, "I don't need that, I don't have a place for that". I did find Becca some needed Justice clothing for a great price and Amy a nice pile of GAP clothing though. 

With my KonMari and 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge I have a HUGE pile of stuff priced and ready to go in my own garage sale. I am hoping to set up next week, though if the current weather conditions continue into next week that will not be possible. I'm just watching the weather conditions and waiting - as are my siblings and cousins who will be including their own items. It may happen on the spur of the moment. 

Whenever the sale happens, my goal is to set aside all my proceeds to use for my own garage sale and thrift shopping this coming summer. Money is tighter now and by doing that I won't be drawing from the family budget. I also plan to continue being much more selective in what I do buy, only purchasing items I truly need and love. It's amazing what deals can be found while garage sailing and I hope to highlight the fun finds here on the blog. I'll update on my own garage sale once it's happening. :)
 

Create!

The cooler, rainy days have lead to some creative inspiration recently. Probably as a way to "fluff the nest" for the upcoming months stuck indoors due to cold and snow. Make pretty things and it won't be so difficult to be stuck indoors? One can hope.

I bought this large frame at a garage sale for $1 and intended to use it in Amy's room with her initials inside of it. But then, as I contemplated a way to keep my jewelry organized I decided instead to use it for our bedroom. 

A sheet of wire from the garage. Some S hooks and clips for hanging the jewelry. Perfection.  

It looks pretty on the bedroom wall and is quite functional. I just need to buy a few more hooks for the rest of my necklaces to be hung up. 

I'm beginning to get my Etsy shop stocked back up with goodies for the Christmas rush coming in late fall. You can follow my Facebook page to get updates of new items.

I had to start on a cuff for myself first, as the words have been tumbling around in my brain.   

A reminder at hand (literally) to truly LIVE LIFE...every single day.
 

Naturally

I'm a big believer in trying natural products before going to pharmaceuticals. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and a place for picking up medicine at the pharmacy counter and I am glad that we have that option. But I also believe that God created natural plants that can often do the same, with less side effects, and I try to scope those out first.

I'm not a doctor though and do not suggest going off a medicine or trying a new supplement without talking to your doctor and doing your research first.

This is just what works for our family.

We always have a jar (or two) of Elderberry Syrup on hand. This really boosts your immune system and is especially helpful during the flu season.

My mother calls Activated Charcoal magic. I don't know how many times I've turned to this for stomach upsets, nausea, and more. There have been times that I have been *this* close to throwing up, I take one or two tablets, and within 15 minutes I can literally feel it absorbing the acid in my stomach.

On an added note. If you break open a tablet, pour it on a toothbrush, and brush your teeth with it you will notice a much whiter smile within a week (after rinsing out your black mouth!). 

Carditone has been a life saver for my husband. This summer his blood pressure was through the roof. Before going to the doctor and going on blood pressure pills for life we decided to try some supplements. He takes Carditone every other day and garlic, magnesium, and CQ10 every day. His counts have come down almost 50 points into the normal range and are staying that way!

These are just a few of the products that we use and have in the medicine cabinet. I'll highlight others throughout the next few months.
 

No Quilt Left Behind

Several years ago, after falling in love with quilts, I sort of made a silent commitment of "leaving no quilt behind" when I saw one for a good price at garage sales or thrift stores.

Not just any quilt, mind you, but handmade ones. The time, talent, and love that someone bestowed upon the quilt, as well as the recipient, does not go unnoticed by me. It often befuddles me that these sweet little cotton comforts even end up in the thrift store. Who donates their Grandma's quilt, their mother's handiwork? (I guess I should thank them or else I wouldn't have such a stash myself!) 

Last week these two beauties came home with me.  

There have been times, unfortunately, where I have had to leave one behind. They were just too far gone for me to save, were much more like cutter quilts (only useful for cutting up to make smaller projects from) and I'm not at that level of expertise to bring them back to life yet. I know that someone is though, as they are always gone the next time I visit that store. The vintage fabrics call to me but the stains, holes, missing edging, etc. make me set the pathetic things back in place. I'll get there someday - where I can rescue them all and give them a loving home. ;)

For now they are on shelves waiting for a cold winter's day, plopped on the couch giving cuddles during movie time, in the car ready for a picnic. Well loved and used often.  

A Snappy Side Table

This past spring I picked up this beverage cart at a thrift store for $10.

I had plans on painting it white and using it on the porch for potted plants. It sat in the garage waiting for some inspiration to hit.

This past weekend I moved some furniture in the living room around and realized that I was now in need of an end table. 

Inspiration finally hit.

I put hubby to work on "my project" (yeah, it pretty much was his project as he did all the work for me!). 

I wanted a shabby chic feel to it and love the color of the paint he chose and the distressing that he did.

It fits in with our shabby chic little corner (I'm not sure what's up with the lighting in this photo...I couldn't turn the lamp on or there was too much of a glare...so just roll with it. :)

I'm going to find the perfect little basket for underneath and this is where we can store books and magazines. 

The nice thing is that this little side table can easily be rolled out to the middle of the room and it's sides can be expanded to make a large table for movie night. Add a tray of drinks and a big bowl of popcorn and it will come in extra handy. 

$10 table, a $3 can of spray paint, and a little imagination goes a long way.
 

Fresh

Being gone for 5 days in July means returning to a bounty in the garden (as well as a bounty of weeds!). 

It's amazing just how quickly things can grow and change in the garden.

Look at the giant cucumber! It was as long as Amy's legs! It actually still tasted good too, no bitterness or giant seeds in it.

One night I tried to make as much of our meal out of the garden as possible. I ended up with:

*Open face bagel sandwiches. They were whole wheat bagels, a slice of tomato (from the garden), bacon, and cheese.

*Green beans and onions (from the garden) and bacon

*Cucumber and green pepper (from the garden) salad

*Strawberries

That is a summertime meal! Yummy! 

Create Porch Decor

When I bought a mirror with a pretty blue frame at a garage sale for 50 cents I had plans to put it up in the girl's room. It would match the yellow one already in there quite well.

Plans change when the mirror got broken (shhhh...don't tell Joe about the seven years of bad luck!). I decided to re-purpose it into a craft for the porch.  

After buying the letter F at Wal-Mart for $1.95 I had Ben paint it grey with paint that we already had. Then I used yellow washi tape that I already had to make stripes. We Hubby then hung them separately on the siding. A very quick (less than an hour) and inexpensive (total was about $3) project!

Instead of throwing something away, look at the item in a different way to see what it could be turned into instead. You know, when life gives you lemons...make lemonade. Or when children brake mirrors, get creative... 

Edited to add: a close up of the letter for Gill who asked in the comments. Excuse the raindrops on the letter...we had a huge thunderstorm right before I snapped the photo.

 

Purge

This weekend seemed like a good time to purge excess clutter around the house. I was in a grouchy mood and felt like I was walking around, as well as tripping on, piles of stuff.

So I took everything out of the dining room (besides the furniture, that is), and then slowly brought it back in. By doing that I was able to see what items I didn't want in there. What items I didn't love. What items were just stuff, instead of needed/wanted things.

Therefore, I was left with a very basic, minimalistic dining room that feels more open, more light, more useful. 

(Why this picture is slanted I do not know.)

It contains my little corner shelf. My dining table. And my buffet which holds the kid's school items. That's it. 

Perfection!

One bag of stuff ready to be donated. One room down. A million left to go!

On a side note, we also cleaned out part of the garage and got rid of a pile of stuff on the curb. I'm glad someone else is able to make use of the items and glad we have some cleared space.

Nature Heals

The past few months my face has broken out horribly, especially on the chin area. I don't know if it's stress, hormones, bad eating, the heat, or a combination of it all. But it was bad. 

I tried everything in my cabinets. Acne spot cream, the generic form of ProActive, face masks, and more. Nothing worked. My face just got dry and peeled, along with more acne and more redness. This is embarrassing at the age of 32! All those products used to work for me but not this time.

Then I remembered the homemade deodorant in the cupboard.

 Tea tree oil and coconut oil are both powerful antiseptics and healing oils as well. I started to apply this to my face in place of all the other creams and within just a few days I noticed a drastic difference. It's been close to two weeks now and I haven't had new breakouts and the old ones are healing and close to gone! I could do without the baking soda in it (my next batch, solely for the face, with be just the tea tree and coconut oils).

A simple, cost effective beauty routine! If you don't have a source for tea tree oil or coconut oil a good place for both is Swanson Vitamins. I just restocked my supplement and medicine cabinets with several items from there and have always been happy with my orders (as well as the prices!). Use this link for $5 off your first order!  
 

Green!

I think I'll snap a photo of my gardens (both flowers and vegetables) periodically throughout the summer to document how it grows it changes.

The flower bed out front is already starting to bloom on the border. I love seeing the bees and butterflys stopping by for a visit. 

My garden grew almost overnight with the rain we received the past few days. The peas are starting to climb so I just put the trellis out.

This year I am using grass clippings as mulch around the plants. It keeps the soil moist, cuts back on weeds, and adds nutrients to the dirt and plants. 

New to our gardening routine this year is our rain barrel. It comes in the nick of time as I just saw that our sewer and water prices are going up.

The barrel is filled with even a light rain and then can be used for watering the plants around the yard. The bonus, besides saving money, is that the plants enjoy rain water much more than city water (kind of scary when you think about it...we are drinking the stuff that the plants don't like!!).

Life, Lately

*Today my husband works his last day at the job he has held for 9 years. Next week he will be on to bigger and better things. More on that later!

*Becca took her end of year CAT tests. She scored pretty good, except in math. Which just reiterates that we will be continuing math through the summer. One of the many benefits of homeschooling.

I made violet jelly this year. The color is so beautiful. Unfortunately, I think I added too much liquid, which means it didn't jell as much as jelly should. Never fear though, it will be used as a simple syrup in drinks and on ice cream and pancakes. And I'll know to follow directions better next year.   

I also made strawberry rhubarb jam. That turned out perfectly and I can't wait to pull it out this winter and have a taste of spring in my mouth. I'm using our huge excess of rhubarb to make deserts and yumminess. A new favorite is this strawberry rhubarb crisp. We go through a whole dish of it for a snack! 

Joe has been practicing on his new skate board that he received for his 7th birthday. I imagine soon enough he will be doing tricks and turns and ready for the skate park down the street. 

I haven't bought a package of disposable diapers for over two months. Except for a few day trips, she has been solely wearing cloth diapers. It's saving loads of money, is better on her skin, and just makes the clothesline look pretty. I'm so glad for the sunny weather again, too, to catch up on all the laundry. My electric bill is happy as well, going down by $20-$30 now with the clothesline usage. 
 

Beauty

As we turned the calendar page over to May we headed off to deliver some May day baskets.

Suddenly, it seems, the truth of "April showers bring May flowers" rang true. The view from my bedroom window is a glorious one. Though the first heavy rainfall will ultimately knock all these delicate petals to the ground, the fact that this view is a fleeting one makes me savor it all the more.

I've been preparing all my garden beds this week and have high hopes for Jacob's memorial garden. It's a shady spot behind the garage, but each year a few handfuls of wildflower seeds scattered on the ground produce enough flowers for us to bring a small handful to his graveside each week. Daily, even, during the peak of the flower production. 

I'm trying container gardening for my cucumbers and tomatoes this year. We had such bad luck with the plants growing so well, starting to bloom and produce, then shriveling up to a curled little dead mess. It must be something in the soil, as the rest of my plants grow quite well. So we shall see how they grow in containers this year.

We took this little bed, usually reserved for vegetables, and scattered wildflower seeds within it as well. Flowers make me happy, so filling our yard with them shall bring us a little extra joy.

As I look around at the beauty that Spring brings, my heart fills with hope, joy, and amazement. I've been brought to tears these past few days by the beauty of it all. Because if our earth can hold such beauty, I can only imagine Heaven. Only fantasize about the exquisiteness that Jacob sees daily in Heaven. 


1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
 

Leather, Rinse, Repeat

I ran across, on Instagram, a way to clean up leather a few weeks ago. It reminded me of a favorite purse that I have, which I set aside due to some staining and wear.

I bought this Fossil purse at a garage sale several years ago, for something like $2 or $4. It's such a nice leather, and reminds me of a well worn saddle.

Once on vacation I bent down to observe some sea urchins in an aquarium and my purse fell in! The man opposite just stared at me, like "You dumb idiot!" and I wanted to shout "That's the least of my clumsiness!" 

Alas, my purse became somewhat water stained and dingy so I put it away in the closet.

Since I didn't have much to lose, I decided to try this little trick to clean up the leather. These are the before pictures: 

I added some warm water to a bowl and one (just one teeny tiny drop) of blue Dawn dish washing soap. I used a microfiber rag, got it wet, and rubbed the water into the outside of the bag. It's scary, because it does dampen and darken the leather and I was scared the whole time that I was ruining it (worse than it already was).

I then let it dry and it dried to a nice, clean, fawn colored purse, which I'm sure is what it looked like when bought new. These after photos show a cleaner, prettier bag:

I probably wouldn't try it with a $200 purse but when it's clean it or ditch it, it's worth a try to save it! I bet there is actual leather cleaner that you can buy, but I'm happy with these results!

Fluff Love

Look at that colorful goodness that arrived in the mail this week!

A few weeks ago Fuzzi Bunz was having a sale on their "imperfect" diapers (as a side note I see nothing out of whack with the diapers so the imperfections must be slight!) and with a code for free shipping and a percentage off I was able to get 6 diapers for $32 shipped. This is an amazing price for brand new cloth diapers. I wish I could have stocked up on more but they were literally selling out as I carted so I had to quickly check out just to be sure I received some!

I'm an on again off again cloth diaper-er. I don't use them in the winter as I don't like to dry them in the dryer. Once the weather starts to warm is when my babies sport the fluffy cloth bums! We don't use them at night typically and when away for the day we use disposables. I have a large basket of diapers that I've picked up on sale as well as at garage sales. Many dating back to when Jacob was a baby (9 years ago!) so it shows you how long they can last. I'll almost be sad when sweet Amy potty trains!  
 

Halloween Crafting

I wanted to do some fall decorating, though on a budget, this year and the best way of doing that is by making your own. I'm trying to also think outside the box and involve the kids as much as possible.

I had picked up a bundle of window branches at a garage sale for 50 cents. The kids painted them orange and black. We stuck them in vases that we already had, filled with black and orange strips of construction paper. We made ghosts out of tissues and hung them with dental floss. Joe even added some "dental floss spider webs" to his, which was cute. 

This whole project only involved the cost of the willow branches as we had everything else on hand. We've moved them to the buffet as Amy kept bothering them by climbing onto the table and I must say that it puts a little extra "Fall" into the air!