Plastic Silverware Organizing Idea for RV, Camping, Picnics

I have a super easy and cheap plastic silverware organizing idea for RV, camping, picnic or just for an easy home storage idea.

Right now all the school supplies are out and these little plastic pencil cases (click to order)  make great holders for plastic forks, knives and spoons for camping, outdoors, BBQ or just to keep them organized in your home.

Walmart Haul - Emergency Preps, Back to School and Coupon Deals

Today I popped into Walmart for some coupon deals, back to school items and some emergency preps.

I have been couponing to save money shopping and using my savings to purchase our emergency preparedness supplies.  I will share what I bought in hopes to help others save money and get prepared for fall and for emergencies.

Walmart Coupon Deals 7/11

• The Gain Flings are a great deal. A $3 coupon made them a little over a $1 but I read in some stores they are clearanced so with the coupon they are 50 cents. 
• Other coupon items I felt worth picking up were the organic gummies. With the coupons they were around 50 cents and will be nice to have for camping or for a movie night. 
• Pretzel crisps
• Stir Fry Sauce
• Ban deodorant

Refer to Grocery Smarts for the coupon details

Back to school deals 

Walmart has the best prices for school supplies. I picked up some items and will probably go back for more.

• Notebooks 17 cents
• Glue sticks 2-pack 50 cents
• Dividers
• Filler paper

I am hoping for some deals on computer paper and scissors as I need to stock up on those.

Emergency supplies from Walmart

• 6 gallon water container
• Propane
• Bleach
• Canned goods
• Zote soap (I can make so many cleaners from this bar)
• Extra toothbrushes
• Extra OTC meds
• Plastic school cases will be used for something else I will share later. So many uses for these.

You can see my video of my haul and tips here. You can comment and subscribe there too. I am going to do a couple of videos a week going over new topics as well as videos on some of my post viewed posts.

Fall Sunflower Decorating Ideas

I love sunflowers and working them into late summer early fall decor is perfect this time of year. Maybe it is a little too early for pumpkins but warm colors of burlap and yellows and golds, are perfect September decor. Here are a few of my decorating ideas for September or fall.

I found a strand of lighted sunflowers and knew I wanted to use them on my seasonal kitchen shelf display.

Hubby wound them around a fall garland and we tucked in some burlap sunflowers. Add a few pumpkins in October and we are set for fall.

Here I did a simple back to school centerpiece with silk sunflowers.

Sunflowers tucked in with other fall colored flowers are perfect this time of year.

And if you have fall colored sunflowers growing in the garden, all the better for fall display or autumn decor.

I bought my lights at a local shop but I found the same ones on Amazon. Link below.

Back to School and Homeschool

In less than two weeks my older girls will all be back in school or college or about to be and soon we will begin homeschooling first grade. This will be my 18th year of homeschooling and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. If you have ever considered it, do it. You will not be sorry. My older girls are all very independent, focused young people and I see the fruit of our labors.

For now I am taking a short blogging break to set up our homeschool year since I have had a big break between first graders (ten years). It is exciting though, and I want to have our year mapped out and our supplies all organized so we get off to a smooth start. You can find many of my previous posts on back to school decor and organizational ideas here.

Back to School Favorite Posts

It's that time of year. If you have kids in your house then you know it is time for school again. A time when schedules change and life speeds up. 

Here are a few of my favorite back to school posts from the last few years.

This back to school vignette was my favorite from two years ago. Hubby did it but I pulled out some things I thought would look cute and he arranged it for me. Have I ever mentioned I am spatially challenged? Yep, can't tell my left from my right when arranging things.

A very simple back to school centerpiece.

This year's decor was in honor of the youngest starting kindergarten.

Wise Owl Back to School Cupcakes. We are having these tonight for dessert as everyone is officially in school this coming week. Even the nurse is back at it advancing her nursing degree.

How about a teacher appreciation supply cake? Show your teacher you are thinking of them with this cake stacked high with great classroom supplies. All at bargain prices right now with the back to school sales.

How about a little back to school organization? I use the side of my fridge as the brains for all back to school important papers. They are there easy to see and not lost in some pile. From schedules to book order forms, handy magnetic clips keeps things right at my fingertips.

So what's your favorite back to school tip?

Teacher Appreciation School Supply Cake

We just celebrated teacher appreciation week at my daughter's preschool. I was blown away by this teacher appreciation school supply cake one of the moms made. I had to share with you all cause what a great idea.

Inside the squares were boxes of tissues, disinfectant wipes, craft supplies you name it. From the dollar stores you could easily make one of these and wow your favorite teacher.

I, on the other hand, being creatively challenged, chose flowers and a Target gift card.

Back to School Organization

Back to school organization is key to keeping your sanity once school starts each year. I think I may finally have my back to school legs under me. Most of you know this year was a big change for me with my first in public school and my first pre-schooler. The living in my car driving to and from has been an adjustment. My second daughter is about to get her license and that will help a lot. Four drivers, four cars with me only having to drive two kids around. Are you confused, cause I am?

You all gave me great advice. Color coding for different kids and preparing what you can the night before. 

One thing I decided to do was use the side of our fridge for all the visual reminders I needed to keep organized. Schedules, upcoming important dates all there for me to find at a quick glance. 

I keep running lists there as well for the stores I shop at.

Packing lunches the night before helps as well. I have found the little bagged snacks to be quick to grab if I can find them on sale. When lunch boxes come home they get emptied first thing and wiped out. On Fridays I wipe them all out with rubbing alcohol which I use everywhere and you can read about it here.  Having a space on one of my kitchen shelves to store all lunch box supplies has been one of the best things I have done.

I write notes to myself all the time. Do you do that? I make lunches right here and put notes in the kids boxes as well.

Easy dinners or dinners from the freezer are a must for our two busiest nights. Tonight is BLTs and potato salad I made yesterday.

Frugal Challenge - This is a Great Time to Stock Up on Office Supplies

Back to school is the time to stock up on office supplies. Here is what to buy in August.

Back to school shopping is here. Every store has a designated area full of supplies for all the kids headed back to the classroom. Did you know that even if you don't have school aged kids this is a great time to stock up on office supplies?

Back To School Is The Best Time To Stock Up On Office Supplies:

Scotch tape - Great deals. Now is the time to stock up for all that Christmas wrapping. I found these cute colorful ones for 99 cents but they also had the multi packs priced lower than the rest of the year.

Pens and pencils - I  always buy one big back of pens that lasts me all year and I always find them for 99 cents or a dollar in the back to school section.

Glue and glue sticks - Multi packs for a dollar. I buy enough for all year.

Staplers - Lowest prices of the year.

Flash drives - You can find an 8 GB flash drive for a few dollars.

Calculators - Dirt cheap if you need a basic one for your desk. I like to keep one where I pay bills.

Computer paper - I try to buy enough for the whole year. It is discounted this time of year in the school section so stock up.

Also a lot of snack packs are priced very low this time of year. I try to buy several every time I am in the store to stash away for later.

Kitchen Organization - Preparing for Back to School

School starts next week so I have been working hard to get the kitchen all cleaned and set so mornings are easier and lunch making goes smoothly.  Along with that, I have been wiping down shelves. I just love this little built in 50s cabinet. I mix my lovely pyrex with other dishes. They are so cute they should be displayed.

Some man must have designed this deep narrow cabinet. It is good for nothing in the back. I am always challenged with keeping it in order. Things get shoved around a lot. Corralling like items makes it so much easier. I keep drink items on the bottom shelf, breakfast making supplies just above and baking items on top.

 An old enamel pan makes a perfect tray for stickier items.

Small and sticky things are contained and the shelf remains clean. Picked up this pan 50 cents at the thrift store.

 More baskets. Can you tell I am a fan? I use whatever I have preferring to spend money on prettier items that are seen. Functionality is all I care about in the cupboards.

 Misc. snack items are contained in another basket. That way you can toss that box when only one granola bar or snack cup is left. The kids pull this out and have a variety to grab from. Five lunches a day are made here during to school year. My husband takes a lunch every single day. We have a system of making lunches at night. Removes the stress from the morning plus my hubby leaves very early. One kid makes the sandwiches, one gets the coffee ready and I am the boss!! Such a slave driver. I anticipate I will be taking more of the jobs on this year as my kids schedules will be the busiest ever.

I think we are ready. I am pulling out my back to school decor this week. It is too hot to do anything outdoors here.

Back to School Decorating Ideas

I know many of you will think I am rushing things but I wanted to do a back to school vignette in my dry sink and a little something on the dining room table. I started to pull some things out and I just kept going until it was done. Here is just a peek.

School for my kids starts the last week of August so they still have three sweet weeks left. Some of our friends started this week. I miss the days when everyone started right after Labor Day.

Not sure my kids were too excited to see the reminders but my hubby and I had fun putting it together.

This little plaque of the Pledge of Allegiance is a favorite. I have heard that not all schools bother to ever say it any longer. When I was in school we said it everyday first thing. I personally think that was a good thing. 

I will reveal the whole thing in a few days when I am done tweaking it.