Going from a muu-muu to muuuuchhh better.

Last year I bought a dress for $4 which is an amazing price, but when I put it on, it looked like a muu-muu (am I even spelling that right?). So I decided to take my first venture into sewing without a tutorial or pattern and it turned out surprisingly well. Here is a tutorial if you would like to try doing it yourself.

So here was the beginning product:

The dress wasn't quite long enough and really needed a tie to break up the funny design and create some structure to make it more flattering. So my first step was to go buy fabric that coordinated with the dress. Make sure to match the color and type of fabric as closely as possible. I simply took the dress with me when I went to find fabric. Make sure the fabric has the same feel, stretchiness, and color.

THE HEM:
Okay so I don't have good pictures of the process because I didn't take pictures while I did it. But the next thing to do is measure the bottom of your dress (just one side, not the circumference) and add a seam allowance to that number of 1 inch (this number is your width). Then figure out how long you want your hem plus 1/2 inch, then double that number (this number is your height). Hopefully that makes sense.

Take the height and width and cut out two pieces of that width and height.

For both pieces, fold the height down so that you don't have to do a hem, because the fabric will just be folded. Then sew the two pieces together on each side with 1/2 inch seam allowance. My dress kind of flared as it went down, so I sewed the pieces at a slight angle so they flared a little too.

Then iron those seams flat so you can sew over them (look left). Then match the bottoms of your dress and hem (the non-folded side) together and pin really well. Make sure to match the two together at the seams on the side of the dress. Then sew.

Now that I have a serger, I would also serge afterwards. If you don't have a serger, just zig-zag stitch

THE TIE:
Figure out how long you want the tie and how thick, then double that number and add a 1 inch seam allowance. Turn inside out and sew it along the long edge to make a long tube. Flip right-side out.


Iron the tie so that the seam is on the backside of the tie. Then tuck in the edges on both ends and sew over to close up the tie.

So I was really scientific about the placement of the tie (and I'm totally being sarcastic). I tried the dress on, held up the tie, marked with an erasing ink marker where I wanted the top of the tie to be on the side (where the dress seam is). Then I took off the dress, measured down from the bottom of the sleeve seam to where the tie was, then marked that length on the other side. I honestly could have put the tie a little taller on this dress, but who said it was perfect? :)

Now you're going to pin the tie to the dress where you marked (make sure there's a pretty even tie on each side leftover). Also make sure you pull both tight so that your tie isn't too loose. After you've pinned it really well, just sew over the tie starting at the top, making a huge rectangle to do the bottom and sides also. Make sure you separate the two layers of dress before you sew so you you're not sewing the insides of the dress together! And make sure where you're sewing on the sides is right along the dress seam.

And wah-la! You're done! With a dress like mine, when you tie it in the back, the fabric back there will naturally bunch together and look nice. And it gives you a nice silhouette!

If you learn anything from this I hope it's that you can easily alter a dress to give it a fresh look or to make it more modest or stylish. All it takes is a little guts and a sewing machine!

My husband's 2nd job

My hubby wrote this post for my personal blog a couple of years ago and I just have to share it with all of you. He doesn't do this as actively as he used to, but he still recommends it to everyone. So without further ado, here's my husband for you:

I like feeling like I got a good deal; really I like good deals. Just ask Kadie, I will take quantity over quality anytime. If I eat at a buffet, I EAT at a buffet, I mean I have to get my money's worth! I like to shop at Deseret Industries. I like to go to yard sales and buy things for really cheap that I probably could have lived without. I love Albertson's 10 for $10 sales. I buy things at Amazon and Newegg and I'm not afraid to spend a half hour googling to find rebates for the products I am purchasing at the aforementioned websites.

But what's the cheapest you can pay? F-R-E-E! So here is my hobby that is usually conducted at odd hours Eastern Standard Time (of course! ;)). I was reading at CNN about how to make some extra money. One of the things it talked about was entering instant win games and sweepstakes online. It gave a reference to a website, so I checked it out. Here is the website Sweeties Sweeps. You should really check it out, especially her getting started links. So to sum it up, she is a stay-at-home Mom who needed to earn some extra income so she started to enter companys' sweepstakes. She has done quite well for herself, mainly because she treats it like a job and is VERY gun-ho about it. (I am not as bad as that...) Anyways, she has some good articles about what sweepstakes and instant win games are and how to get started. I followed her advice and have done fairly well. I spend about a half hour to 1 hour (often during lunch breaks) entering sweepstakes and playing instant win games. Between Kadie and I in the last couple of years, we have won more than $700, free movie tickets, lots of jars of salsa, food coupons, and... this is the best: $1500 in free gas. And my siblings (whom I told about this but didn't take me seriously until I really started winning good stuff) have won just as much. You may laugh and say, that is a waste of time--to some of you your time is more valuable than like $3 an hour (which is probably what it comes out to be); but I probably would have wasted that time in other ways that would equal -$5 per hour.

So Wendy (the lady at Sweeties Sweeps) is always posting about new sweepstakes. She is very good at telling you how to enter, the eligibility requirements, win limits, sweepstakes duration, etc. She saves you a lot of time. I would recommend following her blog. For those of you who don't like to give your name, email address (see what Wendy says about creating a new email just for sweepstakes), phone number, and street address, this post isn't for you; but if you think that information is safe..... just spend..... some time.... googling your name..... But really, in the years we've been doing this, we haven't received one solicitor phone call and maybe only 2 pieces of mail.

Other websites you might find interesting are:

• Sweeties Swag - This is another blog by Wendy about free giveaways from companies.
• Freebies 4 Mom - This is another blog about coupons, rebates, samples, sweepstakes, etc.
• Walmart Free Samples - Walmart's free samples page; there are a lot of samples here, especially for you women!

There are tons of blogs and websites about this kind of stuff so you might be nervous about what is reputable. I have had good success with these 3 sites. However, I will caution you that Wendy & Heather (freebies 4 mom) can still make mistakes. SOOOO before you enter a sweepstakes or request a sample, etc. READ! All companies will have policies and rules. When in doubt, don't do it! There are tons of sweepstakes so if a website looks like it might be fake, just don't give them your information!

Happy Sweeping!

FHE Lesson: George the Gingerbread Man

For those of you who are not LDS, in my church we are encouraged to spend one night a week as a family in which we do wholesome activities together and/or learn more about spiritual topics. To learn more about this, go here. Even if you are not of the same faith, I encourage you to start this with your own family. It is a great way to bond and make memories!

One lesson that I remember from family home evening (FHE) when I was a kid was "George the Gingerbread Man". A couple of years ago, I found the lesson in my mom's old FHE box and made copies of it so I could do it with my own family. This lesson teaches your children about service and kindness in a fun way that last all week long. We just did it this last week and my three-year-old son LOVED it.

Our favorite part? After telling the story of George the Gingerbread Man, you explain that George (the big gingerbread man from the last page of the lesson) is going to stay with you for the week doing acts of kindness. Someone starts with said George and does something nice for someone else in the family and leaves George for him/her to find. Then that person does something nice and pass George on. I remember when I was kid I couldn't WAIT to get him so I could pass him on.

My son has been the same. The funny thing about doing it with a three-year-old is that he will come and tell me what he did and that I need to go find George. And when my husband or I have George, my son is constantly asking where he is. He's so funny. But he has surprised me with how good he is at finding his acts of kindness: he's cleaned up his room without us asking and made our bed to name a couple.

So without further ado, here is the lesson. I would suggest shortening the story a little, especially if your kids are younger.

Frugal Decorating

I like to decorate. I'm not some amazing interior designer or anything, I just enjoy envisioning what I want something to look like and then finding things to go there.

When we first moved into our house 3 years ago, the huge space above my cabinets was calling my name. I couldn't wait to get stuff up there. But, I resisted going out and buying stuff all at once. That is KEY to frugal decorating: DO NOT buy everything all at once because most likely you are going to buy what's there and it may be pricey.

Tip #1: A frugal buyer is a patient one who shops sales, the clearance section, thrift stores, garage sales, and isn't afraid of going several times to each of these places to find exactly what she wants at the right price.

Tip #2: Shop your own house. You'd be surprised what you can do with the stuff you already have. And even if it's not exactly what you want, use it until you can find a cheap (but perfect) replacement.

Tip #3: You'd be surprised what a coat of spray paint can do. I haven't used this so much in my kitchen as other parts of my house and I have seen what a difference this can make from many other decorators. If you're out shopping and you find something that you like, but you hate the color, BUY IT! Spray paint is pretty cheap and can change everything!

Tip #4: Watch for coupons to popular stores and combine them with sales already going on. I've done this with things in other areas of my house.


So without further ado, let me show you some of my good finds from my kitchen that will hopefully give you some idea of how you can decorate for less $$ than you think:


Hmmm this ledge makes me happy because I saved so much money!
Brass flamingo: Free (My hubby already had it from something)
Clock: $10 at Deseret Book with a coupon (originally $60!!!)
Vase: $5 from Ross (It was marked down and to this day I still have no clue because just a few months ago I found another one like it at Ross and it was $12!)

Red plate: $4 at Wal-Mart. Once upon a time I almost bought a much larger plate (this is before I realized I wanted the plate in this place) at Target for $30. Until I realized I was INSANE for thinking about spending that much money on a plate. Again, the goal was to make this a cheap but nice-looking project.
Patch of ivy: $7 at Big Lots (this is actually three difference bunches of ivy taped together and spread out)


Patch of ivy: $7 at Big Lots (way cheaper than Porters or Michaels!)
Rooster: Free from my sister and just perfect!

Lantern: TJ-Max for $13! It was originally over $20, but there was a pane broken so they discounted it for me and you would never know because the pane isn't in front.
Candle: TJ-Max for $4.
Grow Old With Me saying: A gift from my hubby (love that man)
Little red vase: A wedding present. It isn't totally perfect, but again, it's free. :)

Bouquet: This is what I want to replace. It's my wedding bouquet, and I love it, but it's prettier to look at when it's at eye level. So I'm still in the process of finding a fake flowering plant to put here. I know it's been 3 years, but I'm being patient until I find the right thing!
Mirror: Clearance at a home decor shop in my area for $22 (which isn't FANTASTIC, but a good deal)
Tile: This is fun; I got the title for free from a Ward Swap where everyone brought stuff they didn't want and then you just took whatever you wanted. This title had some nasty vinyl on it, but I took it home, peeled off the vinyl and then bought vinyl for less than $4 to put on it. In stores, this would sell for at least $15.

Plant: $10 at Ross (love Ross if they have good stuff in!)
Ball of twigs: Free from my sister
Candlestick: $9 from Michaels with my coupon
Candle: Free from my mom
Family: A present from my husband

Christ picture: A wedding present from my fantastic siblings

Vase: $12 at Michaels (not that great of a deal, but the style goes perfect with Christ's era)
Pink Calla Lillies: $10 from Ross


My favorite inexpensive stores to shop at for decor would definitely be Ross, TJ-Max, Deseret Industries, and Michaels (but only when there's a sale and I have a coupon). I hope that has given you some ideas on where to shop and how to do it cheaply. The nice thing about the economy being bad is that frugal decorating is so in! Of course, it has helped that some of this stuff was given to me. But hey, I just stopped asking for new clothes for my birthday and home decor instead!

Keeping Your Cabinets Nice and Shiny

Are your cabinets looking a little sad? Do they look dull and have crusted food on them from those little hands in your household? Or from just plain cooking? One of my sister-in-laws passed this tip onto me and now I'm passing it to you on how to make your cabinets look nice and shiny again (and any wood for that matter):

The first thing you're going to need is Howard Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish and Conditioner. You can get it right now at Amazon for $8.82 for a 16-oz bottle which should last for at least 2 applications (it all depends on how many cabinets you have in your house). This is basically beeswax and orange oil mixed together which makes for a strong, but pleasant smell while you're cleaning your cabinets.

Before you begin using this, you need to wipe down all your cabinets with a wet rag, trying to get off as much of that food and other grime as possible.

Then taking a rag, pour some of the Feed-N-Wax on the rag and wipe down the cabinet. Continue to all the cabinets. Your rag is going to get really really wet and greasy by the time you're done. After wiping down all the cabinets, let it sit for 20 minutes.

Then go back over the cabinets with a dry rag, wiping off the excess Feed-N-Wax.


And you're done! The result is shiny cabinets like this:

Granted, my cabinets are less than 5 years old, but I've seen this done on older cabinets and the difference is amazing! I can't tell you how many people compliment me on my cabinets after we do this. We do this once a year, but since the Feed-N-Wax uses natural ingredients, you could do it more often and it definitely wouldn't hurt.

What's even best for me is that my wonderful husband is the one who does it every year. So not only have I shared a tip that wasn't mine in the first place, but I've also admitted that I'm not even the one who applies this stuff! Either way, it works and you should try it out!

7 Food Storage Tips

I'd better first start by saying that I'm no expert on food storage by any means. A lot of what I know I've learned from great websites and family. However, over the last 6 years, I have learned a lot about storing food long-term in an apartment first and then a home.


Tip #1: Only buy what you will really eat for your food storage. If you're living in a small space, don't start collecting massive amounts of food that you would never eat. Things can be crowded enough without bags of dry black beans that just take up space for no reason. Make a list of the things that you eat the most (corn, green beans, canned black beans, peanut butter, pasta, etc.) and make sure you have those things in your food storage first.

And even if you have a lot of space, in an emergency situation, your family is going to have a really hard time eating things they have never eaten before. So definitely make sure everything you have in your food storage is something your family will eat. Besides, then you'll be able to rotate your food storage by eating it and not throwing it away.


Tip #2: Start small. If you haven't started your food storage, don't get overwhelmed by the massive list of food that you should have stored. Start with a month at a time. There is a ton of websites that give you good ideas of what to buy each month to slow stock up on your food storage so that it's not a financial burden. I just recently came across a list that shows how you can start stocking up for only $5 a week; you can find it here.
 

Tip #3: If you don't have a lot of room for food storage, maximize space. When we lived in an apartment, this was huge for us. We had the floor of two closets and the top of our kitchen cabinets to store food storage. We lived on the top floor which apparently gave people a perfect view through the window to the boxes and boxes and boxes of cereal that we stored above the kitchen cabinets. Man we got a lot of gruff for that one. But there was no way I was letting that space go to waste. So even though it may look tacky, you may have to display your food storage in a public place in order to be practical.

Rubbermaid shelf, $3.86 at Home Depot

Another thing I did was stack our cans of food storage under our shoes in the closet. If you look at almost anybody's closet, you see clothes and then a huge gap of space and then shoes on the floor. I didn't want that space to go to waste either. Look in other closets as well and see if there's some wasted space there. You could put food under stacks of towels or sheets. If there's enough space, you could also install another shelf in the closet and put food there (you can find some relatively inexpensive ones from Lowes or Home Depot like the one to the right). Just remember to make sure it's not going to get too hot wherever it is.


Tip #4: Rotate Your Food Storage. It's no good to store something for years only to find that it's bad/moldy/old when you need it. When you add stuff to your food storage, add it to the back and make sure you're using the older stuff first. Then, pay attention to expiration dates so you'll use them in that amount of time. To be honest, I usually still use stuff if it's within a year of its expiration date.

There are also some things that don't store very long like mayonnaise, salad dressings, certain nuts, etc. So make sure you don't buy too many of these things at once so that you will be able to rotate through them without them spoiling.


Tip #5: Always keep track of what you have in your food storage and where it is. Especially if you're doing all of these creative methods of storing things, you're going to forget where you put what and then the food will just go to waste. Also, if you have an inventory of what you have, that will help you to not buy things that you don't actually need for your food storage. I'm blessed now to have my food storage all in one place, but it's still impossible to keep track of how much I have of each thing. So I stole my sister-in-law's idea and made a Food Storage Inventory sheet.

At the top of the page, I have the month and year it was updated. Then I have listed what is in my food storage under some general categories (in italics). Then the first column is what we have, the second is what we need to have to fulfill a year food storage goal, and then what the difference is. You could easily add another column that says where it is stored.


Tip #6: Reuse plastic bottles for water storage. I don't really know if this saves space per se, but it definitely saves money. Wash out your used plastic bottles and caps well and then fill with water for your water storage. Check the lids after a few months because some caps go moldy if you don't wash them out well enough. If that happens, just throw away (or RECYCLE) the bottles.


Tip #7: Learn how to cook with your long-term food storage. This has been one tip that I'm still working on learning. When we bought powdered milk for instance, I told my husband, "Ummm, how am I going to use this?" Then I found out that you any recipe that calls for milk can be substituted with powdered milk (I wouldn't suggest drinking it as milk though unless you really are in an emergency situation). I also found a great blog on how to EASILY cook dry beans in a crock pot (which is really good since I have 25 lbs of dry black beans in my food storage room). That blog post can be found here. There is so much information on the internet that if you're not sure what to do with a long-term food storage item, you can easily find ideas of what to do with it.


Well that's pretty much it for me today. Some day I hope you can have your husband (and father-in-law in my case) build you amazing shelves in a food storage room so you can get the same satisfaction I get from seeing this:

Recyclable Things

Now that you've read the title of this post, I just want to say this: before you think I'm a tree-hugger (no offense Oregonians...), just know that while I love the Earth and believe we should take care of it, I don't believe in putting a platform in the trees to stop them from being chopped down. However, I've discovered that there are simply ways to recycle things. And the best benefit for me is that you get at least a 2nd use out of it so it's another way of being frugal.

The biggest thing we do is actually literally recycle. This is what our recycling system looks like:

 I know, it's a complete eye sore in our garage (which I hope to eventually fix) but it's very practical. We've marked boxes with the different categories that are recycled here, and then we just rinse the items out after use and throw in the box. Then when they start to get full, I take whichever ones need emptying to the recycle bins outside Wal-Mart (But I just found out that they're going to start curbside recycling in my city in August... is it pathetic to say that makes me excited?).

It's an easy way to not only help "save the environment" but also, it saves us money on garbage! Once we started recycling, we were able to switch to every-other-week garbage and even then it's not always full. So we save over $90 a year by recycling. Of course, if you live in a state where they actually PAY you to recycle, I'm gonna be honest: you're stupid not to.


The next way I recycle is to use things that would get thrown away in a different way:

You know how sometimes you think of someone and would love to drop something off to let them know they're on your mind, but you don't have time to make bread/pie/etc?

Your answer: stop throwing away your baby food jars (and no I didn't save these from my 3-year-old's baby days). They make perfect little candy jars that you can make on a rainy day and then store so they're available on the go. And to make it cute and personalizable, hot glue fabric on the lid, add a little ribbon, and then a label so you can write a message like "Thinking of You" or "Get Better" or "I Love You".

You can even make it holiday specific like I did with fall. I'm lovin' fall! Too bad it only last 4 weeks here.

And maybe something that's broken and scuffed just needs a little TLC. Fix it up with glue and a new coat of paint and it's amazing the difference!

Before

After

The last way I recycle is to use worn out or too small or I'm-sick-of clothes in a new way:

This is a pretty common one for me. In fact, I never DI clothes anymore it seems (which however, is another good way of recycling). Instead, I make skirts, car caddys, superhero capes, baby tights, pants, etc. out of them (sorry I don't have a picture of everything I just mentioned).

This is one reason I LOVE the Make It and Love It blog. She is so great at "repurposing".

Recycling can be a lot of work, but it's worth it! And sure, it doesn't hurt that you're helping out the environment while you're at it.