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Sunday, April 29, 2012

Collecting Old Jars and Bottles Part 2

Today, I found the honey hole of old glass.  In just about 30  minutes I came home with 10 old bottles and jars.  These ranged in age from 1933-1955.  I found brown glass, and clear glass.  They all look so interesting.  I also found an old glass insulator for an eclectic line.  It is so neat!  The color is emerald green.  I wasn't sure what it was, I had to have my husband tell me.
If you are interested in collecting old glass, then get out in the woods and see what you can find.  Where I found the stuff today, was a place where someone must have had an old camp in the woods and this was a hole where they had buried all of their trash.  I dug up a lot of old tin cans before I got to the good stuff. 
The fun part about finding this stuff is, there is always a history lesson behind it, and it is a treasure hunt.  Lets face it, no matter how old we are, we love treasure hunts. 
Although I think old glass is about the best thing there is.  And, I would love to receive some as a gift, not all mothers feel this way!  Don't forget to get your mother something she would enjoy this Mother's day. 
http://www.zazzle.com/mainewildsensations/mom+gifts

Thursday, April 26, 2012

ARE YOU TIRED OF THE SAME OLD MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS?

Maybe you are trying to figure out what you are going to buy your mother????  Maybe you have been to the store and everything looks blah or to much like what other family members will be buying.  I love to find new unique things when purchasing a gift.
The trouble with buying flowers is that they never last.  How about a wildflower mug???  That would be different!  You could pair it up with some nice organic tea or coffee.  You could even fill it up with some individually wrapped candy! 
Check these out!
http://www.zazzle.com/mainewildsensations/mom+gifts

Collecting Old Bottles And Jars

One of my newest projects, is collecting old bottles!  I love this!  I never know where I am going to find them.
  I found some a few weeks ago in an opening along the edge of an old logging road.  They were canning jars dating around 1970.  One was a star jar and the other was a 2 Quart Jar.
Then, while driving out an old dirt road I found an old 1/2 gallon jar with etched flowers all along the top.  It looked like maybe an old juice jar. I have no idea what the age of this one was.  It was just laying on a stump along the edge of the woods.
Old foundations are another great place to look for bottles and jars.  I found an old juice jar and Pepsi bottle in an old foundation last week.  Then I went out back and found where the people used to bury their trash.  That is always a great find on an old property.  Because, they never had dumps, they had their own dump on their land.  Anyhow, I found an old glass octagon jar I have no idea how old.  I am guessing it was a pill jar.  An old whiskey bottle around the same age.  A ginger ale bottle 1 quart around 1970.  A soda bottle that is Christmas green and rough textured about 1940. 
My husband has found some other bottles while doing ground work on our land.  He found an old peroxide bottle that took a cork, an old 1940 Christmas green jar, and a tiny cork bottle that is really old.
My husband also found for me while hunting last fall some old bottles from the 1800's or maybe earlier.  Check out the picture of those on this T-shirt!
http://www.zazzle.com/mainewildsensations/cross+gifts

Cheap Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Well, Mother's Day is just around the corner.  It's time to get thinking about gift ideas.  I know that Mother's Day can be costly especially if you have several mothers and grandmothers to buy for.  Try to remember that it isn't what you spend that matters.  I always try to make sure the gift is going to match their personality and be something useful to them, instead of worrying about how much I am spending. 

GIFT IDEAS

1.  A garden gift basket  I have done these buy picking up a flower pot, adding some packages of flower seeds, some garden gloves, and gardening tools. Then I cover the whole pot in clear gift basket wrap and add a homemade name tag with curly ribbon.  These always look so beautiful.  If you go to the dollar store, you can do the whole thing for around $5.00 for a nice one.

2.  You can pick up a couple of flats of flowers at your local greenhouse and some pots at the dollar store, along with potting soil.  Then transplant the flowers into the pots.

3.  Make some homemade truffles and give those.  Find a recipe for them on an online recipe site.   You can put these in just a sandwich bag ( not a ziplock) and add the gift tag and ribbon at the top. 

4.  Make a candy arrangement in a coffee cup.  This is very simple!  First, buy a coffee cup from the dollar store.  Second, add some M&M's in the cup.  Third, cut out some flower petals from construction paper or even regular paper that you have colored. .  Fourth, Poke a toothpick ( one of those sturdy ones, the cheap ones won't work) through the center of the construction paper flower, add a hershey kiss buy poking the toothpick into it but not all the way through.  Then, wrap a pipe cleaner around the other end of the toothpick several times.  Next, wrap the pipe cleaner around a craft stick, to make a stem, and stick into the cup full of M&M's.  You can add some store bought truffles buy just poking the toothpick directly into them and then repeating the pipe cleaner, craft stick stem.   Keep making and adding until the cup is full.  It doesn't take a lot, you should be able to do about 3 cups with a few bags of candy.  Make sure you have enough M&M's though.  It takes alot to hold everything in the cup.

5.  Walmart has medium sized boxes of Russel Stover Chocolates for 3.00.  The flavors I saw were, cherry cordial, coconut clusters, and carmels. I am sure the variety varies for each store.  But this is a pretty cheap gift that looks like something.

6.  Send them an invitation for a meal at your house.  Then, make the meal really special bringing out the best dishes, tablecloth, and serving something very nice.

7. Make a homemade card telling them exactly how you feel about them.  The store bought cards are nice, but a personal touch is always better. 

8.  Give them a coupon for a job you will do for them, that they need help with or hate doing.  Put it in a card.
This is a site that has some really beautiful unique cards.
http://www.zazzle.com/mainewildsensations/mother+day+greeting+cards

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Ya I'm an apron wearing mom!

One of the things that people like to tease me about, is the fact that I am almost always wearing an apron.  I love to cook, but am very messy while cooking.  I don't like to ruin my clothes, so my solution is to always wear an apron.
I love to sew aprons.  They are very easy to make, and I love picking unique fabric to sew them.  I like to make mine reversible.  I do one side seasonal, and then the other side something that is great for anytime of year.  I use ribbon or lace for the ties.  All I do is cut both prints of fabric to the size I want, you can use an old apron as a pattern.  Then,  put both pieces facing each other with prints together.  I sew almost all the way around 1/4 inch in.  I leave about a 4 inch opening at the bottom that doesn't get sewed.  Then I flip the apron around, so the prints are on the outside and tuck in the opening.  Now, I sew all the way around again 1/4 inch in.  Add the straps and the project is done.  Of course not everyone wants to sew their own apron.
 Luckily, there are places that sell really unique aprons.  Check out this link!! 
http://www.zazzle.com/mainewildsensations/aprons

Monday, April 16, 2012

SAVING MONEY IN A BAD ECONOMY PART 2

If we take a look at our spending, and keep track of it for a month, it can be shocking.  What are you spending money on that is not necessary?   Maybe its expensive clothing, jewelry, cosmetics etc.  Only you know what it is.  I challenge you to stop it right away. 
Try shopping only, for clearance items  at regular stores when looking for  clothing.  Or, you can shop second hand clothing stores.  How about eBay, you can go to the store and decide exactly what you want and then keep checking eBay for it.  I got a 50.00 pair of sneakers for 20.00 including shipping.  But, I had to be very patient and diligent with watching for what I wanted daily.  There is always yard sales, I don't personally do these because I live way away from everything.  So, it is not very profitable for me to drive 15 miles to get to a yard sale, that may or may not have what I am looking for. 
As far as jewelry goes, a couple of nice pieces go along ways.  You don't need to have a whole jewelry box full.  Choose a couple of classic pieces that go with everything.  Buy good quality so they will last you for years.  Avoid those flashy trendy pieces that only match one outfit.  If you want some things like that then get into making your own jewelry.
Cosmetics, I suggest that you buy these at Rite Aid.  If you buy the wrong color they will take it back.  So you are not spending money on things that you don't like.  Once again, just get the basics and make them last for the year.  You don't needs a bunch of different colors of cosmetics.  Just get one of each thing that looks nice on you and use it sparingly.
Never, buy furniture in a furniture store on the spur of the moment.  Make a list of what you need and watch for the right price!  You can be watching sales, price matching, discount stores, second hand stores, advertisements in the newspaper from people who are selling their old stuff.
Basically, whatever your unnecessary spending areas are, you can find creative ways to meet those needs without spending the regular price.
Make it a game to see how much you can save and have fun!

Friday, April 6, 2012

A Cheap Easter Dinner!

Maybe you are really wanting a nice Easter Dinner, but the cost of a great big ham and things is way out of budget.  Don't fear!  You can whip up something cheap and still have a great meal.

If you are cooking for just a small bunch of people, then why make a big ham?  I have seen ham steaks on sale at different places this week for about 2.50 each.  A couple of these will go a long ways.  You can either layer them on top of each other and bake as usual, or brown in a frying pan.  If you bake it, you can still make gravy with your drippings.  Just bring them to a boil and add about 2 Tbs. of corn starch mixed with some water.  Boil  and stir with a wire whisk until thickened. 
 Pick up a bag of potatoes and mash them.  I have seen potatoes  for 1.30 a bag this week.  Now, pick one frozen veggie that everyone likes cost 2.50.
 For bread, buy the store brand Pillsbury style biscuits.  These are around 75 cents
  Make a jello salad.  Use 2 packages of store brand jello and one can of store brand fruit cocktail.  Mix the jello according to directions and put in the fridge.  When it starts to set up, put in the can of drained fruit cocktail.  Stir together and let set till firm.
 For dessert make a cake or a pie.  If you have never made pie crust, then buy the ready made crust and add either pudding to it, or some frozen fruit following a recipe. It isn't hard.  You should be able to make this dinner for around 20.00.
Enjoy your holiday and remember you don't have to be rich to have a nice day. 

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Saving Money in a Bad Economy! PART 1 Groceries

Every week the pay check comes, but the money doesn't go very far.  The price of things is going up all the time!  How does anyone stay on budget when it costs so much just to get the basics?  I am a stay at home mom who home schools.  I have to cut corners everywhere in order to continue to stay home with my son.
The first thing is food.  Never waste any left over food.  If you think it is more then you will be able to eat before it spoils, then put it in the freezer.  Maybe you just have a little bit of something left over, for example a small amount of spaghetti sauce.  I would put this in a Tupperware in the freezer and then just keep adding to that Tupperware until it is full.  Then I would use it for pizza sauce or chop suey.  I keep a piece of paper on my fridge where I can write down what I have in there for leftovers.  This way I can keep track of what needs to be used, and it keeps me from having to clean out the fridge because of spoiled food.  I check that list each day, and decide what I can cook using leftovers.  Forget about using a recipe when you are cooking like this. Or if you are using a recipe, don't be afraid to improvise to meet your need.  Just put together whatever goes together alright and is thrifty.  I will be blogging soon on ways to use leftovers along with some of my own recipes.
When you are grocery shopping, watch for meat that needs to be sold that day.  Bring it home and put it right in the freezer.  You will save a lot of money this way.  Just make sure to leave the meat frozen until you are ready to use it and then thaw it out in the microwave.  Always buy the store brand.  It is usually cheaper then using coupons.  Most always the store brand is very good. Shop mostly for sale items or unadvertised store specials.  You can get creative and make great meals using ingredients that are on sale and save huge amounts.  Check the reduced fresh produce also.  It is good to pick up some of your produce this way if you are able to eat it in a few days.  Why pay full price and then have to wait for it to ripen, when you want it now. 
Keep your cupboards well stocked.  If you shop by the day, you are going to spend a lot more.  Shop once a week at the most and make yourself use just what you have on hand.  Don't make special trips to the store for items you forgot.  It wastes gas, and you can always improvise with something you have.  A well stocked cupboard keeps you from eating out.  You can usually find something you are in the mood for right at home. 
Don't spend a lot of money on premade things, or prepackaged mixes.  These always cost more, and because they are packed with preservatives and things, you eat more food without feeling satisfied.  You can make the same things from scratch without too much effort.  I do try to keep, what I call an emergency meal on hand.  This is something premade that can go into the microwave in case of a crazy day.  This is good to have to avoid take out. 
Always buy your staples in bulk when on sale.  For example I buy my flour in a 25 lb. bag for $8.00 when it is on sale.  A 5 lb. bag off sale is at least $2.50.  That is a big savings.  Buy your eggs in a big case of 2 1/2 dozen.  Think of the things you use a lot of and buy it in bigger packages.
Why spend a lot of money on Ziploc bags, plastic wrap, trash bags etc.?  You can put small amounts of leftovers in Tupperware style containers.  You can cover bowls with plates.  Cook in baking pans that come with storage lids.  Save old bread bags as sandwich bags.  Use those plastic bags from the grocery store for trash bags. 
Stay tuned for part 2