It's finished! (almost)

The guest room is finished! I actually can say almost because we are waiting on two things, shelves to be bought and the cable to be rerouted from the ceiling. Yes, that's right. Our previous owners have the cable coming out of the ceiling. I'm sure most homeowners notice weird things that the previous occupants did, but I think we have more than usual. Anyhoo, everything is in place. The painting went well, and let me now say, Benjamin Moore paint is the way to go! We did have to end up using two coats in order to cover marks on the wall, but it went on so smoothly I didn't mind at all. With my dad's assistance, we painted the room in 6 hours, including some prep and cleanup. I'm very happy with the overall results. Here are a few reasons why I suggest painting for a easy new look.

1. Paint cleans up the dingy factor a room might have. You might not realize how dirty your walls really are until you have a new coat of paint.
2. Its relatively cheap. My one room used 1 gallon of paint, costing me a whole $33. I'd say budget $50 if you need supplies as well.
3. You can change it! If you don't like the color, its the easiest thing to change about a room.

The cost ended up being a little higher than I wanted because of all the frames I had to buy, but thankfully a gift card came the day I need to buy the last of the frames. The total cost is below.

1. Paint - $33
2. Frames - $80
3. Pegboard Items - $12
4. Grand Total - $125

Below are some photos of the process. Now it's on to the rest of the house!

The token "before" photo. We are ready to paint after taping off everything.

See what I mean about the cable outlet!

One view of the room.

My favorite corner!

Simplifying For Summer

I'm not sure how many of you are aware of this, but I have a 45+ minute commute to work every morning. It's not ideal, but I've learned to embrace it the most I can over the past year and 9 months I've been driving 25 miles each way to and from work. I usually spend my time thinking. Now sometimes this is good and sometimes it's bad, and most of the time I get a little stressed about something. Well this morning was no different. Over the weekend I began to realize how much my "technology" is spread out. You might wonder what my "technology" is, and I'm getting to that now. When I was on my computer this weekend, I realized that I use 3 computers regularly...3!

1. My work computer, which inevitably gets it's fair share of personal use and has personal files and pictures saved on it.
2. My ibook, which has mostly items from college and the year after, but also has been getting used a bit at home since computer #3 is waiting for a new hard drive.
3. "Our laptop" which is an old computer Chris reformatted and we mostly use as our Internet computer at home but also use it for music, photos, etc.

To be honest, the whole thing was pretty stressful. I realized that I had photos stored on all three computers, that each computer has different files, all of which I need, and that it's more difficult for me to locate items when I need them.

My stress level lowered after I got into work this morning and was doing my normal Internet routine. When I came across a notice on one of my favorite sites, I realized that the answer to some of my problems might finally have been solved. Shutterfly, which I have started using since Flickr started charging, has started a new things called Share, which allows you to upload your photos, put them on one website, write about them, and order them. I know that this sounds just like a blog, and it is, to some degree, but it also allows others to print your photos with professional quality and can be controlled for privacy.

If you are feeling anything like me and want to take the summer to do some nice indoor cleaning, I suggest finding a site similar and trying to harness your "technology" into one place. If you have out of town family and friends, this is also a great way to stay in touch. Also, don't forget to back up any and all files on your computer every few weeks or so in order to prevent a disaster. External hard drives are great for this, and they are easy to hook up to any computer. If you spend just a few hours out of the heat and organize your technical files, you will be so much happier the next time you have to find THAT photo!

Public Service Announcement

I'm just doing my part by spreading the news that Linens 'n Things is closing 120 stores around the US. Click here to get a complete list of closing stores by state. Over the next few months, I'm sure that there will be bargains. How great? One only knows. I feel like closeout sales are never that fantastic. In this case, they can simply ship the merchandise to another store that's staying open. However, you never know what steals you'll be able to find when rummaging around.

That's my part today, short and sweet. Stay tuned for tomorrow's Recipe Wednesday!

Huge Tasks Ahead

This weekend got me thinking about the huge tasks we have ahead of us in the next few months. My goal is to work on each of the rooms in our house, one or two weekends per room, to get them to where I feel they are actually "done". It's amazing how much you can change a room with a few simple ideas. My first step is the guest room since we are expecting guests at the end of this month! Below are two older photos of the "before" look. My goal is to spend less than $100 on the room transformation. We've already refinished a dresser Chris found in the trash (yes, the trash, as in a large dumpster at a friend's apartment complex) and bought prints from a local artist in the Florida Keys. As you can see from the bedding, the theme is tropical.

This is where some of my simple home decorating tips will come in handy. I'll give the run down when I've completed the project but a few things I have up my sleeve are...

• Buy a variety of frames and fill them with photos from Florida and the beach to go on top of the dresser.
• Take down the not-so-pretty shelving and glow-in-the-dark stars that were left by the previous owner and add some smaller shelves instead.
• Paint the walls a soft color.
• Possibly add drapes or a valance over the window.

Summer is a great time to work on indoor projects, because let's face it, it's darn hot outside and you can only take so much sun and heat! My suggestion is to work room by room in order to not feel so overwhelmed. The other big task is to clean out each room as you tackle the decor part. A cluttered room won't have the same pizazz, no matter how nicely it's decorated. Donate unwanted items to charity, or save for a garage sale later. Also, stick to a budget. Don't let yourself go overboard and try to save money wherever you can.

Household Items At Discount Prices

That's right, I am a sucker for a bargain. I used to be completely willing to buy things at full price, and now? Now I am more hesitant to buy without taking price into consideration. Sure, there are things I buy at full price, but household items is one area where I love getting a bargain. This past week was no exception. My two favorite places to find great household things are Marshalls and Home Goods. I don't know why, but I always seem to find good deals at these places. Need new cookie sheets like I did on Saturday? Home Goods has a HUGE kitchen department and I found one 1/2 off. I also bought a beautiful rope encased hurricane glass (think nautical) for $3.99. In fact, Marshalls is where my Item of the Week comes from! I was browsing around Marshalls and came across the clearance table. Now, not only are you already getting a bargain just by shopping there, but you get an extra deal! And sitting on that table was the most beautiful blue pie plate, and for only $5.00. Normally pie plates are around $10.00, and this was was oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe, some of the best words to my ears. Later, I did a little research, and found this plate retails for $18.00, which means I bought it at almost %75 off!

A few tips about visiting these stores...Marshalls usually has a smaller selection, since they house clothing, accessory items, and home products all under one roof. I tend to buy smaller items there, such as picture frames, and seasonal door decorations. Home Goods, however, is the mecca of home shopping. They have everything you could want, kitchen, table and bed linens, small appliances, decor, furniture, rugs, etc. Just recently I outfitted two bookshelves with items from Home Goods and spent all of $60.00. They are best for bed and bath, dining, and big ticket items. These places need to be visited regularly in order to get the most out of them. The inventory is always changing, so new items are always being brought in, and items exit just as quickly. If you see something you like, buy it. It might not be there when you return, even just hours later. Items can be returned at both stores with no problem, so if you are unsure, buy it, keep the tag and receipt, and it can always be returned later. The next time you need something for your kitchen, bathroom, living room, or even a gift, check out Marshalls and Home Goods. Even if you don't find what you came for, you are sure to find something you can't leave the store without.

Grocery Shopping 101

This weekend was crazy busy. We are in the process of "remodeling" our backyard, as I like to call it. Let's just say that it doesn't look like it did when we moved in back in September '06. We are now missing 3 palm trees, some prickly plants and cactus-like things, and all of our landscaping rocks, as well as some grass and stepping stones. At least we still have our pool!

All that explains why I didn't get to the grocery store until Sunday at 8:00 PM!!! I try to do all of my grocery shopping on the weekends. I hate going to the grocery store more than once per week to pick up a few things each time. Plus, I'm a big planner. Anyone who knows me know that I like to plan everything in advance. This leads me to some grocery shopping tips to save both time and money...

1. Plan what you are going to eat for the week. I have a great template that lets you use Excel to create a meal plan for the week. After I finish, I post it on the front of the fridge so we can easily see what's to eat for the week. Click here to download the template and fill in your weekly meals.
2. See what's already in your kitchen. Before I finalize my menu, I look around and see what I have in my kitchen. We have a large chest freezer in the garage that is full of things, mostly deer and elk meat, since Chris is a big game hunter. There is also fish, chicken, and a variety of desserts. I buy canned items and other non-perishables that we frequently use when they go on sale to keep in stock. Look around and try to use up things you have, instead of buying a bunch of new stuff.
3. Check the ads. I shop at Fry's, which is part of the Kroger family, for those who aren't familiar with Fry's. Every Wednesday the ads come in the newspaper and I happily make sure it doesn't get stuck in the recycle with the rest of the papers. I pull it out when I'm making my list and look for ideas. If chicken is on sale, then I plan a chicken dish, etc. I notice things seem to be a rotation, so if its not on sale one week, most likely it will be in the next few weeks.
4. Make enough for leftovers. Some people have issues eating leftovers, but not me! I am happy to bring the previous night's meal for lunch the next day. Making just a little more at dinner is more cost efficient in the end than a whole new meal. This week I'm making soup, and its enough for dinner and a few lunches.
5. Use coupons. I know that some people think this is "uncool" but why? They save you money. I only clip coupons for items I use on a regular basis so I'm not tempted to buy things I don't need. They probably end up saving me a dollar or so, but hey, that's a small Frosty at Wendy's :)
6. Keep to the list. I make a list from my menu, and buy only from the list. If it's not on the list, you don't need it right? Unless its something you realize you truly forgot to write down.

Hopefully this will help you the next time you go grocery shopping to save money. On a happy note, I spent $60 for the week! I usually aim for under $50, but I did by Chris 10 frozen entrees that were on sale for $1 each when you buy 10. Why not?!?