When we first moved in, there was nothing in the living room until we dragged down a pink sofa that was hiding upstairs in a bedroom.
For a few months, our living room stayed that way - toys in the corner and a big, pink sofa. Then my mom came to visit and my aunt donated fabric and the big, pink sofa turned into a child-friendly, eye-friendly brown.
Finally, as we approach our one year anniversary of living here, the living room is complete (in furniture.. not decorations).
A bookshelf... a couple of chairs... a toy shelf...
... some end tables... lots of plants... a few pictures... candles...
... and it is starting to feel homey and 'ours'.
There is still a bit to do. More books for the bookshelf (most of ours are upstairs), a few more pictures on the wall, a few more plants, perhaps. But, at least I feel like we have a warm, welcoming living room to enjoy for ourselves and to share with others.
12:47 PM |
Category:
Frugality,
Homemaking
|
I had way too much fun browsing the web for creative projects last night. I don't know if I will get around to doing any of them. Most of them probably take more time and ability than I have, but it's fun to see how creative people can be. As much as we might be denying it... Christmas IS coming and these might be some good gift ideas.
Have fun!
When we moved into our semi-furnished house, we were happy to discover that the couch hiding up in the bedroom was also a pull-out bed. The only problem was its intense pink color. Nonetheless my husband struggled it down the stairs so that we would have SOMETHING in the living room. Our hope was to get it covered eventually.
Well, thanks to fabric donated by my lovely aunt, great sewing done by my mother while she was here and a staple gun loaned from church, it is done (except that I should probably iron it)! I hope that slowly I can decorate the room in brown and teal.
Thanks, mom, for the pillows...and all the sewing.
I also discovered that using a staple gun is rather therapeutic and potentially addictive.
One of the biggest charity sale events here happens twice a year - May and November. The Kwon sale has been going on for about 30 years now and sends money to help a hospital in Uganda. A lady at my church is one of the leaders, so we were given the option of going to help at the sale. The bonus: we got to shop a day early after we set up everything. The second bonus: hanging out with a bunch of ladies and some child-free time. (I wonder how accommodating my husband will be in November with 2 little kids to watch!!)
I had been holding off on buying things not knowing what I would be able to find at the sale for a good price. It was fantastic. I think I spent a little over $50 and walked away with an amazing amount of stuff. I made a list, but it would bore you... you can click on the picture instead. One of the big money-savers was all the cloth diaper items I bought. Besides what is in the picture, I also bought 4 books and a puzzle hiding away for my son.
Wait! Did you see it?!!! I couldn't believe it when I walked into the baby equipment room and there in front of me was a Tummy Tub for ₤5 ($7.50). I know I said I would buy one if it were $5, but I think $7.50 is manageable. ;-) Now I will be able to give you a much more accurate review of this product in a few short weeks.
I asked the next Sunday and was told that we raised close to $3000 to send to Uganda!
7:24 AM |
Category:
Frugality,
Pregnancy
|
We are fortunate to have about seven "charity shops" (thrift stores) in our immediate area. These are a bit different than the large stores with everything imaginable that I enjoy frequenting in the states. They mostly focus on clothing and books with only a few offering small furniture or electronics. There are not many toys and most kitchen items are more of the collectible-type rather than useful. So, imagine my surprise and joy to find these bargains.
Moseying around with my dear aunt and cousin on Saturday took me to a store I don't often check and there before me was a Brother sewing machine for ₤10 ($15). I snatched it up! I'm so excited to try it out (after I get a hold of some oil for it). I have curtains to hem, a couch to cover... and so many more possibilities. After semi-complaining on a
previous post about having to leave behind my sewing machine in China, this comes as such an undeserved blessing from the Lord.
Then, today as I was racing to get my son to the Rhyme, Rattle and Roll session at our local library, I passed by our favorite thrift store. Sitting there was quite a nice looking stroller. I glanced at the price and thought: well... if it's still there when I get back, I'll buy it. I need something for when our baby is born and I've been dreading trying to figure out the best product to buy without spending too much money. I spent most of my time at the library wondering if I made a mistake by not buying it right away (that thrift store has a very fast turn-over rate). An hour later I headed back expecting to be disappointed, but there it was, calling my name. I examined it (with help from a sweet older couple who seemed excited for me),and everything looked like it was in good working order. It is a neutral gray and includes a winter sack, a reversible handle (so that you can see the baby while you are pushing), a fairly big basket below and it folds up quite nicely. Come to find out, it is a very good quality brand that runs between ₤200-250 ($300-350) and I bought it for ₤15 ($22) - marked down from ₤30!! I've been praising God all afternoon!
1:42 PM |
Category:
For the Family,
Frugality
|
