Tidy Tips: Upcycling Bread Bags

Like many of my tidy tips, this is another one of those I learned from my Mother. Speaking of my Mother, last weekend I threw their Golden Anniversary party, and everyone said it turned out wonderful! I thought everything went well, as soon as I have pictures back I will share them! Anyway, for as long as I can remember my Mother has saved her bread bags. They get the most use out of them around Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is when my Mother makes her famous rolls, she always makes tons extra, because we all love them so much, and then sends us home with an upcycled bread bag full of delicious rolls.

Lately, finances have been SUPER tight around here, so I have been using my bread bags for lots of things, for example, I buy a big block of cheese at Costco, then put it in a bread bag with a bag clip to keep it fresh. My favorite use lately though, has been to use them for recipes. One of my favorite treats is Muddy Buddies, the recipe tells you to put the coated cereal into a gallon bag and shake it up with the powdered sugar. I just can't get on board with buying gallon bags, I can do sandwich and snack, but I can't justify the money or waste buying more bags. SO, I use my bread bags, it works PERFECT. I have also used them to make sweet potato fries, I found that recipe HERE via Pinterest.

Just so you know I am telling the truth, here is my example. Depending on what mood I am in, I will either just shake out the bread crumbs or sometimes I will wash the inside of the bread bags with hot soapy water. Today, it was the shake out method. Here is my bread bag, ready to go.

For the buddies, I do a cup of powdered sugar on the bottom of the bag, and the other cup on the top, it helps to evenly distribute a little better.
The key is to leave a bit of air in the bag to shake everything around, shake it up good! My son likes to help me with this part, even at 15 months, he does a good job!
Here is the proof, perfect muddy buddies.
These ones are actually lemon buddies, YUM! I found this recipe via Pinterest as well, I am addicted it is true! Now I LOVE LOVE LOVE lemon, I am talking if my dentist hadn't forbid me from eating lemons, I would eat them like an orange, I love them that much. That said, this recipe needed a tiny bit more lemon than the recipe called for. So to remedy my lemon addiction, I added a little bit more lemon juice on the top of the buddies after they were done. These are an amazing, yummy summer time treat! Don't worry I still love the good ol' regular ones too. You can find the lemon buddy recipe in its entirety HERE.

Happy Upcycling!

Friday Freebie... bedside table update

It's so great that I'm posting about free furniture finds. If you'd have told me 10 years ago that I would be uploading pictures of my "redos" on the computer, and allowing people to see the progress, I would have never believed it! This redo features a little bedside table that I picked up for my first-born. It was a roadside rescue, and was heavy as could be! I pulled my little 2 door car over, and hefted it into my tiny trunk. It just needed a quick coat of cream spray paint, and it was good to go!

That was 10+ years ago. This little table's been through 3 more kiddos, and it's age was starting to show!



I wasn't able to get to the store, and had to use paint that I had on hand...
PINK I think! I only had a half a can left, but knew I could line the inside of the table with wrapping paper. I focused on getting the outside painted really thoroughly.



While my paint was drying, I measured and cut this paper to line the inside.



Here's the finished table...I love the vintage look of it!



A close up... added a couple little friends, and our "G" block.



The original knob...



It really adds a little "pop" to baby's room.

Friday Freebie.... the haul

Okay, I don't actually have a project to blog about today, because it's our bulk trash pickup week, and I've been too busy hauling stuff home. I know some of you are cringing right now, "yuck...someone else's crap!" I just have to say, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", and there isn't anything a little Lysol and paint can't fix-up.

Specimen #1: Check out this awesome VINTAGE lamp!


Specimen #2: A pair of folding chairs...great for lounging outside.


Specimen #3, #4 and #5: A COFFEE table! I don't love the finish on this baby, but the curvy-ness is AWESOME! A pair of glass cabinet fronts, and a tri-fold mirror.


Specimen #6: Smallish dresser with all it's DOVE-TAILED drawers in perfect working order.


Specimen #7: An ENORMOUS frame. The glass was "not included" with this one, but I think I can still make it work.



As you can see, I have a lot of work ahead of me. Be sure to visit on Fridays to see how my projects turn out.

Friday Freebie

My hubby and I were cleaning out the garage last weekend, and we almost threw out this little table. It was just a roadside rescue that I had been putting off working on. The truth is I thought it needed a lot of work, and didn't know if it was worth it.

I told myself to spend just an hour on it, and see what I came up with. So here it is in the beginning...I know, why did I even bother rescuing it from the roadside, right?



The side view...don't you love how I'm outside in just socks. Classy!



Out to The Spray Paint Place for a quick spray primer and paint.



When it was all dry I roughed it up a little with my this. (remember, I only had an hour to spend on this little project)



Then I painted on some brown acrylic paint, and wiped off the excess.



Lastly I added a quick coat of spray poly.

Here's my little table all finished.








Doesn't it look cute?!? It's found a perfect spot in my living room.

One Dollar Wednesday...Once there was a teapot

I have to admit, I'm coming up a little short at the Dollar Tree lately. I need to get out to some other Dollar stores, and see what they have to offer. Luckily, I still came up with a one dollar project for today.

Once there was a teapot...a scuffed up ugly teapot. Thank goodness he needed a makeover or I wouldn't have gotten him for just 50 cents! Actually, if it hadn't been sale day at the thrift store I may have still given him a chance for his original price of 99 cents.



After a super HOT, sudsy bath, I taped up his vital parts really good, and sent him out to the Spray Paint Place for a coat of metal primer.


Then I added some color with these vibrant yard sale stickers I picked up at The Dollar Tree...


A couple coats of a pretty Valspar glossy spray paint, and a little drying time.



Pulled off all the stickers, and finished him off with a quick coat of poly. Now he's all ready to get to work.

Friday Freebie

I'm thinking of starting a new Friday Feature, but please give me your comments and let me know if it's too TACKY...

I live in a town that has a "Bulk Trash" pickup day. Numerous times I have seen, and collected, items right from the curb...decent stuff! Would it be too tacky to show off the "trash" I've turned to "treasure"?

Here's a great example...

Recently, I found four kitchen chairs. (Same finish, style, etc. as these pictured below. Wish I had taken a before picture...this will have to do.)


Out to the Spray Paint Place. I brushed the chair with a primer...
followed by this GORGEOUS blue...a mistake mix~can you believe it?


Then I sanded it lightly.


Added a brown paint to add distress and "age" it.




Sprayed a quick coat of poly, and it was finished.


I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE how they have turned out! Two down, two to go...

Tick, Tock, I found a little clock

Look at this portly little chap that I found at a yard sale this week.




All he needed was a little love...

I took him apart and ordered a trip to the Spray Paint Place. A quick coat of primer and paint and he sure looked happy, but I wasn't done.


I scraped him up a bit, but he didn't mind.


I painted him up with some brown acrylic, and rubbed it off quick ~ just to show off his figure.



Fancied him up with some scrapbook paper and a coat of Mod Podge.




Added some numbers and replaced his pretty hands.



Found him a new home on a bookshelf, and he's all set to tick and tock.

Tidy Tips: How to Fold Bags to Save Space

I am not a fan of plastic bags, not only are they not good for the environment, they are a mess to have around the house. As much as I try to remember my reusable ones when I go to the grocery store, I have many times that I forget and end up with a bunch of plastic bags. They can be bulky and a pain to store, but they are good for sack lunches and dog duty. My Mom taught me this great trick which helps store your plastic bags without taking up a ton of room.

First, flatten your bag, then fold it in half twice. Next, start folding it in a triangular pattern, until you reach the end of your bag.

Once you are at the end, tuck the end tab into the folds, and you have your bag in a small triangle. I store them in one of the Tupperware containers that I don't use (remember THIS?) and put them in my drawer with all my other bags. Then my drawer stays tidy!
Easy to use and easy on the eyes!