My favorite hobby is remodeling and re purposing old furniture that people give away. With a little elbow grease that beat up bookshelf at the side of the road can be turned into a masterpiece wine station in a dining room. That old entertainment center can be turned into the perfect place to keep arts and crafts supplies or as a handy station to hold tools. An old cedar chest can be refinished and repurposed as a coffee table with the bonus of extra storage in the room. An old dresser can become a handy island in your kitchen. The saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure" is the basis behind my style of remodeling.

Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart. Some days are a joy and others can leave you feeling defeated. But in the end it is about giving the children a well rounded education. I have home schooled two children in New York State for four years and have a lot of advise to give on teaching different topics as well as tricks to make it through those rough days.

The art of being frugal is in my blood. From an early age I studied beside the master of penny pinching, my grandfather. His lessons on have stuck with me and I enjoy taking them to the next level.