When You Gotta Go.......

Goob admitted to me that he peed in the air conditioning vent in our floor. Actually, switch out the word "admitted" and change it to "bragged." #pottytrainingrocks

Why My Friends Are Better Than Yours

I volunteer at our local animal shelter. A few days ago, a 16 week old kitten came into the shelter with a very severely injured eye--I'll spare you the details--and the shelter had to raise $700 for surgery, or else the kitten would be euthanized.
I was frantic. We were down to our last $12 in our checking account (because we're awesome), and I was feeling guilty about even going to Taco Bell and spending $10 before I knew about said kitten.
So, thanks to social media, I posted the kitten's Chip-in info, and urged my friends to donate, shared the pic, etc.
Some of my friends, who lives miles away and have never set foot in our shelter, gave to this little kitten, purely out of the goodness of their hearts, even though they will likely never personally see the results. Some of these friends are good friends of mine, and others haven't seen me since I was a kid. But, it's safe to say that I was incredibly moved, and because of them, a life was saved. The money was raised, and the little gal is recovering from her surgery.
It's stuff like this that keeps me from being completely and utterly cynical. It's moments like this that keep me from going completely postal during the holidays. The generosity of others never ceases to amaze me. Yes, it's true--I have the best friends.

Pinterest Project--Crazy Crayons

Goob and I made another Pinterest project this morning...Crazy Crayons. They are pretty on top, but super ugly on the bottom. If unicorns existed, I'm pretty sure this is what their poop would look like.
Instructions: Tear wrappers off of old crayons. Break into pieces and put the pieces into muffin tins (mix up the colors). Heat on 170 degrees in the oven for about 20 minutes. Let cool. Place into freezer for 20 minutes. Crayons should pop out.
(For any of my projects, just look at my Pinterest page for the graphic/instructions. The ones I did today--Stars in a Jar and Crazy Crayons--are under the project listing, "For My Little Boy.")

Pinterest Project--Stars in a Jar

OK, so if you're on Pinterest, you've likely seen that very dreamy Stars in a Jar picture, with the little girl holding a mason jar in her hands, and this jar is beautifully lit from the inside by glowing blue stars. Basically, the premise of the project is taking glow in the dark paint, painting stars in the jar (duh), and voila!
I ask you...have you ever tried painting stars inside a jar? It doesn't work.
So, this morning, The Goob and I attempted the project. Armed with an arsenal of glow in the dark paint, Bell jars, brushes, and astronaut themed stickers, we painted the insides of the jars as best as we could. Goob made one with "stars," one solid, another solid with stickers on the exterior, and I painted one solid and added old sprinkles because I thought maybe the sprinkles in the paint would create a mottled glowing exterior in the dark, more resembling stars. OK, so I basically just had fun with sprinkles and paint, but hey, I have never admitted to being good at crafts/creativity, but I HAVE admitted an addiction to junk food. ;)
So, here's a picture of the project, and envision them glowing..... (The camera on my phone sucks at taking pics of glowing jars in the dark.)

My First Pinterest Project--Buckeyes

So, I conquered my first Pinterest project today--buckeyes. I basically morphed two pins--the one for Peanut Butter Balls, and the other for Buckeyes--and made my own creation. This was one of my very first attempts at making homemade candy, and that's one of the beautiful things about Pinterest--I keep finding projects that I think, "Hey, even I could maybe do this?" There are so many creative ideas, and I'm inspired to broaden my horizons and expand my skills. I'm generally not a DIY/project kind of gal, so I'm hoping to break that and surprise myself.
Here's the recipe:

-1 cup peanut butter
-1 cup honey
-1 cup powdered milk
-1 cup malted milk
-1 package chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
-1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients into a thick mixture. (You can play around with proportions as needed.) Roll into walnut sized balls and place onto flat sheet/container. Chill for one hour.
In a microwave safe bowl, place chocolate chips and oil. Heat on half power for two minutes, or until melted, stirring after one minute. Roll chilled balls in melted chocolate. Chill for two more hours, and enjoy! Keep refrigerated. Yields 2 to 2 1/2 dozen.

My Latest Addiction--Pinterest, Part 2

OK, so, if you know me well, you know that I am *not* a crafty, do-it-yourself kind of person. I end up stabbing my chin when I sew (no joke). I have bound my fingers together while knitting. I spill paint. Just not my forte.
BUT, thanks to my new Pinterest addiction, and my efforts to maintain frugality and benefit my family, I am going to tackle the many wonderfully awesome projects I have found while using the site. I have chosen things that will be beneficial to our home, that will teach me how to make homemade gifts, that will create yummy treats, projects for my children to do and receive, and that will help me eliminate costs by learning how to do things like make my own body scrubs, coasters, etc. The sky is the limit, and as I pick each project, I'll document my progress on this blog. I'm curious to see if I can go from crappy crafter to a snazzy DIY frugalista. Wish me luck! This is so important to me--I want to be able to make things for my family, save money, develop skills and talents, and surprise myself.

My Latest Addiction--Pinterest

Follow me on Pinterest! I'm completely addicted to this. Thanks a bunch, Charissa!!