House and Home

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.

Congrats to Tammy (TSells@…)

I will email you shortly!

source

I’m a big fan of gift cards – especially American Express gift cards that spend like cash!

And thanks to my partnership with Apartment Guide, they have generously offered to giveaway a $100 American Express gift card to one luck Simple Organized Living reader!!

Yay!

How to Enter:

.

1. Leave a comment. What would you do with your gift card?

2. Follow @LivingOrganized and/or @AptGuide on Twitter, and then leave a separate comment letting me know you did {or that you do already}.

If you are reading this in your email or feed reader, please visit the actual blog post to enter. Email entries, Facebook comments, and Twitter messages will NOT be counted.

Prize:

(1) American Express gift card as described above.

This giveaway ends at 10:00 pm on Monday, 2/21/2012 and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years or older. I will use And the Winner Is to select the winning comments at random. Winners will be notified by email and noted at the top of this post. Winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize or I will choose a new winner. Please see my full disclosure policy and contact me with any questions you have. Good luck!

Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. have partnered with bloggers like me as Official Apartment Guide Bloggers. As part of this program, I have received compensation. They have not told me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

453 comments →

A few years ago, I was trying to come up with a creative way to display all the Christmas cards we had received… AND I was looking for a decorative piece to go above our piano.  I wanted something that was inexpensive {in case I decided I didn’t like it} and I wanted it ASAP.

My first stop was to a local craft store that always has 75-90% off clearance racks. These sales are “hit or miss” so I was thrilled to find the 90%-off rack was filled with scratched and broken picture frames… none of which had any glass left in them.

I found a huge 36″ x 48″ black frame that was really scratched up for only $9 {originally $90}!! I honestly didn’t know exactly what I was going to do with the frame, but it was the perfect size for above the piano, I love black, and I just couldn’t resist that kind of a deal!

Once I got the frame home, I used a dry brush to brush on a little gold paint around inside edge {this also covered up most of the scratches}. Then I used a wire cutters to cut a piece of chicken wire for the inside of the frame.

I simply used a staple gun to staple the wire to the backside of the frame… and I was done! 

It’s been at least two years since I made the first frame, and since then, I’ve made many more for gifts and other places around our home.

It’s just such a quick, easy, and super inexpensive project that almost anyone can do in a matter of minutes. Of course you can use different sizes and colors to coordinate with your space, and you could even spray paint the chicken wire for a completely different look.

There are SO many different uses for a chicken wire frame…

.

• Use one to display Christmas cards, birthday cards, or any other type of card

• Use one to display artwork, school projects, or other memorabilia {one for each child’s room!}

• Use one to hang jewelry, scarves, or other light-weight accessories

• Use one to display a collection

• Use one to showcase your favorite family photos {maybe like a family tree or collage}

• Give it as a gift for a newly married couple or student going off to college

And the list goes on…

I’m guessing that many of you already have an unused frame sitting around your house right now…  right! Well, with a small piece of inexpensive chicken wire and about 15 minutes of your time, you could transform that frame into a really fun piece for your home {and I guarantee it will catch people’s attention!}

What would you use this frame for?

.

Pin It

I have partnered with Apartment Guide to serve as an Official Apartment Guide Organizing Blogger! As an official blogger, I will be sharing articles filled with tips for living on a budget.

Looking for more frugal DIY Projects…

• Like Apartment Guide on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for real-time tips and updates on making the most of your space.
• Whether you’re living, looking or moving, Apartment Guide offers how-to tips for making the most of a space on a budget.
• If you’re ready for a whole new space or are looking to move, Apartment Guide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you find the perfect apartment community.

Do you prefer a cozy night in or a night out on the town? No matter your preference, enter Apartment Guide’s Night In or Night Out Sweepstakes for a chance to win your perfect evening. Enter today to win! Visit Facebook.com/ApartmentGuide to submit your entry. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sweepstakes ends @ 9:00 PM ET on 2/14/12. Must be a US legal resident of the 50 US or DC and 18 years of age or older. Sweepstakes subject to full Official Rules available at Facebook.com/apartmentguide. Void where prohibited.

Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. have partnered with bloggers like me as Official Apartment Guide Bloggers. As part of this program, I have received compensation. They have not told me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

1 comment →

A few months ago, I mentioned that we almost always use cloth napkins at our house. And after reading the comments, it sounds like many of you also use cloth napkins.

However, I did receive a few emails and comments that suggested cloth napkins were too expensive.

I got our cloth napkins as gifts so I’ve never really priced them out… but if you are looking for REALLY cheap {possibly even free} cloth napkins, you might want to check out this simple tutorial for No-Sew Cloth Napkins.

I can’t believe never thought about making my own cloth napkins from old shirts! Wouldn’t it be fun to mix and match colors and patterns to make a set? What a great gift idea too!

And if you don’t have any old shirts you are willing to cut up, I’m sure you can find a bunch at your local thrift store for probably $1 each.

Oh, and if you have unused t-shirts you want to re-purpose, you should read what I do with ours!

photo credit

4 comments →

I know you know that I’m frugal… and that I LOVE to get great deal whenever and wherever I can… right?

Well, I thought it might be fun to show you a few pictures of our Master Bedroom furniture… all of which cost me less than $100!

When we first got married, we purchased a complete, matching set of bedroom furniture. It was very nice… but I never really loved it.

Then, one day, I found an old iron bed {see pictures above} at a junk sale for $70 and knew I wanted it for our room. So I sold our 1-year old bedroom furniture on Craigslist {for MORE than what I paid for it new!} and set out to find additional furniture pieces to complete our master bedroom.

Here’s what I found…

.

I already mentioned that I got the bed from a junk sale… and that red door behind the bed was actually in the basement of our first house. I loved it so much that it made the move with us to our farmhouse!

I wanted a little sitting area in our bedroom {see below}, so I found a cute “women’s rocker” on Craigslist for $10 and I made the little night stand out of an old wine crate that I bought for $1 at a garage sale!

The black ladder is actually only half of a huge ladder I found a few years ago. Some black paint and a bunch of nails makes it the perfect place to store my necklaces!

Dave and I both like to fold a lot of our clothes, so we each needed our own dressers. I bought the green dresser from our old neighbors for $10 and the white one from Goodwill for $7.00.

After a little paint and distressing, they fit perfectly in our farmhouse bedroom!

Oh, and I found that little black stool for free on the side of the road {I painted it} — all the accessories are either from garage sales, junk yards, or other places in our house.

So here’s the price breakdown:

• iron bed = $70
• red screen door = $0
• rocking chair = $10
• night stand = $0
• ladder = $0
• green dresser = $10
• white dresser = $7
• black stool = $0

I won’t even tell you how much we paid for our first bedroom set {a lot more than $100} but at least I got our money back when I sold it! Plus, I absolutely LOVE our new bedroom “set” so it was worth the extra effort it took to pull everything together!

What are your favorite frugal ways to find furniture?

.

Here are a few more inexpensive decorating tips:

• Get your disorganized bathroom in top-shape in no time with these hints from Apartment Guide.
• Is your kitchen an unorganized mess? Apartment Guide provides simple tasks and storage ideas to keep your kitchen spotless.
• Like Apartment Guide on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for real-time tips and updates on making the most of your space.
• Whether you’re living, looking or moving, Apartment Guide offers how-to tips for making the most of a space on a budget.

Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. have partnered with bloggers like me as Official Apartment Guide Bloggers. As part of this program, I have received compensation. They have not told me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

3 comments →

Whenever I work with my organizing clients their #1 question is usually “what type of storage containers should I buy?” And while I agree that storage containers are a big part of any organizing project, I ALWAYS tell them not to buy anything until I’ve taken a look through their house first.

The majority of the time, I can find something they already own and re-purpose it as a storage container for their specific space. And although I LOVE saving my clients money, I also love the fact that these storage containers often serve as decorative pieces around their house — so much nicer than bulky bins and tubs!

For the next 3 months, I’ll be partnering with Apartment Guide to serve as an Official Apartment Guide Organizing Blogger! I’ll be sharing lots of tips for living on a budget — and I’m starting this month with creative, decorative, and inexpensive storage solutions…

Here are a few of my favorite ideas from around our house! 

Bathroom:

.

We have a very small master bathroom, however it is packed full of decorative storage — my favorite of which are these gorgeous wicker baskets that we’ve filled with extra toiletries, towels, toilet paper, etc.

These baskets not only serve the functional purpose hiding our “clutter”, they also look fantastic!

Clothes:

.

If you have a small house and/or limited closet space, you might have to get creative with your storage sollutions and come up with decorative ways to conceal your clothes clutter.

We have a small armoire in our living room that acts as a make-shift mudroom.

And we have really cute bins in our nursery for clothes that are too big, extra baby supplies, etc.

 Both of these storage ideas were extremely inexpensive and added tons of decorative storage.

Jewelry:

.

I’ve shared several decorative storage ideas for jewelry in previous posts, but I’m still partial to using old ice molds and muffin tins to store my own jewelry!

I also LOVE using ladders to hang necklaces and other “hang-able” items.

Both storage solutions keep the jewelry at my finger tips AND serve as fun decorative pieces for our bedroom!

So even if you have a REALLY small space, there are still plenty of ways to keep it organized, functional, AND nicely decorated without breaking the bank!

What are your best decorative storage Ideas?

.

Here are a few more resources for small-space decorating:

• Get your disorganized bathroom in top-shape in no time with these hints from Apartment Guide.
• Is your kitchen an unorganized mess? Apartment Guide provides simple tasks and storage ideas to keep your kitchen spotless.
• Like Apartment Guide on Facebook and follow them on Twitter for real-time tips and updates on making the most of your space.
• Whether you’re living, looking or moving, Apartment Guide offers how-to tips for making the most of a space on a budget.

Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. have partnered with bloggers like me as Official Apartment Guide Bloggers. As part of this program, I have received compensation. They have not told me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

7 comments →

As much as I LOVE putting up our Christmas decorations… I also love taking them down again.

Yes, it takes the better part of an afternoon to gather them all into my storage bins and bring them downstairs; but after I’m finished, the house feels so open, light, and un-cluttered. 

I packed our holiday decorations up this past weekend and just left some greenery and pine cones out — but those will stay up all winter long. Everything else is now stored away in the basement until next year.

Here are a Few Tips for Packing Up Christmas Decor

.

1. Do it all at one time.

Yes, I left some of my greenery out for the rest of the winter, but everything else gets packed up in one afternoon. I don’t like to drag things out so I just do it all at one time… make a big mess… and then clean it up.

I know people who do one room each day for a week — but then they have storage bins sitting out all week long. Also, if you do it all at one time, you can remind yourself of everything you have… which will help you with #2 and #3 below.

2. Declutter as You Pack.

Whenever I put my decorations away, I always end up purging at least a few things. The other day I shared how I declutter with clothes baskets… and I definitely put a few Christmas things in our clothes baskets this year!

3. Store Like Items Together.

I use 4 large clear tubs to store all our Christmas decorations {everything but the trees}. One bin is for all the greenery, one is for ornaments and tree decor, one is for Christmas linens/dishes, and the last one is just for everything else.

My bins are all the same size so they stack easily; and since they are labeled, I can quickly and easily find exactly what I need within minutes.

4. Clean While You Pack. 

Whenever I take my decorations down, I take a few extra minutes to dust or wipe down each surface. Then, after I put the bins back downstairs, I vacuum and sweep the floors.  It’s just part of the process for me and makes the house feel that much cleaner and un-cluttered when I’m finished!

5.  Stock up for Next Year. 

I had my eye on a few Christmas decor items in the stores this year — but I always wait until after Christmas to buy them at a ridiculously reduced price. I also stock up on Christmas napkins, paper plates, cups, etc. after Christmas and store them in the “linens/dishes” tub.

My house is now “back to normal” for another year… and I’m glad to have that project behind me!

When do you pack up your Christmas decorations?

.

10 comments →

I already showed you a few pictures of our Christmas decorations, but I thought it might be fun to show you a few other fabulously decorated homes from around the web — not to make you feel horrible because you don’t have a perfectly decorated home {if this is you, just read yesterday’s post} but instead to get you in the holiday spirit and be inspired by other people’s gorgeous homes.

I’m always amazed by how creative other people get with their decorations — especially since I mainly decorate with trees, garland, pine cones, and other natural items. Below are a few of my favorite rooms – and no, I don’t think they are necessarily simple OR practical… just beautiful!

Wouldn’t you just love to have a grand staircase like this one from the Martha Stewart website? I LOVE the look of dark stair treads and white risers.

Or what about this fabulously color-coordinated room from Modcodesign.com!

I have a soft spot in my heart for the color red, so even though I’d never dare to spend money on a somewhat impractical red couch, I just love how it fits so well in this room!

Of course this entryway is probably not doable for the normal home… but talk about making an entrance! Someday I’d love to have our entire front porch completely decorated for Christmas with lights, garland, lanterns, trees, etc… someday!

I love a good “green and white” decorating theme too — so this rustic room from Country Living Magazine immediately caught my attention. Wouldn’t it be fun to decorate a log cabin like this!

I appreciate the simplicity of this white-on-white fireplace. Now all I need is a fireplace and I can probably pull off the same look

Here’s another white room — this is how I would decorate my cottage for Christmas… if I had a cottage!

These are just a FEW of the many holiday decorations that caught my attention while surfing the web this past month. And like I said earlier, I don’t think they are “simple” but I’ve sure had fun dreaming about what it would be like to live in such lovely rooms.

However, I assume most of these rooms were “staged” for the photo!

What are your favorite types of holiday decorations?

.

4 comments →