Homemade Chalkboard

After owning my own home for the past 7 years, it has been difficult to transition into a rental and not be able to change the colors of the walls or put big holes in them for decorative shelves etc. I LOVE decorating my home so it has been a challenge to say the least. I still own the home, by the way, if anyone is looking to own a small piece of Baltimore (with a SWEET treehouse in the backyard).

Anyway, I made this chalkboard to hang on our dining room wall. I plan to use it for menus, inspirational notes for the kids and husband, letters of the week, etc.

I had everything for this project in my supply stash.

You will need:

Decorative picture frame

Chalkboard paint

Ribbon

Glue gun

3M picture hangers (optional)

Start by taking the old picture out of the frame. Remove the glass and spray the glass with a coat of chalkboard paint. Let this dry and then reassemble to frame.

Cut a piece of decorative ribbon and hot glue to the back of the frame.

If your ribbon is strong enough, you can hang it by the ribbon. I chose to use 3M picture hanging strips on the back of the frame to adhere the frame to the wall without any damage to the wall. This way, the ribbon will not be supporting the weight of the frame and it will be less likely to fall and have the glass shatter. Since my ribbon will not be actually supporting the frame, I chose a ribbon with wire around the edges so it will not droop when hung on the wall.

Then, hang and enjoy.

Linking up to:

Super Doubles to the Rescue

Money is tight these days. We all know it. But what exactly can we DO about it? My solution has been to buy more for less. If you read my last post, you know that I have started couponing again. Yes, it takes time and effort but sometimes the pay-off is unreal. Like today.. when I ventured out to Harris Teeter for their Super Doubles. What are Super Doubles you ask? I asked myself the same question a while ago. They double coupons up to $1.98! Soooo... a $1 off coupon would double to $2 off. $1.50 would double to $3 and so on and so forth up to a coupon worth $1.98. I just HAD to see what I could get and here it is:

Total out of pocket = $13.94

Total saved = $43.31!

Items that were totally free:

Reach floss

Butterfinger snackers (Gotta have something to much on while watching tv. Everything in moderation, right?)

Buitoni pasta

Smart Balance milk (When have you ever gotten milk for free without having to buy something else? I know I never have until today).

Its not a whole lot. Not an entire grocery trip or anything but it is products that my family will use. And the less that I spend on groceries, the more I have to spend on fun stuff. A dollar saved here and a dollar saved there. It all adds up.. one dollar at a time.

Coupons Make a Comeback

Food prices on the rise, gas prices ridiculously high and climbing, and the recent threat of a government shutdown made me give serious thought on how to keep the family fed and running when the paycheck is being stretched so far to begin with. And the thought of possibly not having a paycheck made me physically ill. Enter the coupon queen. Or the former coupon queen is more like it. I used to be pretty good at couponing. Then I slacked off for a while. Then I had a second kid and time got even more scarce. But I have recently put my crown back on and have gotten into a routine and scored some great deals that I would like to share along with tips on how to do it. Have you seen the show Extreme Couponing on TLC? Please forget about all that. Its not reality and most stores will not let you do what those couponers did. You can, however, do that on a much smaller scale. So here are some recent shopping trips that I am proud of and how you can do it too….

The key is to take a look at the sale fliers and match up any sales with the coupons that you have. I am focusing on drugstores but this works in grocery stores as well. In addition, look for items that will get you Register Rewards (Walgreens), Extra Care Bucks (CVS) or +UP Rewards and Single Check Rebates (Rite-Aid). All of these are free money that you can use the next time you are in the store. Note that you need a store loyalty card to get these savings.

Example from my trip to Walgreens:

Aleve 40 count liquid gels: $8.99

-$3 off in-store coupon

-$2 off manufacturers coupon (MC)

Final price: $3.99

This technique is called “stacking” and the drugstores will let you do it. It means using an in-store coupon and MC on the same item. Learn it.

Another Walgreens trip:

Heinz Vinegar (gotta dye those eggs): .99 (in-store coupon)

-.50 MC

Final price: .49

(3) 8 lb. bags of potting soil .99 (in store coupon)

Pampers Jumbo pack of diapers: $9

-$5 Register rewards from previous purchase of Pampers

Final price: $4

Skittles (a bribe to keep my daughter from fussing) .89

$3 Register Reward from previous purchase

Total with tax: $6.40!!

Rite-Aid:

(2) 18 pk. Scunci Hair elastics $1.99 each

$1.99 +UP Reward on each = FREE!!

CVS:

(1) Complete Multipurpose Eye Solution: $8.99

-$8.99 ECB

(1) Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash: $3.49

-$1 off coupon

-$2.50 ECB

(1) Crest Pro-Health Toothpast 4 oz: $3.49

-$ 1 off coupon

-$2.50 ECB

Total: $1.28 (tax)

By taking a little time, I have been able to save quite a bit of money in the past few weeks on items that we use all the time. I'm not clearing the shelves at the store, I'm not hoarding 3 years worth of stuff. I'm just getting the necessities for less and stocking up a bit when I can. Because the less money I have to spend on diapers, the better.