Zoe's longboard got stolen.
Poor girl. Apparently while her back was turned, some other neighborhood kids made off with it.
We tried putting the word out in the neighborhood, but heard nothing.
Luckily, it was a board that Zoe had bought on Facebook marketplace for $40. If she'd paid brand new prices, this would be even more frustrating.
So....
1. We found a new longboard on craigslist.
This one was only $30, and it's actually a slightly better size for Zoe.
Of course, she'd prefer that her first one never got stolen, but this is a pretty good solution.
2. I helped Sonia spray paint a tea tin.
She was wanting to use some vanilla comoro tea tins for makeup brushes and pencils, but the tins are a little ugly on their own.
So we got a can of vintage-y mint green (Ocean Mist by Rustoleum, but buy it locally! It's expensive on Amazon.) and I taught her how to spray paint.
(The lamp is Tomons from Amazon and the Sharp twin bell alarm clock is also from Amazon.)
3. I fixed two bent forks.
We had two with bent prongs, and I use a needle-nose pliers to bend them back into shape.
Hopefully they'll stay straight now.
4. I made banana bread.
Three inedible bananas went into this loaf. Yay!
5. I got started on the bed painting!
Yesterday I took the beds apart, sanded them, and got them all primed.
And yes, I did have Sonia and Zoe help. Gotta make sure the next generation doesn't think they need whiskers. 😉
That's really the pits for Zoe. Poor kid.
1. I'm working on selling some items on Craigslist. Not just listing (which is a chore I go to great extremes to avoid), but getting close to selling. I feel like a real seller - someone's already stood me up.
2. I plan to paint my back door myself.
This is how Consumer Reports says to do it:
- take door off frame
- clean w Spic & Span, dry
- scrape peeling paint w putty knife
- sand w 200 grit paper, wipe with tack cloth
- paint w synthetic brush or roller; wait 2 hrs, do second layer
- wait several hours till fully dry
Kristen - any tips to share for a newbie? (I will, of course, find your old posts on how to paint furniture, but maybe outdoor painting is different.) If I do this outside, how do I keep insects from lodging in the paint? Thanks!
I don't think you NECESSARILY have to take the door down. I tape off the hinges and leave it hanging because I can't take it down by myself. You do have to be more careful of drips. Also, I like the small foam rollers for doors. As for the bugs......
In this case, the door needs to come down. There's a lot of peeling paint to scrape off and there's no good way to keep the dog away, either from the peeling (likely leaded) paint or from the wet paint.
I painted my door on the hinges, but I understand your reason for not doing so! I think your method sounds good, and while I wish I could tell you a surefire way to keep bugs off, I can't. They get stuck in my painting projects here and there, and I just push them off with a finger (if the paint is VERY fresh and wet) or wait until they dry and then scrape them off. If they are tiny, they may leave just an imperceptible mark. If the mark is noticeable, you can do a quick and gentle sand (when it's fully dry) and then a quick touch up.
WilliamB -- If you can wait to paint the door until after the first frost, it might solve the bug problem.
One more question, about scraping paint. Do I need to get it all off? I'm wondering if I don't get all the old paint off, if the new paint coat will be uneven. Thanks!
Shirley, good point about waiting for chillier weather.
The surface should definitely be even, which can be accomplished by sanding after the scraping. I'd say scrape as much as you can, and then sand until your surface feels even as you sweep your hand over it.
I never take the door off, either. I just paint in very thin coats and eyeball it for drips the whole time.
May I know where you got the clock and the white radio (?) for Sonia please? TIA. Hugs for Zoe.
I'm so sorry about the long board! That's terrible. I'm glad she found another one, but it doesn't completely take away the sting of having one stolen.
WilliamB, I painted my door while it was hanging, too. It was a pain in some places, but less of a pain than taking it down and putting it back up. Keep a fan blowing to help deter bugs. I didn't get any stuck in my paint.
1.The fountain in our fish pond pushes water up through three tiers, which overflow back into the pond. (p.s. the fountain was a gift from someone who no longer used it.) Recently, the water had slowed down and finally stopped. I had checked the pump for debris and checked the outflow opening at the top for buildup to no avail, so last night I disconnected the feeder hose from the pump, cut the end off a short garden hose and put it down the outfall opening, and turned on the water to force water back down and out the feeder hose onto the ground. I reconnected the feeder hose to the pump and it all works again like it should. Whew! No whiskers needed.
2. I cut up some more old t-shirts to make rags.
3. I found several old things in my kitchen cabinets that I can sell or donate. I'd forgotten about them entirely. Out they go, hopefully for some cash.
4. I've been using my Milo enameled cast iron Dutch oven for several weeks now, and I am very happy with it. I'll admit I've never used the fancy one, but my daughter has one, so I grilled her on what she likes about it. I think, comparing our satisfaction levels, that I'm just as happy with my $99 version.
5. Carpenter bees are so bad this year; I found a small piece of tubing that fits in their little nest holes and I put the other end over the nozzle of the wasp spray. It gets them every time without spraying poison all over me and everything else. I don't normally like to kill bees, wasps, etc., but these bees will burrow up to six feet through a length of wood.
I hate that happened to Zoe. Grrrr. Not only to have her board stolen but also to have to learn first-hand that some of her fellow humans do crappy things to each other.
I've had several frugal wins lately:
1. Got some silverware for our camper and my lunchbox. $1.50 for 14 pieces. I love the VOA thrift store in Columbus.
2. Got out of Target for less than $50 including 4 prescription co-pays. Only bought stuff on my list! (This may seem amateurish to frugal gurus, but this is a giant win for me)
3. Picked up a book from library. It always makes me so happy to do this. Free book reading!! And our library auto renews unless someone has requested the book, so very few overdue fines anymore.
4. Had a crazy busy day yesterday but managed to throw together dinner at home instead of resorting to takeout
5. Planned my errands carefully to maximize fuel efficiency.
Thanks for listening!
Bummer about Zoe's board, but glad she found a new one for a good price!
1. Found a $25 Walmart GC in a box of office stuff we had packed up. So that bought groceries last night.
2. Found a $25 Olive Garden GC in that same box. Dinner out this weekend! Yay!
3. Found a nice 3 piece vintage metal rolling cart that someone put out for big trash. Nothing wrong with it, but needs a new coat of paint. I bought a used one of these several years ago for $60!
4. I've brought my lunch to work for the past week and 1/2. No eating out!
5. Can't think of a 5th one, but I'm getting better about this! Yay!
awwww....i'm glad that you (and Zoe) were able to get a new longboard off Craig's List - now...
as for that banana bread recipe - inquiring cooks want to know 🙂
She has her recipes listed- just search for banana bread! And, there is banana bread with yeast, too.
thanks!
I just used the old Better Homes and Gardens recipe from an old cookbook I have!
1. I hot glued some decorative rope back on to a wood box that was starting to unravel. This box is my husband's "toy box". We affectionately named it that because it is a decorative wood box that sits by his recliner that he puts all his tools and misc. stuff in that would otherwise end up in plain sight on the end table.
2. We ate out last night at the Mexican place but at least I took the leftovers home and the kids and I ate it for breakfast this morning.
3. I soaked my achy feet in Epsom salts last night to relax a bit. That's as close as I get to a spa treatment and it was nice.
4. I dug up a patch of ornamental grass and moved it to a pot that I got at a yardsale last week. We are having sand dumped in that spot for a pool.
5. My husband got a quote for sand for $300. I called around today and got varying prices to have sand dumped and finally found a guy that would do it for $80.
Can you paint or do something on the new skateboard to identify it or make it less likely for someone to steal it? Engrave it? Isn't that terrible?
That's what I was thinking. Tagging the bottom of it with some original artwork or something to make sure it's easy to say 'hey that's mine'.
1. Took all the neighbors fruits and veggies the morning they left town for vacation! Her shopping fail was my WIN! lol
2. Serious meal planning! Intentional meal planning and prepping to use up everything before we leave town for 10 days! Saving money and not wasting!
3. Organizing and purging bedrooms and storage spaces... I have been able to take a bunch to the local consignment and what they did not take I donated to a local thrift mission.
4. Complained to Lowes about issues with our new appliance delivery and not receiving credit on returned parts.. got money back and emotional satisfaction! lol
5. Purchasing and hiding some snacks here at home that are a great coupon/ibotta/store sale deal to take on vaca to our condo! lol
Poor Zoe!
Had a pretty good week being consistently intentionally frugal.
1. Sumbitted receipts to Fetch
2. Used my garage sale money to pay for the doggo's boarding
3. Sold 2 items on Ebay
4. Took a large dollar survey on Swagbucks.
5. Got a qoute of $149 for professional carpet cleaning so did research and foud a Groupon for a reputable local company and with the extra Groupon coupon code spent $39.20!
Groupon is great - there was a groupon for the place where my 10 year reunion was this past weekend and I was able to get a $50 gift card for $21 to play arcade-style games with.
You are so proactive when it comes to all things of the house, such a painting and repairs! I was wondering when this started for you? I have 3 littles (5, 3, 11 months) and I want to be proactive, but I just can’t seem to accomplish those big projects with all my littles around. At what age was your kiddos when you started to have the courage to start all these projects on a regular basis?
I think you should give yourself some grace right now. Things won't always be as busy for you as they are now and projects will be more doable as your kids are able to entertain themselves.
I'd say that when my youngest was two years old, house projects became a little easier to tackle. In the years before that, I mainly did projects during naptimes, which is kind of limiting!
Five frugal things
1) complained about a missing item for food delivery (item cost $10 and they refunded us nearly $14) so win-win.
2) cooked breakfast for my husband before he went to the hospital so he wouldn't be tempted to grab snacky things between tests and appointments
3) got husband to USE $5 coupon at the grocery store when he made a quick run (he always forgets)
4) was interviewing a writer and remembered to request (free) review copies of their books
5) finally rec'd claim reimbursement for medical services from LAST August. I had been writing/hounding/calling the insurance company for close to a year and it felt GREAT to finally receive the check!!!
So sorry for having the long board stolen, what a bummer. But nice silver lining that you got an even nicer board for less money.
It's a bit hard to think of frugality during the summer, as it seems ripe for all kinds of frugal fails or spending traps 🙂
Some things,
1. Spending so much time by the pool that we have no time for anything else like shopping 🙂 Definitely getting full money's worth for our membership fee as our main summer entertainment/exercise place.
2. We eat many dinners every week by the pool, and have so far managed to not buy pizza or take out as is popular. We have instead brought down our own food for pool-side picnics. There is a food truck by the pool some nights, and even then we bring our own food and will just buy some complimentary items.
3. Have enjoyed magazines checked out from the library for pool side reading. I find that I can't concentrate on books with so many interruptions.
4. Using way less cosmetics in the summer as it's too hot and I'm often in the water, so it saves money in that department (though sunscreen kind of compensates).
5. Attended a couple shows this week, saved in parking by walking a bit further and tried ate dinner at home before one of the shows.
Also, tried the food delivery from Whole Foods this week, available for Prime members. There was a $10 discount for first-time buyers, yay! It was on a day when our schedule was packed and the fridge was empty, so it felt good to use this little luxury.
Sorry to hear about Zoe's longboard. When our daughter was about the same age, her bicycle was stolen off of our front porch. Sad that that happened to Zoe but glad she's got another.
Really enjoy your frugal tips ! We are retired and are in the process of getting rid of lots accumulated over the years. We're pleased to see that that same daughter has learned many frugal lessons along the way. Estate sales, marketplace, and consignment stores are some of her favorite places to shop. Know that you're teaching your children many valuable lessons for their grown-up years !
That's so rewarding, isn't it? Lisey is 18 now and she is a consignment store expert!
1. Sold dishwasher from new house on Facebook marketplace. I have a vintage light fixture listed now.
2. Sent e-mail to Target about socks I purchased for my husband there in December (they are all full of holes already) and they sent me a $12 gift card.
3. My husband is putting a brand new kitchen into our new house, added new lights in the basement, put up a wall in the basement, put in a new gas line for a gas stove, and updated light fixtures- saving us tons of money!
4. Spent $48 on groceries this week
5. Took home left over food from a meeting, which fed my family for 2 days
That's horrible about Zoe's board. People never fail to amaze me. Glad she was able to find a replacement that suits her better.
Some frugal things I've done recently:
1.)Booked a hotel near my dads using the IGH points we've saved up so the room is free and I took advantage of a promotion that IGH had and we get two additional nights free for booking two during the week. So a 5 day trip to my dad's is only going to cost me gas and food.
2.) Upgraded to the full Ancestry.com package. It includes access to their world search, newspapers.com, and fold3.com, roughly a savings of $40 to $50 by adding into one big package instead of paying for each separately.
3.) Shopped the sales at my local grocery store and used my member points for 5% off my total
4.) Drinking more water, mainly for my health but as an added bonus because I'm drinking more of it we are going through less tea which means savings in the long run.
5.) Took advantage of our my states outer parish library loan system instead of buying the book in the series I needed. (My library will reach out to surronding parish libraries to see if the book is in stock if it is I can loan it out for two weeks. There's a small waiting period but it's better than shelling out $15 or more per book)
1. Set up my sewing in a spare bedroom instead of the cabinet it had been stuck in. I have already mended 4 items that had been languishing.
2. Giving some items I no longer need/Swamy to a friend that earns extra money from yard sales. I’m happy to help her and feel like the items end up being used instead.
3. Still aiming for zero food waste.
4. Took a plastic dishpan and a measuring cup outside for my 2-yr old granddaughter’s DIY “water table”. She loves it.
5. Found someone that can use several boxes of small padded maulers that had been left here by the previous owners. I’m glad to find someone that can use them and get them out of the storage room.
That is such a bummer about Zoe's longboard.
Hmmm, I'm having trouble thinking of frugal wins this week!
1) Used a discounted Fandango gift card to order tickets to see the new spider-man movie on opening night. Marvel movies are the only movies that we always see in theater, and almost always on opening weekend.
2) I started delivering groceries, which means I spend a lot of time in the car now. I've managed to pack drinks and food most of the time. I have bought the occasional water bottle or iced drink when I ran out of drinks now that it's getting hot outside, but I use sbux gift cards that I have been given or buy a cheap bottled water at the grocery store.
3) We have been having ant problems for a few weeks - we paid for an annual program with a pest control company last summer to take care of a wasp nest in one of our walls, and we were able to have that company come spray the ants as part of the annual program (which saved us the expense of buying more ant traps).
Misc frugality - meal planning, eating leftovers, using gas reward points from the grocery store
4) My 2y.o. had to have ear tubes placed due to chronic ear infections - the hospital called me the day before and said we would be responsible for $1400, but there was a discount if we paid within 7 days of the surgery. I called back the week after her surgery to get clarification about the billing and was told that the estimate was wrong and that after insurance, our bill should be around half that. I'm glad I didn't rush to pay when they first called, since I still don't know what the actual final bill is and I don't want to fight insurance/the hospital if I overpay.
Getting a shampoo, haircut and blowdry for $7 today at the Beauty School near my parents' house, so gives me a chance to see them too.
Juggled cars/rides/etc. from Denver airport for our Family Reunion, so we don't have to rent a car.
Used a promo code for parking at Orlando airport while we are in CO/WY/NE.
Earned a FREE entree at PF Changs, since I have been there twice in a couple of months and both times other people paid, but weren't in their rewards program, so I got the points.
Remembering to turn the thermostat up when I am gone all day. It is crazy hot with heat indexes over 100 here in central FL.
Those are all pretty lame, because they still entail spending money, but better than nothing. 😉
1. Our son’s insurance has an incentive program for attending well visits and the dentist. Just got the $25 for attending his regular dental apt and waiting for $15 from his dr well visit.
2, remembered to move both cars before they started ticketing as today is street sweeping day. Did NOT get $70 in parking tickets!
3. Reading free books
4. Walked 3 miles round trip to take care of my friends rabbit yesterday. Saved gas and parking plus gave our two dogs a great walk!
5. Cut up old t-shirts to use for rags
So sorry to hear about the longboard theft; that’s rotten. The same thing happened to my sons scooter at school and he was devastated (he was 6 when it happened and very innocent so it was a big shock that someone might take his things).
1) My son had a growth spurt and needed new school trousers even though it’s only 3 weeks until the holidays. I managed to let down 2 pairs, DH found another pair amongst handmedowns in the loft, and I ordered new pairs using survey vouchers plus an early bird 20% off discount. (He comes back very mucky most days and needs a fresh pair every day).
2) A cut up old PJ trousers for rags.
3) I made banana bread with old bananas.
4) I found enough donations for the school fair from around the house.
5) Walked the school run.
Posting this made me feel better as despite ourbest efforts we just broke even this month so couldn’t make a mortgage over payment which was disappointing.
Aww, I'm sorry that happened to your kiddo too. This is the first time Zoe has had something stolen and she was pretty devastated.