Blue Castle

Handmade Gift - Bath Tea - You Can Make!

During the next few weeks, I will be sharing some creative ideas for handmade gifts you can make for the people on your gift-giving list this Christmas.  I've got some fun projects to share, so check back often.

I came across this in a magazine awhile back, and filed it away, as I often do with ideas I find that I know I can make myself.

See that jar of Tub Tea?  Guess how much it costs.  $24!

Here's my version:

Cost:  $8 to make. 

I picked up the pint jar at the Salvation Army for $.59, the lid I had, the infuser was $3 at Target and the herbs (Eucalyptus and Spearmint are one combination you can use) were about $4 total.  You can find lots of bulk herbs online, The Bulk Herb store is where I buy mine from, or your local health food store may carry some too.

To use the Bath Tea, fill the infuser with about 1 tablespoon of the "tea" and then you hang the infuser on your bathtub's water spout and let it "steep" in your warm bath water before and during your bath. After your bath, you open up the infuser and discard the used herbs.

Sure beats $24 any day, and makes a lovely gift.

I'm linking up to Just A Girl's "I Can Make That" party, and Kimba's DIY Day Check them out!

Kitchen Hutch - In Place

There it is.  All done and in it’s new place. 

Slowly, but surely the kitchen is coming together.

We have decided on a counter top: white subway tiles with gray grout. 

It is the cheapest option for us, but I am getting excited about it the more I think about it. 

The only decision left is whether to take the tile all the way up the back splash or to make a back splash out of all the broken plates I’ve been collecting over the last 5 years. 

One added bonus: a free dishwasher I found via Freecycle! 

I cannot wait until we’re all done, but I am enjoying the ride.

Garage Sale Bonanza

Friday, a friend and I loaded my boys up in the van and set out for a full day of garage sale-ing.  I’m still feeling a little giddy with all the loot I brought home.

$35 for all this beautiful, handmade, brand-new pottery.  I admit I went a little crazy on this one, but I just love how this stuff looks and feels.

$5 for this brand-new, in its original box transformer helmet for a certain boy who turned 9 on Monday.  I just about choked when I saw they are $40 originally. 

This is my new dining room table.  It is solid wood and tough as a rock.  Best of all – with it’s 2 leaves, I can fit 12 people at it comfortably.

I got it for $90.

 

Did you find any great deals last week? 

Under Construction

My kitchen cabinets are in need of a little tlc.  The previous owners painted them white, and the paint has begun to yellow and peel.  After much back and forth between The Man and I, (I wanted to paint them black like Emily did here, and he liked them the way they are), we met in the middle and decided on grey.

For the first time ever, I invested in some higher quality paint and couldn't wait to do a test swatch. (Don't you just love my big fork and spoon?)

I took my fingernail to see if I could scratch the paint off after it had dried.  It took some effort, which made me quite happy since this is just the paint over the old paint and if it sticks this good without the deglosser and primer I'm going to use also, then it was worth every penny.
This is also good because, frankly, I NEVER want to have to paint these cabinets again.  I'm dreading all the work it's going to entail.

Up next: picking a wall color.  But I can't do that until I find a really, really inexpensive countertop solution.  Right now it's looking like granite tile is going to be the winner.  At $2/square foot (yes, really) it's the cheapest option available.  I'm not a huge fan of it, but that's probably what we're going to end up using unless I can find something else.

Ideas, anyone?  I've got about 50 square feet to cover - that includes the backsplash.

So, now you know what I'll be busy doing this week.  And next.  And possibly the week after that too.

Desperate Measures

It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for.

They don't complain, or nag when you haven't taken the time to give them a haircut.  No, they just grab the nearest scissors and get rid of the part that bugs them the most. 

Popscicle Frugality

The last few summers my freezer has been stocked to the hilt with store-bought popsicles.

Not this summer. 

My boys have declared these homemade juice pops to be even better than the real ones.

Which kind of surprised me, but made me glad too.  Sometimes frugality just tastes better.

Making Mornings Easier

I've wanted one of these for forever.

But, the cost, coupled with the fact that we rarely eat cold cereal or granola mixes (the only things I could think this would work well for) deterred me from ever purchasing one.

Until I found one at a garage sale for........$3! 

I figured for that price, I could figure out a use for it once I got it home.  Not a smart strategy, I know, but it worked.

Now when we make oatmeal in the mornings, I fill the pot with a couple of cranks of oatmeal, then some water, and it works really great. 

Just another reason Garage Sales rule.

From Cold Joe To Five Little Peppers - A Makeover Story

Meet Cold Joe: Garage Sale reject.

For awhile he held the pans in my kitchen in the space where a dishwasher is supposed to live. 

He’s really quite a sight, isn’t he?

I rearranged my cabinets, and found another place for my pans. At any other time I would most likely kick Cold Joe to the curb and never look back.  But, we’re in a bit of a spending freeze at the moment, and I needed a small bookshelf. 

So, I got a little creative.

 

I had to use things I had on hand so after painting it with some leftover paint, I took one of my favorite children’s books – Five Little Peppers And How They Grew (of which I have 2 copies)– and ripped out all the illustrations. 

{At this point, my oldest son, who shall remain nameless, started crying hysterically.  “Mom! That’s my favorite book! What are you DOING?”

After proving that I did, indeed, have another copy of his favorite book, he offered to help.}

I took Mod Podge and used it to apply the different pages.  I started with the top and the front and was going to end there, but The Man helped me to see that the sides needed to be covered too.  (It always helps to have a second opinion in these matters.)

After a coat of Mod Podge, I followed that up with a coat of Polyurethane and then I was done.

Now we have a shelf for all those pesky library books that keep disappearing. 

I just have to get everyone trained to put them in old “Cold Joe” when they’re not being read. 

That should keep my librarian sister happy.

Pop over to Kimm's place at Reinvented for more Trash To Treasure.

My Table

Colorful Fiestaware and Bubble glasses bought on sale, thrifted napkins, high quality silverware bought for 10% its original price, $10 Wmrt roses in a garage sale vase, a dining table gifted to us by my mother-in-law – The Rummage Queen - and $25 bought on clearance leather parson’s chairs.

This is how we do dinner.

Pink&Green Swap - Join Us!

Updated to Add: The Swap is now closed. 

Please check back as I will be hosting more color-themed swaps in the months to come.

Melanie from ThreeBoysAndADog and I are hosting a Swap!
This will be the first in a series of color themed swaps.
We'd love for you to join us, and here's how:

Please email me (click on my About button for the link) and let me know that you'd like to be included in the swap.  The swap is going to be limited to the first 20 ladies who sign up.  I will send you a short questionnaire to fill out that will help us match you up with a suitable swap partner.  Once you email that back, we will email you with the name of your swap partner.  Then, it's up to you to get to know each other and have fun finding little treasures to share!  The items for your swap box can contain anything - as long as they have the colors pink or green, in them.  Thrifted items, handmade items....the options are limitless.

We don't want this to be stressful for those of you who may be experiencing a financial crunch, so we recommend a dollar value limit of $5-$15 for your box.

This is a great opportunity to have fun, make a new friend, and be creative!

We'll leave the Pink&Green Swap sign-up open until April 5th, and then you'll have 3 weeks to complete your box and get it sent to your partner.

Grab the swap button for your sidebar too!

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