Thursday, April 17, 2014

coupon trip 4/17/14

Well hello folks! Its been awhile since I blogged about coupons so I wanted to show you my recent and BEST haul yet!

New coupons came today! Happier than a camel on Wednesday!
                                   And here is my haul!! Super excited!
                  
Subtotal $75 exact out of pocket NOTHING!! I actually got PAID to take these products out of the store! $33 in my pocket not bad for my hour of shopping with Lucy! Lol

Heres a breakdown!
Bounty paper towel .97 used .25/1 coupon
Air wick warmer .97 used $1/1 FREE
14 Almay makeup removers $1.14 used $4/1 free and money makers!
1 almay eye shadow $4.97 used $4/1
8 wet n wild makeup products .93-
97 used $1/2 free
6 Bic razors $2.96 used $3/1 free
15 birds eye veggies $1-1.96 used $1/1
8 McCormick seasonings .68 used .75/1 free and money makers!

I'm so proud of myself! I've never attempted a haul this big but I loved it and look forward to doing it again!!

Here are some links for printable coupons!
www.coupons.com
www.smartsource.com
www.redplum.com

Well time to start looking for more deals!

Good night all!
Danielle Marie


Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Bedroom makeover!!

     Whew! What a job it is to makeover a room! After staring at my daughters purple n white bedroom for 3 years now. I decided it was time for a change. I love painting and doing reno/diy stuff. Just the thought of making something pretty again inspires me to work hard! You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it! 
       So I don't have a real before picture, I apologize for that but I simply forgot. But from this pic you can imagine there was a wall border separating the purple and white. It had little flowers on it and was peeling off in places due to Lucy :). Here are some before pictures...
                                            As you can see she's a destructive kid and decided to tear up her blinds. Ugh kids! That's her working on her tool bench. I was also washing her sheets she got sick thru the night- poor thing.
                                            Another wall...
                
      So first thing I did was clear the room which sucked but I recommend going thru old toys and clothes then :).
Next I mixed up a mixture of fabric softener and hot water in a squirt bottle. I used it to spray the border in sections and let it soak for about 20 minutes. I then began peeling and scraping. I used a plastic scrapper tool to scour the wall that I bought at Walmart. Because her walls are textured it took me awhile to get it all off. The key here is to keep it wet, its much easier to pull off.

      Finally as you can see from the pics it came off. Then I went thru and removed all the nails/screws so I could fix the holes. Whoever lived here before us went nail crazy I swear! I fixed the holes first by using a hammer and tapping the holes in. Then I sanded lightly to remove and loose pieces. After that I used drywall mud to put a thin layer over the holes. Be careful not to put too much putty over it because it will make for more sanding and longer drying time.

      Let it dry at least an hour. The mud will look white when dry. Apply second layer if needed and mine did.
   
      Time to sand! Using a piece of fine sandpaper lightly sand over the holes to create a smooth surface. I didnt make it totally smooth because her walls are textured. I made it blend :). I think it worked out well. I apologize for not taking pictures I was focused on getting it done Lol.
 
      Once you have everything sanded the way you like you'll need to wipe down the walls to remove dust and dirt. I used a damp rag. I also vacuumed the room to get any dust off the floor.

Next, tape off your walls anywhere you don't want paint! It's very important not to skip this step and take your time with it making sure your lines are straight! It sucks when you realize you screwed up because you didn't take the time to tape correctly. I used green painters tape but they also have it in blue.
   
      Time to prime! Always prime! Even if you don't think you need too- do it. It could affect the overall color of the room. I recommend Valspar high hiding primer! Use it anytime you are going from a dark or bold color to a light color. The good people at lowes can help you figure out how much you'll need. There's a equation to figure it out. 1 gallon gave me 2 coats and her room is about a 8x12 but she has high ceilings. Using a brush, roller or whatever prime those walls! Get all the cormers

       Let dry according to manufactures instructions usually an hour before applying 2nd coat if needed.
     
       Once you've primed-its time to paint! Make sure you have your floors covered with drop cloths for easy clean up. I should have said that in the beginning! Lol! Using a roller start painting in a large M or W fashion. Do not paint straight up and down or you will see the lines. You want it to blend. Do as much of the walls as possible with the roller then go back where you started at and using a small brush or trim painter do all edging. I used this little gadget that I picked up from lowes.
                                              Its pretty handy I liked it. I'll definitely use it again. You can buy refills for it which is nice! Clean up is pretty easy too.
 
     I applied 2 coats of paint and voila! Pull off the tape carefully and admire your work!


                                                              I used Valspar in Ancient Stone. I love the color and were actually painting most of the inside this color. It just works for me :)

So what is your next home project??

Danielle Marie

                                                                   



   


    


Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Yummy homemade granola bars!

Good evening!
    Today as I was studying for my anatomy quiz that I have at *gag* 8am tomorrow morning I wondered what I could eat for breakfast on the go. I've been trying to eat healthier so fast food is out of the question.

While I should have been studying I was searching thru pinterest for recipes and came across a recipe for homemade granola bars! I love granola bars especially with the yummy candies on top ;)! The recipes I found didn't quite fit what I wanted or what I had on hand so I improvised. As I sit here typing I'm munching on a delicious chewy chocolate chip granola bar. Yep I made 'em and here is the recipe!

2 cups Quick cooking oats
1 cup Rice krispies (I used rice chex- its what I had on hand and it worked)
1/3 cup Light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
Chocolate chips/nuts dried fruit whatever you want for toppings.

Start by mixing the oats and cereal together in a medium bowl
                                                     Next, in a small pot combine butter, honey and brown sugar. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and stir for 2 minutes.
                                                               Excuse the ugly stove top Lol. 
Remove from heat and pour over oat/cereal mixture. Mix thoroughly coating everything! At this point you can add in your toppings or you can do it at the end. Its up to you! In a 9x9 or 13x9 pan pour the mixture in and level it out. I used a 13x9 pan because its all I had on hand. It didn't cover the whole pan but it was the thickness I wanted so I didn't care Lol. I then added chocolate chips and pressed them into the bars. 

                       
                 Should look like this. 

Finally cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours before cutting. I cut mine after 2 hours but didn't remove them right away because they weren't set up yet. Your fridge settings may be different. 

There you have it! A healthy homemade snack! Great for little ones and busy mornings on the go!

Try them and let me know how they turn out!

Yum yum
Danielle Marie