Money-Saving Tips to Furnish Your Home!

It is always my goal to NEVER pay full price for new furniture, because I can get great things at a fraction of the cost!

Take this queen size bed frame (with headboard & footboard) for example. I got at it a garage sale for $15! The guy threw in the mirror for free. I cleaned up the mirror and sold it on CL for $20....so, you could say I made $5 on the rest!

As you can see here, the whole thing was dirty, dusty and the mirror has stickers on it. The headboard had a crack where the frame latches to it, so I just glued with wood grue.

Once I removed the stickers from the mirror I sanded it a bit and cleaned it up. Here is in all its glory!

The entire thing was retouched with black flat spray paint and it was like new! I am a professional home-stating REALTOR, so the bedding you see here is just for staging...it's an air mattress.

Cute table make-over!

As all you who know me may know, I love a bargain and see beauty where others may see only junk!

So, next time you need something, don't buy/over pay...RENEW!

As a Home-Staging Realtor, I am always looking for budget items to stage with, but I can't keep everything. This table is a good example of how to put life into things that seem to have no life left. I got it on CL for $20 and spent $8 on paint, plus used fabric I had to recover the seats. In all I estimate my total at $35.

I later resold it for $142 to a young couple who just loved it! Maybe I could've sold it for more but I wanted them to have it.

WHAT I DID: Cleaned the glass, painted the base and chairs, recovered the seats with some material I had. I as you can see I stencilled the word sit on each chair. I had another more fun design in mind, but making the stencil was easier with this simple word!

FOR THE STENCIL: I just printed out the word "sit" (again, I went for ease here!) and traced it on wax paper. If youd don't have a printer, you can tape the paper right on your screen and trace! Cut out the letters and sprayed the was paper with removable spray adhesive(get a bit tacky & sticky but not totally glues on), centered on the material and spray painted over it (using a brush didn't work for me!).  You have to hold the can about 6 inches away and spray evenly and light coats until the shape is evenly painted. Let dry and remove stencil!

I used RUST-OLEUM Painter's Touch in matte black for this and other projects.
Once I stapled the material to the seats I trimmed the excess off.
Ta dahhh!!!! All in a day's work!

Chicken Albondigas with Mint

This dish comforts me and takes me back to my childhood like no other! Growing up in Mexico, my mom grew mint in her herb garden and it's what gives this dish its delicious distinct flavor and aroma.

MAKES: 6 to 8 large servings

You can enjoy this with freshly warmed corn tortillas or by itself with just toppings.

Topping for this dish are fresh mint, lime or lemon wedges, chopped onion, and finely chopped green chiles and if you're up for it, toasted and crushed red peppers.


You mix all the goondess together and make a nice masa ball that holds together when you try to form a golf-size ball. It should not be too dry or too wet.

You want each ball to have a little bit of everything in it.

Drop the balls one at a time slowly into the pot. It only takes about ten minutes before they float to the top when done. You want a soft boil so they don't fall apart.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken (about 5 lbs) or chiken breasts and any other parts you like

2 cups corn masa for tortillas (masa for tamales is courser)

2 White or yellow onions (1 1/2 thinly sliced & 1/5 chopped for topping)

2-3 large tomatoes

1 mint bunch (finely slice about 1/2 to go into the balls & for topping)

2 eggs, beaten (keeps the balls from falling apart)

Limes or lemons for seasoning

Green and/or red chiles (optional)

Corn tortillas (optional)

Salt

From the chicken set aside about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the breast. You'll thinly slice it and add it to the masa mix. Cook the rest of the chicken in enough water to cover the chicken completely. Season with salt and add 1 sliced onion and sliced tomato (1 to 1 1/5). Boil at slow boil for 20-25 mins until chicken is soft. Add a few mint sprigs.

While the chicken is cooking, beat egg a large bowl, add masa and remaining sliced tomatoes, onions, mint and salt to taste, about 1 tbsp (I touch a tiny piece of masa (once wet) to the tip of my toungue to taste).

Start adding warm tap water to the masa and mix until you can mix it all up into a big ball and start forming balls. TIP: I only form enough balls for 1 or 2 meals and save the rest of the masa in the fridge and make balls later as needed. This keeps them from falling apart when reheating the broth.

Drop balls slowly one at a time and let cook for about 20 mins. They will float to the top when cooked. Add water & salt as needed, as you add balls.

Serve hot with toppings of chopped mint, onion, green or red peppers, lemon, lime, and any chile of your choice. Warmed corn tortillas are sometimes nice with it too. Great for cold weather days. Enjoy!