"I started out with nothing and I've got most of it left." - Groucho Marx

I soooooo feel like that's my life most of the time! Which is why I came up with this "crafty" way of solving a problem I had .... HANGERS!

I know what you are thinking...Ummm Kate, you can get hangers at the Dollar Store! Get a grip. I'm not talking about normal hangers though, I'm talking about hangers for doll clothes. I made that cute little wardrobe for Grace's American Girl Doll clothes, but she has more clothes than hangers! (No, I have no idea how that happened. All I can say is "Grace" happened!)

So, I posted on facebook asking for help looking for doll clothes hangers. All wonderful suggestions! I searched everywhere people suggested ... AC Moore, Toys 'R Us, Walmart, Target, and Michaels Crafts. I even searched online. I found them online for $8 for four hangers, $8 for eight hangers. WHAT?!?!?! Are you friggin' kidding me??? My big butt clothes hang on hangers for less than that!!! AC Moore, Walmart, and Target didn't have any, but Michaels did. Unfortunately, they were too small.
 
My friend Leslie even suggested baby clothes hangers. Some how, I actually had a few here, even though my daughter is 9 years old and I swore I got rid them all. Unfortunately, they were too big. But after all this searching I got an idea!!

 

And that idea was ...... PIPE CLEANERS!!! I knew going to college for teaching would come in handy some day! :)
 
So, I was going to go to the Dollar Store and pick some up. (Or possibly ask fellow teachers to "donate" to my "Keep Kate Sane" fund!) But by the act of the power from the "other side" ...... SURPRISE!!!

 

 

What is that you ask?!?!?! My grandmother from the "other side" had me open a box in an old container that I have of hers that was filled with material. And look what I found!!! PIPE CLEANERS!!! Can I get an AMEN?!?!?!

 

Of course she had them cut up, and twisted as petals for flowers...but who cares?! My heart was doing the FREE FREE FREE dance! (Thanks Mommom!!!)

 

So I untwisted 3 "petals" and put them together as one. I began to think that just one long pipe cleaner would not be sturdy enough, so I decided to use two and then twist them together.

 

                             

 

I took the twisted one and twisted one end about one quarter of the way down from the other end like so.....

 

 



And then I shaped it to look like a hanger, like so.....

 

 

 

And WAH LAH!!! Doll clothes hangers!!! If there was a high market for this, I'd so be rich by now! :)

 

 

"Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing." - Phyllis Diller

My daughter has this on again off again love affair with her American Girl dolls. She will go through phases where she plays with them and even sleeps with them 24/7....then there are those times she doesn't even know they exist. When she "cleans" up her room, the $40 outfits for a $100 doll get thrown in the bottom of her closet. Can you hear the heart attack I have when I see that??
 
So since I have this thing about redoing furniture, I was on a mission to find a piece that I could transform into a semi wardrobe for the American Girl doll items. Goodwill is one of my favorite places to look for such pieces. I looked for months....I found nothing that would work in the limited space she has in her room.
 
One day about a month or two ago, mom and I (and Grace too) were out antiquing. We were driving by a street where I saw a piece that someone had at the end of their driveway to throw out that would be perfect!! So we stopped. Mom knocked on the door and asked if we could take it. It was generously given to us for free by the homeowner, who also tried to convince us to take the other two pieces. Turns out these pieces were kitchen cabinets that he had torn out. Here's what it looked like only I turned it upside down.
 

 

Yea I know....hard to see any kind of prettiness in this, but I saw it's potential! So I striped the nasty dirty brown plastic covering off of it, and sanded it down. (Side note - I got to use my new electric sander which was a lot of fun! However, if you look close at this piece, you can tell I was an electric sander virgin on this project!!!)

 

Took the doors off, then I filled in the holes with wood putty and sanded again (by hand this time). I painted it with a white paint that also had white primer in it.

 

 

 



 My daughter's room is in the beginning stages of changing over from polka dots to a zebra theme. So once everything dried after THREE coats, (dDefinitely not what I expected. Thought it would be much less than that.) I wanted to trim the doors in zebra to give it some character. Well, we had left over zebra duct tape from Grace's duct tape bracelet making party in August, so I used it to trim the doors.

I also bought little white door knobs to put on the doors to help Grace open them easily. They were plain white plastic. I painted little zebra lines on them with black paint.

 (Sorry this pic is being a pain!!)

 

 

   

 

As you can see on the outside of left door, I ran out of duct tape!! Seriously, only about 12 more inches needed!! I wanted to scream!!! So the project was put off yet another day (it had already been two weeks of working on it a little at a time). But no fear! I got more tape and finished! I also decided to trim the little baskets I got for 90 cents at Target on my couponing deal! (see earlier posts)

 

 

 

(The labels were made out of zebra scrap booking paper.)

 

I thought I was finished but then realized that  the top was just too plain. So I decided I wanted to make a zebra runner for the top, which would also help protect it from the wrath of my daughter! :) My mom had extra zebra material from a project that she and Grace did this summer, so I "sewed" it with my magic tape and iron! It's a little wide, but it works for now.

 

 



 

 

We used a spring rod inside to hang the clothes. And now I'm on a mission to find doll clothes hangers because we have more clothes than hangers. Of course I forgot to take a pic of the inside. I'll try to remember to take one later.

 

So, after several months of this big ugly cabinet sitting in my living room collecting dust, it is FINALLY finished and in Grace's room for use! It was a fun project and Grace loves it. So all in all, it was a success and cost me a total of $28 for paint, more duct tape, spring rod and door knobs. Not a bad deal, huh?!

 

 

 

 

 



 

  

 

"Dating is pressure and tension. What is a date, really, but a job interview that lasts all night?"- Jerry Seinfeld

Any of you ever feel that way? Dating before having my daughter was one thing, but it's so much harder now.

The bottom line is, I don't want men in and out of her life. I'll already be paying for enough therapy just for her being an only child of a single mom as well as the racial differences! I don't need to add more drama to her life!

I keep thinking I'm choosing someone better than the last one, but in the end they all seem similar. When it comes to the end of your relationship with a person, does anyone else hear Dr. Phil say something like, "If you throw enough rocks up in the air, eventually one of
them is going to hit you on the head.”??? (I don't even know what that means!) Am I the only one hearing he good doctor? Maybe I'm a little crazy....

I just recently ended the third somewhat serious relationship I've had in the past 9 years. As my daughter gets older, it's getting even harder to date and explain why things don't always work out, especially when she really likes him, like the last one.

How do you handle this with your kids? My immediate jerk reaction is to stop dating all together and just focus on her and I until she is in high school and doesn't even want to spend time with me any more. But is this realistic?

Of course I've been searching blogs for any answers to these questions from other single parents. I've discovered there is no real concrete answer. Every circumstance is different, as is how each child may handle it. I was disappointed there was no cut and dry answer.

However, after reflecting a bit, I did discover a silver lining..... I'm not alone. Single parents everywhere are doing the best they can just as I am. One. day. at. a. time.

And that is comforting....

Now, if anyone would like to contribute to Grace's future therapy fund, please email me directly! :)

"Before you try to keep up with the Joneses, be sure they're not trying to keep up with you." - Erma Bombeck

I thought I'd discuss a blog that my assistant at school has me addicted to. My assistant has many obsessions (don't get her started on her Congressman obsession). Most I don't understand, but this one I'm so glad she introduced me to!

The blog is called The Lettered Cottage. It's a blog on interior design, but most of their stuff they refurbish/redo to decorate a room. Layla and Kev are a friggin' adorable couple that create such beautiful rooms! You have to check them out!

They even have step by step instrutions on how to make things like the pictures below.

   

I love there stuff! They have such great ideas! I can only dream of having a blog like this. I wish I were THAT creative!

You have to check out one of their recent posts on a fall mantle. If you find these letters somewhere in the area, CALL ME IMMEDIATELY!!! I've been looking everywhere for them!


If you are into home design, this is definitely a blog you want to bookmark. You can also friend them on facebook! Happy decorating!!

"I'm so poor I can't even pay attention." -Ron Kittle

Is that not the truth these days! In this economy, everyone is looking to save a buck. Especially me!! As a single mom with a kid who's passion is horseback riding (not a cheap activity), I'm looking for any deal I can get!!!

I LOVE the show Extreme Couponing. However, I think those people are a little crazy. Buying diapers and having a stock pile of them in your basement when you have no babies, or even kids for that matter.... that borders on insanity a bit.

However, thanks to my amazing couponing coach Janet, I've done my own version of extreme couponing...a more realistic one. You know getting the things you actually need, maybe one or two extras.

So, my first attempt was at Rite Aid. I'll never forget the cashier's face. She didn't believe it was real. I got 4 bottles of Pantene which are normally $19.96 for a grand total of $2.12. For me this is a great deal because it's the only shampoo and the BEST conditioner for my daughter's hair.

The next deal I got was on Bayer aspirin. Again , this was at Rite Aid. Normally four bottles of Bayer is $17.96. My total was $0.00!!!!!! That was awesome! I walked out with such a high! :)

My third deal was on vinegar. If you are an avid Pinterester (yes, I made up that word), you use vinegar for EVERYTHING! From cooking to cleaning!! This was a Target deal. Normally $3.71, my total...FREE!!

This next one was my big whammy! A Target deal that I got because I happened to walk into Target on the right day! Items in the dollar isle were 70% off. So things that were normally $1 were only $0.30. Things that were normally $3.00 were $0.90. Now I will say I used  $20 gift card, but hey! Free is free for me! I don't even know what the grand total should have been, but I do know how much I spent on all of this stuff out of my pocket.... $3.71!! :-)

 

The last deal I've made so far, was literally yesterday at Rite Aid! Two bottles of Pantene and Carefree pantie liners normally a total of $11.98 for only $2.00!!!!

How do I get these deals??? I stalk two websites in particular...www.totallytarget.com and www.forthemommas.com. They explain the deals and give you the best up to date deals. These two sites are great, but there are SOOOOO many out there. I also save coupons each week from the Daily Local and Philly Inquire. I save them by date in a hanging file. (see below)

It's time consuming to look through, but always worth the deal!! Happy shopping!

“It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it.” - Julia Child

OK, reading that quote made me a little sick to my stomach, but you have to admit, it's so true! Anyway, it's another good reason to stay home and cook things for your family!

I am not a cook. In fact, a friend of mine once gave me an Easy Bake Oven as a gift when I was in my 20s as a joke. But I've ventured into cooking over the last year. My poor daughter has been a victim of my Pinterest "Favorite Recipes" board lately. But I have discovered something. If you can read, you can cook!

So, I decided to search my pinterest board for something different to make. I thought I found the perfect recipe for my daughter that included her two favorite foods, tacos and pasta. I made TACO PASTA! It was so yummy!! It does have a little kick to it though. My daughter loved it at first, but could only eat about half of her meal because it just got too spicy for her. It's such a great quick and easy recipe. And it is a great warm meal for winter that will be here before we know it! I will make it again, but just not make it as spicy for my daughter.

When you make it, let me know what you think!

 

Taco Pasta

 

1 lb ground beef

8 oz. small dry pasta shapes

1 small onion

1 clove garlic, mined

1 cup salsa

1 packet taco seasoning

3 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

salt & pepper

shredded cheese for topping

 

 

Cook pasta and drain. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

 

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion until no longer pink.

 

Drain excess fat and mix in garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds.

 

Mix in salsa & taco seasoning. Let simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.

 

Stir in cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream, and pasta water. Stir until cream cheese is melted and sauce is well blended.

 

Season with salt & pepper to taste. Top with shredded cheese, more sour cream & salsa if desired. 

 

"The Rose Bowl is the only bowl I've ever seen that I didn't have to clean." ~Erma Bombeck

So, since I'm a Pinterest addict, I decided to try the things I keep posting. Mostly because I just post, and never really look at the link! So this will kinda help me see what's what! Since I'm only working part time this summer, I'm going to try to blog on a daily basis and let you know what's what with pinterest posts!!! Sundays will be my "Cleanliness" day! I figure I usually clean on Saturdays, so I will try something new then and post it on Sunday.

I LOVE to wash dishes ... SAID NO ONE EVER!!! I'd like to kiss the person who invented dishwashers!! But lately, I noticed my dishes were coming out of the dishwasher not so clean. I figured, because I'm so cheap (hey, us single parents have to budget hard sometimes) and was using cheap detergent, it must have been that. So I saved my pennies and bought a name brand detergent! Guess what? STILL the same filmy stuff was on my dishes coming out of the dishwasher. Here's what my dishes were looking like.

EWWWWWW... Do you see that white ring around the pot?!?! I think I just threw up a little in my mouth!

Yucky, yuck, yuck!!! More filmy stuff.

As divine intervention works, at the same time, I was pinning cleaning sites on pinterest and low and behold a "How to clean your dishwasher" post came up. I ACTUALLY read that one because I was having a problem!

The first thing I learned was that crap gets stuck in your dishwasher's filter thingy (that's a tehnical term). So I pulled out the bottom rack and got my head down in the dishwasher. I saw nothing. So I  started feeling around ... needless to say, got a different result. This is what I found...

That's right, two plastic spoons, a plastic knife, and a label off of something. Who knew?!

So I followed the blog instructions. I filled a dishwasher safe cup with plain white vinegar and ran it through a whole cycle as hot as it could go. Once that was was finished, I took the cup out and ran it again on the hottest water setting. So, after all that, I couldn't wait to load the dishwasher!! Here are the results....

 Look!!! No more yucky filmy stuff on my dishes!!

 NO RING AROUND THE POT!!!! (and no more throw up in my mouth)

Had to add this pic because it's actually sparkly! :)

So fellow pinterest addicts, and clean freaks :), this was a worthy pin! I have now added cleaning my dishwasher to my monthly chore list, so it gets cleaned once a month this way.

As my good friend Beth would probably say ... once you go clean, you never go back! She would be so proud of me! Happy cleaning!! :)