Dollar Store Diva Archives - Page 6 of 16 - Cha-Ching on a Shoestring™

The Dollar Store Diva: How a Dollar Store Purchase Saved My Sanity

April 4th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Recently I had the privilege of babysitting three of my out-of-town grandsons.

After we had happily eaten breakfast together, I turned my back ever so briefly, and–much to my surprise, those three adorable boys started flying through our little house. I am talking F-L-Y-I-N-G. And I’m talking H-Y-P-E-R.

And we had just had such a lovely breakfast: Boston Cream donuts and hot chocolate.

Quickly I cleared the table, grabbed the painter’s tape I had bought at a Dollar Store, and gathered a couple of Hess trucks that my husband traditionally buys at Christmas.

After a few simple instructions from Grandma, Griffin went to work.

He and Lincoln built a parking lot for the trucks, roadways, and even wrote HESS in big letters with the tape.

And look at Cade. Isn’t this little boy, whirring his truck along the painter’s tape highway, just too-too cute?

I told the boys that the tape only cost a dollar so they could use as much as they wanted. And what fun they had–for a long time.

And there you have it, three happy, creative boys, one adoring grandma, and the story of the day a dollar store purchase saved my sanity.

***

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! And yep – those h-y-p-e-r boys are mine!

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The Dollar Store Diva: How a Dollar Store Notebook Helped my Adult ADD

March 6th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

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I still remember the moment when the realization hit me: “Oh, my goodness–I could be the poster child for adult ADD!”

It explained so much.

–Trouble completing tasks and meeting deadlines (Yup! That’s me!)

-Poor organization (Uh huh.)

–Procrastination (Oh, my, yes!)

–Poor time management (I wrote the book on it.)

Over the years I have tried to develop strategies to overcome the daily challenges of one who has such a short attention span, who gets so easily sidetracked, and–if it weren’t for the last minute–would never get anything done.

One of my most effective strategies:

Research shows that for adults with ADD, it’s important to keep a daily to-do list.

{Oh, sure. Just what I need– an unscratched-off list of what I haven’t accomplished that day.}

Then one day, I changed my To Do list to my Look What I Did! list, and what a difference it has made.

Want to know how to feel rewarded for tasks completed, rather than feeling scorn for uncompleted tasks?

Here ya go!

#1. Start with a notebook, preferably one that will lie open flat. It can be a thing of beauty, or it can be a notebook you found on the floor at the back of your closet. (I often find really nice name-brand notebooks at the Dollar Store.)

Pic Red Journal Frame

Pic Black 'n Red Frame

#2. This is totally optional. Since I enjoy paper crafts, I used this opportunity to finally try using Washi tape.

Pic Step #2

This is the very same notebook as in the picture on the right above. Isn’t it beautiful?

#3. Label the left-hand page as your To Do page and the right-hand page as the Look What I Did! page.

PicStep #3

Step 3-Second page

Don’t get sidetracked thinking that you have to make each page a creative masterpiece. A stubby pencil will work just as well as seven strips of Martha Stewart paper tape.

#4. On the left page, make your list of things you need to do. It’s OK if it’s more than you know you’ll get done that day.

Pic M Step #4

Now, here comes the liberating difference:

Write on left page

Choose one thing from the list on the left–I repeat–one thing, cross it off, and write it on the right page of the notebook.

This is the ONE thing you need to be doing now. Don’t even think about the 17 other things on your list.

{This is what works for me–I set the timer for e.g., 15 minutes, and I say to myself: This is the only thing in my life I need to be doing in the next 15 minutes.}

When that task is done, cross it off (YAHOO!)

Continue this process throughout the day. You may only get two things done. But– Yay!–you got two things done!

And, there you have it: Look what I did!

****

Check out more from the 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 treasures that make super fun gifts and more!

The Dollar Store Diva: This Valentine Is Sure To Be A Keeper (with Printable)

February 6th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

"I Wouldn't Change a Thing About You" Valentine Idea

Hey! How about a sugar-free love note for your Valentine?

Ellie Supplies

Supplies:

1) A small plastic container with lid– 2/$1–at Dollar Tree.

2) Valentine Jar Printable

3) A small dee-lightful picture of the recipient. Optional: rubber alphabet stamps to print the name

4) An assortment of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.

5) Yarn to wrap around the lid of the jar

Grab some change–your own piggy bank might come in handy here–to put in the jar. You can decide if you want more pennies or more quarters in it. 🙂

Use 4×6″ paper to print out the Valentine Jar Printable. There are two printable options, one that says “I” and the other that says “We.”

Adhere the printed red label to the jar, add the sweet picture and stamped name, punch a hole in the corner of the “I wouldn’t change anything” tag and hang it from the jar with colorful yarn .

And there you have it.

A picture-perfect Valentine that is sure to be a keeper.

***

The Dollar Store Diva: “A Treat a Day” Valentine with Printable

January 30th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Seven Days of Treats

Update: The calendar has been updated so you can use it every year!

Many months ago, when I received a free 7-day pill organizer from CVS, I came up with the idea of putting a treat a day in the cute little plastic cubicles. I could just picture my grandchildren lifting the lid to get their mini-love-gift from me.

But I was uncomfortable with the idea of teaching them that these pill containers contained candy.

Then, once again, the Dollar Store saved the day. Just last week I discovered on the Dollar Tree shelves an unconventional pill container that would be quite dandy for this Happy Valentines treat.

TaDah!

How fun is this?!

My original plan was to put Hershey Kisses in each compartment and say “A Kiss a Day”, but, to my disappointment, a candy Kiss doesn’t fit. So I put a section of the pill sorter in my purse and headed to Wegmans bulk-candy aisle. I could have bought one bag of Valentine candy and put in the same candy for each day of the week, but I wanted an element of surprise when they opened it.

The beauty of the bulk candy is that, instead of having to buy seven bags of candy, after checking to make sure the candy fit in the cubicle, I could just scoop the small amount I needed from the vast assortment available at Wegmans.

This is my happy selection:

I washed the compartments and thoroughly dried them, dropped the candy in, and used some alphabet stickers I had on hand for the Sunday-Saturday initials. (Writing the letters with a Sharpie also works.)

Wrapping was easy with red Dollar Tree cello wrap and festive pink yarn. To add the final touch, I included a Valentine message : “A treat a day sends XOs your way!”

Click here: Valentine Tag Printable

And there you have it.

A seven-day treat for the loved ones in your life.

Check out more from the Dollar Store Diva on Pinterest.

***

The Dollar Store Diva: How One Trip to the Dollar Store Solved my Linen Organization Crisis

January 21st, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Lovely Scenario:

Four of our six children and 15 of our 16 grandchildren live out of town and need a bed to sleep in when they come to visit.

Sometimes a bunch come to stay at the same time.

Stark Reality:

We own a two-bedroom house

Available Sleeping Spots:

One queen-size bed

Two single beds

Two double futons in basement

Several folding mattresses for available floor space

Linen Organization Crisis:

I am a visual processor: if I can’t see it, it might as well not exist. With limited storage space, I have tried so many strategies to help me be ready with linens, blankets, and bedspreads for the 2,4,6,or 8 beds I might need them for.

“Where are the single sheets?” I cry. “And the double sheets?” I wail. “Under which bed did I store the blankets?” I moan.

Dollar Store Surprise!

On a recent trip to a Dollar Deals dollar store, the solution to my problem was waiting on the shelf:

Sturdy zippered plastic bags. Clear, see-through plastic bags!

I bought several.
At home, I did a happy dance, gathered the double sheets and pillowcases, and put them with the double blankets and bedspreads.
I put the single sheets with single bedspreads, and so on.
I rolled them up together and put them in individual bags.
In some of them I could even fit a blanket.
Sheets with Tags

Even though the bags are clear plastic, I added tags I made from scrapbooking paper and ABC stickers. (Visual learners also like tags.) I tagged them for twin or double, zippered them, and slipped them out of the way under the futons.

Now when the family comes (Hint, hint…), I can grab the appropriate bag by its handy-dandy strap, and I’m good to go!

I can’t tell you what a relief it is to me to be prepared in this way.

So there you have it.

And all thanks to a trip to the Dollar Store.

Check out more from the Dollar Store Diva on Pinterest.

***

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The Dollar Store Diva: Yet Another Reason Why I Love the Dollar Store

January 4th, 2014 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

***

Pic Mittens $1

Have I mentioned lately that I love the Dollar Store?

Since our family continues to grow (currently a total of 28 including children, spouses and grandchildren), my husband and I find it easier to give a cash gift for special occasions. Oh, but I do love to add on a little something for them to open.

That’s where the Dollar Store comes in.

Here’s my trick when I shop for add-on gifts: when I walk into the store, I just walk up and down the aisles, up and down the aisles. I resist the impulse to fill my cart with stuff; instead I wait for just the right thing to pop out. Usually it happens.

This past Christmas, my family from Texas made the 1700 mile trip from Austin to New York. We decided to have a belated celebration for my grandson’s 20th birthday. I needed a special gift indeed.

Alex brought his girlfriend with him; Bekah had not seen snow since she was seven years old, and New York’s exquisite gift to her was a winter wonderland.

And there on the shelf in the Dollar Store was the perfect gift for Alex:

Mittens Image

Oh, my goodness, the fun we had when Alex opened his gift! Everyone gathered around trying to figure out the What-in-the-world? gift. That’s when the laughter erupted.

Alex and Bekah were more than willing to try out the gift, and cameras flashed.

Mittens

And there you have it.

So much fun, so many memories made.

And all for a dollar.

***

Merry Little Christmas: Too, Too Fun Wrapping Idea #13 with Tutorial

December 17th, 2013 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Wrapping with fabric has been one of my favorite too, too fun wrapping projects. This box was wrapped like swaddling a baby in a blanket. I used torn strips of random Christmas fabric to wrap around the blanketed gift, leaving a pocket to slip in a Christmas card.

I wrapped this gift with a silk scarf. You can check out this video with a brief tutorial on how easy it is to create this lovely holiday gift wrap with built-in pocket for a card.

OR– instead of a card, how about slipping in a picture the recipient will treasure? That’s two gifts in one!

And there you have it: too, too fun wrapping idea #13.

Check out more Merry Little Christmas Projects.

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Merry Little Christmas: Create Your Own Tags with a Free Christmas Font

December 7th, 2013 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

What excitement there was in the air when I discovered this free Christmas font!

I quickly downloaded the font onto my computer, then I typed abcdefg… (both uppercase and lowercase) to find the images I wanted for my tags. I used Word shapes (rectangles) to create tags and inserted the chosen images using a text box. I then increased the size of the font until it fit just right in the tag.

Examples:

And there you have it.

Just think of all the mix and match options for shapes, colors, sizes, etc.

Have fun!

Check out more Creative Wrapping Ideas from The Merry Little Christmas Project.

Font Credit

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