Instant Sanity (later, not now)

An organized pantry not only saves time and frustration, it can actually have a calming affect to just stare at it. As what I consider a great shopper, I often stock up. The most important rule of stock up? Rotate. In order to do this better I write the expiration dates on the top of bottles. You may think, I am totally gonna' use fourteen bottles of ranch by next week, throw it all in your cart and soon what started as a bargain turned out to be one very expensive bottle of ranch and some trash. (Insert expiration date gurus commentary, that is not my forte).
Today I wasted a couple hours making magic, and I am going to share it with you.
I spent fifteen dollars at the Dollar Tree on bins. Quite nice sized, orange, bins. The lovely lady behind the counter asked, "What are you going to do with these?"
"I am organizing my pantry," I chirped happily in a totally uncharacteristic version of a Disney animal.
"With orange?" In an amazing fete she managed to raise her brows while lowering her lips. Seriously, I cannot do this.
"There's a door." I deadpanned. So much judgment.
Well, let me tell you I have good intentions when I go to the store. I am tired of the out there peopling and I think, I will finish organizing later. Then later I kinda' get it on the right shelf. And sometimes I don't even add the date, which helps later on.
So, you go looking for ketchup and there's none and you have ten kids showing up in an hour and run out for ketchup instead of putting batteries in the lamps and it's all just a mess. And pointless. Because there was ketchup. Behind the pasta sauce, because you didn't do it right.
Or, you plan a dinner with the neighbors and you know you have the ingredients, so you vacuum instead and lo and behold in the final touches you realize your dressing expired in July. 2013. Run to the store or ask them to bring some? You feel silly either way.
Finally, today was the day. It wasn't that I had nothing more pressing to do. No. Au contraire that is when I am at my finest. Working my way from the easiest shelf (cereal) I went nuts. Fifteen dollars and two hours of labor later, my bottles are dated (with some dressings rotated into the fridge now). The bonus I threw out less then three bucks worth of food, I know I should be sad, but really, It will be none by next year because I am organized! Plus, it was all candy. So that's bad for you anyway.
Cans were best fit on their sides, fitting a couple more per basket that way. Here you go, you read though all that and you deserve a peak:



I will be adding labels another day, I'm not Supergirl! Those smaller ones can be written on with dry erase markers, woohoo! Yes, I know you can do it better. So go. DO!

Auto fun.

Not automatic fun, like 'just add water!', but car fun. There's been a few great ideas I have used to make my car feel more like the home away from home it is.
There's a few that are easy to figure out, I love my fuzzy steering wheel cover, who cares if it needs replaced ever year, I'm tired of it by then anyway. There's an easy clean ash tray, that once you take the top off to dump it work great as a tiny trash can, for gum wrappers, straw wrappers, etc. It fits in the cup holder, how nice! They have wipees great for keeping in your car for emergencies. One trip I even found a tissue dispenser that clips on your visor. I surpassed this great deal, because that's just one car rides worth of tissue.

Smelly stuff, for sure, I prefer the good old fashion mirror hangers, but your dollar store has the vent doo-dahs, which work great but require changing like every month, and I am so lazy. There's the sprays, which my children can't wait to ge their hands on, so no go there as well. I have even made a handy smeller using a parmesan shaker with my scentsy cubes added. The Hubs loves his, and it smells sooooo good. It just doesn't work in my car, you know I need all my cup holders!

One extra idea is stickers, yes! I found the alphabet at the Dollar Tree with multiples of letters, and I was able to write my own message! I also have seen those handy balls in the windshield stickers and some really pretty fish! I have loads of leftover letters, so if one falls off or gets removcd I probably have a back up. These have not slippe doff or bleached from the sun in two months, and that's something here in the desert!





I love my eyes! You may have noticed a fixation with googly eyes, so when they got them in for your doors, or trees, or whatever spooky idea, I was excited! Well, I immediately saw what must be done with these peculiar peepers.



Tada! And no, I didn't think you'd want me to clean my car for these pics, lets just keep it real, kay? But, if I had it would be with dish soap, sponge and bucket bought from the Dollar Store.
How does the dollar store make your home away from home/parental taxi vehicle a better experience?

The Vanities of the Princesses.

It was an ordinary idea, brought on by Mom finding one vanity, that I thought was maybe too small. But we could totally make some that would be better.... and match. And cost less. And, you know, be fun.
So we started with two end tables from an online yard sale site (10.00).

And added (from the dollar store):

6 star lights                    (6.00)
2 mirrors                        (2.00)
a total of eight drawers  (8.00)
two four packs of bins   (2.00)
two waste baskets          (1.00)
touch lamps                    (2.00)
two packs of batteries    (2.00)
'trays'                              (2.00)
can be made from  platters or other types of trays at dollar store.

from Home Depot:

2 cans of spray paint      (8.00)

We sprayed the tables outside for ventilation. We set up the arrangement while at school on the last day of birthukkah, or Eve's birthday. We spent about two hours nailing up mirrors, lights, and gluing together drawers. We realized these were closer to the ground than imagined and that milk crates would make great seats, later we will spray those with the left over paint and perhaps make a cushioned board or just grab some couch pillows. Well, the girls are pretty happy. And that makes Momma happy.

we added to the finished project:

a brush mirror set from Walgreen's (2.00)
foam rollers                                     (2.00)
one nail file each                             (1.00)
one lip gloss each                            (1.00)
one nail grooming set each              (2.00)
a package of hair elastics   (split)    (1.00)
a set of barrettes                 (split)    (1.00)


I'm not great at mathing, but I think that's $55.00 and that's for two! Made of wood!

The girls added some personal touches right away, a Chubby Puppy, a Hello Kitty flashlight, only a girl knows exactly what extras she needs at her vanity.

Reusable Work Book



This is very handy if you have kiddos. When they need lots of practice handwriting, but you don't need piles of worthless papers. So see, it's also good for the environment.
What you need:
Workbook for child's skill level. We got some great Disney(c) ones at the Dollar Tree.
A binder or pronged folder that has a pocket insert in front.
Page inserts (20).
Dry erase markers.

For mine I would have preferred the binders you can simply add a picture to the front. I know the dollar store has carried them, but no luck this time. I happened upon some fifty cent binders at Walgreen's and used some laminate I had (try contact paper but be sure to rub it on well). I pulled out the staples and cut the pages in half from there (each whole page separated from it's partner).
After 'laminating' the front to the binder I simply added the twenty page protectors and inserted the pages in order. Easy peasy!

Three bucks for each folder!  Plus a buck to pick up some multi packs of dry erase markers! Woohoo!

*You don't have to worry about being organized and losing loose papers sent home by the              teacher.
*You will begin to build their confidence by allowing mistakes to be wiped away.
* They view it more as an activity than as a 'homework'.
*Get out the camera when they do really well and make a big deal of it.
*Re-usable for the next kiddo, or to pass along.

Best Dollar Store Find

I'm gonna' dub this one as such, because, really, I LOVE it!

This right here:

Chopping/craft/all purpose mat

As a crafty family each member has a set. Also, we have a set in the kitchen. 

These mats are cheap enough to risk crafting on. Made from some durable plastic, they have the feel of milk jugs. If they're not recycled from them, they should really consider it.
The girls use theirs for play dough, galaxy goo, magic sand. They come in handy as a surface protector anytime something messy comes up, which is a lot around here. Our motto: If it aint messy you aint learnin'. That's not really our motto. At fifty cents each they are even the cheapest place mat I can find. They wash off easy, and if they get super stained up we shuffle it to a messier craft. We haven't had to throw them out yet.
The hubster uses them with his polymer clay, as well as painting projects. The clay peels off neatly with a straight edge, and much paint washes off with the kitchen scrubbie.
I am the worst on them. With alcohol inks, cutting, taping, gluing, painting, mine are definitely the most worn looking. My motto is: if it aint messy it aint fun. Again, not really my motto. When using my tape runner for shapes I love to habve one of these underneath bnecause the adhesive simply rubs off with my thumb.


As  I said, you can also use them in the kitchen. They are a great surface to cut on or to work on, since they move right to the sink for a wash. I imagine this christmas I will be rolling my sugar cookies on them!

Advanced Spoon Theory

 

If you've been diagnosed with a debilitating illness, you may know about the spoon theory. It's a magical thought that we only have so many spoons (energy, effort, activity) to spend. If you've not heard of it, Google it, it's not mine and I won't do it justice.
The thing about this is that only you know how many spoons you have. It may fluctuate, and sometimes you know the reasons, and sometimes you don't. The idea I had isn't for others to understand, it's between you and your spoons. It's for you to understand, except, and make the most of your daily quotient. It's for you to allow yourself forgiveness on bad days, and celebration on good.
Here's what you need:
Two pringles cans (I cut about one and a half inches off the top).
Fun Duct tape.
The number of spoons equal to your normal tasks, plus one you can label 'other'.
Paper (I am lucky to have the perfect punch, but you can cut your own ovals or circles if you don't)

Cut the paper equal to the number of spoons. Write your common activities on each one. I have daily morning duty with my kids, since my hubs is off to work early. I do dishes daily. Things like that. Also, include things you do weekly. Have some extra blank spoons for times when you clean more than one room, you can drop a blank in every time you finish one. Or go to several stores. I have only one for pay bills, because I do that online it is less harrowing, but if you have to drive to each place do the same, drop one blank along with the 'pay the bills' spoon to equal the number of places you had to go.
Important: Know your number! This can help you learn your number, but do not compare, explain, or otherwise diminish the importance of your number. I have nine spoons. Someone might have three and someone else might have twenty (you might need a bigger container). I may have days where I accomplish three or days when I accomplish twenty. I can guarantee in my own case these days would be together. When I overdo a day, I pay for days.
                                                   
Tape the papers to the spoons:

                         
Wrap the Pringles cans in pretty Duct Tape. Place all your spoons in one and as your day gos on move spoons over. At the end of the day, feel better. Know you did your best. Don't explain it to anyone, don't make excuses. Just know you did your own 100%.

                               

P.S. I am totally moving a spoon over for this blog.

Jello Brains For My Zombies

I couldn't resist. Between Walking Dead for the big zombies and Monster High for the little ones, there was no passing it up. A brain shaped jello mold. Heck yeah! So I was ready to make a lot of mistakes, and surprisingly got it right on the first try.
Using two jello packs and three cups of water, it set relatively quick and plopped out of the mold after 'releasing' the edges with a butter knife. You have no idea how often I mess up jello, so seriously this was an unexpected win. I boiled the two cups, dissolved the jello powder and then added only one of the two more cups called for. And now we all know it works, we can all waste that buck.

Hanging Jewelry Storage

If you're anything like me you have a treasure chest of, let's just say, kitsch jewelry. Their value is not necessarily reflected in money. This can range from everyday jewelry to special occasions. From frequently worn to just in case anyone ever has a an alien luau themed wedding. Now, my earlier system; individually bagged in shoe boxes by type, was perfectly nice. However, it wasn't getting worn. Which is why I had to create a system to hold a lot, but still reveal itself off to me.
For volume I decided on the back of the under sink cupboards in the bathroom.
Because these are pretty thin I needed something that wouldn't screw or nail in. Because I rent I needed something that will come clean.
Enter the sticky backed hooks that really aren't strong or wide enough to hold much. Aside from running an electrical line along they aren't very useful. But the weight of a bracelet, or necklace has fared quite well. Now, when I grab my make up case I am reminded of all the fun jewelry I have, I put it on and feel better all day long; confidant and powerful like my elephant themed charm bracelets have become Wonder Woman's Bracelet's of Submission.

                             
I believe I spent about four bucks doing this. It can probably be done for less as I have seen larger packages of these at other dollar stores, before deciding I needed them.
Through the learning process I have encountered one necklace that is just too heavy. Other than that none has ever pulled off by itself. If I weren't renting I might squish some liquid nail and keep at that one. The secret is to put these on, give it twenty-four hours and one more nice press before hanging things on them.