Random Coupon Update

So I have been posting about my thriftyness as of late. I have an open desire to be that insane lady in front of you in the grocery that gets $300 worth of groceries for $5. A pain in the ass for you, I am sure - I know that person is a pain in the ass for me - but oh well. My mission is to save as much money as possible and to be able to help myself, my family, friends and community as much as possible.

Today, with husband and baby in tow, armed with internet coupons, some store coupons and a couple of sales fliers I began my mission. Starting off small, not thinking I would get *amazing* results, but good results we headed to CVS to pick up some needed items.

**Note - I KNOW I am not saving money if I am buying things that I do not need - so my mission is to stick to paying for the needed items and get the luxuries for freebies (or next to nothing)**

Around the store we go, shopping list in hand, putting things in the cart - giving monkey things to hold, Ken keeping the coupons of things we have added to the cart. (yes, I am keeping the whole family involved) We head to the check out. Subtotal before coupons - $76.80 - coupons added - Grand Total - $16.02 -- CVS dollars printed out on my receipt - $4.00 off diapers/$5 off next purchase (not including scripts)/bogo on Hershey's candy/bogo on Godiva

Not to shabby!!

Next stop - Super WalMart - Shopping list, coupons, etc in hand, Family in tow -- this, that and the other thing - including things like greek yogurt, baby yogurt, juices, milk, organic eggs, organic beef, toilet paper, laundry and dish liquid, fabric softner, etc. (no veggies because their veggies are horrible - we go to the real grocery/farmers market for those) -- Subtotal - $128.42 - Grand total - $32.68

More randomness - We had a children's clothing swap this morning. 22 ppl showed up bringing TONS of kids clothes, swapping and good conversation. We are planning one for the fall too and I think we will make the Spring one the w/e before Earth Day every year. I think we would get more publicity.

All clothes not swapped were donated to a local homeless shelter.

It was a WONDERFUL day!!!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!! Changes and more....

Happy Earth Day!, Everybody!!!

This is a really cool website -- http://1smallchangeblog.blogspot.com/

Is there anything that you do on a regular basis to make changes in your life? Gardening is great, yes!! But what else do you do?

In our house we are making small changes -- Ken grew up in NYC. So I think there is an "everything is disposable" mentality. He is QUICK to catch onto the changes tho.

Here are a few things we do and are getting into the habit of doing.

**Don't leave the water running when you brush your teeth.
**Don't leave the water running while you are washing dishes
**Use cloth napkins as often as possible
**Use dishtowels as much as possible instead of paper towels
**Use reusable bags at the grocery
**We don't just "go for rides" anymore - we always run several errands if we go out
**Owning 1 car and making it work
**I do not buy "things" anymore unless they are at least 75% off - things like clothes I buy at thrift shops, appliance type things come from freecycle or craigslist, groceries are bought with coupons, LOTS of coupons
**I make things like curtains out of recycled fabrics
**This summer we will have a BIG garden
**We are going to go in with friends and buy a cow/pig to be butchered


I am even in the process of talking to someone about bartering cooking for a barn roof repair.

These are just a few of the changes we are trying to make. Hopefully you are making some too!!

Cheers,
Keb, Lilly and Ken

WOW, What a weekend! Our baby girl turned TWO!

WOW, What a weekend! Our baby girl turned TWO!

Not knowing how to do anything small or quietly we closed the House of Bounce for 2 hours and had her party there. It was FANTASTIC! We invited everyone we knew - All of the kids from the sitter's, kids from soccer (yes, she goes to soccer - TOO CUTE for words!), our friends and friends of theirs, And basically everyone that we know, once knew, or wanted to be friends with! We had about 25 kids and 20 adults. We did pizza, cupcakes, salad and pasta salad -- We had a VERY cute barnyard theme.

For favors we had peat pots with dirt, bean seeds, crayons with a barn yard coloring sheet all wrapped and tied.

There were giant farm animal balloons, regular balloons - One of my dearest friends came over and told me that he knew it wasn't present time yet - But this present was for the party so, of course, we let Lilly open it first -- and it was -- BALLOON ANIMALS!! Who knew Alan had this secret talent!! Talk about being the hit of the party! Then my friend Steph stepped up and started making balloon puppies. Then another friend John hopped in and started making these AMAZING things and put together CINDERELLA for Lilly. She was even holding a pumpkin - the balloon Cinderella, not Lilly.

And the cake was not a cake but CUPCAKES!!! With farm animal cookies on top.

Wow, wow, wow!!

The party was so busy that we did not even do presents at the party - Do you know how many presents 50 people bring? a LOT! It was a complete embarrassment of riches. We will be going through her older toys to pick out things to donate. 2 of our best friends came back to the house with their kids to help us open gifts. The kids had a wonderful time ripping paper and fighting over things. Lots of pics were taken of this too!;)

It was a wonderful day! Today is our friend Dan's birthday. We are going over there this evening for a party. I am making the cupcakes for this party -- They will not be NEARLY as fancy, I assure you!*LOL*

What a great end to a great weekend!

Holy Moses!!!

Today was chocked full of busyness and goodness!!

Had a Drs. appt in Ithaca, the monkey and I took off for parts known. First took Daddy to work and off to the dump! (my favorite shopping place!) -- Got loads of treasures, including a horrific 80's chandelier that I can not wait to turn into an amazing candleir!! The we drove down the lake and stopped at the Sally on the way -- got some TRES FABU treasures to re/up-cycle. They are going to be SMOKING HOT! once they get the Just Junque treatment! Had a brief snafu with the Ithaca police. The office was a treasure....He even let me follow him to the DMV instead of stranding Monkey and I in the rain with no car. Once that was settled, I got to my Dr's appt and back home we came -- Somewhere along the way there were at least 4 cups of coffee.

Once we got home - I made some homemade gingerale
**Recipe**
4 cups of water
4 cups of sugar (or Splenda)
2 cups sliced peeled ginger
Club Soda
Lime wedges

Boil water, sugar, ginger for 8 minutes and let cool to room temperature (2ish hrs) - strain through fine sieve. Can be stored in fridge up to a month.

To make gingerale - Fill glass with ice - pour 1/4 cup of ginger simple syrup into glass, fill with club soda, squeeze lime and ENJOY!

Did a little house work, off to pick up Daddy, home to make dinner, played, put Monkey to bed, cleaned up a little --

Then spent the whole night putting things up on Art Fire (http://www.artfire.com/users/JustJunque) and Ebay - JustJunque09. worked on my brochures & business cards and applications to juried art shows.

It is 12:30 am and I am about beat!
Cheers,
JJ

Wii Fit and Today

LOVING MINE!! The weather still isn't so we can go out and play or work out in the yard. Too muddy and wet from the 6 feet of snow that melted.

The windows are open to air the Winter out of the . The baby is down for her nap. Coffee is on. My water bottle was filled. Paints, glass and everything else is on the dining room table all set up for my paint time after my shower. I cleaned the house yesterday, so it is all pretty and clean. Candles are burning making it smell even yummier!

So back to the Wii Fit! - Unpacked it, got everything set up, put on my yoga pants and t-shirt, and ready to go. Thirty minutes later, I am a little winded, a little sweaty and E N E R G I Z E D!!! What an awesome workout and it fit right into my morning. Once in the morning and once at night to start.

I LOVE IT!!!

Have a happy day!

At last....

Wow! It has never taken me this long to put a wet brush to ANYTHING! But lately I have been so busy working on the marketing aspect of things I have not been painting at all!

YEEEEESH!

But I sat yesterday for a couple of hours and just painted. I did two new STUNNING cake plates and domes. The bottoms of the plates still need some more work. More is always MORE when I am painting.

I am thinking of doing a TRADE soon too. I just need to get some things painted first. I just need to get some more things painted!!

Trades work like this -- I put up some pics of my things and you pick out what you would like and you send/post me a pic of what you would like to trade for it. I LOVE to have the work of other artists and in this day and age when we are all a little strapped for cash it is fun to get something fun!!


So who would like to do a trade?

I will be posting pics of things to trade at the beginning of next week. I will have smaller and larger items so there will be something for everyone!

Cheers!!
JJ

The creative connection

A fantastic blog and giveaway!

http://www.thecreativeconnectionblog.com/

If you win and don't want it -- Feel free to send it to me!;)

Have a happy day!!
JJ

That's So Shabby

OMG! I love, love, love this shop. So much that I would live in it if I could!! When I grow up - that is how I want my house to look.

Check her out at www.thatssoshabby.com

A cool site and FUN give away!!

Primgals is having a giveaway!! Check it out!

http://primgalsprimitivepalette.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-am-having-giveaway.html

Hmmmm....

Do you judge your blog by how many followers or comments that you have?

Should I?

If so -- Mama needs to rethink this blogging business ;)

Today was a family day. We took Lilly to soccer this morning. FUN! 2 year olds chasing soccer balls around. LOVES IT!

Then a little shopping at the mall. (EEEKK!) But if you took the babies to the mall in their soccer uniform you get a free t-shirt. And you know I never met a free thing that I did not LOVE! Plus Hallmark Card Shop was giving away free cards from their new Encouragement line. Free t-shirt AND card. Be still my heart!!

And I got INSPIRED at the mall of all places. Everything ready for Spring. Flowers everywhere. Lots of inspiration for all of the painting I plan on doing this week!!

Then it was home for baby naptime. Then back out to friends for playdate and dinner. We all had a fantastic time. Church tomorrow and then home for family time and then ready to start a new and exciting week!

Cheers,
JJ

Another day ..another ....uhhh...

Yes, it is another day in the maison of Just Junque! We have managed to get a whole lotta nothing done. But a whole lotta stuff done too! Strange how that happens, isn't it!?!?

Dishes - DONE!
Laundry - DONE!
Facebook checked - DONE!
Ebay account set up - DONE!
Blog Entry - DONE!
Surfed Etsy - DONE!
Babe down for a nap - DONE!

What I have not done is any art, taken a shower, eaten lunch, anything creative, etc, etc, etc.

Those are the things I WANT to do today.

Wait....whats that I hear?? the shower, you say...

Ok -- Something more clever and some new art to follow soon....I HOPE!!
Cheers!

Ok!!!

This is it!

I am OFFICIALLY back in business! I am now on Facebook, Etsy ANDEbay too!

Later today I am going to try to find some new pics to add to the site and get my tail back in gear. Yes, I wanted to add another exclamation mark there - but I refrained. Be proud, it might not happen again.

I am getting ready to get the JUNQUE out in pubic again.

Hopefully this year will bring lots and lots of craft shows, Ebay and Etsy business!

Mama (me) just has to make an effort. I will write a long post a little later explaining the whys and hows of how I got off track in life and business.

Cheers!!
JJ