Have Yourself a Thrifty Little Christmas

I originally started this blog because my sister has her own (much better) blog, and I wanted to join in her link-up parties.  It's really the only kind of party I get invited to, so I should probably be social and join.  Plus, the fact that I don't have to find a babysitter, get dressed, leave the house, and pretend to be social is really quite appealing to me.

So I started this blog, so I too could participate in the wonders of Thrift Blitz!

If you are thrifty, you should start a blog so you can join the party too!

I think there is a blogger contract somewhere that says everyone with a blog must write a Christmas post, or at least share their post from previous years. 

So, in the interest of jumping on the Christmas blog bandwagon, here are my tips to having a thrifty Christmas.

1.  Watch for bargains all year long.  Find a savings site, or Facebook group (my favourite is www.savingsguru.ca), and they can do the work for you.  If you spread out the purchasing through the whole year, it's easier on the budget.
2.  Avoid trendy toys.  If everyone wants it, the price is higher.  Plus, who knows if your kid will like it six months later (not to mention that a lot of them are tacky).
3. Jump at online price mistakes.  They won't always be honoured, but when they are, you can score big time.  The trick to these is to not hesitate.  If you see a rock bottom price (and you know you have someone who will love it) - buy it.  That price might only last a few minutes. 

I bought these wooden toys made by Hape, from Amazon during the summer.  The toaster cost $6 (regular $27.99), and the mixer $10 (regular $29.99).  I didn't expect the order to be honoured, so was thrilled when they showed up.










3.  Don't spoil your kids rotten.  One or two gifts is enough.  Christmas should not stress you financially.  That stress will effect your relationship with your children and/or spouse.  You don't need that.
4.  Do you and your spouse really need anything?  Consider not buying for each other, or getting something combined instead.
5.  Don't assume Black Friday, or other major sale days will have the best deals.  Know your prices (or research your prices) so you know if you're getting a bargain.
6.  Redeem your store loyalty points for Christmas.  My favourite loyalty programs are Shopper's Optimum (for gifts and stocking stuffers) and PC Plus (for special Christmas food and treats).
7.  Buy used.  Especially for your baby.  You can find almost new toys at thrift stores that are much more budget friendly than buying new.  Plus, it's good for our world, and that's trendy, so get on it.

The bottom line is: Christmas should be a joyful celebration.  When I shop early, and get bargains, it alleviates my stress, and I can enjoy myself so much more.

I hope you all have yourself a thrifty (and merry) little Christmas.

Beyond the chippy door...

The birds are chirping, the grass has been cut - spring is really here!  And with spring comes the beginning of yard sale season.  I'm assuming all other thrift-loving people are as overjoyed as I am.  My house is full of furniture, so I have to pass up on many adorable pieces I see, even if they are a bargain.  Instead, I am hunting for yellow china, and wall art (otherwise known as things that are cheap, and won't add to the clutter - and no, tea cups ARE NOT clutter).

So far this year, my finds have been windows.  I don't know why people are selling their awesome old windows, and I especially don't know why they are selling them for so cheap.  They obviously don't spend enough time on Pinterest, or they would either keep them or charge more.  But them having better things to do than spend a day on Pinterest benefits me, so I won't complain too much.

So far this month I have scored three windows, and spent a total of $4.50 on them.  But getting the windows is the easy part.  Deciding which genius idea to do with them is difficult.  And I am on a time crunch.  Last year I got a free door, and the agreement my husband I came up with was I had two weeks to do something with it, or my sister would get it.  I now use that rule for all my DIY project finds - meaning I have one more week to come up with something for my last window, - any ideas???   If I don't come up with something, my sister will get it, do something genius, blog about it, and make my windows look pitiful.

My first score was $0.50.  It's actually a door, not a window, but same idea.  I was surprised to see anything left at a yard sale after noon let alone a cute little door.  I need to finish this one still (meaning I need to find a sharpie, because I know I have one somewhere, and I really hope I find it before my toddler does).  I have a plan.  I have everything ready.  I just need my sharpie!  Perhaps I will share the finished product at a later date (if I find that sharpie).
 
 
My next score was from a much anticipated yard sale.  The signs were up three weeks before hand, making me think it would be the ultimate treasure trove of old wonderful junk.  The day arrived, and the girls and I went.  It wasn't as big as I hoped, but I did score. 

 
I would have missed the windows completely, except I went to investigate a $10-beautiful-beaten
-chippypaint-itwouldmakemyissterjealous-door.  I had no intention of buying it, since I already have one as a decoration, and once we do renovations will have two or three more to play with. 

But beyond the chippy door, were the windows.  Dirty, and cracked, and leaning up against a tree trunk like they were pieces of junk.

"How much?"
"Two dollars each."

I know you should negotiate at garage sales, but seriously?  $2 each?  And for that size of window?  I gave her four dollars before she could change her mind.


And then I tried to carry two windows home while pushing a stroller.  That lasted three feet before I asked if I could come back with the car in five minutes.

The rest of the trip home was uneventful.  But upon arrival, I got to work immediately - I needed to prove that I would use them.

The place above my piano was desperately in need of something.  Luckily one of the windows is a lovely size of something.  The next dilemma was deciding what to put in it.

My first attempt was an old map that was left in a closet from a previous owner of our home. 

But I wasn't happy with it.  I love old maps.  I think they're interesting, and beautiful.  But this one didn't have enough colour.  I googled free printable maps, but no luck.  But in google world, I found www.thegraphicsfairy.com, and discovered a new happy place!  You can't always get an old map, but you can get vintage seed magazine type prints!  And frankly, if you're trying to decorate cheaply, you take what you can get.

So if you have any artwork needs, check out that site.  It has tons of awesome stuff - you could decorate your kitchen just with vintage mushroom prints (which would be adorable). 

It was not a complicated process to make this.  But in the interest of putting more words in a blog, here is how I did it.

1.  Print around 15 pictures you like - trim them if necessary.
2.  Use 8 of them, because you don't plan ahead, and didn't know how many you would use.
3.  Arrange them the way you like.
4.  Tape them together, and then to the back of the window.  Try to place the tape so it won't be seen.
5.  Raid your fabric stash and find something you like.
6.  Cut a piece of it - don't iron it, you don't have time for that and it will throw off your crafting flow.
7.  Stretch the fabric, and use thumbtacks to keep it in place.
8.  Set it where you want it, and enjoy your new $2 artwork.

I like the colours, I like the price, and I really like the prints.  I may change it again in the future, but for now it makes me happy, and isn't that the purpose of our decorations?

If you are a fellow thrifter, check out my sister's Thrift Blitz episodes, and join in the fun.  If you are not a thrifter, you have no idea the fun you are missing.

Fancy Finds

Long, long ago, when I was just engaged, and pondering the perfect wonder that I knew my marriage would be, I went to the Toronto wedding show.  I had no intention of using any of the vendors, but knew I might score some freebies, and hopefully some inspiration.  One of the booths I visited was a fancy kitchen store, where they had a registry just for wedding china.  I had no idea people still got wedding china.  I thought it was ridiculous, and would never ask people to buy me such a pricey gift. But the free glasses offered for creating a registry were cute, so I signed up, picked out my fancy pattern, and never told anyone we were registered there.  (That may not be ethical, but I have no guilt when I use those glasses). 

That was the end of my interest in fine china until Paige's first birthday drew near.  There is nothing like having a growing baby in your house to make you say: "hey, I need more fragile and sentimental items in this house for my child to destroy!"  But her approaching birthday made me remember my own childhood parties.

My fondest birthday memories are not the cute cakes my mom made, the gifts, or playing pass the bag (which I could probably write an entire blog post about).  My best memories are having a birthday dinner on the same disposable Care Bears table cloth every year (which I believe mom tossed when they moved, and it broke my heart a little bit), and eating birthday cake with a slice (not a scoop) of checker board ice cream off my mother's lovely bridal rose china.  There is something so pleasing about eating something messy off of beautiful dishes. 

So I decided that my daughter needed to experience those same joys and traditions.  The disposable table cloth was easy to find, but the china is a continuing adventure.  I looked into buying fine china, and wanted to choke - I am cheap, and fancy dishes are not!  So I put my dream of having a cabinet full of dishes that I would dust off and use just twice a year on the back burner.  But then a couple years later, providence rekindled my desire for fanciness.  My grandparents-in-law were downsizing, so Grandma took me to the china cabinet and asked me what I would like.  I chose a yellow plate, and a yellow cup and saucer. 

I took them home, put them on a shelf, and had an epiphany!

Who decided china collections have to match?  And why am I trying to be fancy and traditional?  My furniture is mismatched, and I like it,  so why not do the same thing with my dishes?  I already owned two yellow pieces of china (three if you count the cup and saucer separately), so what better thing to do than expand my collection?  From that moment, every garage sale, thrift store, flea market and dump (yep, you read that right) I go to, I always check the dishes, looking for pretty yellow china to add to my eclectic collection.  It gives purpose to my thrifting, and it is such a thrill when I find a new piece!  So far I have only found cups and saucers (which make a woodland tea party so fancy and fun), and I have not spent more than $5 on a set.  I would be willing to spend more than that on plates, and far more on a yellow teapot (my dream item).

While it may not be everyone's cup of tea (I couldn't resist), if you want fine china, have a limited budget, and like the eclectic look, this might be the perfect solution for you!




My thrifty yellow finds.

If you want to start a similar collection, here are some tips for you:

• Choose a colour, or theme (I was drawn to the yellow in Grandma's cupboard, because as a kid "lellow" hugs and kisses were the very best kind, and obviously I am trying to relive my childhood through my children).  You could choose roses, or gold, or country of origin, or just simply your adoration for each and every one.  Your collection, your choice!
• If you want to build up your collection quickly, choose a common theme.  Yellow is not common.  My collection will take years to complete, but it will be absolutely worth it!  If I had chosen pink, my cabinet would likely be overflowing by now, but I doubt it would make me as happy as my little yellow collection does.  Plus, everyone has pink and I don't want to be like everyone.
• Decide if you care about quality.  If you care, you will want to educate yourself so you know what you are looking for.  My standard is simply no chips or cracks (unless it's so pretty and cheap enough to make the damage irrelevant).
• Tell your friends and family what you are collecting, and what your budget per piece is.  If they see something for your collection, they can grab it for you before someone else takes it.  Bonus - you might get pretty china instead of an ugly sweater for your next birthday!
• Cups and saucers are the easiest to find, so you can afford to be pickier with which ones you bring home.
• Yard sales are cheapest and flea markets are the most expensive (in my experience anyways).  Remember at yard sales, they don't want to pack it up after.  If the sellers are ready to be done, you can likely get a great bargain.
• If something doesn't fit your theme, but you love it, get it anyways!  Eclectic means you can do what you want.

If you are a fellow thrifter, go check out my sister's blog here, and join her thrift blitz party by linking up your finds!  You can even start your own blog for the sole purpose of joining the party.  Who knows, you might even enjoy it!

My Pretty Little Radio

My sister does a segment called Thrift Blitz over at SelfBinding Retrospect.  Since I am a fan or hers, and of being thrifty, I decided I should do something to add to her link-up party!  I participated last time (yes, I'm that sister, that is my awesome trunk, and that little guilt trip about not having a blog may be the reason this all started).

I was trying to decide what I should share, and knew it couldn't be clothes (I don't do selfies.  They would not be cute).  I was wandering through my house, and realized the only pieces of furniture we have that were purchased new are our bedroom suite (my husband worked for a furniture manufacturer before we got married, and got a good deal because the tint wasn't perfect), and our wooden rocking chair (which was a wedding gift from my wonderful great aunt).

We didn't plan to furnish our house this way, it kind of just happened.  But now that we've done it, I love it.  I love that most of our stuff you can't easily find in a furniture store.  And I love that I have more freedom to paint or refinish or completely tear apart pieces we got used, than I would if we had invested a lot of money in them.  We've managed to gradually acquire some antique pieces (both of our grandparents downsized, so were giving away furniture), and I adore the warmth and character they give to a room.

This time around, I decided to share with you my awesome Kijiji find from last winter!  (Sorry for the quality of the pictures.  Apparently the quality of iPhone photos goes downhill after you drop and crack it).  This beauty was listed for $75, and still had all the components in it.  Now that is more than I would normally pay for a radio, but my plan is not to have a radio (although it looks pretty in my living room for now, and with some tweaking would probably work).  The plan is to find a gorgeous vessel sink and faucet, and make this into the prettiest little vanity for our powder room.  (I had the idea when I saw it listed, so knew the dimensions would work before going to see it.)  And the miraculous part of this whole story, was the husband agreed to the plan!  No argument, no haggling over price, he even went with me to pick it up. 

If you have a thrifting find, go share it at SelfBinding Retrospect, so we can all enjoy your awesome bargain!