Thrifty Mama
A lazy DIY mom of 2 kids, doing it on the cheap.
This weekend I learned to ride my bike all by myself.
I should say, I went on a long (for me) training ride alone. I’m trying to build a little confidence so riding alone isn’t so daunting. I took a couple of wrong turns and my feet were fu%#ing freezing when I got home, but I did it and I went farther than I thought I would (53 miles)
I took an “awesome” selfie, originally as a joke, but it’s also the only photo I have of my new bike stuff. And yes, my closet is a hot mess right now.
That outfit was a labor of love to put together. In my opinion, cycling clothing (especially women’s cycling clothing) is way too loud. Too many bright pinks, purples and light blues with fancy tribal flowers and swirly designs. A lot of it is designed to be too sexy or it’s very unflattering. I don’t want my boobs hanging out, but I also don’t want to wear a mock turtleneck. Plus it’s expensive, and I’m not going to spend my money to wear something that makes me look like a Larry. The riding shorts are actually lady bibs, which I highly recommend. Not having a waist band is the best! My husband bought them for me at cost from the bike shop he works at part time. They’re ultra comfy. The shirt is from The Gap Outlet and was $25. It’s not super high tech, but I love the style and how it fits. It has a wide waistband and some cinchers (technical term?) on the sides. The back top half is mesh and it’s plain black, my fav. I’ll have to get a jersey with pockets for the Almonzo though. My Smartwool socks were a gift. It was cold and windy as you may be able to see from the photos, so I also wore thrifted fleece lined tights and that really nice blue cycling jacket you can see hanging on my banister (which if you recall I got for $9.99 at Saver’s). I also wore my new black helmet and riding gloves (both purchased at cost). For fun, I took photos of my bike on most of the bridges I crossed and turned it into a photo montage.
Another Craigslist find.
Yesterday I saw a cube shelf with 5 storage boxes on Craigslist. The poster left his phone number, so I was able to call, pick the shelf up, and be home within 30 minutes.
Now my littlest guy has a place to store his toys and books, besides the floor and tiny shelf I made him.
(via gravster22)
Bird Feeding Station:
Sometimes I get carried away. I made that window bird feeder a few days ago, then I made another, then I racked my brain for a way to hang more feeders outside the window.
While its not pretty, it meets my standards because 1. It works, and 2. I didn’t spend and money to make it.
I shoved 3 wire hangers (which are the worst) into a metal tube (no clue where this thing came from) and bent them in opposite directions. Then I shoved the tube, which is hollow, into the ground.
So many birds already!
FREE garden beds!
Seriously! I found an ad for a whole bunch of free garden beds and landscaping timbers.
Thrifty hubby went to pick them up tonight and we ended up with 6 landscaping timbers and 3 of the long and narrow beds.
There we go. Our garden is coming together nicely. And cheaply!
(via gravster22)
(via gravster22)
DIY Window Birdfeeder!
We used an old Trader Joe’s cookie container. I taped the the top on it and cut a bird sized hole into the front. Then I stabbed a skewer stick through and strung some twine through the top. I used a suction cup to hang it from the front window.
I haven’t seen any birds yet, but hopefully tomorrow.