Bathroom Vanity Upgrade For Under $10!!

Before

The vanity in our downstairs bathroom has been in dire need of a facelift.  The paint was scratched and worn and the finish had started to come off the knobs a bit.  I was ready for something different too.

While at Home Depot collecting supplies for another project I had grabbed some paint swatches.  My oldest and I went through them all and chose the what we think is the perfect color to go with the floor, countertop and décor.  I chose Elegant Charcoal (because it needs to be elegant of course) by Glidden.

On a second I second trip to Home Depot for supplies I went ahead and got a sample size container of paint mixed up and a couple of sponge brushes.  I also looked at their knobs and found several I liked but they were pretty expensive.  I checked Amazon and found them for a fraction of the cost so I ordered them.  The day they arrived I got to work.

I removed the doors and knobs as well as the false fronts.  They screw in from the back and it was pretty easy to remove them.  All the hardware went into a container so nothing got lost.  Then I lightly sanded the cabinet and doors.

First coat.

I also took the time to mask off the walls, the underside of the edge of the countertop and put newspapers down on the floor.  I spread out our trusty shower curtain/drop cloth on the entry way floor too.  Everything was given two coats of paint and allowed to dry.

The false front panels went back on.  Then I put the hinges back on the doors and mounted them to the cabinet.  Then those fancy knobs I ordered.

I just love these!

I love the paint color and the new knobs really adds a little something extra.  No more scratches and everything looks fresh and new.

Ta da!  All finished!

Total cost was $2.94 for the paint, 69¢ for a medium sponge brush and 59¢ for a narrow sponge brush.  The knobs were only $1.37 each!  Total spent = $6.96!!

I think it's just beautiful.

And guess what?  I only used about a third of the paint so I have plenty leftover to do the upstairs bathroom vanity.  Whooo hoooo!

Why I Care A Whole Lot Less About A Whole Lot More

When I made the decision to simplify my life I also made the decision to stop obsessing and worrying over so many things, most of which are completely beyond my control.  It was hard to break a lifetime of habit but I was determined to just let stuff go.

For example:  every time the price of gas went up it upset me.  Not just because it would cost me more to fill my tank and drive my car, but shipping costs would go up, meaning the cost of goods would rise, meaning I'd have to pay more for the stuff I buy, and then I'd have to go without some stuff because my paycheck wouldn't go up and then…  you get my drift.  I have zero control over gas pricing.  Stop worrying about it.

My biggest test of late has been when I took my current job.  Working in a corporate environment exposes me to so many different people with different personalities, quirks, attitudes and agendas.  It could be very easy to get sucked in to the drama of everyday but I choose not to.  In fact I'm almost fanatical about it.  When the gossip mongers and the rumor spreaders try to drag me into their petty BS I am quick to let them know I'm not interested.  I think I've literally said to various people "I don't care" about a hundred times.  They can be persistent too so I can never let my guard down for a second.  It helps too that I really don't have the stomach for that kind of stuff.  Never really have.

Along those lines I've also decided my job is simply that.  A job.  It is currently how I finance my life.  My job is not my life.  That exists outside of my place of employment.  I rarely find myself stressed out and emotionally drained by my job.  By having that pragmatic attitude I think it makes me a much better and more productive employee too.

When people, even complete strangers, got upset I used to get upset too.  Why?  Now I tend to be more of an observer in these instances and find their antics rather humorous most of the time.  People can really make an ass of themselves sometimes.  I came home from work the other day to find the water company had torn up our street to repair the line.  We had to park up the block and walk home.  I was just happy I didn't have groceries to haul.  As I headed home my neighbor stopped me to rant and rave about how inconvenient this all was for her.  Mind you she had nowhere to go or anything pressing, she just wanted to complain.  I stood there silently, gave her about a minute to vent and then told her to have a nice day while I continued home silently shaking my head.  Never mind her inconvenience, what about the poor families that had been without water for two days?

I have a friend who is mired in debt.  She works two jobs and still can't seem to get ahead because she won't change her spending habits.  Now she just has more money to spend and less time to enjoy all the crap she buys with it.  As she cries her heart out to me I just can't give her a whole lot of sympathy.  In the past I have counseled her in an effort to help her out of her predicament.  I don't try to help her anymore because I now recognize the futility in it.  She knows what she should do and I simply refuse to care more about her situation than she does.

For the most part it is the silly superficial stuff I no longer care about.  And I make sure I have a better understanding of things too.  I reserve my concern for the important things.  The things that truly matter.  The things I can actually do something about.  As a result my stress level is much lower and my happiness and contentment is on the rise.

Fall Is In The Air

Although the leaves have yet to begin to really turn colors here it is officially fall.  At least that's what the calendar tells us anyway.

I just love pumpkins.  I especially love eating things that are made with them.

Fall chrysanthemums are so pretty.

Soups and chili sure seem to taste better this time of year.

Spirited jack-o-lanterns.

Black kitties.  Well one, anyway.

 We'll be raking leaves soon enough.

The Economy Of Keeping Chickens

It has never been more advantageous than now, with the rising price of eggs, to be able to keep backyard chickens.  I am rather fortunate that our city allows residents to keep small flocks of hens in their yards.  Roosters are banned because they are noisy and crow.  Fortunately roosters are not necessary for egg production.

I happen to be one of those nutty people who loves chickens.  We consider them pets first with the added bonus that they give back.  Our four girls lay close to two dozen eggs a week and we are able to easily sell our surplus eggs.  Right now I charge $3 a dozen.

Chickens can be pretty self sufficient when it comes to their expenses.  Anyone with a little skill and a few tools can build a coop inexpensively and quite often wood can be had for free.  Shipping pallets are an excellent source of wood for building a coop and many companies are all too happy to get rid of them.

Our coop was constructed mostly from the leftover boards after we replaced our fence.  I did buy a sheet of OSB plywood for the floor and ceiling, a pressure treated 4 X 4 and a roll of chicken wire.  I scrounged up a pile of 2 X 3s from a friend's scrap woodpile to frame in the coop and pen area.  I had a coffee can full of hinges and latches I had collected over the years so I didn't need to purchase any hardware.  I also had enough screws in my miscellaneous can of fasteners to get the job done.

I opted to purchase simple feeders and have even made a couple out of empty gallon milk jugs.  Pelletized feed is readily available at our local Zamzows feed store and we supplement their diet with scratch grains, dandelion greens and our kitchen scraps.  Whenever I make a salad, which I do quite often, they always get one too made out of the trimmings.  We also planted them their own row of lettuce in the garden this summer.  Since chickens can be messy eaters I routinely remove the feeders from the coop and allow the hens to scratch and pick at the ground so they will clean up all their spilled food.  This saves us a lot of money and pretty much eliminates any waste.

A few times a week I let the ladies out of the coop to scratch for bugs and have some fun.  Chickens are wonderful at pest control and have pretty much eliminated our ant and earwig problem by keeping the critters in check. 

Keeping the coop and pen area clean takes me very little time.  I employ the deep litter method which simply means we put a thick layer of pine bedding in their nests, along the floor and under the roost.  Occasionally I do a little poop scooping to tidy things up and add the manure to our compost bin.  I add extra pine bedding as it is needed, which surprisingly, isn't all that often.  About every six weeks I rake the pen area outside and add that to the compost bin as well.

Twice a year I do a deep clean and remove all the litter down to the wood floor and begin again.  It takes me very little time and I don't mind doing it a bit.  Especially as the pine shavings absorb moisture and keep odors to a minimum, which we all appreciate.

Although there is an initial upfront investment in the beginning eventually they are able to contribute enough to their upkeep that it all evens out.  By selling the extra eggs we easily make enough to purchase all of their food and any other supplies they need.  They may even make a little extra.

The bonus for us is hours of entertainment as chickens are really funny to watch and interact with.  Not to mention the delicious farm fresh eggs we get to eat every day.

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

A friend emailed me some really good coupons for JoAnn Fabrics.  I used two of them to purchase fabric I need for a couple of projects on my list.  I had to do two transactions in order to use both coupons so my oldest went through and paid for one piece with my gift card making that order cost nothing out of pocket.  I paid cash for my order which will be a Christmas gift.  The coupons saved me a considerable amount of money overall.

I finished up some Christmas and birthday gifts for my daughters and wrapped them with gift wrap I had bought at the dollar store a while ago.  The Christmas wrap was actually from two years ago and I finished up the rest of the roll.  I'm excited now to get to use the new stuff I bought after Christmas last year.

I listed three more items in my Etsy store.  They are a few of the "rustic" signs I made.  I hope they find a good home.

I rinsed out an empty bottle of laundry detergent which gave me enough soap to wash a sizeable load of clothes.  I rinsed out an empty bottle of dish soap which gave me enough suds to wash a load of dishes.  I added plain tap water to my bottle of facial cleanser and shook it up to give me another week or so of cleanser.

I used up an apple that had gone soft by chopping it up and making apple fritters for breakfast.

The school district had a two day state in-service for all the teachers meaning my daughters ended up having a four day weekend.  I took Thursday and Friday off from work and decided to stay home with them and enjoy a long weekend as well.  We had a fun and productive time.

Thursday we took the insulation I bought at the Habitat thrift store for $4 and installed it in the chicken coop.  Actually, I instructed the girls on what to do and they did the work.  They thought that was pretty neat.  I also wired the light I had bought for $1 to an extra extension cord I had in the garage and installed that as well.  Afterward we went to one of our favorite diners for a burger and then made a trip to the feed store and got us an extra water feeder for under $6.  Now the hens are officially ready for cold weather and we each got a delicious burger for our efforts.

Penelope approves

One of our neighbors, who buy eggs from us, stopped by to give me an extra egg carton she saved for us and said we have the best eggs ever.  Our neighbors on the other side told us the same thing a couple weeks ago.  It makes me so proud of my little flock.  My aunt says it might have something to do with the" mansion" they live in and the fact they are loved so much.  She might be right about that.  J

I treated myself to a pair of potted chrysanthemums at Lowe's for $10.  I pulled all the spent petunia plants in our pots and replaced them with the mums.  I put out some fall décor and my ceramic jack-o-lantern.  It is so nice to have our front porch decorated for fall now.

Friday morning I went out early in the morning and picked a dozen fresh jalapeños and a bell pepper.  I went in and immediately made a batch of hot pepper jelly.  I love to spread cream cheese on top of a Wheat Thin cracker and then place a dollop of the jelly on top.  Yum!

After the jam was done I put on a pot of chili and let it cook low and slow all day while we headed off to walk along the Boise river on the greenbelt.  On the way home we stopped at the library to return books and check out new ones.  

We finished up our day out by stopping at Dairy Queen for a small Blizzard treat.  (I couldn't believe we were sitting outside, on their patio, enjoying the sunshine and eating ice cream in October)  It was such a nice time and when we finally got home dinner was ready. After playing with the chickens for a little bit and getting them fed we enjoyed some of the best chili I think I have ever made.  It was so good.

I put a quart size container of chili away in the freezer for later and the rest went in the fridge to enjoy over the weekend.

The chickens blessed us with 20 eggs last week.

30 Things In 30 Days - October

I made myself another list of things to do.  I was super inspired after how well I did on last month's list.  One again, if I don't complete everything on this list I have to remember that it is okay.

This is what I have planned for this month:

1.          Count my blessings

2.         Go to the $$ Store

3.         Send a letter or card to someone

4.         Family Game Nite!

5.         Invite guests over for a visit or dinner

6.         Make a gift

7.         Sew or craft something

8.         Make a monthly meal plan for November

9.         Make a menu for Christmas

10.       Try a new recipe

11.        Read a book or write

12.       Family Movie Nite!

13.       Winterize the chicken coop

14.       Get garden ready for winter

15.        Investment cooking

16.       Repurpose/recycle something

17.       Go on a date with my youngest

18.       Make or buy and wrap two more Christmas gifts

19.       Family outing

20.      Bake something and share it

21.       Get yard ready for winter

22.       Re-seed the lawn

23.       Complete a $5 or $10 home improvement project

24.       Make throw pillow for chair in living room

25.       Prune a tree

26.       Family Nite Out!

27.       List something to sell on eBay, Etsy or Craigslist

28.       Work on new inventory for Etsy store

29.       Decorate for fall

30.       Take some time for myself

Frosted the glass on our updated kitchen light fixtures

This is how I did last month:

1.          Count my blessings

2.         Go to the $$ Store  Didn't need anything so I didn't go. J

3.         Send a letter or card to someone

4.         Family Game Nite!

5.         Invite guests over for a visit or dinner

6.         Make a gift

7.         Sew or craft something

8.         Make a monthly meal plan for October

9.         Make a menu for Thanksgiving

10.       Try a new recipe

11.        Read a book or write

12.        Family Movie Nite!

13.        Deep clean chicken coop

14.       Clean up garden

15.        Investment cooking  salsa

16.       Repurpose/recycle something  I gave our upstairs bathroom mirror a new look rather than replace it.

17.        Mix compost with chicken manure

18.       Make or buy and wrap two Christmas gifts

19.       Family outing  Car show

20.       Bake something and share it

21.        Rake the entire yard

22.       Clean the gutters

23.       Complete a $5 or $10 home improvement project  Winterized the door leading out to garage

24.       Make my bedroom curtains

25.       Wash mini blind in dining room window

26.       Family Nite Out!

27.       List something to sell on eBay, Etsy or Craigslist  4 scarf & head warmer sets

28.       Work on new inventory for Etsy store

29.       Make pillowcases for our camp pillows

30.       Take some time for myself  I allowed myself the luxury of laying around in my pajamas and watched TV over Labor Day weekend.

Plus this item I really wanted to get done last month:

24.       Update upstairs bathroom mirror  Looks so good!

And these two items from a couple of months before:

19.       Fix our garage door  no more drafts

21.        Winterize our overhead garage door  So happy to finally have this done.  I've wanted it for years.

Not too shabby for one month's work!

Rustic Signs Project

For quite awhile I have been packing around a bunch of graphics I had printed off a freebie site a few years ago with the idea I'd be able to make some cute signs and artwork with them.  Finally I got the opportunity to make some.

Remember when I had mentioned a couple of week ago about stopping at the millwork place near my office and scoring some nice pieces from their "Free Wood" bin.  Well I spent the better part of a Sunday using my new saw and a bunch of stuff I already had on hand in my garage and my craft supplies and made a few signs.

I had the idea to make them rustic, like the sides of crates, leaving any flaws and imperfections in the wood.  I think it adds character.  I decoupaged the graphics onto the wood and sealed them with exterior grade varathane.

I always wanted to make this Fresh Eggs sign to attach to our chicken coop.

I love the look of these vintage inspired food labels.  Isn't it so nice when you can take a vision in your head and make it an actual thing just like you imagined?

I made several, more than I need, but I had the supplies and I was having a ball.  I went ahead and listed a few in my Etsy store because I think they'd make great gifts.  Aren't they cute?

My birthday saw

It's a rarity that I get to just play for a day.  However, I think it needs to be less rare and I plan to do stuff like this more often.