Amber Waves of Grain

I collect vintage cameras.  My kitchen is teal .  I love Target .   I especially love cheap ( like $1.49 ). So, I had to have this fun find.   A plastic camera 'appetizer plate' (a tiny rimmed plate). I think it would be great for loose change or keys.  Or, maybe even a soap dish.  My mind is full of endless possibilities. Just a little something that made me smile today.

Here are just a few of my thrifty finds for this week. A princess sleeping bag ( Kennedy has been asking for her own sleeping bag ) and a cute Old Navy shirt for Savannah.  99 cents each. New (with tags) embroidered dish towel .  99 cents. This might end up in Kennedy's play kitchen.  All clothes at DAV are 99 cents this week because the store is moving and they are getting rid of inventory.  Great time to stock up on kid's jeans, winter coats, and so forth if you need them!  I got Keegan 2 jackets & 2 hoodies. Kennedy some Children's Place jeans , Gymboree shorts and a Gymboree skirt , and a Children's Place shirt for Savannah. I found Nathan 2 pairs of slacks (Gap) for 99 cents and I found myself 4 Old Navy shirts at 99 cents each.  I also bought some tiny newborn baby clothes for Kennedy to use as doll clothes. And, as always, I bought a few kid's books at Goodwill (69 cents).  Score .   It was a ...

Welcome to another edition of Thrifty Thursday !!  Here are a few highlights from my bargain shopping this week. First stop, a garage sale (yes, with all 3 kids) .  Crocs for $1 .   You can always find Crocs ( don't waste your time with generics ) at garage sales cheap and these will look new once I put them in the dishwasher.  Second stop, Goodwill.    Girl's snowboots ( yes, it's 99 degrees out today ) for $1.99 and a girl's neon shirt - new with Target tags ($1.99- more than what I'd normally pay but splurged since it was still new ). A simple bedding set ($3) so I'm better prepared for when Kennedy gets the stomach flu this winter!  I like to buy the kids' main bedding set from someplace nice ( hers are from Pottery Barn ) and get a cheapo extra set for when the nice ones are being washed. A mushroom stool ($5).  I actually wanted to buy this exact one at Meijer when I was making up Savannah's nursery but they were expensive... ...

It's time to vote for this year's state fair signature food!!!!!! This year's theme is year of the dairy cow.   Food vendors come up with new foods relating to the theme.  While all foods are available, only the winner gets the marketing and the prime booth space at the fair. So, don't take this lightly.  Lives are being changed.    Go to this LINK and vote! It's your duty!!! Here are this year's choices: Cannoli- a cookie shell filled with ricotta, whipped cream, sugar, chocolate chips, and berries: Caramel Corn Sundae- Ice cream, caramel, whipped cream, nuts, cherry: Cheese Squared- Cream cheese wrapped in swiss cheese, fried Moo Chew Meal- Lemon milkshake with grilled pepperjack cheese on sourdough: Spaghetti Ice Cream- Ice cream they've made to look like spaghetti (weird!): Micro Beer Cheese Sauce- - beer cheese sauce on fries, a burger, or for dipping: Vote now. Don't delay!! And, we...

I love when all three kids are in the same photo .  It doesn't happen often.   Plus, I'm proud that I got them all dressed and ready for church by myself while Nathan was camping.  Here's proof: That's three smiles.  Three kids looking in the same general direction.  Three kids with unintentionally coordinated outfits.   Two kids who will get gummy penguins for doing a photo shoot with their mommy.   And, only one baby with a bloody nose.  I think we'll call this a win!!

Morning after morning the girls & I wake to the sound of Keegan pushing doors shut down the hall.    I've taught him a million times how to shut a door quietly, but it's hard for him when he darts into the bathroom and wants to "shut the hallway monsters out fast."   I'm pretty sure this is what he sees: So, in my mind I invented something soft that would latch onto the doorknobs and cover the latch so that it would shut quietly.  I thought about trying it with a bandana.  Then.... I did a quick Etsy search. What do you know?  Someone else already invented it and has patents pending.  I'm glad this lady knows how to sew since I don't.  I was happy to buy one for each kid's room and their bathroom.  The shop on Etsy is called Rosefieldmarket ( LINK ) and the product is called "Latchy Catchy" which is way more creative than I would have named it.  Mine would have been mere "door jammer thingys".  They will run...

How do you entertain 3 small children while your husband is on a 3-night camping trip?  With a good game of "grocery store!"    Instant fun. I bought 2 cash registers at thrift stores for 99 cents each ( I was thankful later to have 2 registers to minimize fighting over one ).   We saved our food containers at McDonald's last night too so we can play "McDonald's" with this register later.  Double win . I added a grocery cart that we already had ($2 garage sale find), & a sack & basket from home...   Empty food containers that I saved up for one week    Some fake money (green construction paper cut into rectangles), old receipts, and pretend credit cards..   And, voila! Instant grocery store.  Instant fun. This kept the kid's attention all day yesterday and so far all today.   They've LOVED it.     The best part is when the fun wears off, I can just throw all the containers away! ...

Hi. My name is Amber and I'm a thrift store addict (" Hi, Amber !")! I think I should start a blog segment where I show you my super find(s) of the week.   I go to thrift stores weekly, usually DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and Goodwill.   DAV can be a little ghetto but I find the best deals there.  Just be prepared to shop in a store without air-conditioning (or any air circulation for that matter), without carts, and some customers smelling like alcohol at 10am.   That's how I roll . So.... here is this week's find! A Little Tikes picnic table from Goodwill for $7.99. The table is like new and hasn't faded yet.  It currently sells at Target for $49.99.   Score! I thought it would be perfect for under the kid's swingset fort ( Mariah, some of us aren't brave enough to pour sand in that hole ). So, welcome to my new blog segment where I will amaze you with my weekly steals and deals!!  Happy thrifting!

My sweet Savannah is 16 months today. She's finally added some teeth to her near-toothless grin which brings her to 6 teeth now. She's a pretty good eater and loves PBJ, grilled cheese, and cream of wheat. She's a climber.  She climbs onto the dining room table, up onto the piano keys, up the playground ladder, and onto any furniture she can find. My babies should be born with helmets. She loves to play with baby dolls.  She will feed them, carry them around, put them in strollers, and lay them down for naps with blankets.  So sweet.  She loves to be around Keegan & Kennedy and gets upset if they leave her out. She doesn't have many words yet but says a lot of jibberish.  She does say "Uh-oh!" clearly.  Other words have come out here or there but nothing that she repeats. She's the sweetest baby.. ever !  I promise.   Happy 16 months, Savannah!