Blogging Planner for 2015

I know, I know, it's been FOR. EV. ER.

I've missed you.

I've been doing the best that I can over here, trying to get out of this funk that seems never-ending.  I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel though, and I love all your sweet emails checking up on me!  I love it so much, I made another blogging planner for 2015.  And I'm giving it to you.  For free.  Because I'm generous... also because I know it's not awesome enough to charge for.  Whatevs, it's free. :)

I changed it up from last year:

I made the posts columns vertical instead of horizontal and added social media icons so you can check off when you've posted your stuff to Facebook and whatnot.  It is a two-sided planner, but the other side hasn't changed from last year.  Print it out and enjoy.

Find the planner here!  I left the front page blank so you could personalize it... Happy New Year!

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Gravestone Epitaphs for Halloween!

Hello my spooky readers!  We are getting close to Halloween and I can hardly wait!  Can't you just smell the candy corn and sugar-buzzed children?  I know I can.

A few years ago, I showed you how to make some awesome tombstones for your Halloween display.  These are so easy to make and they are so great for the holiday.  The hardest part of making these tombstones is figuring out what to inscribe for the epitaph.  Really, I had fits about it.  So, because I love you and don't want you to suffer like I did, I've rounded up some great sayings for your Halloween gravestones!

Mann Down

Pardon Me for Not Rising

Claire Voyance

She Should Have Seen it Coming

E.W.W.

It Stinks Down Here

Ben Dismembered

May He Rest In Pieces

Izzy Dead

Let's All Hope So

Radio Star

Killed by Video

Lee Ving

He Couldn't Stay

Colin Collect

Please Accept the Charges

Hammond Eggs

Died Over Breakfast

Lee Ning

He Finally Fell Over

Sal Manilla

Died of Food Poisoning

Ron D. Vous

He Met With Death

And of course, the classic epitaph:

I told you I was sick.

Are there any great ones I missed?  Leave 'em in the comments!

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Coffin Craft for Under $3

Hey there, everyone!  Missed you bunches.  In order to cope with the separation from you, I have been eating vast amounts of chocolate.  It has helped, truly.

Today, I'm showing you the craft I spent a whole $3 on.  Three smackaroos.  Tres buckos.  Oh, and it took like, ten minutes.

I bought three little wooden coffins at Michael's for $0.99 each.  SCORE.

I painted the sides grayish...

And then I put a little scrapbook paper on the front.  I used a glue stick.  Hard core crafting, yo.

Aren't they cute?  Speaking from experience, it's not easy to craft something for Halloween and only spend $3... I call this a win. :)

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It's October, Baby!

Is it weird that I call you 'baby'?  I mean, I hope it isn't.  We're so close and all... You can call me 'snookums'.  Totally fair.

First things first:  You guys rock my socks.  Truly.  My last post was really hard to type and hitting the "Publish" button was really rough for me.  But, I was trying to keep things real... and it's not always sunshine and roses in my world.  You guys gave me some amazing feedback.  I got comments and emails from some of you that were really amazing... and I realized that I'm not alone.

To answer a question I got quite a bit: yes, I did see a doctor about this.  The answer she gave me was to medicate, but she didn't recommend it until I was done nursing Lily-bean.  I really set a goal to breastfeed until she was one year old, and when I set a goal, I'm like a pitbull.  Or a rottweiler.  Or whatever dog is really good at achieving goals.  I promised the hubs that if it got too bad, I would switch Lily to formula and take what the doctor recommended; I'm no good to my kids if I'm a wreck.

The good news?  LILY'S BIRTHDAY IS NEXT WEEK.  HOLLA.

I think I will make it through this.  And honestly, FOR TRUE, I can't thank you guys enough.  I wanted to email all of you back for your comments, but all I'm getting lately are no-reply comments.  So, if you commented, I totally had a reply for you.  And it's the thought that counts. :)  If you emailed me, I'm trying to get throught them all... and I know you'll be patient... because you're awesome... and exceptionally good looking.

Anyhoos, IT IS OCTOBER.  So exciting!  I have done a "31 Days of Halloween" in the past years and really planned on doing it again this year, but time was not on my side.  Next year, I've got you covered.  To get us through the month, I've got a few Halloween crafts up my sleeve, but I'll also be sharing some of my greatest hits.  Because really, who doesn't love the classics?

Thanks again, guys.  You guys are awesome-sauce. 

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Thrifty Crafty Funk

OK, what I'm about to share with you is a bit personal.  It has nothing to do with crafting or cooking or DIYing and I totally understand if you aren't interested in reading to the end... but I am going through something and I need to share it with you.  If you're not in the mood, move on to another, happier blogger, and we'll meet again soon when I have something awesome to share with you.

I am in a funk.

I might even call it depression.

It's definitely anxiety.

I don't know how to get out of this.

It's hard to explain what is going through my head, but it's been boiling up for a few years now.  It started as some anxiety... nothing too serious, just some mild panic attacks that seemed to have no cause.  And then, they became not so mild.

And then came a bit of sadness.  Prolonged, profound sadness that I couldn't escape from.  But it would pass after a few days and I would go back to my normal life.  And then it lasted more than a few days.  And then it got worse.  And worse.

Ugh.

So, in the time since this started, I have been prescribed anti-anxiety medication.  It really did help, but when I got pregnant, I stopped taking it.  I didn't take it everyday anyway, so it wasn't a huge sacrifice.  And any anxiety I had during the pregnancy, I chose to tough out... I had huge fears about what the medication might do to my little in-utero string bean.  And now, I still don't take anything because I'm nursing.  Again, I just don't know what gets passed along in breastmilk.  I'm probably being a bit over-cautious, but I really worry about that sort of thing.

I plan to stop nursing when Lily is one, which is THREE SHORT WEEKS AWAY.  At that time, I'm planning a visit to my doctor to talk about this anxiety and depression.  It is literally crippling me.

I can't do anything.  I don't look forward to anything.  Everything is overwhelming.  I am cranky and irritable and not myself.

I don't know how to get out of this.  Did I say that already?

What does this have to do with you or this little blog?  Nothing, really.  I just felt the need to share it with you.  I have no game plan, no 'I'm totally gonna beat this' mentality, and no intentions of planning a pity party for myself.  But when you're miserable, you hope for someone in the world to say, "hang in there, I'm here for you".

Maybe I can plan a happier post for next week?  Let's all hope so.

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Floating Shelves Art Gallery

Hi everyone!  I'm basking in the awesomeness of 'school is back in session' and can I just say, it's better than I ever dreamed.  It's like sunshine and flowers and unicorns and candy.  It's like all those things.

Earlier this summer, I was dealing with such a headache: the kids' art projects.  You know what I'm talking about, I'm sure... they bring home all this lovely art and you can't bear to just throw it out.  I mean, if they see you throwing those projects out after they worked so hard on them, it would just break their little hearts.  I cannot bear the heartache.

I've gotten better about picking and choosing what needs to stay and what can go.  I'm still a bit shaky about throwing their things out, but I know I can't keep it all.  But the bigger dilemma for me was what to do with the stuff I had to keep.  I mean, if I'm keeping it, I should be able to enjoy it, right?  They did make it for me, after all.  Or they didn't.  Whatever.

Enter the floating shelves!

By the by, did you know that floating shelves are sort of expensive?  For cripes sake, I'm hanging construction paper artwork, not the Mona Lisa... paying $300 for some floating shelves, PLUS SHIPPING, would have been ridiculous.

I found these floating shelves on Wayfair.com.  They were around $50 for both of them, and after a 10% coupon code that I found online they were $49 and some change... and would your believe that any order over $49 has free shipping? MEANT. TO. BE.

And now, the artwork hangs nicely for all the world to see.

We're accumulating quite the clay animal collection.  It's like a zoo up in here.

So tell me, do you have any trepidation about throwing out your kids artwork?

**I was not compensated for this post.  Wayfair.com was honestly the best price for these floating shelves.  If Wayfair wants to sponsor me, they should totally contact my people.

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What I Did Over Summer Break

Hi everyone! It's been soooooo long since we've talked.  I hadn't planned on a summer break, but it happened anyway.  No one told me that three children under 10 in one house during a summer would be so much work. NO ONE TOLD ME.

But behold, happy days are here again!  Noah just started kindergarten (full day, praise the lawd), and Jon's back for fourth grade, so it's just me and Lily-bean until Christmas break!  Woo to the hoo... now I can watch all the Dr. Phil I want and there's no one to stop me.  NO ONE!

Here's a recap of what I did over my summer break, and there will be some follow-up posts about a few things, because I love to over-elaborate on things.  That's just how I riggity-roll.

1.  I completely obsessed about how to style a bookcase.  OB-SESSED.  For reals.  I finished it though, and I'm sort of happy with how it turned out.  Sort of.

2.  The hubs and I put together a swing set, and our marriage survived to tell the tale.  IT'S A MIRACLE.

3.  Lily started scooting on her belly and then crawling, leading me to contemplate sewing Swiffer pads to her clothes.  I'm not kidding, I really thought about the logistics of this idea.

4.  I finally figured out what to do with the space above my kitchen cabinets.

5.  I found a great website for planning home and gardening projects... and it's FREE.  FA-REE.

6.  I became a bit addicted to selling things on Ebay.  It started with just a couple of things... and then it snowballed.  MUST. SELL. EVERYTHING.

7.  I found out that Lily is not a complainer, even if she has a raging ear infection.  A tough cookie, that one.

8.  I found out how to child-proof the dog.  It's not easy and not convenient.

9.  I almost had a nervous breakdown about meal-planning, due to picky eaters.  I found a mini-solution though, which has helped that nervous twitch I developed.

10.  I turned 35.  HOLLA 40, I'M HEADED YOUR WAY.

Did you do anything noteworthy this summer?

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Using Cash Envelopes

Hi everyone!  It's the weekend!  And it's so nice and warm outside, I am just loving it.  After the horrible winter we had, I have made a vow not to complain about the heat this summer.  I'm going to enjoy it while I can and will resume normal weather complaints around December.

Today I wanted to share a little system I use to budget: cash envelopes!  Anyone who has read anything by Dave Ramsey knows about cash envelopes, but just in case you haven't, here's how they work:

You have an envelope for each of your household expenses: groceries, gas, prescriptions, chocolate... you know, the normal stuff.  You fill the envelopes with the cash you've budgeted for those expenses and when the cash is gone, it's gone.  It makes it nearly impossible to veer off budget, which is a huge relief.

And if you're using cash envelopes, you might find this handy:

Now sure, you could just take a regular ol' envelope and write on it... but this is more fun and I've already done the work for you!

I made a little something in Microsoft Word...

And then I printed it out onto full-page labels.  I cut them out and stuck them to some legal-sized envelopes!

Now, I have spaces to write what the envelope is for, how much is budgeted for that envelope, and lines to write where I've spent the money.

Dolla bills, ya'll.

If you would like to have some for your very own, here's the link!  Have an awesome-sauce weekend!

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A Thrifty Project for Lily

Hi everyone!  I have a great little project to show you today... it didn't cost much and it was done in an afternoon!  Of course, the supplies for this project have been sitting in my house for months.  And I think I moved them from the old house before that... WHATEVS, I HAVE TO DO THINGS IN MY OWN TIME.

Ahem.

I made a thingy for Lily!  Yes, it's a thingy.

I found this great frame at Goodwill for $4.99. As soon as I saw it, I knew what I wanted to do with it, so I bought some wood letters from Michael's too...

I found some pretty scrapbook paper and measured some to fit behind the frame mat.

I just cut it and taped it to the back of the mat... easy-schmeasy.

And then I painted the letters and the frames.  I matched the paint to some of the colors from the scrapbook paper.  This was not easy for me because I never know what colors will look good with what.  Really, I'm color-challenged.

And once the paint was dry, I put the frame back together and hot glued the letters to the glass.

So, funny story:  When I put the whole thing back together, the hanging holes on the back of the frame were upside down.  And apparently I'm a moron, because I decided that I needed to remove the letters and hot glue them the other way.

Or, I could just TURN THE GLASS AROUND.  Luckily for me, those letters were really stuck on there and in the time it was taking me to try to remove them, I figured out that I was a moron.

I hung it above her door and I just love it!  It's so much fun to decorate a girl's room!

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Magnetic Chore Charts

I love a project that gets stuff done.

Trying to keep the kids on track with their chores is serious work.  I mean, I can't keep track of everything we're supposed to do in a day, how can I expect the kids to remember all their chores?  And I can't tell you how many times they couldn't remember if they had completed the chore or not...  which means they sometimes do the same one twice for no good reason.  I had to do something!

I bought some metallic cookie sheets (for $0.97 at Walmart)...

And bought some wooden discs at the craft store along with some magnets...

And then I got to work.  I found some clip art for the kids chores and printed them out on adhesive paper:

Next, I cut them out, stuck them onto the wooden discs and glued a magnet to the back... so far, so good.

I painted the cookie sheets...

And then added a little vinyl!  Their names are up at the top of the cookie sheet and the line near the bottom lets them know what they've done: if it's above the line, they've finished that chore!

As you can see, baby Lily doesn't have any chores yet.  Mostly she just eats all day and that's not a chore.  But I have extra magnets for when she gets old enough to help out!

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Teacher's Gift Redux

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a great mother's day!  I got to see my grandmother for the first time in a few years and it was really nice.  Also, there was a buffet that wasn't too shabby.  You've gotta love grandmas and all-you-can-eat.

A while back, I made a teacher's gift for the first day of school:

That was before I had a Silhouette.  Vinyl has changed my life.

I made a new one for Jon's teacher's gift.  BEHOLD:

OK, so it's not so different.  It's just a craft case, with vinyl on top, and goodies inside:

Included in the goodies are Extra Strength Tylenol, lotion, band aids, paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands, gum and chocolate.  Sweet, sweet chocolate.  Everything a stressed out teacher needs to make it through the day!

Enjoy your Monday everyone!

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Storing Your Manuals and Warranties!

Manuals are a thorn in my side.  Honestly, every time I buy something, I dread taking that little manual out of the box because I can't bear to throw it out and I hate having to find a place for it.  And without fail, when I need that manual or the warranty, I can't find it.

I needed to get control of this whole thing.  I bought a 2-inch binder and some heavy-duty sheet protectors.

And then I rounded up every manual and warranty I could find around the house.  I put them all in a sheet protector and put them in the binder.  Quick and easy!

I used my Silhouette to cut some colorful tabbed dividers...

And I labeled each one.  And then I sighed with relief...

A giant binder filled with endless amounts of paper that I can't throw away... and a binder like that needed a label.  I used my full page shipping labels and printed out a little something...

And now, I never have to worry about losing another manual or warranty.  I just love a good binder!

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Installing Plastic Garden Edging

Hi everyone!  It's cold out today.  I thought we were out of the 40 degree weather for the season, but I guess not.  But the forecast for next week shows temperatures in the 80's, so I'll break out my bathing suit in preparation.

And speaking of warmer weather, have you guys started planting anything yet?  There wasn't much in the way of landscaping at our new home, so we have a pretty blank slate to start with.  I decided to get some garden edging to begin with and go from there.

I bought some rolls of plastic garden edging, like this:

It's relatively inexpensive and super easy to work with, not to mention that I like the way it looks in a lawn.  I set the husband to work installing it.

I spray painted a line in the grass where I wanted the edging:

And then had the ol' hubster dig a wee trench to put it in...

The edging was put in the little trench...

And stakes were pounded in at a 45 degree angle to keep it in place.

The dirt was raked over, back in place and that was that.  Boom.  Edging installed.  We added some plants and mulch, too:

And now we're just waiting for more warm weather to plant some more.  I would love some more hostas and some pretty flowers too... but I need temperatures above 60 degrees... not for the plants, but for me.  Priscilla does not bloom below 60 degrees.  There's a fun fact for your Thursday.

Have an awesome day!

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