Monday Motivation

Monday mornings. 

I struggle with Monday mornings. I hate to see my weekends end. My weekends... ahhh they are full of creativity and ME time!! My weekdays however are filled with commitment, housework, dinners, chores. Sometimes it can be overwhelming. I have so much I want to do, and I struggle to put commitments first and to feel good about that. I feel like I am cheating myself somehow, or letting myself down if I cannot accomplish all the things I want to do in my life

.

But, I am not defeated. I will never be defeated. Because I can do all things, through Christ. In fact, 

Romans 8: 37 says 

“Yet in all things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

MORE THAN CONQUERORS

God loves you. He loves me, and he wants to give us good things in life. Try to keep this verse in mind this week when you are struggling. You got this. I hope you have a blessed week my friends. 

~Stacy

Illustrations by:

https://atartdigital.com/

25 Beauty Products YOU should be buying at Dollar Tree

I'm just going to admit it, I am addicted to Dollar Tree. And, no, this is not a sponsored post.  I am just a girl, who is super frugal, and loves a good deal. Well, there are great deals to be had at Dollar Tree. In this post, I want to share with you 25 of my favorite bath and beauty products they sell and that I think YOU should try.

 Coconut Oil

So many uses! Great for moisturizing hair, skin, nails. 

 Dove Beauty Creams  

Great everyday moisturizer, from a company you know. 

                                                 
 Petroleum Jelly with CoCo butter

This is a great condition for lips, eyelashes, nail beds, and feet! So many uses, and it has a nice smell. 

 Makeup wipes

I love to pick these up not only for myself, but, for my daughters. Great to add in stockings or gift baskets!

Dermasil Lotions

I am honestly surprised that Dollar Tree carries this lotion. This same bottle of lotion is around $10 at stores like Walmart 🤯 Two of our children have eczema and this particular lotion really offers them a lot of relief. 

Dermasil Facial Creams

Again, pretty much a steal of a deal at Dollar Tree! This is a great brand, and we really like the quality they offer. 

Charcoal Pore strips

These are a good deal if you don't use these strips very often, as they are only a pack of 3. But, they WORK. So, if this is something you may just be using during a monthly at-home facial, it's perfect! 

Face Masks

Dollar Tree carries a variety of face masks all the time. Perfect for the spa night on any budget. For tips on a spa night on little to no budget, I have a post to detail out how to do that! Check it out You CAN afford a spa night

BB cream

These BB creams are nice for just a little moisturizer and coverage on days when you just don't need full-face makeup!

Reading Glasses

Dollar Tree carries a variety of readers, including sunglasses! At this price, you can keep a collection to match every outfit! 

Bar Soaps

You can find name-brand bar soaps at Dollar Tree. Yardley brand is a favorite at our house, they have really nice scents. But, you can also get beauty bars or antibacterial bars as well.

Shampoo and Conditioner

For everyday hair washing, I think Suave is a nice option. When you are on a tight budget, you can still get name brands you know here, and stretch that dollar! I do this so I can save my more expensive shampoo and conditioners for special occasions.  

Salon Selectives Mousse

This smells amazing! Again, just for everyday use, I love using this mousse. It gives my hair some control and a yummy smell. But, just an FYI, they also sell the Salon Selectives hair spray, steer clear of this. It has a chemical smell and feels very sticky and stiff on your hair. 

Secret Deodorant

A good brand, at a good price, makes this fit in any girl's budget. 

Exfoliating Gloves

I use a lot of self-tanner, and these gloves are awesome for easy exfoliating prior to the application! 

Chillable eye mask

The eye masks can be chilled in the refrigerator and then used to help reduce puffiness around your eyes. Another thing I use this for is sinus headaches, which I get fairly often. I find these give me a lot of relief.

Sleep Masks

Not only a good deal for you, but these are also cute to add to gift baskets. They are usually available in a variety of patterns!

Cotton balls

This is one of those basics that I just cannot bring myself to spend more than a dollar on, and why should I? Just head to Dollar tree and pick these up along with other basic essentials, like q-tips, tissues, make-up sponges. 

Eyelashes

Dollar Tree carries a variety of eyelashes, perfect for your glam look on a tiny budget.  Pair them up with the applicator below, it's a hard-to-beat deal. 

Eyelash applicator

Pedicure brush

These little tools are awesome for summer-ready feet! You can pair this up with the petroleum jelly with coco butter shown above to give you super soft and sexy feet! Dollar Tree also carries lots of pedicure tools! Be sure and check those out. 

Mini Manicure set

These little sets are perfect to keep in your purse. Get you one of these sets, and the foot tool above and you are well on your way to some DIY manicures and pedicures. 

Contouring brushes

I really like these little contouring brushes. They are nice and soft and work really well for defining the jawline. And c'mon, you really cannot beat the price.

L.A. Colors bronzers

I really like the L.A. bronzers in the summer. They give a nice light shimmery bronze look. Give it a try!

E.L.F. cosmetics

I have tried several of the E.L.F. line, and for the money, I think they are pretty nice quality. Especially just for everyday makeup. And by picking them up at Dollar Tree, if you get something you don't love, you aren't out much money. 

Well... there you have it! 25 super affordable options to add to your beauty arsenal. I hope you maybe found a new item or two to try! If you have any favorites that are missing from this list, please leave them in the comments below! 

You CAN afford a spa night, on any budget

 Girl, you deserve a break.

I know you do. We all need that downtime, that "me time" occasionally to get our heads back to a good space. Life is busy. Life is hard. Stress is real. Some of the things stress can cause in our bodies is fatigue, depression, anxiety, digestive issues, high blood pressure, and even physical pain. Self Care can help relieve all these symptoms. That is why it is essential to take time out, from whatever you have going on right now.... and pamper yourself. 

I want to give you some ideas (no matter who you are, or where you are financially) to help you have a relaxing spa night in the comfort of your own home for little to no money. 

You are going to need a few supplies. Namely, a way to play music, candlelight or soft lighting, towels. Now let's get planning. If you already any type of face mask or face cream use what you have. If not you can make up a face or body scrub or mask from lots of different items in your kitchen, here is a few ideas:

Soothing Honey Lemon Mask: 

2 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Mix together well, once applied you will leave this on for 10-15 minutes, rinse

Egg Facial Mask to minimize pores :

1 egg, whisked, add either 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of honey

Apply the mask and leave for 30 minutes, rinse

Oatmeal Facial Mask:

1/2 cup very warm water, 1/3 cup oatmeal stir well and let sit 2 minutes. You can add honey or egg white to this as well, stir well, and apply to the face. Leave it on for  10 -15 minutes, then wipe with paper towels first to remove oatmeal then rinse with warm water. 

Now... let's kick this up a notch. You need some music. That's a must. If you can stream music, pick a calming spa playlist on the app of your choice, or a relaxing soft music video on YouTube. If you have some easy listening or slow and easy music downloaded on your phone, create a playlist just for "me time" and play that. If you cannot stream music, or do not have downloaded music, that's ok! You can listen to a record, or a radio, turned down low on a musical station. The background music should be soft and soothing. The goal here is to relax. 

Some other extras you can add (cause who doesn't love to be a little extra sometimes) could be any of the following items, whatever suits you best:

This is about you, so bring into the experience what makes you relax, whether it be watching a movie on your tablet or laptop, or reading that novel... have you ever thought, "I would love to have time to read that book."? This is a win-win. You can have some dedicated time for yourself AND work on reading that book you've been eyeballing. Borrow a best-selling novel from the library.  Only read on this book when you are taking your weekly (yes, I said weekly) spa night. It will be an added treat that you deserve to have!! If reading is not your thing, you can use this time for a documentary or a series that is just for you. 

2. Prep your goodies:

🛀Pick you out some really comfortable pjs, soft and loose is what we are looking for. If you have a robe, grab it. Slippers? Grab those too. 

🛀Throw your towels in the dryer. In the meantime, spritz your pj's and robe with your favorite body spray or perfume. Take your towels out and roll them tightly, to keep them warm for when you are finished with your bath.

🛀Some final items to grab... candles, a lighter, and a drink of your choice. Whatever makes you feel good, whether it be a chilled glass of wine, and iced coffee, or just an icy water, fix you a drink to sip on while you soak.  One last thing. Either print out, or draw yourself a DO NOT DISTURB sign, and tape it to the outside of the bathroom door. 

🛀You're almost to ahhhh time... your hot bath is running, your towels and pajamas are prepped, slippers ready. You need candles lit, music playing. Lock the door, slip down into that hot bath, sip your drink, read your book, listen to your music. When you are ready, apply your face mask and lay back and relax. 

 ~Stacy

The Ultimate Guide To A Successful Yard Sale

 

Having a good yard sale can be so satisfying!

First of all, you get to clean out, declutter and simplify areas of your home. Second, you get to provide some quality items to others for a great deal. And finally, if you follow a few steps, you just might end up with a nice pocketful of cash when it's over with. 

Making a Plan

First things first:

1. Gather up all the items you intend to sell. 

2. Get the family involved. 

3. Find an area you can keep all items you intend to sell.

4. Pick a date.

5. Tag and package every item.

6. Throw out damaged items.

7. The week before the sale, get change, gather bags and boxes, and get advertising items ready.

8. Start setting up the night before.

9. The day of your sale BE UP EARLY

10. Be friendly, helpful, and negotiable.

Gather Up All the Items You Intend to Sell

Ok, it's time to declutter! Allow yourself time to go through all the areas in your home you know could use some cleaning out. If you plan your yard sale a month or two in advance, this will give you several weekends to devote a couple of hours to this process. You may consider using boxes, totes, or even laundry baskets to contain all the items you have gathered up until you can go through and sort things. 

Get the Family Involved

This is a great opportunity for kids to earn a little money. Invite your family members to go through their own spaces to see if they can come up with some items to sell. You may give each child an individual tote or box to fill. You may also consider asking the extended family if they would like to participate. An ad stating multi-family yard sale tends to gain a lot of attention! 

Find an Area to Keep Yard Sale Items

You may want to designate an area in a basement or garage to keep all the items the family has gathered in hopes of a great sale! If you do not have these areas, any available space would work, such as a closet or even under a bed, or a corner in the bedroom to use temporarily. Having everything in one spot will make cleaning-out easier, as everything will have a designation, and will make the process of going through to tag and package items together much more efficient!

Pick a Date 

When picking a date for your sale, be sure to give yourself at least a month to get prepared. A yard sale can be more work than you may realize. Allowing yourself time to prepare can not only make the process much easier, but it can also result in a much more successful sale. You may be able to look into if there will be a neighborhood or subdivision-wide sale, or even a city-wide sale that you could participate in. 

Tag and package every item

I know that I for one feel uncomfortable when I get to a yard sale and nothing is priced, and I have to ask the question, "What do you want for this?" This will drive people away from your sale. Also, people are less likely to dig through a basket of curtains and bedding. It may be difficult to tag every clothing item, so, one suggestion I have is to create a price poster to hang up and price all like items the same amount. If you have some nice name-brand items you want to sell for more, add this disclaimer on your price poster: "Unless Priced Individually" You can put curtains or bedding in a large zipper bag or tie them together with jute string or something similar. If you have a complete bedding set, you may put the set in one box and set it apart.

 

Throw Out Damaged Items

Now that you have gathered all your items for your yard sale, it's time to sort, clean, package, and tag all items. Be sure to examine items for broken parts, missing parts, and stains. You will inevitably be asked if something works, or something has all the pieces, so if you don't skip this step, you will be well prepared come the day of sale! You may need to run any clothes, bedding, etc, through the washer, and wipe down all other items to make them shine. A clean and organized yard sale will make you a lot more money than one thrown out in a hurry that is disorganized and dusty. 

One Week Out... GET READY!

Starting the weekend before you might want to make a checklist of things to remember to have done BEFORE the date of the sale. I have a free printable linked below for a checklist to a successful yard sale you can print off and use if you would like. Remember, it's FREE! (free is my fave) You will need to do things like gathering up grocery bags, some boxes, tables, or items to display your wares. You also need to get change, and by change, I mean actual change as well bills including $1, $5, and $10 bills. You may also want to put an advertisement on sites such as Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, and Craigslist. If you have signs to put out be sure to put them up a day or two before. 

FREE Yard Sale Check List! ✅ 

Set up the night before, prepare to be up EARLY, and smile :)

The night before, you will want to prepare as many things as possible to avoid trying to pull everything out the morning of. Some examples of what can be done ahead of time, assuming all things are already cleaned, bundled, and tagged, is to get clothes hung or folded, set up tables, have any furniture sitting by the door to go out first thing in the morning, and have like items in baskets or totes to carry out and set up quickly. If you advertise your sale will start at 8 am, be sure you will have early birds show up around 7 am, so just be prepared for that. It is better to be friendly and welcoming to them and let them pick through while they are there than asking them to come back, as you might miss out on a big sale if they are people who flip items or do flea markets. You will do most of your sales early, so have coffee prepped and a grab and go breakfast handy in case you don't get a break in the action for a while. And lastly, be friendly, but not pushy. Say hello to new arrivals, chat if they offer to chat, and be prepared to be asked to take less! That's the thrill of the yard sale for a lot of people, they want to feel like they got a great deal! 

Some Final Tips

1. You can get all the yard sale supplies you need at Dollar Tree. They sell the price stickers, markers, yard signs, posters, and more to help you organize and prep for your sale.

2. Have a plan for what you will do with what's leftover. For example, you could list items online for an extra attempt at a profit, or you could donate the items to a charity. Another option is to go back to the online marketplace sites you posted and offer it free to whoever picks it up and takes it ALL. This is my usual preference. It can make someone's day, and I feel relieved to finally be rid of all the clutter!

3. Let go of any sentimental attachment you have to your items when pricing them. It is important to price to sell. You would not price a yard sale item the same as you would an item on eBay or Marketplace. Keep this in mind when you are pricing your stuff.

There ya have it, all my best tips for a successful yard sale sure to put cash in your pocket!! Best of luck to you all!

~Stacy

Landscaping On Little to No budget

 Budget Friendly or FREE Landscaping 

Ideas to transform your curb appeal!

Landscaping CAN be expensive. VERY expensive. I don't know about you guys, but I have never had the kind of very large budgets, or anything remotely close to, the folks you see on the landscaping shows on TV. My jaw usually hits the floor when they announce they have something like a $50,0000 budget. 😮  My budget is usually a small fraction of that if anything. I have said before, and I will say it again, FREE is my FAVE. In this article, we will explore how you can do landscaping on a very small budget. 

First, let's start with a clean slate! This means, weeding, trimming, removing trash and old plants, and starting with a fresh area to work with.

1. If you do not have existing flower beds, mark out the area where you plan to make your flower garden. You can use string, spray paint, whatever you already have on hand to define a general layout. This is just going to involve some good ole elbow grease. If you do not have a shovel or rake, see if you can borrow one if it is not in your budget to purchase one. There are affordable options out there for around $10 each, I will put a link to a couple you might consider.

 

Affordable shovel option from Lowes 

Affordable rake option at Lowe's

                       

2. Remove all sod, weeds, plants and shrubs from the area you are placing your flower bed. Start by digging around the outline you laid out in step one. Remove all plant material inside that area. You want to get down to bare soil. Rake the area out smooth and fill in any holes or low spots as best you can. 

Now, let's talk edging, mulch, weed control

1. Edging: what are some free options? One of our favorites is to take a drive down a country highway or back road and pick up some rock off the side of the road. The only downside here is, depending on your vehicle, you wouldn't want to pick up too much at once and put too much weight on your vehicle. Lay a tarp, or old blanket or sheet, in the back of your car or trunk, get a small load and head back home to see how far that goes. This will give you an idea of how many trips it will take to edge out the entire bed. Another really good free or usually pretty cheap option is to head online to places like Facebook Marketplace or Craiglist and look for free rock, landscaping stones, or blocks. I have stacks of different kinds of blocks and landscaping stones I have picked up for free. A lot of times when someone is completing a landscaping makeover, they don't want to have to haul off the old materials and this is when you swoop in and create a win-win situation for both of you. This is also a good way to get dirt if you need it to fill in your beds. 

 

2. Weed control: one of the best free methods for weed control is newspaper and cardboard. Layer this over the soil around your plantings to help keep weeds under control, making it harder for them to poke through the layers. This material will naturally decompose over time and add nutrients to your soil, so it's not only free, it's so helpful! Another affordable option would be large black trash bags. You can cut the bags open and layer them over the soil. You can even pick up a couple of boxes at the dollar tree for a super low, budget-friendly option. Of course, you can also buy weed block material in rolls. Or you can use a weed control treatment such as spray or granules, depending on your budget. A free option for killing weeds is boiling water poured over weeds to kill them then remove them. 

 

 

3. Mulch: Unfortunately, there are not many good options for free mulch.  If you have a small area you are landscaping, buying a few bags at a time and filling in over time may be your best options. If you have a large area, and have access to a truck to haul it, getting a truck load at a time really gives you more bang for your buck. If none of this is an option for you, I do have some things you can try. Contact your local tree trimming and see if they have wood chips you could pick up for free, a lot of time they are glad to give these away rather than deal with having to dispose of them. You could also used pine needles, dried grass clippings, rocks or shells or a combination of these items to cover.

 

 Plants: how to get them for free:

1. Ask friends and family if they mind sharing plants with you. Many flowers and plants are easy to divide and replant with great success! You can also start many plants from a cutting, such as roses, shrubs such as chrysanthemums or butterfly bush,  and trees such as redbuds, dogwoods, or weeping willows. If you happen to know anyone that owns acreage, you may ask if they would let you scour their woods for tree saplings and items like ferns. 
2. Check on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist for free postings for plants, shrubs, or trees.
3. Contact local landscapers and inquire if they would consider donating plants they have removed from landscaping to you if you would pick them up. They are just going to the dump anyway! 

 

Plants: how to get them affordably:

1. Start from seed. Seeds are very affordable, and when done successfully can give you, again, a lot of bang for your buck. You can start seeds in any container, you don't have to have fancy seed trays or pods. You can use egg cartons, plastic containers, plastic or styrofoam cups. Any number of things really. You will need seeds, some decent dirt, something to cover the seeds, and a warm sunny spot to place them. To give you ongoing flowers year to year, you will want to get perennials, which come back year after year. Some of the easiest to grow are Black-Eyed Susans, Purple Coneflowers, Yarrow.  But, for extra color and pop, you can try a few annuals as well, which will only last one season. Some great ones to try are Sunflowers and Zinnias. 
2. Search clearance at nursery's and home improvement stores. I have picked up more plants than I could say at Lowe's garden center clearance racks! Look for plants that still have a lot of life left to them. I have found everything from flats of annuals to roses on these carts. It is definitely worth a look for me every time I am there.  
3. Make that dollar do double duty and include some vegetables in your flower beds. Herbs like dill, parsley, and cilantro are soft and pretty. You could add Rosemary as well. How about purple cabbage planting red or green lettuce along the outside edge of the flower bed for edible color! Bushes of Kale could add a nice detail with the ruffled leaves. 

 

Now, once you have the groundwork in so to speak, then you can add decor and other items over time. Your gardens will be a continuously evolving thing to enjoy for years to come. I have a few last affordable suggestions to bring more ambiance to your yard.

1. Define pathways: you can create a walkway out of a number of items: scrap wood, including pallet wood, cut log slices, or recycled stepping stones, sand, or gravel. 
2. Add lighting: you can buy inexpensive solar lights at stores like Dollar Tree, Dollar General or Walmart. Recycle Christmas lights for summer use to give your yard or porch an inviting glow of light. 
3. Add decor: shop yard sales and thrift stores for things like flags, pots, benches to add some decor to your beds. 

I truly hope you get inspired to tackle that curb appeal and believe that in any budget, with a little sweat equity, you really can transform your space. 

~Stacy