Sometimes the adults have to dress up for parties too and couple costumes can be so outrageous. While deals can be scored on costumes through eBay or by making your own, many costume sets can cost fifty dollars or more for one night of entertainment. That is where creativity and fun can come into play, as we got the chance to do this year.
Above is my husband’s handsome milkman costume. (Note: I hope you can click on this picture to expand it to see things in more detail. The lighting was not good so I apologize for the lighting in this!) The hat was purchased from a costume shop and originally was intended as a captain’s hat. We took all of the gold roping off of it and made it into a milkman hat. The cost for this was $6.99. I purchased a white shirt for him from Goodwill on half off day which cost me $1.25. The bow tie was made from the ribbon that I had bought from Big Lots this past week for $1.00 per spool.
Although you can’t see it, he also is carrying a small grocery basket from our children’s kitchen set. We filled it with empty coffee bottles to mimic the old school milk bottles.
The kisses on his collar were free and completed his milkman attire!
As a housewife, I just dressed like I always do (in one of my fun aprons), but rolled my hair and made my make-up a little more reflective of the times. I carried one of our daughter’s baby dolls with a little bow tie on it (also from the Big Lots ribbon) that indicated that this was most definitely the milkman’s baby.
This was an adult-only party, but our son wanted to be “fancy” like daddy so we made a little bow tie just for him. He wore it for the duration of the evening and I kept joking that he looked much more like the milkman’s baby than that silly baby doll. We had a blast and it was fun to play dress-up for one night. We rarely do things like this and it was a real treat to have a night out like this.
Anyone else go to a Halloween Party? What did you dress up as?
Thank you for all of your heartfelt replies and emails about my question last week regarding my son’s “mirror writing.” I am taking all of your advice into consideration and want to know how comforting it is to know that many children get through this with absolutely no problems at all. We will continue to keep practicing and communicating with his teacher.
This week, I wondered how everyone has been doing with their grocery budgets. I know that I am a very disciplined grocery shopper and I have been finding myself going fifty-sixty dollars over my usual grocery amount. I am more in tune with this amount now that I am attempting to only grocery shop once a month (except for milk runs in between).
I am not sure if I am the only one struggling in this department or if different areas are having more difficulties than me. We have a family of four and our monthly grocery amount has been $200 per month. This month, I have went sixty dollars over and we are still eating the same stuff as we always do.
Maybe my grocery dollars aren’t going as far because my son is going through a growth spurt? Maybe it is because my husband has been coming home for lunch more and I feel like we should have a more elaborate lunch with him? Maybe it is just because groceries are too darn expensive?
So..what are your grocery budgets and family size? Have you seen an increase in your grocery budget these past few months? Do you have grocery tips to share for those of us who aren’t doing as well?
I found this container when I hit our local Goodwill this past Friday. Saturday was their official half off day, but my husband was going to be gone all day and I was not about to brave the crowds with two little ones to take care of.
Lucky for me, they had discounted their seasonal items down to 75% off the day before their big sale day. This beautiful glass container ended up costing me less than a dollar after I got my discount.
I filled it with marshmallows and placed it on a serving tray along with hot cocoa and freshly popped popcorn. It was a fun treat for a freezing cold evening and a great way to start our weekend. I always try to do a special snack and the marshmallows looked so pretty in this!
I am going to have fun filling it with all sorts of fun goodies and it is the perfect size to be functional, but not take up too much room in our house.
Catch me every Tuesday morning for a quick dose of motherly advice from our site!
Quick Note: We are experiencing some technical difficulties with our forum and the registration process. The letters for verification are not showing and people are unable to register. I apologize that we are having difficulties and will let everyone know when we have resolved this issue. Thanks a bunch!! Sound Off: What are some ways that you save on your prescription medications?
Well, I got a great response from last week’s column about hosting the unexpected guest. I am not sure if it is because people love cleaning tips or if they just love talking about what a pain it is when people just drop in.
I got a great question though on what one can cook for their unexpected dinner guests so that helped to inspire this week’s post.
I hope you can swing by Frugal Hacks and check it out! Take a browse around while you are over there. There is a lot of great information and I love the collaborative efforts of the writers in supplying great family-focused content and practical information on frugality.
Is there anything else you would like for me to write about on the subject of entertaining on a budget?
Did you know that you can substitute your Pam cooking spray with this amazing diy pan release recipe. Stored at room temperature, this homemade version works great and won’t gunk up your pans like the usual cooking oil sprays. You won’t believe how easy it is to whip up this homemade cooking spray for all your baking needs.
Did you know that you can make your own pan release with just a few simple pantry ingredients.
When I first began baking, I relied heavily on store bought sprays to insure that my baked goods wouldn’t stick.
What I didn’t realize was the gunk that can build up on my pans from these sprays. Experts say that gunk can be removed, from your pans with a soak of baking soda and vinegar. I’ll be honest though, I have found it pretty darn impossible to remove this residue from my pans.
One popular substitute is a to purchase a spray bottle oil mister. These reusable misters can be filled with your olive oil (or vegetable oil) and applied just as you would with Pam.
Even after buying this kitchen gadget, I found my cakes and quick breads continued to stick to the pans. This green alternative just didn’t end up begin the solution I thought it would be.
You could say that my cake pans and these spray misters went together like oil and water.
Hahaha!
What’s the Secret to A Nonstick Spray That Doesn’t Gunk Up Your Pans?
I discovered this recipe when I signed up for a cake decorating course, at my local Michael’s.
I couldn’t wait to learn the secrets to perfect cakes and one of her best tips was on cake removal. I assumed she would tell us a product to buy, but it ended up being a pantry recipe that anyone could make.
Instead of commercial sprays, she greased her pans with a homemade mixture of oils and flour.
Say what?
That sounds way more affordable!
While fancy commercial cake release sprays were available, she found making her very own version of this yielded way better results.
I decided to take her word for it and can’t believe how beautifully it performed. I was no longer battling the icky residue.
How Do You make DIY Pan Release Spray?
DIY Pam Spray can be made with equal parts canola oil and vegetable shortening. Finally, the addition of flour, is added in to give this mixture a marshmallow creme consistency. I have found the use of a stand mixer makes this even easier to pull together!
How Do I Store My Homemade Non Stick Spray?
No need to refrigerate this because it can be stored at room temperature. I keep mine in a simple mason jar and apply it with a pastry brush.
Unlike coconut oil, you don’t need to worry about warming up your oil before applying it to your griddles and pans.
These ingredients may separate, but I just use a spoon to mix them back together when that happens.
How Do I Use DIY Pan Release Spray?
Keep in mind, a little goes a long way so start small. I find it is easiest to apply with a simple pastry brush. Dip your pastry brush, into the pan release, and paint it on your pans. This can be used to create nonstick surfaces on cake pans, bundt cake pans, griddles, and cake pans.
This recipe is so inexpensive so you will save some money at the grocery store too! I hope you can try it- you really won’t believe how great the results are. I won’t ever use anything else again!
How to Make Homemade Nonstick Spray (DIY Pan Release Spray)
Author: MomAdvice.com
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 1/2 cups
Did you know that you can substitute your Pam cooking spray with this amazing diy pan release recipe. Stored at room temperature, this homemade version works great and won’t gunk up your pans like the usual cooking oil sprays. You won’t believe how easy it is to whip up this homemade cooking spray for all your baking needs.
Ingredients
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (room temperature)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Using an electric mixer beat until mixture has increased in volume slightly and resembles marshmallow cream.
Place in an airtight container with a lid (like a mason jar). This can be stored in your cupboard. In the warmer months, you can keep it in your refrigerator.
If your mixture separates, just stir to bring these ingredients back together.
Use a pastry brush to brush on the your homemade cake release. Remember, a little goes a long way.
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Love this tutorial? Here are three other DIY projects I think you might like!
My cleaning caddy needed a little reorganizing and as I was working on this yesterday, I began to think about my “faux cleaning” routine that I do before we have unexpected guests.
I am the first to raise my hand that I have been embarrassed when an unexpected person shows up and my house is a complete disaster. I try very hard to maintain things around here, but with two children under five, I often feel like all I am doing is damage control.
I am also a perfectionist and I hate for anyone to come over here without me being prepared for them. Even among friends and family, it is important to me to feel in control of a situation.
Having a website that helps moms stay organized makes me feel like I should be even more zealous in my attempts to keep up with the house.
Let’s face it though, I am only human! We do the best we can throughout the week, but when that unexpected guest comes knocking, it feels good to have a game plan to fake them out with your cleaning routine.
I hope you get a chance to read the post and can share your own routines with me! As moms, I am sure we can all use a little help in this department.
This is the last day in our series and I admit it took much longer than I had ever anticipated. I share daily ways to save money, but to sit down and really contemplate thirty really good ways to save money…well, that proved to be a bit more difficult than I thought. I think I will stick with my quick tips and quips that I normally share. I hope that someone can walk away with one thing that will help their family in the future. That was my goal and intention with doing the series.
Today I just wanted to end the series by saying how important it is to me that I live within my means. There are many simple things that we have chosen to do to reach our financial goals in life…
We make a conscious choice to be smart consumers and chose to buy used items rather than new, to help minimize our costs. There are times where a new item might be appropriate (underwear does come to mind!), but in most cases buying a used item is a better financial choice for us. You can do this through thrift & yard sales, consignment shops, auction sites, or through the classified advertisements. Used is better for the environment and I find it a great thrill and privilege to hunt through the junk to find those precious items.
We chose to be wise consumers and research big ticket items before purchasing them. I would never run out and buy a television without good research and I would never just take a salesperson’s word for what is the best value for my money. I can justify the purchase of my Consumer Reports annual membership because I use this often to base my decisions on making a good purchase. I also frequently check sites like Amazon or Epinions to get the scoop from customers on how they like items. We cannot afford trial and error in our house so we try and pick things that we know will do well and last a long time.
We chose to surround ourselves with like-minded people. Maybe this shows signs of weakness or that I am just a newbie in the world of saving money, but I find myself feeling more confident in myself and my choices when I am around people who feel the same way. When I am around people who put more value into their possessions and the material things, I find myself redirecting my focus in that direction. I hope someday to be the type of person that is unfazed by these people, but for now I enjoy being with people who have similar financial goals and think of material things as secondary to everything else.
We are choosing to work towards a goal of a debt-free life. I have very specific goals in mind for our family. I have written these goals down on paper and I reread these goals often. I want to own both of my cars. I want to own my house. I want to pay off my credit card. I want to be free of student loan debt. I say these things to myself often and focus my energy towards making these goals a reality. Our goal is to have this done in six years. Six years of careful discipline and determination- what is your goal?
We chose creative ways that we can achieve the things we want in life. For example, bartering for goods & services instead of paying for them. I might make someone a fabulous dinner or babysit for them if they help me with A, B, or C. These exchanges are more creative than opening up my wallet and save us a lot of money. I also try to be creative by learning to make things myself, thrifting for gift items, and constantly researching ways I can be more creative with our money.
We chose to enjoy the good things in life, not to live a life of sacrifice and grumbling. I love good things- good coffee, an amazing dinner, a well-decorated room. I love all of these things, but I love to enjoy these things without the debt. I do what any smart frugal gal should do- I search on the internet for that perfect coffee recipe, I teach myself to cook, I look for inspiration in the magazines and find these decorative items in the thrift store. Enjoy that fine living, but do it in a way that can make you & your family proud.
We recognize that we have made bad financial choices, but we also know that some of those choices have lead to other great and wise choices later in life. I admit that there have been times where I have made stupid choices and I suffered from them. I also admit that if I had never made a bad choice in my life that I wouldn’t be human and I wouldn’t be able to have those experiences to draw from. I can nod my head and say, “Yes, yes, I know!” because I really do. I didn’t just read about it in a book- I am living it!
Here are all of the days that we discussed- just in case you happened to miss one!
Today’s entry on Frugal Hacks is all about why brunch can be best and this actually came from a recent brunch that I had this past weekend. It was such a fun way to entertain and the dishes I prepared were very budget-friendly, compared to a more expensive dinner option.
For this brunch, I included a fun breakfast tray for my guests. I draped a pretty red & white dish towel across the tray and then filled it with lots of fun coffee goodies. I made a good pot of coffee and then poured it into my coffee carafe (purchased from a thrift store). I also included pretty coffee mugs, sugar, flavored creamer, flavored coffee syrups, and an assortment of teas. Since my table is long & narrow, I used this as my centerpiece for this brunch. It looked so pretty and it made it easier to clear the table when were done.
A quick clearing of the table and the ultimate Turbo Edition of Cranium (purchased for $1.50 at Goodwill) and it made our time together even more fun, while still keeping it easy on the wallet.
I hope you can swing by the Frugal Hacks blog and read more on this fun entertainment option!
Sometimes the adults have to dress up for parties too and couple costumes can be so outrageous. While deals can be scored on costumes through eBay or by making your own, many costume sets can cost fifty dollars or more for one night of entertainment. That is where creativity and fun can come into play, as we got the chance to do this year.
