Quick, easy and under $20 gifts!

Hello my friends!! Now that December is upon us it’s time to start thinking about gifts. Some of you totally-on-it people have already finished your shopping and I bow down to you. This one is for those of us (uhhhh…me) who still need some ideas.

As a part of the Better Homes and Gardens bloggers I’m sharing a couple ideas I came up with – both for under $20 total. I love both of these because they would work for that person that’s hard to buy for, or maybe someone you don’t know quite that well. (I was able to find all of the items online this time so I linked to each one for your convenience.)

For teachers I always add in a gift card, but these would work well for anyone in your life that you want to thank this time of year.

The first gift’s theme was easy – who doesn’t like hot chocolate in the winter? I picked up a couple tall white mugs for less than $4 each:

Then I added in some flavor – marshmallows (duh), a cutie little shaker for a buck with some cinnamon and my all time favorite this time of year…the peppermint kisses:

I LOVE love love to drop one in my hot chocolate. I’m not even a big peppermint fan but I love a little hint of it in there.

This wire basket is adorable and was the perfect way to pull everything together:

Add in a couple hot cocoa packets and you have yourself a really stinkin’ cute gift:

I just filled it in with some greenery to make it more festive. If you don’t have any greenery, tissue paper would look great as well.

Total cost was less than $20 – the basket is $7, the mugs were less than $8, the little shaker was $1 and the hot chocolate was $2:

I had the marshmallows and chocolate on hand but those can be bought and split up into multiple gifts. ;)

I mean, come on…who wouldn’t love getting that? I would. Hint.

The next idea doesn’t inlude as many goodies but it makes up for that in the cuteness department. I found this plug in snowman and could not leave without him:

Oh my. Can you even handle it?

I love that he would last well past Christmas. It was still snowing in April around here last year so he’d be perfectly acceptable till then. Or February…whatever Mother Nature feels like this year.

The wax cubes are only $2 (some are showing $4 online, not sure why):

I kept the same basket for this one – again the total was less than $20: 

The warmer is $10, basket $7 and cubes are $2.

I have to admit…the snowman is staying in my house. ;) I took him out to see him light up, then may have placed a wax cube on his head to see how he worked, then may have decided he was too cute to giveaway. He made my whole kitchen smell lovely!

Here’s the best part for you all -- BHG is hosting a “12 Days of Gifting” Pinterest promotion starting today. Just pin your favorite BHG products to their Pinterest board and they will randomly pick a winner of a $50 Walmart gift card each day and then a winner of $250 at the end of the promotion. Easy!!

But you don’t even have to wait for that! Today I’m giving away a $100 gift card as well! You can use it on anything in the store but some fun stuff for your house is what I personally recommend. :)

This giveaway is now closed!

Whoot! I’ll be back tomorrow with the December before and after link up!

 

I received compensation from BHG at Walmart for my time and participation in the BHG Live Better Network. All experiences and opinions are my own. Follow BHG on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

Cleaning out

Hello all and happy weekend! Anything fun planned?

I have about 285 things on my list I’d like to get accomplished before Thanksgiving and instead the other day I spent hours cleaning up this mess out in the garage:

It needed to be done, obviously. But it is not on the list. ;) Food and cleaning this house are, however. But noooo…I focus on things like this. In my defense, it’s been driving me crazy for months. ALL of that wood is trim from the renovation. It was way bigger than this – we saved a ton of trim when we took down the wall so I used a lot to do the board and batten in the family room.

There’s still a good amount I’ll use in the kitchen – on the crown, base and board and batten. Some of the pieces I gave away and the rest I’m keeping for future projects. I hoard scrap wood – it’s my thing. ;)

Anyhoo, I finally got most of that area organized and then I kept going in the garage. Usually this time of year is when I organize our garage but usually this time of year isn’t 12 degrees with snow. So I’m doing bits and pieces and I’ll just have to wait till spring for the rest of it.

While I was organizing I realized the truly insane amount of painter’s tape I have. It’s from working with the lovely FrogTape folks – but there’s no way I can use all this tape myself. I LOVE this tape and have worked with them for years but a few months back I pulled out -- I couldn't think of worthwhile projects to do anymore. If I can’t make it worthwhile for you I don’t feel right doing it. So I definitely don’t need all the tape I have and decided instead of dropping it at Goodwill, I’d pass it along to you guys!

I have nearly 20 rolls to give away. I have three rolls of the chevron shape tape:

I’m not a huge fan of chevron but I did use this in a different way to get a unique look:

So even if you’re not a big Chevron person, it still can be used to make different designs!

I have three wave tapes available as well:

I think this stuff is super cute, especially for a bathroom. :) I made this art for my son’s bathroom and still love it!:

I think the scallop tape is pretty too. I have four of these to give away:

I used this on my candy corn bunting last year:

So cute!!

I’m clearing out some of my regular tape as well – I have six of these available:

This is truly my favorite painter’s tape. The crisp lines can’t be beat. I used it to make this pretty ombre wall in our guest room:

I’ve mastered the art of cutting in so I just don’t use painter’s tape as much as I used to.

And this stuff I’m really excited about – it’s FrogTape for textured surfaces:

I’ve never used this so I can’t speak to how well it works, but it’s worth a try! I have three of these to give away.

Here are the deets:

This giveaway is now closed! :)

I will be taking most of next week off to spend with my family. I may be back with a post next Friday but that will most likely be it. I’ll be back with CHRISTMAS when I return though. :)

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am so thankful you follow along with my escapades every week!

Picking out paint colors

SO. Paint is one of the EASIEST and most dramatic changes you can make to a space – I think we all know that. If you don’t…just trust me. The thing is, it’s easy for DIYers like myself to be all, “It’s just paint.” I know many of you worry about picking out paint colors and I get it. Painting is not usually a quick job and depending on the size of the room can definitely be an investment.

And there’s nothing worse than finally getting up the courage to take on a paint project and then hating it when it’s all done. Been there.

I’ve teamed up with Sherwin-Williams to share tips on picking out paint colors – this comes at a perfect time for me because as the family room reno finished up I had to make decisions on the new wall and ceiling colors. The walls have been painted the same color in there for ten years – I painted them the day we closed on the house!

I have a few tips when it comes to picking out paint colors – they’ve worked pretty well for me over the years and I hope they will prevent any of you from wasting time and money.

First up, start with inspiration. It’s SO hard to decorate a room when you pick out the paint color first. Unless it’s a neutral that goes with anything – it’s always best to start with something you love that will be in the room. It can be artwork, a rug, pillows…whatever.

I’ve gone with more neutral tones in our family room over the years so I know I want something that will work with the pillows and rug, but not match it perfectly:

Also, our current color matches the sectional exactly (we didn’t have it back then) – so it’s just too much tan for me. Make sure to think about the larger pieces like rugs and furniture when considering a new color.

Next up…and this is earth-shattering here folks. Go to the paint store.

First of all, because it’s fun. :) Make sure you have some time too:

To some that is an overwhelming sight. To me, it’s glorious. I visited my local Sherwin-Williams store to walk you around.

The paint chips pictured above will give you varying shades of a similar tone – but they are not the same color lightened or darkened so keep that in mind. They are just in the same family, from light to dark. Usually I’ll fall in love with a darker tone on the chip and realize it’s too dramatic for what I need and will move up to a lighter tone.

They also have single color chips as well:

I prefer these for some reason – the chips are huge, love that. This the section is where I found my beloved Peppercorn for the master bedroom wall (sometimes that dark color can be an accent!):

I’m looking into a gray for the family room, but I want it to be a warm gray, not cold. That’s where it gets harder. I have to pull the colors out and compare them to each other. That’s when you see the true undertones:

You have to be careful with grays in particular. Some go pinkish. Some purple. See the one on top? It looks like it has that purple undertone for sure. That may be what you want, but just keep it in mind. I find it’s easier to see all those tones when the chips are laid out next to each other.

So you may have found THE perfect color online, maybe on a blog? ;) But so many things affect how the color will look in your own home. Remember first and foremost that the color you see on the computer will look different in your own home. Screen colors differ and the light will be different in your home as well.

Sherwin-Williams has a handy dandy light box that shows you how different your colors will look in different artificial lights. Look at the difference between the two!:

 

I really wish I had known this when I painted our laundry room a brilliant, bright yellow years ago. ;) The fluorescent lights we have in there made the walls positively glow.

Finally, take your colors home! The light box is wonderful, but you need to see that paint chip up on your wall. Even better – get a sample pot and try it out before you buy. When I was in the decorating biz we would strongly encourage clients to get a couple poster boards, paint them, then hang them on the walls and live with them for a few days in the different lights. It definitely helps and will go a long way to preventing wasted time and money.

I’m a self-professed Sherwin-Williams nut so it’s the only place I buy my paint now. I love the paint and their service. And if you sign up with their Paint Perks program (say that three times fast), you’ll save every day on paints, stains and supplies and get notices for all their sales and promotions:

I stock up for future projects whenever they have a 40 percent off sale – you won’t want to miss one! This program also creates a log of all of your paint colors for up to ten years – and if you don’t have a blog to document every paint color you definitely need that. :) You can go here to sign up (it’s free!) and get a $10 off coupon.

Next week I’ll share more about the paint colors I’ve picked out for our NEW family room! I’m so very excited!

For now, Sherwin-Williams is offering one of you $200 in credit to their store – SO much paint goodness! (This giveaway is now closed.) 

Have you ever had a paint color go wrong? My biggie was my office years back…I was going for a brick red and it was full out orange. Awful.

I partnered with Sherwin-Williams for this project but all thoughts are my own.

True value of DIY giveaway

**This giveaway is now closed. The winner has been contacted.

Hey all! Hope your week was GREAT! We have a busy weekend planned and then school starts next week – I will miss my Bub so much! :( And is it crazy that I feel like life will slow down after school starts? This is the first time I’ve felt that way, but I’m starting to look forward to the schedules, and focusing on one thing (school) and the thought of fall. Just a little. ;)

Today I have a fun giveaway for you, and it’s brought to you by my friends at True Value. I’ve been working with them during the fall for years now and I’m excited to be on the Blog Squad yet again this year!

My closest True Value is about 20 minutes away but I love going there because it feels so small town and homey to me. It reminds me of stores I went to with my Dad growing up. And my location has the most incredible selection I’ve ever seen in a hardware store when it comes to a few things – spray paint (whoot!!) and hardware (knobs and pulls) to name a couple.

So I’ll be sharing some TV projects coming up soon, but for now we’re kicking off the partnership with a fun giveaway for YOU. 

True Value is all about the “True Value of DIY.” I love that. Specifically they believe in keeping family heirlooms alive through DIY – refinishing a piece of furniture instead of buying a new one. Repairing something that’s been in the family for years instead of tossing it. Painting furniture that you want to keep but you don’t love as is -- make it something YOU love.

We don’t have a lot of family heirlooms, sadly, but I did tell you about one that I discovered earlier this year:

I thought the cuckoo clock I had grown up with was long gone, and it was an awesome surprise to find out it was still around. My Dad had it refurbished as part of my Christmas present and I’m still so thankful to have a piece of my history in our home.

True Value speaks to the True Value of DIY in this brief YouTube video – I have to say it made me a little misty-eyed. ;) It made me wonder if my boy will sanding down my kitchen table some day. Sniff.

So to kick off this year’s Blog Squad and to celebrate the value of our family heirlooms, True Value is offering a $100 gift card to one of you this weekend! You can do a lot of refinishing or fixing with $100:

Before entering you may want to see what stores are near you by going here.

All you need to do to enter is comment here – do you have family heirloom you’ve fixed up or would love to? Is there is a certain piece that brings back happy memories for you?

Be sure to leave an email in the comments if you’re account is not connected to a blog! (Do so with “at” and “dot” spelled out to avoid spammy junk, just in case.) This giveaway will be open through Monday, August 12th at noon (EST). The winner will be emailed.

Have a LOVELY weekend everybody!

Decor Steals giveaway!

**This giveaway is now closed. The winners have been contacted!

 

Hello all and can I get a whoo for Friday? This week went crazy fast for me! I guess time flies when you’re trying to get a bathroom reno done. :)

This weekend I’ve got another great giveaway from the lovely folks at Decor Steals!

TDC and DS are likethis (tight!), and if you haven’t heard of them yet, you are missing out! Decor Steals is a site that offers one awesome decor item every day for. a. steal. :)

Each one goes live at 10 a.m. EST daily and they now have extended deals that stay on throughout the week as well. I’ve got a few items from DS around the house and have been pleased with all of them!

I showed you my Christmas-slash-spring boxwoods here:

And it looks like you may want to watch out for more coming soon!:

So pretty! I am going to use mine year round now for sure. Bring them out of the Christmas bins people!

I love this upcoming find – fabric used for grain sacks:

Can you imagine the possibilities?

This one NEEDS to be in my backyard! I love it:

So cool! My birds would love it too. :)

I love this wood tray too – you can’t have enough wood trays and bowls, truly:

I still LOVE my bread bowl I got from Decor Steals awhile back:

(I hear another version is coming soon!)

If you have to do laundry, do it in style I say! And these striped laundry sacks are the way to do it:

I use a similar basket for the Bub’s clothes and it is so easy to carry around!

So did I mention shipping is always $5, whether it’s a small item or a big one? (In the 48 contiguous states.) Love that.

I’m super excited about today’s deal though – it will go live at 10 a.m. EST! Don’t you love them?:

So cute!! I need them! They would look so darn good in the powder room. ;)

Soooo, the good news is Decor Steals is giving away a $50 credit to two lucky readers. You’ll be able to have fun with that, I promise!

Here’s how to enter to win one of two $50 credits to Decor Steals:

1. Leave a comment here. What do you have planned this lovely spring weekend? 

2. Visit Decor Steals here and check out their pick steals page. Which item do you want to see offered in the future? Come back here to let us know in a comment.

3. Visit their Facebook page and “like” it here. Let us know you did in another comment. (Or let us know if you already do!)

4. Subscribe to their email list here (you’ll get notices about the new deals) and if you do (or are already on the list), leave one more comment here.

* You can enter one, two, three or four times – it’s up to you! All options are not mandatory to win.

* Remember if you comment anonymously or you have a private blog, please include your email address in each entry, and spell it out with “at” and “dot” to avoid any spammy emails coming your way.

This giveaway is open to the contiguous US only. It will be close this Monday, May 13 at 9 a.m. EST.

Have a beautiful weekend all!