Wkend Frugal Fixes

Lots of frugal fixes & gambits this wkend.  Hubby decided to go up to the snow in the Angeles Crest rather than the boat so, I prepared thusly:

• My heavier jeans had a prominent white spot on the front right knee.  As distressed jeans are in style again, I got out some fine sandpaper and evened out the wear around the spot to make it blend in and distressed the rest of that knee, and the other one as well.  What me, buy distressed jeans? Never.  I can just wear my old ones!
• The second strap band on my watch is gone, so I used 2 little clear mini hair bands to secure it. Nice & doesn't really show.
• The strap for the opening of the nylon purse hubby got for me at a bargain was too long.  So to make the top close more securely, I "shortened" the strap by folding it over & securing with two hair elastics in a contrasting beige color to match the rest of the bag.  No one could tell, and the closure is snug.
• Dug out the winter sheepskin boots I had bought for my NYC trips.  They are holding up nicely because I remembered to spray them with the appropriate water/stain repellent before I ever wore them.  Saw some Uggs later in the day.  Almost exactly the same as my Emu boots - but I got mine on sale at Sportsmart - and the ones I saw were 4X as expensive, with only a slightly fine suede.  But for my purposes, sturdy suede is FINE.

Then we drove up to the mountains for a snow experience!  Ah! the air!. Mt. Waterman was open - what an inexpensive ski day! And lots of kids and snowboarders were there.  We were just a bit too late to go up the ski lift for the scenic excursion, tho...It's SO close to home. And it looks like the Alps.

• Upon returning home, discovered a package in the mailbox.  I had actually WON an Aveeno Natural Beauty Contest somehow & they sent me a full-size Aveeno 45 spf spray-on sunblock.  I can surely use THAT this summer.  (So enter those contests. I have won several in the last 6 months.)
• Also several of my free magazines came.

Tried that Ibunex sample for my sore fingers that had come.  (it's a new topical ibuprophen.) Of ALL the things I have been trying out, for my sore finger joint, it's the only thing that has WORKED. I have a deal for free shipping on it, too - so when I finish the samples....

• Have to apologize to the Skin MD people.  Now that it's warmer, I find that their Shielding Lotion + sunscreen is very nice for my ARMS, neck, and so on. You can put it on before going out without fear of staining your clothes. (My face needs more moisture...) But its non-greasiness really works for the body...
• Read in the Zappo's online shoe blog about people complaining that they can't get jeans short enough and how they don't want to take them to be altered.  Heavens!  As a short person, I always have had to hem my pants.  No big deal. Just fold them over to the right length, affix loosely with duct tape before washing and after washing, measure, fold, iron for crease and sew with a simple hem stitch.  (Same for most skirts.) You can do it in front of TV.  I do. (Oh, duct tape is also good for holding up jean hems if they come down when you don't have time to fix them....)

• Actually last night in front of TV I took out some of the fruit/vine patterned contact paper I had from the 99 cent store, and cut a circle to put on the top of the decidedly cheap but adequate plastic compact so it wouldn't look quite so cheap.  The yellowish background of the paper, with its pattern of leaves looks very nice against the black plastic of the compact container and masks its origins nicely.
• Saw a decorating show the other night where they put wood-grained dark contact paper on a plywood base for faux wood - they even meticulously made a pattern to look like inlay - and then covered it with a round of GLASS, so no one would be the wiser.  I have used wood-grained and marble-grained contact paper for furniture and furniture tops, but adding the glass for a dining room  table was the finishing touch.  Would even work well over a faux contact paper marble top for an armoire, dresser, etc.  Or you could use plexiglass, but that has a tendency to bend....Practically the only way you can make over today's composite board furniture is to use that adhesive paper., especially if there is any wear. 
• Found some lavender growing wildly - so I plucked a few to make a sprig.  Once home, I tied with some lavender ribbon I had left over, and put it in a little old glass ink bottle for a tiny floral display.
•  

Once down the mountain, we stopped into the Sports Chalet in La Canada to check out their prices for rental ski equipment. Boy, were their knitted wool hats pricey!  I would make my own - luckily I recently found a wool ski hat & gloves set at a thrift store for a song, which goes in with the ski gear.  Does anyone PAY those prices?  The sun dresses with the shirred tops reminded me of one I made myself years ago and made me think of doing another one.

We then dropped into the nearby Home Goods store and I perused all the clearance areas just for fun.  As hubby said, all the things you DON'T really NEED.  Reminded me that it's a place to get gifts, tho. Found a nice little rug for the house ($3) & a big tin of cocoa left over from the Xmas season, also $3 - I do like it in my coffee. Now I am fixed for the foreseeable future, as I picked up some at the Pier One sale, too. (If you haven't checked, real cocoa can be expensive & in tins it will last....)

The next day we went for a walk around the Headwaters Park near Old Topanga Road near Calabasas.  It's a lovely site, reminding you of Old California before development.  There is even a stream that they have cleaned up & revived.  The frogs were croaking merrily.  And there are picnic tables.  We HAVE to picnic and play some music there.  In contrast to the prevailing temperatures, it is nice and shady and cool under the Oak trees by the stream.  And you know, this is the first Sunday we have EVER seem anyone else there! Look around for hidden gems in your neighborhood!

One day in the snow and the next it's 80 degrees and we seek shade.  So. Calif. has its points.  Today it's rainy again & I am back  to sweatshirts.

0 Comments | Post Feedback

We Wkend Frugally

All this wkend's frugal fixes

Post Feedback:

You need to be a registered ThriftyFun user post feedback. If you are registered, login using the form at the top of this page. Click here to register.