This Is Why I Love Summer

The food.  Fresh fruits and veggies.  There's nothing better!

We'll be making a lot more things like this homemade-from scratch Cherry Pie over the next few weeks!  Yum!

New Table Makeover

Here is another inherited table that I made over (again, I forgot to take the "before" picture).  I think I'm really getting this glazing technique down already!  I may just glaze my whole house by the end of this...

When I read about a glazing technique at All Things Thrifty I knew I had to try it - like, now!  Isn't that chair gorgeous!  I'm drooling...

So, me, my trusty sander and my super spray paint got to work.  In all of my excitement I forgot to take a "before" picture.  Here's how it turned out:

Not perfect, but that's the point - right?  I'm happy with it.  I'm off to try my second piece.  It's going to be blue!  Once I get MUCH better at this I plan on doing my kitchen table and chairs kind-of like this, but with the chairs in lighter colors.  I'm so excited!

What Can $1 Buy You?

How many times have I said, "Oh, it's just $1..."  I'm kicking myself now!

This is what .90 bought me at Target, Walmart and CVS today:

11 Packages of Pampers Wipes

10 Sobe Lifewaters

3 Old Spice Body Washes with travel size deodorants

and 1 refill pack for an Off! Clip-On

 And while I have you - here is a new picture of our garden:

 As you can see, it's taking over our backyard grown a lot!

Here is some of what we've gotten to pick this week:

There were a few more squash, zucchini and tomatoes, but they were eaten almost immediately.

Fireplace: Keep It or Toss It?

I love fireplaces - the smell of the fire burning, the cozy warmth and soft glow.  There's nothing better.  I just don't like my fireplace.  It doesn't burn wood, just expensive gas.  It doesn't warm the room, it makes it uncomfortably hot in just minutes.  And then there's that UGLY hole above it.  Ick!

(Sorry for the dark, fuzzy picture.)

I know I could cover up the hole and I love having a mantle to hang stockings on at Christmas.  If we removed the fireplace, though, we would have a lot of extra floor space.

Since I'm having a hard time deciding what to do, I thought I'd get some other opinions. 

Should I keep the fireplace or get rid of it?

• Keep It
• Get Rid Of It

View Results
Create a Blog Poll

Going Green = Big Savings

Over the past year we've made some changes in our house that are both environmentally friendly and economical. 

• 
  
  We don't use paper towels.  We use wash cloths and towels.  If I can get a roll for free I will use it occasionally when I'm cooking, but for cleaning, I stick strictly to things I can throw in the wash and re-use.  One roll of paper towels last us 2-3 months.
• 
  
  We don't use paper napkins.  I buy cloth napkins when I can find them on clearance (about 1.50/pack).  Then I just toss them in with our daily load of laundry.  Our girls get excited about using "fancy" napkins too.
• 
  
  We use Tupperware instead of plastic bags whenever we can. 

Just these three things save us tons of money every year.  What are some tips you have that are environmentally and economically friendly?

Our Garden

Here is a peek at our little garden:

It has been thriving with all of this rain we've been getting! 

We've got 3 different types of tomatoes, green beans, okra, squash, zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, jalapeno peppers, basil and a lemon tree all planted in fabulous organic soil from j3organics.  We're already seeing some tomatoes growing! 

You may have noticed that we don't have that pergola built yet.  All of that great rain has kind-of slowed down our project.  There is a nice pile of lumber to the left of these pictures waiting to be put up.  Fingers crossed for a few straight days of sunshine soon!