Pop Up Camper 92 Rendezvous self made Bicycle Rack

Every time I think of riding our bikes  I think of the lyrics to a song by  Queen “Bicycle race”! I don’t know about you but bringing our bikes camping adds to the  fun and is  great exercise. It also provides a quick way to get to any of the facilities at a camping park.  I like the basket on it too so I can pack a picnic and all my camera gear. This rack was made by my husband after he saw different examples on the web.  Thanks for all the previous posts it helps. We loaded our 2 bikes on this last weekend and it worked great. It was sturdy and didn’t bump or rattle our bikes around at all. It rode well for the total of about  12 hours round trip.  My husband was a journey man line man so he knows how to tie those knots too. 🙂 I watched and “assisted” him with this and there is minimum tools needed. Just the basics like a drill, bits, crescent wrench and

 

An affordable sturdy way to add a bike rack to your pop up camper.

A simple drill and bit to drill into the pop up camper frame

Light tapping might be needed.

Now I need to paint these bumpers.

Just 2 holes on each side is all you need to put.

It is easy to attach it with bolts, locknuts and nuts.

Putting it all together.

It really is a simple effective concept for theis bike rack

Ready to go and load up. Takes only a few minutes.

This system makes it easy and secure

Side view

You can add several bikes depending on the size of your bar.

This is a good way to have fun.

Bikes ready for adventure.

Easy to see and keep an eye on it while riding down the highway.

Shot I took while riding my bike

Loaded up and ready for the return trip home.

a socket set. 

I have gotten great shots of wildlife when we ride too. EX: deer coming out of the woods lots and lots of birds. Sometimes our moon shots are the best when we ride at night and can get the perfect angle we couldn’t get in our vehicle. It cost about $60.00 total and it is easy to use. This is a lot cheaper than buyer those ready made ones online or at the store. Just drop it down after getting the bikes off. It can actually hold several bikes on this rack.  It took about an hour to put this all together and it was ready to use. We thought about using pins but felt it was more secure with the lock nuts etc. That way if we stop anywhere on the way it would be harder to steal and get them down.  Make it take it and have some fun.  Let me know how yours turns out. 

Miracle Grow in a bottle! Nasty boxes no more! The earth laughs in flowers!

I love SPRING time when it is time to clean up, clean out and get all your planting equipment in order. What I don’t like is the wet or tore up boxes of  products to make it all happen. I got a bottle at a garage sale for a 1.00 and decided to  recycle it and make it my Miracle Grow container. It was pretty plain so I  jazzed it up a bit with things I already had on hand.  I can change the quote on it whenever I like. It looks great on the porch instead of an ugly box and adds to the decor now. This product isn’t cheap and won’t be wasting it anymore trying to scoop it out for treatment of my plants. The color showing thru the bottle just happens to match my porch color theme.  So be on the look out for our “prize” miracle grow  bottle.  HAPPY  GROWING.

Supplies: a bottle with a seal of some kind. jute, bendable wire, chalkboard sticker, chalk,miracle grow, funnel of some sort and keep the scoop from the box and attach it so it is removable for use. 

This bottle will hold an average box of miracle grow you could use the cardboard from the box to make your funnel.

Don’t you hate it when your box gets wet ( and it will) and it is just a mess? Here’s the solution

Yeah the boxes always look nice when they are new!

Who says you can’t reuse a 1.00 garage sale bottle and make it pretty again!?

Time for another recycle jar project! Dog treat container!

I learned from my Dad to never let a good container

Any color or theme for fabric and supplies

Jute in the house!

Dog themed supplies

Completed recycled pet treat jar.

go to waste. I hate throwing away good jars but let’s face it some of the labels are either ugly or a pain to remove. I keep our dog’s treat in them but wanted something to show they were for the dog. The jar had a stubborn label and I get tired of removing all of them. So with that said let’s cover it up and make it unique. I keep a box of scraps for projects like this. It included some scraps of paw print fabric from a previous dog coat I made for him last winter. Burlap is a good choice too because it is cheap, versatile and comes in many styles and colors. Just look around and see what you already have. Also I always have jute of some kind on hand. I braided some to add to the lid to give it some character and a good grip. Stamping is fun but sometimes I forget I have them so out that came too. 🙂 I didn’t have to purchase anything new for this project. 

Do you keep jars and recycle them?

Wicker Rocker Chair Estate Sale Bargain

I bought this rocker at an Estate sale for 5.00. It was in excellent condition. I wasn’t sure just what I wanted to do with it for a while. Then I got some color inspiration and went for it. Actually it made me redo all my chairs on my porch. I wanted something a little bright and fun.  When I can I love to sit on my porch and take pictures of the birds, butterflies and other wildlife in my backyard. This reminded me of my first bargain when I was 13 and thus the name of my blog. Have you up-cycle an estate sale bargain lately?

 

Peppermint, Lavender and Lunch with Elvis!- Homemade Air Fresheners

Owl shaped air fresheners Aren’t they cute?

First don’t get discouraged or think you can’t make these because you either don’t sew or don’t have a sewing machine. These can either be machine sewn, hand sewn or put together with a hot glue gun!

It has been our tradition to make “homemade gifts” every year. It is always a challenge to make the guys something that they will use and understand. It ending up being something I could modify and make for the girls too! Who doesn’t need air fresheners? Especially those made mostly with essential oils and personalized to fit your personality, one of  kind and made with love. This was so fun and easy to make. For inspiration I went and look at all the felt squares at the craft aisle for inspiration. Of course these prints stood out to me for several reasons. I have Camo- Military type guys, the chevron pattern looked masculine to me and the others would fit the females taste. I also had to find or make patterns for them. I had horse lovers, owl lovers, teenage drivers and novelty lovers. I matched the colors with the scents.  I also used thin ribbon and jute to make the hangers. Some were more organic and some were more feminine or matched the scent like: purple for lavender etc.

I printed out the patterns and either enlarged or shrunk them to fit my needs. Cutting them out on the felt was easy and I could get several out of each piece,that way if I needed I could give a person several different kinds.

Next came the decisions for scents: I didn’t want anything overpowering but I wanted it to last. This was trail and error for me. I used essential oils whenever possible. Peppermint– refreshing and perks you up. It is also know to help with headaches and gives your brain a kick start. Lavender– calming effect and smells great too. Lemon, Citrus– fresh and organic with lots of memories. For the men the choice was a bit harder. I chose fresh scented coffee beans from a local store that carries different variety of flavors/scents. I chose cinnamon vanilla, vanilla and Lunch with Elvis ( it had a peanut butter banana scent) for fun. I also bought pre scented ones and  inserted them. Those scents were Ice Storm & Driven.

I like to precut all my shapes and ribbons/jute. Also pre loading my bobbins with the correct thread colors in advance is helpful.  I sewed them on 3 sides and left the top opening to insert the scent and hanger then I sewed them shut. I felt the owls needed a bit of embellishment so I added layers for the eyes with leftover scraps of felt. I just eyeballed it and cut it out and applied hot glue to adhere it.  The last 2 steps were packaging so the scent would keep till used and labeling it so they would know which scent it was. I decided with using zip top jewelry bags and printed labels. You can add anything else you like to the packaging.  Also you could add a bottle of the essential oil so they can “freshen” it up when needed. I was putting them in with another gift so this was perfect for me.  They are great for the closet, man cave, backpack,campers/rv, pantry, auto, work cubicle and anywhere you need a refreshing scent. Hope this inspires your creativity! Which scent and shape do you like?

Supplies: felt squares 2 for each project, essential oil scent of your choice, jute or ribbon for hangers, sewing machine with thread colors to match or hot glue gun with sticks, make up round applicators, pre scented air fresheners to insert if desired, labels to print scents, zip top jewelry bags to store.

Look at the craft aisle for inspiration.

This was a cool pattern for the guys.

Air Freshener patterns to match personalities

I like to precut all my projects before starting

Many sizes, shapes & colors

Finishing up steps.

Easy breezy to sew!

Inserts are easy to make and last a long time.

Horses anyone? Very simple pattern.

Owl pattern in yellows.

Owl pattern in blues.

Owl pattern in pinks

Owl shaped air fresheners Aren’t they cute?

A few in each pattern and scent.

The backs are as cute as the fronts.

Car shaped air freshener. Ready to hang!

Camo print air fresheners with pre purchased scents

Camo or military anyone?

How to label and package for gift giving.

Labeling the scents.

 

Owls are the craze. Owls from recycled toilet rolls and add to a self made wreath

How many toilet or paper towel tubes do you throw in the trash a day, a week a year? I just wanted to make a small dent and find a way to recycle a few with a trendy craze going on right now! OWLS! I always have a box full of trinkets and leftover craft projects that I hate to toss out. So with a little  paint, wiggle eyes, and trinkets I made a Christmas wreath to put on my “naked” door in the kitchen that leads out to the garage for a pop of holiday color. Do you like owls? What wreath have you put together with your trinkets? 

Just cut them at various heights and fold down one end so they stand up like this.

I painted them bright colors. I added 3 coats to mine.

embellish with trinkets, wiggly eyes , pieces of fabric for beaks and wings and spray with a sealant.

I had some left over red burlap and put it through the printer with the words “HO HO HOOT” to go with the theme.

I used a wired rim, wired ribbon, left over ornaments and some word phrases to put this all together.

Close up of wreath all put together.

Food Storage in the pop up camper cheap. Step 19

On our way to go camping we still didn’t have a solution to our stored food/pantry items figured out. While there we came across a resale shop when we had to go to town. Got these for a 1.00 it is perfect after being attached with some brackets.  What do you use in your camper for portable storage that can be put away easier when it is time to fold up the camper? I think I might spray mine an interesting color later. 

Pancakes- but the healthier version ( No flour, sugar or dairy)

I do try to eat as healthy as possible but sometimes I just get a craving for some good “comfort” food. I had tried these from a family member and remembered it this morning. I tweaked it a little bit and they are so EASY to make.  I used things I already had on hand. No special tools or equipment needed. That is the best part!

Do you have a favorite “comfort” food? What have you done to tweak it to make it healthier?

Recipe for Banana Pancakes ( no flour, sugar or dairy)

1 banana

2 eggs

if preferred a dash of cinnamon and/or vanilla

Mash Banana and add 2 eggs and mix well. Pour into a skillet lightly greased with coconut oil. Cook on medium heat. When edges turned crispy flip them over and cook well on other side.  They are sweet enough all by their selves. Great healthier option for a treat or breakfast.

Really you can just make these with 2 ingredients. But feel free to add whatever “dash” of flavor you prefer.

If you like a smoother batter just throw the ingredients in a processor or blender before cooking.

I try to use organic whenever possible. But use whatever you have on hand.

Cook them till they are crispy around the edges before flipping them over.

Curly hair one year challenge

I had posted earlier about my curly hair journey.  IT HAS BEEN A YEAR THIS WEEKEND! I had vowed to give it a year to really focus on how to take care of it by finding techniques, strategies and products that would enhance it. After being chosen to be a DEVA Curl model October 2013 and really learning so much about my hair this is when I really learned how to do it. The Curly Girl Handbook was great for info, motivation and hair recipes. I love the lavender oil hair spritzer recipe. I use it daily.  The hardest thing to get used to was having my hair so wet after the process I have the Deva Curl microfiber towel and the  Deva hair drying gloves is much more gentle on my  hair than a bath towel.  The Deva clips are so much better because they are longer which works great for my thick hair and helps to give that lift so the weight of your hair doesn’t flattened the top of it down.  I got a fantastic Christmas present from my sister which is the Deva Blow Dryer and Diffuser. I usually don’t like to blow dry my hair and prefer to just let it dry naturally but some days you need a quick dry and go. I will say there were times and days that my hair just had a mind of it’s own. Those were the pull it back or wear a hat days! But I didn’t feel guilty or angry about it. I just started over and learned something new each time. With the investment of the Deva curl products ( which I decided to use) it wasn’t as expensive as I thought once I got the hang of it. I had lots of reactions: from wow your hair looks great, let me touch it, it is so thick and healthy, you look so much younger, what did you do to your hair and some even saying it looks better up. 🙂 But the bottom line is how do I want my hair and what is most comfortable to me. I challenge you to do the same. Will you accept?

 

Pop Up Camper redo When you gotta go you gotta go! Step 15 Portable Potty

Our pop up doesn’t have a bathroom but we only plan to camp for now at places that  have restrooms/showers facilities. But we wanted to be prepared with an easy and cheap “emergency” alternative if needed. I had read a lot about the bucket port a potty. I wasn’t sure if it would be easy to find a bucket that would fit the snap on toilet lid seat that I bought.  I happen to have a brand new orange Home depot bucket and tried that. It fit like a charm. I didn’t like the color so I just painted it. Don’t you just love Rust-Oleum spray paint ? It covered very easily. I purchased replaceable bags for “emergency” usage and also plan on having kitty litter to absorb any smells or mess. This will be a great substitute if needed but easy enough to keep on hand and empty asap. Would you use this if you had to? I know we will if needed and it sure beats going out in the woods in the middle of the night!!!!! Have potty will travel!

These can be free or very cheap at your local hardware stoere

I ordered this online from Amazon but these can be found at local sports stores (Academy)

Keeping plenty of disposable bags on hand

A few coats of primer/paint covered it up very well.

It all snapped together perfectly.

Ready for action!