Laundry, it really is inevitable

If you like to wear clothes then you have to wash them, sometime right!?! I guess I could become a nudist, but really no one wants to see that!!! With a family of 5 laundry happens every day. With little kids there are a lot of stain checks and sprays involved. I am a very frugal shopper by nature. I don't buy one brand and stay with it, I find the best deals! Well a few years ago I was introduced to ECOS, its a natural laundry detergent with a built in fabric softener. It's sold at some grocery stores like my local Kroger store, but its a small bottle for about $12.50. However it is also sold at Costco for 210 loads HE washer (105 standard) for $12.99. Break that down and it is just $0.06 a load. That's awesome! I bought my current bottle in July, and I am about half way through it. I love that I have found a detergent that I like, and the price is right too. Very occasionally Costco offers a coupon, its been over a year since they have though, maybe soon, and I can stock up for an even better price! I have been a faithful ECOS user for about a year or so now.

Thanksgiving Place Mats

Every week Michael's sends out a newsletter and a few weeks back was an idea for Thanksgiving place mats. I thought it would be fun to make with my kids, but really they only supplied the thumb prints for the turkeys. I changed it up from the original version, as I have lots of orange burlap on hand. I still want to get them laminated for long term wear. I finished them up today, so I guess we will use them next year, hey better late than never right?!?

Bring back the 70's

My sons are in elementary school, and they have the opportunity to have Spirit Week a few times a year. Some of the days are repeats, and simple to come up with fun ideas. I however was stumped with Decades Day (choices were 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's) being born in the crazy 80's I wanted to go all Cyndi Lauper but I have two boys not two girls, okay I have one but she is not in school yet! So there are MC Hammer pants, Michael Jackson, and the tale end of the 80's Vanilla Ice! However searching Goodwill, all I found was one pair of overalls too large and they were girls, and some jean jackets. I was not willing to pay what they wanted for those jackets for one day of dress up. So my boys have some cords and some white tees that I can tie-dye. Perfect! So I got a kit and made some shirts for my hippies. I found an iron on peace patch and they are all set to rock out for Decades Day!!!

Diapers what an expense!!!

Okay I am not into cloth diapering, actually I did try it with my little miss, but she is my third, and I am busy!!! However, I do claim to be thrifty and I have found awesome deals for all my diapering needs. This week at my local Kroger store they had a promo if you spend $20 in Huggies product you will get back a catalina for $5 off your next purchase, on top of that Huggies had a catalina running too. If you bought 2 packs of diapers get $3 catalina. Not sure if you bought more how much it would be. Also about a month ago on my stores FB page they offered a ecoupon for $3 off a $15 diaper purchase. I had that already loaded to my card.:) I coupon and I get three sets of coupon inserts every week there are coupons (major holidays = no coupons they figure you are traveling) So here is my deal I did today: 2 jumbo packs of Huggies diapers (size 4) $9.39 a pack I had two coupons for $1.50 off and one 72 count of wipes, I had a $0.50 coupon that doubled up to $1 off. Wipes were $2.44 so total before any discounts or coupons was $21.22 and then tax was $1.60 so $22.82, now let's bring that total DOWN!!! The ecoupon took $3 off= $19.82-$4 in my paper coupons= $15.82. I also had two previous catalina coupons that were for $6 off and used those too= $9.82 out of pocket is what I spent, and I got back $8 in catalinas for next time. I love getting some sweet deals on items that I have to buy. Why not just get them a lot cheaper!!!

A little off the top

I have always wanted to be able to just take scissors and hack away at some persons hair, of course I have never done it...no restraining orders here! As a little girl, I go to my own locks, probably my younger sisters too. But I learned that it was not okay, I have been waiting to cut some unsuspecting person and take off some inches.

I am NOT a hair dresser but with two little boys that are at the ages where I can cut their hair myself and they don't care what it looks like, I have been doing hair cuts for the last several years. I thought I was okay, defiantly no expert! A few weeks ago I got to sit in on a class where there was an expert. It was very informative, and though I have never picked up a pair of scissors to cut hair since I was oh about 5, I was nervous to try my hand with them. On my boys their cuts are short almost buzzed. I have always just used clippers on the entire head. I have never even dreamed of using scissors, plus they are young boys I don't need them tossing an ear or something. So its a new territory for me, and I know with practice, those scissors will become less shaky in my hands. Today my husband let me take a crack at his head. Now he is balding and shaves his head all the time, I would LOVE for him to let it grow out....just a little. So my scissors were not used too much, but I did take a little off the top!

Before Front View 

Before Back View

After Front View (Come on it's not that bad!!!

And the Back View (please excuse the hair)