Still Thrifty

So as I continue to try to save money I have become a crafting demon.....Here are a couple ideas. both of them I stole either from my great friend (Tracey ;) or from my other great friend Pinterest... both are inexpensive and easy to make.

The base is an inexpensive candle stick from the dollar store. On top, I have glued another inexpensive find from the dollar store - a vase. I used glass glue and within 24 hours they were good to go. I filled them with candy for valentines and now I have jars I can use year round. (I put the E on with my vinyl lettering. I have some vinyl that looks like etched glass....such fun!)

Here is a teacher gift idea. The details are on my "Teacher Gift Page"

I have noticed that there is a level of satisfaction as a stay-at-home mom with these craft projects. When I was working, I worked toward goals and accomplished them. I might not have accomplished each goal daily (I was a teacher....it takes time) but inevitably I would find some sort of success and accomplishment on most days. As a stay-at-home mom I do not get that same level of accomplishment. Of course, one could argue, that I am making such a great difference by staying at home.....yada...yada...yada....and certainly I believe that I am doing something beneficial BUT it is not the same as someone actually telling you "Hey, you're doing a great job!"OR "Wow, now I get it!" Needless to say.... seeing a craft on Pinterest and doing it....gives me that sense of accomplishment. Now these accomplishments might be small but it is something....and I am proud!! :) At least it is a finished product because my "mom" job is always a work in progress.... :)

Thrifty Mom

In my first year as a stay at home mom I spent WAY too much time in and out of stores. Once my house was clean and laundry was caught up I would gather my wallet and rush to the stores. While I was not heading to "top of the line" boutiques (Marshall's, Target and Hobby Lobby were my daily haunts), I found that I was doing too much spending. SO...in 2012 I have decided to repurpose and reuse. Here is an old ladder that I found in a barn in Pennsylvania (when I lived there). I have used it in several different ways in various houses. For a long time it was a towel rack. I loved it as a towel rack but in our house in Texas there was not a place to put it so now it holds magazines in our kitchen. I love the way it looks and how it adds 'ease' to one of my favorite spots in my home.

Homework....

Unfortunately, I am afraid that this will be a common subject at this time of night as I reflect on the past 3 hours. Seriously. (And today was a pretty good day). I had both of my kids in tears by 7 p.m. Now please, I promise that is not my goal...but here is the info...
My daughter wanted to argue that she should subtract 750 from 534 when it was actually the other way around (she is in 3rd grade....no negative numbers here). I tried to explain, ad nauseum, that if she wanted to find out "how many more boxes of cookies did Natalie need to sell to meet her goal of 750 boxes of cookies when she had already sold 534 boxes of cookies?" - she needed to SUBTRACT 534 from 750!!!! My daughter wanted to first subtract 750 from 534....somehow she got 33. THEN she wanted to add who-knows-what together. By the end of it she was in tears and I was pouring my second glass of wine......THEN...
My son....after completing his homework...did not understand why he had to work on his pinecar derby car instead of playing Skylanders. "Isn't that Daddy's car anyway????" Poor child doesn't understand that it is HIS car that Daddy makes....but he is SUPPOSED to be interested in it!!
O.K. I am on my third glass of wine.....really??????

How to NOT be tired at 3 p.m.

O.K. so I am sitting here trying to figure out how to NOT be tired at the exact time that I pick up my children from school. I mean seriously...I am certainly WORKING while at home but it seems like I am supposed to be full of energy when my homework arrives home from school...but for some reason I am not. Maybe it's that same old dread of homework (certainly no one thinks that the kids actually do this work on their own from their own intrinsic desire to get it done). Anyway...homework is another topic, for now I need to find a way to energize myself in the late afternoon. An afternoon run, a cup of coffee, a nap? I have tried them all but nothing seems to work. Three o'clock is too early for a glass of wine (although it is 5 o'clock somewhere...right?), but wine will just relax me anyway and I need to rev up - not relax.
I am a stay-at-home mom for Pete's sake...that is the time when my MOM part really kicks in....I need to figure this out.
...still thinking....not sure what I will try today but I will let you know...

Room Redesign

O.K. so I have a large kitchen that I LOVE and a formal dining room that I NEVER use. The plan is to turn the formal dining room into a game/wine tasting/ husband's office - type room. This is quite a challenge. I need to find a low round table and 4 smallish club chairs... BUT I can't spend a lot of money....really? Is this possible?? I found an awesome chalkboard wall idea of Pinterest with a wine bottle holder attached to the wall. This was so adorable because you can write the names of the wine right on the chalkboard wall. I have painted the wall but now I need the wine rack.... Trying to do this remodel as DIY as I can even though I don't have a lot of DIY skills....I guess I need some new skills!

First Teacher Gift Idea

Take a look at my teacher gift page....such fun!! I am making one for myself!

Say YES to the playdate!

If you are like me you were/are afraid of a playdate at your home (think of various 6 year olds in your house...yikes!) But what I have learned is that I/we need to let go. It is actually very helpful to have your children entertained by other kids - you are no longer their playmate....yippee!! With 3 six year old boys at my house I am content doing what I need to do (which right now is writing on my blog). So, let your guard down and let the kids come in -  you will find the extra time very useful! (Just have some snacks on hand!)

Where does the time go??

So you know I am a stay-at-home mom without any kids at home. Crazy right? So what the heck do I do? Today I have managed to get to Target (I always like to check out those dollar bins for gift ideas), the boy scout shop, finally got my car cleaned (Yuck! lollipop sticks - really?), Hobby Lobby (to pick up burlap for future projects), then laundry, laundry and more laundry. Now I am 2 hours away from school pick up and I feel like I have not accomplished anything! Why is that?

Year 1 down

After a my first year as a stay at-home mom, I think I am finally getting the hang of it. (Today is a good day.) Mind you, BOTH of my children are in elementary school, therefore some people probably think I am a mom-wimp (maybe I am), but believe it or not, it is still a challenge.

So many people ask me "what do you do all day?" O.K. people, FIRST, that is a rude question and second...to answer your question A LOT!. The day flies by before I know it. No, I do not sleep in until minutes before my kids get up (or minutes before I need to take them to school). I get up around 5 a.m. and begin my day planning. What needs to be done today prior to the end of the school day? How can I save my family money on everyday and speciality items? How can I find better ways to keep my house clean and organized? Etc...etc...etc...

So this is day one of my blog. I think I am finally ready to share my challenges....and believe me there are many. So this is my honest diary of events....the life of learning2bmom!