Freebie Friday - July 11th

Happy Friday, everyone!

Okay, where to even begin with this post...

Well, first things first: Our little "furry" family has grown by one - we got another dog! The initial meet and greet with our first dog and the new fella went really well at the shelter, but things have been a little tense back here on our home turf. Our first dog, Blaze, doesn't seem to quite understand why our new little guy, Dexter, is still in his house! We don't quite feel comfortable leaving them alone together, so we're constantly keeping an eye on both of them. But, each day seems to get a little better - Blaze is becoming more tolerant, and Dexter is becoming more comfortable with his surroundings. (I should also mention that Blaze has a torn toe pad that's healing, while Dexter is recovering from his neuter procedure done earlier this week. As a result, both dogs are supposed to be taking it easy, which is easier said than done for two active dogs who are still getting to know each other!)

But, wait folks - that's not all! I also started my new job this week! And while things are going pretty well on that front, there's always a bit of chaos that comes with taking on a new position. I do my best to leave work at work, but it sure can be hard sometimes - especially when there's so much to be done!

The cherry on top of this messy sundae? My husband has left town for the weekend, leaving me alone to supervise the two dogs.

So, we'll see how this goes.

To focus on the positive instead of stressing about what could or might go wrong, let's celebrate another round of freebies! Here are some of my latest favorites:

1. Free popcorn samples (plus a free take-home tub!) at Goody's

My local coupon mailer included a lovely little deal for a free mini-tub of popcorn. So, I stopped by on my way home from work yesterday, and I discovered that Goody's is happy to give you free samples (much smaller than what's pictured above) of all of their yummy options. My coupon got me a bigger take-home sample, so I enjoyed a lovely pre-dinner snack of sour cream & onion popcorn. Mmmmm.

2. Free home improvement items at Harbor Freight tools

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My local paper, The Oregonian, has been carrying coupons for Harbor Freight Tools that include free tarps, free tool sets, free tape measures, and free flashlights - no purchase necessary! Time to stock up!

3. Free movie screenings through Gofobo

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I've been to several free movie screenings through this website; the last one was Obvious Child, starring Jenny Slate. All you have to do is sign up with your email address, and you'll periodically get invitations to free screenings in a city near you. (Disclaimer: this is definitely one of those freebies that you have to be on top of - tickets often go fast, and you have to get to the theater early because they give away more tickets than there are seats to try to get a full house.) It's hard to pass up a free movie these days, so I definitely recommend signing up for this one!

4. Throwback freebie: Chalupas!

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I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today, so I just wanted to reminisce for a moment on one of my all-time favorite "freebies" - the Free Chalupa coupon that was handed out at Portland Trail Blazer games if the team scored 100 points or more during a single game. Sadly, this one is no more (replaced instead by a free Egg McMuffin from McDonald's - meh), but it will always have a special place in my heart - even if my digestive system is much happier without it.

5. Gold Standard Freebie: the Library

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Ah, the library... one of my favorite places, both as a child and as an adult. While I know that the library's services are paid for by our tax dollars, it's "freebie" status goes waaaaaaay beyond just books - I'm talking music, movies, books-on-tape, and even admission at local attractions! If you live in Washington County, Oregon, go to your local WCCLS branch and ask for the Cultural Passes to places like the Lan Su Chinese Garden, Pittock Mansion, the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, the Portland Children's Museum, and several other spots around town. If you're outside the county, I challenge you to go to your local library branch and learn more about their programs and offerings (and check out a book or two for some summer reading).

Help me spread the freebie love! What are some freebies you've enjoyed this week?

A.

My Turn: DIY Monogram Burlap Wreath

Good morning, and Happy First Day of July!

I don't know about you, but I can't believe how quickly June went by... although I am looking forward to some more consistent sunny weather here in the beautiful Northwest (June is always a toss-up... will you wake up to heavy rain and 60 degrees, or sunny and 80 degrees? You just never know!). 

Our biggest to-do for our new home is our backyard, but it's such a big, intimidating task that my husband and I keep finding other, smaller projects to tackle instead. One of my personal goals is to use up our leftover wedding decor as much as possible when decorating our home.

So, I present to you (drumroll, please)... burlap wreaths!

But, something was missing... it still seemed incomplete to me.

As popular as chevron prints have been, I haven't done ANYTHING with chevron - so I decided that I'd spruce up the W with some paint. I figure, if I didn't end up liking the chevron pattern, I could just paint in the rest and have a solid colored W.

I apologize that I didn't take any pictures of assembling the burlap onto the wire wreath - I promise I'll do it for my next one, for those of you who are interested in how I arranged the fabric.

I initially didn't have any glue to attach my "hooks" (paperclips) to the back of the W, so I used duct tape. (Disclaimer: the tape holds up well in cooler weather, but when the direct sunlight hits the wreath hanging on the door on a hot day, the W ends up falling off. I'll try some hot glue and let you know if that holds up better.)

Next, I cut down the stems of some fake flowers and stuck them into the burlap (I find that if I weave the stems through a few of the burlap loops, and bend the stem a bit so it's not stick-straight, it stays in place pretty well).

Finally, it was chevron time. I didn't have any blue painter's tape handy, so I used some regular masking tape and created 90 degree angles when attaching the roughly 3 inch long pieces together. I tried my best to really push down along the edges of the tape to try to prevent paint from leaking underneath it.

Next, I applied some white acrylic paint with a sponge brush all over the W. After waiting about 10 minutes for the first coat to try, I then applied a second coat.

My favorite part was next - the big reveal! I carefully removed the tape and was pretty happy with what I saw, with the exception of a couple blurred areas where the paint got under the tape.

The last step: bending the paperclips to create little hooks, then placing the W onto the wreath. Voila!

For me, the most time-consuming part of this project is getting the burlap onto the wire wreath, but even then, that only takes about 30 minutes (again, sorry I didn't take any pictures of that process - next time!). I chose not to glue down any of the decor on the wreath so that I can easily remove the items and change it out with new stuff whenever I want.

I love this way this turned out, even with it's imperfections. 

What crafts are on your to-do list this month?

A.