Quick Craft -- Colorful Window Display

I thought our front door needed a bit more..... color.

So we broke out the paints and markers.....

Beautiful Autumn Leaf Garland

We thought the dining room (aka sewing studio) could use some decorating this season, so Emily gathered up some leaves earlier in the day and we got to work on this beautiful garland for some late night crafting.

Emily had been begging me to do the waxed paper leaf collage for a long time, but I don't know... it seemed kinda... *yawn*. Boring. But, when we thought of this project, we both got so excited about it.

The garland turned out even better than I had anticipated, and we had so much fun putting it together! From start to finish, it took about five minutes.

To make your own Autumn leaf garland, you will need some leaves, waxed paper, and a sewing machine or serger (you may call this an over-lock machine). Begin by laying down your leaves on top of some waxed paper. It helps if the leaves have been pressed first for a few days, but if you are particularly impatient (as my five year old sometimes is.... ahem) that isn't necessary.

Sandwich the leaves between two sheets of waxed paper, as shown. Be sure to have plenty of space between the leaves.

Use a cloth to cover over the top....

...now iron until the wax paper melts together.

Trim the edges as shown.

Using your serger, or sewing machine, start with a tail of thread about 4 inches long.

Stitch through the top of the leaf square, and continue with just the thread for another four inches, stitch through the top of another leaf square. Repeat this step until all the leaves have been stitched to make a garland.

Hang proudly for all to see!

I think Clara approves of our taste in home decor, don't you?

Book Review and Giveaway -- Absolutely Organized

Looking for a book with practical advice you can actually use? Then you must have a copy of Debbie Lillard's book Absolutely Organized: A Mom's Guide to a No-Stress Schedule and Clutter-Free Home. I had the honor of meeting Debbie while taping a recent segment for The 10! Show, and she featured some fabulous ideas for back-to-school organization. Those of you with school-aged children know what I'm talking about when I say backpack management is a full-time job!

What I love about this book:

• Simple, yet effective solutions every household can use.
• I love how the book begins with Organizing Your Time. This is one aspect of organization most other books ignore, but it is crucial for busy moms.
• The chapter on taming the toys was particularly helpful to me.
• The book presents many different approaches to organization, so you can find one that works for you and your family.
• Debbie is a mom of three, so her ideas have been proven to work!

You may be interested to know that Debbie is now working on her second book Absolutely Organize Your Family. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for that!

Now the fun part -- One lucky reader will win a copy of Absolutely Organized! Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. Blog or Tweet about this giveaway, come back here and leave a comment about your tweet or blog post, and you're in for three more entries! Subscribe to the feed or become a follower of Frugal Family Fun Blog, leave a comment that you subscribed, and you're in for three more entries!

Open to US residents only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and giveaway ends Wednesday, September 9th @ 6:30pm EST. Good luck!!

Frugal Wall Organizer

Oh, the stuffed animals and where to put them! Do you have this problem in your house? I try to limit the number of stuffed animals that are out at any given time, and we have boxes full of them in the basement that we rotate through again and again. I'm not sure how we accumulated so many..?

This wall organizer works well to keep the stuffed animals off of the floor when she's not playing with them, and it was super-easy (and VERY inexpensive) to make. I used an old pillow case, pockets cut out from old jeans, a stick from our backyard, some twine, and a little fabric glue to put it all together. No sewing!

Emily helped glue the pockets on. If the kids are doing this project, be sure to use fabric glue that is non-toxic and water soluble when wet. Once the glue dries, it makes a permanent bond.

Behold... the Power of Mod Podge!

Mod Podge is quickly becoming one of our favorite ways to re-use recyclables.

You can find Mod Podge in the glue section of any craft store, and we have found that one bottle will go a long way.

Isn't it cute?? Emily wants to make another one to organize her paint brushes, colored pencils, crayons and other art supplies. She won't have to twist my arm, but Mark has a bit more recycling to do. (Hee hee!)

10 Chores for Preschoolers and up

Have kids? Think you need a maid? Think again! Put their boundless energy to work! Chores are a great way to teach kids about responsibility, and help build self-esteem. Here's a list of some suggested chores to keep the kiddos busy.

1. Make the bed -- Younger kids can help strip the bed, fluff pillows, and get fresh sheets from the linen closet.


2. Fold socks and/or towels -- This is a great way to introduce kids to folding their own laundry. 


3. Sweep the floor -- This is one of Emily's favorite chores.


4. Wash windows -- Another favorite. A soapy sponge and a towel works well.


5. Pick up toys -- Emily started doing this from the time she could walk, and now I am so grateful that she knows her toys are her responsibility. If possible, make this a habit from an early age.


6. Weeding/Watering Flower Beds -- Emily has kid-sized gardening gloves and small gardening tools to make this job a little more fun. She also loves picking up twigs, and raking leaves with a kid-sized rake. Teach your kids how to water the flowers, and you will be teaching them about science and nature too.


7. Dusting -- I get the high spots, and Emily gets the low spots. She loves using the feather duster!


8. Clean the car -- The car is frequently over-looked, but it is really an extension of your home. Kids can pick up toys, wash windows, and help give the car a good washing.


9. Set the Table -- I usually take out a stack of plates, and hand them to Emily to set the table for us. She can get the silverware herself, and Mark gets the glasses and drinks.


10. Clearing the Table -- Teach the kids how to scrape their plates, and place them by the sink or in the dishwasher. This can be a big time-saver.

For more great tips on Spring Cleaning with Kids, check out Sunny Side Up!

Have a great kid-friendly chore that I forgot to add? Leave a comment and share your ideas with us!

Tutorial -- No Sew Spring Cleaning Apron

It's that time of year again.... time for Spring Cleaning. Here's an easy and frugal way to make your own no-sew Spring Cleaning Apron. Start by making a pile of three flour sack towels. Lay them flat and place a ribbon across the middle as shown below.

Fold over the towels.

Tie the ribbon around your waist, and you are done. Whenever you need a cleaning towel, pull one out and hold the other layers  in place. Flour sack towels are perfect for this, since they are light and have large surface area for cleaning. You can get lots of mileage out of just one towel. 

Happy cleaning!

The Day We Unplugged - Part II

This is something that has been on my "To Do" list for awhile - organizing the Learning Studio. Last summer, Mark and I (mostly Mark) created this fabulous space in the house for the girls to get creative. It is full of every craft supply you could possibly imagine, plenty of books, and a good amount of natural light. Every few months, I try to make it a point to re-organize everything and I save this task for one of our "unplugged days" because inevitably while I am organizing art supplies Emily will be struck with inspiration to start a great project. 

While we have a separate room dedicated to art and learning, if you do not have the space you could easily re-create some of the most important elements in the corner of a room using a bookshelf or a toy bin organizer. By shopping at thrift stores and yard sales, this room proved to be quite affordable and provides Emily with hours and hours of creative entertainment. 

Here's the tour:

The reading nook is the perfect spot for Emily to enjoy a good book with lots of natural light and a kid-sized rocking chair. We keep some board games in here for her too. Above it hangs a bulletin board with some of her recent creations.

A kid-sized table and chair serves as Emily's workspace. She likes to keep some flowers on the table for added color.

My grandmother's sewing table makes a fantastic writing desk for Mark or me.

This is Emily's favorite part of the Learning Studio. It houses all the essentials for art projects and everything is easily within her reach. She is even careful to put away the supplies when she is finished! On the left are some Lego sets, a Magna-Doodle and some flashcards. The toy bin organizer on the right was purchased at A.C. Moore in the unfinished furniture section with a 40% off coupon. The shelves on the left were on clearance at Wal-Mart for $5.

Here is a close-up of how I organized the crayon, marker, and colored pencil bin. This really helps encourage Emily to get creative! We usually purchase craft supplies like scissors, glue, pencils, crayons, and paint at Big Lots for much less than regular craft stores. Sometimes we find yarn, stencils, pipe cleaners, and ribbon at yard sales. I try to have a good selection of construction paper and felt on-hand.  Oh yeah, and this is the room where we keep the Invention Kit too.

Do your kids have a special spot in the house for creativity? I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share your ideas with us!

20% off Online Solar Course

Are you considering installing solar panels to your home? You might want to enroll for an extensive 4 hour online course offered by Eco Achievers. Enter coupon code RENEW at checkout and you will save 20% off the $59 enrollment fee. Offer expires 02/16/2009. Click here for more details.

Make Your Own Organic Cleaning Supplies

In honor of Cleaning Day at the Deneen Household, here is a fantastic video demonstrating how to make your own organic cleaning supplies.  I will be trying several of these out today.  Making  your own cleaning supplies is better for the environment (no harsh chemicals), and will save you money!

Cleaning Day

Today is cleaning day in our house.  I am planning to attack the clutter that has taken over the dining room table, but sometimes I lack the motivation to clean and I keep procrastinating.  There is never any end to the cleaning, and I can come up with about a million excuses not to clean.  When the house is not neat, I tend to get grouchy because I cannot find things, or I avoid having company over because the house is too cluttered.  

When I find myself putting off the cleaning, I go to FLYLady.net for some inspiration.  Her approach to keeping your house neat and tidy is brilliant.  You start with baby steps.  First, you keep your kitchen sink shining.  Then you work on  your morning routine, and one zone of the house. 

From the site:

Are YOU living in CHAOS?
(Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome)

Do you feel overwhelmed, overextended, and overdrawn?
Hopeless and you don't know where to start?
Don't worry friend, we've been there, too.

I have found FLYLady to be a terrific resource, and I hope you do too!