Windows Phone 7 GIVEAWAY!: Do More With Less
Here at Prudent Baby we try to be, well, prudent. And being prudent often means doing more with less. More style, more fun, more crafty goodness - with less money, less time, less materials. You know exactly what we mean, right? Which is why we are so excited to be giving away a Windows Phone 7! That's right, one lucky Prudent Baby reader is going to win a Windows Phone 7 for telling us how they do more with less.
So in the spirit of more with less, I tried to create the easiest dress of all time. Even easier then our most popular tutorial ever, the 10 Minute Onesie Dress. Presenting the Two Minute T-Shirt Dress.
It's a dress you can sew out of an old t-shirt in about two minutes (ok maybe five). You guys seemed to like the Recycled Ruffle Sleeve Bubble T, and a bunch of you mentioned adding some old tees to the sewing pile. I have the same pile so I tried to use one of them to make the quickest, easiest, simplest possible dress. It seriously doesn't get any easier than this, it doesn't even involve any cutting. Also, this unicorn t-shirt was from Wal Mart, it's pretty cute right? I hope you like this tutorial and are inspired to do more with less.
And the big bonus: One lucky Prudent Baby reader is going to win a Windows Phone 7!
Get the Two Minute T-Shirt Dress Tutorial & The scoop on the Windows Phone 7 Giveaway after the jump...
Two Minute T-Shirt Dress & Windows Phone 7 Giveaway!
Check out the full tutorial, and learn how to enter the giveaway below.
1. Acquire one t-shirt. I used a woman's t that my friend Kate bought me as gift for the White Trash BBQ. I don't know that unicorns are white trash, but unicorns+rhinestones+glitter+skin tight probably qualifies?
2. Load your bobbin with elastic thread and regular thread on your spool. I used gray so you could see it, but normally I would recommend using the same color as your shirt in the spool. For tips on sewing with elastic thread visit this post. Now grab your shirt and find the seam at the top of the sleeve. Sew from the neckline to the end of the sleeve 1/2" from the seam on either side, backstitch at the beginning and end to hold your elastic thread in place. So you're sewing two straight lines:
Do that to both sleeves. Sleeves complete.
3. Now look at your shirt and imagine it as a dress on your kid. Choose a general waist area for it, a little low so it can pouf over. Then just start sewing in a spiral all around the shirt. I started at one side seam and just sort of went up and down, not paying attention to straight lines, spiraling around for 60 seconds, backstitching at the beginning and end:
See, it look sort of messy up close, but you'll never see it because it's gathered and the dress poufs over it anyway.
Done. Pretty cute for two minutes?
And one t-shirt put to good use. The kid LOVES it.
So readers, there's one way we did more with less. Keep checking in this week to see other ways, like a simple homemade body scrub whipped up with basic stuff you have in your kitchen.
So tell, us how do you do more with less? To enter the Windows Phone 7 Giveaway leave a comment on this post with a way you do more with less. Leave your comment anytime between today and midnight, November 29th. We will randomly select one winner using random.org. The winner will receive one Windows Phone 7. For official rules click here: Windows Phone 7 Official Rules.
This giveaway is brought to you by the new Windows Phone 7. Less MIA. More PTA: Learn about Windows Phone online at www.windowsphone.com and see it in person at local T-Mobile stores today.
Labels: Giveaways, Inspiration, Recycle, Sewing, Tips, Under $5, Under an Hour
256 Comments:
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1 – 200 of 256 Newer› Newest»
We do more with less with free fun! This weekend was all about jumping in the leaves, flying kites at the beach, playing at the park with friends. Kids don't need extravagant plans to have a great time.
We do more with less bu reusing things we already have - instead of buying new things.
We do more with less because I upcycle so many clothes. My 13 year old's old jeans just got turned into my 2 year olds new jeans!
I am sooooooo bummed! I don't get tmobil in my area! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO............ooooooooooooo......OOOOOOO.............o. :(
To do more with less in the kitchen, you buy a gigantic pack of lean ground beef from costco and two boxes of Stovetop stuffing. Blend in a gigantic bowl with three eggs, two finely chopped onions (optional) and two tablespoons of seasoning salt (or Mrs Dash or whatever your preference is)
Then you take a cookie dough baller (or your hands, but if you're going to do this more often, it's worth it to buy the cookie dough baller just for this!) and make, cook up, and freeze a gazillion meatballs.
You'll wind up with several freezer bags full of meatballs, enough to make a week of meatball meals, for less than fifteen dollars!
I grab the Sunday paper, find the coupons for the things I need. Then I browse the store advertisements for things that I need that are on sale as well. Next I take the ads and coupons and go to the grocery store that price matches. I have some days saved $50 on groceries by doing this!
It is all about the budget in our house. I am not talking about a diet-like budget that makes you always want more. Instead it is putting pen to paper at the beginning of each month and deciding how we our going to be using our money that month to benefit our family both now and into the future. Sometimes that means saying no to wants. Sometimes it means adding extra to savings or to the mortgage. Sometimes it means seeing that we finally have saved up enough to buy the living room furniture that we have been waiting to buy.
By grabbing whatever is in the house to make a quick dinner! Casseroles are awesome!
I got to be spending too much $ each week, so now I am doing more with less. I have really stepped up my couponing in order to save more, & I also have turned into a faithful Goodwill shopper-I am able to find brand new stuff there for dirt cheap!
More with less hmmmm.... I do more with less by using very little cleaning supplies, vinegar/bleach/baking soda and water.
I do more sewing with less (less $ and less space taken up in my house) by checking out sewing books from the library.
jrint21@hotmail.com
I do more with less by never leaving the house without checking the coupons first. We have different stacks for different things: restaurants, stores, food, etc.
By smiling and loving every minute of whatever we are doing!
I make gifts myself - I cannot see paying for something that I can make in a better quality for a lot less. I don't wear makeup, which saves both time and money.
I have two but they are kind of silly. On saturdays I buy a fully cooked chicken from sams club, take off all of the meat and make three meals out of it during the week. And when I feel the itch to craft but I have to materials or money to buy them, I go through my closet and find t shirts I don't wear anymore and make little dresses for my baby. Poor baby.
We recycle 'garbage' into art supplies whenever we can....egg cartons, jelly jars, cereal boxes, etc. We also plans meals that make good lunch leftovers to stretch our food budget further....we used to make meals that were great fresh but no one wanted to eat leftovers of, now if we make those types of meals we make smaller portions so as not to waste!! We also invested in good lunch bags and snack taxis so that we don't have to use plastic baggies anymore. I've done the math and the small investment I made in June has already paid for itself twice over!! That's definitely less is more!!
I read once that the amount of energy wasted in the US by throwing out food is more than the entire country of Switzerland uses at all! That got to me! I am determined not to waste a dime on food which involves meal planning, taking leftovers for lunch and REALLY using what I buy. If I buy I whole chicken I make at least three meals from it. One as a roasted chicken, second as chicken enchiladas or chicken quesadillas and I boil the bones to make home made chicken stock. Waste not want not!
Doing more with less....the first thing that pops into my mind about what I do is grocery shopping with sales in mind. It means checking the paper first, keeping in mind what I'm going to do with the item on sale, keeping my meal options open to accomodate those items that are due to expire tomorrow so they are ridiculously discounted, and sticking to my list. I get what I need, avoiding those items that I may never find a purpose for. I also avoid the super-stores; I find I spend way too much there because impulse buys lurk everywhere!
We do more with less by making larger meals (thus buying cheaper food in bulk) and freezing half of it. Just the other day, I pulled a batch of homemade chicken pot pie filler out of the freezer. It was great because all I had to do was make a quick crust and we were ready to go.
Since getting my sewing machine last summer, I've learned to taylor all of the clothing in our thrift store bin into something we actually wear!
We do more with less money by making handmade gifts for all occasions. People appreciate the time and effort more too!
The way I do more with less time is by committing to do just ONE SMALL TASK on my sewing projects every day. When I say small, I mean small. I finished a baby romper for my cousin's baby by pinning one side one day, and sewing one line the next day, then laying it out and marking the legs the day after that. Each day, I'd put the project away, but each day, I'd do something small so I could progress bit by bit. It'd finished, and it's darling. I work more than full-time hours, and simply do not have an hour to devote to sewing. But I do have ten minutes here and there!
I do more with less by taking leftovers and making a delicious new meal out of it!
I buy all my meats in bulk at Sams Club then separate them into quart bags to freeze. On the weekends, we make several large meals (speghetti sauce, chili, chicken & dumpilns, venison stew, etc) and freeze into dinner-sized portions with the date. We also use these meals as the go-to when we see a friend in need of some quick groceries between paychecks! Actually, I think that's where most of our meals end of going! LOL! But we love to share what we have!
We do more with less by cloth diapering our daughter. It was an initial investment, but we've saved a bundle overall!
We are very lucky to live just a couple of metro stops away from Washington DC. There are always tons of free things to do. We hop on the metro and go down to one of the Smithsonian museums, we can go to the National zoo or go take a walking tour of all of the monuments. My kids think we are going on exciting adventures and they don't even realize it's cheap entertainment. We also try to pack picnic lunches because in those free stops they get you on the food. (Praying right now that they don't start charging for the Smithsonians. We would be very sad.)
I love Scarlett, staring off into space. She is so cute! My more with less secret is makeup. I get more compliments with the less makeup I wear!
Bethany
We do more with less by partnering up with friends! We get together once a month for a fabulous dinner and a night of entertainment, with each couple making a contribution. We bring parts of the meal (main dish, dessert, etc.), someone brings a couple DVDs from their collection that the group might not have seen, someone brings a board game or two, and we end up having a blast together!
I have a passion for sewing so I use this talent to make my kids clothes to save on expensive clothing at the store. I make everything from ties and vests for my boys, dresses and headbands for my girls, and PJs for the whole family. It really helps us save money!
We do more with less by trying to reuse pretty much anything..an old sweater turns into a new pillow cover..an old lace shirt recovers a lamp, jars are washed and sanitized and covered with yarn and used as a vase, or filled with hot chocolate and marshmallows and given as a gift, left over christmas paper or fabric is turned into wall art..and the list goes on!
I cook on Sunday and make meals that will last for dinner all week!
In my family, I am queen of doing more with less! My entire house gets cleaned with no more than baking and vinegar- cheap, easy, non-toxic- got to love it! I also make cloth diapers for the babe from old t-shirts. So far I have made a dozen diapers for about $5. Now that's prudent!!
lots, but one thing is i buy in bulk; baking soda, white vinegar, dr. bronners soap, water. then by mixing in different ways and quantities, i clean everything in my house with those items.
I do more for less by baking all gifts, no more buying presents! Everyone loves it.
I do more for less by really focusing on what my family really needs rather than just impulse purchases.
How I do more with less...using other people's phones when they upgrade!
We do more with less by making our daughters clothes last longer! A cute dress becomes a cute shirt once it gets a bit short, a fave pair of jeans becomes adorable capris when she grows. A bit of imagination and thinking out of the box has let me dress my two year old in clothes she wore at six months!
I do more with less by freecyling. I'm renovating a free play kitchen with free paint and making play food with free felt.
That's all I seem to do! :) I think that even when we get to that 'someday' place in our lives I will still do it. Couponing, upcycling, remaking, making in general. We eat in - {unless I got an awesome groupon coupon!}. My son takes his lunch everyday. He gets what he wants at school I save money ($10/week = $360/school year!) With a thermos (found an old school one from when I was a kid where the lid is a cup?!) And I made my own lunch bags. That saves me an extra $50+/school year!
amandaandandy@yahoo.com
I get my kid to help me do whatever I’m doing. (he’s 2) that way I get chores done, spend time with him and help him learn to do things.
I'm in nursing school and my hubby is almost done with his PharmD so we're short on funds and are always finding ways to do more with less. I recycle alot of my daughters clothes or my clothes in order to make her new clothes. We also reuse our notes from school for our daughter to color on. We just flip them over and she uses the other side to draw to her hearts content :)
Great shirt/dress idea! Along the clothes thing, I've been making dresses and shirts for my daughter out of clearanced bed sheets. I also recently learned you can make your own chili powder with spices that I already have in my cupboard- one less thing to store.
We wait for sales, use coupons, and buy off season. I'm a bargain hunter. I keep track of prices at different places, so I know whether or not something is really a good deal or not. I don't buy on impulse. We keep and reuse everything. For Christmas, we're giving homemade gifts with lots of time, love, and effort put into them. We go to the zoo on free days, and we'll be doing the same for Museums this winter break.
We do more with less by scouring grocery store ads and comparing the coupons. I usually go to 3 different stores but they are all close and we need to watch our budget with 7 mouths to feed!
What an AMAZING giveaway! It's amazing how much I rely on technology to keep my little business going. I like to keep things simple. Right now I am making more and buying less by using all my scrap pieces of fabric to make little things for the shop. Simple, but cute :)
I am always looking for ways to lentgthen the life of my daughters clothes - jeans into shorts, dreses into shirts, mommies clothes into cute kiddy clothes. And I double duty all meals dinner is lunch the next day.
My husband loves his Windows 7 phone.
We've been trying to simplify. I've adopted a use it or lose it attitude. It's freeing to get rid of things I thought I HAD to have. It makes me see and appreciate the things I actually use.
One of the reasons I started sewing again was I have lost 44 lbs this year and since I cannot afford a new wardrobe, I have been altering some of my clothes. The sewing has also helped me do more with less as I have made almost all the gifts that I plan to give this year.
Here in Hawaii the cost of living is high...a gallon of milk can run anywhere from $4 to $6-$7...I won't even mention gas prices...ack!...So making more with less is a way of life here...I only do food shopping if I have coupons and buying the latest clothing fads are out of the question so I also do a lot of sewing. When gifts giving is needed, I make something from the MILLIONS of scraps I have sitting around in my scrap bin...people love homemade gifts and, in my opinion, would rather that than something store bought...
We do more with less by making double of cheap, healthy meals and freezing them. One of our favorites is frozen burritos - dried beans, brown rice, whole wheat tortillas, cheese and spices are the only ingredients. We roll them in aluminum foil and freeze in a vacuum bag for a quick dinner on a busy night - just pop in the oven for an hour and dinner is served!
I do more with less by clipping those coupons and watching sales! You won't believe how easy it is to get tons of products free or ridiculously cheap when you pay attention! I refuse to actually pay for toothpaste anymore since I can usually get it for free or make money buying it!
We do less by recycling the things in our house to make new things. This Christmas everything is being recycled into something unique. and With all that extra time we have. We make crafts out of the old stuff to make new stuff
we do more with less by making all my home decor and couponing! its the only way to go :)
ranaebroadhead@gmail.com
Nothing huge but I simply take a step back when I feel the urge of...I HAVE to buy this. You know that, I can't live without this feeling? I resist and walk away. 99.9% of the time that feeling fades within a couple days and it turns out I didn't really need it. And sometimes...something better comes along (even on sale or cheaper) that I like a lot more :)
wow so cool thanks for the chance to win but my thing to save is i just love to take the kids and dogs to the park they run around and both get tried and have a blast doing it!! no money spent on crazy theme parks since they always pass out half way through the day uscgirl1284@gmail.com
This Christmas is all handmade. With an ever growing family, I realized this is a necessity and the rule; and I'm a beginner at sewing and have already made 4 quilts, 3 aprons and still going! ;)
Thanks for the chance to win!
Desi
I do more with less by taking the time to preserve and take care of things the first time. With 3 boys (ages 4,3 and 2) their clothes get handed down...I make sure to check pockets, look for and pre-treat stains and mend tiny holes with each load of laundry. Takes a couple more minutes but I've saved $100's by rarely ever buying my 2yo clothing :)
We recycle, recycle, recycle.
Reusing bags for shopping and refashioning old clothes.
Ironically - for winning a phone - my husband and I share a simple flip phone (it doesn't even have a camera) and we only pay $35 a month for 1000 minutes/texts/MB of internet. We never go over. I used to have a more expensive phone and plan, but now we use more with way less ; )
I have 9 month old twins-a girl and boy. To save I bought their tops in gender-specific colors and themes and their pants in gender neutral colors. (Please don't enter me in your giveaway, I don't think we get T Mobile in AK.)
By taking risks and learning new things. Nothing gets thrown away/replaced without an attempt at repair. I have seen the inner workings of my DVD player, sewing machine, camera, and computer (and lived to tell the tale). The DVD player was the only thing that I couldn't fix, but I did rescue the DVD it ate.
I also get a high level of entertainment for free by telling my tween that I can make her a dress for waaaaaaaaay cheaper than buying one. The eye-rolling and long-suffering utterances of "Mooooooom!" are better than paying to see a new movie.
What works for our family in "doing more with less" is in the kitchen-- we use up every last ingredient, pantry item, and grocery. Thank goodness for sites like Allrecipes.com so I can find something to use those random amounts of something with!
tegan{dot}mauldin{at}gmail{dot}com
Post-its!! I write myself reminders all of over the house. They are also great for leaving cute notes for your husband or textbook page markers.
I use the grocery store ads to "price match" at Walmart. Though check-out takes quite a bit longer, I typically save about $20-$30 each trip! That makes me feel good!
I do more in less time by giving my toddler something to do like color or watch a short movie because its really hard to do things when she is around :)
I think that sentimental gifts are the most memorable way to do more with less. My favorite gifts are photo calendars, filled with memories. These are easy and affordable, and can be tailored for families and friends.
Lastly, don't forget to spend a little something for those who can't spend - whether it is adopting a family for a holiday or buying something small for a toy drive. When I was little, I was the recipient of a secret toys-for-tots gift (I had no idea where it came from, it was left at my doorstep), and it helped me continue believing in Santa although my family was not able to afford gifts that year!
just do with LESS! really ask yourself, is this a NEED or a WANT?? you will be amazed at how many things just aren't NEEDed.
I got my wife an Ipod touch during her pregnancy with our first born. She uses that thing everyday, it’s hard to separate them two. It would be nice for her to have to worry about one less device with a new WP7 instead of carrying around a cell phone + blue tooth + ipod touch.
Awesome t-shirt tutorial! We're doing more with less this year by making most of our Christmas gifts. I've made all the little girls in my life "Black Apple" dolls, using left-over baby food jars to make cool candles, and I'm using up all my broken crayons and molding them into candy molds for the little ones in our life.
Adding a baby to our family this year is forcing us to be more prudent than ever! I hesitate to throw anything out before first thinking, what else could I do with that? Could I rip it apart and use the pieces for something else? Could it I save it to repurpose it? Could it be spray painted and transformed?
If it came into our house with a lid, chances are it never made it into the recycling because it now is holding ribbons or nails or lipstick or rubber bands & twist ties or pacifiers or dish detergent or cotton swabs or .... you get the idea.
Oh and Christmas gifts this year are mostly projects from Prudent Baby! Checkbook covers, mod podge coasters, plate cameos of our new baby. If my family ever looks at this site they'll see all their presents just waiting to be made - using materials I've found around the house of course :)
We do more with less by going places for birthdays instead of buying "things"-reduces clutter and creates more memories!!!!!
We always ask family members to give passes to our zoo and children's museum for holidays, and then spend our free time going there for free (to us!) repeat visits are always welcome for our kids because we never can stay long enough to do everything anyway.
We do more with less by always finding new ways to use fabric scraps! Inevitably we'll come up with something fabulous!
Great giveaway--
I have been making my own laundry detergent, hair products (leave-in conditioner, shampoo, shea butter whip mix) and dishwashing liquid. It is enviromentally safe and I am using less plastic.
The number 1 way I do more with less is by yard saling. I love to go to yard sales, garage sales, and rummage sales! I buy "new" clothes for the kids and even myself sometimes and I found TONS of fabric. At one sale this summer I got enough coordinating flannel for a queen size quilt for $5! Yard sales rock!
We swap clothes with family and friends when each child has outgrown something. We also do toy swaps. I am getting into couponing and trying to learn to only buy what's on my list.
I finally bought a sewing machine and will be breaking it in soon! Hope that saves some green.
Since all our children have grown up and left home we have lots of leftovers. I save most of our leftover vegetables, drain liquid, lay on cookie tray and freeze overnight. In the morning I add to a large container that holds our collection from other meals. When we have enough I make a huge pot of vegetable soup for my families favorite weekend get together meal.
My way of doing more with less is heading over to my local thrift store. I can get all the items I need (pants, sweaters etc) for way less money than anywhere else. Plus, I get the pride of a great bargain and all my friends comment on my cute stuff. It's also fun to get a skirt for 3 bucks and hem it to make it your own!
Finding ways of reusing things around the house so that we aren't spending money, yet are still having tons of fun with our two little ones!!
I love to wrap gifts with ribbon! Floral ribbon is a less expensive alternative to fabric ribbon and the spool lasts forever. Who doesn't love untying a hand-tied ribbon when unwrapping a present!?!? I know I do! And all it takes is a spool of ribbon to make the gifts you give seem that much more special!
oh man, I really need a new phone, mine drops calls all day long. I try to do more with less by doubling recipes and freezing half of a meal, I get two meals out of it, without spending much more, plus it is great to pull out of the freezer on a night I don't want to cook
heidiemyers@gmail.com
We do more with less food!! I try to get chicken or other meats on sale and then cook it up in the crock pot to use throughout the week for other recipes. We have a lot of chicken: tacos, enchiladas, soup, etc...
My fiance's old t-shirts become my stripped fabric necklaces!
I do more with less by:
1) monitoring finances and setting budgets via mint.com (which has a an app on data phones!!!)
2) get more with less cost by getting coupons (retail, grocery,etc) online before going shopping
3) making my own cakes/pancakes/etc with my on hand ingredients vs a box
4) using grocery bags as trash bags (when I forget my green totes)
5) designed/sewed my own wedding dress this past summer vs splurging on a Monique Lhullier dress *whew*
6) entering giveaways such as this giveaway to get a lot more with (much) less for any on the go sorts ... phone calls, emails, coupons & deals, mint.com alerts!, memories with photos, run with the radio music, watch movies, watch tv ... endless possibilities!
:)
Oooh. Lovely phone. And that dress is adorable - oh, the ideas!
I suppose I could say I do more for less by using the library. I don't know what I would do without my stacks of books, waiting to be read. Not only does the library provide my entertainment reading, I can find books-on-tape for road trips, movies and CDs to check out, and interlibrary-loan books for my research. Plus, it's a nice walk and a way to get out of the house for a while.
My mission this month is to do more with less in the kitchen~I am cooking out of my freezer and pantry as much as possible and challenging myself to only grocery shop for the essentials.
One way that I (as a stay at home mom of four kids) do more with less is to learn from you ladies and make gifts for my kids and our friends and family myself!
I am organizing, destashing and cleaning out ... giving to any and all who need it or use it. I donated close to 200 yds of fabric to charity quilt making groups. thanks.
One way I do more with less, is I use MY T-shirts as dusting cloths and cleaning pads to swipe the floor with my swiffer (our old T-shirts could not be re-made into cute dresses, they are too blucky). I don't buy the disposable ones. Then I can wash and re=use over and over again. Less in a landfill and less money out of our wallet.
I do more with less by shopping thrift stores. It is amazing what you can (and can't find). Also, sheets make great and affordable fabric! P.S. what a gorgeous little girl!
i do laundry once a week!!
I do more with less by combining my coupons with sale items. Yesterday I spent $189 on groceries for our family of eight but I saved $195. Whoo Whoo!
We do more as a family with less. The activities we do together aren't "paid" activities-we go on a picnic instead of going out to eat, and family trips include camping and trips to the beach. Saturdays are spend watching Daddy play soccer. We love simple!
I made an extra large over the shoulder (across the chest) bag and use it for both a purse and diaper bag!
adamandem at yahoo dot com
Well, more with less...let me think. Since having my second child I definately have less time. Due to complications with breastfeeding I can only pump....so I have a lot less time...chasing a 20 month old, feeding a newborn and then adding in pumping...so I had to be crafty. I used my handy sewing machine to make myself hands free pumping tank tops...that way I can do more with less time. I pay bills, make small crafts, write emails, play catch (limited catching ability!) all while pumping. Let me tell you, there is a lot of time spent pumping and I have to make the best of it, so there it is...how I do more with less.
I try to be frugal with my grocery money. I am a stockpiler, I am not brand loyal and I use The Grocery Ganme to do all my work for me. Last week my grocery bill at Kroger was $158, after all the sales and coupons were taken off, I paid $48. More money for crafting, right? =)
I do less with more by making my own laundry, dish & house cleaning supplies with basic ingredients. I also cloth diaper which saves us money and eliminates a ton of waste in the landfills. Now that my baby is 9 months I'm using the infant prefolds for all sorts of things...burp cloths, dust rags, snot rags. We also do some major Thrifting.
We've been saving money by having meals in, pretending like we're at a restaurant and then watching a movie in the living room in dark like a movie theater. We've also been hosting clothing swaps at the hospital the I work at. We all know whose kids are a size above and below ours, so we can hand over hand-me-downs when our kiddos outgrown them.
I do more with less for our Mothers of Preschoolers Group Craft Time. We have 40 members and a yearly budget of $400 -- for about 10 crafts! That's nutso. But, every time we've pulled it off. Today we took clear glass ornaments, fabric scraps, and mod podge and made adorable ornaments.
Thanks for the chance to enter!
I'm doing more with less by reading everyone's ideas in the comments. Wow there are some really great ideas. Although my own is to shop at the Goodwill for their 29 cent items. I love making arm warmers for my daughter from sweaters I get there. So easy to get things to craft from there without going broke and upcycling things that might make their way to the landfills.
I do more with less time....anytime I am cooking with a recipe, I always double it and freeze one batch, and get two meals for roughly the same amount of time it takes to make one!
I'm trying very hard to be mindful of make do / do without, but I've been able to provide my kids with tons of paper for artwork by reusing office paper with printing on just one side. My work has a huge bin of printing mistakes and my kids don't care what's on the back - the are happy as long as I hang it on the wall!
We do more with less by using recyclable kitchen items for crafts. My kids love to come up with the best things. We also try to curb excessive driving by making sure we get everything on the grocery list the FIRST we go shopping. We've been guilty in the past of driving to the grocery store almost every day to "pick up" something...so that's something we are working hard at.
Megan
buckleymshoedesignshop@gmail.com
We do more with less by taking advantage of free kids activities in our area. We love storytime at Barnes and Noble! And I'm finally getting useful with the sewing machine so hopefully I will be doing more with less with our clothes soon! :)
I have a large tupperware bowl, a "Thatza Bowl" that I turn upside down, add a dinner plate, and voila! A cover for a plate of brownies, cupcakes, or even a two layer cake. And has many more uses than a standard cake carrier!
What an awesome giveaway - wow!
I'm clipping coupons like crazy, being creative by planning dinners with what's in my pantry and sewing clothes for my girls.
Doing more with less--such an important concept for our times. One way I do more with less is my love affair with VINEGAR. I use it as my one cleaning supply--It cleans windows, bathrooms, wood floors, and to clean my cabinets. I use it as fabric softener and I mix it with baking soda to scrub counter stains and my porcelain sink. It's ONE, inexpensive item with MANY, MANY uses. Plus, it keeps my house chemical free!
Now that the weather is no longer hotter than you know what here in Georgia, my girls and I cannot get enough of this splendid fall weather! Goodness knows that a little sunshine on our three faces helps us meander the day a whole lot better! Anyways, I "do more with less" gasoline by putting the girls in the jogging stroller and running or walking to the grocery store, park, library, post office, and art class instead of driving!!
I try to actually follow through on my projects. Instead of moving onto something new and pretty, I remind myself that I'm already invested in something (that has great rewards). Simple... but works for me.
I try to plan meals accordingly, so that leftovers are used for the next night's meal. We also have been blessed with 3 girls, so when the oldest grows out of something, that outfit finds it's way into the drawer of a younger sister!
I do more with less in the kitchen. I always buy the whole chicken and make broth with the bones, that i freeze and make other means later.
So cute, I love that top that your little one is wearing! I do more with less by cooking big portions and then freezing them, makes it easy when I'm in a pinch for dinner - just thaw and enjoy!
Thanks! :)
shevilkenevil1 at aol dot com
One simple crafty thing I did was take an old flannel sheet and upcycle it into hankies. I aquired a serger now, so I will be using the rest of the sheet to make reusable wipes for baby due in Feb.
I also recently discovered our 'for donation' tiny little aquarium and marine science center in Poulsbo. Perfect for toddlers. I was happy to share the idea with another mom whose 18mo old had fun there.
We do more with less the same way my grandmother did: home canning, backyard garden, keep the "idiot box" OFF, library cards and focusing on gratitude for what we do have.
I have more quality time with my kids by scheduling less. We love hanging around the house and neighborhood and not shuttling all over town in the car. Just today we went hunting for treasures in the yard and around the block - we found a pine cone, some red leaves, flowers, rose pedals, rocks and sticks. Then we came home and turned our treasure into a masterpiece.
Doing more with less: this year I got so sick of all the food waste that we seem to fall victim too. So I started sending my leftovers to my neighbor's house. Then she started doing the same thing. We decided to team up, and have been doing a dinner swap for about a year. We each take a day of the week and cook for both houses. It's easy to plan, cheaper on your grocery budget, less wasteful and the nights where she cooks feel like you are getting homemade take out - better yet, she delivers it hot right to my front door when we're ready to eat. IT'S FANTASTIC. Since our dinner swaps we have stopped eating out as much, because I get a night off from cooking, and it's always fun to see what she comes up with for dinner because she's such a creative cook. It's worked out beautifully and I recommend it to everyone.
6 kids this way. Lots and lots of refashioning. It's amazing how long clothes can last with a couple of ribbons, some elastic or a patch!
I rinse out all the glass jars (spaghetti sauce, jelly, etc)and reuse them for storing and sorting small items. Tin cans I repurpose as luminaries.
Hmm... I'm REALLY big on using our crockpot. I love being able to walk away and use only ONE dish to make an entire dinner!
Phew!
I also know that at the end of the day I can completely relax because it's all DONE!
<3 <3
This comment has been removed by the author.
"Resourceful" has been my word for the year. I purchased a raglan shirt PDF pattern to use for my little guy. I've been cutting up all of our old t-shirts to make raglan shirts and PJs for him. I realized I could really do more with less when I started recycling the ribbing from the t-shirts too. No extra materials needed now!
I have been saving my husband's worn flannel sleep pants. I have enough now to cut the good parts to make a lap quilt.
I love using old t shirts and sewing them into new tops
I do more with less money by eating from the vegetable garden out back.
I only do laundry on certain days of the week. The kids clothes and towels on Monday, my husband, mine and sheets on Wednesday. With no laundering in between we save water and detergent.
Wow, what an awesome giveaway! I have a penchant for saving old boxes, egg cartons and containers and turning them into crafting and art projects for my little brood of cutie pies.
Christene {Whipperberry.com}
My favorite sewing project for awhile was turning old and beloved t shirts into onesies for my son... srink the neckline, the sleeves, cut the bottom and add snaps, and boom. Cute onesies with nostalgia.
Do more with vinegar. Have you ever done an internet search for the uses of vinegar? Weird, amazing stuff. Some vinegar, some baking soda, and some Dawn, and you can clean anything.
Doing more with less has been very freeing! We recently made blankets using old t-shirts and sweatshirts which no longer fit. With jeans my daughter has outgrown and/or worn at the knees, I cut them just above the knees, added gathered fabric and created cute custom gaucho jeans which my daughter adores. And we've done away with harmful and expensive cleaning products in favor of baking soda, vinegar, and elbow grease!
I am going to use all of my sewing scraps to make potholders for Christmas gifts this year.
i love to sew things for family and friends with less. i love upcycling and using thrifted items to create new ones!
I love the saying "more for less." Using what I got around the house for sewing, decorating, or cooking. It's a challenge sometimes, but its helps you be creative! For example, my chandelier light was very outdated, dull brass. I got some spray paint and painted it a new color. You would never know and I got so many compliments!
Fun dress! If only I had more time to create all of the Christmas gift ideas that I have! Thanks for the ideas!
Here it is! 3 meals from one chicken!
I usually crockpot a whole chicken (with veggies), serve breasts and drumsticks to my family. That's one meal.
The second meal I strip the remaining chicken meat from the chicken and make a casserole or chicken salad to eat in pita breads.
The carcass gets thrown into the crockpot again with veggies, and I make chicken noodle soup or yummy broth for a base for another meal.
Of course, if my family is tired of chicken, I can freeze meal 2 or 3 to have on hand for those busy, busy days.
My wife makes her own vanilla for cooking. She bought the vanilla beans on line for a really good price, then adds them to vodka or brandy. The beans can be reused for more vanilla or vanilla sugar. Very prudent.
I always shop sales for crafting items & buy for use later. I also check the thrift stores for clothing items made from material I can use for something else. This way, I can create something very pretty for less!
We love spending time at the library - looking at books, finding crafts we can do as a family, reading to each other. It's a great free way to spend meaningful time together, and to learn new stuff too!
Multifuncational rooms and furniture in my house - to do more with less
I do more with less when it comes to everything in my life. I carpool with people to college. I'm extremely creative so I make all my own jewelry and hair stuff. I even upcycle a lot of mine and my sons clothes. Im a cake decorator and even when it comes to that, i budget and make all my stuff from scratch because in the end it's less expensive and goes farther. I believe people spend way too much money on most things in life that they can easily make or do themselves! DIY is my life! I love it!!!
We do more with less my recycling as much as possible around the house. My husbands old dress shirts become my daughters summer dresses, curtains become chair covers, conditioner becomes detangler, and old stemware and cups make adorable candle holders. It's a great way to save money, and keep my home decor fresh. Great giveaway item, the phone looks amazing.
I use brown craft paper to wrap all presents. It looks nice and then I use sharpies to write the To and From on them. I bought a package of multi-colored markers and use different colors for different holidays. I never have to keep up with tons of rolls of wrapping paper and cards are way overpriced since they usually get thrown out the same day.
I do more with less because when I had my baby and chose to be a stay at home mom, we gave up 2/3 of our income and are still making things work.
I'm expecting baby number one, and while I'm so tempted to go out and buy new clothes, I'm not doing it. I'm figuring out ways to alter some of the things I have, layer, add buttons, and trust in my almighty belly band to get me most of the way without shopping!
We do more with less by selling & buying at children's consignment sales. I have five kids + one on the way, and I spend very little on clothing for them because I sell half of what they outgrow + save the other half. I use the money I make and shop consignment!
(And trust me, you CAN have fun, cute clothes on your kids AND shop consignment!)
Our friends and I do more for less by having potluck get-togethers! Everyone brings a little something fancy and we still get to eat a gourmet dinner together without going broke!
I do more with less by always doubling labor-intensive recipes and freezing the extra portion- lasagna, banana bread, marinara sauce, etc. There's nothing better than an easy home-cooked meal on those nights when we're both mind-numbingly tired. :)
Danielle
0danielle0@gmail.com
I make most of our gifts for birthdays and holidays, so we can give more for less money. I also make most of our meals, cleaning products, and decorative items. The big challenge is balancing the money savings with the time invested. Sometimes it pays to purchase a gift, meal, or product!
Thanks for the giveaway...it's fun to read everyone's ideas!
I lost my job shortly after getting pregnant, so we have starting looking for so many ways to do more with less!
I quit buying expensive cleaning products and now by baking soda and vinegar in bulk. I keep vinegar diluted with water in a spray bottle for cleaning (counters, microwaves, fridge spills, name it). I use less detergent and add baking soda for a boost, then add vinegar to the rinse cycle.
We also started researching recipes online to make dinners like what you get in restaurants, but for a LOT less $$$. My fave is tequila lime chicken! We make a fancy meal out of it, but it is nice and private.
Whenever I want to try out a new sewing project that doesn't take tons of fabric or I'm itching to make something I go to Goodwill on their half off days and buy men's XL or larger shirts and use up the material!
Hmmmm - more with less - after reading your last post about body scrub, I was thinking about some other homemade things that we like to use around the house. We ran out of dishwasher detergent one day a couple of months ago and I started thinking about making my own. I found this great recipe on someone's blog - will reference when I find it:
One part baking soda, one part borax; fill chamber halfway. You could put white vinegar in the rinsing chamber as a rinsing agent (or not, if you wish). Our dishes haven't been cleaner! AND, one 2 lb box of Borax about $3, Baking Soda $2 and change.
I love your blog and love your daily posts. You ladies are amazing!
I sub beans in for protein in recipes- does more form my wallet and waistline!
dumei42 gmail com
My husband always teases me but I love making "new" toys for my dog Ninja. Anything from an old water bottle inside of a sock, to scrapes of fabric tied together. Ninja loves all of them.
Handmade gifts! Which reminds me, I have hand-quilting to do. Oh internet, you wicked temptress.
I do more for less by printing coupons, clipping coupons, finding best deals and saving over 80% just by buying things using coupons, we also recycle, remake things, handmake gifts for people. Thats how we get more for less and it helps having a wonderful site helping you with crafty stuff. <3
Handmake to save money and multitask to save time! mfsbailey@gmail.com
I have decide not to buy anymore fabric until I use up at least 50% of what I already have. (I'm not sure that qualifies, b/c I have quite a bit of fabric)
One thing that surely qualifies is using up every last bit of leftovers and random stuff in our fridge and cupboards. It has made for some really interesting (sometimes questionable) dinners, but I love that we aren't throwing out anymore food!
I also love using really big t shirts and making them into aprons.
looks like fun!
Does anybody use the library anymore? We do! It lets us do way more, with almost nothing! Of course the books that kids zoom through, plus free activities.
I will do less with more, by cooking everything in my frig before it goes bad and looking around the house for supplies to do my decorating!
I do more with less by switching things around from room to room instead of buying new home decor every time I get bored.
i do more with less by cleaning almost my whole house with vinegar. there is nothing that a little vinegar and water and a little scrubbing can's clean up!
I save more on my electric bill by making sure that all appliances, lamps, fans are unplugged when not in use. Plug in air freshners are a big no no as they pull more watts to heat up the scent tank. It drives my housemates crazy but in the long run I save about $30 a month on my bill. That's $360 a year that I can use towards decorating items for the house.
I do more with less by using an all in one cleaning product--for pretty much everything. Sure it may not be the best mirror cleaner, but it sure gets the sink clean.
I do more with less by restricting my ingredient options each week. Having a smaller number of options helps narrow my cooking options faster and prevents food from going bad because I didn't get around to it.
i love shopping at thrift stores. ive found really amazing things at thrift stores :)
i kick my husband out of the kitchen, it’s easier and faster when he’s NOT helping, lol
I do more with less by using ALL of my pantry ingredients for meals. I find it wasteful to buy things to only decorate the pantry...use it all, and then buy new!
One way we do more with less is instead of going on datenights with my Hubby every week, we save up for an entire month and then pick a special day during that month to enjoy one another!
Do more with less - teach your kids to do laundry! (They can do it. I promise.)
I do more with less by learning how to say "no".
If I have leftover sauerkraut after cooking with it, I call up my pal Saul, and we make ruben sandwiches. Great way to do more with less with Sauerkraut Saul!
Well, I'm not a mama, but it doens't mean I'm not prudent. I do more with less by filling my time more and more. I find when I have a bunch of free time, I waste it. When I'm busy, I appreciate every minute more and more.
Doing more with less sometimes means working on the go. Which is where my laptop and a good smartphone comes in handy. Go windows phone
I do more with less, by using coupons and shopping sales. My boyfriend was a disbeliever in all the savings, but he believes now. It may take a little time, but for all the money we save on a tight budget it's worth it.
Now that I'm a mom, I'm doing WAY more with WAY less--way less sleep!
I use Microsoft OneNote to stay organized, which lets me do more with less time.
I love stocking up and stuff after a holiday is over to use for the next year.
i love using wax paper for everything, lining dishes, easily move sifted flour, so useful
By using Quick Steps in Microsoft Outlook, I do more and do it quicker.
I bought an inexpensive piece of red fabric with white dots to use as a tablecloth for the holidays. Cheaper than a tablecloth, and it will also work for Valentine's Day and 4th of July.
My best advice for doing more with less is the old fashion way - to barter. Right now I am making a bag for someone who is making a wall art piece for me; I am also making chair cushions in order to reduce the rental cost of a condo we will stay at in Florida. There are many people this would work for!
I do more with less by doing quick craft projects like this one! The less complicated the less stressed I get.
My favorite way to do more with less is to take my kids clothes to a local store that gives you store credit for your old clothes. I haven't paid full price for any of my kids clothes in years!
I swear you'd think I was raised during the Depression the way I reuse Ziploc baggies and save every scrap of food! Saves us money, though! Definitely more with less. :)
We do more with less by taking advantage of all the free things to do since we live near a major city.
I'm all about replacing my stone-age phone with a revolutionary one. And I'm sure with it, i'll be doing more in less time. Thanks for the giveaway.
We are doing all handmade Christmas gifts this year.
rebekahricker at yahoo dot com
We do more with less by borrowing/sharing clothes and toys with friend's kids, planning our meals carefully, and recycling (duh!).
I love making up stories with kids. Well start with a story we all know like cinderella and then change the ending or the setting. Its fun and easy
Calendars are a huge help. And the Outlook Quickstep is a great shortcut tool that helps me quickly create some of my common tasks, appointments, and emails while on the go. The win phone 7 will be a great mobile tool to aid in this
I definitely could do more to be prudent in my life, but I feel like I do an OK job! I'm certainly no crafter/sewer. But eventually I hope to accumulate the skill. Just imagine all the things I could do for less--like make adorable dresses out of T-shirts! Shoot.
We do more with less by up-cycling our old clothes. I made hats with our old sweaters and we make quilts with our old shirts.
I’ll be able to get more done with less by consolidating my devices when I get a Windows Phone.
I use Photoshop Elements instead of the full PS suite--and I still am able to do just what I need to do!
I subscrive national geographic magazine, and they send a lot of maps.
I use the maps to craft purses, baskets, all made of paper!
I do more for much less by hitting the garage sales and thrift stores for much of the basics, and yep, using coupons and shopping online steals and deals.
Friday night I was sewing princess sashes for my daughter's 7th birthday party. My 2 year old niece was very interested in my sewing machine, and "helping." So thinking about this giveaway I made her the dress above. Start to finish it took me 10 minutes, and it looks adorable on. She loved it, and called it her "Happy Day dess" (Birthday Party Dress). I do more with less by entertaining a two year old, and making her feel special.
Reuse, recycle, re-invent, refurnish... I also can my home grown tomato sauce, apple sauce, and pickles.
I do more with less by spending my time wisely with family, friends, and loved ones.
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