Friday, April 26, 2013

Spring Stuff

 I loved the baby girl bunting quilt sew much I thought I would try one for a baby boy using triangles instead of 1/2 circles. It's still a WIP as I decide if I should add and additional border.
 Once again I machine appliqued the triangles on rather than hand sewing in hopes it will hold up better with little hands.
 How cute is this farm fabric?
 Silly Mason man sitting at the upstairs hall nook to say goodbye yesterday. Oh this boy, he has my heart.
 Remember the curtains (drop cloth's) I was hemming for DD#1 last week? Here they are all finished and hung on her back porch. Pretty cool and the price was right.
DD#1 and her hubby are hard at work this year getting the hardscape stuff done in the back yard. They had the porch added last fall, now it's time to pretty the place up!

While Kara is napping I thought I would jump on here for an update on our spring doing's. While my yard is still in a sorry mess I have been over at DD's on and off for the last week helping her decide what trees to put in and where. Last night a friend who is AMAZING at yard design came along with me to go over what we had in mind. Just as I figured she came up with great idea's that wouldn't break the bank!!

DD#1 and her hubby don't have a single tree in their back yard. Like most new neighborhoods the builder came in and leveled the land of everything living to build what has turned out to be a wonderful subdivision but is bare as a baby's butt of anything green. GRRR. I hate when that happens, in our area it seems to be the normal thing to do.

We give our DD's a tree or two as a house warming gift when they bought their homes. DD#1 decided to hold off until they could get a plan for the back yard. Now's the time for hubby and I to lay down the cash, yikes!! Here I am trying to be frugal this month. Ha

I priced out a Crepe Myrtle tree of a good size for them to be delivered and planted. Price...$317.00 CRAZY for a tree that only cost $127.00!!!

DD and I took all three little ones to a different nursery this morning for some price comparisions. We set their spending limit at $300.00. Low and behold we were able to get two Crepe Myrtles, one River Bank, and a nice size Hydrangea delivered and planted for $387.00!!! Yippee. DD and hubby kicked in the extra $87.00 as I was determined to stick to my budget.

The grands and our big kiddo's are one of the biggest money pits of all for hubby and I. It's not like any of them ask for a single thing, it's hubby and I that can't control ourselves. I made a deal with my overspending self that I would have a set an amount any time we want to do the extras for the big kids. If what they decide on is over the limit I should be spending I no longer just fork over the cash. Now I make sure to share the budget with them then they can pick up the extra costs. Setting limits on myself seems to be the only way I can contain my excitement in wanting to do the extras.

Anyone else find themselves spending more than they should on gifts, surprises, or the little extras for you kiddo's or others? How to you police yourself? I am always looking for more idea's on self control!!

7 comments:

  1. Love the banner quilt! So much fun!! :)

    How to stop spending on the grands? Hmm.. you can afford it, i'm sure your kids appreciate it, I think you're good! ;)

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  2. LOVE the "curtains" that you made for the porch - what a great gift! I don't think we ever stop giving to our kids (I don't have any grandkids yet) but I always set a budget like you did for the trees. I have to keep my monthly expenses to a certain amount so there's really no other choice. I give - but within limits.

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  3. As I said many times before, you are one amazing Mom and Grandma! :)

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  4. Oh my gosh, you are preaching to the choir on this one! I spend WAY too much on my kids...not because they want it, but because I want to do it! We have two college tuitions coming up and I need to put away for that. Add in my future grandchild and I'll be doomed. I've already promised my daughter I would buy the crib!

    The only way it can continue is if I have enough to put away for our EF and retirement.

    Ah, it never ends, right?

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  5. I love my children and grands, but there would be a lot more money in the bank if we didn't like them so much. :)

    The bunting boy quilt is great, machine sewing is the way to go as it will hold up to multiple warnings better too.

    Your grandson is a little charmer.

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  6. It is very difficult to restrain one's self when we love our kids so hard ! I love that bunting quilt.

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