Frugal Decor

It's that time of year again, when my creative monster wants to come out and play. Where to start first? Well, a couple months ago we got a new dinette set.  I have been chomping at the bit to decorate it! Isn't it lucky? (teehee) The other day, I was in Sams Club and seen this beautiful centerpiece. (It was much more impressive to see in person)

But it was so expensive for what it was. Almost thirty five dollars!  That got me to thinking.  I can make my own table decor! As I began my search for the perfect items for my table, I seen so many possibilities. But, one particular blog really caught my eye.http://www.decorchick.com/dollar-store-hurricanes/  How to make your own hurricane glasses.   And here is what I came up with. 

Isn't it gorgeous?  Believe it or not, I bought the glassware at the Dollar Tree, WalMart and Goodwill. Yes, Goodwill!  I'm not kidding.  So, let me show you how I put this all together for dollars.

Relentless

Holy Cow! It's been almost a year since I blogged!

So, what have I been up to? Well, I chewed out a sales rep who called my house at 8:40 in the morning. I was still in bed.  It was not pretty.  I told her not to call my house again.  Do you know that lady called right back? So, I answered and gave her another piece of my mind and hung up on her again.  ANDDDD do you know that lady called back again??? And again, and again, and again.... She continued to call as I picked up and hung up on her.  Some people just aren't that smart. I'm just sayin'.  

In A Pickle

A sandwich just isn't a sandwich without a pickle. I have been out of pickles for a week. It leaves my sandwich so blah.  I went to the pickle aisle of the grocery store and stared at the price of my beloved jar of Vlassic Stackers pickles. $2.50  for a little jar.  I couldn't bring myself to pick it up.  I know I can get it for less than $1.50 with coupons at Publix, once they go on sale. ugh... what to do?  I mean, geez, it's only a dollar difference!  C'mon, what's a dollar?

I will tell you what a dollar is:

A dollar is 40% of the total cost! If you were going to buy a large item, such as a t.v. Would you pay $500 for one, or would you wait for it to go on sale for $300?  It's only $200, after all.

A wise man once told me, "It's not what you earn, it's what you save."  Those little dollars add up quick. If I spend a dollar on pickles, I spend another on something else. And it continues on.  I can wait for those pickles to go on sale.  I must, I must! But, for now, I will get some Mt. Olive pickles at Publix that are buy one get one free, which makes them about $1.40 a jar. They will do for now....while I'm in a pickle...until Vlassic goes on sale. :)

Go ahead and laugh. Say I'm crazy. I don't care. :-p

Videos

http://www.youtube.com/user/nutnwithoutgod



I've made some videos about my coupons and stockpiling... enjoy!

blueberry + cream= heaven

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

It is sooo good! We made the full fat version and it is heavenly.  I want to eat all of it!

 First, I prepared the blueberry sauce with the frozen blueberries we stashed away in May.

1/4 cup sugar
 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
 1/4 cup water
 1/2 cup and 2 tbsp fresh or frozen blueberries
 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  
 In small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.  Gradually stir in water until smooth.  Stir in blueberries and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.  cover and refrigerate until chilled.  




 Then I made the graham cracker mixture:

1 cup and 2 tbsp graham cracker crumbs
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon.  Stir in butter.  Pat into an ungreased  baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  

I didn't put it in a pan that big because the recipe was too big for my ice cream  maker so I halved it. These measurements are good for a 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker.  Do you know how tempting it was to eat these cracker crumbs by themselves! ?

 So, then I was ready to make the ice cream!

In a large bowl whisk the ice cream ingredients.  

 

Ice Cream ingredient mixture:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 (3.4 oz) package instant cheesecake or vanilla pudding mix (i used cheesecake)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Fill ice cream freezer cylinder.

Crumble graham cracker mixture in bottom of container. ( I only had a bowl handy)

Then, the icecream mixture, and then the blueberry mixture go on top.

 Keep layering the crumbs, blueberries and ice cream. 

Then you swirl it ( I used a butter knife) and put it back in the freezer. 

 It was SOOO YUMMY! 

Austin gave it thumbs up! 

Now, I'm thinking about changing it up.  I'm trying to figure out a lactose free version...and maybe a low fat one too.  I've read that goat milk is lower in lactose, maybe that would be good too. No matter how it's changed, I'm sure it will be good... after all it's ICE CREAM!

 

Mailbox Freebies

I love checking my mailbox! I'm getting all kinds of free stuff this week! Good thing too because the sales aren't that great this week.

I got these coupons from www.kraftfirsttaste.com and I don't have to buy anything to get them free!

 I got this free recycled bag from Green Giant, and was surprised when they also sent a coupon for a FREE  5 lb bag of potatoes!

I got all this stuff free in my mailbox a couple weeks ago... lots and lots of coupons, and free pack of gum.

 More free gum Brian picked up for me yesterday while at Wal-Mart.  He used  eight $1 coupons from 6/13 SS newspaper. 

FREEEEE GUM, now that's something to chew on! ;)

Out with the BAD, and in with the GOOD

"Where the heart is willing, it will find a thousand ways. Where it is unwilling, it will find a thousand excuses."

~ Arlen Price 

"The best way to predict the future is to create it." ~Unknown

Today and every day from now on, I am throwing out the excuses.  The past two years have been full of nothing but excuses.  So, it's out with the bad, and in with the good.  It's time to be with people who will find a thousand ways to be there for me, like I have been for them. It's time to stop making people a priority, who only make me an option.  LET THE HEALING BEGIN!