Flower Arranging 101 -- Dollar Store Style

With more snow forecasted for today, this sweet flower arrangement was a nice reminder that Spring will be coming soon!

Isn't it so bright and cheerful? Emily put it together all by herself, and the best part is that all of the materials for this craft either came from the thrift store or the dollar store. Very inexpensive!

First, we filled this thrifted basket ($0.20) with some floral foam ($0.50). Emily couldn't help but express her love for the dollar store during this step.

Next, I cut some of the flower stems off groups of fake flowers ($2.00) with wire cutters for Emily to arrange in the basket.

This kept her occupied (and quiet) for a long time!

.....still arranging........ okay, now she's ready.

She added a bit of floral moss ($1.00) in-between the flower stems, and tied some colorful curling ribbon ($1.00) on to the basket's handle.

She is so proud of her beautiful centerpiece!

When we were all done, she asked if we could make flower arrangements everyday. I think this activity was a winner!

Sunday Snapshot -- All Dressed Up (Sort of)

Almost a year ago, I had found these beautiful holiday dresses for both of the girls at our local thrift store. The girls wore them to my parents' house for Christmas dinner, until my brother gifted Clara with an adorable monkey bathrobe and sock-monkey slippers. She LOVES them. The minute she saw them, she made it quite clear that she wanted to try them on. And while you can't see it in any of our holiday photos, I swear she is wearing a cute holiday dress under that robe!!

I thought she would wear them for a few minutes, then take them off. But noooooooo! She's been wearing that robe for about 3 straight days, and cries like you're ripping her arm off if you threaten to change her into anything else. The only reasons it has come off were for a few minutes yesterday (she had an apron on so she could paint), for baths, and for sleeping. In the morning, the robe goes right back on!

I haven't done it yet, but I'm considering taking her to the grocery store with it on. It's either that, or deal with incessant screaming in protest.

Hey, you pick your battles.

Super Fun Surprise Giveaway!!

I am going to let you in on a little secret -- (some of you already know this, but...) from time to time we enjoy picking out some of our very special readers, contacting them via email to ask for shipping info, and then mailing out surprise packages. Just because!

Sometimes I take the girls to the thrift shop and we'll find little vintage treasures, magazines or books, kitchen towels... that sort of thing. If I know it is something a particular reader would truly appreciate, we set it aside. Then we pack it all up and make a special trip to the post office.

It is so much fun, and we never ever expected to get anything back in return. Yet, that is precisely what happened a few days ago when this awesome package arrived from Val in the Rose Garden. What a wonderful surprise!!

Inside was a beautiful card, a felted wool hat Val made (which Clara seemed to claim and refuses to take off), a Real Simple Family magazine (I love that!), a child's apron and cookie cutter set from... China (?) Emily LOVES them.... and wait... there was more!

This pretty potholder Val made from vintage bed sheets! I love how it goes so well in our kitchen! Val also included lots of great vintage fabrics that I have big plans for.... maybe some bread bags? Oh, that would be so much fun!

Thank you, Val!! If you haven't been to Val's little corner of the internet over at Collecting the Moments... One by One, definitely go check it out. I've been calling her site "the best kept secret on the internet". It is an absolute treasure trove!

Now the fun part -- we are just itching to bless another lucky reader with a package, but this one will be a complete surprise! To enter for your chance to win this super-fun giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling us about the best surprise you've ever received in the mail. Winner will be chosen by.... Emily!! And contacted via email for shipping info. This giveaway ends Tuesday, December 1st @ 6:30 PM EST.

Good luck!!!

Pretty in Peach

Here's a little sneak peek! This is what I made using some of this fabric and this pattern courtesy of the aptly named blog Make It and Love It. I did make it, and I do indeed LOVE it!! Ashley's patterns are always so delightfully simple and easy to understand. Mine was made from a bed sheet purchased at the thrift store for just $1, and there is plenty of fabric leftover! The minute I saw the bed sheet, I knew I wanted to use the decorative edge as a ruffle on a cute sundress.

The pattern is available for sizes 6-12 months all the way up to size 5T, so I'm planning a few more of these for Emily as well.

What about the other fabric, you ask? It is going towards a very special (and frugal) project, indeed! More on that soon.....

And.......there is a fun giveaway starting tomorrow, so be sure to check back!

Thrift Store Finds - Fabric Galore!

Oh, I have big plans for this pile of fabric found in the form of sheets and pillowcases at our local thrift store. The color theme for this weekend was pale yellow, light sage green, peach, and tan. I scored the entire set for just $11.00!

I love that this baby girl was almost as excited as I was!

Teaching Kids the Art of Thrift Shopping

We have been experiencing a block of insanely beautiful and warm weather here recently, and I suddenly realized Emily's Spring/Summer wardrobe is severely lacking. Since she is built similarly to a bean pole, I tend to have a difficult time finding pants that fit her. Thankfully, shorts and skirts are much easier. So I brought her along for a little Thrift Shop 101 lesson. Here are some things we covered so far:

1. Donation -- The girls' room was due for a thorough cleaning, and we used a bag to store unused or old toys for donation. I started doing this with her when she was about three years old or so, so by now she knows the drill. I explained to her then that instead of throwing these toys in the garbage, we could bless some other little girl or boy with her things by donating them to the thrift store, and she may find other new-to-her toys that she might enjoy playing with more instead. I let her carry the bag into the store and give it to the person behind the counter. Hearing her say, "Excuse me, I want to donate this" just makes my day.


2. Pride -- There is no shame in shopping second-hand. It is good for the environment, and it reduces waste that would otherwise be sent to a landfill. Plus, there are real bargains to be found! Shopping at a thrift store should be done with as much pride as donating, since you are passing on the virtues of buying second-hand with your children.


3. Purchase with Intention -- This is true for any shopping we do, but for some reason I find myself asking Emily these questions more while we are thrift shopping. Do you have room for it? Will you play with it, or use it often? Is it in good condition? Do you really love it? If the answer is no to any of these, don't buy it! Be picky about what you allow into your home.


4. Inspection of Merchandize -- Check clothing to make sure no buttons are missing, that there are no stains or rips, and that any zippers are working. If the piece can be mended relatively easily, and it's a good deal otherwise, I will usually go ahead and buy it. I do try to inspect merchandize to make sure I won't get any "surprises" when I get home.


5. The Element of Surprise -- One of my favorite Emily quotes from today was, "At the thrift store, you never know what you might find there!". This is the fun of it. You may not find exactly what you intended to buy that day, but you may find something else equally as charming -- for a bargain price!

Do you ever visit the thrift shop with your kids? I would love to hear about it! Leave a comment and share your stories with us!

Thrift Store Finds -- Woo Hoo!

I have been on the look-out for next year's holiday dresses for the girls, and at the thrift store today I found these gorgeous dresses (in next year's sizes)!  Aren't they beautiful? Emily's cost just $4.99!  Clara's was $3.99, but they had a sale for 50% off all blue tagged merchandize, making this cute dress just $1.99!! I have found that this is the best time of the year for thrift store finds, since there are tons of un-wanted Christmas gifts (which could turn out to be your treasures).

Did you find something fabulous at a thrift store recently?  I would love to hear about it! Leave us a comment and share your story with us!