Crazy Weekend

On May 25, 2020 By thefunkyfrugalistaIn Home life, Home Stuff, WeekendLeave a comment

This has been a crazy weekend. Friday started off pretty normal. We ended the day by walking to the park and letting the kids hangout.

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IMG_20200521_195102 Saturday morning my dog woke me up at 4:30 to go outside and when I was letting him in, my son’s cat Monkey, ran outside. I couldn’t catch her. She still hadn’t come back when we woke up. He was devastated. I asked all the neighbors and put her picture up on the Next Door app. Nothing.

We had disconnected our horrible, terrible satellite internet service we had at the other house. Our 2 year contract was finally over. We received the boxes to send the modem back and lo and behold, we had to have a part off of the actually dish that was on the roof of the other house. Donny called them to explain our situation, but they said if we didn’t have it they would charge us $200!

So guess what we had to go buy.

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The house had already been rented again, but luckily they hadn’t moved in yet. We just kind of snuck in and took the part off.

On the way home we found this little guy just standing, head out, in the middle of a busy street. I got out, stopped a car before they ran him over and brought him home with us.

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Still no Monkey and the weather is getting bad. After the rain storm, guess who comes wandering up?

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She’s been following my son around like a puppy and is now napping in my laundry basket. We are all so relieved because right after she showed up the most evil looking clouds started rolling in. The wind picked up. Then the rain started and it began to hail. I thought it was going to break our windows. Donny and I were scheduled to work Waitr in 45 minutes. It finally quit hailing, but it was pouring. The only thing that saved me, because we had 14 deliveries and I looked like a drowned rat, were Belly Flops.

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They are the irregular Jelly Belly jellybeans. It’s VERY important to have snacks when you’re delivering food or you will be starving from all the delicious smells.

I do not like working in the rain, but it’s so busy when there is bad weather. I guess this week is going to be very busy.

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I hope your Memorial Day is sunny and warm. I’m watching the rain pour down out our window and I don’t think it’s stopping any time soon.

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One Tiny Bathroom + A Family of Four

On May 21, 2020May 21, 2020 By thefunkyfrugalistaIn Downsizing, Home life, Home StuffLeave a comment

I know some of our friends thought we were crazy when we told them we were downsizing from a 2000 sq ft home to one that was 1008 sq ft. To make it even crazier, there was only one bathroom.

I don’t know about you, but I’m always interested just how people can downsize from 2 bathrooms with a total of 16 drawers and 3 big cabinets between them to this.

IMG_20200521_095853 With a little creative storage and a lot of purging, we have managed to make it work.

We are fortunate that there are 3 cabinets behind the door.

The top one holds our first aid kit and medicines, toilet paper and beach towels.

IMG_20200521_095947 The shoebox holds the extra that doesn’t fit in the storage tote. I’m sure I could use a fancier box, but the whole point of downsizing was to save money and spending on something that hides in a closet really doesn’t make sense to me.

The middle cabinet holds our day to day items. My son and husband have the top shelf and my daughter and I use the bottom. The lazy Susan helps me find products quicker. I had it in our last bathroom so it isn’t a new purchase.

IMG_20200521_100547 I still feel like there are too many products, so we are using up what we have and will only be replacing what we really love.

The bottom one is where we keep our laundry basket and extra bath mat.

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We still had more items that I needed to find a place for. I had used this idea at our home in Baton Rouge and it seemed like a no brainer to use here.

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Clear shoe bags make it so easy to see what you are looking for. After we’re here for about two months, I’ll go through it and if we haven’t used a product I’ll toss it.

In our sink area we have a mirrored medicine cabinet. It houses our deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes and the kids face treatments.

IMG_20200521_100049 I’m still trying to come up with a better solution for our toothbrushes, but for now this is it.

I found this countertop cloth holder 2 years ago at Tuesday Morning. I added the towel hook on the cabinet.

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The under sink cabinet holds our towels and cleaning products.

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I still needed a place to store hair equipment, extra toilet paper and items you’d normally have on a countertop.

I just used some sturdy baskets I already owned and just nailed them to the wall.

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Our bathtub has built in shelves, a huge plus and I bought the suction hooks at dollar tree.

So there you have it. It is possible to only have one bathroom and not lose your mind. Strangely enough, it hasn’t been all that difficult. Everything has a place and the space is easy to keep clean.

If you ever decide that downsizing is for you, don’t overlook a property just because of it only having one bathroom. We almost did and we would have missed out on a very special place. ❤

Hidden Gem

On May 20, 2020May 20, 2020 By thefunkyfrugalistaIn Home life, Home StuffLeave a comment

Moving to a smaller home has so many more pros than cons. Donny and I went on a walk yesterday and realized that this neighborhood is SO much more walker friendly.

IMG_20200519_085158 the streets in our new neighborhood are so much wider. Longview has no sidewalks, like none, anywhere. So wide streets are important.

Just a little ways from our house we turned onto a dead end street and this is what we found.

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IMG_20200519_090528 A great little neighborhood park. But it’s not just a park. It leads onto the hiking trail with a nifty little bridge.

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Longview is full of trails. I used to have to drive when I wanted to go trail walking. Now I just walk down the street. There’s nothing better than the scent of all the trees and foliage. It’s so shady it makes it about 10 degrees cooler. Huge plus since it’s already hot and humid here.

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I guess Donny wasn’t ready for the picture. I look like I wasn’t even ready to leave the house.

I did realize something really awesome when we got back home. I can now clean my house, like REALLY clean it, in an hour. To me there is no better feeling than a clean, calm space. Am I right?

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Even had time to make a lasagna. I used a spring form pan and was a little nervous it would fall apart.

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It came right out! No leftovers, so I’m pleased.

While I was cooking, a childhood friend sent me a very old photo. I was either in the 5th or 6th grade. When I showed it to my kids they thought I was a boy, except when they realized I had on a bikini. I’m the one on the far left, but it’s pretty obvious.

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I can’t believe how fast time flies by. That’s why it’s so important to squeeze all of the good you can out of each and every day. 🌞

Better Homes & Gardens Wax Melt Reviews

On March 1, 2019 By thefunkyfrugalistaIn Home Stuff, Smell GoodsLeave a comment

Today has been such an awesome day. I had lunch with my little man at his school. Hannah has a Mardi Gras dance tonight so I ran by Walmart to see if I could find something for her to wear. Not living in Louisiana anymore has put a damper on finding Mardi Gras attire. Like I can’t find a mardi gras t-shirt anywhere. But I did find my most favorite wax melt scent.

I have a slight problem with my love of wax melts. I try to be a minimalist in most areas of my life, but I struggle with anything that smells good.

I love diffusing oil and burning candles, but lately my new love is wax melts.

I realize that some people have much more than this, but to me, this is A LOT. Not to mention the 5 new packs I added today. I almost get giddy when I see the new summer fragrances. Now to my VERY favorite new summer scent.

Coconut Cabana Linen is just amazing. I can barely smell coconut in it. To me it smells gingery, lemony and just clean. My Walmart has been out of it for weeks and for some reason you can’t order it online. Today I hit the jackpot and it had been restocked. The smell just makes me happy. In fact, I have it going right now. Ahhhhhhhhh!

Here are some more of the new summer scents that I also purchased a few weeks ago.

My friend Jen’s favorite is White Tahitian Woods. I am NOT a floral person, but this one smells really good. It has a slight floral smell, but not overwhelming. It’s the only floral one that I own.

Pure White Woods is more of a clean woodsy scent. It has a more masculine fragrance. I love melting this one. It just smells good.

Clear Blue Oasis smells like the beach, which I love. I would definitely purchase this one again. Anything beachy is good by me.

Caribbean Sea Breeze is good. It’s a little too sweet smelling for me to use all the time. I’ll probably just use it as a one day different scent fill in.

Beach Please is my favorite out of the beachy scents I purchased. It’s like the baby bear of scents. Not too sweet, not too strong, just right. I love it. It’s a very relaxing fragrance. When I melt it my whole house smells like a wonderful beach day. The best kind of day.

Mojave Sunset Sands is my least favorite. For some reason it smells grapey to me. I don’t hate it, I just don’t love it.

I found two scents that were on clearance that I really am happy that I purchased.

Apple Crisp Tea was considered a Fall fragrance and I have no idea why. I’m not going to argue the point because I got them for 50 cents each. It smells like fresh apples with a hint of tea. I will melt these all year long. Seriously, if you like apple scents check out the clearance section and give it a sniff. It’s good.

My two favorites out of the ones I’ve purchased in the past couple of weeks are these. I’ve already mentioned the Coconut Cabana Linen, but I found this random pack of Frankincense & Patchouli just sitting by the candles. Oh my gosh, this is amazing too. I found that I can still order this online so I will be doing that in the next couple of days. It’s a calming happy scent and it lasts.

I know a lot of people really love scentsy. I get that, but I just cannot pay that kind of price for wax melts or warmers. These are all 2 dollars. That’s it. If you can find a scent you like on clearance they range from a buck to 50 cents. I am all about a bargain and that’s what these are. Plus they fill your whole home with smell good.

I have 3 warmers in my home. Two are electric and were less than 7 dollars at Walmart.

Both of these completely fill my home with fragrance. I also use one I picked up at Dollar Tree. It’s the kind that you use a tea light in and I like it because I can just put it where I want it and don’t have to worry about a plug.

I haven’t noticed a difference in the scent output between the electric ones and the tea light one. I was pretty impressed with the different styles and colors that Dollar Tree carries. Plus just look at how cute this one is. I have a lot of turquoise in my home so this blends in perfectly.

If you find yourself in Walmart at the wax melts you should stop and give them some sniffs. You might find your signature scent that you just absolutely love. If you do, my advice is to pick up some extra. These little beauties sell out fast. I learned that the hard way.

Happy smells,

Stacy

From Bad to Good

On January 24, 2019 By thefunkyfrugalistaIn CBD Oil, Home Stuff, product reviewsLeave a comment

Today did not start out all that great. Donny was out of town for work so I slept horribly. I just cannot sleep well when he’s not home. It’s very rare for us to be apart, so when he has to go out of town it throws everything off balance. We’ve been married 13 years, so I’m thankful that I still feel the same was about him as I did when we first got married.

I had a dentist appointment at 9:00 a.m. to finally get my permanent crown on. About a month ago I woke up at 4 in the morning with something in my mouth. It was part of my tooth!!!! I grind my teeth horribly and have since I was a kid. I have a habit of spitting my night guard out in the middle of the night. I chose not to have numbing shots and although it was uncomfortable my mouth and face wasn’t numb all day. Anyway, it didn’t take all that long and I figured as long as I was right by CBD Express I would run in and grab our CBD oil.

For about 3 months we’ve been using Hemplucid 1000 mg. I like it better than the other brand we used previously. It’s a little stronger so it only takes 1/4 of a dropper to get the dose we need. When I was in the store talking to the owner, Mr. Scott, I realized that my daughter’s face had cleared up almost completely. She is 12 and hitting adolescence. She had started getting acne and since she has been on the oil it has all but completely cleared up. Just another amazing side effect of taking the oil. On a side note, my sciatica is still gone!

I had a few errands to run after that. I have a very favorite cleaning product. The only place I have seen it in the bigger bottles is at Family Dollar. I look everywhere I go and stumbled upon it by accident at this store.

This is the best scent ever!!! Not only does it clean most everything it will make your house smell amazing! I don’t like flowery smelling anything. This is just a very clean smell. I also pick up these cleaning cloths when I pick up my cleaner. There are 3 of them per pack and are only $1.50. They are thick, but not too thick, and clean really well. The cleaner is also less than $3.00. That’s a win for me.

When I got home I finished up a little laundry and as I was putting Jack’s things away, this is what almost gave me a heart attack.

My cat Tommy popped his head out as I was bending down to put some socks in the drawer.

The best parts of my day are as follows. Donny surprised me and got home earlier than I expected so we got to cook dinner together. I love when this gets to happen because it is usually few and far between. We get a chance to spend some time together and he got to fill me in on how everything went on his trip.

I made Garlic Butter Steak and Potato Skillet. I used my newly restored cast iron skillet and am proud to say I’m not intimidated by cast iron anymore. It was really good and super easy to make. I got the recipe off pinterest. Donny made some skillet corn to go with it. Oh my yum!

After dinner Hannah and I had a 30 minute living room dance party with some heavy hitting 90’s tunes. It was a serious workout that left us sweaty and laughing. I recommend having a dance party whenever you get the chance because, no kidding, I will be sore tomorrow for sure.

Now I’m going to go enjoy my husband being home. I hope everyone is having a great evening,

Stacy

Change of Plans

On January 16, 2019January 16, 2019 By thefunkyfrugalistaIn Home Stuff, RecipeLeave a comment

I woke up to this.

I was ready to start my day because I had a plan, an agenda. Today was going to be Garage Day. Our garage had become a catch all ever since Christmas. Ya know all the stuff I had gotten rid of to donate? It is sitting in my garage. Bags of used wrapping paper from Christmas. Yep, in the garage. Halloween and Christmas decor? In the garage waiting to go up into the attic. I don’t even want to post a picture because it is beyond embarrassing. But I always said I’d be honest, so here it is.

It is HORRIBLE!!! After I took this I grabbed two of the big black garbage bags and filled them up. I even found a bag of stocking stuffers that I had forgotten to put out in the stockings. Want to hear the worst part? I cleaned it out right after Halloween. Between decluttering the inside and holiday throwing up all over it, I look like an episode of Hoarders. It gives my anxiety just to step foot in it. My laundry closet is out there. I do not want to even go out there to do laundry.

Which explains this.

This is the laundry that I haven’t wanted to do because of the anxiety I get in the garage, but the laundry gives me anxiety too, so all it is, is one big vicious circle.

I decided that I could kill two birds with one stone. I’d do the laundry while I sorted through the garage. All I needed to do was get all the empty boxes together to break down and recycle. Put all the holiday decor tubs in one place so Donny could help me get them back up in the attic. Put all the donations in one place so I could load them in the car and get them to the thrift store. Easy, right? Wrong. It was freezing and I got overwhelmed. I needed Donny’s input on some of the things out there. He’s off tomorrow. Perfect.

I decided to do something that I like to do.

It was a cold day and what’s one of the best thing for cold days? Soup. French Onion soup. Which is just about my favorite soup in the whole world. I had found a recipe for my Instant Pot on pinterest. I would post the link, but I changed some of the ingredients and added others to make it the way I liked it.

I have never made French Onion soup in my Instant Pot before. Melt butter and oil on the saute setting. It’s 3 T butter and 1 T olive oil.

Add 4 thinly sliced onions and saute until they are brown. This part takes the longest because you want to get the brown “crust” on the bottom. Don’t rush it. This can make or break your soup. I would pat them all down, let them cook for a few minutes then move them around and pat them down again.

These still needed to cook a while longer, but you can see they are starting to brown.

After the onions are browned, scrape the brown crust off the bottom and mix it with the onions then add 5 cups beef broth, 1 tsp salt, 2 bay leaves and pepper to taste. Put the lid on and use the manual setting for 10 minutes. Do a natural release.

After it’s released, slice french bread and toast on both sides in the oven. Spoon your soup in an oven safe dish, put the toasted bread on and place the cheese on top.

I get this cheese at Aldi. I love that it’s round and fits perfectly on my bowl. You can use whatever cheese you like best. I normally use provolone or swiss.

Place your bowl on a baking tray and put it under the broiler until it’s nice and bubbly. That’s it! Super easy and just as good as any fine dining restaurant.

I normally let my cheese brown more, but I was starving and couldn’t wait. This will definitely be my go to French Onion soup recipe from now on. I ate this whole bowl and probably could have eaten two more. It’s that good.

Nothing is better than hot soup on a cold day. Especially when your plans don’t go exactly as planned. Comfort food at it’s finest!

Tomorrow we storm the garage!

Wish us luck. You saw it, we need it.

P.S. I did get all of the laundry washed, dried and put away, so there’s that.

The Funky Frugalista

Category: Home Stuff