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The Dollar Store Diva: Pumpkin Chip Cookies + Tips for Cooks with a Touch of ADD

October 7th, 2015 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Pumpkin Chip Cookies ADD

When I was first married, I had zero culinary skills. {Bless my dear groom.} The one redemptive recipe for those first bumbling months of dry lasagne and hard-as-golf-balls cinnamon rolls was a cookie recipe I discovered in a wedding-gift cookbook. After all, who cared if I couldn’t fry an egg or boil potatoes as long as I could bake one of the world’s most delicious autumn treats: Pumpkin Chip Cookies.

The tradition of these melt-in-your mouth cookies has passed down to the next generation of my family and, no doubt, will move on to the next.  (You can check out these fun blog posts: my daughter Kaley’s here and my daughter Tamara’s here.)

For most people, whipping up a batch of cookies is a non-issue; however, I have a touch of ADD and, believe it or not, it creates a baking challenge for me. {I have such a short attention span that when I make the bed, I make half of it and then come back later to make the other half.}

 For me, baking tends to be more of a task than a pleasure: there are so many steps, so many ingredients, and so much clean-up. Too often it just doesn’t seem worth it. But the other day I thought: This is ridiculous. I want to bless my friends with these cookies; they are too good not to share.

So I decided to put on my flirty orange apron (it is, after all, autumn), and savor each step of the process.

Since my attention span is about 1.2 minutes (Okay–that might be a bit exaggerated), I decided to divide the process into segments and then allow myself to get sidetracked between.

Allow myself to get sidetracked?! I was liking this already.

But there was the difference in the sidetracking I was allowing myself: I had to get sidetracked in the kitchen. No running downstairs to put in a load of laundry; no running upstairs to make the other side of the bed.

#1   The first segment was to gather all the ingredients and place them on the counter. I was committed now–no turning back.

Now, freedom to sidetrack–in the kitchen.

 #2 After flitting around the kitchen for a few minutes, the second segment was to gather all the tools I would need: a mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, measuring cups, etc..

Pumpkin Chip Cookies ADD

Again, freedom to sidetrack. [Hey–how long has that cobweb been hanging from the ceiling by the back door?]

#3 OK–now it was time for the fun to begin. The third segment was to simply follow the recipe. Oh, the sweet anticipation of mixing up a batch of  plump pumpkin chip cookies; each step overflows with mouth-watering anticipation.

A treasured family recipe[I had already determined that after I used each ingredient I would put it back into the cupboard; that would lessen the mess after I was done baking. I had also filled the sink with hot soapy water so that, in my flitting, I could wash utensils as I went along.]

#4 After I put the cookie sheets in the oven, I had ten lovely minutes to get more dishes washed, dried and put away. [I have a dishwasher, but I actually enjoy hand washing my dishes.]

pumpkin chip cookies

So there you have it: pumpkin chip cookies baked by a cook with a touch of ADD. Yes, the process took longer, but it was pleasurable and productive, and the results were ever so delicious.

Wish I could share some with you.

***

For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!

Filed Under: Organization, Recipes Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

Get-It-Done-Now Tool for Procrastinators {with Printable}

July 23rd, 2015 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Do It Now Printable

I am a busy woman. {Feel free to add your name to the Busy Person List.}

In addition, I am a busy woman who regularly procrastinates. {There’s a list for that too; you can sign your name under mine.}

I have learned that procrastination is not my friend; it has created so much unnecessary stress in my life. Then add to procrastination my issue with ADD and…

ARRRGHHH!!

During the years that I ran a home business, I knew that I had to have a strategy to help me accomplish the things that I simply dreaded to do. That’s when I came up with this little ditty:

Do It Now for Procrastinators

“Nancy,” I’d say to myself, “do it now; do it cheerfully; and do it well.”

The little “ditty” has proven to be a helpful get-things-done-now tool, and I still repeat it often.

But merely chanting the refrain isn’t enough. I have so much I have procrastinated on that I have to first decide what “it” is in “Do it now”.

That’s where this handy-dandy tool comes in:

DIY Procrastination StrategyA few inexpensive supplies are needed:

Dollar Store Clip Board ……Dollar Store Sticky Notes……Scrap of Fabric……Pinking Shears……Dollar Store Sharpie……Do it Now Printable

Dollar Store Procrastination Tool I used the pinking shears to cut the fabric a bit smaller than the board and then slipped the fabric and trimmed-to-size printable under the clip. Four sticky-note pads come in the Dollar Tree package, so I matted one pad on a scrap of decorative cardstock and slipped that under the clip to hold it in place.

The magic here is the sticky notes.

Here is where I decide what the it is. I had been having trouble with my cable for months–yes, folks, months. But I absolutely dreaded calling the cable company. So I put it off…and I put it off…and I put it off. Then one day I decided that calling TWC was my it for the day–whether I wanted to do it or not.

So I wrote “Call TWC” in bold letters on the yellow pad. {That note absolutely could not be ripped off until the job was actually done.}

And I did it!

It was every bit as stressful as I had suspected it would be (over an hour on the phone with two different technicians), but it had to be done, and I did it!

Besides that, it was done cheerfully, and it was done well.

Change the ARRRGHHH!! to AAHHHH!!

Dollar Store Tool for Procrastinators

Another idea is to mat the printed motto with two layers of scrapbooking paper instead of fabric. [Surely I’m not the only one who has procrastinated on cleaning her venetian blinds.]

DIY Tool for Procrastinators

For a smaller version to stand on a desk, I bought a 5×7 easel-back plastic frame at the Dollar Tree and used colorful cardstock to mat the Do It Now 5×7 Printable. 

DIY Procrastinator Strategy I didn’t attach the sticky pad to the frame, but I placed it nearby along with the Sharpie.

So there you have it. Decide what your it is for the day, then don’t remove the sticky note until it’s done.

Oh, and don’t forget: do it cheerfully and do it well.    🙂

***
dollar-store-diva

For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!

You may also like:

How a Dollar Store Notebook Helped my Add
How One Trip to the Dollar Store Solved my Linen Organization Crisis
My Life-Changing Organization System for Visual Learners

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Organization Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva, noads

“Honey of a Couple” Anniversary Gift One-Minute Tutorial

May 19th, 2015 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

***

It’s been a little while since we’ve heard from the Dollar Store Diva (a.k.a. my MOM), but she can’t stay away for long! She has a fresh new idea that I think you guys are really going to enjoy. I already love this first quick tip for a super cute, super easy anniversary gift!

Anniversary Gift

Introducing…

Nancy’s Merry Little Quick Tips!

From time to time I will whip up a tip that might add some merry to your day. I will often present it to you in a super-quick slideshow video.

Hope this one-minute video will inspire you:

https://chachingonashoestring.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Anniversary-Quick-Tip-SD-480p_3.m4v

Click here for the free Honey of a Couple Anniversary card printable.

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Giving, Merry Little Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva, Nancy's Merry Little Quick Tips, noads

My Life-Changing Organizational System {for Visual Learners}

February 25th, 2015 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Visual Learner Organization Files

I love this organization system brought to us by our very own Dollar Store Diva!

I am a woman of many interests; I am also a visual learner with a touch of ADD. The combination of these facts has created large amounts of stress for me during my 44 years of keeping a home and raising six children.

No doubt you already know the oozing-with-organizational-wisdom-adage: A place for everything, and everything in its place.

Unfortunately, my husband and I could summer in Europe on all the money I have spent over the years on my latest and greatest, “A place for everything, and for everything a place.”

And I still couldn’t find my hot glue gun when I needed it.

From my years of sincere—albeit fumbling–organizational attempts, I have learned the following four things about what is required in a system that would work for me:

1) When I put something away in its “place”, it can’t involve having to make a decision. If I have to decide where to put it, I’ll just put it in a pile somewhere. Piles don’t work for visual learners. And somewhere is usually re-discovered only after a desperate hunt.

2) The storage location has to be easily accessible. If it involves lifting lids or sifting through drawers, it won’t happen. I get too easily overwhelmed and ever so sidetracked by the other lovely things I find in the drawer.

3) I can’t use a bin or a crate because I plop things on top of the bin to be “decided on” later. [See #1] The pile on top of the bin adds another step, which means, of course, that I will get overwhelmed or sidetracked. [See #2]

4) It requires labels. Because I am visual, I have to be able to “see” where things are.

****

Then, one day in my classroom, I had a

~~Light-bulb Moment!~~

I teach adult ESL. My students speak almost no English, so I use a large assortment of visualized vocabulary cards and bulky hands-on learning supplies. My classroom file cabinet is filled with thick files, bulging awkwardly with educational “stuff”.  And it works perfectly for me. A labeled easily-accessible place for everything, and for everything a labeled easily-accessible place.

Oh, my goodness!

Why couldn’t I do this with my “stuff’ at home?!?!

 The possibility was dizzying.

Am I the only person who has always thought of file folders as a storage space for flat sheets of paper? Before this light-bulb moment, it had never occurred to me that I could use file folders for the crayons I could never find when my grandkids came to visit, or the double-sided tape that was continually “misplaced”, or vacuum cleaner bags, or hole punches, or my beloved Envelope Punch Board?

I did a happy dance and went to work immediately.

#1–I ordered Pendaflex extra-capacity hanging file folders on Amazon. (Free shipping with Amazon Prime!) I could find some cheaper files, but after reading the reviews, I decided to spend the extra few dollars. I’m glad I did.

The purchase of these folders has given me a new lease on life.

Honest.

Organization Extra Capacity Hanging Files

Extra-Capacity Hanging Files

#2–I realized that some of the supplies I was putting into the files could easily slip out (things like craft clothespins, bells, adhesives…), so I decided to invest in some file pockets.

5-1/4″  File Pockets    –OR–

 

Organization File Pockets

 3-1/2″ File Pockets

#3–Because I had years of papers and craft supplies, it was less than fun at first. I had a recycle bin and give-away bag right next to me to eliminate every single item I could.  I started a temporary folder whenever something I uncovered called for one, and I labeled the folders with post-it notes.

#4–After I had eliminated more than you could possibly imagine, I started to bring order to the temporary files I had started. At this point, I took advantage of the Pendaflex templates for file folder inserts and printed out the labels.

Organization List

I used a combination of regular hanging files, the large-capacity hanging files, and the pocket folders.

Visual Organization

So there you have it. For me, this has been revolutionary. Now when I have something to put away, easily accessible cabinets are in the basement, there are no decisions to make because they are carefully labeled, and there is nothing piled on top to sidetrack me from slipping the stuff into the file.

Post Script  — The irony of this post is that while I was writing it, I was also packing for a trip to Florida. I most certainly wanted to take my camera to capture the wonder of our escape from -7 degree New York weather.

And, guess what (you may chuckle if you want to)–I couldn’t find my fancy-dancy camera’s battery charger ANYWHERE! And the battery was 100% dead.

I looked everywhere. My husband looked everywhere. We finally headed south with no camera.

Oh, if only I had had a fat file folder marked: Battery Charger.

***

For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!

Pumpkin Chip Cookies + Tips for Cooks with a Touch of ADD
Get-It-Done-Now Tool for Procrastinators {with Printable}
One Hour + One Dollar Store Trip = Seven Problem Areas Organized

Filed Under: Organization, Simple Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

The Dollar Store Diva: Fabric-Wrapped Candy Canes with Printables

December 14th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The minute I found this idea and tutorial here, I knew that this would be the primary craft I would concentrate on during the 2014 Christmas season.

I have since made these little works of art with friends and with family, with young and with old.  In one way or another, 100% of them have said, “Oh, this is so much fun!” And 100% have been delighted with the results.

Candy Canes DollarTree

First, I bought plastic candy canes at Dollar Tree. {Can’t argue with six candy canes for a dollar.}

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Then, following the tutorial, I used homespun fabric to wrap the canes and added a cardstock star that I cut out of a Joy to the World sheet-music printable .

Fabric Candy Canes

For others, I used brighter Christmas fabrics and added these JOY Tags.

Fabric Candy Canes

It’s fun to continue finding uses for the wrapped canes. Along with greenery, they can add a festive touch to a wrapped gift.

Fabric Candy Canes

My niece Deb used her candy canes as the finishing touch on her window display. Isn’t it lovely?

So there you have it: Joy to the World! The Lord has come!

***

dollar--store-diva-Christmas

Find more posts from the Dollar Store Diva here.

For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts and crafts that would brighten anyone’s day! 

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Simple Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

The Dollar Store Diva: Handcrafted Christmas Wreath for $2.20 {Dollar Tree}

December 2nd, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Christmas Wreath

I like walking into the Dollar Store, not looking for anything in particular, and then leaving the store with a treasure. That very thing happened recently.

I noticed these red and white knit scarves and thought to myself: Surely there must be something I could do with these scarves besides wrapping them around my neck.

Wreath

And indeed there is!

I decided to make a rag wreath using one red scarf and one white scarf.

  I cut a strip of wire–that I had bought at the Dollar Tree–and tied it into a fat circle.  {A wire coat hanger also works splendidly.}

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I cut across the scarf every six inches and then cut the six-inch strips into three strips. There was no need to measure the three strips–I just eyed it. That’s the beauty of a rag wreath.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 I tied the strips onto the wire, alternating the red and white. I decided to push them tightly together to make a smaller wreath, but I could have made a larger one with the same two scarves.

The JOY tag came in a package of five; it was gold, and I wanted it green. I happened to have a bottle of green nail polish I had bought at the Dollar Tree for crafting purposes, so I used that to change the gold into green.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The wreath can be hung on the wall or used as a cozy centerpiece with a candle in the middle.

DSD Wreath Paige
My niece, Paige, decided to wrap her scarves around her neck after all!

So there you have it:

2 scarves = $2.00   1 JOY tag = 20 cents

For a grand total of $2.20!

***

dollar--store-diva-Christmas

For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts and crafts that would brighten anyone’s day!

Filed Under: Christmas, Craft Ideas, Simple Living Tagged With: Christmas Deals 2014, Dollar Store Diva

The Dollar Store Diva: A Thanksgiving Note-Writing Challenge with Free Printable

November 7th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Harvest Notecards

Source

 While I was shopping recently, a handsome young man came up to me and said, “Mrs. Hill, you probably don’t remember me.”

I studied his face, but I had to admit that I didn’t.

As it turned out, we used to go to the same church. Years ago I said something that he has always remembered and that has actually impacted his life.

As I listened to his story, I couldn’t have been more surprised.

He went on to say, “I saw you here, and I wanted to thank you.”

In the car on my way home, I couldn’t stop crying.

Are there people in your life who have made an impact on you, either briefly or for a length of time? Have you ever told that person?

********

Are you motivated by a challenge?

I know I am!

I’d like to offer you a challenge for this November 2014. {I am personally excited about this challenge because I am accepting it myself!}

1)

Choose one or two people who have touched your life; it might be extra fun if they don’t realize the blessing they have been to you.

2)

Write a note to them during this season of giving thanks. It doesn’t have to be long or amazing–just heartfelt.

Harvest-Notecards

Last year I created this printable stationery along with the “confetti”.  You can print out these notecards–with or without the confetti–OR  simply scribble on a paper towel.  Obviously, it will be the message that counts.

Harvest-Notecard-Confetti 3)

If you decide to accept the challenge, please let me know by leaving a comment below.

So there you have it–a Thanksgiving note-writing challenge.

Blessings galore!

***

For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts that would brighten anyone’s day!

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Simple Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

The Dollar Store Diva: Thanksgiving Banner with Free Printable

November 3rd, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Give Thanks

***

When I saw this free printable banner at the TomKate Studio (along with other classy Thanksgiving printables), I decided immediately to hang one in my home as a lovely reminder of the significance of this holiday season.

Since my home is more homespun than satin, I changed my banner slightly by adding strips of ripped harvest fabric between the letters and by using jute instead of the brown satin ribbon.

So there you have it–a vivid reminder that Thanksgiving is indeed the season to give thanks.

And mine is already hanging on the wall, awaiting the happy arrival of my bursting-the-seams-of-our-home-family on Thanksgiving Day!

***

For those of you who haven’t met her, the Dollar Store Diva happens to be my Mom who has a special power.  She can transform Dollar Store and other inexpensive finds into super fun gifts and crafts that would brighten anyone’s day!

Filed Under: Craft Ideas, Simple Living Tagged With: Dollar Store Diva

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My  name is Kaley. Wife, Mama, and Dreamer, I have a passion for saving money, living simply, and helping others find creative ways to live large on a limited budget.

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