The Stink of the Matter Plus A Craft!

The cat not using the litter box is once again causing a major stink in our house both literally and figuratively. I'm at a loss for what to do because having a messy house is one thing. Having a house that smells like cat urine is completely unacceptable to me. I hate it.
I really want to keep Sarah because she's such a good cat. She's great with the kids and super snuggly. But, I just can't stand the pee and the poop.

So, I've been doing some research online and I think I'm going to try Precious Cat litter and a Feliway Plug In before I either put a collar on her and toss her outside or give her back to the Rescue. I want to try to keep her. It's just going to cost a lot of money.
I love cats but I am absolutely done with having them once these two are gone.

On a happier note, I was excited to see today's Motherload post on reupholstering a dining chair.
I bought Big Girl a wooden desk chair awhile ago to fit her thrifted desk. It is serviceable and fits her needs well but it has a dingy old mauve covering on the seat. I also happen to have a few fabric scraps leftover from my Grandma's stash. The only tool I'll need to get is an upholstery staple gun and some staples. I might even sand the chair down and repaint it white if Big girls wants it that way. This is a craft I feel I am absolutely capable of since it doesn't require any sewing.

Potpouri

Here's what's been going on in my house-

Our boy cat, Fusty is not exactly enjoying our latest addition, Sarah. He's rebelling by peeing on the carpet or the kids things. Hubby was up late steam cleaning the carpet. This is absolutely the worst part of having cats- especially Mr. Fusty who seems to be the main culprit in these extracurricular pee-cidents. I'm tempted to put a diaper on him or put a collar and tag on him and throw his furred butt outside. Grrr.
Izzy and Fusty in Happier Times

My Mom spent the weekend here with me. We did a little shopping. I had coupons for free samples at Sephora so we both left with Urban Decay eyeliner (eh) and tiny perfume samples of smells we enjoyed. I also picked up a Yankee Candle air freshener and Bobby Jack shirt for Big Girl (she picked it out, I can totally tell that we have completely different tastes already). They were both on clearance and I had a 30% off coupon. So, Yay!
The best part was when we stopped into Value Village and did a little shopping. I picked up Crane envelopes in a pretty box for $1 and a brand new wooden "W" to hang on Little Guy's wall for 80 cents. I spray painted the W an apple green color that I found in our closet.

I bought a new light fixture to update one of our ugly 80's brass and glass fixtures. Hubby's not in love with it so it might need to go back. He's ready to spend big dollars on unique fixtures for our foyer and upstairs hallway. Since we had such good luck the first time we tried shopping at the Habitat For Humanity ReStore I think we should try there first.

Yesterday I broke down and drove to the Whole Foods (aka Whole Paycheck) to get veggie dogs. Apparently Morningstar Farms discontinued them last Fall. I could make my own crumbles and veggie burgers but I am not equipped to make my own hot dogs. Although I don't like the Smart Dogs as much they will at least satisfy our hot dog cravings. And we really like beanie weenie and loaded hot dogs from time to time. While I was there I loaded up on spelt, rye, couscous, and wheat germ from the bulk bins. I've been washing and saving glass jars every time we finish a salsa, instant coffee, or pasta sauce. I loaded each grain and flour into it's own glass container and labeled them. I love looking at them lined up on my shelf and ready for me to whip up a whole grain loaf with my bread machine. I have the bread machine cookbook next to me and I'm going to look through it for a whole grain recipe as soon as I'm done blogging.

I bought my first bottle of Tide detergent in years. I combined a MFR and Store coupon at Target and got a bottle for $7. Ouch. But, I have to tell you that none of my generic or homemade really gets out the smell of cat pee on a stuffed animal (blech) or sweaty arm pit smell from my hard working man like Tide does. I will still use the other stuff up for lightly soiled items though. So, this is a case where a name brand big manufacturer gets my dollars begrudgingly. I still think I will write the company and inquire why Tide is so ridiculously expensive. Anyone have any ideas on how to make a great homemade detergent that really gets the stink out?

Our new couch was delivered on Saturday and we all love it. Our bedroom looks so much nicer since we started decluttering it. It's becoming the haven I've always wanted it to be. We still need to order/purchase our bedroom set but I'm not rushing it. Just having our room be more picked up is such a blessing.

I took Little Guy to the library yesterday and for the first time in a long time we had $0 fines. I cheered for myself. I love it when I can keep on top of our borrowed materials. I have not missed having DTV one bit since we got rid of it. We are so busy just watching our few shows on Hulu, Netflix Streaming, and library rentals that we wouldn't have time anyway. Plus, I am most certainly watching less tv during the day. I am reading more. Our favorite shows right now are Celebrity Apprentice, old Survivors, and The Office.

I received great freebies and samples in the mail yesterday from Kraft. I don't remember what I signed up for but I got a little box full of wheat thins and international coffee packets. Plus, coupons for free products. Nothing makes my day more than that.

Today Little Guy and I are going to hang out together and read the library books he picked out. I've also got laundry to put away, dinner to manage, a bathroom to clean, and the kitchen table to declutter. I think I'll take some baking soda and sprinkle it on the clean carpets too. My dream house has hardwood floors.

Another thing I'd like to do today if I get time is to quickly declutter our pantry and bathroom of new items we don't need or use to donate. I have new make up in the package, new shampoos, new body washes, and canned goods that we don't need. I think I'll pass them on to someone who does. If you need decluttering inspiration too you can check out Making This Home. Katie and Martin are focusing on a decluttering project this week.

Off to do some doing and living.

What I'm doing today

Yesterday I stopped in at my favorite secondhand furniture store and scooped up another chair.

It's replacing the old garage sale chair that is going into our own garage sale pile.

So, today I am de-cluttering, tossing, garage sale piling, and de-toying the area where the "new" chair is going. Cleaning and decluttering and seeing my progress is almost as good as the deal I got on the chair. It was originally marked $90. It was clearance for $45. And yesterday they were having a 25% off all furniture sale so I scooped it up for $37. And it's in really good shape and comfy too. Proving once again that you -can- have nice things without debt if you are patient.

Decorating on a whim and a dime.

I've been lazily looking for a comfy chair or a small hide-a-bed couch to put in our bedroom for lounging and reading. I stop every now and again at a thrift store that specializes in china, antiques, and nicer furnishings.

Today I found this chair waiting for me. It was so new that the price tag hadn't even been applied to it yet. This Flexsteel chair with minimal wear that matches our blue couches was a steal at $60. The busy pattern balances great with our plain jane tv room.

Austrian Mocha Expresso

I made a double batch of this and came up with five cups of drink mix. Four cups went into gift baggies and one cup is for me. I tried a cup of it and it's pretty good.

Now all I have to do is a add a baggie of homemade cookies and teachers/sitters/helpers gifts are all done. Yay! One less thing to worry about, shop for, or do. What's more is that I enlisted Big Girls help in the assembly so she feels like she's doing a part too.

The recipe is here.

Wordless Wednesday: Fall Ornaments for Boo Bags

The kids and I whipped up some cinnamon ornaments for Boo Bags.

My dough was too wet and I forgot to put them on waxed paper. Oops.
I am now officially out of nutmeg and low on cinnamon. When I priced them in the regular grocery store the prices made my jaw drop. Three dollars and up for a tiny container of McCormick spice. No thank you! I'll do without until I see another Walgreens 2/99 cents coupon.

The Latest Dish- It's a dog's world.

I spent some time yesterday and today shopping for stuff for our new dog. It's not as exciting as shopping for a new baby but I'll take thrills where I can find them.

I either hated all of the plastic dog food bowls or didn't want to pay ten dollars and up for big ceramic ones. It occurred to me to look at normal people bowls to see what I could find for a dog bowl. Cheap (but nice) ceramic bowls were .50 cents. Fifty cents for a cereal bowl when you can pay five dollars and up for a plastic dog bowl. Give me a break!
Nonetheless, none of the ceramic people dishes were right either. Until I stopped by the dollar spot section of Target and found this ceramic bakeware pan with flat sides(and a metal holder) for $2.50. Inspiration hit and I got out my sharpies to personalize her dog bowl. Voila!

Big Boy's Bedroom Makeover.

Last month we gave away all of our baby furniture and bedding. The loss of the crib left a big hole in Little Guy's room. And it was time anyway to update his room.
I found him the striped comforter and pillowcases at Goodwill. I gave them a good wash and put them on his bed. The comforter is reversible too.



I found this white and black hutch at Goodwill on sale for $37.00. It had sticky black splotches but it came clean with some soft scrub and elbow grease. I decorated some discolored areas with leftover dinosaur stickers. My Mom brought him the framed dinosaur stamps yesterday. I bought him the red Sheriff nightlight and wall hanger at Goodwill for .99 apiece. They were still in their packaging. The Peter Pan doll came from a doll store in Italy by the Piazza Navona. If you flip it over it becomes Captain Hook.

I didn't really need this big Teddy Bear with the red and white bow. But, he looked so cute and he matched the room. So, I pulled him out of the stuffed animal bin (with his tags still attached- Gund) for $3.00

I need to hang his curtain (a dark blue valance with dino footprints- Kmart clearance) and his sheriff hanger and I'm done. All his 'new' decor cost less than $70.00. Now his Big Sister wants me to help red0 her room.

Using the recycling bin for art supplies

We have paints, crayons, markers, all kinds of scissors, hole punches, stickers, beads, ribbons, glue, tape, glitter, and paper galore.

What do my children want to play with?

Water and everything from the recycling bin. As soon as I wash something and put it in the recycling bin, I turn around and it's being carted away to the bathroom to test it's tensile strength and buoyancy. It's cheap entertainment and perhaps (it's a stretch, I know) some scientific knowledge is being gleaned. But, I'm getting really tired of cleaning up leaking milk jugs partially filled with paint colored water and water sogged toilet paper tubes.

I know in the future, maybe as I'm helping to pack them for college, I'll be wishing that they were still gleefully flushing the toilet over and over (Little Guy) or hunting pet rolly pollies under every rock in the back yard (Big Girl).

Just More DeCluttering and Simplifying Thoughts

A load of toys, baby items, and boy clothes were donated yesterday leaving me with perhaps a handful of things to clear out of Big Girl's room. The house is becoming more and more manageable and easier to clean. And I don't miss one thing that I've sent on to others.
Instead, I'm ready to get to the next phase of my life where I start living in the house I want and using the things I have rather than letting the things I have use me.

Today we're returning a pair of jeans I bought at Gordman's. They were on clearance for $20 and I fell for them since they were very plain jeans. No rips, bleach spills, zippers, or anything else that's so popular now. The last thing a plus size woman needs are extra embellishments on her backside or thighs. I should have tried them on in the store. When I do try clothes on I invariably put 80% of it back because I don't like the fit. Doing that would have saved me time and effort in a return trip to the store. But since the jeans don't fit right (and I did briefly consider trying to shrink and hem them- bah!) we have to make a special trip. A ten minute visit to the dressing room would have saved me time and money. Next time.

Dollar Store Decor

I stopped by Dollar General to fill some bags (using coupons) for the pantry donation I was making today. They had 70% off clearance and I picked up two metal wall hangings for my sparsely decorated living room for $2.40 apiece.

I hung them myself which you might not know is a big deal for me. I'm nervous about any home decoration undertaking that includes making permanent holes in the wall. This explains why we still have hideous mauve shades and country blue valances in our downstairs. But, since we've decided to stay here and not downscale, I'm determined to make this house a home my family and I enjoy.

I have a stash of curtains waiting to be hung. I've been reading The Nesting Place blog for inspiration and courage. I have no hopes of impressing anyone with my techniques- nor do I care if I do. However, I feel a strange sense of elation at making this place my own. Yes, even after two years- I still look around my house and don't feel like I really live here. It's high time that changed.

Frugality Finds a Way- Decorating on the Cheap

I had an extra hour to myself yesterday so once again I found myself strolling the clearance decor section of Gordman's. Two large black matching frames caught my eye. The matting provided several spaces for a selection of pictures. I could have a family picture collage finally. The price was right- $3 and $2 each. The only drawback was that the matting had "Graduation 2008" in black on each. I put them back with a sigh and then I realized that I could just flip the matting over. Voila! Problem solved. Money Saved.
They are now filled with our family memories and smiling children's faces.

Still having camera issues. Sorry for the lack of a photo.

Second Hand Home Design

Our local tv station ran a spot about a lady who decorated her entire house from her finds at Goodwill. Watch it here.

Spring Is here- Sister Swap

Monica over at the homespun heart (a blog I love) is co-sponsoring a Sister Swap for spring.

This is my first time joining a swap and I'm excited to get started. But, I'm not very crafty so I'm worried about how creative I'll be able to get.

I don't know if I'll use these or not but Wal-Mart had these cute little urchiny napkin holders on sale for .10 cents a box. Maybe I can find some cute flowery napkins in good shape at the Goodwill to go with them. I picked out some discount floral fabric too. Maybe I can talk my Mom into helping me make a tote or something with them.
I don't get my swap partner's information for another week so I'd better not get too carried away yet.

Recycling Thomas

I did a major splurge ($15) on a fleece blanket for my Thomas the Train loving boy. The nice paper wrapper was too good to throw in the recycling bin just yet. I know two little boys turning 2 this month so I'm making my own cards.

After Christmas decorating.

Have you noticed how lately more and more Christmas decorations don't even have a Christmas theme to them? I was half heartedly checking out the 90% off holiday leavings at Garden Ridge and stumbled across 'ornaments' that would look nice in my daughters room (but silly on a tree).



I had another plan in mind for these flowers but for right now I'm happy with where they are. These clip on flowers were .56 cents apiece.



These purple ballet slippers help liven up the blank wall above the closet door. The final clearance price was .59 cents.



This wintery weather is making me want something hot to drink so I'm going to mosey to the kitchen. I think while I'm there I'll throw together some pickle burger for dinner.

One thing to mark off of my list

We cleaned the kitchen table off sufficiently well enough for Big Girl's water coloring. I keep her water colors and brushes together in an old laundry detergent lid. I use the lid for the water cup. Having them together makes it easier because I don't have to hunt for all the supplies. I love old detergent lids. My kids use them in the bathtub for toys. I have used them for biscuit cutters.

Gingerbread Afternoon

Awhile back I wrote about buying gingerbread graham crackers to make gingerbread houses.

Grandma, Big Girl and I had a nice, snowy, lazy afternoon to put them together. Nothing special or fancy about them but the three of us had a good time. We used a lot of halloween candy up too.

I could have spent less by making my own gingerbread and using what candies we had on hand. But, by buying the boxes of crackers and spending a dollar on mints the total was $5.00 for these three houses. I don't know if it will be a yearly tradition but I know that we had fun and it might be one of those fun memories that my Big Girl cherishs for years.

Making a Merry Mailbox- Tacky or Not?

I am not crafty. So, there was not going to be any hot gluing sequined pine cones to felt or anything like that for me. My options for mailbox decor were to buy something already made (like a slip on flag thing) or to make something easy with cheap decorations. I opted for the latter.


I spent $4.00 at Dollar Tree to get the pine garland, flowers and the giant (tacky) gold ornaments for the decoration.
What do you think? Tacky or not?

Lazy Tags-- I mean creative tags for your gifts

Last year I bought plain cards/envelopes with red edging at a dollar store and helped Big Girl make her own Christmas cards with holiday cut outs from catalogs.

This year I kept back a few nice catalogs with holiday items for sale. I put them in my Flylady Holiday planning guide for a purpose to be named later.

Well, as I was wrapping another handful of gifts I found I was out of tags. And I didn't feel like trekking to the basement for another sheet of them. So, Big Girl and I made our own out of cut outs and a piece of plain printer paper. Now that I see how cute these could look I think I'll get out the wavy scissors and colored paper.

Lazy or Creative? You decide.