SWEET LIL' PUMPKIN

One of parents made this sweet sweet pumpkin for our kids at our childcare center and I thought you might enjoy seeing it.  Perhaps you might want to make one for your kids!

This is a medium size pumpkin and the mom said she put 160 suckers on it.  Trust me there are several rows of the sweet stuff on it!

If you decide to make one please post pictures so we can all see how yours turned out!

Blessings!

Grandma B

STOP THAT ITCH!

I hate chiggers!!!  I have avoided those little devils all summer until a week ago.  Apparently a few hitch-hiked on my socks and made their way to my ankles.  I used everything  I could think of to stop the itch and then I saw this idea somewhere (can't remember, that's happening a lot lately) and thought why not try it!

And what was this new anti-itch miracle?   TOOTHPASTE!  You read this right;  Toothpaste!   I rubbed a little dot of my toothpaste on the itch and it stopped immediately.   After a few hours it would wear off but when I reapplied it, the itch stopped.   This was amazing!  

I haven't tried it for mosquito bites or other itches, but it worked on those flesh eating critters called chiggers!
What are some of your best remedies for itch?

Blessings,
Grandma B

BEDROOM FURNITURE MAKEOVER

While shopping at Home Depot the other day I saw a paint made for doors and trim by Glidden.  It claimed to leave no drips or brush marks.  The sample they had painted was amazing.  Since I had an old chest of drawers that was ready for the trash, I decided to try my hand at painting it.  Here are my before and after pics.

The wood is scratched and hardware is missing.

My first step was to clean the chest and then prime it before painting.  I used spray primer!

Here is the finished chest.  The finish is really beautiful.  I have since used this paint for the bookcase and bed.

Here is the finished bookcase and chest. 
This door and trim paint comes in quart size only but it really goes a long way.  The cost $17.99 for three items of furniture.
I can't wait to start painting my doors and trim!



BOTTLE YOUR OWN TEA

Do you find yourself purchasing individual bottles of tea, water, or other cold drinks?  For years I have made my own individual bottles of drinks and the family loves it.

I originally purchased a pack of tea in glass bottles.  I personally didn't even enjoy the brand tea I purchased but I was after those glass bottles!  I then began filling the jars each day with iced tea and capping them.  Yum!  They taste as good as the day the tea is made. 

Lemonade is wonderful when it is iced cold and at your fingertips!  Just grab a jar and go!   Kool-aid?  Water?  Gator-ade?   You are saving money by making your own drinks but have the convenience of the grab and go!  They fit nicely into a cooler too.

I use all kinds of glass jars to store the drinks.  Pint size mason jars work great as do pickle jars, gravy jars, spaghetti sauce jars and more.  You get the picture, right?  

These glass jars are easy to clean in the dishwasher.  I have been using some of these over and over for years now and they are still in perfect shape, lids and all. 

Saving money and trash in our landfills is a win-win!   Cheers!

MOVING THINGS OUT

I attended an auction Saturday and purchased a sleep number bed and a dresser.  I was very pleased to win the bid, however I never dreamed it would cause me to have to work so hard this week.

Dale and Scott moved my dresser in on Monday afternoon and the work began.  I am rearranging bedrooms to make everything fit!  I have cleaned out drawers, causing me to get real about what I wear and don't wear, and what I use and don't use.

I also had to find a place to put a lot of books that I stored on a bookshelf because the shelf cannot stay in the room.  So far I have emptied three dressers and chest-of-drawers and one book shelf.  I plan to donate items to a homeless shelter in St. Louis.  It may take a truck to get all of this "stuff" to them.

Even Sidney got in on the action by going through a large assortment of his books and letting them go.....
He also is letting his pellet gun go after all these years.   It's hard because we get so attached to "things", but they are just that; things!

On Saturday an elderly woman told me that she told her children, "We spend the first half of our life try to accumulate things and the last half of our lives trying to get rid of it".  How true! 

The more I get rid of the easier it is to take care of my home.  Don't wait too long to start simplifying your life.  Start today, one drawer at a time!

Blessings,
GrandmaB

THRIFT STORE BONANZA

Because of the extreme heat in our area, the children at our daycare have been pinned inside for several weeks.  It's beginning to wear on everyone, the teachers, the kids, and me!   Our teachers have used up every idea that they can think of to keep the kids busy, but ideas are waning thin.  With that in mind I was thinking it might be a good idea to purchase some new games and puzzels for our classrooms. 

I don't know how long it's been since you shopped for games and/or puzzels but they're not cheap!  Saturday my daughter-in-law took me thrift store shopping for these items.  Did I mention she is sort of a thrift store queen?!?    By the time she showed me her favorite stops I had about 20 to 25 new games and puzzels loaded up in my car.   My total for the bonanza.....a whopping $31.00.   I was over-joyed with the finds, and even more over-joyed with the price.

Have you been thrift store shopping lately?

Blessings,
GrandmaB