My first shopping ban slip up

Yesterday I worked on planting our late summer garden.  We agreed that even though this wasn't a "necessary" expense, it's not really shopping and impulsive either.  And since the garden will provide food, we don't feel that it falls within the shopping ban restrictions.

I went to the local hardware store for organic soil to build up the raised beds and some seeds and also bought several packets of flower seeds.  At the time it didn't even occur to me that flowers are "fun" and definitely part of the ban.  In fact, I didn't realize my mistake until after I had planted two packets:(

I have three packets of flower seeds left and I'm going to return them.  It's only about $6 but this experiment isn't just about the money, it's about changing our thought process when shopping.

New way of shopping

When I first told my friend, Tina about the shopping ban, she said, "Well, this isn't going to be any fun for me!".  We do weird shopping together, not the typical girls day with lunch out and buying clothes for ourselves.  Usually, we go to Target and get food, toiletries, and other boring everyday stuff on our lists.  But we also easily drop $10-20 on stuff from the dollar spot that is too adorable not to buy or fun holiday stuff that will take up more storage in our garages.

I've been to Target and Walmart once each since we started the ban and I noticed two things:

1.  Shopping with Tina isn't really that different.  I still found fun stuff in the dollar spot and cute outfits in the girls section but instead of buying them myself, I just suggested that she buy them:)  

2.  I waste less time.  I can think of three different things I saw at Walmart yesterday that I would have wandered over and looked at pre-ban but they were all fun or unnecessary items so I didn't even waste my time on them yesterday because I knew they were banned.  

I think this week may be hardest on Pops.  One of his favorite companies is having a "Christmas in July" sale and a backpack he wants is on sale for $199...which is apparently a great price?  He definitely doesn't need it and I know he knows that but he's brought it up a few times this week so I think it's killing him a little bit that he can't buy it. 

So. Much. Stuff.

Just like Blonde on a Budget, we're doing a MAJOR purge with our shopping ban.  And let me say, it's been eye opening.  The girls got rid of so much clothing and still have plenty left in their closet.  

We call this pile "Clothes Mountain".  We joked about it but it really makes me feel embarrassed. We just went through their closet and dresser a few months ago so it's not like this is a year's worth of outgrown clothing.  In fact, most of this still fits them, it's just not their style anymore (apparently they're both VERY anti-pink now).  We do get a lot of hand me downs from friends but a large portion of this was purchased by us or my mom.

I work at a very low income school with lots of students who have very minimal clothing, maybe only two pairs of pants.  If those pants get stained or torn or don't fit anymore, they continue to wear them.  I've let my girls think that clothing is disposable and if you don't love what you have, we'll just go out and buy something new. I rarely try to mend or re-purpose anything and don't think twice about running to the store.  

Here's a perfect example of our issue.  A few months ago, I realized Matea only had one pair of jean shorts and I decided she needed more.  We ran into Walmart that day and spent $15 on two pairs of shorts.  Now those shorts are in Clothes Mountain, each worn only a handful of times because she decided they weren't comfortable.  Yes, it's only $15 but how many times have we thrown away just $15, only $10, etc.?

I'm hoping our shopping ban will teach us a few things about buying clothes.  

1. We all wear the same 12-15 outfits all the time so we really don't need 70 different shirts.

2. Just because something is on clearance, doesn't mean I have to buy it.

 

3. Only buy things we truly love.  If we're talking ourselves into liking something, it's a no.  If there's the slightest hint that it won't be comfortable, it's a no.

4. We don't need a million multiples of everything.  2-3 hoodies is totally fine, we don't all need 6 or 7.  The girls can easily get by with 2 pairs of jeans each.  A colorful kimono for every freakin day of the week is excessive.

5. Remember that I can't force Bella to give up her sporty spice wardrobe and go back to the days of pink and ruffles and twirling.

6. Focus on buying far less but higher quality items that will last or have a guarantee.  Steve bought a pair of $89 Kuhl pants (we only paid $22 on clearance though - woot!) that started coming apart at one of the seams.  Instead of tossing them, he contacted the company and they repaired them for free.  We want to work on buying more brands like this that really back their product.

So, back to school shopping is going to stink because this year, it's pretty much non existent.  And it's always been a really BIG deal in our house.  Each of the girls already got 4 or 5 new items before we came upon the idea of a shopping ban and now all they're allowed is one pair of jeans and a first day of school outfit.  Not even our standard new undies and socks to start off the year!  I know my mom will read this and want to make up for our ban by taking the girls shopping but they truly don't need anything.  Need vs. want, that's what we need to take away from this.

Shopping Ban

It's been a long time since I've blogged but our family is beginning a little adventure and I think this blog is a great place to keep track of our goals and results.

A few weeks ago, I read this blog post that was linked on our budgeting software's Facebook page (You Need a Budget).  It was written by a young woman who undertook a year long shopping ban after realizing she had accumulated way too much stuff and was doing a lot of unnecessary shopping.  It's totally worth reading even if you think a shopping ban is crazy.

I was really inspired and sent the link to Steve and told him I wanted to do our own Gonzalez Family version.  We did a two week long no-spend challenge a few years ago but I really wanted to do something bigger this time. 

We got the girls on board and used some of our recent 8 hour car ride to Oregon to discuss our terms.

So, here's what we're looking at...

3 month long shopping ban

-began on July 18th

-ends on October 18th

Approved Purchases (items we know we'll have to buy)

1 pair of jeans for each Bella and Matea

Birthday gifts for Tina and Shane (try to make all other gifts)

Steve shoes

Matea's birthday party (aim for $200 total)

School supplies - only what is on list, no "fun" items, shop the house first

Kelci work pants, 1 pair

First day of school outfit for Kelci, Bella, and Matea

One Go Ruck Event for Steve

Project life vertical page protectors

$100 for next month's girls' trip (which was planned months ago)

Acceptable Spending

Groceries

Fuel

Utilities

Necessary cleaning supplies and toiletries (no fun or extra items, only once we run out)

Girl Scout events

Extracurricular activities (baton lessons, volleyball, swim)

Pictures for scrap booking but no supplies

$100/month for dining (currently spending about $250) 

  

One Yard Wonders - Strapless Bandeau Shorty Jumper

I've been doing tons of sewing lately and almost zero picture-taking and posting.  Custom orders, baby gifts, freezer paper stenciling, zippered pouches for staff appreciation week have all kept me busy.  I just finished the cutest custom order ever but only took a crappy cell phone pic:(

It's a newborn peasant dress with a matching doll wearing the same dress.  How adorable is that?!  I wish I could take credit for the idea but my friend who ordered the set gets all the credit.  I'm thinking about listing a few of these in my shop since I think it's a really nice, unique gift.

After a day of working part-time for my sewing job, shuttling kids, and barely being able to keep my eyes open thanks to allergy meds, I decided I wanted to take on a project.  I looked through my One Yard Wonders book this weekend and realized that in the 18 months or so since I bought it, I haven't made one damn thing even though there are several patterns I want to try.

I decided to make the Strapless Bandeau Shorty Jumper for Matea (pages 194&195).  Let me say this could not have been any easier.  It literally took less than 30 minutes from start to finish and turned out even cuter than the picture, if I do say so myself.

How cute is she?!  She'll be finished with kindergarten in just a few weeks and I've been really sad thinking about her being in first grade and gone all day just like Bella next year.  No more snuggles with mommy in the two hours we have together between her pickup and Bella's.  In some ways, I think sending her off to first grade will be harder than kindergarten. 

 (Namaste)

But back to the jumper...I think even the most beginner of seamstresses could handle this.  I was a little worried about the strapless aspect but I used a nice wide elastic which kept it up well.  She ran around and played outside and didn't flash me once!  I used a vintage sheet from my stash because I wanted something light and summery and I love this aqua color with my girls' Mexican skin tone.

And Matea approves of the outfit too!  She asked me to modify it a little and turn it into a bathing suit pattern so we'll see how that goes.

SALE

All rag dolls in my shop have been marked down to $20!  

Take a quick peek, there are some real cuties listed.  Shop here.

Pinterest Inspired Headboard

Wanna know a secret? Crafty Papa and I have never had a real bed. I mean, we have a bed frame but we've never had a bed with a headboard and foot board. In every house we've lived in, our master bedroom sort of looks like we just finished college and have no money. Now only half of that statement is true:)

I pinned this headboard and knew we could make it for almost-free...

Source: domesticcharm.blogspot.com via Kelci on Pinterest

The new place we call home has hidden treasures all over the property. We've found an old wood burning stove that we use in the back yard, another wood burning stove that was rotting but Pops used the legs as a base for an outdoor table, a washing machine tub for campfires, old metal fencing I used for a jewelry organizer, vintage pencils and bottles, the cutest vintage metal cart and tons and tons of old wood.

This project couldn't have been easier. We picked out wood planks that were still in decent condition and gave them a good brushing to get rid of debris. Then we gently screwed them onto anchoring strips (and I really do mean gently, the screws just barely go into the wood planks because we didn't want to risk splitting them).

I used my Cricut to cut out the "Mr." and "Mrs." stencils and used paint I had left over from another project. I couldn't adhere the stencil to the wood because it was so rough so I dabbed the paint on instead of brushing.

Our only cost was the hardware to hang it. Not too shabby. It makes a big impact in our bedroom and definitely makes it feel more finished.

Quilting

I started a new quilt this week and realized that I never shared the last one I made. In the midst of moving during the holidays, I decided to make my mom a quilt for Christmas. And I even finished it in time for Christmas with a few days to spare!

I used this tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew and used only fabrics I already had in my stash except for the back. I must have really loved her quilt because I pinned it twice on Pinterest and didn't realize they were the same quilt!

I've always stippled my quilts but decided to do something different this time. I free motion quilted the borders and straight line quilted the blocks. Honestly, I didn't love the straight line quilting. It definitely made for a much less puckered back but I just really like the crinkly look that stippling creates.
Now I'm working on a scrappy log cabin quilt using this tutorial from Red Pepper Quilts.

Of course, I'm piecing the blocks only using fabrics from my overflowing scrap drawers. I've done a lot of rainbow-ish primary colors quilts so this time I'm trying to go with a different color scheme...pink, yellow, green and blue with gray sashing. I'd really like to make a queen size quilt for our bed but that's a whole lotta blocks to piece! But it would look fabulous with my gold chevron curtains, don't you think? (that's the view from my sewing desk in our bedroom...don't hate)

Handmade Holidays

I had grand plans for lots of handmade gifts this year (especially for my girls) but we moved on December 1st which forced me to reevaluate my list. I knew I still wanted to make gifts for the girls' teachers because they get a ton presents and I really wanted ours to be something different. I bought fabric from fabric.com using a great coupon and used Jona's fabulous Shopgirl Apron pattern.

I've used her pattern so many times, I've lost count. It really is easy and I like that it allows for some variation with appliques or special touches. All three teachers loved their aprons and really seemed to appreciate the handmade nature of their gift which was nice.

My girl even got in on the handmade gift giving. She made a ruffled scarf for her BFF. As much as I like teaching her how to sew, the control freak in me can't stand to watch weave all over on her strip of fabric like a drunken seamstress.

I'll have to share pics soon of the new place we call home sweet home. We moved out to the country on three acres and so far, we're all loving it. Really, one of the best decisions we've ever made. Moving right in the middle of the holidays was super stressful but waking up to this view every morning totally makes it worth it.
Satellite reception is spotty and our internet connection is slower which means I've been spending more time sewing. Funny how that works. I've listed a few new dolls in my shop and am working on some chevron stripe bags (that will be really hard to list instead of keep).

New Dolls

I know, I was supposed to have closed down my shop earlier this year but I miss making dolls and with Christmas rolling around soon, I've been getting a few requests from previous customers.

There are some absolutely adorable patterns out there that must be made. I've long been a fan of Bit of Whimsy Dolls. I purchased my first doll pattern from her several years ago and have purchased many more since. The patterns have detailed instructions and pictures and the shop owner has always answered my questions promptly. But best of all, her terms of service allow me use her pattern to make limited quantities of dolls to sell which I think is awesome. Crafters supporting other crafters is always nice.

My latest pattern purchase was the baby mermaid doll. Could she be any cuter?!

My girls LOVE this doll and are begging to keep her. I have to say, she's definitely one of my favorite dolls ever made. You can find her listed in my shop. Keep checking back as I'll be listing some others soon including owls, boy dolls, ruffle dress babies like I sold last year, and more baby mermaids!

New

Appliqued flowers in embroidery hoops.

Great alone or as part of a group.

I've been collecting hoops at thrift stores and garage sales and I think the vintage metal ones are my favorite.

Click the pics to go to the listings in my shop.

Fall Mantle

I really like most things about our tiny rental house but one feature I really wish it had is a mantle. I love seeing people's mantles all decked out for the holidays but I have to use the closest thing I have which is our china cabinet that sits in our living room.

While decorating for fall this year, I tossed out some old cheesy stuff that just isn't my style anymore. Think fake vines and leaves and a plush turkey. I used this mantle I pinned as my inspiration...

Source: tatertotsandjello.com via Kelci on Pinterest

And here's my "mantle"...
I bought the owl at Marshall's for $5. The candle stick and glass jar were $6 and $3 at Marshall's. Some tiny pine cones from Walmart, mini pumpkins from Vons, a new wreath and the look was complete. I bought a plastic pumpkin at a yard sale for $.50 and glittered it myself.
I used to have a HUGE wedding picture hanging above the china cabinet. I decided to switch it out to give me space for more seasonal decorating.
The only thing purchased for my wreath was the burlap ribbon. The felt, feathers, and owl are from my craft stash. The wreath used to be covered in knotted strips of fabric and I just cut them all off so I could reuse it.

I wanted to do a bunting across the front of the china cabinet like in the inspiration picture. My plan was to use clothespins to display the girls' fall art work but the old artwork I had was either lost or torn by Matea and they haven't brought home anything new this year.

What fall projects have you pinned?

Pinterest Dress

If you're on Pinterest, you've probably seen this dress making the pinning rounds. I thought it was adorable so after a string of super hot days here, I decided to finally make it. I know, it's crazy, some people actually make the things they pin on Pinterest. Truth be told, I've already made a bunch of stuff I've pinned so bonus points for me.

Here's my version...

I screwed up on my first go round. I didn't actually read the tutorial which would have been helpful. So instead of keeping the entire band of elastic on the outside of the dress, I sewed it into the seam which just turned out terrible. Lots of folding and bulk and just bad, bad, bad.

I used an old tank top from Old Navy and some jersey I got from Joann's at 40% off. I think the jersey ended up being a little too heavy. I like the idea of a knit on the bottom but what I bought is definitely heavier than tshirt weight and I think it's just a little too bulky once gathered.

My two big tips are to make sure the tank top fits fairly snuggly. Probably more fitted than you normally are comfortable with. And second, make sure the elastic band is the same size as your empire waist point. Too tight will be uncomfortable and ride up. I initially made mine too loose (along with a too-loose tank top) and that was a disaster too. It ended up looking like the dress was kind of hanging on my body instead of my body wearing it if that makes any sense. Overall, not bad for an $8 project.

Pattern Review: Simplicity 2205 by Sweet Pea Totes

I hardly ever buy patterns. Partly because I'm cheap and there are so many great free tutorials online and partly because I'm super incompetent when it comes to patterns. But we had a new Joanns open in a neighboring town a few months ago and I picked up this pattern during one of their big pattern sales.

And here's my finished product.

Notice any difference between mine and the picture on the pattern? Yeah, one is upside down. And it's not mine. I think getting the final product photographed in the correct orientation is kind of key, don't you.

The pattern itself was fairly easy to follow but it does require very precise placement of certain pieces and transferring a lot of markings to your cut pieces. These are not my strong suits (I don't really think I have a sewing strength, to be honest). I think the pattern is probably a little too complex for a very beginner seamstress but would be fine for an intermediate seamstress. Honestly, the biggest issue for me was the picture on the pattern package. I kept thinking my clutch wasn't coming together correctly. I even ripped out the interior pocket at the last minute because I realized it would be upside down based on the orientation in the picture. And when it came to the final step of folding and top stitching closed, I just couldn't make it fold up, look like the picture, and be functional. Once I went to Sweet Pea's site and realized the picture was upside down, I was irritated with Simplicity but relieved that I wasn't completely incompetent.

I think the clutch is absolutely adorable and I love the pleated ruffle. I picked up some really cute floral trim at Joann's to use in place of the ruffle and I think lace or crochet trim would be really pretty too. I really like the final product but not for myself. I tend to carry a lot of junk, even when I'm traveling light and I think I need something with a boxed bottom. It took me about an hour and a half to complete the clutch including cutting fabric and stumbling over the upside down picture issue.

A Bit of Sewing

My blog has been quiet but we've been busy with sewing and crafting around here. Bella got the cutest Hello Kitty Sewing machine from my mom for her birthday. We've worked a little on her biggest sewing issues - not pressing the foot pedal too hard and thus speeding through her sewing, and keeping your fingers out of the needle's path - and she seems to be doing really well. When I quiz her on the different parts of the machine, she knows all of the answers so I can tell she's really interested as opposed to me forcing it on her. Anyway, a few weeks ago I helped her make a ruffled scarf.

She was so excited about it and even wore it to a birthday party she went to later that day. I didn't have the heart to tell her I had actually bought the fabric to make a ruffled scarf for myself!

I'm also working on a new quilt I pinned on Pinterest.

I'm only using scraps and going for sort of a bold, primary-ish color scheme without it looking too rainbow. I started cutting scraps last weekend and already have all of my blocks made:)

And I've also been doing some sewing for my supposed-to-be-closed shop. A few trick or treat bags and some totes and purses here and there. I tried something new with this bag, gathering the bottom section so it has lots of texture and dimension. I'm very happy with the results.

Crafty Girls

Both of my girls love to do crafts, especially Bella. She can spend an entire Saturday working on an idea she's come up with and the bits and pieces she needs for her idea always end up covering our dining table. I wanted them to have their own crafty space but we definitely couldn't fit it in their room so I decided to give them their own set up in the garage.

I already had the desk on the right. It's actually an old sewing machine desk that I got at a yard sale several years ago. I found the desk on the left at a local thrift store for $20. That's more than I would usually pay for something like this but all of the drawers are in working condition and slide smoothly which is hard to find with something this old. The baskets and supply caddy are from the dollar tree so the whole makeover cost under $25.

The best part is that their new craft station is located right outside the door to the garage and my craft station is right inside the door to the garage so we're only a few feet away from each other when we're working.

And yes, that's now their laptop but trust me, it's no prize. It's been dropped a few times so the screen is damaged, we can't close it, the "u" key is missing and the cd drive doesn't work. Other than that, it's great!

Trick or Treat

Is it too early to start thinking about Halloween? The planner in me says definitely not! Now that
Back to School is behind us, Halloween is the next big event on my mom calendar. We already picked up Matea's costume a few weekends ago. She saw a Rapunzel costume at Costco that she loved. It was the last one and under $20 so we grabbed it. Of course, now she wants to wear it every day until Halloween which is driving me more and more nuts every day.

I really like more creative and original costumes but force myself to let the girls decide. One of the greatest tragedies of my life was when my mom made me be a hula girl in 3rd grade instead of a punk rocker. She said every other girl was being a punk rocker and I needed to be something different. She scarred me for life...also, I'm sure she'll read this and call me. Ugh, the worst though was when I had to be a strawberry and my sister was a pumpkin. My mom found us green beanies for our stems and we had these huge felt bubble costumes. Looking back now, I appreciate the effort she put in to them and can admit they were cute, but as a first grader in the school Halloween parade, it was awful. I'm sure I'll find other ways to damage my children.

Enough with the therapy session...I'm offering a limited number of trick or treat bags again this year (maybe up to 4-6 in each fabric). I know I get a few emails from past customers every year who want a bag for their new baby that matches older siblings.

I have cute retro kitties, bats, and spider webs available and you can see all fabric choices in my shop.

Lalalots of Fun!

Last Sunday, my baby turned five. My baby:(

Months before hand, she told me she wanted a Lalaloopsy party so I started shopping around for cheap ideas. And since Lalaloopsy is a relatively new thing, there aren't any themed decorations out there yet so we focused on cheap and easy ways to bring the Lalaloopsy theme to the party.

First cheap idea...evite! I think my mom hates that I don't do paper invites anymore but between the invitation cost and postage, that's at least $15 saved. And I think the likliehood of people rsvp'ing is much better with an evite and I'm a rule folower so I think rsvp's are important.

One tradition we do with our girls is the Birthday Fairy. On the night before their birthday, after they go to sleep, the birthday fairy decorates the livingroom with streamers and balloons and piles all of their presents up on the couch. Matea's new pink scooter is hidden under the quilt and you can see her pinata in the background. I found some pictures of really cool Lalaloopsy pinatas but realistically, I knew I didn't have the time or talent to make one. So we bought this pink and blue pinata for $15 from Walmart and covered it Lalaloopsy images I bought from an Etsy seller. And directly behind Tatey, you can see a Lalaloopsy mini garland I made. I used one of my scrapbook punches to punch several scalloped circles in bright colors, stitched them together, glued on more Lalaloopsy bottle cap images and then hung the garland on the food table.
Here's a super easy way to save money...get your cake from Costco! It's huge (and yummy) and only around $18. Since none of their designs fit our theme. I just had them write "Happy Birthday Matea" in the center and I spent $3 to buy some pre-colored tubes of frosting. I added polka dots and a bunch of Lalaloopsy figurines from the girls' collection. So cute and reasonably priced!
Family picture (minus Bella). We always forget to do this at the girls' parties so this year, I remembered to do it before the party. The blue hair? Yeah, that was an idea gone wrong. The night before the party, the girls and I decided that it would be fun to curl their hair in ringlets and spray it a bright color like Lalaloopsy's for the party. Because we live at the beach, there was a lot of moisture in the air that morning so while the kids helped us set up for the party, their cute ringlets quickly disappeared.

And the bounce house killed the Lalaloopsy blue hair. All that jumping made the color jump right off. Budget tip for a bounce house...get your father-in-law to buy one and borrow his:)
I'm not really into getting all of the themed plates, napkins, cups, etc. since they just end up in the trash but my mom and I found these polka dot cake plates at the Dollar Tree. They definitely weren't sturdy enough for lunch, but worked fine for snacks and cake. We got plates in bright blue polka dots and napkins in green polka dots. We also picked up a few plastic polka dot serving trays and bowls that went perfectly with our bright and fun theme but can also work with lots of other themes at future parties.
Super cute Lalaloopsy birthday dress that Grandma bought from this Etsy seller...Night Owl.
Cheap decor stuff...bright colored table cloths from The Dollar Tree, Lalaloopsy dolls from our collection, and a huge bunch of purple flowers from Costco for $8.99 which we split into three vases that we already owned. I also re-used my fabric Happy Birthday banner and spent 3 dollars on 6 paper lanterns from The Dollar Tree which we hung at the entrance to our yard. Each table also had a bright mini metal pail filled with candy. I found the pails at Target when Easter stuff was 75% off so I got them for $.50 each and have been using them for storage in my sewing area.
I think Tatey LOVED her party and I loved all of the bright colors. It was so fun to see our little front yard transformed into party central for a few hours.