2018 Planner DIY

For the past couple of years, I have relied on a planner to help me to stay motivated and organized. I have always been a list maker and I was obsessed with my Trapper Keeper when I was a kid. I decided to try to make my own planner this year, one that was more suited to my needs. The first planner that I used for 2016 was a nice planner, but it was wrong for me. The planner was organized by each month. Then, each month had pages for each week. So, if you opened the book, the pages that were side-by-side were for each week. The week pages included each day of the week broken down by the hour. It was way too much for me. I think that kind of planner is great for someone who is super busy and juggling many tasks and schedules. For me, I felt like I had to schedule each hour like I had to fill in the time with chores, tasks, and goals. Then, if I fell behind schedule or didn't complete each task, I felt like a failure. Not to mention, the planner was uninspiring. 

For 2017, I needed something a lot more simple. My husband got me a planner that I really liked. It was a pale blue moleskin cover and it was a day planner. It was organized by the month, with a calendar for each section and then each day had a section to write down anything that you wanted to remember to do, almost like a journal. It was what I needed then. I never felt like a failure for not getting stuff done. 

For 2018, I wanted a planner that had a little bit of everything in one spot. I wanted a section for keeping dates and a schedule, I wanted a section for organizing the budget, I wanted a section for meal planning, and I wanted a section for blog planning. That way, everything would be kept in one spot and it would be so much easier for me to function, it is my household binder of sorts and I love it.

You can buy all kinds of planers out there, but since my needs were so specific, it made more sense for me to make my own. I bought my supplies at Walmart and The Dollar Tree. The actual three-ring 2-inch binder came from Walmart. I found it in the stationery/office supply section. Sold right next to the binder was a bunch of dividers that were the same size s my binder, so I grabbed those too. Then, I bought a bunch of fun paper clips with flags on them, also at Walmart, I think I spent less than $10.00 on all the supplies that I bought from Walmart. 

The rest of the supplies I got at The Dollar Tree. This includes stickers, washi tape, notepads, notebooks, an elasticated headband, gluesticks, a desk calendar, pens, and hot glue. I adhered velcro to the back of the notebook (above) and to the inside of the cover of the binder. That way I could remove the notebook if I wanted to write things down. On the inside of the back cover, I hot glued a cute sticky notepad that I found at The Dollar Tree.

On the back of each month, I glued these sections of the desk calendar. That way, I'd have a place to write down more notes and I wouldn't be wasting part of the calendar. I had already had cardstock on hand. I  cut the desk calendar to size and glued it to the cardstock in order to make it sturdier and then I marked where the rings were and used a hole punch to make the holes to poke the rings through. 

Then, I began the fun part, the decorating of the calendar. I was inspired by the planner videos of  CheapCraftyGirl on Youtube. I intend to get more stickers for each month as the month approaches and jazz up the pages more, but this is just the starting point. I think that approaching each month at a time and sitting down to decorate the monthly pages will be fun and a nice way to relax, it will also be a great creative outlet. I think that starting each month with decorating the pages will keep me motivated to stay on track.

For the meal planning section, I designed my own weekly chart on Windows and I laminated it. That way, I could write down a meal plan for the week with a dry erase marker and be able to edit the plan as needed. Then, when the week was done I could erase it all and start fresh. I also printed out a meal idealist that I made on my computer a long time ago. I just wrote down meals that were cheap and easy to make and that my family enjoys. This list has helped me come up with many meal plans; it's great to have when I can't think straight or when we have a tight budget. Having all of the ingredients listed in the meals makes it super easy to make a grocery list!

For the budget section, I printed out monthly budget charts that I found for free on Pinterest, so I printed twelve of those. I also printed out a bill tracker chart that was for the entire year. That chart was also free to print and found on Pinterest. I also found a nice weekly blog planner free to print on Pinterest. Lastly, I went on Pinterest and found a bunch of inspirational quotes and I printed them out to stick throughout my planner. Sometimes, it's nice to read kind words when you're being hard on yourself. Lastly, once my planner was assembled, it needed something to keep it tight. With all of those pages and additional notebooks, the binder wanted to splay open a bit. So, I bought a bunch of headbands from The Dollar Tree. The packet came with an assortment of colors and I chose one that I thought would complement the teal. I simply used hot glue to glue the headband to the back cover of the binder and positioned it where I felt it could keep the binder closed. I like the way it came out. I really didn't spend a whole lot on this planner/household binder. I will continue to buy more stickers and washi tape for each month, but I will be buying them at Walmart and The Dollar Tree since I am able to find adorable supplies at those stores and they are very inexpensive. I can't wait to go find some Valentine's themed stickers! This is going to be a lot of fun! With any luck, this planner will help me feel more confident in my managing of the household and I will feel less scatterbrained. Soon, I will be decorating the house for Valentine's Day and before I know it, it will Be March and I will be decorating for St. Patrick's Day! Until next time~ Toodahloo!

DIY Cake Stand Using Dollar Tree Supplies

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen a post I made with a picture of this cake stand. This project was super easy to make. I made it in two days because I wanted the glue to dry properly. I already have a very lovely cake stand but I wanted another one where I could place the gluten-free baked treats that I make for my stepdaughter. It didn't seem fair that the rest of us were able to have our treats displayed on a nice cake stand while she is reduced to a boring old plate. I wanted something special for her, where I could present her treats in a pretty and inviting way. Ever the frugal crafter, I decided to make one. While I was out on a girl day with my bosom friend, I searched the Dollar Tree for items that I could use to fashion a cute cake stand. I already had some ideas in mind, after searching the Dollar Tree website.

I knew the plate and bowl that I wanted, so I was able to find them quickly. I thought that I wanted to use another candlestick, but then I found the one that I chose. It is very solid and sturdy, and it was even heavier than the one that I had originally intended to use. Those candlesticks come in black or white, so I chose black. Then, I needed and handle. At first, I looked for a knob, but couldn't find one. Then, I looked and tealight candle holders, but I couldn't find one that I liked. I decided to think outside of the box and headed to the toy section. There, I found rubber farm animals and I thought that the sheep was not only the perfect size and weight for the handle, but it also matched the color scheme.

After I brought the candlestick home, I noticed that it was scuffed up. I decided to paint the entire surface with chalkboard paint, simply because I had it on hand. I left it on my deck to dry while I worked on the rest of the cake stand,

Using a clear salad bowl that I found in the catering section, I used the super glue that they sell at the Dollar Tree to stick the sheep to the bottom of the bowl. I flipped the bowl upside down, squeezed a tiny bit of glue to the bottom of the sheep's hooves and centered it onto the underside of the bowl. I set the bowl aside and allowed for it to dry overnight.

Next, I wanted to glue the candlestick to the underside of the plate. I found the center of the plate and I used a dry erase marker to trace the shape of the top of the candlestick. This way I could place super glue on the plate and the candlestick so they would adhere more securely.

After squeezing a bead of glue around the perimeter of the candlestick top, I added more glue on the circle outline and carefully placed the candlestick on the underside of the plate. I let that dry over night.

The next day, I had an adorable cake stand. The bowl just barely fit on top of the plate, so keeping it on was tricky. I need to add a lip along the edge of the plate to keep the top on better. Were I to try this again, I might use one of the plate chargers that are sold in the dish aisle. I really do like how this came out. It almost has that "Farmhouse Chic" that ladies seem to be going gaga over lately. I am just happy to have a cute cake stand for the gluten-free goodies. It fits the decor of my kitchen and it only cost me $4.00 to make, because I already had the glue and painting the candlestick is entirely optional. If you were going to do this with all new supplies, it could be done for $5.00, not including tax. Still, a nice bargain for something that you will only use on certain occasions. This would be a cute thing to try for different holidays, too. Think of the fun you could have with holiday decorations for the handle, and festive colors for the base! I had a lot of fun doing this and would likely try it out again. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Tackling Small Home DIY's and Pretending To Know What I'm Doing, pt.2

An old chair from a set that I had in college.

 As I mentioned in my previous post, I am a frugal diyer. I wanted to make little changes to the kid's rooms to help make studying easier this year. I gave my desk chair to my step-daughter and decided to use my yoga balance ball at my desk instead. My step-son never really used his desk, but when he saw her chair, he set up his desk and grabbed a spare chair that was stored away in our garage. I was surprised at this because I had previously offered my desk chair to him and he didn't want it. I suppose he decided to use his desk this year.

A layer of primer.

 Since he was going to begin using his desk to study at this year, I wanted to give him a more comfortable chair that matched his black desk. I went to my parent's attic and found a chair from a set of chairs that I had in college. The table is in our garage and I use it for a work surface, These chairs came with built-in cushions, that could be removed with screws. I removed the seat and sanded the surface of the chair to remove the gloss on the "wood." After wiping down the chair to remove any dust, I spray painted the chair in a highly ventilated area.

A layer or two of black spray paint.

 Once the primer had set, I painted several layers of black spray paint all over the chair, making certain that the layers were completely dry between coats. I used a can of spray paint that I already had on hand for the primer and I purchased the black spray paint for less than a dollar (I think it was 98 cents, but I'm not certain) at Walmart.

A fat quarter and hot glue to reupholster the seat cushion.

 While I waited for the paint to dry, I worked on the seat cushion. I spread my fat quarter, right side facing down, on my work surface and then centered the cushion, cushion side down, on the fabric. Using a hot glue gun, I wrapped the fabric around the cushion and glued it to the underside of the seat. I worked my way around the perimeter until the fabric was taught.

The final result.

Before I screwed the seat back onto the chair, I ironed the cushion to make the fabric nice and smooth. It really couldn't have been easier. I already had the chair and some of the materials that I used to make a chair for a study area. I only needed to invest in a can or spray paint and a fat quarter. This cost (roughly) $2.00 to complete. I think that is quite frugal and I like how it worked out. The chair matches the desk and the rest of the decor of my step-sons room and now he has a comfy chair to sit in when he's working on his computer. These are the kind of projects that I can handle. Some paint, a few screws, a glue gun, an iron and a sander are simply tools and supplies that I feel comfortable using and I feel happy making something old new again. Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Tackling Small Home DIY's and Pretending To Know What I'm Doing pt. 1

My laminate countertop after I sanded and cleaned the surface.

 I admit it, I am a bit of a home improvement diy wannabe. If I were a Spice Girl, I'd be "Crafty Spice," because I need to create. Growing up, I watched endless hours of  This Old House and Hometime on PBS. When the diy channel and HGTV became available on my cable channel package, I was a bit excited in a very dorky kind of way. To me, an idea of a good time is to cuddle up to my husband and watch Chip and Jo Jo and marvel at the before and after. When we were first able to get into our house last year, my husband spent a lot of time removing carpets and gutting the bathroom, while I scrubbed and painted walls. My kitchen needed love. When we are totally done with the kitchen, I will do an entire post on the before and after. Here I just want to show what I did to my countertops since I needed to re-paint a section last week. **I am not a professional. I am a novice, a housewife who experiments with inexpensive diy solutions. This is not recommended as a tutorial, it is simply a "show and tell" type of post. I am NOT an expert, I'm just showing you what I did..**

Adding a layer of primer.

 When we moved into our home it needed a lot of TLC. Most of it was on the surface. The old gal just needed a makeover with a little nip-tuck in one area. The rest of the makeover just involved some fresh paint, flooring, and curtains. With a bit of wall art, throw pillows and candles here and there. Since there was a lot of little things and an entirely new bathroom to install, keep on a tight budget was our only option. We didn't have the time nor the money to fuss about with installing new countertops. So, I did some research on Pinterest ( something I did A LOT during our home makeover) and I found a solution for updating our countertops for very little money. I bought a can of black chalkboard paint for $10.00 and a small foam roller for around $5 (we already had the roller handle, we just needed more sponge rolls). I already had a can of paint latex with a built-in primer, so I used that to prime the surface. The first time I did this last year, I skipped sanding the countertops. I shouldn't have done that, but I was in a rush. I recommend sanding the laminate surface and cleaning it so that the paint can really adhere to the laminate countertop. Since I skipped that step, it peeled off last week, which was why I had to do it again. This time I did it the right way.

My laminate countertop after the primer had dried.

 After sanding and cleaning the surface, I painted two layers of primer on the entire area. I made certain to really let these dry before adding another coat. This primer and the chalkboard paint took twice as long to dry because it was very humid outside.

My laminate countertop after I painted a few layers of chalkboard paint onto the surface.

 Once the primer was dry, I painted three coats of chalkboard paint, making sure the layers were dry before adding another. I really should have let each coat dry for a day to harden properly, but when you have pets trying to jump on the countertops and you need to use the countertop, that is hard to do. I should have waited a day to let things really dry and made sure to do it when it isn't humid. After all of my hard work, once hot dinner plate on the paint made the paint bubble and peel away. This didn't happen last year because we weren't living in the house yet, so it had plenty of time to harden, not to mention it was colder and not at all humid. I have covered the spots with electrical tape in order to conceal the spots and also to protect the paint from peeling even more.

The end result after two layers of wax.

Once the paint was dry, I smoothed on a layer of butcher's wax all over the top surface and I waited for it to dry. After the wax hardened I buffed the wax until shiny and smooth, then I added one more layer for extra measure. I really do love the look of this, it's a fantastic solution for revamping a laminate countertop when you are on a budget. Down the road, we will be replacing these, but for now, this works. The only thing that I didn't use to make this a total success was PATIENCE. If you don't let the paint harden for at least 8 hours after it has dried, it will not set correctly. It's a lot like painting your fingernails. If you add a base coat, you let it dry before adding your nail color. If you don't let you nail color harden between coats and then try to add a topcoat, the nails never dry completely and your nails smudge.
When the weather changes to more Fall-like weather and the humidity finally dissipates, I will touch up the spots to peeled. Until then, the tape covers it nicely, the color is an exact match, fortunately! This post proved to be longer than I had expected. So, I will post about my other diy project in the next post. This post isn't meant to be a tutorial by any measure. I am a novice who needed an inexpensive solution and this is how I solved my problem. There is paint made specifically for countertops, but those kits are so pricey, that you might as well buy a new countertop for the price. This is what I did for my home and it worked, but it still needs to be corrected in a few areas. At any rate, I hope you enjoyed my little experiment.
 Until next time~ Toodahloo!

Why I Thrift and The Tricks I Use To Win The Thrifting Game

The entire contents of the bag cost less than $8.00.

If you admit to someone that you love to shop at thrift stores, you get a variety of reactions depending on the person. Some people think that it is a brilliant idea and they love the thought of saving money. Others wish they could shop at thrift stores, but they either don't know how or where to shop. While there are others out there that are entirely repulsed by the notion of wearing previously loved clothing. Thoughts of all kinds of unsavory things come to mind and they can't get past it. 

I began shopping at thrift stores way back in the 1990's when I was a teenager. At the time, I didn't go to the Salvation Army and I rarely went to Goodwill; but when I did go, I was with friends and we always had a lot of fun. Back then, grunge was the fashion, so I loved the idea of buying old flannels, cardigans, and jeans and refashioning them to make them look edgy. I also LOVED the vintage clothing that could be found. Over the years I've collected some amazing handbags and gloves. I think my favorite aspect of thrift store shopping is the surprise finds and I especially adore accessories. At first, the thought of wearing someone's old clothes made me a little nervous, but then I remembered that I grew up with hand-me-downs. While yes, I certainly wore new clothes, I also got a lot of hand-me-downs from my older sisters and cousins. This was not at all unusual for mothers to do. It was a way of saving money and helping each other out. Back when I was a little girl my aunts ( and for a while my mother) used patterns and built dresses by hand for their daughters. After putting in so much love and time into making those dresses, they weren't about to toss them in the garbage once the dress was outgrown. So, the dress was passed on to a niece. I wore many handmade dresses, something that happens less and less these days.
After considering that I basically grew up wearing a lot of previously worn clothing, it simply didn't bother me to dive right into thrifting.

One pair American Eagle shorts, one Gap denim skirt, and three pairs jeans- Ann Taylor Loft, Levi's, and Style & Co.

The world of thrifting has certainly evolved over the past twenty years and my approach has certainly changed as well. These days, there are so many different types of thrift stores or charity shops. Some are mass chains, like Goodwill and others, are privately owned. Every store has their own method of pricing and they also donate the proceeds to various causes. What I really like about thrift stores is that the clothing is not piling up in a landfill, it is a form a recycling where money can be raised to help others and you save some money too. Since my taste is far more expensive than what my budget allows, I indulge in thrift store shopping.

Five sweaters some wool blends, some cotton. American Eagle, Aeropostale, Ann Taylor Loft, St. Johns Bay, and a brand I've never heard of before.

 Some shopping trips are dedicated to finding items for craft projects, some I focus my energy on finding material to build costumes, sometimes I need to find a last minute outfit for an event and can't be bothered to go to a larger store and sometimes, I just want to update my wardrobe without going broke. That being said, I should add that while I do buy a significant portion of my clothes from thrift stores, I still get new items at places like TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, and a local warehouse discount store. For special occasion items, I buy online using gift cards.

Four t-shirts and a blouse. Izod, Forever 21, Arizona, Lucky Brand and Fat Face.

 I'm in my late thirties and I have never been into super trendy styles. I prefer a more classic look, which is best for thrift shopping. When you stick to classic looks, you're going to get more bang for your buck. At the same time, I like to add flair with accessories and key items. For example, when I was in college, I purchased a 100% Wool Fairisle sweater from TJ Maxx for around $20.00. I paired it with a dark blue mini skirt that had built in shorts and I finished the outfit off with knee high chunky biker boots that I bought from Delia's catalog. The skirt and the boots are long gone, but nearly twenty years later, I still have that sweater and it still fits! Like I said before, I stick with the classics.
Which brings me to another essential topic, fabric care. This is a big deal when purchasing clothing. If you don't closely inspect the tags, carefully examine the item or are shopping in a poorly lit shop, you might find some surprises when you get home. A very pilly sweater is easy to spot, but a small hole or a tear, a nickel sized spot or the dreadful dry clean only tag can be a bummer. However, don't be too worried about these little hiccups. I've found that spot cleaning is an easy fix and light mending is easier than you think. If you don't know how to fix a tear or get out a stain there is a wealth of information online to help you out. Careful care of clothing makes all the difference!

One Gap knit dress for the Fall.

Here are some of my rules and tricks that I've developed over the years.
1) Just because it's inexpensive doesn't make it a steal. It could be more trouble than it's worth.
        -How often will you actually wear it?
        -Do you love it enough to overlook the dry clean only tag?
2) Certain items I won't ever buy at a thrift store...ever!
       - No lingerie.
       - No swimwear.
       - No leggings, tights or socks.
       - Usually, no shoes, unless they are barely worn leather boots (clean the inside with disinfectant and a rag) or boots with the tags still on.
3) Avoid any sweater with excessive pilling.
4) Don't bother with brands from local shops. I can buy it new for nearly the same price.
5) Invest in a decent sewing kit.
6) Have on hand: 1- a drying rack, 2- a sweater shaver, 3- Woolite* or Dreft* 4- Dryel* (**NOT SPONSORED)
7) Another good thing to have handy- some sort of leather cleaner or a saddle soap. These are useful for handbags, belts, and boots.
8) When purchasing handbags, I always examine the outside first. I look at the bottom for any wear and tear or dirt. I check out the threading and look for any loose threads. I look at the handle and see if it's still clean and sturdy, Then, I look inside and check out the liner. Is the fabric clean, free of damage, or soft? Old or poor quality fabric will be a bit stiff. I do look at the label, and look to see if it is real or a knock-off. To be honest, even if it's knock-off as long as the bag is in good shape and made with some decent material, it's likely nicer than a bag that you can get a local big box store. Since I'm paying a thrift store price and not being deceived and the money is going to a thrift store and not a dishonest vendor, I can overlook it. Generally speaking, I rarely encounter knock-offs.

My love of thrifting has not died, and I still have a tremendous time when I shop. I usually go to a store in my hometown, when I visit my parents. They are one of those small thrift stores that let you fill a bag for a few dollars. Some specially marked items cost more and accessories are priced individually. I've found a few cute leather handbags there, over the years. It allows me to have the thrill of shopping while keeping my wardrobe fresh, without spending a lot of money. I have a nice stack of cashmere sweaters that I've collected over time. I love cashmere, but could never afford it. Even if I could afford it, the sticker shock would be too much to justify the purchase. That's the great thing about thrift stores, there's no such thing as sticker shock.

My husband thinks my quarterly shopping trips are a hoot. He knows that I like to be frugal and he understands why I do it. In fact, when we were going to go on our first date, I ran to the thrift store to find a nice handbag and a cute blouse to wear with a skirt that I already had. I spent less than $5.00 and felt adorable!  The kids would likely think it was weird. They love the mall, which is totally normal. However, if I can update my wardrobe for less than $10.00, then I don't feel guilty about getting something for myself. My clothing certainly doesn't look raggedy. Unless I told the person standing next to me where I bought my shirt, they'd never know the difference, nor would they care. I think that is the key to thrifting, your attitude towards it all. If you look nice and put together and you feel great, why worry what others might think?

So, if you like to save money, have an open mind and are a creative thinker, I think you'd love thrift shopping. It's a lot of fun for crafting and finding holiday decor. If you have a sewing machine, a glue gun, and some paint you could find a craft project waiting for you at any thrift store for any weekend project. It's all about saving money and having fun. Until next time~ Toodahloo!