Quick Fix Snow Pants with a Broken Zipper

I am blessed to have many people consider our family when they are finished with kid's clothes. I tell people not to feel embarrassed if they think they are not giving me great clothes. I will take anything and sort for myself. Take these snow pants for example. The zipper was broken. I had it in my mending pile for quite a while. Once I remembered to buy velcro for $2.00 at JoAnn's I was off and running. 

Step One: Pin the rough velcro on the left side.

Step Two: Sew it on

Step Three: Sew the soft side of the velcro on the right side. Remember to sew it on the underside, not the top like you did with the rough velcro.

Whala!! You have a pair of snow pants ready for your winter activities and one less item in your mending pile :)

Garage Sale Negotiations

When you go to garage sales do you pay the price listed or do you negotiate? If you are interested in trying to get a better deal on things give this a try.  First you look to see everything you are interested in. Add up to determine what the total would be and make an offer.  If the total is $10, I say, "The total is $10 would you be able to take $7?" A lot of it has to do with what you think it's worth. Know what you would be willing to walk away from, and what you really want. Sometimes you will choose to bundle items that you are only interested in if you can get them included in the price for the item you really want. If they don't adjust the price you may not want those items.

Today I had a group of items that I thought were very well priced. They included: Old Navy, Justice, Children's Place, Carter's, Gap, Ralph Lauren, and Cherokee some with tags, but all still in excellent condition.  I wanted all of it. I did a final walk around to make sure I had everything I wanted.  I said, "The total is $17.  Do you have any flexibility in your price?"  The gentleman shrugged his shoulders and said, "I could do $15." Great. That way I walked away with some great gifts, and clothes for my daughter for next year!!!

If I only have one item I am interested in I ask, "Do you have any flexibility in your price?" Be prepared with an idea for the price in case they ask you what you had in mind. With either scenario be comfortable with silence.  Give them time to think. Don't jump in before they talk.

Be on the lookout for Christmas or Birthday presents!  If you have grandparents, then you kids are well loved in the gift department. Don't feel like you need to spend a lot.  My son loves guns, so I bought him this one for a dollar.  He will love it and so will I because it doesn't require any batteries!!

One man's trash... is another man's treasure.  My husband was going to build a remote controlled boat out of two empty two liters. Instead, we found this boat being given away for free!!

It's a great time to get some deals!! I can't wait to hear about yours!!

No-Sew Patch Job for Boys Pants

This is another Pinterest inspired idea originally found here: Cute Fix for a Hole in the Knee. I couldn't find a tutorial, however, so I thought I'd create one! I had shown my son a picture of this idea and he begged and begged me to "turn his jeans into monsters." When I finally got around to doing it, I was in a hurry and thought I'd go the no-sew route to show how easy it is!

What you need: 

• A hot glue gun set on high heat
• Scraps of felt in the desired colors
• Scissors

Step #1: Cut around the ripped area to create a clean, circular hole - it doesn't have to be perfect!

Step #2: Cut out a piece of felt that is a little bigger than the actual hole and position it inside the jeans. Cut out triangles for teeth and circles for eyes.

Step #3: Using the glue gun on high heat (I'm pretty sure the high heat will hold up longer), glue along the inside rim of the hole to glue the large piece of felt in place. Position teeth as you go so they can come out from behind the jean as well. Glue the eyes in place.

That's it! You're done! Could that have been any easier?? ~Sarah

**UPDATE: 3 months and numerous washings later and this patch job is still holding strong! I'm even a little amazed myself at how well it has held up. It looks just as good as the first day, I am going to contribute that to using the high heat setting on the glue gun.