I love a Night Stand kitchen more than I could possibly express! They are cute, relatively easy to make and they don't take up too much space. Here are a few of my favorite night stand kitchen ideas!
What is a night stand kitchen you ask? Well it's a night stand or a set of night stands that has been turned into a fun kitchen for kids! (or for you #noJudgement)
The good people over at The Farmer's Nest turned this set of night stands:
Into this amazing set!!!
Visit their site for a step by step Tutorial: The Farmer's Nest
This sparkling creation comes from our friends at Bubble Stitch Quilt. Take a look at the before and after shot!
It really is an amazing transformation! Just goes to show that with a bit of creativity, you can transform any style of night stand into a great kitchen!
For the step by step tutorial, visit: Bubble Stitch Quilt!
This beauty comes for the Curb Alert Blog. Here's the before:
They really did a fantastic job!!!!
For a Step by Step tutorial visit Curb Alert Blog!
If you have the space and want to make bigger kitchen, check look into Entertainment Center Kitchens. I LOVE this one from the SuttonGrace blog.
Erin from SuttonGrace stopped blogging a while ago, but her old blog is still available so you can check out the tutorial and see how this kitchen was made!
It really is a stunning transformation! Find the tutorial for this kitchen make over at Sutton Grace!
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| The Farmer's Nest Night Stand Kitchen |
The good people over at The Farmer's Nest turned this set of night stands:
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| BEFORE |
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| AFTER!!!! |
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| Bubble Stitch Quilt Night Stand Kitchen |
This sparkling creation comes from our friends at Bubble Stitch Quilt. Take a look at the before and after shot!
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For the step by step tutorial, visit: Bubble Stitch Quilt!
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| Night Stand Kitchen from The Curb Alert Blog |
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| BEFORE |
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| Back View |
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For a Step by Step tutorial visit Curb Alert Blog!
If you have the space and want to make bigger kitchen, check look into Entertainment Center Kitchens. I LOVE this one from the SuttonGrace blog.
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| Sutton Grace Entertainment Center Make Over |
Erin from SuttonGrace stopped blogging a while ago, but her old blog is still available so you can check out the tutorial and see how this kitchen was made!
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| Before |
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| During |
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| After |
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UPDATE: All prices were gathered October 31, 2017.
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| Family Pajama Shopping Guide |
I love the idea of having matching family pajamas on Christmas morning. The reality of finding them is an entirely different story!
This blog post of born out of my own research and frustration!
We are a family of 5 + 1 adorable pup. My concerns are price and availability. We need a lot of different sizes.
This is what I have found:
SHOP EARLY!!!!! It's true what they say, you have to shop early for the best selection. That's REALLY, REALLY true in this case. Lots of people love these matching sets so if you don't shop early you might be out of luck!
PRO TIP:
Before you buy ANYTHING online, you have to check out Honey! It's a coupon code finding app. I did a whole blog about it a while ago. Read about Honey HERE!
Pricing: The prices I quote are for 1 adult female set, 2 adult male sets, 2 boy (sizes 10 & 13) sets and 1 small dog set of pj's.
Style: The price and availability I'm quoting are for NON-footed pajama pants (unless otherwise indicated) and a long sleeve t-shirt. Nothing is personalized.
The Children's Place has some amazing sales on matching family pajamas and their quality is good. Though variety can be limited, most families will find a style they like. Regular price for my family of 5 (not including the dog) was $110.75 (free shipping). The honey app found a 20% off coupon code. The grand total was $88.60
Update for 2017 - I did not find a coupon code this year, but all options were on sale so the total for my family of 5 was $69.40.
For some reason TCP tends to bury their link to family pajamas. Here's the think for the 2017 Holiday season.
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| TCP secret family pajama location |
Target (online) has entered the family pajama game this year. Their prices are good and they have plus sizes and pet options available. Selections are limited. Matching slippers are also available. Prices for a family of 5 is about $105.00. Shipping is free if you shipped to the store.
Snug as a Bug has a pretty good variety, they had all the sizes I needed in stock. Price to outfit our family (including the dog) was $392.70 + shipping. (FOOTED PAJAMAS)
Pajamagram has LOTS of colorful, fun options in a wide variety of sizes including pet pajamas. $279.00 + shipping
The Company Store/Company Kids had good variety of styles. Price to outfit my family (including the dog) $299.00 + shipping. Honey had coupon code for 20% off on this site.
Walmart.com (has had family sets in the past. This year, 2017, i'm not seeing them on their website.)
Hanna Andersson has a very nice selection of sets including several superhero options. There were a couple of options for pets though most family sets did not have a pet option. Price to outfit my entire family $265. Honey does not yet have coupon codes for this site. They had them last year. Shipping is free for orders over $150.
Lazy One has a very nice selection of pajamas and slippers. Many pajama sets are sold as separates so you can buy just the pants or just the tops if you like. There are pet options and slippers available. Cost for my family of 5 is $186.91. Free shipping for orders over $50.
Chasing Fireflies has a limited selection of very festive Christmas options in stock. I found their website to be quite clunky. Price to out fit my entire family is $246.00 + shipping.
SleepHeads.com has nice looking sets and LOTS festive of styles. For a family of 5 (Matching bandana available for pets.) the cost is $175.75 + tax. Shipping if free for orders over $79. Honey has coupon codes for this site.
FootSteps Clothing is a great option for pjs that match but are not too holiday specific. This site offers sets that you can wear all year! Lots of solid colors that can be embellished with festive themes. They have an amazing amount of variety and the prices are pretty good. For a family of 5 (+ 1 small dog) the price is $224.00 + shipping.
Macy's has a nice variety of sets for the entire family plus pj's for pets and plus size family members. To outfit our family of 5, the price was $234 (after coupon code). Macy's had lots of coupon codes available and Honey has coupon codes for this site.
Kohl's is new for 2017. They have a nice selection of options available including a bandana for a pet. There are usually Kohl's coupons floating around online but I did not find any this time around. To outfit my family + the dog was $122.00.
Burt's Bees is new for 2017. They offer a nice selection of kids pajamas with a couple of options for adults. Because adult selections are slim be sure to order early as they're likely to sell out. There are no pet options. Outfitting my family cost $154. Shipping is free for order over $75.
Etsy has lots of people who make sets. Enter the search term "family pajamas" and see what vendor has a style you like. Because etsy options are hand made you will usually need a long lead time so order VERY early. I suggest ordering by October 1st. Price for a family of 5 averaged between $225-$350.00 + shipping. Honey has coupon codes for this site.
Sew Your Own: This time of year most local fabric stores will sell you an entire bolt (10 yards) of holiday fleece or flannel for between $50-$80. A pattern for simple pajama pants should cost approx $3. Long sleeve t-shirts are available at most craft stores for about $9 each. Look for coupons before you go to the store or search for coupons on Retail-me-not.
So the price to sew my own breaks down like this: Assuming 10 yards of flannel @ $6.99/yard. The cost for fabric is $69.99 (assuming I have no coupons). Plan $15 for elastic and notions. I could make everyone matching pants for $69.99 + $45 to buy long sleeve t shirts. So approximately $132.99 to sew pajamas. Less if you have coupons.
Sew Your Own Using Bed Sheets: The pros of bed sheets as fabric are that they're light weight, easy to find and fairly inexpensive. If you tend to be hot/sweaty cotton sheets do a nice job of wicking moisture away from the body keeping you cool. You can buy "seconds" (imperfect sheets) for greater savings. The down sides: finding enough matching sheets to make as many pj's as you want.
Consider making pajama pants out of sheets and custom embellish t-shirts that you buy from the craft store.
If you live in the NY tri-state area Marburn Curtain has MANY varieties of flat sheets on sale for EXCELLENT prices. Go into the store - don't buy online. You can pick up king size sheets for approximately $12/each. They have shelves and shelves of them. If you're outside of NY check your local curtain or bedding store. Mom and Pop stores are a great resource for discounted sheets. You can buy a sheet set or single sheets. Sewing my own using sheets will cost me an estimated $70 for a family of 5. I can use the remnants to make the dog a shirt!
Semi-Homemade Option: I found sweatpants and sweat shirt "bundles" on walmart.com for $11/set. I'm sure that you can find matching sweatshirt and sweat pants fairly cheaply anywhere. Buy matching sets for the entire family. Then embellish the shirts with an applique, family initial or something festive (like a holly sprig, menorah or Christmas tree).
Custom Embellished Shirt
The cost to outfit my entire family with this method is approximately $80.
PRO TIP:
If you are shopping online before google the store name plus "coupon code." I googled "children's place coupon code" and for a code for 20% off my entire order.
SUPER PRO TIP:
Retail Me Not is an excellent source of coupon codes (they did not pay me to say that). I like them because you don't have to sign up or sign in. I just jump on their site and poof, coupon code!
A Final Word
Sadly, there may come a day when the kiddos will no longer be willing to wear matching pjs at holiday (or any other) time. But alas friends, there is an alternate plan. Coordination! Choose a color or a theme and coordinate around that theme.
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| Super hero theme |
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| Black and Grey - bonus because these colors match grandma's hair! |
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| Red and Blue |
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| November 1st Sale Costumes |
My favorite part of Halloween is the after holiday sales. I don't do after Christmas sales because I'm usually WAY too tired from the holiday to bother. After Halloween is another matter entirely!
Here's why after Halloween Sales are so great:
- Most people don't think to bother with after Halloween Sales, so the crowds are usually light
- Deed discounts on costumes
- It's the fastest cheapest way to restock the dress up drawer
- Lots of Christmas crossover. Yes friends, there are lot of Halloween decorations that can be used for Christmas. More on that in a minute
- Lots of everyday items at deep discounts (I'll elaborate below)
Here's what you need to know:
PRICING
- NAME YOUR PRICE! If you shop at or before Halloween prices are usually clearly marked. After Halloween many or most costumes are out of their original packaging and/or missing pieces, tags and labels. Commonly the cashier will ask me "how much is this?" As there is OFTEN no way to tell, I tell him what I want to pay. If a manager is present there is sometimes haggling involved. If no manager is present they give me the price I name. Now let's be realistic, I'm not saying "I'll pay .10 cents each, but I've NEVER had a reasonable price refused.
- USE THE IN STORE SCANNER. Some costumes will have a bar code on the size label or somewhere inside the item. Use the in store scanning station to scan these costumes. If there is no size tag bar code expect to name your price. This is especially true at Walmart.
HOLIDAY CROSS OVER
So much of bargain shopping is thinking outside the box. The BEST way to save money is to purchase an item designed for one purpose and use it for something else entirely.
Here are a few examples:
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| Halloween Lights become Christmas Lights |
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| Skeleton Cookies become Ginger Bread Men |
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| Cupcake liners can be used at any time of year |
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| Dual Duty Skull Cookie Cutter |
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| Christmas Ball Cookie Cutter |
KIDS DRESS UP BIN
Seasoned parents already know that leftover Halloween costumes are the BEST source of dress up clothes for the kids.
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| Princess Dress for the play closet! |
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| Mario/Luigi mustaches .49 cents each |
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| Butterfly/Fairy Wings $2.25/each |
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| Petticoat at half price! |
EVERYDAY USE ITEMS
There are always everyday items hiding in the Halloween aisle. There's no reason in the world not to pinch a penny by snapping up these items.
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| Shopping Lists |
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| Glow Sticks |
COSTUMES FOR NEXT YEAR
It should go without saying that the MAIN reason to shop after the holiday sale is costumes for next year. As the kids get older this can be a tricky proposition. As friends begin to have more influence shopping ahead can be dangerous and potentially wasteful. (Sizes might change a lot, so might what's in style)
When I shop ahead I keep the costumes generic.
Skeletons, Zombies ghosts and other generic costumes are the best way to go. One year Duck Dynasty is all the rage. The next year nobody cares about those guys. Skeletons are the favorite at my house.
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| Skeleton from several years ago! |
PRO TIP:
Buy big! My children are now 7, 10 and 16. In the past I've bought costumes a size or 2 larger than their current size. These days I ONLY buy adult costumes.
We live in North Jersey and it's (usually) COLD at Halloween time. In the last few years the costumes have been covered with coats and hats.
By buying adult size costume tops by kids can wear the costume on top of winter coats and hats. The entire coat is covered but the costume is not so long that he trips over it.
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| Adult size Biker Dude Costume Shirt OVER a winter coat. |
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| Costume Arm Tats |
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| Adult side Skeleton Costume over a winter coat |
If you live with them you already know - teenagers can be a pain in the neck! There really is not much a mom like me can do to please a "know everything" teen. The kids can't wear costumes to school and this kid doesn't want to come home and change before going trick or treating with friends. SO - I buy him spooky graphic tees. He LOVES a graphic tee, plus it doubles as a Halloween costume.
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| Teenager Halloween Wear |
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| Costume Alternative |
For more TIPS and TRICKS, click HERE!
I LOVE most holidays but lack time (and lets face it - inclination) to make the holidays really special. But alas, I have devised these really easy Halloween tips to make your fall days festive with little fuss.
Also - you should know that I HATE waste. So everything I buy/do/use needs to be reusable or a multi-tasker (serve more than 1 purpose).
Last year just before Halloween I did a blog featuring lots of pumpkin tips. You can find that here!
Here are the highlights:
PUMPKIN CARVING - (without the carving)
Decorate your pumpkin WITHOUT carving it!
When you're all done with your pumpkin, cook him down in your crockpot and make a pie!
I have a truly FAB pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkin recipe here! (It's at the bottom on the post).
COSTUMES (that are usable after Halloween)
My kids can't wear costumes to school - it's against the rules. Instead I buy Halloween themed graphic tees
My teenage son wears this shirt over and over again! It works on Halloween but it also works for a regular school day!
When the kids were younger I always got Halloween themed sweatsuits. They're cute and festive and are GREAT as winter pajamas. Also - they're safe for Halloween since the face isn't covered!
The Children's Place is my favorite resource for Halloween shirts but Target has them as well!
The other option is to make or buy a hat. These easy Mario Brothers hats are SUPER easy to make and make a nice addition to the dress up pile! Directions for sewing the hat are here!
Our dog Daisy likes to get in on the action too! She has this cute daisy dress that I made from fabric scraps. It also has a harness so I can use it with her leash.
Chilly mornings sometimes require her to wear her little jogging suit. This looks cute, keeps her warm and works as a costume.
DESSERTS (great for a Fall party of any time of year)
Last but certainly not least, what's Halloween without a little cake! You've GOT to have a little pumpkin cake. Here's an easy recipe!
Pumpkin Cake Recipe
1 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 (15oz) can of pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350. Mix oil, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Then mix in remaining
ingredients. Bake approximately 35 minutes.
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Cream cheese frosting
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar
Mix together thoroughly. Frost cooled cake.
Click Here for more CRAFTY ideas.
Also - you should know that I HATE waste. So everything I buy/do/use needs to be reusable or a multi-tasker (serve more than 1 purpose).
Last year just before Halloween I did a blog featuring lots of pumpkin tips. You can find that here!
Here are the highlights:
PUMPKIN CARVING - (without the carving)
Decorate your pumpkin WITHOUT carving it!
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| Thumb tacks! |
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| Decorating tape |
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| Construction Paper Face |
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| Spooky pumpkin |
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| Potato Head Pumpkin |
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| Crock Pot Pumpkin! |
COSTUMES (that are usable after Halloween)
My kids can't wear costumes to school - it's against the rules. Instead I buy Halloween themed graphic tees
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| Super Hero teenager |
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| Skeleton sweatsuit for toddlers |
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| Skeleton with a belly full of candy |
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| Fun pumpkin |
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| Spooky Skull |
The other option is to make or buy a hat. These easy Mario Brothers hats are SUPER easy to make and make a nice addition to the dress up pile! Directions for sewing the hat are here!
Our dog Daisy likes to get in on the action too! She has this cute daisy dress that I made from fabric scraps. It also has a harness so I can use it with her leash.
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| Daisy napping in her harness dress |
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| Jogging suit Daisy! |
DESSERTS (great for a Fall party of any time of year)
Last but certainly not least, what's Halloween without a little cake! You've GOT to have a little pumpkin cake. Here's an easy recipe!
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| Pumpkin Cake |
Pumpkin Cake Recipe
1 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 (15oz) can of pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350. Mix oil, eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Then mix in remaining
ingredients. Bake approximately 35 minutes.
===========================
Cream cheese frosting
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar
Mix together thoroughly. Frost cooled cake.
Click Here for more CRAFTY ideas.
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