Stretching the Buck - Part 2

Okay...after my most recent post I mentioned a $20 a week allowance. I spent $9.14 and a few days later spent $9.95 on the following.

Now off to see what I can make out of my $20 purchases!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all from the Idols!

Stretching the Buck

Since I've had my baby I went from working full-time to part-time. I'm definitely happy that I've decided to spend more of my time with her at home but the bank account isn't so happy. It's been a stretch adjusting to our new paycheck so I decided to challenge myself. I'm giving myself a $20 a week allowance! My husband was both shocked and happy to hear this idea especially since it came from my lips. So my weekly challenge will be what GREAT finds can I buy with $20 or what GREAT craft or project can I create with only $20? I first heard this concept on a fellow blogger's site, That's So Cuegly. If you've never visited her blog you should! She has so many creative ideas and as a stay at home mom she challenges herself to do the same.

So far this week I've spent $9.14....and no I'm not done shopping. I went to Walmart and didn't find everything I needed so hopefully I'll get a chance to hit another store before the week is over. I have two ideas brewing in my head so we'll see what the end of the week brings me! Here's a sneak peek of what I've already purchased. Wish me luck!

Burlap $.74, Gold Material $1.60 & Black Tule $.56

1 Square Piece of red felt also pictured in background

Ignore the highlighted portion...it was a friend's birthday gift!

Lazy Weekend

A lazy day in the Idol household...hope you enjoy this pic!

Baby Sophia and Daddy Mitch

Christmas Cheer

So I love working on crafts but now that I have a little one it's just finding the time to work on them. I'm a gift giver. I love giving gifts so this year I wanted to give the girls I work with a little something without breaking the bank and my husband flipping out. Here's what I came up with. Nothing fancy just a little something something. It was cheap (sorry ladies), easy and quite fun.

The LITTLE BROWN BAGS:

Russian Friendship Tea inside!

I found a recipe for Russian Friendship Tea at Bake it Pretty. You can check out the recipe on their site. I've never had it but I thought it would be worth the try. Not bad. Different. So I went ahead and passed it on.

What you'll need:

- Brown baggie or anything you can put the tea inside of (I had these left over from my baby shower so I didn't have to spend a dime)

- Ribbon, twine, or yarn (I also had leftover stuff from last Christmas so money spent there)

- Handheld hole puncher (already had one)

- Lables or stickers (already had these)

- The Tea!

Write the names on each label and stick it to your baggie. Follow the directions on Bake it Pretty for the tea or make your own. Put a cup or so in each baggie. Make sure to double bag it just in case there's a hole in the bag! Fold the bag over and punch two holes on each side. Put the ribbon through one hole and bring it back out on the other and tie a ribbon. I went ahead and also added a little card to the back that gave the serving instructions and that's it! Nice and easy.

CANDLE & MATCH BOXES:

I thought this one was so cute. This was my first time to experiment with Mod Podge so it was quite the sight. I've seen this concept on a few blogs and the matchboxes I saw a girlfriend of mine do this a few Christmases ago.

What you'll need:

- Votive candles or any type or size ( Honestly, I went this route because it was cheapest. I bought a dozen at Hobby Lobby for $4.99)

- Ribbon (already had this)

- Buttons (already had a variety stored away in my craft room)

- Mod Podge or Tacky Glue (I used the Glossy Mod Podge only because that's the only kind I had but I've seen one with Glitter and that would be cute too!)

- Paint Brush or sponge (for applying Mod Podge)

- Matchboxes (I bought a package of 10 for like $2 or less)

- Scrapbook paper (I had all kinds of scraps)

- Glitter Pens (bought a package for like $5)

- Tins or small gift bags to put the candle and matchbox inside of (I found these cute Christmas tins at Hobby Lobby for $1 each)

For the Matchboxes:

First measure the match box and cut scrapbook paper to size. Mod Podge the matchbox and stick the scrapbook paper on it. Let it dry and just add dots or designs to it for some sparkle. That's it!

For the Candles:

It could be that I've never experimented with Mod Podge and glass so it was a bit tricky for me but this is what I did.

Cut your ribbon to size to wrap around the votive candle. With a paint brush or sponge apply the Mod Podge to the ribbon then wrap it around the candle. Let it dry for about 15 minutes. I then added some Mod Podge directly onto the ribbon to had some sheen and gloss. Let it dry for another 15 minutes. Then apply some Mod Podge to a button and set it in place onto the ribbon. This will take a little longer to set. That's it!

If you've experimented with Mod Podge before and you have some better tips please pass them along! Hopefully my girlfriends enjoyed their little gifts that only costed me about $1.80 per person!

It's Been Too Long...

I'm horrible...I know. It has been 6 months since I've posted something! I told my husband the other day that I wanted to just cancel my blog since it didn't go over so well but I thought I'd give it another try. Well a lot has happened in six months like the birth of my daughter, Sophia Bella (October 6th) and my husband and I celebrated 8 wonderful years of marriage (December 14).

Sophia Bella Idol

Me and my hubby Mitch

I've done quite a bit of blog searching so hopefully I'm inspired enough to keep up this blog!

Baby Registry

The baby registration process seemed fun and exciting at first and then two hours later: exhausting, grueling, and overwhelming. I had no idea it could take this long! Part of the problem was well...I've never done this before. Good thing I had my mom with me! She was my life saver helping me figure out what to choose and why. A big thanks to my sis who was the photographer and documented this process.

I chose Baby R Us simply because it seemed to have everything except for Sophia's bedding. My heart was set on a particular piece I found at Pottery Barn Kids.

Anyway, here are a few pics to share this moment with you...

Babies R Us was neat and organized! They had a "set up" area where they explained what to do and even provided me with a suggested list of items to purchase.

They provided a free bottle, magazine, coupons, a booklet with notes, and card inserts for the Baby Shower invitations.

I chose a white vintage looking crib.

Can't go wrong with diapers, right?

So much stuff to choose from!

My mom and I trying to make a decision.

That happened more than once...

A Salute to Mom...and Books

My husband makes fun of me when I tell him stories about what I did for fun as a kid. When I was about four or five my mom got my little brother and I a library card and we'd walk out of the library with bags of books. We weren't financially blessed growing up so my mom entertained us many times with reading. I loved it. She'd read to us for hours. My poor mom...she never seemed to grow annoyed or frustrated.

When I was old enough to read on my own I continued with the reading tradition and the library became my "hang out." In the summers when my mom was at work and couldn't get a sitter she'd drop us off at the library and we'd literally spend all day there. To most people it would seem like the most torturing thing a parent can do for a child but my brother and I didn't mind it. They had summer type programs for kids where we'd do crafts, watch a movie, and of course have reading time.

Did you ever have the Book It program in school? It's one of those programs associated with Pizza Hut. I was a master. I digged the program! Okay...I'm officially a NERD.

I tell you these proud childhood memories and stories because thanks to my mom I'm an avid reader. I absolutely love reading books, all kinds of books. Thanks to my mom I hope to pass on the tradition of reading to my kids and make it an important part of life.

To all the moms out there don't grow weary in well doing! Read that kid that book one more time even though you just got done reading it for the third time in a row.

This entry has also inspired me to do a Book Review on my blog so stayed tuned and look out for my latest reads and recommendations.