DIY Coming Home Outfit

Back in August, my sister-in-law sent me a pin on Pinterest asking me if I could make this outfit from an Etsy shop. Knowing that I could totally replicate it, and that I definitely could do it for way less than $24, I told her yes.

I kept some things the same, but added my own style, too.

 

I chose a lighter grey chevron and a dark pink onesie. Did you know that Hobby Lobby sells onesies for like $3.99 and then you can use a 40% off on top of that?  I also chose to have my bow tie go all the way around the onesie rather than just at the front. I like that it hides where the onesie and the material meet. And finally I found a giant rose for pretty cheap at Hobby Lobby and added that right to the center of the bow.

Cost breakdown:

Onesie: $2.40

Chevron material: already had, but let's say $1.50

Black material: $0.40

Flower: $1.80

Total: $6.10

 

 

That is quite a savings by doing it yourself, or finding a generous family member to do it for you! ;)

 

So the next time you find something super cute on Etsy, pause before hitting the "purchase" button and find out if you can do it yourself.

Picmonkey Handouts

 

If you haven't tried Picmonkey yet, you totally need to. I use it all the time to edit photos and create fun handouts for my YW. You can totally pay for the complete version, but I find the free version suits all my needs just fine.

 

I created this cute handout to go with one of my lessons. The great thing is that it is totally interchangeable. Just swap out virtue for whatever other word you want.

 

To create this handout, I googled "water" under images and found one I liked. Save the image to your computer. Open the image on the Picmonkey website and click the add text button. I found a "creepy-ish" looking free font and began adding my text. Once I had it the way I wanted it, I changed the blend modes from normal to overlay to give it that see through look. 

 

The best part was finding Bruce (the shark from Finding Nemo) Pez dispensers on clearance to attach the handout to. They turned out adorable and the girls loved them.



Potato Soup

 

The BEST Potato Soup

 

Bacon (lots!) cut into pieces

5-6 large russet potatoes

1/2 medium white onion

2 cans chicken broth

1 5oz can evaporated milk 

2 T flour

Salt & Pepper

Shredded cheddar cheese

 

 

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pot and set aside, leaving the bacon grease.

 

2. While bacon is cooking, peel and cut potatoes and onion into small pieces. Since I am not a terribly big fan of large chunks of onion, I cut mine pretty tiny.

 

3. Add potatoes and onion to the bacon grease. Cook until potatoes turn translucent.

 

4. Add both cans of chicken broth and cook on medium high, stirring occasionally. Simmer soup until potatoes are tender.

 

5. While soup is simmering, pour evaporated milk into bowl and add flour. Mix well, until flour is completely incorporated.

 

6. Once potatoes are soft, add milk/flour mixture. Lower heat to medium and let simmer for ten minutes.

 

7. Serve hot with shredded cheese and bacon pieces.





Life is Full of Surprises

Oh yes... we will be adding another Tinsley to our family in May.

 

To say that we were shocked would be quite the understatement. Especially since we were taking the necessary precautions! I had a few symptoms but didn't think much of it since I am "getting older" as my mother likes to point out. The symptoms increased and then a few others announced themselves, so I bit the bullet and bought a test.

 

I still waited a couple days, probably in denial. Finally, one Sunday afternoon after waking up from a nap, I knew I couldn't put it off any longer. Those two pink lines popped up faster then I expected and for a brief moment I am pretty sure I had a small heart attack.

 

I haven't had a baby in five years. FIVE YEARS! Not to mention that we got rid of most of our baby stuff. We thought we were done... we thought wrong.

I'm pretty sure I made this same face when the test read positive!

 

We have had several weeks to adjust to the news and it is sinking in. I am also surrounded by amazing friends and family that are ready with whatever baby supplies I need. And I have about seven months to mourn my craft room before the new little arrives.

To surprise the grandparents I made Savanah a quick shirt using my Cricut. I cut the vinyl out to use as a stencil and filled in the letters with fabric paint and some glitter.

Don't have a Cricut, no worries, freezer paper and an exacto knife work awesome!

Pottery Barn Gear for Cheap

I love Pottery Barn. We definitely cannot afford it, but my mother in law has bought the kids several awesome things from there and I just love the quality. One of my favorites was when she bought the kids luggage with their initials. They look so cute rolling their personalized luggage through the airport.

 

While visiting Utah this summer I made sure to hit up Downeast the check out their PB stock. They sell it at a discount because it is either damaged or has been personalized. Most of the names are odd. Like REALLY odd, but they have some awesome stuff for cheap. And occasionally you can find a name of someone you actually know. Score!

 

The day we went they happened to be doing an extra 30% off their gear. This alone would have been awesome, but on top of that the stuff was way clearanced already.

I grabbed several backpacks, like the one above, for under $2. I also grabbed lunch boxes, water bottles, and little make-up bags. I didn't want to miss anything. Especially when these backpacks still sell for a ridiculous amount.

 

I tried to grab the ones with the shortest names so that they would be easier to cover. Then I got to work finding the perfect patches. Landon's proved to be a little difficult, as I had to go to the Internet to find it. A quick ship from London and we were in business.

I opted for the iron on version because obviously anyone can do it. I figure if we have issues later, I can sew it then.

 

Not too bad for a seven dollar Pottery Barn backpack. Sadly, yes, the patch was more then double the actual backpack. :(

 

So if you live near a Downeast, seriously go check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Simple Nail Polish Handout

I have mentioned before that I teach the 12-18 year old girls at church. We decided to divide our teaching responsibilities into months instead of weeks this year. That way we get all our teaching done at one time and don't have to worry about it for another three months.

 

Since September is one of my months, I am currently in full swing. The first week of the month is always a fast Sunday in the LDS church, and so handing out treats would be torture for everyone! I try to come up with something that isn't edible.

 

While at Joann's I came across a three pack of little nail polishes for only 50 cents. I snatched up all they had and knew I could do something with them. 

 

It didn't take long for something to pop into my head and with the help of picmonkey I got to work.

The best part is that you could easily change out the "testimony of fasting and tithing" part for anything else.

 

Simple and cute. And what girl wouldn't love a new nail polish?

Homemade Detangler

This might not be new to some of you, but this idea just popped into my head the other day.

 

My daughter has a ton of hair. And we live in windy Wyoming, which means we deal with a lot of tangles. The store bought stuff can be pretty cheap but trying to find one that has a nice smell and doesn't leave a build up can be tough. I guess I jut dealt with buying the stuff from the store that it didn't dawn on me to try to make my own.

 

On one particularly tangly day last week I thought about putting a small drop of conditioner in my daughter's hair to try to help. That was when I came up with this solution.

 

Take any empty spray bottle (you can buy one from the Dollar Tree or use one from home) and add about three squirts of your favorite conditioner. I used what was left of my organic coconut conditioner. This is especially great if you are concerned about unknown toxins. Now fill the bottle with hot water, leaving about an inch at the top and shake. The hot water helps break the conditioner down and allows it to mix with the water.

 

We have been using this for about a week and love it! The smell is amazing and it works wonders on tangles.