Category: Featured

How to Revamp Leather Furniture, Paint Leather, Freshen Leather

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How to Revamp Leather Furniture, Paint Leather, Freshen Leather

Have you ever seen a great deal on a leather chair or piece of furniture, but you hated the color? Perhaps you have an old leather chair that is a bit scuffed up and you wish you could give it a fresh look. I recently read an article by Wendi over at H20 Bungalow that I thought was absolutely brilliant.

Wendi shares that she loved a chair she purchased, but didn’t like the way the color looked in her office. With a little ingenuity, she mixed up a coral color chalk paint, used a specific process to paint the chair and has a fresh new look that goes with her office.

The result? A super cute chair that looks like it was purchased yesterday.

Not only would her technique work well to change the color of a chair, but I see many applications for the process, such as freshening up an old piece of leather furniture that is scuffed and scratched.

If I could figure out how to get the color into all the nooks and crevices, I’d consider this method on my leather couch. I fear it would be impossible to cover a leather that has so many little areas, though, so I will save this project for something with a bit less space to cover.

Check out her project. It looks pretty interesting. Have you tried to paint leather? What are your experiences?

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Mason Jar Pinterest Crafts Roundup

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Mason Jar Pinterest Crafts Roundup

A couple of times a week, I head over to Pinterest and check out some of the different crafts, recipes and unique ideas people are posting. One thing I’ve noticed lately are mason jar crafts. Here are some of the cuter ones I’ve seen. What do you think? Have you tried any Mason jar craft projects?

  • Wall Art: Attach Ball Mason Jars to boards, hang on wall, add fresh flowers.
  • Pink and Glittery Makeup Brush Holder: Paint jar with pink glass paint. Dip bottom in glue and glitter. Super cute for a girl’s bedroom.
  • Distressed Chalk Board Mason Jars: These little jars will hold anything and are as simple to make as painting on some chalkboard paint.
  • Outdoor Wedding Lights: Fill bottom third of jar with colored sand, hang from trees, add tealights. This creates a rustic, beautiful outdoor fairy wonderland.
  • Mason Jar Organizer: Mount small jars to a board. Hang board in bathroom. Get organized. Another tip… paint the jars in chalkboard paint first to give them a color coordinated, distressed look. See craft above for details.
  • Give a Cute Gift: This craft turns a simple Mason jar into a Mickey and Minnie extravaganza.
  • Candle Holder for Centerpieces: A little more work to etch the glass and then paint around it, but this candle holder is super cute. It would be perfect for wedding, a nice dinner or even to give as a gift.
  • Durable Tissue Holder: This is a cute gift for a teacher or to keep in your bathroom or a guest room.
  • Pincushion with Space Inside: Add a pincushion to the top of a Mason jar and you’ll have a mini sewing box where you can stow threads and extra items inside the jar.

How have you used Mason jars to decorate or organize your home?

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$50 Grocery List for Dollar Tree

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$50 Grocery List for Dollar Tree

Okay, so I promised you I was going to take a look at some items you can get a Dollar Tree and a menu you can make with them. I was able to come up with a halfway decent menu based on items from the Dollar Tree. I set a budget of $50 for this list. You’ll find a list of items to buy and meal plans.

Note that this isn’t gourmet food and it is lacking fresh produce. This time of year, you may have some produce from your garden. If not, take at least $5 or $10 additional and head to your local farmer’s market for some deals. You can simply add in cut up fruit and veggies as a side. Make sure to buy a head of lettuce for salads in the meal plans.

This menu feeds at least two people, but if you are a family of three or you have young children you can likely stretch it to feed more.

 

  1. Grossner Foods premium 2% milk (1 quart)
  2. Cereal (selections vary)
  3. Block of cheese (types of cheese may vary – this is a small block, too)
  4. Box of saltines
  5. Hormel pepperoni
  6. Hunts pasta sauce
  7. Pizza sauce if available, if  not second can of pasta sauce
  8. Golden Home thin pizza crust – 12″
  9. Quick oats
  10. Peanut butter
  11. Jelly
  12. Bread (If not available, stop by Aldi for a loaf of bread)
  13. Tuna
  14. Mayo
  15. Pickles
  16. Potato chips
  17. Eggs (again, this is something where availability can vary – you may also want to watch the size of packages and compare costs)
  18. Double up on eggs (you want at least a dozen)
  19. Canned soup
  20. Canned soup
  21. Chicken broth
  22. Ribeye steak from freezer section
  23. Second ribeye steak
  24. Can of fruit
  25. Second can of fruit
  26. Box of mac and cheese
  27. Nuts (you’ll find a few different sizes and types)
  28. Garlic bread from freezer section. If your store doesn’t carry, you can find packaged bread mixes in the baking section that will work as a substitute.
  29. Pasta of choice (spaghetti, etc.)
  30. Beans
  31. Rice
  32. Tortillas
  33. Shredded cheese (will be using in quiche)
  34. Pancake mix
  35. Syrup
  36. Butter or margarine (if you already have some on hand or they don’t have at your store, you can sub a treat for this item. Think candy night.
  37. Small container of ice cream*
  38. Candy*
  39. Popcorn*
  40. Trail mix*
  41. Fruit juice*
  42. Soda*
  43. Item of choice
  44. Item of choice
  45. Item of choice
  46. Item of choice
  47. Item of choice
  48. Item of choice
  49. Item of choice
  50. Item of choice

In total, there are 8 items you can choose to fill in your shopping list. I highly recommend that you choose canned or frozen fruits, vegetables and frozen meats if available to up the nutrient factor of this plan.

Meals

Day # 1

  • Breakfast: Cereal & Milk
  • Lunch: Cheese & crackers with fresh fruit on side
  • Dinner: Pizzas

Day # 2

  • Breakfast: Oatmeal
  • Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sliced up veggies
  • Dinner: Tuna fish sandwiches and chips

Day # 3

  • Breakfast: Eggs and toast (use no more than four eggs)
  • Lunch: Soup and salad (you’ll find a variety of soups)
  • Dinner: Ribeye steak slices, canned fruit

Day # 4

  • Breakfast: French toast (use up remaining bread and a couple of eggs)
  • Lunch: Mac ‘n’ cheese and fresh fruit
  • Dinner: Use up any remaining produce to create a large salad. Slice up leftover steak and add to salad.

Day # 5

  • Breakfast: Oatmeal with canned fruit
  • Lunch: Leftovers (every once in a while, you should just pull everything out of your fridge that is left over and create a little buffet of treats. You can always round it out with nuts and additional canned items)
  • Dinner: Pasta with garlic bread

Day # 6

  • Breakfast: Cereal and milk
  • Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly with remaining chips
  • Dinner: Use remaining eggs and make a quiche with ingredients on hand. If you have a few pepperonis left, make a pepperoni and cheese quiche. Have steak? Maybe you have some fresh veggies left.

Day # 7

  • Breakfast: Sausage and pancakes
  • Lunch: Canned meat, olives and any remaining veggies or fruit (don’t let it go bad, but use it up)
  • Dinner: Rice and bean burritos. If by some small chance you have some meat left over, go ahead and add it to your burrito for a protein boost.

Snacks

There are so many different types of snacks you can get at the Dollar Tree. I’ve chosen a few for you in the list, but they are marked with asterisks. You can sub these for whatever you most enjoy.

I’ve also left some options open so you can fill it in with foods you and your children enjoy.

Drawbacks of Dollar Tree Shopping

As I put this list together, it became really clear that it is pretty difficult to shop healthy here. Either you are buying canned fruits and vegetables with a lot of sodium, or you are eating a high carb, high gluten diet. If you’re trying to go low carb or gluten-free, steer away from this list.

If you want to get your shopping done quickly and save a little money for a week or two, you can do well at this store and it’s a fast in and out shopping trip. If you are lucky enough to have a freezer and refrigerated section at your dollar store, you’ll have more options for frozen fruits, vegetables and meats.

Would you like a free 14-Day Menu plan to help you save money and time? Sign up for my newsletter either at the top of this page or 

Photo Credit: JeepersMedia via Compfight cc

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Light Lemon Cake Puff Cookies

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Light Lemon Cake Puff Cookies

One of my favorite cookie recipes includes anything with lemons, so imagine my delight when I adapted a Weight Watchers recipe, lightened it up as much as possible and turned it into cookies. They turned out light, puffy and utterly delicious.

Even though I love lemon, this was originally adapted from a spice cake and can of pumpkin recipe. I just started experimenting with different combinations. You should try your own combo based on what you love. Perhaps strawberry cake and light cream cheese with Cool Whip? Maybe you’d prefer the pumpkin and spice cake combo. Applesauce is also a great substitute that is Vegan and keeps the cookies moist.

Print
Light Lemon Cake Puff Cookies
Author: Crabby Housewife
Ingredients
  • 1 box lemon cake mix can substitute any flavor
  • 1 tub Sugar Free Cool Whip you can also use Fat Free if you aren't worried about carbs
  • 1 egg for Vegan, sub in 1/3 can lemon lime soda, this will lighten up the cookies
  • Optional: Powdered sugar and fresh lemons to make a lemon glaze
Instructions
  1. In a mixer combine cake mix, softened Cool Whip and egg or soda.
  2. Mix until the consistency of cookie dough.
  3. Spoon cookie mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up into a log. Make sure the wrap completely covers the dough and is airtight.
  4. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
  5. Pull out of the fridge and unwrap.
  6. Slice into 1" width sections.
  7. Roll each section into a small ball and place onto parchment paper.
  8. Cook in preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for ten minutes. Cookies will not brown up but dough should spring back when touched lightly with fingers. If the edges get brown, then you are overcooking the cookies and should pull them out immediately. Otherwise, they will be hard and not moist and light.
  9. Allow to cool.
  10. If desired, add lemon glaze by mixing powdered sugar, squeezed juice from fresh lemons and water until you have a glaze the consistency of school glue. You can then drizzle over the cookies and allow to set up. If you want a yellow look, add a drop or two of food coloring.

Have you experimented with this recipe? Share your creations with us.

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