CrazyBusy Mama! (Dot Calm) » A Few Quick, Frugal, and Fun (and Very Last-Minute) Halloween Ideas

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Need Last Minute Halloween Ideas?


A Frugal Costume...Quick?


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For money-saving, last minute tips

(and a fun story!)...

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Crazy Busy Mama! (Dot Calm)

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CrazyBusy Mama! (Dot Calm) » A Few Quick, Frugal, and Fun (and Very Last-Minute) Halloween Ideas

An Upcycled Christmas - PSFK

Photo: PSFK.com

No one has to tell Frugalites like you and me that

Christmas gift-giving needn't be about spending lots of money

and buying the latest hot trend!

That being said,

it seems that our philosophy

may be...

catching on!

Folksy (a kind of UK based Etsy)

and Sue Ryder Care (a health care charity) are running a competition

called Upcycle Christmas.

The goal of the contest is to

transform second hand goods into

fresh new creations suitable for holiday gift-giving.

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While this competition is geared toward (but not limited to)

those living in the UK,

it's lovely to know that there is a thought-shift taking place.


Who knows...

Perhaps Etsy will be next?!!


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If you would like to learn more please click the link below:

An Upcycled Christmas - PSFK

'Tis the Season for Another Book Give-Away!!

Enter to win by subscribing to this blog and leaving a comment below (it needn't be long :)!

If you care to share a favorite holiday idea or two, we LOVE LOVE LOVE to read them, as always.

P.S. We're also giving away our first volume of Frugal Luxuries
on our other blog--just click HERE to see how easy it is to enter that one too!





NOTE!

Please Feel free to... enter BOTH contests!!

This was my intention when posting them at the same time (doubles your chances to win!)!!

also...


We will be choosing our winners NEXT SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST and announcing them on the 2nd!!

Oh... Just...One more thing...

Please know that you're more than welcome to LINK to this page (or any pages on the blogs)!! We appreciate your sharing, support and kindnesses very much. x0x

Celebrate Holidays with Elegance & Simplicity -- On Any Budget

Celebrating Gracious Moments

"To invite a person into your house is to take charge of his happiness

so long as he is under your roof."

--Samuel Johnson

--

The ancient Roman philosopher Seneca

set a table of humble yet delicious foods before his friends

and asked...

"When shall we live if not now?"

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Do not wait for that longed-for

someday to savor the blessings of Celebration.

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The house need not be perfectly decorated or tidy...

the china...

& silver

need not match...

the foods do not have to be grand or expensive.

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All that is necessary to pleasantly enjoy the company of family and friends is to...

Care.

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This affection will be made visible

in thoughtfully prepared foods presented in a warm and inviting setting.

The text above are excerpts borrowed from the books Frugal Luxuries, 1997, Bantam Books, NY

and Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons, 2000, Bantam Books, NY. Written by Tracey McBride.

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FREE Printable Pumpkin Stencils...

BHG
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Better Homes and Gardens site is offering Free Printable Pumpkin Stencils!!


I love the look as well as the idea behind a stenciled pumpkin!

Not only can it save time, because you don't have to cut and carve it,

a stencil simplifies the task of cooking your pumpkin

once you're finished using it as a decoration!

(It also gives the gift of time.

The nature of nature is...

once your pumpkin has been cut and carved

you will need to cook it within about 24 hours.)


We usually boil or roast our pumpkins after the autumn holidays have passed

to create our own pumpkin pack

for delicious homemade pies, pumpkin breads and cookies!


(Simply peel or pare off the painted section of skin before cooking...

we wash it off if the paint is water soluble or use a potato peeler or paring knife

if the paint is more durable.)


Use the FREE patterns to create cute -- or creepy -- pumpkins that will surprise your guests. Simply log in at BHG.com (or register -- it's free), then open the PDF pattern and print. Size the pattern on a copier if needed. Tape it to your pumpkin and poke the outline of the pattern with a pin before carving your masterpiece!

Or... do as we do and paint within the stencil to create your design,

using non toxic paint such as Tempera

(the type preschoolers use)

or...

a black magic marker!



CLICK BELOW TO CLAIM YOUR FREE STENCIL:

Holidays

(Once you're there, simply print our handy PDFs,

then size on a copier and transfer the design to your pumpkin and have fun!
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"The Pleasures of Homemaking" Book Give-Away!

Photo: The Pleasures of Homemaking
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Amazing Manuela is hosting a give-away
at her inspiring blog
The Pleasures of Homemaking

and I am honored that she chose one of my own books to be part of the give-away package!

To enter to win a copy of "Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons" and

Jonnie McCoy's fantastic and encouraging book,

"Miserly Moms"

just pop by and visit Manuela's blog and leave a little comment under

the give-away post.

While you're there,

I know you'll want to spend a lot of time browsing through

Manuela's creative and inspiring blog

but beware...

she has so many great ideas that her blog becomes addicting!!

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The Year We Had No Money For Christmas

I found this inspiring little story over at TIP HERO

(another favorite resource for frugal ideas).


Please click the link below to read...


The Year We Had No Money For Christmas


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Do you have a story...

or two...

about ways your family handled (or handles)

Christmas and the Holidays

during a very lean year?

We would be honored and blessed if you would

share them with us.

xox
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Shared via AddThis

Autumn's First Festival...

Labor Day
"In all labor there is profit..."
--Proverbs

The noblest thing in the world is wise and honest labor. Labor is the powerful magician that brings order out of chaos, transforms barren deserts into thriving cities, and produces works of genius from all fields of endeavor, be it the creation of grand architecture, powerful prose, tilled and cultivated soil, a clean cottage, or a home-cooked meal.

In ancient times all, including the wealthy, labored in their own kitchens and fields. In the Bible, Abraham and his wife Sarah are early examples of the dignity found in toil. And during the infancy of the United States, George and Martha Washington, although they were quite well off financially, set fine examples for industry and frugality.

There is a dignity in all honest labor that makes it beautiful and mighty. And if we remember that all true luxuries and achievements are the result of labor, we understand that nothing great can ever be accomplished without it. Thus, the first Monday in the month of September (In the United States and Canada) has been established as a special day on which to remember and honor this worthy quality, and those souls (past, present and future) who exemplify it.

Take from Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons by Tracey McBride.
Published by Bantam Books, NY, NY, 2000.

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FYI: We originally posted this on the third of but it didn't show up until just now!

Random Acts of Kindness: The best kind of frugal luxury @ Saver Queen

Photo: Saver Queen

This morning...

while thoroughly enjoying my second cup of Trader Joe's Italian roast coffee...

I took a browse through some of my favorite reads in Bloglandia

and came across Saver Queen's goose-bump evoking post...

about a mini-miracle (pun intended ;) found in a random act of kindness.

She starts by observing that...

"Living on a frugal budget means looking beyond material possessions in order to find fulfillment, inspiration and joy. The frugal life requires more attention to “natural highs” that come from natural beauty and the many joyous experiences found in simple moments.

It has also made me pause with gratitude to think of the random acts of kindness I’ve been a recipient of. There have been a few spectacular ones, but only one that really had a major impact on my life...."

Click the link BELOW to finish reading this charming, heartwarming story...

Random Acts of Kindness: The best kind of frugal luxury @ Saver Queen

Enhancing the Wardrobe: FREE Vintage Sewing Patterns

Anne

over at...

Craft Gossip .com

has an amazing post today linking to a GREAT offer.

Limited time only: Free access to vintage pattern database!

Have You Ever Had A DEBT FREE Christmas... Will You Accept the Challenge?

More Working (and Thinking) Ahead of Need:

I'm joining in the Debt Free Christmas Challenge hosted by Enemy of Debt! Thought you may find it useful and/or interesting as well!

Click the link below if you'd like to learn more!

Have You Ever Had A DEBT FREE Christmas, And Will You Accept My Challenge? | Enemy of Debt: Motivational Money Management

Working Ahead Of Need: Inspiration From Storybook Woods

Photo courtesy of Clarice @ Storybook Woods.

Our good friend, Clarice (hi Clarice !) ...

over at Storybook Woods

has a very Inspirational

post titled...

Frugal Things I Love .

I HIGHLY recommend it to you all...

(and, no, not just because she said something nice about me in it, but that was nice too ;-) !


In it Clarice offers a host of charmingly useful ideas and...

a bevy of thoughts on how to work ahead of need...

preserving nature's summer bounty to enjoy later.

She provides some fantastic links for...

making your own...


Homemade Oil Lamps...

Simple tricks for dehydrating fresh produce (I loved her pantry trick)...

Easy ways to Grow Your Own Sprouts in a Canning Jar...

and many, many more.


I must say that I was inspired to action after my visit ...

and I hope you will be too!

Faithful HOLIDAY Budgeting... It's Not Too Early to Begin

All the above photos are from Heather's Beauty That Moves Etsy Store.

Start Saving for the Holidays Now Using the...

Envelope System

Many people use the envelope system to save up the cash for their monthly bills (using money orders to pay bills that must be mailed and possibly tracked).

Heather, over at the inspiring blog...

"Beauty That Moves" has charmingly practical fabric envelopes for sale in her Etsy store.

While we are proponents of the monthly envelope system, I find it especially useful when saving for the often cash strapped winter holidays.

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Faithful Budgeting
Below is an excerpt taken from "Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons," Bantam Books, NY, 2000

"One of my favorite ways to organize my everyday and holiday expenses is to establish an envelope system. This is done by designating an envelope for each person on my holiday gift-giving list. On the outside of the envelope I write the person's name, the amount I have budgeted to spend on him or her, and any gift ideas that I might have in mind for the particular individual. Inside the envelope I put aside a designated amount to spend on that individual (and continue over the months until I've saved up enough). When I do my holiday gift shopping, I take the cash-filled envelopes (and no credit cards) and spend only what I have budgeted and put inside the envelopes."

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Box of Lettuce in Origami Pots...

Box of lettuce
Originally uploaded by smallgreengarden

Here is a picture of those Origami Pots (see post below) made from recycled paper bags instead of newsprint!

If you are small space gardening, you will be inspired by Kate's blog...

www.smallgreengarden.com

...she does amazing things with very little!

Gardens are so miraculous...don't you think?

YouTube - How to Make Origami Pots for Garden Seedlings

YouTube - How to Make Origami Pots for Garden Seedlings

Shared via AddThis

The Secret Stones: A Budget Gardening Tale

Our friend, Cindy McNatt, over at the inspiring blog...

Dirt du Jour

tells us the SIMPLE SECRET behind these concrete "STONES".

"These concrete “stones” are easy to make and work beautifully at terracing a slope.

Here is how the gardener did it: She stacked bags of dry concrete in a row, then wet down the bags for a week or until the concrete hardened. Once hard, she tore off the paper wrapping.
Then she stacked another row on top of the first, wetting the second row of concrete bags, waited for the concrete to harden and then removed the paper - and so on until she had her vegetables beds at a height that worked for her.

Easy. Cheap. Not bad looking, and entirely doable."

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Click the link below to visit Cindy's amazing blog and learn a multitude of gardening secrets and wisdoms.

Dirt Du Jour: A gardening community of passionate plant people in Southern California

Nurturning a Pioneer Spirit: De Mystifying Food Canning

Click HERE to learn more about the mundane miracle of home food canning!

FREE TOMATO SEEDS...Seed saving instructions for beginners.

Wresta

Recently, I've been saving seeds...culling them from the fruit and vegetables we eat.


What could be more miraculous??


It is also surprisingly simple.



Now is the season to begin....


gathering, processing and saving seeds for next year's frugal and green garden.


I have found this great site that walks me through the process...

Seed saving instructions for beginners.

I began with tomatoes, but it also offers step-by-step instruction on gathering seeds...from cucumbers and cantalope to Morning Glories! I've found it a very valuable reference site!

Swedish Bride

A Swedish Bridal Suite...

a Home-Crowned Queen.... Golden Silence... Gilded Lanterns... Scented Cones...

Remnants of a bride's special day litter the sweetest of suites...

Tokens of good thoughts and love dangle for all to see & be reminded of...

Love...


the reason for all else to exist.
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Oh my goodness,

I fell in love with this pictorial by Swedish Stylist, Eva Lindh.

The pictures told a story all their own...

in need of nothing except for romantics & dreamers...

like us...

to focus on them...

to give them a voice...

to appreciate their loveliness...

to REVEL in the frugal luxury of dreams.

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A PERSONAL COMPUTER IN A VASE? IT DOES COMPUTE!

If you're budget and/or house is too small for a new home office or library....

you may want to look at this prototype for a PC in an attractive vase!




Years ago, we transformed a corner of our tiny living room into an office...

via a computer armoire.

In the near future, no furniture necessary...

just change the look of your PC!


Gizmag has covered some unusual gadgets over the years,


but a computer hidden in a vase?


This might sound like a joke, but it actually makes sense when you consider...


how digital content and media have grown...


the once-humble PC is arguably more at home in the living room...


than the study.

Currently it's in the prototype stage...


but check HERE for availability in the near future!

In Praise of the Backyard Clothesline

Vintage



"Let me be a little kinder,
Let me be a little blinder
To the faults of those around me,
Let me praise a little more."
--Edgar A. Guest, "A Creed"


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A Kindred Spirit Letter

Dear Tracey,



It began when we were newlyweds renting a four-room apartment in Birdtown--a small old section of rental homes in Lakewood. The laundromat was blocks away. Although our apartment was tiny, we enjoyed a long, open-air balcony. When our budget was tight, we would launder our clothes in the bathtub and hang them to dry on a makeshift clothesline out on the balcony.

Eventually we graduated to our own home on the near west side of Cleveland. Over the years we acquired the luxuries of a washer, dryer, dishwasher, microwave and the like. We were also proud owners of a postage-stamp-size back yard. To make life complete, we soon were the parents of three small children.



Despite all of our modern conveniences, I still love the idea of old clotheslines. My neighbor--a Yugoslavian grandmother--has a bright yellow one. All summer long there is either a hand-stitched quilt or a pretty rug drying on it. Inspired by her, I crisscrossed four long lines from our garage to our house and bought bags of wooden clothespins.



Cleveland is a funny place to have a clothesline, I think. It can be cloudy almost to the point of hearing the rumble of thunderstorms--but I will still hang up a load of laundry despite the threat of rain. Nine times out of ten the load will dry without any rain falling. Why go to all that trouble and bother? There are many reasons. For one, I know I am saving money and helping the environment by not running the dryer for at least half of the year, and clothes seem to dry fairly quickly outdoors. But the best reason is the satisfaction I feel after my seven-year-old daughter changes her sheets, and I hear her say at bedtime, "Mom, My pillow smells good!"



Sincerely,


Peggy West


Cleveland, Ohio

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The letter above is an excerpt from Frugal Luxuries, published by Bantam Books, 1997.

Growing Off the Wall...

Get Your Mind in the Gutter for Space Saving Gardening Solutions!

One of my long-time kindred spirits, Cindy McNatt, has created a lovely,

inspiring and very informative gardening blog titled...

Dirt du J0ur !

Imagine my delight when I saw this article and photograph on today's post!!

(I have the perfect wall on our southwest facing patio that will perfectly suit
a smaller version of this project!)

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Edible Transformations TM in Under 15 Minutes!

Click Here...

to see how we transformed this...



...into this!

Done in a mere 15 minutes!

At Long Last...a Winner Has Been Revealed!!

"How frugal is the chariot that bears the Human soul."

--Emily Dickenson, referring to books.
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Hello Good Souls...




A few days ago I scribbled out all your blessed names....

folded them up...

put them in a pretty crystal bowl...

and chose a name.

Dana & Daisy were chosen...


and will receive this copy of ....


"Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons"!


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I'd like to thank you all for your many kindnesses, support and friendship.


I am truly blessed to know you...


even though most of us have never met in the tangible world...


it is a lovely privilege to mingle minds, thoughts and lives with you...


via...


this miracle called the internet.


Good thoughts and blessings to each and every one of you.


Warmly,

Tracey