One dollar....one minute magic

I am a home maker that loves accountability. My heart's desire is to be in intentional in all aspects of my life, not just with my family. My intentional balancing act also consists of my home, finances, time with the Lord, and a myriad of other essentials I could list. But quite frankly, when the busyness of life gets in the way, those mundane domestic tasks are often the first to get pushed aside.
That's why I couldn't believe how happy it made me when I took two minutes to transfer my dish soap to this cruet. Yes, it's the little things that make my day.
During my planting last fall, I went with a wild card full of lily bulbs. There was no guarantee of the colors that would bloom, so I was a bit disappointed when they were primarily orange.
I decided to work with the colors, rather than against them, and picked orange dish soap (that I got free from my triple coupon week) to put in my $1 yard sale cruet.

Just this simple act changed the mundane to the magical. I love to pour my soap from here...it makes me feel all royalish. :)
Now if I could just pour, walk away, and have the servants wash them for me, then, I'd be true royalty. Oh wait, I do have servants that are trained to do this mundane task. I believe they are called my children. Do you have royalty in your house?

(Posted at: We are That Family, Tuesdays Unwrapped)
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I have a fun brainstorm coming up where we can hold each other accountable for one month in the little things of life.
30 days of intentionality can transform the way we think about SO MANY things. But trust me, I will only set the timer for ten minutes a day, experimenting with how many areas I can take "outside the box" in transforming the little things from mundane to magical. :)
Does anyone want to join in?

No more complaining...

Seriously ladies - we have no right to complain about nursing ever again. You think you're tired? These babies not only have really sharp teeth, but claws as well. Nope - no complaining here.
My years of nursing were just fine!

Our poor lab mommy can't even go to the bathroom with one moment of peace. She's so over this.
Do you know the feeling? I'll never complain about my sweeties knocking on the bathroom door and interrupting me ever again.
Oh, we are feeling for you, poor thing....we'd be panting like that as well. (Now, I just wish I had her skinniness problem. Why didn't I ever have my babies and then be exceptionally thin?)
For the first time ever she's getting canned dog food to fatten her back up, and she is loving dinner time.
The time has come to say goodbye to these bundles of sweetness, and we are all mourning the fact. My daughter is convinced that having six dogs would work out just fine, but she surely hasn't convinced me. I'm all about balancing beauty and bedlam, but I do still have one good brain. :)

Decorating on a dime - chalkboard paint

For months, I have had the epitome of frugal decorating fun sitting patiently in my attic.
It has been whispering, "Jen, just take me out to play for a few minutes. Please, you won't regret it."
So I finally paid heed to the voice and had a blast.

This little wonder paint allows you to actually buy those ugly trinkets that most people can't give away at yard sales, and then turn them into priceless works of art. Well, not quite... but almost.

Take this silver plated mirror I bought for $0.25. The kind your grandma had sitting around collecting dust. I polished it, taped it, primed the actual mirror with cheap Walmart spray paint, and then painted the area where I wanted the chalk board.

VOILA!

It took minutes to do the actual work, and was SO EASY!
Decorating on a dime (or two) at its finest.
It was the drying time and all the patience in that process that was the most difficult. I am now deciding where to put it. It definitely won't go in this holder, but it worked well for the drying process.

Maybe here, but it's a bit smooshed...
My plan is to use this every time we have guests spend the night. It will be on the guest bed with other goodies that I leave on the pillow.
My second project was a larger tray. Yes, we've all given these to Good Will, haven't we?
I actually had to re-buy one at a yard sale, but at $0.50. it was a done deal. Think outside the box. I now hunt for cheap, ugly things. :)

I decided to paint this all white. Same process as above, but I primed the entire tray before applying the chalk board paint.

I am going to use this as my menu display. It will be a good reminder that I need to cook if it hasn't changed in...um...days/weeks. :)

Yes, the beautiful outlet that was placed over the stove , most likely for a microwave, is a definite decorating detriment. I am only cover it up so much. Since I just finished this project today, I haven't added any more accents. I will probably hang a few decorative plates on each side.
Again, this project took minutes and the total cost was UNDER $1.

My last painting project of the day was to add a dash of creativity to my pantry doors. I have thought about painting them a bold color, and I may still, but I decided to have some fun that I knew the kids would enjoy. For now, I am only doing the middle panels, but I may go back and do the rest. I'm going to play with it first.

Painting tip? Always prime your area first with inexpensive primer to save money on the chalk board paint. I thought I could get away with out priming, but had to go over one side 4 times, as opposed to the two times with the primer.

My daughter wrote a sweet bible verse on one side and I decided to begin my grocery list.
Minutes later I came downstairs and so that an addition had been made to my "must buy" list.
Can you guess what that "necessity" could be? I chuckled so hard when my son stated, " I did it just like your hand writing so that when you went shopping, you'd just buy it."

Yes, my kids are the "only" children in America that don't have any kind of gaming system, nor will they ever. He can vicariously live through his shopping list. Such a mean mom I am. :)

I am SO thrilled that I took a few minutes out of my day to let me new friend come out and play. And guess what? He is going to play a LOT more since I have so much paint left. But those surprises will have to wait.

Go have your self some 'decorating on a dime' fun with chalk board paint. You won't regret it!

Posted at: Rhoda's, Sweet Kimba's , Shabby Chic Cottage

Deals and Steals

Here is my "when ever I get around to it" deals and steals edition.
Let me know if you've found any great deals and I will add it to the list. :)
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Are you enjoying your Entertainment book, but you've already run out of your favorite BOGO Free coupons? You can get a free 2009 book when you reserve the 2010 edition that is almost ready. I'm thrilled!

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Sign up and save with Home depot. Save 10% storewide, receive tips, advice and supplies.
I just got my coupons in the mail from their garden club.

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Arby's has Wednesday Freebies all summer long.
Today (July 8th), receive a free Orange Cream Shake with sandwich purchase.
Next Wednesday (7/15), get a free Regular Roast Beef sandwich with drink purchase.

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Sign up for free travel magazine and great frugal/ weekly deals

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Sign up and receive free sample of Enfamil Baby Formula.


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Join Disney Movie Rewards and earn Disney Magic Points to receive savings offers and member benefits.

What do I make with all this squash?

It’s that time of the year when our garden starts to blossom, and we begin to wonder what in the world we were thinking when we planted all that zucchini and yellow squash. Within a month, well meaning church friends will bring baskets of their bounty to share, yet many of us detour down a side aisle. I am here to assure you…take it!

This is a win-win recipe, even if your kids go running when they hear the word squash. Just name it something else, and I guarantee this is one way you can get those veggies down without a spoonful of sugar.

We gobbled up two versions on the 4th, but this first version I ate for leftovers…cold…and it was still good.

You can modify easily into a lower fat version, as well as making it a main course by adding chopped chicken.

My sis tweaked it a bit, but I am giving you the recipe as it was posted.

Summer (yellow) squash casserole

(originally from Foodnetwork.com)

• 1 3/4 pounds crookneck yellow squash or other yellow summer squash
• 1/4 pound zucchini or additional yellow summer squash
• 1/2 cup coarse-chopped carrots (we omitted)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (we used salted)
• 1 large onion, preferably yellow, chopped
• 1 plump garlic clove, minced (we added more)
• 1/2 cup grated mild to medium Cheddar cheese
• Hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a medium baking dish.

Slice the yellow squash and zucchini lengthwise into quarters, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Place the yellow squash, zucchini and carrots in a saucepan, barely cover with water and salt well. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cook about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.

Meanwhile, warm 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion and cook slowly until very soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl. Wipe out the skillet, return it to medium-low heat, and add to it the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cracker crumbs and cook briefly until the crumbs are golden. Scrape them onto a small plate and reserve them.

Drain the squash mixture, mashing the vegetables just a bit. Spoon it into the mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of cracker crumbs, cheese and a good splash or two of the pepper sauce. Salt and pepper generously to taste. Stir in the eggs and spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the toasted cracker crumbs over the top. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and lightly firm in the center. Serve hot.

Paula Dean’s Squash Casserole

• 6 cups large diced yellow squash and zucchini
• Vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon House seasoning, recipe follows
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup crushed butter crackers

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté the squash in a little vegetable oil over medium-low heat until it has completely broken down, about 15 to 20 minutes. Line a colander with a clean tea towel. Place the cooked squash in the lined colander. Squeeze excess moisture from the squash. Set aside. (this step if VERY important so it's not so soggy. You can just put it between paper towel or napkins).

In a medium size skillet, sauté the onion in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

House Seasoning: 1 cup salt, 1/4 cup black pepper, 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Yield: 1 1/2 cups

So how is your garden growing? It’s been fun to see more and more ideas for seasonal fruits and veggies, but I love seeing all your recipes every week.

As always, please follow the simple guidelines or post will be deleted.
1. Include your post showing us your Tasty Tuesday recipe or ideas.
2. Link up below to the permalink of your post. To find out what yours is, simply click on the title of your post and grab the permalink from the address bar.
3. Link your post back to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam as a courtesy to me so everyone will know where to find more recipe inspiration.