Disney Deals and Crafty Steals

One last go-round for the bandanna shirts we made
 for Easter ($2.50 each).

There are few things I love more than clearance sales, Disney World is one of them. So, I have combined the two in planning our family vacation this year. These are a few of the tips & fun projects we did to make this trip thrifty and extra princess-y.

By far, my best saving tip, pre-purchase the CD of professional Disney photos.  This deal saves $50!

Our last trip, I did not take advantage of the PhotoPass because I thought it was too expensive. I am not much of a photographer and that whole trip, we never got one shot of all of us together. It was a great trip, but no pix to prove it. I know it sounds cheesy, but these posed shots in front of castles and my girls hugging princesses are priceless to me.

They also include stock photos of the characters alone.  We plan to use them for future projects.

 After the vacation, when I went to order the CD to be shipped, they had a savings offer that covered my shipping.  You can also just digital download during that step as well.


The matching Girlies' outfits came from our favorite web sites (Old Navy, Target & Gymboree). Once things go on clearance in the store, it is hard to find all 3 sizes in matching colors. Online, is a clearing house for all the items and we have a better chance of getting full sets.  The matching is not something I like in real life, but it was helpful in the crowds of the Magic Kingdom.

mister fan via CouponingtoDisney

In the park, there are giant fans attached to water bottles. They prolly do cool you off, but they are larger than any of my tiny Girlies and retail for $437 each -- well, maybe not that much, but more than this thrifty momma was ready to pay. Couponing to Disney said to avoid the misting fan from Wal-Mart because it leaks. I wanted to avoid it because I didn't want to deal with extra water at all. We found tiny battery powered fans at Wal-Mart for $1.50 each. The blades are made of foam, which is important because my children love to try and lose fingers whenever possible. I used Minnie Mouse ribbon to make lanyards. Each Girlie got to carry her own cooling system (and drive her sister a little crazy) while waiting in line.

My address says we are Florida residents and that got us a pretty nice discount on park tickets. However, Pensacola is as far away from Disney as Charleston, SC. So, we ended up spending just as long in the car.  I needed some road trip solutions.

I stole this idea from less than perfect life of bliss and Disney-fied it just a little. These clothes pin tabs go up on the visor. As long as you are sweet & quiet, they stay up.  If you are bad, yours comes down. When we stop for gas, only the Girlies with tabs up get a treat.  All my Girlies are color code junkies, so we didn't even need names or initials. I made these in about 2 minutes using Paint -- flashback to 1993.  One big colored circle + one smaller white circle + one black circle + two smaller black circles = quiet tabs.You could use a circle punch to make them perfect, but my Middle Girlie cut these out, so they are beautiful to me.

Classy Clutter made some super cute DVD boxes into colored pencil holders.  We had some Disney movies and Wii game boxes floating around so I didn't even have to make new covers. I followed her directions for removing the disk holder section of the box. Dollar Tree had a pack of 21 thin markers (7 each was plenty). Luckily, I had some pillow cases left over from a previous project. They were made from that stretchy T-shirt material. It made them perfect holders because they were already hemmed and stretch to let the markers out, then bounce right back.  Road fun for 33 cents each -- awwww yeahhhh!

life size Cars you can climb on &
the headlights even come on at night

the big blue pool makes you feel like you are swimming
with Nemo & music plays under the water while you swim

My last 2 cents: check out the newest value resort, Art of Animation. I cannot say enough good things about it! It is themed Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Lion King and Cars. If your children have ever seen a Disney or Pixar movie, they will lose their minds when they see this place. Everything is scaled so you feel like you are in the movies. Even if you can afford to stay in a fancier hotel, this one is amazing!

Now that August is here, we will be heading back to school and I will be working more on houses and blogging. Thanks for coming along with us on all our crafty Disney adventures. Hope you had a lot of your dreams come true this Summer, too.

running out of pixie dust, 
just bec

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  thrifty thursday @ thrifty decorating  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection  thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple  crafty, scrappy, happy me @ crafty, scrappy, happy  share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  get your brag on @ gluesticks  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor  from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch  feature yourself friday @ fingerprints on the fridge  flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

TuTus for Tomboy Princesses

My girlies are full on Disney Princess junkies. They each have their own favorite princess. They will tear up the dollar section at Target whenever they see something pink.  However, they are also going to climb and run and jump and scratch and spit.  Then, they will spill something yummy all over whatever Princess gear they are wearing.  

On our family trip to Disney, we finally booked the character dinner in Cinderella's castle. Baby Girlie is old enough to enjoy & remember it. Big Girlie is in that last five minutes of Princess before she starts chasing boys and hating family vacations. Perfect timing for overpriced chicken nuggets and hugs from Belle, Ariel, Aurora & Cinderella! It was totally worth it -- the adult food is amazing and the personal attention from the cast members was incredible.

On previous visits we had seen lots of little girls in the long (polyester) princess costumes. My girls would not wear those hot little numbers to Princesses on Ice, much less Central Florida in June. I wanted something just as cute and trademarked, but way more comfortable.

Solution: T-shirts & TUTU skirts!!!!

I scouted through a few of the million tutu tutorials. For the tulle, we went with Rapunzel's hair, Belle's dress, Snow White's skirt yellow. The bike shorts from Gymboree determined the length.

While waiting for the tulle to go on sale at Hobby Lobby (when roll ribbon is on sale), I found IdeaRibbon.com, a wholesale company that is even cheaper than any craft box store's coupon or sale price.  They have much longer rolls (300' long instead of 100') -- I made all three skirts with one roll.

this is my highly technical way to measure the strips quickly for two different size skirts.  from the edge of the table to the first line of painter's tape - little girlie skirt.  from the edge of the table to the second line of painter's tape - big girlie skirts. repeat 40-50 times per skirt or till you run out of tule.
sorry about the excellent shot of my hooters and fat roll -- that is what I get for giving hunky husband the camera.

I liked the look of slip knots because we were using yellow and needed the coverage over the elastic band.  I was also worried that double knots would poke them in the back while riding rides.  There is no way to ask a child that or test it without putting the idea in their head that it is uncomfortable. I still hate that email telling me there is no good place in my mouth for my tongue.


So, the slip knots are prettier, but not as secure. I refused to spend my day in the Magic Kingdom fussing over them. Necessity is the mother of invention. So, we pulled in a whole roll of tiny yellow ribbon. One tight knot at the base of the slip knot was enough to secure it, but too tiny to feel. They held up great from Its A Small World, to the spinning tea cups, all the way to dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table.


The t-shirts were the standard little girl shirts with cap sleeves, $3.47 on the table displays at Wal-Mart. We added iron-ons of our favorite princesses. These are from UltimateTransfers on Ebay.  She was so fast in shipping them and even replaced one that was damaged in our broken mailbox.  I just love great customer service from cyberspace!


I've spent so much time trolling thrifty Disney sites, I just figured everyone would be decked out in matching t-shirts created on Silhouette and homemade over-the-top hair bows. Apparently, the Pinterest revolution is strong, but some people really do just wear regular clothes to the park. We got lots of looks, several complements, a couple of "where did you get those?", and (my favorite) two moms saying, "I'll make you one when we get home!"

Cinderella asked my Middle Girlie, "Is that your Fairy Godmother?" 
"That's just my Mom."  
"Well, she gets you out of all kinds of trouble and I know she made you that dress!" 
BEST COMPLIMENT EVER!!

bibbidi bobbidi boo,
just bec

i sometimes link up at these great parties:


before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  thrifty thursday @ thrifty decorating  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection  thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple  crafty, scrappy, happy me @ crafty, scrappy, happy  share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  get your brag on @ gluesticks  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor  from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch  feature yourself friday @ fingerprints on the fridge  flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Saving for Disney Gift Cards

Every once in a while two of my obsessions combine -- Perdido Key Wine & Arts Festival, Green Depression glass on 50% off sale, Boston Rob on The Amazing Race.  Now, I'm planning my family's Disney vacation with the help of Pinterest. Is it just me or do you hear the angels singing, too?

My girls are getting the Dave Ramsey style education on work, money, giving, saving and spending.  They are extremely excited about the trip.  So, we are trying to focus that energy into doing extra chores and putting that extra money into savings banks.  I saw some beautiful ones pinned that inspired this project.

Junkin Junky via Pinterest

I did find an excellent deal on shadow boxes at Tuesday Morning.  Unfortunately, I have already used them to make a Christmas project.  Now, when I need some, I cannot find any in my normal thrifty sources.  I dragged the girls to two different Goodwill stores, HomeGoods, Tuesday Morning and an indoor flea market -- no shadow boxes.

Thank goodness for Hobby Lobby (the second happiest place on Earth).  They had the perfect acrylic box frames at a great price, made even better with their 40% off coupon.  Do not laugh at me for couponing $2.99 -- the money we saved on each one went into the savings banks.  "Train up a child in the way she should go; even when she is old she will not depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6. I guess mine will be crafty, couponing and a little crazy.

don't know how my finger
got broken there.

We pulled out the bulky card board insert thingy that was inside the frame. It makes a great template for the thin foam core that we would use as backing instead.  I just had to remember to cut it a little larger because we wanted a tight fit. 

Next we cut slits in the foam core. 

The Girlies all picked out the gift card they wanted the most. We printed out pictures of them on photo paper.   

Middle Girlie is the best cutter. Baby Girlie loves the glue sticks because they are purple, her favorite color.

Next, I added a bead of hot glue around the back to seal the foam core. First of all, that holds in the heavy change. Secondly, it makes sure that the money stays in until our trip, even if the ice cream man comes by on Saturday afternoon.  

We decided to add a tally sheet on the back to keep up with the totals. Big Girlies are both math monkeys who love to add up their "deposits."  Baby gets to use the calculator, which helps with her eye/hand coordination and number recognition.  OK, so she really likes pushing the buttons, but that counts.  

Already, they are all asking for extra "jobs" they can do around the house. There may be a lemonade stand in our future.  The baby clothes that we just tilled out are going to the consignment store instead of Goodwill. Bonnie asked if she could have the cash value instead of picking out candy like her sisters did at Walmart today.  If Hunky Husband stands still too long, they may figure out a way to hire him out to the neighbors.  

Apparently, these simple little boxes inspire hard work, creativity, entrepreneurship and sacrifice. Well, they look cute on my mantle. We'll see how long all this free enterprise lasts.

I have a series on staging that will help you get more Visit Ready while I'm getting vacation ready.  Check back this week.

just bec

linking up all over the place:

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  thrifty thursday @ thrifty decorating  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection  thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple  crafty, scrappy, happy me @ crafty, scrappy, happy  share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  get your brag on @ gluesticks  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor  from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch  feature yourself friday @ fingerprints on the fridge  flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Easter Wrap-Up

Hope you all had a blessed and happy holiday weekend.

I am a self-professed Holiday Mom.  The Tuesdays, the daily reading log, the scrubbing the bath tub -- those are not the moments where I shine.  Let a holiday come around (Groundhog Day, Arbor Day or Derby Day) and I have super powers.  We even appropriate holidays that have nothing to do with our own religion or culture -- I throw a mean Cinco De Mayo party.  Easter is a real favorite around here.

We started with growing Easter grass for their baskets. The tutorial was from How Does She? and our adventure was described in this post.  It was so easy and we will definitely be doing this every year from now on.  I think the bunny liked it, too.  He worked extra hard to fill those buckets up and make them look super cute.

With three little bow heads, you would think I learned to make hair bows years ago.  Nope. This site has great instructions for every kind of bow under the sun.  Sooooooo wish I had learned this 47 high priced bows ago -- definitely a stupid tax on my part.

I should have started with gros-grain ribbon first.  Satin is as slippery as it is pretty.  Hunky Husband will also tell you that at one point I even sewed one to the couch.  It was all worth it -- Big Girlie almost cried, Baby Girlie sucked all the oxygen out of the room and then Middle Girlie wrote a song about it.  Life at our house is good.

I also made matching shirts out of bandannas for each of the Girlies.  OK, so I like projects that include fabric that is already hemmed -- drop cloths, napkins, placemats, bandannas.

This was actually my second up to bat on this project.  The first set were red, white & blue for Forth of July two years ago.  My sewing skills were even less than beginner. So, as cute as they looked that day, those shirts did not make it through even one washing.

This time, the seams are holding up well and fingers crossed, we will even make it through the spin cycle.

Big Girlie is carrying the chic cake pops we made for all the neighborhood friends.   I'll make another post of all the things not to do when making & decorating cake pops. Apparently I discovered the method for doing everything the hard way. Some of the fail pictures are going on my wall, they are just too funny. Judging by the sugar hangover we all had today, I guess we did something right. All 2 1/2 batches are gone.

Now that all the festive fun is over, I can spend the long hot Summer talking about staging again. Well, except for Cinco de Mayo and Derby Day and Forth of July. Is there a 12 step program for holidays?

just bec

take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine  tutorials & tips @ home stories a2z

If You Haven't Grown Easter Grass Yet, There's Still Time

I've seen lots of posts about how to grow grass for Easter baskets and this year, I finally got my act together.  Keep in mind, I am the girl who totally forgot about baskets all together one year and had to swing into CVS on the way to MeMe's house.  Thank Goodness, the Girlies were such babies, they have no memory of it -- I blame sleep deprivation.

HowDoesShe has an egg-cellent tutorial with supply list and step by step instructions.  She also has cute pictures of baby posing with Easter grass -- that's why we do all this anyway-- for the cute pictures.

 Egg-cellent tutorial via How Does She.com

Last Sunday, we went to Home Depot and got all the supplies we needed.   We also got flowers for 2 other Spring projects. We also got 2 awesome orange chairs for the front porch.  As you can tell, we love Home Depot!

Our little project turned into an all-neighborhood attraction.

Middle Girlie was the garden helper.

This is her "bunny rabbit" face

For the first 2 days, it really just looked like dirt.  Then on Wednesday night, there was one single blade of grass...out of all four trays...still not too exciting.  But on Thursday morning, BOOM.

Now, we are ready for Easter!

I was feeling bad because some people had their grass growing for St. Patrick's Day tablescapes.  Now, I'm telling you, there is still time.  This bag of seed was under $7. The trays were under a dollar each.

via Home Depot.com

My girls were excited about planting. Now they are excited about watering.  They are busy deciding what they are going to use their colorful pails for in their colorful bedrooms.  They haven't mentioned candy one time so far!  I can't wait to take pictures with them and their colored eggs!  Hope you're having this much fun getting visit ready this Spring.

just bec


let everyone know that there is still time:


thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville mad skills party @ mad in crafts  just something i whipped up @ the girl creative  make it yourself monday @ an original belle  craft link party @ polly want a crafter pink hippo party @ pinkapotamus  everything goes at eye heart mondays @ eye heart  simply klassic sunday @ simply klassic home  its party time @ its so very cheri  the more the merrier @ diy home sweet home  mop it up mondays @ i should be mopping the floor  a round tuit @ creating my way to success  savvy home made monday @ home savvy a to z  sunday showcase @ under the table and dreaming  show me what you got @ our delightful home  nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm  manic monday @ serendipity and spice  catch a glimpse @ a glimpse inside  pinworthy projects @ just us four  friday free-for-all @ 5 days, 5 ways  anything goes @ bacon time  pity party @ 30 handmade days  free style friday @ happy hour projects  flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring

Not a Recipe Blog

You are not going to get a lot of recipes from me.  I try to cook almost every night, but mostly it is whatever e-mealz.com tells me to.  I do not bake. Ever.

For Big Girlie's 5th birthday, I brought Publix cupcakes and juice boxes to her class.  The teacher loved them and complimented her on the flavor. Even in kindergarten, girlie knew the facts. She answered, "Yep, my mommy bought these soooo good."

I may not be a pastry chef, but I am a problem solver.  Big girlie doesn't like frosting (or cheese -- healthy by nature, weird, I know).  You would think it would make it easier, but how do you decorate cake without frosting? When I go to buy her class cupcakes every year, the ladies at the bakery give me the strangest look as I ask for one cupcake with no frosting.  Last year she got a bunt cake with the candles that spell out "Happy Birthday." 

You do not need the recipe for this. I had 3 eggs.

These were so cute.  They are shaped like hearts.

The hardest part is getting these off the paper.

And keeping baby sister out of the extra marshmallows.

do not ask why there is a lego on the stove.

You can't really call brownies with candy and marshmallows a healthy alternative. They are just an alternative, a yummy, cute alternative. Happy Birthday, Baby!

Next post we will be back to staging, I promise. Pillows. Its all about cheap pillows.

just bec

Stinkin Cute Teacher Gifts

The evil genius who put the pharmacy inside Wal-Mart got my $40 today while I was waiting for the two prescriptions that totaled $2.98. Of course, it saved me from the $100 I would have spent going to the pharmacy inside Target.

I was  stealing comparison shopping their huge paint chips (for a crafty project) when I saw these little cuties.  They are supposed to hold soap or tiny potions & lotions in the shower, but on the becca channel, I saw them holding post-it notes and little markers on the side of a file cabinet.  No need to contact your cable provider, I'm the only one who gets the becca channel.

the picture in my head of how the teacher can actully use this
via becca channel

Maybe you don't give presents to your teachers for every holiday.  School is expensive enough with trips, books, lunch, fees, activities, pictures etc. Our school also has $1 fundraisers, what seems like every Friday. It adds up.

However, I come from an education family.  Its kinda the family business.  Both my parents taught for over 30 years.  My Sistah is a 5th grade teacher.  I even had a long-term sub phase in my life (FDHS class of 2000 -- hollah!)  It is not an easy job. Teachers spend a lot of their own money for their classrooms and activities.  So, I like to do something special for the ones who put up with enlighten & encourage my short people all day.

I went through the stationary, valentines and candy aisles to find dollar or less treasures to fill the baskets up.

This was intented to be a bouquet of pretty lollipops for $1. I split them into two bouquets to add color and height. 

Middle girlie's teacher has their 1st grade class themed all in monkeys.  So, I couldn't resist these pencils. 

My mom is a breast cancer survivor (6 years wooo wooo). Hunky husband says I would buy a bag of dirt if they put a pink ribbon on it.  They didn't have a bag of dirt, but I did snap up these precious little tissues.  They are called "swanky hankies" and some portion of my $.97 purchase supports breast cancer reasearch.  Every penny helps.

Each of the girlies got to take a cute picture of themselves to put into the magnetic frame.  I am under no illusion that these pictures will stay in the frame for long.  They are cute, though. 

My one splurge, the Hershey chocolates.  Truth be told, I ate most of them while assembling these lovely gifts.  Teacher gifts are only the latest, thinly veiled, excuse for me to buy chocolates.

The open weave design of these baskets just screamed out to be tied up with ribbon. 

This all started because I "got lured" to the back of the store by these HUGE paint sample chips.  When we moved, I threw out or donated all of my scrap paper collection (a national treasure).  Raiding the paint chips keeps me from buying whole packs of scrapbooking or construction paper.  I'll have to break down and buy some eventually, but these work perfectly for small projects.

Big girlie thinks everything in the world should be pink.  Middle girlie would paint everything orange, so her shades are more vibrant. 

Each of the girlies got to draw hearts on the paint chips and cut them out. We glued them onto the leftover photo paper to make the card.

My first job was at a gift shop that made gift baskets and I've just never recovered.  Somehow, putting the crinkly clear wrap around anything makes it look more snazzy.  Plus, it gives me a chance to use up more of the ribbon stash that ate New York.

These worked out to almost exactly $10 each:

• basket                       $2.47
• lollipop                         .50
• pink erasers                  .60
• pencils                          .97
• post-it notes                1.44
• chocolates                   1.34
• magnetic frame             .95
• tissues                           .97
• paint chips                   free
• clear wrap                    free
• ribbons                     + free

                                          $ 9.24

You don't have to spend this much or any money for that matter. But please, send you teachers' some special appreciation every time you can.  Please give respect (and a hug) to any parents you know who are taking on the task of teaching their own children.

via pinterest

just bec

finally getting the hang of these linky party things.  check them out for inspiration!

• hookin up with hoh @ house of hepworths
• before & after party @ thrifty decor chick
• thrifty thursday @ bloggeritaville
• tuesday's tresures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia
• mad skills @ mad in craft
• one project at a time @ a bowl full of lemons
• nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm
• link party thursday @ somewhat simple
• sugar & spice @ seven thirty three
• just something i whipped up @ the girl creative
• show & tell wednesday @ blue cricket designs
• tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z
• flaunt it fridays @ chic on a shoestring
• frugal friday @ the shabby nest