Staying Home Sawyer

Real Life Living on a Real Life Budget

DIY

Blended or On The Rocks?

Margarita Gift Basket IngredientsIt’s five o’clock somewhere! Not here of course, because if it was five, I’d be making a mad dash to my car to get a head start on being stuck in traffic for an hour on my commute home. And that’s with a carpool. Northern California is the definition of highway hell.

So in order to get through your long commute, make margaritas! Kidding kidding…calm down. Make them when you get home. After all, it is Friday.

Or,  make a Margarita Basket for a friend. Pick up all the ingredients, throw them in a basket, and voila! Instant party. It’s a party in a basket.Margarita Basket IngredientsIngredients:

Bottle of Tequila
Bottle of Mix (or two if you’re feeling frisky)
Margarita salt
Limes
Margarita Glasses
Randoms: Drink Stirrers, Cocktail Napkins, and Ready-Made Margarita Pouches!
DIY Lime CardDIY Margarita Gift BasketTaDa! Now all you need is a few friends to help get your party started!
DIY

Tequila or Corona? Corona Please!

DIY Slice of Lime CardYou know you’re old when a lime slice turns your stomach. I think I spent at least three quality years taking shots of Patron with my friends on Saturday nights, and now the idea makes me sick. What is the magic age that this suddenly appears so incredibly unattractive of an idea that you think you’d rather change the oil in your car? I don’t think I would take a shot of tequila if someone paid me. It’s the worst. I’ll take the lime and put it in my Corona bottle instead.

Even though I’m clearly an old lady, I know some of my peers still can stomach the tequila. So when one of my friends had a birthday recently, I put together a Margarita Basket (next post). I wanted to create a cute card to go with, and this lime slice was perfect. I picked out three different color papers, and printed a sample lime slice from Google. I cut the sections out and just traced them onto the paper I wanted. Glued it all together and voila. Super cute lime card!

 Next stop: Margarita Baskets!DIY Lime Slice Card

DIY, Lifestyle

How Amazing is YOUR Dad?

My dad is amazing. I know you all think your dad is amazing, but really, after you see this project, you’ll see how amazing my dad is. I always knew I got my craftiness from my mother, but after I saw the end result of this project, I started to reconsider my origins.

Usually I welcome any and all family talents. To be honest, I’ve searched high and low for anything that I could claim my family did better than any other family. I came up pretty much empty handed, unless you consider a few unflattering things. My family definitely is louder than most families, they drink more, and they argue more. Seriously. My uncles didn’t speak to my aunts for decades (and vice versa). I have cousins I barely know.

But my family also makes the most amazing candy (my grandma’s toffee recipe is TOP SECRET). They have more fun than most families. They sincerely care about each other (well usually, unless you’re on someone’s bad side). They might not have a lot of wealth, but they’re genuinely good people. I consider myself lucky to come from them, good or bad.

That being said, my parents are both very creative people in their own ways. My mom drew the blue prints for her house that my step-dad built for her. Himself. If you give my mom a few color ideas, she’ll have your house looking like it stepped out of a show on HGTV. My dad is handy. He can pick up a hammer and create anything. And that’s what he did. He picked up a hammer and built the most amazing fire pit I’ve ever seen. I’ve really got to step up my game in the creative department after this.DIY Campfire SwingsNote: My dad did follow instructions. I don’t know which ones exactly, but you can find some similar here.

Lifestyle

24 Hours – Complaint Free

If at first you don't succeedI lasted one minute. One whole minute. Then I mentioned something about something that I don’t like. Which might appear to be pretty much everything. Or is that just because it’s only Wednesday and I’d prefer that it’s Friday so I can spend the weekend relaxing at home, alone, where I still don’t really like anyone? Especially that pesky apartment manager. She’s the worst.

I really thought I could do it. I thought I could strain myself and just not complain for a whole twenty-four hour block. What was I thinking? Then I thought that if I could just not talk for twenty-four hours, I could really win this competition I started with myself. That was even more moronic. I couldn’t go five minutes without speaking even if you bribed me with a cheeseburger. I’d finish the burger in 4 minutes and have at least one whole minute to discuss the highs and lows of said burger.

But I’m going to try again. Because when you fall, you’re supposed to get back up on that bike seat right? Did I mention that I don’t like bike seats? They’re so uncomfortable. Couldn’t they just be a little bigger? Is that considered complaining?

I think I need clarification on what a complaint is exactly. The formal definition is just a little hard to understand. It leaves too much to the imagination. Maybe it’s just me, but I want a loophole. I want to be able to say that I don’t like something without being judged. You’re probably judging me already. Oh well. Join the club.

So go ahead. Tell me your complaints. What’s bothering you today? I’ll do my best to listen to your complaints without judging. Which essentially means I’ll totally judge you too. At least we’ll both be members of the “people who can’t go 24 hours without complaining” club. As long as I’m not there alone. I hate being alone. Is that a complaint?