Comment to win this book!
This is one book that, quite frankly, I don’t want to give away. But hogging “Fix it, Make it, Grow it, Bake it: the DIY Guide to the Good Life,” by Billee Sharp would be cruel. (See how to win it below).
In 263 pages spread across seven chapters, Sharp tackles extreme thriftiness, shares a detox bath recipe, promotes bartering over buying, and that’s only half the book! I got sucked into her tipS for unsticking wood drawers, making sourdough starter, and constructing your own Christmas tree decorations.
Sharp’s directions are
simple and easy to follow. What astounds me is the breadth of her expertise. She has suggestions and ideas for every aspect of home and life. Make no mistake, Sharp is a hard core do-it-yourselfer.
But you don’t need to convert to enjoy this book. Sharp explains her philosophy in the book’s intro:
I’m not suggesting that everybody needs to ditch the SUV and begin a macrame plant-holder business, but I do think that simple doing what makes you happy will reap the best rewards…My greatest hope is that this book empowers you to think creatively and to create the life that you really want…Herein you will find all my “trade secrets”; tips and tools for how you can live better than ever on less. In working toward creating the good life for my family and friends, I have found much joy, greater peace of mind, and true enjoyment from the simple pleasures in life. I am reminded of the old Native American saying, “Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture your heart.”
Amen!
To win my review copy, comment with a DIY project that you have been putting off, and why. Or buy a copy from Amazon for $12.44 (orig. $15.95). Comment by Thursday Sept. 29, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST to be eligible to win. A winner will be announced Friday!
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
A DIY project that I’ve had in mind for a while is creating a safe haven for me to do my card making activities. This space will include a desk, finally, where I can bang away when I’m working with things like setting eyelets.
I’m halfway finished, but I stopped when things started feeling overwhelming. I just don’t have a lot of room. I live in the attic of someone else’s house.
I’ve been wanting to paint my living room for two years (she embarrassingly admits) but it’s overwhelming to just get started!
I am in the process of starting up a wedding planning business and have been putting off creating myself an office space in our home. I have a billion ideas pinned on pinterest, I’m just terrified to sink too much money into something that may not pan out, you know?
Painting the interior of my house as well as staining the deck. Just couldn’t get it done this summer!
The DIY project I have been putting off is making jars of cookie mix to give to friends and relatives as presents. I have the supplies, but just need to get it done.
We are going to put a garden in our front yard. Our grass is now dead and awaiting containers for planting. Can’t wait!
I’ve been working on a wedding scrapbook. I got married over 6 years ago. Every time I get inspiration, I get too busy to do more than 1-2 pages. And we keep moving. Someday it will be complete!
The DIY project we’ve been putting off is taking paneling down (from the 70’s) in our basement because we are afraid of what is behind it. We think they glued it right to the concrete walls and are so afraid of the cost involved if the wall comes with it. We are very thrifty and have done other projects by internet research and elbow grease, but this time we need a jump start!
A year ago I bought the materials to reupholster a pair of wing back chairs. A month of bloody knuckles later I have one of the chairs halfway uncovered. It’s a bear of a project.
I have been putting off making a green house or cold frame, because my husband says we don’t need one in sunny Southern California. However, I think I could extend my growing season especially for tomatoes, basil, and peppers if I had one, so…
I have been putting off putting our deck railing back on. We removed some of the boards because they were being gnawed at by squirrels a couple of years ago. We bought the new boards and put finish on them, but they have been lying on the deck waiting to be installed because of lack of time and too many other things to do.
We have been putting off the painting of our living and bed rooms because of the lack of time and interest in that work.
Thanks!
I been putting off clearing out the clutter in our spare room. It has served as our “out of sight out of mind” disposal area over the years and seriously needs de-junking.
The diy project I’ve been putting off is to replace the concrete heat reflectors in our fireplace. I got the pieces cut to size but they used a thicker concrete so I will have to cut out larger holes in the metal brackets that hold them in place. That is what is keeping me from completeing this project.
I’ve been wanting to start an herb garden. Have seed packets but am sure they’re no good. Bought starter plants 3Xs. Never got to transplanting. Help! Thanks.
The DIY project I have been putting off is a couple of sewing projects.
been putting off cleaning/organizing my storage room (I moved 2 years ago). I have cleaned/organied my inside closets. I need to take baby steps to get this one started. If I haven’t missed anything in the boxes in 2 years, maybe I don’t really need what’s inside them???
There are a few but one is replacing some boards on our deck and restaining the whole thing. Major thing putting it off is time. I have a 7 week old baby taking up much of my time these days :).
I don’t know that I could actually confess that I have been putting this off — it’s just that my hubby has SO many major projects started that we never seem to be able to complete one of them. Right now my Living Room and Foyer floors are stripped to the concrete slab and awaiting the new bamboo flooring that we have already installed in the Dining Room. And my Master Bedroom is awaiting new closet doors. And our former attic is eagerly hoping to soon have all its installation installed so that new drywall and light fixtures can follow. Oh, to have a little more time in my life to finish these projects!!!
Oh, I’d love to have a copy of this book! I’m usually pretty good about completing DIYs and projects that I initiate around my apartment, but I’ve been slacking on a large one: refinishing the $20 Craigslist dresser in my bedroom and replacing all of its hardware. Perhaps that’s my “rainy fall day” project!
I have been meaning to fix our sprinkle systems for over a year now, but its hard to find time when you have a 6 month old at home.
I have been putting off repainting my hallway! It desperately needs it, but I want to change the color and can’t decide which color is best.
I have been planning on making a starburst clock out of silverware, but haven’t been able to find cheap enough silverware at the thrift stores 🙁 but someday soon hopefully 🙂 thanks for the chance to win this book! blessings!
I would like to make sure i enjoy each day and count my blessings. To make sure i make all the people i meet smile and say something nice to them or compliment them. Each day ask yourself did i hug and kiss my grandkids today, did i tell my mom or dad that i love them very much, did you pray to God and thank him for everything in your life, did you wake up and thank God for allowing you to wake up and enjoy a bright, fresh new day. I would like to write a small book on things you should do everyday. That is my current goal.
Which project to pick is just as tough as what project to finish! Basement needs to be finished, started two years ago in hopes to get another bedroom, at least, down there for our oldest child but if we wait another year she will be graduating HS and going to college. A space for crafts would be great, right now I have a lot of plastic containers all over our den which makes it a cramped place to do just about anything in there. We will be in our home for four years and I still haven’t finished touching up the painted walls which now are in need of more than touch-ups. HELP ME!!!
The project I’ve been putting off is growing my own herbs! I tried a while back to start, but my life was too hectic & I neglected them 🙁 I currently have the beginnings of a jalapeno plant, but herbs would be much more useful.
I have some basic sewing that I’ve putting off. Why? Because I’m a world-class procrastinator. 🙂
My house is an old 2 story farmhouse that was my grandparents. Since most of it is original, some of the things are deteriorating. My gutters were the original wooden gutters, and, since I have lived here, they have gradually given up the ghost and fallen off. I have put off putting new ones up not because I don’t know how, but because I am afraid of heights, and most of the areas that need gutter require a ladder. And, since I am currently out of a “real” job, and taking care of my Mom, who turns 90 on Friday, I can’t hire someone to do the job that I need to develop the guts to do.
I have been *meaning to* refinish an old chair for about a year now. Whenever I pass it in the garage, I feel guilty. I think its time to take on this project!
We’ve been putting off fixing our bathroom fans and bedroom ceiling fan.
My husband and I purchased our first home a year ago and I’ve been wanting to put in a flower bed around our deck since we moved in, but alas I have yet to complete this task. I did however plant a small garden in a raised bed in the back yard that needed cleaning up before it could be put to use.
We must take down a big old maple tree in the front yard because its roots are travelling over to our neighbor’s foundation. Its roots are also all over our front yard. So when its down, we have roots to remove and then must reseed or resod the entire lawn. It all has to be done in the next month too. Ick!
I have been avoiding refinishing a small table I purchased because of time and not sure quite how I want it painted. captainliss40(at)gmail(dot)com
I have been putting off cleaning up and renovating our closet. More than half of it is a all of shelves put in by the prior owners. This looked great at first, but does not work for my husband and me. It gets messier and messier every week.
My DIY is keeping my household in bread products. I have the equipment and materials on hand but only occasionally do I manage to put it together. But I want to do it more.
I need to paint the inside of my house desperately.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
If I have to choose just one, it’s the back closet. The whole thing is a disaster and just not making good use of minimal storage space in our house. My hope is to turn it into either a space with cubbies for everyone’s junk or a desk because there really isn’t anywhere else for one! Why haven’t I started? Because once i take everything out of the closet, there’s no turning back until I’m done!
I have been saving corks from wine and champagne bottles for a while now and I have over a hundred. I want to make some trivets and note boards as gifts for my friends and family.
We’ve lived in our home since 2003. Have not done any kind of painting or any kind of changes..not sure what color..we’ve talked about it and that’s about it!
I have been putting off doing deep cleaning, like the baseboards and blinds. My kids keep distracting me!
I have been putting off finishing refinishing the kids’ table. It’s almost finished but I use the heat as an excuse.
I’ve been putting off putting down new linoleum in our kitchen. The linoleum we have is old and has a lot of blemishes and spots we can’t get rid of. But this is something that we still need to save up for.
I too have been procrastinating about a DIY sewing project. I have the material, trim, and stuffing for a throw pillow but have not begun the project. I would love to win the book for all it’s wealth of information and “how to”. And to experience the opportunity she wrote about in the quote “Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture your heart.â€
We’ve been putting off tearing up old carpet in our basement and installing new linoleum. Finding time and fear of backaches have been stopping us.
We have lived in this house since 1990 and the one room that has not been touched is the master bedroom. The wall paper needs to be removed, the walls needs a fresh & bright color of paint and the room is cluttered. Would love a ceiling fan and a place for the many books that I am in the process of reading. Not enough room in the room I spend most of my time.
I have been putting off organizing my house … My husband placed everything in boxes with no rhyme or reason to them 🙁 It’s over whelming to even begin.
We have been putting off the last part of re-doing our bathroom. It really isn’t that much to do, but we just can’t seem to get started.
A project I’ve been putting off is recovering my kitchen bar stools. I know it’s probably an easy task, but I’ve never done anything like that before. Help!!
I have been putting off in building my own shed. The materials are expensive and I dont want a pre fab kit to buy.. Also the heat this summer has preventing me to do anything in the yard..
I have been putting off redoing my backyard patio. It was done by a friend who thought they knew what they were doing, but unfortunately they didn’t. I also am not sure if I know how to pour the concrete to make it look good.
I’ve been putting off organizing a space for longer term food storage. It seems like a massive undertaking! I need to set up an inventory system, something to put goods on, better temperature controls…
There are so many DIY projects that I have been putting off because I have a 20 month old and I’m in nursing school and my fiance and I bought a house over a year ago that is his own huge DIY project ( he’s been renovating our what was a move-in ready home all by himself while still working full-time. Ah!!) I have been seeing so many awesome DIY decorating and storage ideas and I can’t do any of them until we move in =(
Now that we bought our first house together, we want to pick the perfect paint color before we hang pictures or decorate. Soon it will be a year since we moved in…..lol.
Our in laws gas line, not enough money.
I’ve been putting off doing some wall/spackling repairs. Sounds like a great book.
Ann