Sunday, August 30, 2015

Thrifty Sissy: Fall Cleaning

Thrifty Sissy: Fall Cleaning: Hello Fellow Thrifters! Do you remember the "old days" when our mother or grandmother did spring and fall cleaning? My mother wa...

Fall Cleaning

Hello Fellow Thrifters!

Do you remember the "old days" when our mother or grandmother did spring and fall cleaning? My mother wasn't much on it but I remember my dad taking all the furniture out of the house in the spring and fall. He cleaned the walls, floors and the last thing he did was go over the furniture with Old English Red furniture polish. Wow! Now don't get the wrong idea we only lived in three rooms with one bath and a great big closet. So there really wasn't a lot of stuff to take out in the yard or a bunch of rooms to clean.

Now I'm not suggesting such a drastic "take your furniture to the yard" fall cleaning unless you are planning on a yard sale. LOL. But couldn't we all stand some sort of organizing or purge this fall? Well, it can be as simple as going through your closet and pulling out all those clothes you haven't worn in years but have been telling yourself you are going to need when you lose those ten pounds. Then you could donate them to a women's shelter or Goodwill. Or what about purging the kitchen cabinet with all those plastic containers which have accumulated over the course of your lifetime? Maybe the area that needs fall cleaning the most is the paperwork which has taken over your desk, dining room table or the end table next to your favorite chair. Our stuff has a tendency to multiply if we don't manage it. I thinks that's why somebody a long time ago invented these semi-annual cleaning times.

For those of you who keep everything because you just might need it. You could start your fall cleaning on a much smaller scale. Maybe you would be willing to shred those income tax papers from twenty years ago. You only need the last seven years of tax receipts. Oh, I know that doesn't seem important but if you are having trouble filing your most recent papers because the files are overflowing this would solve part of the problem.

Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done that we shutdown. But the place to start anything is just take one little baby step. Just do one thing everyday and before long you will be on a roll. Little things do add up.

So this post is just a reminder to think about making a plan for your fall cleaning. After it is all done you will feel like you have a new home. You might even find some of those things that have been missing for a long time.

The cost for this project is zero except for your elbow grease so it qualifies as a real "thriftie."

Happy Fall to Y'all!

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Thrifty Sissy: Tree Branch Candleholders

Thrifty Sissy: Tree Branch Candleholders: Hello Thrifty Friends, It has been a while since I published a post but here we are heading toward fall and I just can't stand not to ...

Tree Branch Candleholders

Hello Thrifty Friends,

It has been a while since I published a post but here we are heading toward fall and I just can't stand not to share a neat "thrifty" with you.

Over the summer maybe there have been some tree limbs fall in your yard or in the neighbor's yard so get out there and grab a few of them. The sizes can vary depending on how big you want your candle holders to be.

While our yard didn't produce any limbs for my project, a few months ago the people at the end of our street cut up a big tree that had blown over. I stopped by and asked if I could have some of the limbs. They were more than agreeable for some help to get them out of their yard. I took them home to the garage to let them dry out for a few weeks. Thrifty Honey could not imagine what tree limbs had to do with a neat and clean garage but after I spent a few minutes explaining the proposed project and I flashed a couple of Pinterest photos he caught the vision.

Thrifty Honey sawed the limbs in several lengths and bored out the indentations in the top with a drill and bit. Wow! What would I ever do without my Honey? He is so handy. I also had him saw some smaller sections for coasters as well as another project for later. Thrifty Honey was all about the coasters since they are real "manly" looking and will go great in his cave. The coasters can also be stacked up to make a smaller candle stand.

These little logs look so fall-ish. One of the great things about these candle holders is you can put them outside on your patio table and no worries about them getting wet. They are just standing by waiting for the rest of the fall decor to appear.

Aren't you so ready for the pumpkins and mums? Don't forget football, sweaters and bonfires ... all the good stuff after a long hot summer. It's coming soon to our little hometown. I can't wait. Here are some photos of the thrifty candle holders and the "manly" coasters.








Stay Thrifty Y'all!!!