Upcycle Your Kids Old Pants!

NO SEWING!!!

 

 

 

 

My daughter grows like a weed and I hate having to get rid of all her pants that still fit but are a couple inches too short.
I decided to remake her old jeans and jogging pants into some adorable capri's for the summer!

This took me 10 minutes and cost me 11 cents!!!

 

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Outgrown pants (the waistband still needs to fit comfortably)

Iron

Iron adhesive hemming tape

ruler/measuring tape
Chalk (optional)
Pins ( optional)


Before you begin:  
If creating a cuff leave the pants right side out.
If you want a clean hem, turn pants inside out.

 

1) Measure new length that you want pants to be taken up. I just measured by eye but you may want to use a ruler and mark it with chalk to ensure they're even.

 

2) Creating a cuff-  simply roll the cuff up. (I folded up 1 inch and then up 1 inch again)
Clean hem-  measure 1 inch below desired length, trim off bottom portion then fold that 1 inch up.

 

3) Fold pants in half to ensure both cuffs are the same length
.


 

4) Measure proper length of hemming tape.

 ** I got mine from Wal-Mart for $ 2.50 and only used 11 cents worth on each pair!!!**


5)  Insert hemming tape under fold. If you're having trouble keeping it in place use a few pins.
6) Press for 2 or 3 minutes on each side ( or follow length of time advised on tape package)


That's it! :)



I  thought the cuff looked a little unfinished so I added 2 buttons on each leg. 

 

 

Delicious, Healthy and EASY Vegetarian Pasta 

 

I make my sauce from scratch because there is SO much sugar and salt in canned sauces. This is what I've come up with over time that I absolutely LOVE ( as does my daughter!)

INGREDIENTS:
 

1 diced zucchini
1 diced tomato

1 cup corn (canned or frozen)

1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 package Veggie Ground Round *optional
(could use ground beef or chicken if you're not vegetarian)

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp pureed garlic

2 tsp olive oil or coconut oil

1 box whole wheat pasta 

1) 1 tsp oil in a large frying pan on medium heat 

2) Add diced zucchini

3) After 5 minutes or until zucchini had begun to golden add diced tomatoes, corn, spices, garlic and cover.

 TIP: **Look for canned corn and tomatoes that have no salt added or reduced salt**

4) While the veggies are simmering blend  the can of diced tomatoes (juice included)
5) Pour blended tomatoes into pan, as well as half package of Ground Round. Stir and replace cover.
6) Boil pasta (For whatever length of time the package says)
7) Leave sauce to simmer while the pasta cooks, stirring both pasta and sauce occasionally.

 

8)Drain pasta, add sauce

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

The Perfect 5 Minute Mani'

 I, like most Moms, rarely have the time to go to a nail salon and get a manicure. I often leave my nails unpainted.  If I do paint them it stays on my nails so long that nothing is left but an ugly chipped blob in the centre of my nail. ( As you see in the before pic). So I decided to time myself to see how long it really does take me to give myself a decent looking mani'. I timed myself twice and both times were UNDER 5 minutes!!! I vow from this day on to dedicate 5 minutes twice a week to doing something nice for myself. Even I can spare that.

 

(I know the following pictures are a bit dark. This is because I waited until night when my daughter was in bed. I guess I need better lighting :P)

     

 

 

Here's what I started with ( Horrible I know)
 but hopefully the last time I will ever have nails looking this pitiful.

 

 

 

Here`s my gear: 

1. A nail file
2. 2 Quick dry polishes 
3. 2 Q-Tips
4.  Sally Hansen Polish remover
5.  A paper towel

   

 

 

 

Step 1) Remove old polish-  I only use Sally Hansen as I find it works the fastest. I like to use papertowel to remove the polish. It's more abrasive than other paper products and I don't like the feeling of cotton pads.

      

 

 

 

Step 2) File any bumpy edges away

         

 

 

3) Paint away- I used Sally Hanson-Colour Quick Pen in Smoke- The quick-dry pen speeds things up . Also for the sake of reducing time, I didn't use a base coat.( This can cause the polish to leave a slight stain on your nail, so you need to weigh your options to decide if that matters to you.)

 

***If you don't have quick drying polishes drying your nails with a hair blower or soaking your hand in ice-water are to great ways to make your polish dry quickly.***

           

 

 

 

 

Step 4) Painting the tips- I used Revlon Metallic Gold- Again it dries very quickly and I love the 2 colours together. I just free-handed. Tape placed around the edges of your nail can be great to prevent any mess but can be timely to apply so again I skipped this step.

 

               

 

 

 Here are my messy side (on the skin beside my nails) . I always end up with these  even when I`m not short on time! lol.

             

 

 

 

Step 5) A Q-Tip and a little polish remover go a long way to fix those edges

- The Q-Tip ensures your fresh polish stays away from the remover and allows for a bit of accuracy in removing the mess.

 

 

       

 

 

 

Here`s the end result! :D

            


         

 

 



 

How to be a Couponer in Canada!!!

 

           I used to believe that couponing in Canada wasn't really possible as we don't get the same crazy deals they do in the states. A friend advised me this isn't true so over the past 6 months I decided to see for myself. Here are my tips :)

 

 

1)  Facebook groups are your friend!!!

These are the Facebook pages I follow to find out about the best coupons/ free samples.

 

 

               (click to view page)

           

 

           (click to view page)

            

 

              (click to view page)

           

2) Coupon websites are awesome too!

There are websites that list tons of coupons that can be printed or mailed to you! These are my fav's.

               http://www.pgbrandsampler.ca

                  http://www.brandsaver.ca

 

 https://www.websaver.ca

            http://www.save.ca/





3) Be organised!

I save my coupons in a binder filled with baseball card holder sheets I got from the dollar store.  
 
Each page is for a different type of product.( eg- paper products, cleaning products, food items etc.)

 

 

4) Be Patient-

The key here is to wait until you notice the items go on sale. Typically the coupons I order have expiration's that are months away. So watch for the good deals and you'll be sure to save!

 

 

 

 Happy Couponing!

 

 



 Savvy Mommy is now on Facebook!

 

 

'LIKE' Savvy Mommy Survival Guide on Facebook

So you'll find out every time there's a new blog post!

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/SavvyMommySurvivalGuide

 

 

 

Thanks!!!!!

 

 

What's in my Savvy Mommy Purse?

 

 

The following are the most important 5 products I keep
in my bag ALL the time.

(click the images to visit their sites)

 

1. My Samsung Galaxy-

For so many reasons this is always on me. It is my phone, GPS, agenda, Music player, Calculator, Entertainment for my restless child (Games and YouTube videos), Camera, etc....

 

  2) A Package of Huggies Wipes-

Huggies wipes are durable and have so many uses. If you are a mom you already know this, but I always buy the individually portioned 3 pack; good value and super convenience.

 

 

3) A First Aid Kit-

There are a couple of great brands that I have used. The one that I current have is from Shoppers Drug Mart. It's a Life brand kit that is in a great compact container. I got it on clearance for $1.99 as it was expiring soon but the only expiring item was the bee-sting relief pad, everything else is good until 2014 !

Previously I had a MediBuddy Kit .

My daughter loved the bravery reward stickers and colourful bandages...a little too much. She ended up sneaking into my purse when she was 3 and covered herself in them! LOL

 

 MediBuddy can be purchased here as well as in select stores

 

 

4) Snacks-

I try to choose healthy snacks that both my daughter and I enjoy. On top of that the snacks you choose to go in your bag are likely going to get roughed up a bit so they need to be somewhat durable. My go-to snacks are usually a sandwich bag of almonds or a couple boxes of Sunkist  raisins. I love Ocean Spray Craisins snack packs too.

 

 

 

 

5) Make-up-

 I don't usually have time to reapply my makeup throughout the day, but a quick brush of mascara and some lipstick go a long way. 1 minute and I'm done. The mascara I'm in love with right now is  Maybelline Waterproof Colossal Volume. My Lipstick of choice is again by Maybelline. It's their long wear Superstay 24. One tube and u have both colour and gloss and it lasts for hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On top of previous things I also carry are my wallet, keys, ibuprophen, a pen, notepad and Sunglasses which I don't think is very unique to me. :P

 

 

What essentials do you keep in your Mom bag?

 

INTERVIEW WITH A 4 YEAR OLD

 

What is your name?

Lilyanna

 

How old are you?

6 years old (She’s four)

 

What is your favorite thing to do?

My favorite thing to do is make mommy pretend cakes sometimes.

 

 

How old is your mommy?

She's 11

 

How tall are you?

Um..well…I'm just this big *pats head*

 

How tall is Mommy?

 Bigger than a giraffe

 

Why is your family proud of you?

Because I think of smart things to do

 

What makes mommy upset?

 What makes mommy upset is when I don’t listen

 

What is your favorite food?

 Ummm. A pear

 

 

What is the hardest part about being a kid?

Um. Doing what's right!

 

What is the best part about being a kid?

 Making inventions

 

 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

 A doctor for the animals , a zoo keeper and a doctor for an elephant.

 

 

What does your mommy do?

 Mommy gives me special presents, and special treats and she takes me to Disney world sometimes and she gives me special things.

 

 

If you could be any animal what would you be?

 A zebra, I want to be a people though.

 

 

What is Mommy's favorite thing to do?

Frustrate me.

 

Anything else you want to say?

Uh, no.

 

 

I LOVE the last two responses haha!

 

Hope you enjoyed as much as I did!

 

 

 

 

Relaxation and Motherhood? HA!

 

 

While motherhood and relaxation might seem like an oxymoron, all mothers can do minor things to practice relaxation. Over my years of motherhood I have had to teach myself that stressing out achieves nothing. In fact it quite often reduces my ability to perform whichever duty to the same extent that I am able if I am calm. I know that there are exceptions to the rule and those who use stress as a means of motivation. I find allowing myself to stress to much can often be a slippery slope and can cause me to feel burned out.

 

The following are some tips that I have found very effective in reducing my levels of stress:

 

 

 

1. 
   
   TRY TO STAY CALM- Try to remember that letting yourself feel stressed can have all kinds of negative effects on your body such as weight gain, fatigue, and can even sprout into full grown depression. When you feel like you are getting to a point of tension, tell yourself that letting things stress you out wont help or effect the situation positively. We all have limits and we have to accept that we just can't do everything. You can only do the best you can and that will have to be good enough.
2. 
   
   KEEP A NOTEPAD AND PEN ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND-Many times I have been laying in bed with thoughts of all the things I need to do or might forget running through my mind. Simply having a notepad right beside me is a quick simple solution for instantly taking that load off of my brain for the night.   
3. OR-GAN-IZE!!!!!!-There is an old saying "a place for everything, and everything in its place". Life is so much easier and runs much smoother when things are organized. Set up your closets with little shelves and baskets and create a  home for everything.                                                                                                                                
4. FORCE YOURSELF TO TAKE TIME FOR YOU- Set aside time when you can just take care of yourself and actually follow through on it. Wake up an hour before the kids get up or stay awake 15 minutes later than usual. Do something nice for yourself even if its as simple as taking a bath or painting your nails.
5. 
   
   TAKE A DEEP BREATH- ...or 2...or 3..This is by far the quickest and easiest method of bringing things down a notch. Close your eyes and take a slow deep breath, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Focus only on your breath for those few seconds. It always helps and works instantly!

Keep Calm and Relax!

 

A Bit About Me

Hello and welcome to my blog!

I am so excited to be starting a blog like this. I have wanted to for such a long time, and I've got tons of great ideas that I can't wait to share with you!

 

I am the mom of an incredibly wonderful 4 year old girl. In addition to being a mom, I'm also a college student! I'll be finishing up a business marketing program about 3 weeks from now! (Thrilling and scary all at once)

 

Another new and exciting step in my life is about to unfold, so what better time to start a blog!? This is where I will share my experiences of being a mom throughout school AND while entering into a whole new workforce. I'm also going to be posting about a range of topics from cleaning tips, to throwing awesome birthdays, amazing recipes, handling stress and beyond!

I hope you enjoy!

Janessa