Happy Mother's Day!

Just wanted to wish all Moms out there very

"Happy Mother's Day!"

Wishing you a wonderful day!

Our Tax Rebate is here! Happy Friday!

That is a Friday Celebration! We just received our Tax Rebate. Yippie! Where did it go? Straight to the savings account for our trip this summer. And that is where it needs and has to stay. The Tax Rebate money is our "spending money" for our trip this summer to Romania. We are looking forward to it, and are glad we had this money coming to help with "fun spending" while we are there.

Anywho, Happy Friday and Happy Early Mother's Day to all you Moms out there this weekend!

My husband bought me a nice new Camera for Mother's Day. He used his work Recycling Money to buy it. He and his other co-workers save some part when they fix cars and a recycling guy comes around to collect them every few months and they get a check for recycling those parts. Don't ask me details, because I have no idea what part it is. Something small is all I know. Always nice to get an extra check here and there.

Feeling under the weather today.

Just wanted to explain why my postings are a bit off this week. I started the week with a sore throat and now has turned into a miserable cold. I thought it was allergies, but apparently I have a cold. I am taking some Sudafed, etc...to make it through the workdays and coming home to take naps; therefore, missing out on my blogging and communication. I hope I will feel well again soon. Real soon, as I wanted to go to my Mom's this weekend for Mother's Day to see Mom, Sister and her 6 week old baby. Not so sure that is a good idea if I am sick around a baby.

I'll keep you posted.

Tuesday Toot: DIY Update

Hi Everyone!

My Tuesday Toot for this week is a DIY update:

This past weekend my husband finished my son's swing. We have had the parts, etc...since September. I believe he was waiting for the perfect weather. My son just loves it and so do we. Very relaxing to have a swing around.

Weekend Deals: Yard Sale Finds

I am excited to report my deals from this past weekend. My deals came from Yard Sales!

Here it goes...

The following purchases are from a High School yard sale (HUGE...like 100 yard sales in one place)
*I bought 7 Leap Pad books (three cartridges) that were in a bag together for $1.00! One book and cartridge we already have, so I will give that to my sister for her baby. Another book and cartridge do work and match...we will keep. The other books and leftover cartridge (didn't have the book) we will hang onto. He can still "read" the books or be read to. for a $1.00 ...it is totally worth it for the two fully functioning books as they retail for $10 each.

*A SUPER YARD! Looks brand new with all six panels....$2.00!!!! Retails for $60.00 for six panels. We have two Super Yards already, this set will be for my sis. What a deal!

*Melissa & Doug Magnetic Dolls (change the wooden dolls with magnetic wooden clothing). No missing pieces that I can tell. Excellent quality toy, name brand.... $.50! 50 Cents! Wow!!! I would bet this retails for $20 or so in the stores.

*THREE Creative Memories (two in the shrink wrap still...never been open) Scrapbooks! $1.00 EACH! Two are 12X12's and one is a 12X6 book.

*One Creative Memories set of pages in the shrink wrap in black...$1.00 You can't leave such a thing for those prices! That stuff is Expensive so I may have to take up some scrapbooking this summer!

My total for all this was $8.00 Yes, I know it adds up to $7.50...they overcharged me for one item...I am not about to complain with those savings!

We stopped at 4-5 other yard sales at houses...and one we had success...here is what I bought:

*A beautiful red and gold teapot! Will be great for the dining room or give to my mother who loves teapots: $4.00

*About 50 Chinese Slides (Dragons, etc...)...great for teaching...with a little viewer for $1.50

*Three Hardback Children's Books (excellent condition, no writing in them): $.50 each $1.50 for all three.

*A little silver tray that will be used to drop keys, change and cell phones in for $1.00 very cute!

This yard sale total: $8.00 as well...how funny!

So you see, I had a GREAT Saturday out with the yard sales! For less than $20.00, I got all the above! I am so excited about my purchases! Man, I am ready to go again next week!

Have a great week!

Thrifty Thursday: Book Fairs

I am excited to report our school is currently running their 50% off Book Fair. Always check your child's school's Book Fairs. You might be surprised at some of the deals on some great books you can get. I know some of the most beautiful and best books I have bought have been from my school's book fairs.

Yesterday I bought Seven (7) books...4 of the seven were hardbacks. I paid total $17.50 for all seven books and that includes tax! Wow! Two of the books are "Curious George!" My son LOVES "Curious George!" $2.00 a piece for those!

Happy Thrifty Thursday! (Psst....Tomorrow is Friday!)

Wordless Wednesday: Art Recycling Projects Display

This is my bulletin board of recycled art projects that my students created.

There are some Fused Plastic pieces, Altered CDs, and a few Artist Trading Cards.

The students are third-fifth graders that created these masterpieces. They had a lot of fun!

Tuesday Toot: Flooring and Summer is coming!

My Tuesday Toots this week are:

I am loving my new hardwood kitchen flooring!

and

I am excited that there is only 6 or so weeks left of school til I am out for Summer Vacation! I am also excited to have a summer vacation as we almost went year-round. Safe from it this year but next summer may be a different story. I will take it one day at a time and enjoy my summer this year and not worry about the rest.

Happy Tuesday Toot to you all!

Before and After Shots: My New Kitchen Floor!

I love my new kitchen floor! Below are before and after shots of the same area of the kitchen floor. The first set (directly below this typing) is actually during and after...the other two sets are the way the floor used to be and now!

My son enjoys the new flooring as well! Beautiful Ain't it? I love it!

Happy Arbor Day! Happy Friday!

Today is Arbor Day! A day to go out and plant a tree.

Oddly enough today is the day they had available to install our hardwood floors in the kitchen. So I end up with the day off, not so bad.

I just wanted to add a quick post to let you all know that I am a little behind on the blogging due to getting the kitchen prepped for the installers. Just this morning, I realized when I read the paper again...uh ohhh...have to remove everything from the walls too. Ooops! Didn't take too long but still. Now the kitchen looks like we just moved in. When the floor gets put in, it is going to feel like we just moved into a new house entirely. I am hoping all goes well with the installation. I will keep you posted and post before and after pictures....we all love that!

Wordless Wednesday: Giant Socks in a Giant Dresser

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

This is a picture we took leaving the Hospital where my sister had her baby.

You will have to click on the picture above to enlarge it and take a close look at the giant socks hanging out of the giant dresser drawer. I have seen this many times when I was little and lived home. You will find this site in High Point, NC! They have another very larger bureau also in High Point somewhere else. Thomasville, NC (neighboring city) is the home of the "Big Chair."

Happy WW!

Happy Earth Day!

How will you celebrate Earth Day?

Today I am wearing a shirt that says "Be kind to our Planet, it's a pretty neat place!" Gift from my sister a couple years ago.

Here are some "Earth/Green" Sites that are celebrating Earth Day:

Plant a Billion Trees

EdHelper.com: Caring for the Earth Lessons/Projects

Living Green Toolbar

Earth Day at Nature.org

We Can Solve It.org

Design a Green Reusable Grocery Bag for Kroger: Recieve a FREE Reusable Bag and enter for a chance to win a $500 gift card for Kroger!

Earth Day Sites for Kids

The U.S. Government's Earth Day Site

I know there are many many many more great Green and Earth Day Sites! If you have one to share...drop it in the comment jar! :-)

Happy Earth Day!

Say NO to Plastic Bags!
It's Nice outside (here it is): Turn off your heating and air. Perfect Temperature!
Let your hair dry naturally!
I could keep going, but alas, I must go to work! Again, Happy Earth Day!

Tuesday Toot: New Flooring!

Hey all! I have two Tuesday Toots for this week. Yay, Yay!

#1) As I posted earlier, I finally un-lazied myself and am back on Ebay after an 8 month break. (Really hard to find time during the school year.) Within the first 24 hours, I do already have one bid on one of the two items. That is exciting. I have been selling on Ebay for 7 years now, but still...things/rules etc...change so rapidly that you don't know when you come back, how it will be.

#2) This Friday we are having our hardwood flooring installed in our Kitchen. I am so sooo excited about this. The current floor we have is awful and terrible as far as trying to clean it. It NEVER looks clean, even immediately after it is cleaned. I love hardwoods and am excited that this Friday I will have them in my Kitchen as well! It is going to give my kitchen the facelift it deserves!

Happy Tuesday Tooting!

As soon as I am able to get the Graphic From Mommy Community, I will place it here!

Back on Ebay!

Just thought I would share that I am back on Ebay! I have two panels of fabric listed. One Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Cameo piece by Braemore and another piece of a Parrot. Both are beautiful pieces and would make great pillows or handbags!

Check out my Ebay Items!

Happy Sunday!

Thrifty Tip Thursday: Make your own Kite!

Want to make your own kite nearly free? Read below the pictures!

The picture below is of one of three kites I made last night for my sitter's house today. I made one for each of the three that stay with her during the day. I used a toy magazine to make them rather than tossing the magazine. (Green) The rest of the magazine will go to work with me for collage purposes for my students.

The picture below is of all three. I did not use tissue tubes on these because I didn't have enough. I just chopped up a dryer sheet box and punched a hole to tie the string on and wrapped it around the rectangle cardboard.

I love Thursdays!

That is right...Make your Own Kite out of simple "around the house" materials:

*String (yarn, whatever you have)
*Regular sheet of paper
*Bamboo Skewer Stick
*Crayons (for decoration, etc...I am thinking for kids)
*Masking Tape
*Tissue Tube (I use this to hold the string by hole punching one end and tieing the string to it and wrap around the tube. Easy for kids to hold and let the string out.)
*Hole Punchers...nice but not necessary...just jab a hole with the skewer works also.

I know...this isn't complete instructions...that is why I have THIS LINK that tells you step by step on how to fold the kite and attach the stick. I could type all of that out, but in blog world...we love new sites and clicking on stuff.

By the way: I have made these kites with my Kindergartners and some older children as well over the past 5-6 years. Trust me...they FLY as good as any store bought one. Maybe not as cute, but the kids get to say they made it and can decorate them. They are always amazed by how well they fly! Adults are amazed too. :-) You don't even need a lot of wind to make them fly. Cool little kites! Kids love 'em, and so do adults...very little if any cash out of pocket. I make about 100+ a year and it costs me only a few dollars for tape and sticks. I usually have everything else.