Tag: Family Life

Today’s thrifty living tip is to make donations from your stockpile. I end up with a lot of personal care items that I can’t use from sales and coupons and lots of free samples. I like to give away items from my stockpile. There are so many great organizations that are hurting for donations. This is an inexpensive way to help others without breaking your wallet. Many organizations would prefer the items instead of cash. The local women’s shelter in my area specifically asks for donations of personal care items, clothes, games and toys, and cleaning supplies.

You can send items overseas to the soldiers who would be very appreciative of care packages. Many female soldiers need tampons, panty liners, and maxi-pads as well as lotions and shower gels. Cheap flip flop’s they can use in the showers. There are several great websites to find the specific details with shipping information. Make sure to mark these boxes FEMININE if you send female razors and other feminine items they need.

Anysoldier.com great organization for sending care packages to our soldiers.

Here are a few other ideas to give non-perishable food and toiletries as well as cleaning supplies.

• Women’s Shelters
• Local Churches
• Local Food Banks
• Schools
• Shelters
• Neighbors or Friends or even Family members

Do you donate from your stockpile to help others? Please comment as I would love to read your stories.

Walmart is inviting customers to join the fight against hunger. You can help provide meals to families in need by purchasing select products in Walmart stores or by visiting Walmart’s Facebook page to vote for one of 200 communities to receive $1 million to fight hunger. We’ll also give $50,000 to 20 communities with the next highest amount of support.

Click on banner to learn more and start helping!

I participated in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting, on behalf of Cottonelle, and received product samples and a promotional item to facilitate my party. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was thrilled to receive this wonderful package of  Johnathan Adler Cottonelle Tissue Roll Covers. I hosted a fun party where I invited several friends and their children yesterday. We made easy and fun crafts repurposing Cottonelle bath tissue paper tubes for both the kids and the adults. The kids mostly wanted to make binoculars out of the toilet paper roll tubes. It’s a very inexpensive craft for the kids to do, and adults make sure to punch the holes so the kids can tie the yarn. These are great projects to teach the kids about recycling just in time for Earth Day.

I also wanted something for the ladies to be able to do instead of just children centered crafts. We made pencil holders out of the toilet paper tubes. I bought a couple of packs of scrapbook paper which was very inexpensive at 99 cents a pack! I also purchased card stock to use for the bottom. I did not want to use acrylic paint as it would take too long to dry. At first we used a marker to color the inside top portion, but then one of my friends suggested we use a piece of card stock to reinforce the inside of the tubes. It worked perfectly.
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Next we cut out the strips in half to roll the tube with and used craft glue. Slowly roll the tube and make sure to keep it smoothed while rolling so it doesn’t create bubbles.

At the end of the rolling, you will need to reinforce the ends. I used some more craft glue and wiped off the excess. There isn’t any glue after it dried. It was much cheaper than using mod podge.

Next we cut out a circle of blue cardstock. You want the circle to slightly larger than the tube. My friend is gluing on the bottom to the tube. We also used purple card stock and rolled it up in the inside of the tube.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the inside and it was very strong after we let them dry.

Here is the finished product. Each lady made a different one. It was a lot of fun.

Each lady left with a Johnathan Adler Cottonelle Tissue Roll Cover. One of the ladies is using hers to store her daughter’s hairbows and ribbons. Another one is using hers to store her cotton balls. The uses for these great and colorful roll covers are endless.

What will you make by repurposing toilet paper roll tubes?

 

Today’s thrifty living tip is to water down juice. It stretches out the juice plus it cuts back on the amount of sugar your kid(s) drink. I know that drinking water is the best beverage and many of us do not drink enough water daily. I used to add an extra 1/4 cup of water so it still tasted good to my son. I also use this tip for cranberry juice. I do not like the taste of it, but it tastes more like a cocktail type drink to add a small amount to my water.

I now realize today is Friday 13th, but I went pretty much all day without even realizing it. See how superstitious I am. I wanted to do a little bit of rambling today, and even pose a question to my fellow bloggers. First for the question to other bloggers. Do you write posts in advance for your blog and schedule them? I am thinking this is something I should start doing since my classes start again on Thursday the 19th.

Today I had graduation day at my university. Basically I got to meet with my adviser, and then have my graduation application signed with several signatures. I wasn’t interested in spending money on invitations, a ring, or even professional pictures. I will not send out invitations, but I am throwing a graduation party afterwards. I will invite everyone by phone and through Facebook. Yes I am so original. I am getting an Associate’s Degree so I can’t actually buy an official ring which I would never wear so why waste the money. I am leaning towards buying the cap and gown which will cost $50, but I can use them again when I graduate with my BA in two more years.

I forgot to mention last week I found our Christmas tree for next year on clearance at Wal-Mart. It was a $100 tree marked down to $22 so I paid $23 with tax! I was thrilled when I saw it so cheap. It’s a 7.5′ Douglas Fir which is a foot bigger than the tree we had. I donated that one today along with some old decorations. I can’t wait for next year to use our new tree. It will be here before we know it. I also bought our blue and silver decorations for next year at different stores. I paid around $100 which included a tree skirt, stockings, wreath, and decorations plus bags and such. I love those wonderful after Christmas sales especially when it’s marked 75% or more. The pickings are slimmer but the savings are fantastic.

My son received his report card on Tuesday and he made Honor Roll! I am so excited as he was having a little trouble the first part of the grading period. I am looking at him fast asleep on the couch. Kids have this wonderful innocence about them especially when they are sleeping. I am going to stop rambling for tonight. I do have some good posts lined up for next week. I just need to get some pictures taken for one post, and I need to get some more information lined up for the next one. This weekend I will be a busy bee writing and visiting family and friends. I have to watch the Saints beat the 49ers tomorrow night!