Pinterest lead me to another tutorial for a DIY nursing cover!
With new baby days away, I dug out my two nursing covers I received from Udder Covers for nursing David.
Udder Cover in Jones.
Udder Cover in Porter.
One is very Spring season & one is very Winter. I decided I would pick out some Fall fabric celebrate the season and have something new for the new baby. Something I haven't used before!
I went to the clearance section of Hancock Fabrics and found this cotton print on clearance for $2 a yard.
I also grabbed 1/2 a yard of belting to make the opening of the nursing wrap. The tutorial calls for a set of D rings to make the neck opening adjustable but I flopped around with those things on my other covers. I decided to just make the cover my own size since I am the only one using it!
It took me about an hour to complete the project and it only cost me $3.40 to make! I am pleased with how simple it was to construct. Again, the hardest part is keeping the little guy entertained while I sew!
It is no secret in my circle that I have become obsessed with cloth diapering. I haven't been able to USE my addiction quite yet as, I am still 10 days out from my due date with Baby #2.
I have spent the last few months researching the perfect approach to cloth diapering that will satisfy myself, new baby and (maybe most importantly) my skeptical husband.
While I could go on and on about my discoveries and new stashes, it seems a bit premature as I haven't gotten to cloth diaper my child, yet!
My husband called me this afternoon saying he would be especially late coming home from work so I thought I would use the opportunity to busy myself by making my own cloth diaper wet bag! As you know, I try to be as thrifty as I can be and I just haven't been able to find a bag that suits my economical needs.
My other current obsession, Pinterest (as well as some googling), lead me to A Lemon Squeezy Home's wet bag tutorial! I have to say, it is one of the easiest tutorials I have ever followed. So easy, in fact, I loaded it on my cell phone and followed the instructions there.
I will use this particular wet bag to hang in my bathroom. It is large enough to accommodate maybe 5-8 diapers. I plan on making a few smaller bags for my diaper bag!
My materials: 1/4 Yard Polyurethane laminate (PUL) $2.49 1/4 Yard cotton print $1 1 zipper (bought a bulk bag of zippers in the craft section of the thrift store that might have cost $.05 each!)
Completed hanging wet bag.
Coordinating zipper with PUL lining (to keep in the wet & stink!).
Size comparison with a Charlie Banana pocket diaper size S.
Where my wet bag will hang.
Robe hooks I bought new at the thrift store for $.99.
The whole project probably took me an hour to complete. However, because my son was running around all evening, the wet bag took up the entire night to actually finish. There were a few times when he was extra curious at me at my sewing machine and he would climb up on my lap. I allowed him to put his hands on my hands as I sewed but he was not allowed to touch any buttons (or the needle of course!!). It was a pretty cute sight if you were looking in on us.
I am extra proud that I didn't need to use my seam ripper at all. However, I had top stitched the fabric a bit too close to the zipper and it is very sticky. Ah, well. I know now that I can make these wet bags in no time! A great nap time project, I think. Especially, when I only need to cut 4 rectangles!
One of my favorite things about thrifting is the luck or unluckiness I acquire with 50% off color tag days. Today was a great "green tag day" at my local thrift store:
Usually, when I head to the mailbox I am bombarded with bills or junk flyers from Summer project companies and the like. However, not today! Today there was a little white package with my name on it. Completely out of the blue and unexpected.
Miss Malia from Junk Love sent a little goodie bag and note my way. Included was an assortment of cute crafts (from I Like You) and some finger puppets for me & "new baby". Even though David claimed the finger puppets right away by carrying them around saying "Quack, quack, quack!".
It is a nice reminder that it is always a feel good moment (for both parties, I think) to do something nice and unexpected for someone else!
Like a lot of us, I love (really love!) Pinterest. It is so inspiring and I have gotten so motivated to rearrange, organize, design and create!
Tonight's project was the Circle Scarf (or Eternity or Tube Scarf). I used a tutorial from the lovely C&C . I can't even imagine how many hits she must get to her blog from Pinterest. Her scarf is pinned and re-pinned all the time.
I got especially inspired to do this super, stupid easy sewing project when I found the vintage fabric at Savers tonight for $1.99. I got a ton of it and made 3 scarves with it in what felt like no time.
There were many ways I could have cut the fabric for this scarf. I chose to cut it very long and a bit thinner. I could see using a thicker fabric and making it just one loop instead of two.
Yay! It is August! My golden Birthday month! Officially, I will be in the last year of my 20's. They started out a little rocky but I am in such an amazing place now that I know my 30's will be an amazing decade. I will hold on to and appreciate my upcoming year of being 29, having two children and a kick butt husband who helped give me such a great life (among a super supportive family and friend circle!).
Sap-fest over.
David and I shopped with our coupons this evening. I was secretly hoping to "miss" our NNO block party BUT I ended up going anyway AND so glad I did.
I find it easiest to hit up each aisle and watch for the orange clearance stickers. Then, judge whether using your coupons makes for a good deal. I really lucked out this shopping trip. I have 2 coupons to stack for $2 off a Cover Girl item at Target but there was no good clearance so I will hang on to those! Also, I have a lot of Febreeze and Glade coupons which are on clearance at my store but only 15% off. So, hopefully I can wait a week for the clearance to drop a bit more.
Tresseme Curling Mousse sale $2.99
MFR Styling Product $1/1
TQ Styling Product $1/1
= $.99
Mr. Clean Floor Cleaner clearance $2.11
MFR $.75/1
= $1.36
(I plan to use this in my Swiffer mop when I run out of solution!)
St. Ives Trial Body Wash $.99
MFR St. Ives Body Wash $.50/1
=$.49
(There was no restriction on trial sizes!)
Loreal Lip Stick clearance $1.76
MFR Loreal Eye Cosmetic $1/1
TQ Loreal Cosmetic $1/1
= -$.24
(Even though it was a Loreal eye coupon, Target still took it. And I made the $.24 towards my purchase!)
Rimmel London Foundation clearance $2.98
MFR $1/1
= $1.98
Orbit Gum clearance $1.18
MFR Extra/Orbit/Winterfresh/Juicy Fruit 3pk $1/2
= $.68/ea.
Bic Soleil Razors sale $4.49
MFR Bic Razors $3/1
= $1.49
Pillsbury Cookie Mix clearance $.84
MFR Pillsbury Frosting or Brownie Mix $.40/1
= $.44
Goldfish Grahams sale $1.75
PMFR $.55/1
= $1.20
(I like to wait till these are closer to $1 or less but I just bought them anyway!)
Crest Toothpaste clearance $1.74
MFR $.75/1
= $.99
Total before coupons not including original price: $20.83
Total: $9.86 (52%)
Aaaand, I couldn't help but buy a first birthday onesie in pink. Just in case new baby is a girl! It was only $1.47!
Today, I stalked each aisle to find my perfect $25 bundle. Funny thing is, I added up my cart total on my phone calculator multiple times (one of my favorite things to do! No joke!) to be sure I didn't go under the $25 or too much over. At checkout I watched the total climb and then it stopped...right on $25.00. It was too funny.
Anyhow, Recycle Bank asks you to complete very small tasks such as surveys that take 30 seconds to collect points. I think I acquired 150 points the first day I joined in about 15 minutes of perusing tasks. Then I printed my Arc coupon which was 100 points. Super easy. There are other coupons for stores and items as well that are very time worthy.
1. Boy's The Beatles Yellow Submarine Tee Size 3T
2. Vintage Scarf
3. Chinese Take-Out Style Dish Rags
4. Anchor Pin
5. 80's Pink Sunglasses
6. Teal Beaded Skinny Belt
Also, two maternity dresses for me.
And a Lady Carol dress for my shop. Tags still attached!
I also got two over sized books with the side panel of buttons to push that make all kinds of noises. He loves Thomas the Train right now & I found one book that is a sing-a-long! Too bad it needs watch batteries....
Pretty good score for $15! Anyone else thrift this weekend?
One of my favorite finds when I am out thrifting and scouring garage sales are: vintage toys. I think there is something incredibly nostaligic and sweet about a toy that was hand made & painted. As if it was just waiting for David to play with & learn from it...
Summer vacation time soon! Time to start stock piling food for the week. We share a cabin with Pete's family and will have a chance to make some dinners & lunches for 8-10 people.
Lunchables with Fruit $2.74 PMFR $1/1 TQ $1/2 = $1.74/ea
Kellogg's Pop Tarts sale $2.50 PMFR here $2/3 TQ $1/3 = $1.50/ea
Market Pantry Wheat Bread sale $1 Market Pantry Large Eggs $1.49 TQ Market Pantry Bread & Eggs $1/both = $1.49/both
Other Goodies Using Target Coupons & Sales
Digiorno Pizza & Wings sale $6 PMFR $2/1 = $4 (yes, there is a pizza night in our future!)
Up & Up Nail Polish Remover $.97 TQ $.50/1 = $.47
RE Style Target Brand Pillowcase Pairsale $5.99 TQ Target Bedding Item $5/1 = $.99 (I have been watching the clearance end caps for weeks for something to use my $5 on. These weren't clearance just on sale. Maybe Target is done with the pattern? The solid pillowcase sets sold for $9.99.)
Sharpie Permanent Marker sale $1 TQ $1/1 = Free
Up & Up Pantyliner $.89 TQ Feminine Care $.75/1 = $.14
I am starting a stockpile list and I can load the dry good items as I go. I am sure I will hit up Sam's Club in the next day or two and get a sense if buying bulk will be cheaper than using my coupons. We'll see!
Expect to see Target's front of store $1 section go 50% off after a holiday. I scored a few good deals, including super cute cards with anchors! And, at $.50 for 10 cards, it is a great price!
It has not been a very warm summer here in MN. No doubt, today got pretty hot but it was chilly was we dined on our deck tonight. We picked up a new patio table from Home Depot last night! Our last one shattered last summer.
We made a $6 dinner (I bought in my last post) of Stubb's marinaded grilled chicken breast (thank you, Pete!). We topped it with shredded cheese and French's Fried Onion Strings. On the side I made the Suddenly Pasta Salad in Chipotle Ranch.
David had dinner before us so we bundled him up and he had a Popsicle!
It was a really nice night and I am so looking forward to having more dinners outside.
I am happy to say that I am now blogging for the city of Fridley Patch! I have started a section called the "Coupon Counsel" where I share tid bits about couponing, area sales & the like. While I love to blog about my shopping trips here on Top Drawer, it will be nice to get some additional feed back from folks in my area.
I wrote a blog post last night titled "Coupon Counsel: How to Stack Your Coupons". Well, this afternoon I went to Target and tried to stack some of the coupons I had mentioned. Here is what I came up with:
Coffeemate Chai Latte Creamer $1.79 PMFR $.55/1 = $ 1.24 (could have gotten a better deal on this but I am almost out!)
Revlon Nail Polish $3.74 MFR Revlon Cosmetic $1/1 TQ $1/1 = $1.74 (I love this color "minted". I think my cousin was wearing it the other week and I told myself I had to have it!)
Gerber Waterproof Pants 2 Pack $2.99 PMFR Gerber Clothing Item $1/1 = $1.99 (I went to my in-laws last week and forgot David's Little Swimmer diapers. Poor David was pulling at his soggy diaper! These will be perfect to pack in his bag for those impromptu hose playing moments!)
Liz Lange Maternity Tee $2.48 TQ Liz Lange Clothing Items $3/1 = free (I thought the extra $.52 would go towards my cart but it only discounted the $2.48)
Circo NB Onesieclearance $1.12 (This was just too cute to pass up. If new baby is a boy he has plenty to wear but I am sucker for the little sayings that express a new addition to our growing family!)
Gold n' Plump Chicken Breastssale $4.89 PMFR Golden Plump Chicken $1/1 TQ $1/1 = $2.89 (I knew I had a soon to expire Golden Plump coupon but I was surprised to go to my store and see them on sale and had a dollar off coupon on the outside of the packaging!)
Emerald Chocolate Covered Almondssale $3 MFR Emeralds Nuts $1/1 = $2 (These can creep towards $5 so I thought it would be a fun snack to get!)
Stride Gum 3 Packclearance $2.08 TQ $1/1 = $1.08 (I was excited to find these on the clearance end cap of my store.)
OFF! Table Top Candle $5.69 MFR OFF! Area Repellent $3/2 TQ $2/2 = $3.19/ea (I could have waited for these to go on sale before I bought them but Pete and I bought a new patio table last night and I am looking forward to using them tonight!)
Suave Deodorant $.97 PMFR $.75/1 = $.22 (This Suave deodorant was in the trial size section of Target and the coupon did not exclude trial sizes!)
How do you think I did? I barely stacked any coupons but I made out with some pretty good deals. I went on a mission to use a coupon on every product (which I didn't use a coupon on 2 items: the onesie & pancake mix not listed) and pick up something for dinner to have on our patio tonight!
Dinner includes: Gold n' Plum Chicken Breast $2.89 Marinated in the Stubb's Marinade I picked up last week $1.10 Suddenly Salad Chipotle Ranch pasta salad $1.08 Pringles Can (I got from Sam's Club this weekend for a steal!) $.53 = $5.60 for dinner Quality outside summer time with Husband & the toddler?? = Priceless!
Biggest things I learned today was 1) David is a much happier shopper in the morning. We had one big tear at checkout this evening and thankfully the nice checkout lady was waving to him and he got distracted enough to smile!
2) To really make my coupons count the item almost always has to be on sale. I passed up using so many coupons because I wasn't getting close to 50% off with them.
TQ= Target Coupon PMFR= Manufacture Coupon I print from home via SmartSource or other. MFR= Sunday Paper or equivalent cut Coupon
Market Pantry Pasta Sauce $1.34 TQ Buy Market Pantry Pasta & Sauce $1/2 = $.79 (ground beef was on sale for $3.43 so, we had Spaghetti dinner tonight for $4.86. With leftovers for David tomorrow!)
Pantene ProV Curly Spray Gel sale $3.50 (orig. $4.84) MFR Pantene Products $3/2 = $2 (after chatting with my 'cousin' I realized I had a $1.50/1 Mobile TQ for Pantene I could have stacked with the MFR. Therefore, I will go to my store & have my receipt adjusted which would make the products $1.25/ea)
(2) Pop Chips $2.69/ea MFR B1G1 Pop Chips = $1.34/ea (other coupon blogs found these advertised 2 for $4 but not at my store, but it was still a good deal)
(10) Weight Watcher's Smart Ones $1.99/ea TQ Smart Ones Frozen Entree $5/10 PMFR Smart Ones Frozen Entree $4/10 = $1.09/ea (some entree's were marked $2.34 so to keep it the cheapest I only bought the $1.99 variety)
Up & Up Diapers Size 4sale $13.99 TQ Up & Up Product over $3 $1/1 = $12.99 or $.15/diaper (these were advertised for $14.99 in the Sunday ad)
"Fitting in is way overrated. I spent a whole lot of my life trying to be myself and at the same time fit in. Just be who you are. If you are surrounding yourself with the right people, they will not only get it, but they will appreciate it." - Jessie Arrington from Wearing Nothing New
I sat down in the 'Papa Chair' downstairs with our laptop to blog about the late night Walmart run I just had. Funny how my post is not at all what I thought it would be. A darling lady posted a link on my Facebook to a short video of Jessi Arrington talking about packing for 7 days away with only underwear. She was certain she could find everything she needed to not only clothe herself but also feel fabulous wearing it:
This is exactly what I needed tonight! Sometimes I just need a little reminder that I can put on whatever I want & as long as I am happy with myself on the inside, I can be amazing on the outside. No matter what, really.
Jessi's blog, Lucky So and So, is full of color, life & happiness and serves as a reminder to all of us how fabulous we can be without even trying (or spending money!). Also to mention, I love-love her style and am completely inspired to make some thrift runs before the week is over! Ha!
In other news, I was nearly horrified by the Walmart remodel near my house. I wasn't even thinking. It was such a zoo, such a mess, they closed early and I thought they would be open all night, aaannnd I got stuck with a chatty sales associate in the lotion aisle and I am too nice to tell her to shut-up (and she was talking about back rubs none-the-less, ugh! aaannnd she went on to recommend lotions she used after some mystery surgery that left her 'itchy', double ugh!) <----I never wheeled my cart away so fast.
I still scored a couple things. It was nice enough anyway. Just me, the mess & the people of Walmart. Ok, and I just won 9 Swag Bucks searching "people of walmart" which is freekin' hillarious. What a night...
2 Gerber Graduates Pasta Pick-Ups $1.28 or $2.56 MFR Gerber Graduate Snacks $1/2 =$1.56 or $.78/ea The image on the coupon was for breakfast bars or cookies but they took the coupon on the meals. These are great for putting in my diaper bag when I am not sure where we will be for lunch!
Lever 2000 Bar Soap 8pk $3.97 MFR Lever Bar Soap 4pk+ $1/1 = $2.97 or $.37/ea Walmart didn't carry a 4 pack so you might find it elsewhere for cheaper. I wanted to try the citrus smell but Pete and I use the same soap and I didn't think he would be down.
Curel Ultra Healing Lotion 2.5 oz $2.27 MFR Curel Lotion 2.5oz+ $1/1 = $1.27 This wasn't a crazy steal but it goes good on the go.
Tide to Go Stick $2.94 MFR Tide to Go $1/1 = $1.94 Both Target and Walgreens carry the Tide to Go for over $3. I have been working on a wedding shower basket for my sister-in-law to be and have kept my eye out for this at a reasonable price with the coupon.
Tic-Tac $1.04 MFR Tic-Tac $.75/1 = $.29 After doing the math if I bought the $2.88 4pk they would be $.25/ea after the coupon FYI. However, I got the new Fruit Adventure flavor! Wow.
Mentos UP2U Gum $1.28 MFR Mentos UP2U Gum $1/1 = $.28 Click the link to get directed to their Facebook page where they are giving away free packs of gum.
Today was new baby's half way there ultrasound! While we got to "meet" baby at 8 weeks, it was so fantastic to be able to see him/her acting up and jumping around in my tummy.
As you have read, we are choosing to not find out the gender of our new baby.
It is striking how similar the new baby looks to our 15 month old David's ultrasound pictures. They are definitely siblings! My husband and I had the nicest morning together at the doctor's office. Grandma stayed home with David and we got to go out to breakfast and then share new baby's picture at my Grandma's house with some family members.
Everything is looking good so far and I am feeling pretty great with new baby in my tummy. To top off this great day, Pete & I are heading to a wedding reception in St. Paul & Grandma gets David, again!
I am so excited to be a family of 4, but am also taking in every moment we get with just the three of us. I am so blessed to have a healthy son & new baby! & a happy marriage to boot!
What's better than eating ice cream & fashion surfing?
1. Mint Ice Cream Cone (My Freezer, Free) 2. Faux-Gemstone Cocktail Ring (Old Navy $7.50) 3. Leather Color Block Satchel (ASOS $129.29) 4. Cuffed Short with Knot Belt (3.1 Phillip Lim $157.50) 5. Mint Pleat Neck Gypsy Top (Dorothy Perkins $40) 6. Yang Wedge (Delia's $31.50)
(Plus, I got $3 Register Rewards so it was really like getting it for $.99!)
I researched the Walgreens ad during David's nap and put little 'w' next to the items I wanted to consider buying with my coupons. I have a lot of cosmetic coupons but there weren't many sales on the items so a dollar off here and there didn't really make a big difference.
I definitely found some empty shelves! I missed out on some deals do to the shelves being cleaned out but I still had a lot of fun.
I also left a Cherry Frost Wet & Wild lipstick in the bottom of my cart and just thought of it now. Damn. Guess it wasn't meant to be...
I wouldn't consider this a trip to the Walgreens where I needed anything I bought. This is where couponing can actually make you spend money you wouldn't have otherwise. However, all of these products will get used eventually. Aannnddd, enjoyed of course.
Sunday nights, the last few weeks, have been spent organizing my coupon stacks for the week. I think I finally have it down to a system.
I only have them separated between manufacture coupons & Target coupons. Then I can compare when I can stack the coupons to get an extra good deal! Target just put a load of new coupons on their site, too!
Todays trip:
MFR= Manufacture Coupon I either cut from Sunday Paper or printed.
You might have read here on High Plains Thrifter about how I shop with David. It is definitely a handful keeping him happy & also trying to concentrate on couponing at the same time. There are a few more coupon deals ($3 off Liz Lange Maternity, there just wasn't anything I would spend my $$ on. $5 off 2 bikini pieces, I just couldn't coordinate the dressing room & David today!) I wanted to use but just didn't have the patience to do the math or David was "done" with whatever aisle we were on!
I really couldn't ask for a more pleasant shopping buddy. He really is an easy kid to take around anywhere. Annnndd I only had to pick up my coupon book about 107 times after David threw it so it was a pretty good morning!
