Urban harvest
August 20, 2012 § Leave a comment
Our subdivision has a number of apple trees in the ornamental landscaping. And this year seems to be a bumper crop. We walked a little way from our house and picked a nice bucketful to make into applesauce. Apple picking is always a wonderful experience. Complete with the requisite squished apples and buzzing bees. And ours have worms and everything. I think they are nearly organic as they are not cared for as an orchard.
Pinterest project- boot tray and game storage
August 17, 2012 § Leave a comment
Filling a boot tray with rocks seems rather silly, but it makes muddy boots infinitely more stylish. Or anything wet coming into the house. River rocks are least expensive at the Dollar Store. We have also found the rocks useful for other things like one memorable rock skipping contest. We also used them (scrubbed) as filler to bring a wine demijohn up to the proper lever. Handy things to have around.
Those purple and black shoes are Merrell Pace Gloves. Best shoes ever! They are minimalist runners and I use them daily and cannot say enough about how comfortable and durable and washable! they are.
One other little pinterest handy helper we have used is to get travel soap containers to corral card games. These work perfectly and are hardy for travel and kids.
Flea market finds
August 16, 2012 § Leave a comment
For my second trip to Mile High this summer, I got a blissful few hours of solitude and a selection of fun finds. A few more wooden hangers for the closet. $2. Some day I will have enough to get rid of the plastic ones.
A dollar fan. How to bring joy to a 6 year old in two seconds flat.
$1 for this set of stamps. Still in the $16 packaging. Endlessly useful for school and creative activities.
Keens, always the keens. Little ones for the little one. $4.
We have been on the lookout for trains. The 4 year old turns five soon and this will be his gift. This box is huge! And very full of train building fun for years to come. $20.
And 3 vintage Fisher Price play stages. I had these. I loved these! $13. The car elevator still goes up and the school bell still rings. Now I’m in the market for the little cars and people.
Balance bike- product recommend
August 14, 2012 § Leave a comment
My oldest children are 6 and 5. They are working on using a 2 wheeler, but mostly just fall over. We got this balance bike through kids Woot. (Our brand is Treehaus, but any balance bike is probably good.) And every minute for the last week the kids are riding it. The oldest has gotten the hang of the balance and can now ride the two wheeler! The thing they like best about it is they are allowed to ride it inside. It has rubber handles and no pedals to gouge things. It is adjustable and so fun to zoom around.
In recent weeks
August 13, 2012 § Leave a comment
Here are some bits we have thrifted. Uniform pants, $2.
Keens, I snap them up when I see them. If we can’t use them I’ll pass them on. Such good versatility and quality.
A paper making kit. $2. A really fun school or busy activity.
Bunting in the round
August 6, 2012 § 1 Comment
Teepee take 2
August 2, 2012 § 1 Comment
A picture posted earlier this week showed a glimpse of a newly made project. The picture below is the first teepee completed this year. It took many months but I got a feel for the pattern and the kids really loved it and used it often. But I just couldn’t love the fabric. So I sold it and went to work on take two.
I reinforced some heavy wear areas, and used a neutral canvas cloth.
Now it seems like a blank piece of art and I’m working on adding the finishing touches of color. It is still a favorite with my children, and much more to my taste. I love it!
Girly shirt and sneak peek!
July 31, 2012 § 2 Comments
$2 Boden shirt. I do love these branded items. First because there is a certain assumption of quality that can be made about the better brands. And second because I love looking through the catalogs that come in the mailbox but choose not to afford the clothes in them. So I really love getting a good brand at thrift store prices.
Also, can you spot the new finished sewing project? Stay tuned!
Three cheers for tractor paper
July 11, 2012 § 2 Comments
This is what we buy for the kids to draw on. They are prolific artists in this phase of life and go through many sheets each day. $3. Cheap and plentiful.
Thrifty couture
July 10, 2012 § Leave a comment
School clothes and larger sizes are coming up in the thrift store search. This week I found three yards of linen fabric for $3. Shirts from H&M and Target, and jeans from Gap and Children’s Place. All for $9.47. My girl wears size 8-10 at the waist, but I have to tailor off 2-3 inches at the bottom. And she isn’t really chubby! I love these colors.
