No Spend Month......Yikes!

I am going to challenge myself to a no spend month for March.

This is probably going to be a lot harder than I think!

No spend, that is, on decorating, crafting, updating, etc.

I have enough projects that I have what I need to get them done

I just need to GET. THEM. DONE!

I realize that the past couple of months have been very out of the ordinary but now things are starting to slowly get back to normal, so I am going to face the towers of projects calling my name!

One project is this: I have an old office / waiting room style of chair that my In-laws bought for us probably 10 years ago. It is not in our regular living area, so it does get ignored.

It looks a bit like this one. With the exception of light wood arms and legs and padding on the arms. But this color and style are pretty accurate.

 

I intend to re-upholster it with this material

(which I have had for oh, about a year!)

and paint the arms and legs a high gloss white!

My material is true white and black.

 

Also I have a mid-century six drawer dresser that is destine to be a buffet for our family room. We have football parties, etc. down there for anywhere from 10-20 people at a time and although I have a table down there to set things out on, there is zero storage. So, I will take that dresser which looks similar to this one:

 

 

And sand (I WILL beat that sander this time!), paint and re-work the storage to fit my need.....

I am thinking it needs to be a fun color like....

 

I think I am leaning toward the "spring" or "tangelo" colors...although all of them are pretty dreamy!

 

I am also getting revved up for Easter...I sat down last night and got the menu in "stone". Recipes done and now all I have to do is wait for it to get closer!

 

I have a few smaller projects to do, but the goal is to not spend any money for the month of March on any projects to be done.......

 

OK, I'm going in...wish me luck!

 

Well, probably pray for self control for me!

 

Oh man, this is going to be a hard one!!!

 

Ramblings....

Thoughts that are in my head and I need to get them out on "paper".

You know, we have this social media arena available to us all in several different ways. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogging, etc. 

Many of us use it for the purpose it was created for...keeping up with family and friends that live away from us and finding long lost schoolmates that have long since left our lives.

It is wonderful for that!! And I use it daily.

But then there are the times that people get on and hate on others.

I find that so sad. To take jabs at defenseless people.

To take special precious moments and turn them into an opportunity to take a dig at someone.

Just makes me so sad.

So, I am determined to not ever be found guilty of such things.

And to prove my point, I am going to brag on my children!

We are a family that loves the Lord with all we are. We are undeserving of God's forgiveness, yet forgiven. We are undeserving of God's love, yet loved.

My husband and I have had the amazing pleasure of having 3 children come into our lives. Two by birth (even though 5 different Dr.'s told me I would never be able to have children.) and one through the divine intervention of God.

All three of our amazing children are married to amazing spouses.

All three of our amazing children serve the Lord in their churches, none in the same state.

Our oldest (the adopted child) is by day, a mail carrier while her husband is a public school teacher of special needs children. In their church, she and her husband serve by holding Bible Study classes and mentoring young couples.

Our son is actually on staff at the Church they are members of (like mother, like son!). He is head of the AV and trains volunteers within the church for the position they are about to do. His wife is also very involved in church ministry.

Our youngest is a Head Start teacher/assistant by day and heads up our Puggles program at our church while her husband works with our Youth Ministry.

My husband heads up the sound dept. at our Church while I am on staff and work within the Children's Ministry on Wednesday nights and Sunday nights.

So as you can see, we are a family who takes serving others in love VERY seriously.

That is why I cannot understand how others can be so ugly on social media.

Saturday Project

I was in need ummmm want ummmm, ok, lets start again.

I have a kitchen Island and it was perfect for our kitchen until we bought a new fridge....

it's on steroids, seriously, like hulk size.

 
It is wonderful!!! We have needed the room over and over again since we bought it and have loved it from the beginning......except for

the fact that our island now no longer fits in the center of the kitchen and even when pushed up against the windows, it is still intrusive.

Answer to my dilemma...

I took my saved birthday and Christmas money (gifts from parents and others) and took a trip to Ikea.

Bought an island kit that was much narrower than the one I had
 

(now our children are the proud owners)

and knew if I put a coat of paint on the blindingly light natural wood finish,
it could be something I would love.

Ya know I have to make things my own!

When I said kit, I meant it. LOTS of pieces.

Lots of sanding (oh the sanding...injuries occurred, don't ask) and lots of painting.

Thankfully some of the 50 pieces were a true help so that no taping off had to happen.

I did not need to use this method after all, but had it set up before I knew I would not have to use it...but if you are painting legs or boxes etc. putting it up on "blocks" of some kind keeps the painted legs from sticking to the paper and gives you a nice clean edge!

I apologize that I have no painting or building pictures, but after my injury occurred (stupid sander!!) I completely forgot about snapping pictures...you would have too, believe me!

But in the end, I think it came out just right!

 

I lost a shelf and drawer from the previous island and had to thin out the bowls, serving dishes, etc when bringing things back to the kitchen.

 

Just right!

Remember This?

 

I had a great need for a light above a work place in my kitchen.

 

Soooo, I made this pretty little tea light chandelier into an actual electric light chandelier.

 

See

And I mean really, who doesn't need a chandelier in their kitchen?

 

Right!!

 

Oh Yes.

 

 

I used a 3.95 light cord kit from Ikea and attached the tea light to it.

 

I simply ran the cord thru the "hanging ring" that was a part of the original tea light holder.

 

Obviously neither end of the light cord would fit through the ring,

so I pried the ring open, hooked it around the cord and closed the ring.

 

 

 

 

The tea light was bought in Door County WI while on a 4 day mini vacation with two of our children. So there is sentimental meaning with the mini-chandelier. The cost of the tea light at the time cost $12.95. But I have had it around the house for a couple of years, it had been played with by little ones and I had robbed the crystals to use for Christmas decorations at one point.

 

Good thing I had kept track of them!

 

I am not usually so fickle with things I buy, but this one just didn't have a true home until this past weekend...so odd.

 

 

Total cost of the light is $17 which is probably more than I would normally spend,

 but for a task light that is "rockin pretty", I am happy with the cost.

 

A Child's Love

Shown in the same way but different canvases. So sweet. From the heart.

One from a six year old. The most beautiful six year old in the entire world.

Don't judge me, I AM bias and not ashamed of it!

One from a 41 year old. She is going to be soooooooooooooooooo mad at me for giving away her age!

Ha!

These are notes left for us to find after the girls were gone. One headed back to Texas, the other to the U.P. of Michigan.

What a blessing.

A Thursday Night After Grocery Shopping

What do I do on a Thursday Evening after I get a smokin deal on black angus ground chuck?

You know, like finding 3 pound packages of said ground chuck for $5 a package,

Yes, that is a buck sixty seven a pound, NOT kidding.

I picked up two packages along with a package of ground chicken for two bucks.

I always add ground chicken or turkey to my meatballs to stretch the meat and it makes me feel like I am helping my family in a small way to cut back a bit on their red meat intake....probably just fooling myself, but in my head, I rock when I do things like this!

There were three packages in the meat case, but since there was an elderly gentleman looking over my shoulder I just could not bring myself to grab all three and he was grateful that he got the last package.

I am normally a cut throat person and take all that I can so this was completely out or the ordinary for me.

Seriously? No.

Now back to reality.

Well, this is what I did!

 I flash freeze the meatballs on sheet pans and once they are frozen threw, I will put them in freezer bags and tuck them carefully away to take on vacation this summer! I can feed our family of 14 a yummy Italian meal for $12! Awesome!!!!

 

 My hubby got a meatball meal for dinner, along with a Caesar salad that I threw together from things I already had on hand.

 An important component in both the meatballs and salad is the cheese! I "grate" my own in the food processor

Ok, OK, grind

from a block of parm or romano.
 
I had romano in the fridge that I was saving for just the right meal....and this was the occasion!

And of course, hamburger patties were prepared to keep on hand for my hubby to have at the ready for those evenings when I am not home and he cooks for himself....and he loves a good burger!
I, on the other hand, love a good photo of a burger, but I do not eat them. I have not ever been a huge fan of meat and most days, weeks, months eat my salads and fish, the occasional skinless chicken breast and once in very great while a bite or two of meat, but not very often at all....just not my thing.

But what is my thang is a freezer stocked with food on the cheap!

Something Useful That Is On My Mind

In light of the past 6 months that our family has been through, I have had time to see what could be done better in our home.

One thing that came to mind is this: our eldest daughter had to have emergency surgery two years ago (so? It is relevant, I promise!) and the surgery kept her down with no ability to lift or pull or tug for 6 weeks after she was released.

The ironic thing is, that just two weeks prior to the hospital stay, she had sat down and put together an index card file of all that she does to the house on certain days.....thinking it would be for offering things to do to bored children.

Well, I can tell you that it was a prophecy from above because it kept her household running so smoothly without missing a beat. When her husband and children would say "what should we do to help" she pointed them to the index card file and off they went, since she had also added instructions on the cards as to "how" to accomplish the task! ( I am certain she gets all this wisdom from me!)

So I have a link for you with free printable lists that would work so well in a notebook that you can keep just in case you ever have to spend weeks taking care of a loved one or going to open heart surgeries or what ever your situation may be.

Happy Organizing!!

http://www.household-management-101.com/printable-lists-for-organizing-household.html

My thanks to House-hold Management!

Wednesday Update

Pain in my Mother's fractured c12 Vertebrae is gone....completely!

She is still in discomfort from the actual surgical site, but the bone is doing wonderful!

Mom lost 20 pounds in this 3 week challenge, and although she does carry extra weight and would under other circumstances welcome the loss, this was not the way to loose it and she is quite weak and exhausted.

She is still staying with us until she herself feels that she is able to be at home safely. We have no problem with this at all! We just need to see her back to her old self!

My Father In Law is home and doing sooooooooooo well! It is completely amazing to me that they can open your chest, stop your heart, replace veins and start your heart up again....then 6 days later you walk out of the hospital to go to your home sweet home.....amazing!

He is still have pain from the work that they did, you know, just a little prying of the rib cage and cutting of his chest open....no big deal....wire that rib cage closed again and call it a day. OOOWWWEEEEEEE!

So very glad and thankful for his life here on earth to continue with us!

My Niece is still dealing with her stomach opening from the feeding tube. That thing just does not want to heal....grrrrrr.
If we EVER stop getting snow storms, I will get another picture of her and I and let you actually see how wonderfully she is getting on in spite of the stomach issue.
She is able to lift her toes to over an inch off the floor while her heal remains on the floor....this is HuGe! As she had no ability to control or use that foot/leg for the longest time....again, Amazing!

And in light of this day, this little sign showed up on my Facebook page today. Sooooooo applicable this snowy Wednesday in February!

Hope you have a very blessed day today.

Nail Day

During the Holiday Season I was given the opportunity to spend a nail time with a wonderful Great Grandmother and her beautiful Great Granddaughter. It was a precious time and I wanted to snap a few pictures.

Here are the results.

 

 

 Yes, this IS an "Awwwww" moment, so go ahead and say it......AWWWWW!

 And Again......Awwwwwww! So Sweet.

 True Beauty.