Missing in action.

Holy cow! I didn't realize it has been so long since I've written a post.  We've finally got settled into our house, and I have recently started school. I'm studying to be a Veterinary Technician. I'll basically be a nurse at a Vet clinic. I'm loving school, and extremely passionate about it.

I've done a lot of DIY, but haven't bothered to document it. Sorry! Hopefully sometime within the next few days I'll get everything put together and have some posts for all of you.   Again, I'm really sorry.

- Emily.

Happily in a new home

As some of you may know, my husband got transferred to a new duty station. We are now stationed at Buckley Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado. It’s a joint base so there’s Navy, Army, Marines, and Air Force. The base is about 5 years old, so everything is really nice! And let me tell you, it’s absolutely gorgeous here!  I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing the mountains. It’s such a refreshing sight to see in the mornings, or as the sun is going down. We’re both looking forward to exploring the area, and being as active as possible. Summer can’t come soon enough! I’m ready for some killer hiking, and river rafting!

I moved out here last Friday, so I haven’t had internet access at all. I’m really sorry I haven’t updated anything! But now that I’ve got my new home there are lots of projects to come, I promise! I recently made a pintucked duvet cover; I’ll share the tutorial soon. I’ve also been doing A LOT of thrifting. The thrift stores out here are to die for. Really, to DIE for. Ikea and Target donate to the Goodwill so there’s some awesome finds. The second Saturday of the month the whole store is half off, so that makes the deal so much sweeter.  (:  You can turn almost anything from the thrift store into a piece that is designer worthy. Solid color porcelain figurines are really in style right now, and a can of spray paint is really all you need to do the trick.  Just today I spray painted an old clay bird with white spray paint, and now it looks like something I bought from West Elm. Simple as that!  You could also transform lamps, mirrors, picture frames, pottery, and vases with spray paint.

I love love love seeing the traffic my blog is getting. I really hope I’m helping each one of you accomplish something that will save you money. Don’t be afraid to comment. I love getting feedback whether it’s positive, or suggestions. I’d love to know if any of you want me to find a frugal approach to something in your own home. Don’t be shy! ;)

A new year; A healthier me

2012 is going to be holding a lot of changes for me, and my family. For those of you who don't know me personally, my husband and I finally got our orders. We'll be stationed at Buckley AFB in Denver, and I can't  even explain how excited we both are. The downside to this is that he has additional training in Texas until April. I've already managed 4 months away from him, I'm sure I'll be able to do 4 more. This also means I'll be able to start cosmetology school! I'm so ready for that!

In addition to our orders, yesterday I started my weight loss journey. Josh and I both decided that we needed to make a drastic change in our eating and lifestyle habits. A good friend of mine introduced me to Clean eating. Clean eating is basically eating 5-6 small meals composed of clean naturally grown foods free of chemicals. Many people say that with out clean eating many weight loss and fitness goals can't be reached. You're completely ridding your body of chemicals and you'll soon start seeing changes with your body inside and out. Your metabolism will be boosted there for giving you more energy. When I told my husband about the change I wanted to make he first said, "wow it sounds like our food will be bland." No, not at all! There are many recipes and cookbooks out there for clean eating. Check out The Gracious Pantry she has tons of mouth watering clean recipes. I also suggest grabbing a copy Tosca Reno's "Clean Eating Diet Recharged" she explains EVERYTHING about clean eating in this book!

As far as my workout plan I am doing a 12 week trainer developed by fitness model Jaime Eason. The plan in completely free and has 3 phases each containing 4 weeks. I like this plan because it's much different from others, and the before/after photos are phenomenal! In her first phase there is no cardio at all! Yes, you read right; no cardio! You lift weights and establish your strength and muscles before slimming down in phase 2 with added cardio. Phase 3 consists of low carb eating, with added cycling and sprints. The program is completely free and includes all workouts plus meal plans. The program also has a Facebook support group which really helps. Every one in the group is so supportive and help keep you motivated!
If you're interested in the program click the picture below!

I'm so ready to start this chapter in my life. I have a feeling 2012 is going to be an amazing year.

Tutorial: Natural citrus hand and body scrub.

I bought some amazingly amazing oranges at the grocery store. I felt like a little kid getting orange juice all over my face, seriously. They were SO good.. Anyways, I didn't want to waste the orange peel so I was thinking of something I could do with them and then it hit me; Citrus Scrub. Yum. I love this stuff!

Supplies:

• Two oranges
• 3 cups of sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice (optional)
• Mason jar, or tub for storage
• Food processor or Blender

Steps:

First peel your oranges, and save about 1/4 of the actual orange. Throw the peels and 1/4 orange in your food processor with 1 cup of water, and lemon juice. Let the mixture puree for a good few minutes. 

Start adding your sugar, and olive oil.  Test the mixture, if you don't feel that it's gritty enough you can always add more sugar.

I'm keeping mine under the sink to use after I wash my hands, but you could also keep in the shower to use as an all over body scrub. Just make sure you pat dry, other wise the olive oil won't soak into your skin! 

Tutorial: Gallery Wall

I showed you a sneak peak in my last post of the gallery wall I was doing for my sister. Remember these?

Well, I finally finished them and I'm really satisfied with how they turned out!

Supplies:

• 8-15 frames. I bought mine from various thrift stores. I also bought a mirror, and the key. I spent about $10!
• Clip-art. I found most of mine on Google. For example; I searched for "Owl Silhouette." I also used this website. http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/index.htm 
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Black gloss spray paint
• Painters tape

First measure your frames. That way you know what sizes of clip-art to print. Then you can start taking your frames apart, and spray painting them all. Make sure you tape off your mirror before you paint it. Use something to lay  under them so you don't spray your grass or table. I used an old towel that was ruined with hair color.
At first I used the cheap 96 cent spray paint from Walmart. Big mistake. It was really watery, and didn't cover well at all. I went to Ace Hardware and bought "Rust-Oleum Painters Touch Ultra Cover 2X Coverage" in Gloss Black, and it is absolutely amazing! I barely used any of the can! It was only 3 bucks too.

While the frames are drying go online and find the images you'd like to use. My sister had an inspiration page from a magazine, so I just went off of that. Then using Microsoft Word, I printed them off. I used the margin ruler as a guide in order to print the images in the size that I needed. 

Then using the glass from the frame I traced around the photo. That way they would be exact for the frame.

Cut out all your images, and simply add them to the correct frames!

I sent this picture below in a picture message to my husband, and he replied with "Cool, where'd you buy those?!" He thought they were store bought! This whole project was less than $20!
Sorry about the picture too. I just laid them out on the couch. It's a gift for my sister, and I wasn't about to create holes in the wall and hang them just for my blog.

My Thrifting Adventure!

My sister asked me to make her a gallery wall for Christmas. So, of course I gladly said yes and I'm probably more excited than she is! I went to several thrift stores including Goodwill and the Salvation Army. I found some awesome deals!  I snagged all of her picture frames for less than $13, and even scored something for myself!

I was snooping through giant boxes at Goodwill for frames and mirrors. I was going from box to box, and then suddenly I saw "the" box. It had beams of light shining out of it, and angels singing. A 68 piece vintage Sheffield dish set. Yes, 68 pieces! Marked for only $3.99! At first I thought, okay someone forgot to add the last 9.. But, no! The cashier rang them up for $3.99, and I went skipping out of the store as happy as can be.  When I got home I decided I'd look them up online. A 63 piece set was selling for $200, and I only paid $3.99! I feel so amazing that I got a good deal, and I finally found the perfect dish set!

Now, for the sneak peak on the frames! Of course they're not so pretty right now, but I'll be posting the tutorial on how I fix them up soon!

Tutorial: Tissue Paper Flowers

I've been so busy, and haven't really had time to post anything. Sorry! But, today while I was wrapping gifts I needed something to jazz them up a bit. It was insanely simple to do, and worked out great. I made these;

What you'll need:

• 6-8 pieces of tissue paper
• Scissors
• Twist Ties, or String

First, cut your tissue paper to size. I cut mine about 6 inches X 4 inches. You can go larger or small depending on the size of flower you'd like.

Next, start accordion folding your paper. Fold it up at least 4 cm on your first fold.

Lightly fold your paper in half. Locate the middle, and tightly tie your string or twist tie.

Undo the half fold. Trim each in with scissors for flower shape. For the flower I made, round the ends; for a Dahlia look trim the ends to a point. 

Now, from each side start pulling up the individual pieces of tissue paper.

Continue pulling up the individual pieces of paper. I reccomend doing one side at a time. You can also pull one piece up, and one piece down on the same side if you're wanting to create a flower "ball" instead of a flat bottomed flower.

And Viola! Now you have a cute little flower.

Just pop it on a gift for some pizazz! Or, if you made a flower "ball" you can hang them from string like these from Martha Stewart!

Feel free to post your flowers!

Tutorial: How to Make Your Own Coupon Organizer

I've had several girls ask me about my coupon organizer, and a few call me crazy for lugging it around the store. With the amount of savings, I don't mind it one bit. It fits perfectly in the baby seat of my cart, and makes my shopping experience easy! My husband will even take it with him when he goes to the store! No shame in saving money, even when our binder is pink! (:

Here's what you'll need:

• Large Five Star 3 ring binder, or 3 ring binder with zippers. I bought mine at Walmart, and it also comes with a zip pouch, and folders in the front! The pouch is perfect for holding the coupons you're going to use that shopping trip, and the folders are great for previous coupon ads.
• 60-80 baseball holder pages. Can be found at Hobby Lobby/Michaels, and sometimes at Walmart or Target. I know, it's a lot! But, I each category needs at least 2 pages.
• 25-30 tabbed divider pages. I like the Avery brand. They're durable, and I can print the tabs off on my computer!
• 3 holed zipper pouch, if binder doesn't come with one. 

First, print off your labels for your tabbed dividers. If you bought the Avery brand, it will come with step by step instructions to do so. Now you may be asking yourself, what do I put on the labels?! I suggest creating a label for each aisle in the grocery store. That way you have your book open to one section at at time, and aren't constantly flipping through your book looking for what you need. You can call your local grocery store and ask for a print out of what can be found in which aisle.
My labels are in order by category and aisle at my local commissary.
The labels I have in my book are as follows:
Condiments, Produce/Meat, Baking, Canned goods, Side dishes and Rice, Pasta, Snack foods/Candy, Breakfast, Beverages, Paper Products, Cleaning Supplies, Dish Washing, Laundry, Feminine Hygiene, Beauty Products, Oral Care, Medicine, Shaving & Deodorant, Soap/Shampoo, Petcare, Freezer Items, Refrigerated Items, Misc, and Restaurants.

Once you have your labels printed out, put them in your tabs and order them by aisle or however you want to order them. Put them in your 3 ring binder, then place at least 2 baseball card slips in each tabbed section. Make sure the openings in the baseball cards are facing towards you, and upwards. Otherwise, you're coupons will all fall out! 

If you bought a binder with additional folders, these are great for saving coupon ads. Especially if you only clip coupons that you'll know you'll use. ALWAYS, always, always save your old ads. You never know when you'll need a coupon for something, and If you follow coupon clipping blogs many refer back to old ads for amazing deals. I always write the date on the front of the ad, that way it's easy to refer back to. I sort my redplums in one folder, Smartsources in one, and P&G in another.

Now, start adding in your coupons! You'll be glad you made it! At first the binder may be big and annoying but once you see how much easier it really is, you'll fall in love.

Buying at least 2 papers every Sunday is a good idea. This way you optimize your savings! Internet coupons are your best friend! Many people don't realize that you don't have to print them in color. I always print them in black and white to save my ink! Also check grocery store websites for additional coupons. Target coupons are my absolute favorite! Target also has a mobile coupon app that you can use in addition to their internet coupons; some coupons are only available on the mobile app so it's worth it to get it!
If you've never read couponing blogs, I highly suggest you do. Many blogs/websites give you weekly deals, and tell you where you can get things for free using your coupons! It never hurts to check them daily. You'd be surprised at how many deals are only good for one day, and once the product is off the shelf it's gone for awhile!

Websites I use for couponing:

http://coupons.com/

http://smartsource.com/

http://www.redplum.com/

http://www.totallytarget.com/

http://mylitter.com/

http://iheartthemart.com/

http://coupondivas.com/

http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/

I hope this answered some questions, if you have questions on anything feel free to ask!

Tutorial: Home Made Liquid Laundry Detergent. $.01 a load! Environmentally Friendly!

I woke up this morning excited! Last night I made my first batch of liquid detergent, and I was hoping it would set up how I wanted! Thank goodness, it did! The best part about it is that the whole batch only cost $.68. Making it $.01 a load! **This recipe CAN be used in HE washers, as it is low sudsing.**

Here's what you'll need.

Supplies:

• 1/2 cup Borax
• 1/2 cup Washing Soda, NOT to be confused with baking soda
• 1/3 bar of Fels Naptha, Zote, or Dr Bronners.
• Optional: Essential oil for fragrance. The soap already has a fragrance, so if you don't use an oil your clothes will still smell nice and clean!
• 5 gallon bucket
• Beverage dispenser, or old laundry jug
• Hand mixer
• Grater or Food Processor
  Borax, Washing Soda, and Fels Naptha can all be found in the laundry aisle at Walmart.

Steps:

First cut your bar of soap into thirds. Save one third to use and save the rest for your next batch! Then finely grate the third of soap, or you can use a food processor and it'll be a lot faster!

Next, in a large sauce pan melt the soap down with 6 cups of tap water. Be sure NOT to boil your soap. Continuously stir to avoid any soap to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Once your soap has melted, stir in 1/2 cup Borax and 1/2 cup Washing Soda. It should become thick at first. Mine eventually thinned back out. Stir until the Borax and Soda have dissolved.

Next, add 4 cups of hot water to your bucket and then add the soap mixture. If you wanted to add your oil, you should add a few drops to the water during this step. Stir Well. Now, add another gallon of hot water, plus six cups. (22 cups) Keep on stirring!

At this point, you can let your mixture set over night to gel up.. After an hour or so, I got a thin layer of gel on the top and I stirred the mixture up. And continued to do so every hour until I went to bed. I'd suggest starting the batch in the morning so you can stir it throughout the day.

In the morning, I surprisingly didn't have a hard gel like the recipe said I would. I did have some lumps, however. Using my hand mixer I smoothed the bumps out.

I placed my beverage dispenser in the sink to transfer the liquids. I'm pretty clumsy, so just in case I spilled I didn't want it to get everywhere. I will tell you though, I didn't even spill! I was too proud of myself. (: If you don't have an extra beverage dispenser, or don't want to buy one you can use an old laundry jug, or just keep the detergent in your bucket and scoop it out as you use it. But, of course mine had to look cute.

From here I added command hooks to the side to hang my downy ball, and measuring device. 

There you have it! Home made laundry detergent, for less than $.01 a load. In the jar is my home made powdered detergent, you can find that tutorial here. 

For regular loads, use 1/2 cup or 2/3 for heavily soiled loads. You should get about 64 loads from one batch. Remember, you can use white vinegar for your softener. Just add 1/2 cup to your downy ball or add during the rinse cycle. It won't make your clothes smell like vinegar. (: 

Now, for the price break down.

-Fels Naptha: $1.12 a bar, cost per batch 37 cents.

-Washing Soda: $2.23, cost per batch 17 cents

-Borax: $3.27, cost per batch 14 cents.

So, It only cost 68 cents to make an entire batch.  At 64 loads a batch, that makes it about $.01 a load! How frugal are we?!

Many women say that they've been using this recipe for years, and it works better than anything they've ever used. I'm really liking it so far, and I like even more that I'm saving money!

Let me know how it works out for you! 

Tutorial: Home Made Powder Laundry Detergent. Environmentally Friendly!

I've been seeing so many women posting about making their own laundry detergent. They have all been saying that it works much better than Tide, or anything else they've ever used. It seemed easy enough to make, AND you only need 3 ingredients. I also made the liquid version, it's currently setting up so I'll share it with you tomorrow!

Supplies:

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup of Washing Soda, NOT baking soda. There's a big difference!
• 1 bar of Fels Naptha, Zote, or Dr Bronners Soap
• Grater, or Food Processor
  Borax, Washing Soda, and Fels Naptha can all be found in the laundry aisle at Walmart.

Steps:
First finely grate the bar of soap, or use a food processor. I grated mine, and it took forever! Then as I was doing additional research a lady suggested using a food processor. So, that might be A LOT faster.

Next, add the soap with 1 cup of Borax, and 1 cup of Washing Soda. Mix thoroughly. I suggest stirring for about 5 minutes or so.

You want it to look like this, below!

You can store it however you like. I wanted mine to be cute, so I stored mine in an old canning jar I picked up at a thrift store today. 

Use 1 tablespoon for regular loads, and 2 for heavily soiled loads. This mixture yields 32-40 loads, making it less than $.04 a load! 

You can also add 1/2 cup of white vinegar as a fabric softener. It makes your clothes ridiculously soft, and I promise it doesn't make your clothes smell like vinegar.

Let me know how it works for you! I'm going to do my first load now! I've never been so excited to do laundry!

Tutorial: Baby Wipe Cases

Finally! I remembered to take step by step pictures today when I was making a few! I've made so many different designs/styles. You really can do anything with them! My mom even gave me the bright idea to keep one in my car for messes. You don't need a baby for one! (: And, they make great gifts.

I want to thank Jill at Home Made by Jill for the original tutorial, and stencil! I mostly followed her tutorial, but I did mine a little bit different.

Supplies:

• Stencil, it can be found here! Just right click and save the picture, then print it full size on 8 1/2 by 11
• Glue Gun/ glue sticks
• Marker
• Scissors
• Quilt Batting
• Travel Wipe Case, I bought mine at Walmart for $1.18
• Fabric of choice, I bought 1/4 of a yard and that makes about 4 cases.
• Ribbon

Steps:

First place fabric right side down, and trace stencil onto the fabric; do the same with the batting and then cut them out!

Next, start gluing the batting onto the wipe case. I suggest starting on the back side of the case, along the crease. It makes it much easier. Then trim any excess there may be.

Once you have the batting glued and trimmed on both sides, begin gluing on the fabric. I also suggest starting in the back along the crease for this. DO NOT GLUE THE FABRIC TO THE BATTING. Only glue along the edge of the case. Make sure to not to glue your case together! I definitely made that mistake at first. Depending on your fabric, you may have to pull and stretch the fabric to fit perfectly.

Once you've finished gluing the fabric, it's time to start with the ribbon! It doesn't really matter where you start with the ribbon, but I started with the bottom half on the backside of the case.

Once you finish one side, begin on the next!

And now you have a super cute baby wipe case!

There's so many possibilities with these! I've added sequin letters, bows, and felt flowers. The tutorial for my felt flowers can be found here.

Get to making! And feel free to share your designs.