Outgoing Mail Holder

I am enjoying my red knife block so much that I just couldn't let that little bit of red spray paint just sit in the can. I needed to find something to spray red, and I found it.

 

Here it is, a little item that I have been using to hold our outgoing mail. I picked it up at a thrift store a while back and never got around to spray painting it. It has been very useful though, placed at the door, holding the mail that needs to be picked up as we walk out. The price was still on it. I paid a whopping $.80!

And here it is after two coats of Colonial Red spray paint. Now we have a convenient and beautiful place to hold the outgoing mail.

For more great ideas, visit Metamorphasis Monday, Sunday Showcase, Show and Tell Saturday, I'm an Organizing Junkie, Frugal Friday, House of Hepworths, Transformation Thursday, Works for Me Wednesday and Show Me What Ya Got.



Dairy-Free Fudgsicles

I used my snazzy star-shaped popsicle molds in honor of Independence Day. For a more traditional shape, I love these Yellow Groovy Ice Pop Molds.

Here's a simple dairy-free and sugar-free "fudgsicle" recipe to help keep you cool:

1 can coconut milk

1 cup dairy-free milk

(almond, rice, or coconut drinking milk such as Silk or So Delicious)

3 Tablespoons cocoa powder

agave nectar, to taste

Mix above ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into some cute popsicle molds and freeze.

Run under warm water to loosen for removal from mold.

Makes approximately 6 pops, depending on size.

For more healthy recipes, visit Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Recipes to Run On, Sweets for a Saturday, House of Hepworths, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Menu Plan Monday

I have been searching for some new dairy-free dinner ideas. Because of some dietary restrictions in our family (dairy and soy), I am in need of some new dinner ideas. Here's what we'll be trying this week:


Monday - Quinoa and Black Beans

Tuesday - Grilled Salmon

Wednesday - BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Thursday - Barbacoa Beef Burrito

Friday - Homemade Pizza (no cheese)

Saturday - Leftover Buffet

Sunday - Roast Chicken with Vegetables

For more great meal plans, visit Menu Plan Monday.

Knife Block Makeover

I was looking for a new way to organize my knives (to get rid of an unsightly knife block) when I stumbled upon this idea for a knife block makeover. My knives remain organized, but look so much better!

Unfortunately, I didn't take a before picture of this project, but I'm sure you can visualize an old, stained, wooden knife block.

It was badly in need of an update. Now, thanks to a coat of spray paint, it's looking great!

I simply sanded the knife block with some fine sand paper, wiped down the surfaces, and it was ready to go. I used Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Satin in Colonial Red.

With the knife block makeover and the soap dispenser makeover, things are looking much better in the kitchen!

 For more great tips, follow me on Pinterest!

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DIY: Foaming Hand Soap

Now that you know how to make a beautiful and frugal foaming soap dispenser, you need a frugal way to fill it. Since the secret to foaming soap is the dispenser, you may use any liquid hand soap, shampoo, or body wash to make foaming soap. Just don't use the thick, creamy soap. It's usually too thick to mix well.

Pour approximately 1" of soap into your chosen container. Fill with warm tap water, leaving a little room at the top of the container. Replace the top of the container and gently shake side-to-side and up-and-down to mix.

That's it!

Extreme Soap Dispenser Makeover

I have been looking for a new foaming soap dispenser for a while now. They are available, but there is not much of a selection, and they can be expensive. I really liked the shape of the container I was using so I decided to make this my next sensational spray paint project.

I started with this:

I cleaned out the container, removed the lables, and cleaned any residue with Goo Gone. Then the empty container was ready to be sprayed.

This was a two step paint job. First, I used black Rust-Oleum Spray Paint For Plastic. When that was dry, I covered it with Rust-Oleum Oil Rubbed Bronze.

Here it is:

It was so easy! Go here to read about how to fill your new dispenser.


Looking for more great spray paint projects? Check out the Sensational Spray Paint Projects round-up here.

Come back on July 14th for the first Sensational Spray Paint Link Party at The Prudent Pantry. Read all about it right here.

For more great ideas visit Whatever Goes Wednesday, Finer Things Friday, Friday Favorites, Show and Tell Friday, Sweets This Week, Homemaker in Heels, Funky Junk, Craft Envy, A Vision to Remember, Ladybird Lane, Frugal Fridays, The Frugal Girls, Transformation Thursday, Show Me What You Got and Works for Me Wednesday.

Fast and Frugal Fried Rice

We eat a lot of fried rice. It's inexpensive and we can make it with whatever leftovers we have on hand. With a few do-ahead preparations, you can have fried rice on the table in no time.

Here's what I do the day before:

• Cook the rice. Did you know that most fried rice recipes actually call for day-old rice so it's not sticky?
• Chop leftover meat and any vegetables you have on hand.

Note: If you are sensitive to gluten, make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry onion, bell peppers, pea pods, or whatever vegetables you have on hand until they are crisp-tender ( I often add a clove of minced garlic).

Add chopped cooked meat and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir-fry until meat is heated through.

Add rice and 2 additional tablespoons of soy sauce. Mix well and stir-fry until heated through.

That's it! Fast, filling, and a great way to use leftovers.

Photo Credit

Menu Plan Monday - 6/20

Here's my plan for the week. I tried to get a head start on meal preparation this weekend in order to make things go more smoothly during the week.

I got some prep work completed but not as much as I had hoped. I'll have to be more organized next weekend. And I need that timer!

Sunday - Roast Chicken with Seasonal Vegetables

Monday - Beef and Vegetable Fried Rice {Vegetables and rice can be prepped on the weekend}

Tuesday - Thai Peanut Chicken with Jasmine Rice {using leftover chicken from Sunday; vegetables can be prepared ahead}

Wednesday - Cincinnati 5-Way Chili {I was able to make this over the weekend. It's so quick to make, especially using this tip.}

Thursday - Mexican Beef with rice and beans {I made chicken stock in the slow cooker with the leftover chicken carcass from Sunday and will use the stock in the Mexican rice}

Friday - Homemade Pizza

Lunches - Greek pasta salad prepared ahead and ready for a quick lunch

Snack - Chewy Granola Bars were prepared on Sunday for the coming week

As you can see, I'm still working on ways to use the weekend to prepare meals for the week ahead.

For more ideas for your menu plans, visit Menu Plan Monday.

Sunday Afternoon Jumpstart: Make-ahead Meals

Inspired by this brilliant post, I have decided to be more intentional about something I have (sometimes) been doing anyway.

Sunday afternoons and evenings are generally relaxing times around here, and I often use the time to prepare lunch items or snacks (such as cookies or granola bars) for the week ahead. This week, I have decided to actually plan for a "Sunday Afternoon Jumpstart" and use the time to prepare dinner items as well.

Thanks to that brilliant post referenced above, I found "The Eat Sheet"--my new favorite meal planning printable. You can download The Eat Sheet here.

The other thing I learned is that I need a timer. I need to be accountable so that this plan-ahead project does not takeover my entire Sunday afternoon and evening. I plan to limit the time allocated to this activity and plan accordingly.

Since I'm new at this, I'm still in the dinner-planning stage today. But I'm going to begin by making some Greek Pasta Salad and granola bars to have on hand for next week.

Check back for my weekly menu plan and to see how my first "Sunday Afternoon Jumpstart" turned out.

Words of Wisdom

Transform Metal Bi-Fold Doors With Paint

By now, you know that I love spray paint. I have used it in many ways to spruce things up around the house.

So when it came time to do something about the unsightly metal bi-fold doors in my son's bedroom, naturally spray paint was my first thought. Nine-foot doors are a special order item at our local home improvement store and we were looking for a low-cost alternative to new doors.

After cleaning the doors and smoothing out some rough rusty spots, we applied a coat of Rustoleum satin finish spray paint in dark grey. Although the color was just what we wanted, the finish was not. It may have been the fact that we couldn't seem to get a calm morning for spraying.

We gave both sets of doors one coat of the spray paint as a primer. Then took the spray paint to Home Depot to have them match the color in a semi-gloss enamel. The second coat of paint was applied with a brush while the doors were hanging. Although it was slow going painting all those louvres, the results were well worth it.

It was really hard to get a good "after" picture of these doors, but the new color and the finish are beautiful. These 9 foot doors are in my son's bedroom. I think they look great!


For more great projects, visit The Shabby Nest, House of Hepworths, The Power of Paint Party, Transformation Thursday and Frugal Girls.

Organizing Batteries

Do you know where your batteries are? Do you have plenty of extras to use in case of an outage?

I have been trying to come up with a great way of organizing and storing batteries. Right now I have a jumble of different-sized batteries in a drawer. I know where they are but they are not very organized.

I think I have found a great solution in these handy storage boxes. I will know exactly what I have and I will know if I need to restock a certain size.

What ideas do you have for battery storage and organization. I would love to hear your ideas.

For other ideas preparing for a power outage, check out the following posts:

Prepare Your Kitchen for a Power Outage

Emergency Lighting

Why You Need a Corded Phone

For more organization inspiration, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Here's our favorite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. We use coconut oil in most of our baking and it is especially good in this recipe.

3/4 cup coconut oil

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup ground flax

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

2 3/4 cups rolled oats

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes and drain.

In a large bowl, cream together the coconut oil, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until fluffy.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually beat into the oil and sugar mixture. Stir in oats and raisins.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 12 minutes, or until golden. Let cookies cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For more great ideas, check out Beauty and Bedlam, The Grocery Cart Challenge,  Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Menu Plan Monday

It's so nice to know in advance what you are going to have for dinner --one less thing to think about. I have a great plan for this week. Now if only I could stick to the plan...

Recipes coming soon!

Monday - Simple Roast Chicken with Seasonal Vegetables

Tuesday - Thai Chicken with Jasmine Rice (using leftover chicken from Monday)

Wednesday - Fall-Off-the-Bone Beef in French Dip Sandwiches with Sweet Potato Fries

Thursday - Ginger Beef Stir-Fry (using leftover beef from Wednesday)

I love this recipe from allrecipes.com. I double the sauce and add green pepper and mushrooms along with the red pepper, carrots, and broccoli.

Friday - Homemade Pizza and tossed salad

Check out what others are eating this week at Menu Plan Monday.

If you want to get even more organized with your meal planning, here are some printables that I am currently using to help keep me organized. Jessica at Life as Mom, has several printables available. These are the two that I am currently finding most helpful.

Monthly Meal Plan

Meals We Like

Refurbished Ceiling Fans

Although I don't have the before picture for this project, this used to be a very old chipped white ceiling fan. Instead of purchasing a new one, we decided to do the frugal thing and spray paint the old one. The new colors are more in keeping with our decor.

The base and brackets of the fan were painted using a Rust-Oleum Satin Black spray paint. On the blades we used Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Satin in Espresso. We purchased the crystal pull at Home Depot. With a little work, the cost of the "new" fan was under $20.

Here's the "before" picture from a second ceiling fan paint project. This fan had been in storage for many years but with a little spray paint it looks great in a preteen girl's bedroom.

The fan coordinates beautifully with the pink and brown decor of the bedroom. What a transformation!

For more great ideas, visit Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Transformation Thursday , Frugal Friday, and the Chic & Crafty Party.

Prepare Your Family for Hurricane Season - Getting Started

Hurricane season is upon us once again and this season is forecast to be a rough one. Even if you don't live in a hurricane-prone area, I know that you will benefit from the preparedness tips we will cover in the next few weeks.

Hurricane season began June 1. So, technically, I guess we should all be prepared by now. But I know that I have a way to go and I'm guessing many of you do as well. Or, perhaps, you are all ready and can share some tips with the rest of us.

Here are some links to get us started:

The National Hurricane Center is in my "favorites" all year long. During hurricane season, I check it daily. It's a great way to get a heads-up on what is going on in the tropics. The site also has lots of information about hurricane forecasting and preparedness.

Here's the link to the National Hurricane Center's recommended Disaster Supply List.

And check out my post on the weather radio, an important tool that will keep your family notified of severe weather as well as many other types of disasters.

For more hurricane preparedness tips:

Why You Need a Cordless Phone
This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

My Recycled Cookbook Holder

Part of being prudent is being resourceful. One of my favorite prudent activities is to give something old a new life, and often a new use. My "new" cookbook holder was once a brass book holder. Over the years the brass had become pitted and unsightly.

I used black spraypaint to give the holder a new life in my kitchen. Since I keep most of my recipes and menu plans in binders, this holder keeps papers visible while I work.

Find more great projects at The Frugal Girls Chic and Crafty Party.

DIY Jar Lanterns

Check out this cute DIY project posted at Build, Sew, Reap. She demonstrates how to make jar lanterns using recycled jars and wire.

Super fun and frugal!