Witch's Brew Frappuccino Flavor!

As I mentioned before I am saving all my Starbuck's Frappuccino bottles for future projects. I used one for this project, and during the week-end I made this:

It was fun and easy to make and this can be perfect to give to teachers, co-workers or even at a Halloween Party as a treat!

Linking to:

• Take-A-Look @ Sugar Bee-Craft Edition
• Linky Party@ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
• Show Us What You're Workin' With @ Me and my Bucket
• Fall Festival @ This Blessed Nest
• Hookin' Up with HoH @ House of Hepworths
• Link Party @ Pony Tails and Fish Scales
• Show & Tell @ Blue Cricket Design
• 100 Ideas Under $100 @ Beyond the Picket Fence
• Making it with Allie @ What Allie's Making Now
• Show & Share @ Just a Girl
• Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity Now
• Featuring you Friday @ Sassy Sites!
• WeekendWrap Up @ Tatertots and Jello
• Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge
• The Sunday Showcase Party @ Under The Table And Dreaming
• Sundae Scoop Link Up @ I Heart Nap Time
• Wild Wednesday Link up Party @ Crafty Cierra
• Strut-Your-Stuff @ Somewhat Simple
• Too Cute Tuesday @ Funky Polkadot Giraffe

End Tables Makeover

I finally found the end tables that I was looking for to put in the living room! You could (totally) tell there was something missing next to the couch

For a month I searched everyday Craigslist for something similar to the coffee table. All the end tables were square or rectangular shape, but that was find to me, until I found...

These blondies!!

They were round and had the glass top BUT totally wrong color!! I got them both for $45.

I went out and got 2 bottles of Rust-Oleum Espresso Brown Gloss and after some sanding and a few coats.....

Voila'!!

I really like how they turned out and how they changed the living room. The lamps were in the guest room but I think they look better here now. I'm missing some window treatments now and I'm done with the living room!

Linking to:

• Show & Share @ Just a Girl
• Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
• Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge
• Fabulous Friday Finds @ Frou Frou Decor
• Weekend Wrap Up Party @ Tatertots and Jello
• Te Weekend Wrap Up @ It's So Very Cheri
• Sunday Showcase Party @ Under The Table And Dreaming
• Sunday Scoop Weekend Wrap Up @ I Heart Nap Time
• Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
• Making it with Allie @ What's Allie Making Now
• Twice Owned Tuesday@ House of Grace
• Linky Party@ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
• Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking
• Hookin' Up with HoH @ House of Hepworths
• 100 Ideas Under $100 @ Beyond the Picket Fence

Organizing My Daughter's Closet & Dresser

I'm continuing my Fall Cleaning with re-organizing my daughter's closet and dresser. It all started like this: The main purpose here was to put away summer clothes and start making room for fall/winter stuff and also go through everything to see what was good for next year, Goodwill and handing over. I took all out and started from zero!
Here are the bottoms:

The tops:

And the dresses:

Nicole's birthday is in mid April so all her presents are summer clothes (great for me because here in Nevada we use them most of the year!) so I had lots of clothes to go through. I always put away clothes to make room for the new season, this way the closets are less crowded and less confusing. And it is a good way to get rid of stuff every 6 months!!

I'm still going to leave some summer clothes since here is still warm but the most I fold it into an underbed storage bag. All the summer clothes for next year that I know will still fit her are in here, they will go under my bed:

Here is the closet after:

Here I hang all the jackets, hoodies, and dresses

This time on the lower shelve I put tops and t-shirts and on the higher shorts and skirts:
The other day I got some wall hooks so she could hang her purses..oh yes..and her doll diaper bags!! Than it was time to start with the dresser

I used some wipes boxes for socks and underwears and for belts

The PJs are also in the first drawer

I moved the leotards (she's in gymnastics) in the second drawer. It is still half empty, I don't know yet what I will put there.

And in the lower one there are sweaters, long sleeves shirts, jeans, pants and winter skirts ready to be put into the closet when it is not so hot outside anymore (hopefully soon, I can't wait for some fall weather!)

Finally everything is well organized!!!

Linking to:

• Look What I Made! @ Creations By Kara
• Penny Pinching Party @ The Thrifty Home
• Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple
• Show & Share @ Just a Girl
• We're Organized Wendnesday @ Organize and Decorate Everything
• Lets Organize Bedroom Party @ Domestically Speaking

Organizing My Son's Closet

Since moving into the new house we haven't got my son some room furniture, he only has a toddler bed (where he naps), a Fur Real Friend Pony (one of those big gifts that they get at Christmas!) and Nicole's white dresser in it.

I'm constantly checking out Craigslist for some good deal for a kid room but till then I decided to move back the dresser in my daughter's room and leave Ryan's room with all the big toys (like the kitchen that Nicole got the first Christmas we moved here from Italy, we were still leaving at my brother's house and didn't had a house yet BUT we had a play kitchen to start with!!).

So this morning I took out his clothes from the dresser and start some organizing in the closet.

This is what it looked like,

I placed his changing table in the closet to make extra room for shelving/storage

My friend Elena (she moved too from Italy last year with her husband) has 2 kids, a 4yrs old boy and a 1 yr old girl, so she's been handing over lots of clothes and shoes for Ryan. Grazie Elena! Some of them are still too big for him so I had to divide the ones that are good for now from the ones for next season.

I also made a bag full of stuff to bring to a kid's consignment even that will take place in 3 weeks, they have a 3-day sale where you can bring your new and gently used children's items and they will sell them for you!

And here is the final result: on the highest shelve the is a clear bag with big clothes for next year, some blankets and a memory keepers box. The bottom shelve is for PJs, long sleeve shirts, jeans and pants

On the changing station/shelving solution there are socks, diapers, onesies, summer clothes (here is still 98°!), shoes and his toddler bedding sheets. The clear and blue bag is the one of the consignment event (I have another one in the garage!)

I'm happy on how it turned out! Everything is organized and in his place. Next time: Nicole's closet & dresser!

Linking to:

• Weekend Wrap Up Party @ I Heart Nap Time
• Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
• Just Something Iwhipped Up @ The Girl Creative
• Look What I Made! @ Creations By Kara
• Show Us What You're Workin' With @ Me and My Bucket
• Hooking Up @ House of Hepworths
• The DIY Showoff @ It's So Very Cheri
• Weekend Bloggy Reading @ Serenity Now
• We're Organized Wendnesday @ Organize and Decorate Everything
• Amaze me August @ Bella Before and After
• Before & After Party @ Thrifty Decor Chick
• Lets Organize Bedroom Party @ Domestically Speaking
• Organize It Linky Party @ Thrifty Decor Chick
  

Reward System

I few months ago I was blog surfing and discovered Pony Tails and Fish Scales blog. She had linked in a party her Reward Ticket System for the kids. I thought "what a cool idea", so I went to Walmart the following morning and got a roll of tickets (I think it was something around $3.99).
Than the roll was in a drawer in the kitchen for a long time till the other morning when I decided to start with the Reward System. They do that also at my daughter's kindergarten class (they use pennies...paper tickets are fine for me!!) so it is a good time to start at home too.

I was looking at home for some container or bucket to use but I didn't have nothing available, so I used an empty Starbucks Frappuccino bottle! I have lots of them that I'm saving for some Christmas projects. I dressed the bottle with some colorful paper and voila'!!

Nicole was very excited about the idea of the reward system. She gets 1 ticket every time she sleeps all night in her bed, make her bed in the morning, completes her chores,..... When she has 10 tickets she can have $1 to spend at the Dollar Store.

So thank you Tere for sharing!!

Linking to:

• Weekend Wrapup Party @ Tatertots & Jello
• Sunday Showcase Party @ Under the Table & Dreaming
• Just Some Thing I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative Party Blog
• Show & Share @ Just a Girl
• Weekend Wrap Up Party @ I Heart Nap Time
• Show & Tell @ Blue Cricket Design
• Look What I Made! @ Creations By Kara
• Show Us What You're Workin' With @ Me and My Bucket
• Hooking Up @ House of Hepworths
• Strut Your Stuff @ Somewhat Simple
• Feature Your Sasy Sites @ Sassy Sites
  

My Previous House

Yesterday we celebrated my niece's 15th b-day, it was a beautiful party, the food was great and everyone had a great time. I will post some pics during the week, before the party I dropped my camera and it was not working so I had do borrow one and now I'm waiting to get the photos.

Today I'm going to show you pictures of my previous house. Our "first" house!

This dining set was the only piece of furniture that we bought when we moved in the house, the rest was all my parent's.

I love this kitchen, the color, the granite counter tops.....
The Guest Bedroom:

The Master Bedroom:

The brown crib it's in my family for over 40 years, it was my brother's, than mine, my nieces, my daughter and now my youngest son is using it!

I've Been Featured!!!!!

I'm excited to say that today, Tracy over at Trinkets and Treasures featured me in her "Blog of the Week"! Thank you so much Tracy, also for your advices.

How I Organize My Coupons

I started my addiction with coupons early last year! When I first started I had one of those folders that you buy at the Dollar Store but after a while it became to small and messy for me so I came up with this:

It is a photo album purchased at Target for about $7. Is the one with the clear pockets for pictures inside.

On the first page I have an envelope where I put all the coupons I need to use at the grocery, I put them there before I go shopping or sometimes while I'm there when i get something that wasn't in my list. This way when I get to the cashier I have everything ready.






I divide them in categories and label them with Post-it Durable Filing Tabs. I have:

• Drinks
• Condiments (Mayo, Ketchup, Oil, etc..)
• Chips
• Food
• Cleaning Products
• Household Products (paper towel, Ziploc, etc..
• Medicine
• Dental Care
• Laundry Products
• Diapers & Wipes
• Target Coupons
• Body Lotion
• Hair Products
• Body Wash
• Razors
• Make-Up
• Deodorants
• Crafts (Michael's, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby)
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• Bath & Body Works
• Restaurants
• Feminine Products

Usually when I get my coupons in the mail or I print them from the internet I cut them right away and put them in the organizer and before the end of each month I go through them to see which one are expiring and I place them at the end of the book and the ones that I'm sure I wont be using I give them to family and friends or leave them on a shelf at the grocery store...for sure someone will use them!
How do you organize your coupons?
Linking to:

• Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
• Weekend Wrapup Party @ Tatertots & Jello
• Sunday Showcase Party @ Under the Table & Dreaming
• Show & Tell @ Blue Cricket Design
• Just Some Thing I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative Party Blog
• Show & Share @ Just a Girl
• 100 Ideas Under $100 @ Beyond the Picket Fence
• We're Organized @ Organize & Decorate Everything
• Look What I Made! @ Creations By Kara
• The Inspired Room
• A Few of My Favorite Things
• Pony Tails & Fish Scales
• Wandering Wednesday Blog Hop @ Inspiring You To Save & Paisley Passions
• Organizing Mission Monday Link Party @ Organize With Sandy
• Frugal Friday @ Ramblings from the Sunshine State
• Organize It Link Party! @ Thrifty Decor Chick