Our Frugal Lifestyle

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Passionate about eco-frugality. I used to party hard, clubbing my way from pay-packet to pay-packet. Never getting ahead, just getting by. Then came our much wanted baby with no savings in the bank - only an old car. Changes were made to our lifestyle and we didn't turn back. In the past 6yrs we purchased a flat, found employment, lived below our means, built an emergency fund, purchased a reliable car and saw the financial benefits of our frugal lifestyle. Our only debt is our mortgage. Our aim is to manage our cash flow wisely, pay off our home quickly and eventually work for pleasure, not necessity. Join us on our journey, share insights, tips and tricks to help us and others to get ahead while having a good time.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Glue, Glue, All Types of Glue

Everyone is fast asleep and I spent some time alone fixing and creating with glue.

Dolly has a musical instrument that has been sitting on the table for 2 years!!! Yes, 2 years with the intention of fixing it. It took only 10 minutes. A bit of craft glue and elastic bands and the job was done. Why does it take me so long to get these things done...







I prepared Dolly's lunch box (vegemite sandwich, 1 plum with lime, 1 nectarine with lime, 2 crackers and veggie sticks) and decided to go cute. I used paper glue to stick a small image from a vintage book onto a scrap piece of paper. I also stuck on a butterfly (I used my shape cutter) and wrote a little note. Popped it into a snap lock bag (that I will reuse) with a little chocolate egg amongst the healthy stuff. Dolly will be so excited to find this surprise on her 1st day of big school tomorrow.




For Dolly's 5th birthday Party I have completed another gift for the pass-the-parcel. I purchased a gold belt from the op shop (thrift/charity store) $1, cut off the metal bit that goes in the belt holes and craft glued to form a circle that will fit a 5 year old head perfectly. I then glued a broken brooch from when I was 15 (a good year-1985) and 2 beads to create the precious jewels. Now it's a Prince crown for one of our boy guests.





And ONE LAST PROJECT FOR DOLLY TONIGHT... Dolly carefully wrote a lovely letter for the fairies living in our garden and left it on the table overnight in a sealed envelope. If forgot she did this. She was very disapointed this morning. I explained that it had rained so heavily the fairies could not come as their wings would have been hurt. Tonight I drew flowers, cut them out, wrote a note and glued them together. Tomorrow morning she will find her letter gone and in it's place a fairy flower letter.



Glue is useful and allows you to be frugally creative by fixing stuff and making stuff with items inexpensively obtained. I encourage you to take a couple hours to fix and make stuff. It's a gratifying feeling and entertaining too. Where is The Rambling Expat in all this? He's in bed on his stomach with a pinched nerve in his back. Must have been all that fishing ;-)

Are you glueing anything?

8 comments:

  1. I bet Dolly loved her little surprise card & gift in her lunch box. A lovely idea. The fairy letters are so cute.

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  2. Don't you just love that age of childish innocence when letters to fairies are soooo important :) Keep up the magic as long as you can.

    Love the lunchbox letter and I bet Dolly will too.I hope she has a great adventure on her first day at school xx

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  3. I always enjoyed a few hours alone-time when I had small children about her age. I could accomplish lots with my hands and in my head. It was decompression time.

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  4. I love this post!

    The instrument, the crown, the letter!

    What a special Mum, you are and your little girl is 'richer' for it!

    Sft x

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  5. That is the most gorgeous little lunch bag! I have been thinking about getting a hot glue gun, but then I would have to get all crafty. There are a couple of things I need one for just as a one off, does that really justify having one full time?

    I need to get some crafty friends!!!

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  6. You are a lovely Mum, and these are the memories Dolly will treasure for the rest of her life.
    PS Love the crown!
    XX
    Mimi@Vanilla Rose

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  7. Your little lunch box message.. so sweet! I echo Vanilla Rose, you're a lovely Mum!

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  8. Hi Karen, She liked the note but had no idea what it said and didn't ask anyone to read it for her :-( I think the chocolate made her more thrilled as she told me excitedly told me no one else had a chocolate.

    Dreamer, She loves fairies and takes me on fairy hunts in the small back yard. She day she no longer believes will be sad..

    Hi Practical Parsimony, My alone time is after bedtime, when the dishes are done. I sit at my chaotic messy table and do little bits and pieces, or cook, or read or budget, or look at my finances and of course I come here in Blogland. I get about 3 hours a night for me but it always seems too short.

    SFT, All small actions that took so little time to do, minor cost and yet will bring immense pleasure to Dolly. I used to always look for the big things but now realised little things that have meaning and love are so much better and this included writing secret letters and fixing stuff.

    Hi Daffodil, I have a hot gun somewhere. I purchased it a few years ago for $10 to fix a chair. I have NEVER used it. Don't even know where it is. I think a tub of craft glue will do the trick for many jobs. Buying useless stuff is no longer on my radar.

    Thank you Vanilla Rose - what a lovely Blog Name you have. I was at the op shop looking and trying every interesting belt on my head. I received many funny stares and glances. In the end I picked the most simple gold belt I could see.

    Thanks Erica, You were one of my 1st inspirations here on blogland for upcycling old items. Scrap patter, torn scribbled book are all worthwhile items to reuse.

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Thanks for commenting - I love getting feedback, sharing experiences and learning from you.