Make Your Own Baby Towel { DIY Baby Gift }

I received a neat gift shortly after having my baby a few months back. It is a towel with ribbon sewn on one end, so when you are getting the baby out of the tub to dry them off you have a towel handy and ready to go. I love the towel! I use it every night after bath time so I decided to make one myself. It is SO easy!

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HOW TO USE IT: Simply tie the ribbon around your neck and let the towel hang length wise. After you are done bathing your baby, simply pick them up and put them against your chest and grab the bottom part of the towel and bring it up so it covers the back side of the baby. When you are ready to put your baby down to dry and dress simply un-tie the ribbon and set your baby on the changing table

{Supplies}

-Full size towel {Towel’s on Amazon}
-Thread
-Ribbon
-Sewing needle
-measuring tape or ruler

First, I measured my ribbon at 29″ and cut two pieces. Then, I burned the edges lightly with a lighter so they won’t frey in the wash

Begin by measure 9″ from the outside edge of the towel (you will want to sew the ribbon on the short end of the towel-where the binding is). Mark with a pen and place the ribbon in the middle of your mark

Begin sewing your ribbon on. I stitched back and forth 5 times over the entire ribbon before knotting and starting on the other side (if you have a machine, this will take a few seconds to sew both sides-I wanted to demonstrate without so everyone could make this craft, even without a machine.)

Before I started using this towel, before getting my baby out of the tub I would lay a towel on the bathroom floor. Once she was all clean and ready to get out I would lay her on the towel on the floor. With this awesome towel, I can now get her right out of the tub with the towel tide around my neck and immediately wrap her up in it to get her dry and warm. Much better then laying her on the cold bathroom floor. After I get her to her room and put her on the changing table all I need to do is un-tie the ribbons and set her down. While we are dressing her the ribbons usually keep her occupied… even better!

such a frugal and handy baby gift to give and get!

If you are not crafty, but still frugal find baby towel deals here!

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DIY Daily Shower Spray {Picture Tutorial}

Help keep mold and mildew at bay with this all natural DIY Daily Shower Spray! It’s best to start with a thoroughly clean shower. We recommend this DIY tub & shower cleaner! Once your shower is clean, use this natural shower spray to mist your shower walls, door and/or liner daily after each or last use.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Main

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Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

10-15 drops tea tree oil (for it’s antibacterial, anti-fungal & antiseptic properties.)

*empty spray bottle

*I personally really like the high output spray bottles vs. regular ones for homemade cleaning products. I purchased the one in the picture above at Walmart for about $3.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Pour Water

Pour water into the spray bottle using a funnel.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Pour Vinegar

Now pour in the vinegar.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Add Oil

Add 10-15 drops of Tea Tree essential oil.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Gently Shake

Gently shake.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Finished

Done!

DIY Daily Shower Cleaner Spray Shower

Store in bathroom and lightly mist on shower walls after each and/or last use.

DIY Daily Shower Spray

2 cups water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

10-15 drops tea tree oil (for it’s antibacterial, anti-fungal & antiseptic properties.)

empty spray bottle

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See More Inexpensive DIY Household Cleaner Recipes:

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Frugal Girls’ Night Ideas

A happy mom is a good mom! So, I recently decided that I need to start planning to have a girls’ night once a month. The idea is to create a reason to get together and provide opportunity to relax and interact. It is therapeutic and fun! Everyone has some sort of skill, talents, or connections that they can utilize and share! I think it would be fun to change it up and let each person take a turn hosting or choosing the activity. However, I want to keep it simple enough that is doesn’t become a source of stress for anyone. So, I came up with a bunch of easy, frugal ideas…

GNO girls night out

Some of these ideas may be better for smaller or for larger groups. I think most groups would be great at 3-6 people. I also believe everything is better when it involves yummy food!

Girls’ Night In Ideas:

spa facial treatment

At-Home Spa:

fondue

Food:

  • Freezer Meal Cooking: Get a group of friends together and cook ahead for your families
  • Pinterest Girls’ Night In: Each person bring a craft or food item from Pinterest
  • Cocktail Party: Make some fun specialty drinks together (virgin versions are still fun, Mock Mojitos)
  • Make sushi together
  • Fondue Party (cupcake fondue, cheese, chocolate, sweet and savory dips, Fondue Cookbooks)
  • Potluck dinner
  • Favorite Things Party: bring a favorite thing and a favorite food to share
  • or you can have the night spotlight one person, have the host share a few of their favorite things, take turns hosting and sharing
  • Fire Pit: roast marshmallows, make s’mores
  • Assemble mixes in jars as gifts
  • Cook-off Challenge: everyone bring own homemade version of something, blind tasting and voting
  • Smoothie-making/tasting Party: everyone bring ingredients, create new concoctions, share favorites (Smoothie Recipes)
  • Make your own Pizzas (Pizza Recipes)
  • Decorate Cookies: provide many colors, candies, tools for decorating sugar cookies or other
  • Gingerbread House Competition: Each decorate a gingerbread, rice crispy treat, or graham cracker house. Best gets a prize!
  • Everyone bring their favorite popcorn to share (Popcorn Recipes & Deals)
  • Make gourmet caramel apples (Caramel Apple Recipes)

Look for grocery coupons in our Coupon Database!

movie night

Just Hanging Out:

Often it is fun enough to just invite the girls over, have a few snacks around, and talk with each other! Here are some more ideas…

  • Gift-wrapping party: fun idea for just before Christmas
  • Girls’ Night Book Club
  • Soak in a Hot Tub
  • Watch a chick flick at someone’s house

women playing a board game

Games:

baby headband tutorial

Crafts:

  • Make hair clips or headbands (DIY Baby Headbands)
  • Make jewelry (DIY Bird Nest Necklace)
  • Combine crafty supplies and make greeting cards together
  • Seasonal/Holiday craft project (wreath, decor, etc)
  • Find something for your home at a thrift shop and re-do it, then have a show-it-off party
  • Make candles
  • Sewing Party: bring your sewing machines and projects and work on it while you chat, make skirts or pillow covers
  • Scrap-booking Party: Bring your stuff and get caught up while you chat and share

See more DIY Craft Ideas that we have posted!

kitchen gadget exchange

Exchanges:

  • Book Exchange: read new books by swapping with friends
  • Favorite Recipe Exchange
  • Swap favorite healthy or all-natural recipes (food, cleaning, beauty)
  • Coupon Swap Party
  • Dust Collectors: Swap clothes, house items, toys and what ever you have that is collecting dust
  • Lingerie Gift Exchange
  • Garden Exchange Party: Everyone bring the surplus from their garden
  • Clothing Swap: bring something cool that you don’t want anymore, but someone else might want, fashion show
  • Fashion Accessory Swap
  • White Elephant Gift Exchange: bring something fun or funny from your home that you can give away
  • Kitchen Gadget Swap
  • Freezer Meal Swap
  • Re-gift Exchange: bring a gift you’ve received but don’t want to keep
  • Handmade Gift Exchange

On some of the exchange or swap ideas, you can offer a prize for the best or worst things. You can draw numbers for who gets to choose first or find some other creative way to make it even more fun.

downton abbey

Themed Parties:

  • Everything Pink Party
  • PJ Party
  • Everything Chocolate Night
  • Downton Abbey Party, or another favorite show or movie (have costumes, foods, decorations, and/or entertainment that fit the theme)
  • Nationality Themed Party: Pick a nationality and do everything you can think of that fits the theme (could be a GNO too)

Girls’ Night Out Ideas:

Of course, I always look for a discount or coupon before I go out!


Restaurant.com - Most $25 Gift Certificates for on
Fandango - Movie Tickets Onlinelivingsocial logo

Look for Coupons: Groupon, LivingSocial, AmazonLocal, Restaurant.com, Fandango, Restaurant & Retail Coupons

  • Go out for frozen yogurt
  • Treat yourselves to a gourmet cupcake
  • Go to a movie
  • Get pedicures or manicures at a local beauty school or other inexpensive venue
  • Go to a local concert or performance: live music, community theater, dance (lots of options if you have a college nearby)
  • Go to a restaurant for an appetizer or dessert
  • Choose a new restaurant, try something new & adventurous
  • Mall Makeover: Hit the makeup counter at a department store and get your makeup done for free
  • Get massages
  • Hit a bucket of balls at the driving range
  • Run a 5K
  • Bowling
  • Try a fitness class together at the local rec. center
  • Chocolate Tasting (could be done at home too)
  • Mini Golf
  • Cooking Class or Demonstration
  • Pottery Painting
  • Go to a museum or gallery
  • Play Tourist: Visit a local tourist attraction
  • Go shopping: mall, department store, thrift shop
  • Volunteer: participate in charity or community service

Get out and enjoy yourself, your friends, and the lifestyle of the fabulously frugal!

I did some serious brainstorming to come up with some of these ideas that I thought would work for me, but I also found some of the ideas I liked here, here, here, here, here, and here.

I’d love to hear about your ideas too!

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How to Make Candied Orange Peels

Don’t let your orange peels go to waste! Use them to make this festive treat: Candied Orange Peels.

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If you get oranges in your Christmas stockings, this is a fun way to use the peels! These are really easy and really CHEAP to make, but it does take some time. So, just make them earlier in the day or the day before you want to use them.
Use candied orange peels as a garnish, in a fruitcake, as a treat dipped in chocolate, and more. I will post a recipe using them next week, in fact.

Candied Orange Peels

  • 3-4 oranges
  • 1 1/2 c water
  • 2 c sugar, plus more for rolling

Rinse the oranges. Cut tops and bottoms off of each orange and score the orange into vertical quarters, cutting down only into the peel and not into the fruit. Peel off the skin in large pieces. Wrap the orange and put it in the refrigerator to use for another recipe or to eat later. Cut the peel into strips about 1/4-inch wide. On parts where the pith is thick, you may want to remove most of the pith, in order to reduce bitterness.

Most people like the texture of a 3-time blanch the best, it also mellows the bitterness. But it is a matter of preference. If you are using a sweet variety of citrus, you may only want to blanch once or not at all! Put the orange peel strips in a saucepan with cold water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat. Then pour off the water. Repeat 1 or 2 more times, depending on your preference. Remove the orange peels from the pan.

Whisk 2 c sugar with 1 1/2 c water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Add the peels and simmer gently until the peels become translucent and soft, about 35-45 minutes. Resist the urge to stir the peels because you may introduce sugar crystals into the syrup. If necessary, swirl the pan to move the peels around. Drain the peels or remove them with tongs (save the syrup, see below*).

Let them dry on a rack for an hour or so. Then roll them in sugar. Let dry completely before storing, for 4 to 5 hours, or overnight. If you’d like to curl your peels, wrap them around cut up pieces of drinking straws while they dry.

You can wrap and freeze the candied orange peels for up to 2 months.

*You can also use that syrup your peels were simmering in.  It should be a thick orange syrup that would be great mixed into salad dressings, honey, or iced tea.

Slightly adapted from Eating Richly & Food Network

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Looking for a LEGO Table?

See how to make a LEGO Table for yourself here: DIY Lego Table

Or there’s a deal on a KidKraft Table today. The price just dropped!

KidKraft Lego Compatible 2-in-1 Activity Table $69.00 + Free Shipping!

  • Includes 200 LEGO-compatible blocks and 30 piece train set
  • Double-sided play board design and storage underneath
  • Large enough that multiple children can play at once
  • Easy setup and sturdy construction

(Thanks, Queenbee Coupons)

See more LEGO table deals on Amazon here.

See our favorite Amazon Deals!

Want free shipping? Sign up for Amazon Mom!

Because Amazon’s prices fluctuate so much and some times so quickly, please don’t be mad at me if you miss this great price! Also, see why we ♥ Amazon Prime for free shipping! This post contains our affiliate link. Please read our DISCLOSURE POLICY here.

Adorable Owl Pumpkins

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My super crafty friend Gina made these pumpkins with her family for Halloween.

They are actually super easy, if you use the right stuff :)

Supplies

 Directions

Spray paint sunflowers black.  After allowing to dry, attach washer “eyes” with hot glue.  Attach ears, eyes, and beak to pumpkins with hot glue.  Hold each in place until the glue dries and it’s solidly in place.

Do you love the owl trend as much as I do?

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DIY Halloween Banner

Can you believe October is almost here?! This month has flown by.  I love Fall, the cooler weather and all the holidays coming up. I usually just do a little decorating for Halloween. Last year I kept meaning to make a Halloween banner and never did so I got it done early this year. It was easy to make and I love how it looks on my mantle. I haven’t found the rest of my Halloween décor (I moved and have no idea where the box of decorations is so my mantle is a little bare). Here is what you need to make one too:

need for banner

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Some decorative Halloween Paper (I found mine at hobby lobby)

Black and Orange cardstock

Glue Gun {get one here}

Mod Podge {get it here}

Black Glitter {get it here}

Pom Pom Yarn

DSC_5213DSC_5214

I used my lovely Silhouette to cut out the Banner pieces and Letters to spell Spooky. If you don’t have one you you can find a shape you want for your banner and just cut it by hand, the same for the letters. I used this fun font for my letters called Biker Bones. You can download it for FREE here.

DSC_5220

Aren’t the letters fun for Halloween? I love how they look like bones. I wanted my letters sparkly so I put black glitter on them. Use a sponge brush to put Mod Podge all over the letter.

DSC_5221

If you use glitter a lot, these trays are awesome! I can’t do glitter without mine, they keep it contained. You can find one here. I just dump a lot of glitter over the letter then shake it off and set it on some paper to dry.

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Then you funnel the glitter back in to the jar!

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This is a great trick that I LOVE, after the glitter has dried on, it still has a tendency to flake off {which I don’t like} if you take some Clear Acrylic Sealer and give it a light spray over the letters then it will stop the glitter from shedding. It dries fast too!

DSC_5229

While the letters are drying, get to work on the banner. I decided I wanted my edges to look a little distressed so I took a sponge and some black ink and rubbed it along the edges of my patterned paper.

sponge edges

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Hot Glue the patterned paper to the cardstock.

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Next I place my letters on so I can make sure I spell it right in the correct order

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Then hot glue the letters on

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Then measure your pom pom yarn to see how long it needs to be for your mantle and place the letters evenly apart.

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hot glue the pom poms onto the the banner, be careful not to burn yourself!

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and hang it on your mantle.

spooky copy

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I used some of these 3m hooks on my mantle. I love them because they don’t damage my mantle and are out of sight.

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DIY Lego Table {Picture Tutorial}

I have 4 kids and they all love Legos. My husband loves to buy them Legos.  Needless to say, we have lots of Legos.   I’ve been struggling with a good place for them to play with them and keep them contained. One of my friends has a Lego table she made with an IKEA table, but we don’t have an IKEA that I can run to so I had to come up with something else. I saw a side table at Target and knew it would be perfect. Here is what you need:

lego table-1 copy

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Side table-I found mine at Target it was $15, I have seen them on sale and clearance, you just have to keep your eyes out for it.

1 Lego building plate -you can find one here, I picked mine up at toysrus- make sure you buy the extra large one, it comes in gray

A glue gun {you can use a more permanent glue like e6000 if you want}lego table-2

Our table was 18×18 inches and our base plate was 15×15 inches so my husband measured in 1 1/2 inches from each edge and marked it with chalk so the base plate would be centered on the table. I’ve seen other tables that they put together lots of smaller base plates to cover the table completely. When I found that Lego made a 15×15 inch base plate I decided to go that route because it was the easiest.

lego table-3

You have to work fast on this next part, cover the back of the base plate with hot glue. I used my big glue gun because it is hotter and the glue stays hot longer giving me more time to get it placed in the right spot.

lego table-4

Place it on the top of the table, lining it up between the marks you made.

lego table-5l

Press it down with your hands to make sure it has stuck evenly all over.

lego table-6

We flipped the table over and pressed down for a minute for good measure.

lego table-7

Last,we screwed the legs onto the table and it was ready to go.

lego table-8

Our kids were so excited about I and have played with them for hours everyday. We had to make another one for the girls (using a red table).

lego table-9

It took us less than 10 minutes to make each table and was around $30 per table. All of kids (from 2 1/2 to 7 1/2) love them and have so much fun with them, they were worth every penny!

lego table-10 copy

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What Lego set do your kids LOVE?

 

–>> LEGO Ultimate Building Set – 405 Pieces for $24.58! <<–

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DIY Magnet Board For Your Kids!

 

Here’s a fun little pinterest inspired “Did it myself!” magnet board I made for my kiddos last Christmas! I was looking for an educational/busy activity for a gift rather than spending loads of $$ on toys with a life span of 3 weeks. This was perfect! Easy, affordable, AND educational. I enjoyed putting it together and actually wrapped it on the wall and everything! To make it, I bought an oil drip pan from the Walmart automotive section for about $10 and wiped it down really good with some 409 and let it dry. I’ve heard you can also purchase them at auto part stores for around the same price. I already had a set of alphabet flash cards so I didn’t need to purchase those but the ones below are similar. I ordered the wooden letters (which work MUCH better than the plastic ones because the entire back of them is magnet, so they stick better) on Amazon and then purchased some rubber cement from my favorite store in the whole wide world, Walmart. I then lined up the flash cards where I wanted them, glued them on and let them dry! Easy peasy. Lastly, the hubs used his power tools and anchored it to the wall with some heavy duty screws so it doesn’t move.  My kids love it and play with it all the time. It’s been on the wall since Christmas and still going strong! Speaking of Christmas, only 118 days to go! :)

 

Oil drip pan from Walmart… $10.00

Alphabet Pocket Flash Cards… $2.99

Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Alphabet… $9.11

 

 Hours of noise fun and mess entertainment for your little ones… PRICELESS! :)

 

Seriously though, this oil drip pan idea is AWESOME! If you wanted to make it super simple, you could totally skip the flash cards and just make it a fun magnet board! Here are a few more super cute magnets you could try out!

*Amazon prices are subject to change at any time.

 

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