Altering Bargain Clothing

When we find a good clothing deal, we try to snag it. I purchase up to one size ahead for my kids. We often find great deals at end-of-season sales, resale shops and Goodwill. I will not let a slight alteration or a missing button stop me from snagging a great deal! If you find an item in a store with an imperfection, you can often get an even greater discount.

I have learned to do minor alterations, but I tend to sew by hand. I can hem. I can reattach buttons. I can put a tuck in the waistband of a skirt or pair of pants to tighten the fit. We also recently found this tank top for our daughter. We got it for an incredible deal, but it was a little low in the front. We are strict about modesty with her, so we needed to make an alteration. I chose to sew the straps together in the back, making a sort of X on the back of the tank. Now, it is a perfect fit, and a one-of-a-kind item!

If you're able to complete simple alterations, don't forget to look at what a garment CAN be when you find a good deal!

Share your Thrifty Thursday tips with us! Details on how to join can be found here. And, don't forget to enter our current giveaway from Easy Daysies here.

-Julie

Expanding Literature

I try to find every opportunity to expand our literature lessons and make the books come to life for my kids. Today, I thought I would tell you about what Works For Me.





We recently decided to work thru the Magic Tree House series. This is the second time thru for our oldest, but the youngest hasn't heard them yet. We began with the first and I chose to make it a unit. The first book is Dinosaurs Before Dark. I read it aloud while they worked with Legos and built their own house. When we were finished, we put together a large dinosaur floor puzzle together. I had also found some dinosaur poem prompts online and some cards that we could use for a Concentration type game. After we completed these, they wanted to build their own treehouse.



They put this together with zero guidance from me. I'm a proud mama, but I think its pretty fantastic! It became the centerpiece of the rest of the book series for us. A lot of imaginative play revolved around it and we have truly enjoyed making each book in the series come to life for us.

I hope this helps you look at the opportunity to expand your literature selections with your children. Look at the games you have, check online resources and think of imaginative play opportunities. Please let me know if this sparks some fun ideas for you and your children!

-Julie

We are currently hosting a wonderful giveaway that will make Back To School even easier! Enter for your chance to win an Easy Daysies magnet set here. They are a great visual reminder to help your kids organize their day!

Serving Others

I am so excited to be participating in Gratituesday this week! There are so many things that I am grateful for. Today, I am thinking about how grateful I am that the Lord opens doors for my family to serve.

We have had many serving opportunities through our church. One of my favorite serving opportunities was when our church went to an underprivileged community and put on a “day of fun” for the children and residents. This was the 3rd year for this event for our church, but the first time that my family was able to participate. Our whole family went to the event including our two toddlers. The little ones were there to make friends and play with all the kids. It was a great opportunity for our kids to learn at an early age to serve others.

The preparation began weeks in advance. The church members were asked to donate stuffed animals and books for the children. Each child at the event received one of each. We brought with us games and inflatable bounce houses. My job was to make snow cones and popcorn. Others served hot dogs and lemonade. Manicures were available for the teenage girls. This year, we had a wonderful turn out. In two hours, we served 400 snow cones and at least that many hotdogs. It was awesome to see the smiling faces of so many children having fun!

I am so grateful for opportunities to serve.

-Robin

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Easy Daysies Magnet Set Giveaway! - CLOSED

This is definitely a giveaway you don't want to miss!

One lucky reader will receive magnet set of their choice from Easy Daysies! We were very happy when Easy Daysies asked us to do a review and giveaway. This product fits perfectly with our lifestyles and they will work so well in any home. You can read our full review here.

To enter, you must first post a comment below telling us which magnet set you would choose from the selection here. We're confident you can't go wrong with the great choices available. To earn additional entries: 1. Follow Brilliant Moms on Twitter, tweet about the giveaway and post the link to your message in the comments here.2. Become a Facebook Fan of Brilliant Moms and come back and let us know. 3. Post a link to the giveaway on your blog and direct us to the entry in our comments.Remember to post entries in the comments below. They will not be counted if left in other comment sections. Entries will be accepted thru 5pm EST on Friday 8/7/09. At that time, a Random Number Generator will be used to choose a winner! Easy Daysies will then contact you for your shipping information so they can send their wonderful prize on its way to your door! Be sure your profile is set to public or leave your email address. If we have no way to contact you, another name will be drawn.

Good luck!!

Be sure to join us later this week for our new feature: Thrifty Thursday. Link up your blog posts sharing your best thrifty ideas!

Strawberry Angel Food Cake Dessert

One of our favorite desserts is a recipe that my mom made a lot when I was growing up. This year we were able to pick fresh strawberries which made it all the better.

Strawberry Angel Food Cake Dessert

Approx. 30 strawberries
2 – 8 oz strawberry glaze
1 Angel food cake
8 oz cream cheese
1 large cool whip
2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Crumble ¾ of the angel food cake up into the bottom of a 9 x 12 inch pan. Blend together cream cheese, cool whip, and confectioner’s sugar. Spoon mixture evenly over angel food cake. Dice strawberries, mix them with glaze, and spoon evenly over the top.

This is a very easy and delicious Menu Plan Monday dessert to make. Enjoy!

-Robin

Please join us later this week for our new feature: Thrifty Thursday! Link up your blog posts sharing your favorite money saving ideas!

Happy Sunday!

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 KJV

Bath Time Art

Our girls love to take a bath. We have lots of bath toys, but they like to spend their bath time drawing on the walls and tub.

A while ago, I bought the girls Crayola Bathtub Crayons. The crayons are fun for drawing and wash off easily. They have even made a crayon holder to help you keep your bathtub organized. Bathtub crayons are a fun way to incorporate art into the kid’s daily activities. My husband and I usually help our kids be creative and sometimes add in our own artwork!

If you have trouble getting your little ones to enjoy a bath, try bathtub crayons and get their little creative minds working.

-Robin