Broken Teeth, a Futton Mattress and day 5 of the Week Long Give-Away

I have three crowns in my mouth.

Three crowns from three different pregnancies.

Starting with Payson, I’ve had one tooth break with each pregnancy.

And what does a crown cost? Like $800.00, and that’s when the dentist gives you a break because you don’t have dental insurance, you’re huge and pregnant and he feels sorry for you.

I remember when I was 8 months pregnancy with Reef, sitting in the dental chair getting my third crown. The dentist was jamming a drill in my mouth and I was thinking, “I have to go through this and child birth too?”

So, with my 5th pregnancy, I was determined not to break a tooth.

But first, I had to figure out why I break teeth when I’m pregnant?

I went to the health food store and spent some time with a nutritionist. Turns out, I was severely calcium deficient. So, I purchased the best calcium/magnesium supplement they had. I’ve been taking it now for almost a year and knock on a wooden tooth; I haven’t had a tooth break this time around.

Sometimes a problem comes into our lives and it takes a little bit of creativity to solve it.

This happens most of the time when thrifting and/or yard sale shopping.

Something catches your eye and you know it’s great, but you're not sure what to do with it? How to fix it? Where to put it? Maybe it’s broken, old or stained. But it has potential if you just think on it a bit. It has some value.

I was shopping at Goodwill on ½ day and saw a gorgeous leather couch. I love leather. All the couches in my house are leather because I have so many boys. Trust me; it just has to be this way.

But a gorgeous leather couch doesn’t come cheap, UNLESS it has something wrong with it.

I examine the couch for a minute. The cushions are discombobulated, not lying flat and out of synch. I realize the problem. The couch is a hide-a-bed, minus the mattress.

I wonder how much a hide-a-bed mattress costs and numbers start running through my mind.

The couch is $50.00, but today I can bring it home for $25.00.

If I can get a mattress for cheap, this is a great deal.

So, I bring home the couch and place it in my garage. It sits there for a week. I’m too busy to shop around for a hide-a-bed mattress and don’t even know where to start. I wonder if this was such a good idea.

Later that week, I’m posting some things to sell on Craig’s list: a vintage chair, a retro end table and an old futon.

A FUTON!

I run into the boy’s room and grab the futon mattress. It’s flimsy & floppy. I wish the counselor was home with his strong muscles and patient temperament, but he’s not. It’s just me, my short temper, the futon mattress and a kind’ve broken hyda-bed frame (I realize this later) on a gorgeous leather couch. I go into the garage and start my experiment. I set the mattress on the hide-a-bed frame and fold the entire thing back into the couch. The futon mattress is a little big, but it works with my pushing. I place the gorgeous leather cushions back on the couch and hold my breath.

It looks perfect.

I cautiously sit down and it’s the most comfortable couch I’ve ever sat on (alright, I'm exaggerating now, but I was just so happy).

I actually fixed it!

I had to call the counselor and let him know. The kids come into the garage and lounge on the new couch, complimenting my ingenious idea. It was a day to celebrate.

So, get out there and find some trash and if isn’t just right, I hope you have an extra futon around!

My last give away of the week is something really sweet. Stay tuned.