Dollhouse Miniature Room Updates 1:12 scale

My mans room. I made the bed and have a video under my playlist on my You Tube channel. Now, some of the new things I did are:

1. Touched up the mirror edges with a brown marker created from cardboard and Washi Tape and glued the bottom that started to separate a bit
2. Changed the rug from an oriental to a solid light green fabric rement.
3. Made some clothing for the dresser and opened a drawer to peek inside
4. Made a Shade for the window
5. Made a draped curtain treatment 
6. Added the luggage under the window table from Michaels I hauled a few months back.
7. Placed a flower arrangement on the window table ( I removed the boat previuosly show until Hubby cuts the wood down).

                                        Mans Room (Before)

This is the first step to my window treatment I created a type of blind look with lace detail. 

It makes the window look better and the room more warm.

This is the curtain I created for the window. I wanted a large presence and provide coverage for the dark sports on the wallpaper. I wanted to use some of the colors found in the room.

The window Treatment is complete. Now, I will admit I have never made a detailed window treatment before. So for my 1st time I dont think I did too badly. Now, I'm not sure how I am feeling about the green ribbon so I may change this and try to recreate with some of other fabric. Im glad I tried something new.

In this photo you can see the luggage under the table I bought from Michaels. The dresser has a drawer slightly open with clothes I made.

Meal Plan Recipes

This week's recipes where found in Cheap Eats Budget-Busting Ideas That Won't Break the Bank by Sterling Epicure, Delicious Dinners $5.00 by Haystack Media and lastly Taste Of Home Magazine 2016 Summer. Some of the recipes did not have photos.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Turkey & Wild Rice

Quick Creamy Gnocchi

Chicken and Sqaush Gratin

Steak and Guinness

Breand and Butter Pudding

Morning Coffee Be a Wise Woman

My day starts simply with morning coffee creme brulee and a cinnamon stick. As a list of things to do pop into my thoughts. I decide to slow down and enjoy the sound of the coffee maker and it's steady dripping sound. Pushing the mundane chores to the side for a moment. I hear my children  talking and enjoying their toasted raisin bread with sweet cream butter. I just turned on the wax melter in the kitchen for some aromatherapy. A moment with God is next.

Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Think of good ways to bring joy and comfort to your home. Have a beautiful day my friends.

Dollhouse Miniature 1:12 Scale Diy Mans Room Mirror

As always I'm looking for creative ways to use what I have and recycle items. This week I decided to focus on the mans room in my dollhouse. I made this mirror from packaging, washi tape, and redline tape from the Dollar Tree. It was very easy. Please see my video below for my process. I have a list of items I want to create for this room and many others that I will be sharing on a Budget.

Best Bug Sprays List

Here is the list of the Best Bug Sprays by Consumer Reports:

See the full list of Consumer Reports recommended bug sprays below:

1. Total Home (CVS) Woodland Scent Insect Repellent. Score: 94 ($6)

2. Off Deep Woods Insect Repellent VIII Dry Rank. Score: 94 ($6)

3. Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent2. Score: 90 ($5)

4. Ben’s 30% Deet Tick & Insect Repellent. Score: 88 ($8)

5. Coleman Insect Repellent High an Dry 25% Deet. Score 86 ($7)

6. Sawyer Ultra 30 Insect Repellent (lotion). Score: 84 ($10)

7. Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent 20% Picaridin. Score: 83 ($8)

8. Repel Insect Repellent Scented Family 15% Deet. Score: 83 ($4)

9. Repel Insect Repellent Sportsmen Formula Dry 25% Deet. Score 76 ($5)

10. Off Deep Woods Sportsmen Insect Repellent II. Score 74 ($6)

https://www.consumerreports.org/products/insect-repellent/ratings-overview/

Dollhouse Miniature Diy Screen Door from Cardboard

I enjoy using the trash to treasure method.Where ever I go I look at things with the eyes of a miniaturist.  Grabbing a piece of cardboard and making it into something miniature is very gratifying. This door can be made many different ways from any era or time. It's up to you and your project at hand. I may even attempt to make the missing front doors to my latest Dollhouse. I will list the video's below for the cardboard screen door Diy for your viewing pleasure. I am creating a Shabby Chic Porch Scene that I will be sharing with you as I go. This project may take several months depending on how kind time is with me.

I propped the door inside the kitchen of my newest dollhouse so you can have an idea of the look. The color does not match the trim because the door is for another project. The door looks like it is bowed because its not attached rather leaning. If it was attached it would have looked a bit better.

Great Depression Recipe,Living, and Survival in Todays World

These were sad times where the landscape of America changed. I believe that learning from our past is vital. As history has a way of repeating itself. I give myself scenarios of "What If". What if I could not get food for my family.... all the stores are empty,no electricity, no gas for my car, no medicine, no water, no phone, no Internet, no heat (cold winter), no cooking (alternative means), no money available at ATM. 

What if we experienced an EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) that could take down our electrical grid for months or years. Here is a link from Washington Times: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/may/21/electromagnetic-pulse-emp-is-a-major-threat/
 I just recently learned from the Weather Channel that the East Coast has a rock that effect us greatly in a Solar Storm here is the link: https://weather.com/news/news/2018-06-14-rocks-under-interstate-95-power-grid-fears
What if we had a natural disaster or weather event that could effect our lives for months or years.
Look at the recent and past hurricanes (Maria and Katrina), snow storms, flooding rain. All these are reality and very difficult to recover from. Lastly, new information has come out on Yellowstone the U.S. Super Volcano that maybe of great importance its recharging at a rapid rate than previously known. Here is a link from Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/yellowstone-supervolcano-scientists-can-tell-how-fast-molten-rock-bubbling-958405

What are some of the steps you could take to ensure your family is in a better position. Think about what your daily needs. Begin there.. I previously listed my pantry categories as a helpful tool.  What else could you do be frugal, re-use, recycle, and re-use again. Make old things new. Learn new skills like sewing, crochet, cooking, baking, preserving, clothing repair, shoe repair, wood making, soap making, herbal tinctures,and gardening (food). 

Having a good selection of recipes to chose from with little amount of ingredients is important.
I have began searching and writing down recipes with 5 ingredients or less. I thought of the great depression and how they had to make meals with little to nothing. I will also be looking at newer recipes as well. My pantry will be re-assessed for important main ingredients that can have long shelf life or used with my food saver for longevity. 

DEPRESSION ERA POTATO PANCAKES
2 to 3 med. potatoes 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. flour 1 egg Grate potatoes, add remaining ingredients and mix. Place in piles in frying pan in 1/4" oil and press thin. Fry until crisp and golden brown turning once.Sprinkle with table sugar (cane) and serve hot. Makes 6 to 10 pancakes.

 here is the link for the recipes above:https://www.cooks.com/recipe/as5n36k2/depression-era-potato-pancakes.html

Are you a Smart Prepper

As some of you may know we are a 1 income family. My husband and I work together towards making sure our food and water supply at a decent level. Some of you may ask why? You may even be thinking she is crazy,lol. Life has a funny way of throwing curve balls. They may come in form of a weather event, illness, injury, job loss,economical/recession or death. All these would be a big hit emotionally and financially. Most of us are not prepared even for a job loss let alone temporary illness or injury. 

These are real life events that happen.

When was it the last time you looked at your pantry. This would include water food, spices, and long term foods. These long term foods can be 20/30 years shelf life, canned goods/canning, or food you have placed into food savers bags for extended life. One of my friends on YouTube (At Home with Alicia) is going to use their stock pile of food for the month of July and be on a limited budget. I think that is a great idea! I may have to challenge myself as well to use my food stock. This would allow me to see what my family liked and disliked. Lets Jump into something I feel is important.  Having cook books with 4/5 ingredients are great. However, Cook Books in general are good to have imagine you can no longer afford Internet/cable nor a cell phone. Having Cook Books and other Alternative Health Books (Herbal Healing from the kitchen) and references could make a big difference in your life. Food for thought excuse the pun. Now you may ask what do I have in my pantry. I have shared a few videos on this on my You Tube Channel but here is a short list and a video below.

Some of the foods canned goods or extended I like to have on hand are:

water: Very Important cant Survive without Water

make it a point to get a case of water whenever possible

canned meats:chicken,beef, chili,tuna, salmon,etc

veggies: asparagus,corn, green beans,tomato/sauce/sweet peas,carrots,beet, yams, pumpkin,potatoes etc.

fruit: mixed fruit or apple sauce etc..

soups: all kinds canned or dry

breakfast foods: cereals, oats, granola, pancake mix

spices: are large array to choose from including honey/coconut oil/olive oil,salt/pepper.bay leaf etc.

pasta and rices various kinds

beans: navy beans, red beans,pinto and various dry beans

alternative drinks:shelf stable milk, juices, lemons/honey water, etc..

baking:sugar,flour, yeast,vegetable oil, baking powder etc

cooking helpers: sauces, packaged seasoning,butter etc..

cakes/muffins/cookie mixes/

 Now, lets take a short trip through history.  It provides us with a glimpse of what has taken place and what items you may want to consider stocking up on. Spices and Tea where very expensive and hard to come by. Normally, only the rich has access or funds for such luxuries like sugar, spices, honey, or flour. Remember honey is great for health, foods, and drinks. If the honey crystallizes it can be easily reheated/melted and placed into another container for later  use. Now, lets take a leap into growing our own foods. I don't have a green thumb to save my life(big smile). I'm just keeping it real. So, this process of growing our own food is a bit scary for me. Especially since we are renters and digging up the ground would be a no-no. I have done some research and a garden in pots is what we would be doing as a family. My husband has expressed interest in this. So, lets see what happens. 

My final words. Caring for ourselves and family is easier when you are not in a life crisis. So, I encourage families to start working on their food supplies and water if or when the day comes that tragedy strikes it wont hurt your family as badly because of your forethought, action, and love. 

                                                           Lets talk Fashion
           Life: this ain't no dress rehearsal live it fully beautifully              

Life: this ain't no dress rehearsal live it to the fullest in a beautiful way

Lets talk Fashion

Fashion is an expression of you it can tell others how you feel or the mood your in. I know as a homemaker sometimes fashion is the last thing I'm thinking about. Guess what I did. I gave myself a test for 4 days I pushed myself to get dressed in the morning and a light day make up look. I woke up earlier than normal so I could complete the task with no disruptions just me time. I felt like a million bucks. It put pep in my step and I felt beautiful. My energy level perked up because I was feeling good about myself and my husband appreciated the effort. Now, lets get a little personal as a plus size woman it can be daunting putting a look together that makes you feel Fabulous. It can be done. Go through your closet and try things on and see what gives you a immediate beautiful look and what ever doesn't get rid of it. This allows you to weed out the do's and dont's in that closet. Our taste change as we age and per season. For years I would only wear only black and now I'm rocking color especially neon brites they are my favorite. Don't be afraid to express yourself with fresh color, prints, floral, textures and brites. I hope you all take the leap and empower yourself with Fashion and Accessories!!!!

                           Why did I stop...confession of a homemaker

  As a homemaker I feel I am being pulled in a hundred different ways. Look at the photo above this homemaker has a table of food she loving prepared and set out for her family. Note: their is a table cloth,drinks, condiments, desert platter, and a non-stop movement of life. She has a dog on her lap while sitting she is feeding a horse through a open door. Her mother/in-law is sitting partaking. The husband just getting home and putting up his things. I can only imagine what the rest of her evening will look like after the meal is over with 3 children. I admire her tenacity to the fact she has plants on her sill that are beautiful. I don't have a green thumb to save my life,lol. Another thing to work on (smiles).

  This is not the scene of the average family. Most families eat in the kitchen while standing looking at their cell phones, bedroom, or in front of the TV. Disconnected from one another. We had made it a point to have our meals together as a family.  But as my husband hours grow longer and longer into the evenings it simply isn't happening. My energy level has diminished as well as my interest in the kitchen. I'm taking active steps to change this.

  We all know the importance of the kitchen a place of gathering, sharing, and family. A kitchen nourishes the family and is also your pharmacy when one is sick. Learning the uses of herbs and spice's to help cure a family member. I bought a book of herbs that would help me create tinctures and I haven't followed through. Only to my determent. Since I have been ill this may have helped me.

Prepping:
I have also stepped back from my prepping efforts for my pantry/home. My husband tapped me on the shoulder and said "Hey, whats going on with the prepping". My answer.... not much..I need to kick it back into gear. So, I am stepping up my efforts to have a pantry for my family to care for them in case of an emergency, sickness, accident,job loss or death. As a single income family my preps will determine if my family of 6 will be feed and cared for with less stress on the budget. My prepping also includes medicine, clothing, emergency kits, water etc...  Every family is different and has different needs. I want to learn to can food and learn other practical things to help my family.

These are but a few things I am trying to conquer. What are you trying to conquer/change in your home I would love to know.

 

Flowers

These are beautiful flowers my husband brought home for me last week. These simple but small gestures are so important in relationship. Never under estimate the simple things to bring you closer. He knows I've been struggling with an infected wisdom tooth that needs to be pulled. He see's my sleepless nights and my discomfort. Even though he worked a 13 hour day (Mechanic). He went to the grocery store brought food and cooked for the family. He is Amazing. 

Simple gestures as a hot meal, clean clothes, and a clean home. All these simple things that cost little to nothing to do except your time, thought, and energy. These small things can make a difference in the home and in relationships. It is constant for me to push to get these simple things done. It seems never ending especially with little ones that play all day into the night. I do the best I can. I know I can push to be better (Smiles). Lets remember the little things and call someone today like a parent,husband/wife, family or friend and let them know your thinking of them. Its means alot.

                                           

This is a friendly reminder to change those clocks. This is also a great time to think of what plants, vegetables, or fruit you would like to grow and start getting ready. As a beginner I am always educating myself with the best ways to grow food. This will be my first time doing this and Im excited to see what happens. I have talked to a few people, read, and watched videos. I feel confident that this will be a good experience and new adventure for me to say the least. Mind you I dont even have real house plants so this is a great undertaking for me and I will relish the experience.

Since I will be planting on my deck I will be using pots. Something similar to this photo above. As a renter I dont want to dig up their yard,lol. This looked reasonable and manageable to me. I look forward to sharing photos of my efforts. 

                                            Busy Bags & Folder Activities
                                             for Children 

I will admit I haven't made any busy bags or activity folders in a long time. However, having 4 year old twins that can get pretty much into everything through out the day means they need to be kept busy. Its that time where I need to focus on learning activities like busy bags and making folder activities once again.

For the next several weeks I will be visiting Pinterest and Youtube where you can find a gold mine of ideas, activities, and more for children. I will share what bags and/or learning folders I create as I go and do video's on youtube as well. Busy bags and folder activities can be made with things around the house with little to no investment besides your time and creativity.

Remember themed Holiday bags and folders activities are different and fun for the kiddos. So, lets be pro-active and kick it into high gear with learning fun!

                                         
                                          Remember God is there for you.......

Good morning my friends. This morning I sat quietly in my chair and spoke to God. It was 4:30 am the home was still although both my twins where partially awake in my bed. I needed this time to talk to God about my burdens, concerns, and unknowns. I had not done this for a few days. I often allow the outside world and its events to over take me lately. Big mistake. Like this light house God is a Beacon of love, hope, and forgiveness. Sometimes we weather storms and forget to look to God for his guidance and comfort. This is a gently reminder that your not alone. I wish you all a Blessed week and ask God to rain Blessing's on you and your loved ones.

                                     Getting Ready for Bumps on the Road
                        Augason Farm extended shelf life Foods

As a beginner prepper and homemaker. I see alot of disturbing events taking place in America. I've seen the catastrophic fires in California, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Earth Quakes, and civil unrest. Currently our stock market has been down by numbers never seen before since 2008. Markets in other countries dropping low as well. Families still struggling making ends meet when the gas prices are creeping higher each week. Currently in our area $2.60 a gallon or more. Food prices that swelled in previous years because of events that effected the delivery or changes at ports that simply never came back down. Food packaging deceiving customers with larger boxes, bags, and only a quarter of product inside. Recipes changing for companies to save money and our old time favorites no longer taste the same. New and higher taxes for imports from other countries which in turn we pay for at the check out. Many countries pulling away from the U.S. Dollar and creating their own gold backed currency. This is not good for America. So many things happening that affect the average consumer. These times in our lives as a family of 6 at home I worry and fret. So, I have taken action to make sure that we will be freed from uncertainty. I am assuring that my family will have water, food, clothing, and medicine. As I have previously mentioned we are renters and at the mercy of homeowners/investor's. I hope that one day we will have our own home to cultivate new memories, grow our own food, and leave a legacy for our children. I honestly feel we are in time of judgement. It is important to live righteously, honestly, and simply. When a weather event, illness, job loss, or loss of life occurs your foresight in prepping will be a blessing. Your investment in your family will free you and allow your money to last a bit longer because of your foresight.  Many countries with collapsed economies, rough winter seasons, and certain religious groups are preppers. I urge you all to take the simple steps to buy a few more cans of food, water, and medicines when your able to. Also be diligent use coupons, ibotta, and other apps, coupons printables to save money whenever possible. I personally buy name brand medicines from the Dollar Tree when I find them. I buy much of our clothing in the thrift stores. I get hand me downs for my boys from my sister. In turn I donate to keep the wheels turning. I think of simple ways to make things better now. I am reading more on certain subjects to prepare myself spiritually and effective alternatives for  life's unpredictability. So, as you can see I could go on forever on this subject. I feel you get the point. So, I will end it here my friends with (gentle smiles). I pray this message reaches your heart and small changes begin.