Frugal Friday With Marsha-- Christmas is Past

Christmas is wonderful, but I always breath a sigh of relief once the holiday is over.  It's such a busy time getting ready for all of the church and family events.......and preparing gifts.

You know that I made the drawstring backpacks for everyone on my list.  Everyone was 26 people both children and adults.  I needed a new bag, so gifted one to myself too.   I made so many that I have 9 left to list for sale in my etsy shop.

The beauty of making the bags was that I had a lot of time (and love) put into the sewing, but very little money.  Most of the fabrics were given to me and a small amount of the fabric I bought at yard sales or estate sales for very little money.  It proved to be a great stash buster of my fabric as well although there is still plenty in my craft room.

I didn't think to take a picture, but I got a great deal on the candy that I put in everyone's bags too.
I used shopkick while I waited at Walmart to get the oil changed on my car.  With the few points I already had in the app and what I got while waiting I ended up being able to get $7 in Target gift cards.
This prompted me to know that I needed to buy my candy at Target.  I went to work and printed coupons for some of the candy---from Swagbucks and Inboxdollars so I will earn an additional 10 cents for each coupon that I printed and used----I used 2 coupons.
I put the Target Cartwheel app back on my phone and found additional percentage off on the candy I planned to buy.
Then, when I arrived at Target I found a one day special that day of an additional 25% off all candy!!
I ended up with over $30 worth of candy and paid less than $10 for it.

For people such as my brother, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, children's significant others etc, I came up with the idea to make up little desk gift sets for each of them.
I shopped Dollar Tree and bought index cards, small notebooks, pencils, and pens.  I spent $8 plus tax.
I used paper clips from home and bookmarks that I already had made and added those along with index cards, a pencil, a pen and a small notepad into a cellophane bag.

Other gifts for my children and grandchildren came out of my stash that I gathered all year long.


As for shopping after Christmas, I only hit Dollar Tree to see what I could get for 50 cents each.  I spent less than $10 but came home with gift boxes of all sorts.  Boxes is what I was short on this year for wrapping.


How was your Christmas?  What did you do to make it a frugal one?

WIP Wednesday-- No More Bags.....at least for awhile

You may have noticed that I've not done a WIP Wednesday post now for the last 2 or 3 weeks.  It's because I was working on nothing except the drawstring backpacks!!

I ended up making a total of 38.  Two of those went to charity.  26 of them went for Christmas gifts.  I kept one for myself.  And, I have 9 that will be listed in my etsy shop.

This picture shows 33 of them:

I have started on my next long term project, and I do mean long term.
I have a special order to make 2 valances and a table runner with Christmas and other fabrics.  Yes, I have until next Christmas to get these done, and it will take me that long too!

I do have one more project that must be worked on, which is the challenge project for quilt guild.  I will need to go back and forth working on that until it's done.  It's due in April.

It's the end of the year, so I am including my list of finishes along with my current WIP's.

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
Hexagon quilt
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Brown half square triangle table runner
2 sets of doll blanket, pillows, bed and rug
Wall hanging for quilt guild
yo-yo's that need to be made into projects
black and white rail fence quilt
Arkansas Crossroads scrap quilt
T-shirt latchhook rug
Charming Stars quilt
Special crocheted prayer shawl
Fall Squares table topper
Crazy colored quilt with the five and dime blocks
Rainbow colored string quilt
St. Patricks yo-yo table topper/runner
Lexington quilt

2016 Finishes:
Smaller pink 4 patch quilt for charity
Pink 4 patch quilt for charity
Hexagon flower table runner
T-shirt toothbrush rug
7 sets of coasters
52 microwave hotpads
4 sets of doll blanket, pillows, bed and rug
Blue and Brown yo-yo table runner
Rainbow colored locker hook rug
Christmas yo-yo table topper/runner
38 drawstring backpacks for gifts, for sale, and for charity

I link up with the following blogs:

Holiday Crafts Challenge Hosted by FamilyFun Magazine

I know a lot of my readers love crafts as well as doing crafts as a family.  I wanted to pass along the Holiday Crafts Challenge that FamilyFun magazine is hosting!

Here are the details.  I hope if you choose to enter, you will comment and let me know that you did so that I can look for your entry!

Are you a pro DIY-er? Do your kids help you create cute FamilyFun crafts around the holidays? Show us your best pics of what you make and you could win a $200 gift card to Jo-Ann Stores to use for your next project!

Here’s what to do to enter:
1.     Take or choose a photo capturing something your family has made together for the holidays. Then enter:
a.     Via Facebook: Upload your photo from Facebook or your computer from this page by clicking the orange button that says "Submit An Entry."
b.     Via Instagram: Follow @familyfunmag and share your photo with the hashtag #HowWeFun. You will receive a comment on your photo from @familyfunmag with instructions on how to officially register your photo and complete your one entry on www.facebook.com/familyfun. (This may take a few minutes.)

*You can only enter once between now and January 1, 2017. Click for complete rules.

Unwrap Your Next SB Bonus with the New Swago Game

It's time for you to unwrap your SB bonus this holiday season courtesy of Swagbucks. This month's Holiday themed Swago board offers a possible 400 SB ($4) Bonus!

What is SWAGO you ask? It's a bingo-inspired promotion run by Swagbucks, a website that rewards you with points (called SB) for completing everyday online activities. When you complete a task, watch that square change colors like a twinkling Christmas light. You can then redeem those SB for free gift cards. If you've never used Swagbucks, participating in SWAGO is a great way to learn how to use the site, and it's a lot of fun!

Here’s what you need to know to get your 400 SB Bonus:

• Swago will begin on Monday, December 19th at 8:01am PDT/11:01am EDT, make sure you hit “Join” otherwise you won’t get credit for completing the action items. Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete.
• Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.
• You have a limited amount of time to mark off as many squares as possible so use your time wisely.
• Be mindful of the patterns and their corresponding bonuses located on the right of your Swago Board. The patterns will vary in difficulty and bonus value.
• Once you’ve achieved a pattern the corresponding “Submit” button will light up. You can have multiple patterns available for submission, however, you can only submit ONE pattern so choose wisely.
• The game ends Monday, December 26th at 12pm PDT/3pm EDT. So make sure to hit “Submit” on the pattern you wish to submit. If you don’t hit “Submit” before the game ends you won’t receive your SB bonus.

*****Not a member of Swagbucks yet?? Be sure to join HERE!!*****

Win a Copy of Cosmic and Eternal Love An Everlasting Love Story and Coloring Book by Amrita Sen

Cosmic and Eternal Love An Everlasting Love Story and Coloring Book is so special, and a first of it's kind in the coloring book genre!

Written and illustrated by Amrita Sen.    Amrita is a multi-talented artist.  She was trained as a visual artist.  You may remember her from the performance of "Jai Ho" at the 2009 Academy Awards, where she performed the winning song from the movie Slumdog Millionaire.   She's also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Oprah Winfrey Show, and at the Hollywood Bowl.

Amrita's first brand was BollyDoll, which was launched in 2012 through a loungewear collection.

What makes Cosmic and Eternal Love a first of it's kind??  It comes with an album written and produced by Amrita.
Just imagine relaxing to modern pop music with hints of Bollywood tunes.   The adult coloring books are so relaxing to work and help us de-stress.  All the more while listening to the music that goes with the story as you color the pages!

Here is an example:

The book, along with her colorfully illustrated stationery gift collection are currently available at Barnes & Noble and Dillard's department stores.    In January 2017 it will be available everywhere.
You may pre-order it now through amazon with the price guarantee:


You can find out all about the book as well as Amrita Sen's entire collection by visiting http://www.cosmicandeternallove.com/

You can also learn more about the coloring book in this youtube video:



Now for the best part!!  One lucky Marsha's Spot reader will win their own copy of Cosmic and Eternal Love!  Just enter below using the rafflecopter form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Disclosure:  I rec'd a copy for the purpose of this review and giveaway.  I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.  Sponsor is responsible for prize delivery.  Post contains affiliate links.

Kits for the Crafty Person on Your List

Christmas is right around the corner!
If you have a crafty person on your list, these exciting pop culture craft kits from Thunder Bay Press would make great gifts this holiday season!.....or perfect for yourself if you are the crafty person.



With great yarn come great superheroes! Marvel Universe Crochet ($24.99; ISBN: 978-1-62686-655-3) contains all the materials you need to crochet Spider-Man and Captain America — yarn, a crochet hook, stuffing, safety eyes, felt, an embroidery needle, and thread. Colorful photos and step-by-step directions in the 76-page instruction book will also guide you to crafting 12 of the most heroic group of amigurumi ever imagined, including Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Falcon, She-Hulk, Daredevil, Groot, and Rocket. These cute and cuddly superheroes will help you remember that there’s a hero in all of us!



From bouncing Bumbles to Yukon gold, you'll love these adorable amigurumi figures from the classic television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer! This cheerful Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet ($24.99; ISBN: 978-1-62686-657-7) kit contains all the materials you'll need to create Rudolph and Santa. Colorful photos and step-by-step directions in the 76-page instruction book will also guide you through crafting the Bumble, Charlie-in-the-Box, Dolly, Spotted Elephant, Hermey, Moonracer, Mrs. Claus, Clarice, Sam the Snowman, and Yukon Cornelius. Warm up your crochet hook for this group of charming holiday characters!



From Han Solo to Boba Fett, you can create ten adorable Star Wars figures from a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars Felt ($24.99; ISBN: 978-1-62686-656-0)! The 48-page instruction book has step-by-step directions and color photos to help you advance from padawan crafter to Jedi felt master. The kit includes everything you need to make all ten characters, including Luke, Leia, Han, Darth Vader, Wicket the Ewok, R2-D2, and more: multiple colors of felt, stuffing, a needle, embroidery floss, and die-cut templates. May the felt be with you!

Frugal Friday with Marsha--Pogue's Basics: Money (A Review)

For this week's Frugal Friday post, I bring you a review of Pogue's Basics:  Money.



Subtitled Essential Tips and Shortcuts (That No One Bothers to Tell You) About Beating the System, Pogue's Basics: Money is one of those books that you will want to keep on your shelf for future reference.

It's written by David Pogue who has already written Basics on Tech, and Life.  He reveals even more of the tips and tricks that he's picked up over years of searching for loopholes, shortcuts, and better ways of doing thungs that can add up to save hundreds.  Actually, if you were to use every tip in his book, you would save around $61,000 each year.

Let's talk about what you won't find in Pogue's Basics:  Money:
You won't find the obvious tips such as saving for a rainy day, cooking at home instead of eating out, quit smoking, go to free days at the museum, etc.
You won't find recipes for making your own cleaners, or growing your own food, or washing and ironing and re-using paper towels.
You won't find him telling you to make personal sacrifices by giving up comforts--like buying a smaller house, driving a smaller car, eating out less.
You will also not find any unethical tips.  These are all over the internet (and on TV) such as taking extra condiment packets when you eat out, order a cheap soup at a restaurant with all you can eat breadsticks, refill the breadsticks then take them home, telling a business it's your birthday when it's not for a free gift.
You will also not find investment tips.

Pogue's Basics:  Money is set up into 14 chapters:
Shopping Hacks
Credit Cards
Gift-Card Hacks
House and Home
Tech and TV
Travel
Cars
Food and Drink
Your Body
How to Exploit Group Buying Power
Make Money with No Effort
The Last Legal Tax Dodges
The Personal Money Checkup
Financial Brain Hacks

As I read through the book, I found several things that I didn't know about.  One has to do with my Amazon Prime account.  I look forward to putting that in to affect as it will help my daughter.
I learned about how often I really need to change the oil in my car, which was actually a relief because money wise that is all we do it anyway.
I learned about buying gift cards at a discount---even some tips on what to do with that little bit you have left on a gift card.
I learned about some apps that I hadn't heard of, but think they are great and want to make use of at least one of them when I get the chance.

Of course everyone isn't going to use every tip in the book, but I bet anyone that reads it will find far more to use than the cost of the book.  I know there are things in the book on ways to save that I can only dream of right now, but what if my dreams come true?  You know, on having the money for trips etc.  I'm keeping this book on my shelf to have it as a reference for many things in the future, and you should too!

I am highlighting all 3 of Pogue's Basics below because after reading Money, I have put Tech and Life on my wishlist on amazon.







Disclaimer:  I rec'd a copy of this book in exchange for writing this review.  I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.  Post does contain affiliate links.

WIP Wednesday--Bags, Bags, and More Bags

I am working on nothing but the drawstring backpacks for Christmas and don't feel like I am getting very far.
So far I only have the same 8 completed that I showed last week.
I have been cutting fabrics for more over this past week.  I should get my sewing machine back out and sew together the ones that I have completely cut, but at the same time I want to finish cutting this huge stack of fabrics that I have sitting beside me yet to cut.  What to do, what to do.

Talk about a stash buster though!!  I've had to go into my stash to find additional fabrics aside from the 2 large stacks I had set aside for bags already.  I needed more child prints, then I also needed fabrics that would go for the insides as I didn't have enough that "matched".  

I snapped a couple of pictures as I worked on cutting this past week to share.

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
Hexagon quilt
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Brown half square triangle table runner
2 sets of doll blanket, pillows, bed and rug
Wall hanging for quilt guild
yo-yo's that need to be made into projects
black and white rail fence quilt
Arkansas Crossroads scrap quilt
T-shirt latchhook rug
Charming Stars quilt
Special crocheted prayer shawl
Fall Squares table topper
Crazy colored quilt with the five and dime blocks
Rainbow colored string quilt
St. Patricks yo-yo table topper/runner
Lexington quilt
? microwave hotpads
? drawstring backpacks for gifts and for sale

I link up with the following sites:

Frugal Friday With Marsha -- Thanksgiving Dinner

Is Thanksgiving dinner frugal?  If you think about the fact that each family, or person, brings something to share for the dinner, then yes.

One grandson said yesterday that we need to eat like this everyday.  We laughed as we spend hours preparing the foods for the day.  My oldest daughter commented that if we made this much food in one day just for us at home, we would eat all week on it.  She is right on that for sure.

My middle daughter made dinner rolls from scratch, as well as an apple pie.  They bought the turkey and smoked it at the smokehouse where they work.  Her family made others things such as a veggie tray, gravy, a homemade cheesecake, and the green bean casserole.

My youngest daughter brought the cranberry sauce.

My mom mad her "famous" applesauce Jello.

My oldest daughter provided the candies yams, a pumpkin pie and a sweet potato pie (and the whipped topping), drinks, a small ham, and the boxes of stuffing.

I made the deviled eggs and the mashed potatoes.  Last Saturday our town gave away tons of potatoes free.  They were from a large farm here in Kansas.  They were the potatoes that the farmer couldn't sell to the stores because they were different shapes and such.  I picked up 2 - 10 lb bags.  When we went to church Sunday, someone in the church had picked up 7 bags and had them out for any members who wanted to take as many as they wanted.

You know we are eating leftovers today....all day  :)

I don't know why, but I just didn't take any pictures at all yesterday. Usually I'm snapping pictures as we cook as well as when we eat.  I'm kicking myself now, of course.  I "stole" this picture that my middle daughter took of her hubby's full plate.

I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving with family and friends.  See you next Friday  :)

WIP Wednesday-- All About the Bags

I am trying to only work on the drawstring backpacks for gifts until I get them all done.

I made all of the ones that had fabric cut for.

Now I have my other fabrics out and I'm working on cutting the rest of it to start on more.  I sure hope in the end that I have enough to make the amount of bags that I need to make!

Of course tomorrow is Thanksgiving and that's also it's own WIP!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

UFO's:

Rectangle quilt
challenge wall hanging
Hexagon quilt
Emerald Island Fusique table runner
Five and Dime quilt
Brown half square triangle table runner
2 sets of doll blanket, pillows, bed and rug
Wall hanging for quilt guild
yo-yo's that need to be made into projects
black and white rail fence quilt
Arkansas Crossroads scrap quilt
T-shirt latchhook rug
Charming Stars quilt
Special crocheted prayer shawl
Fall Squares table topper
Crazy colored quilt with the five and dime blocks
Rainbow colored string quilt
St. Patricks yo-yo table topper/runner
Lexington quilt
? microwave hotpads
? drawstring backpacks for gifts and for sale

I link up with the following blogs:

Creative Options Gives You Lots of Creative Options

For the serious DIY-er, it’s the season when your workspace expands to a craft room! With gift wrapping, card crafting and your craft projects, you’ll need plenty of space to keep the Yuletide from spilling into the rest of the house. This season, let Creative Options help you contain the chaos.

In my case my craft room needs a lot more help in the way of organizing!  I have projects in bags hanging on the wall, projects in boxes on my desk, projects just laying on my desk....and projects in the living room as I don't have enough room in my craft room to work in there!

Below is a list of the Creative Options products that are featured in the Craft Room image above:

1. Craft Project Box with Handle 

2. Small Rack System 

3. Medium Deep Utility Box

4. Large Utility Box

5. Two-Tray Box

6. Medium Rack System 

7. Knitting Needle Case 

8. Knitting Needle Case with Zipper 

9. Round Utility Box

10.Pocket Size Utility Box

11.Small Utility Box

12.Signature 5 Pocket Tote  

13.Mini Sideways Utility Box

I received 4 of the Project Boxes w/ Handles.  It didn't take me long to fill the 4 boxes!!

The top box that is opened contains drawstring backpacks that I am making for Christmas gifts.

The other 3 boxes contain a lockerhook rug that I have started, string quilt blocks that I am making, and a quilt that I am working called Arkansas Crossroads.

Prior to receiving the boxes, the gifts were in a plastic grocery sack.  The string quilt blocks were noe of the projects laying on my desk.  The Arkansas Crossroads quilt was in a cardboard box.  And, the lockerhook rug was hanging on my wall in a re-usable grocery sack.

It's so nice to have at least these projects in the easy to carry and organize Project Boxes w/ Handles.

I love these boxes!  They are sturdy and dependable and just what I needed for projects.  

I attend local quilt retreats and can't wait to be super organized now by taking the projects that I want to work on for the weekend in these boxes.

I have to include another Creative Options item that is now on my wishlist:

I have another Creative Options item that I've owned for a few years now that I also want to share with you.  It's the Double Sided Thread & Parts box.  It has 46 fixed compartments.  As you can see, I do have it full of thread on both sides.  It's been great to be able to pick up the box and take it wherever I am working on projects and have all of my colors of thread readily available.

Check out all of the Creative Options storage options at their website HERE.

They offer storage solutions for needle arts, sewing & quilting, jewelry making, fine arts, kids crafts and general crafts.

You can find Creative Options at Hobby Lobby, WalMart, Jo-Ann, and Michaels as well as Amazon has a nice selection as well!

Disclosure:  I rec'd a set of boxes in exchange for this blog post.  I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.  Post does contain affiliate links.