Hey guys! I just want to tell you I am really enjoying getting this link party going again. I’ve been so inspired by all of your projects each week! You all are really talented and should give yourself a big pat on the back! Here are a few that stood out but they have all been great.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Girl's Room Decor From The Thrift Store
I love thrift store makeovers! You know, when you find something kind of ugly but real cheap at the thrift store and you bring it home and make it pretty! It just makes me so happy to give an old, discarded item a new, fabulous life!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
When Will You Start The Transition Into Menopause?
I am about to do something most women won’t dare do: reveal my age.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Gimme Five For Friday (Olympics Ideas)
Today is the kick off of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Here are five fun ideas to get your kids excited for the events.
1. Olympics Rings Painted Shirts.
Kate of Kate’s Creative Space shows how to make these shirts as well as some other fantastic Olympics crafts.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Orange Crush
I have never really been a fan of orange. It’s not that I dislike it. It was just never one of my first choices. I’ve always been more of a red, pink, or blue kind of a gal.
But, lately, I’ve developed a crush for orange. It is so fresh. Like a bowl of oranges. It's warm and lively and inviting. That's what I'm after.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Zulily For Moms, Babies, & Kids
Have you heard of Zulily? It’s a great place to find daily deals on adorable things for moms, babies, kids, and home. I have gotten some really cute things for my daughter there. You can find all kinds of boutique and popular brand items from clothing, jewelry, shoes, hairbows, home decor, etc. at low prices (up to 90% off retail).
The way Zulily works and can offer such low prices is that it doesn’t operate like a traditional online store. It is a members only site. You can register for free and then you will receive email notification of each days sales events. Each day features new sales and brands to shop with a limited supply of merchandise available. They don’t stock a warehouse. Instead, they negotiate shipping arrangements with the brands themselves. This helps keep your costs down.
One of my favorite aspects of Zulily is that they share lots of their items on their Facebook page and you can see comments and reviews by real moms and you can share your own opinions. It’s a great way to find out if something fits true to size or how well it works. They are quick to respond to questions and comments. They also share lots of photos and products on Pinterest (you all know how I love Pinterest!).
This is a great place to start your back to school shopping. They have loads of top-quality children’s clothing and shoes to stock up on. Your kids deserve to go back this year well dressed and you deserve to get it done without getting stressed! Check back each day to see the new deals. They even have cute backpacks and lots of sports gear for your little athletes!
Right now they are having lots of fabulous Christmas in July specials: Holiday dresses, hair accessories, Christmas decor, & more! So much fun to think about Christmas when it is so sweltering hot outside! Head over there and sign up so you can get in on all the cute stuff too!
This post has been brought to you by my friends at Zulily and the letter Z.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
How To Make Your House Smell Amazing
One of the first things people notice coming into your home is the way it smells. When you walk into my house, I want it to seem welcoming. I don’t want you to turn and run in the opposite direction! We are so easily influenced by our sense of smell. It doesn’t matter how clean your home may appear, if it smells bad, people are going to think it’s dirty.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Gettin’ Krafty With It!
How is your week going so far? Good, I hope. I can’t believe it’s already time to start back to school shopping. UGH!!!! I have five kids to shop for, including two hard to please teens! Please help me!!!!
Anyway, as time is literally slipping through my fingers here, I don’t want to let it pass by without showing off some of these amazing projects from last week’s party:
Designer Inspired Geometric Print Pillows (For Less Than $1!)
I have become bored with my current color scheme in my living room. There is a whole lotta brown (brown leather sofa, dark brown wood on the furniture, and hardwood floors). I wanted to punch up the color a bit with some throw pillows but the pillows I want are out of my price range. I love Trina Turk and her bold geometric designs. I especially love this Avenida Maze Pillow in Pink but they go for about $150 a piece!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
My Coupon Box & Coupon Organizing Tips
I love to have to coupon. I simply cannot afford grocery shopping without it. I usually save about 30% on my groceries from matching sales to coupons. I have been doing this for several years now and I’ve finally figured out what works best for me.
When I first started couponing, I used a little coupon organizer that looks like a wallet. It worked well until my coupon stash outgrew it. I started seeing these coupon binders on the internet and that seemed like the way to go. So, I got a big three ring binder and some plastic page protectors and organized them all into it. I used this method for a few years but it seemed like so much work to keep up with. Filling all the little slots and then going through and removing the ones that had expired. I was spending way too much time putting coupons in and taking coupons out. Now, if this method works for you, I am more than happy for you. It just didn’t work for me. I kept doing it for so long because I felt like it was supposed to be the “best” way. After all, everyone else was doing it. I thought I outgrew that back in my school days but maybe not!
When I first started couponing, I used a little coupon organizer that looks like a wallet. It worked well until my coupon stash outgrew it. I started seeing these coupon binders on the internet and that seemed like the way to go. So, I got a big three ring binder and some plastic page protectors and organized them all into it. I used this method for a few years but it seemed like so much work to keep up with. Filling all the little slots and then going through and removing the ones that had expired. I was spending way too much time putting coupons in and taking coupons out. Now, if this method works for you, I am more than happy for you. It just didn’t work for me. I kept doing it for so long because I felt like it was supposed to be the “best” way. After all, everyone else was doing it. I thought I outgrew that back in my school days but maybe not!
Monday, July 16, 2012
Gettin’ Krafty With It!
I hope your week has gotten off to a good start. I am trying to start over with eating right and exercising. Last year, I did so good and then quit. Once the holidays got here, I just caved and never got back into it. Now, I’ve gained the weight back (almost all of it) and I’m right back where I started, You really have to change your life, not just make a temporary quick fix. So, here we go again.
Anyway, last week I started this party back up and I’m so pleased with how many of you joined in. I hope you’ll keep coming back and sharing your great projects. Here are a few good ones from last week:
Anyway, last week I started this party back up and I’m so pleased with how many of you joined in. I hope you’ll keep coming back and sharing your great projects. Here are a few good ones from last week:
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Meals By The Week
It’s the one thing every mom hates to hear, “What’s for dinner?”
Wouldn’t it be nice to always have the answer and have it all under control? As women, we are expected to be superwomen. We are under enormous pressure to do it all. And to do it all well.
Meals By the Week is a tool that can help you save time and money at the grocery store by giving you pre-planned menus custom fit for your family. They match the ingredients to the sales at the stores you shop at so you can really get the most for your money. There are also meals that are called “leftover makeovers” so you don’t waste any uneaten food. Meals By the Week provides you with healthy, economical menus. This is perfect for busy moms. You can feed your family real, delicious, home-cooked meals and avoid the takeout & fast food trap. Meals By The Week provides you with the shopping list, the recipes, and the menu. You can choose to skip any meals you don’t want and choose double it to double the ingredients when cooking for a bigger group.
I have started using Meals By The Week and I have to say I love not having to figure out what to cook. I am a good cook but a terrible planner! We end up having the same meals over & over. It’s so nice to get out of that rut and try some new things. The meals consist of foods that we would really eat, not any strange ingredients that my kids would refuse to try. This week, we will be enjoying some Italian pot roast (made in the crock pot), orange chicken, chicken salad sandwiches, barbecue pork chops, and tomato basil quiche. When I receive my menu, I keep what I like, adjust the amounts as needed (I usually adjust to say I’m cooking for 8 people, because there are 7 of us), then get my list of ingredients needed that I can shop from. I mark the items I need, add anything else we need and then I’m ready to shop.
They even have menus for 400-calorie meals.
Right now, they’re offering a really good deal so it’s a perfect time to try it out! You can get 50% off a 13 week subscription by using the following code:
50DealLR230
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Speed Dusting & Polishing With A Sock
Today, I want to share with you how I can keep my home dust free and spend the least amount of time possible doing it. I speed dust. What is speed dusting, you ask?
Friday, July 13, 2012
From Dull to Diva (Thanks Oops Paint!)
My sweet mother in law wanted me to get this dresser. Her sister had kicked it to the curb and it was literally outside in the elements but she saw something in it so my dad picked it up for me.
Gimme Five For Friday (the 13th!) #3
I hope you all have had a good week and will be having an even better weekend! I hope to visit my parents. My other half has to set up my dad’s computer and that will give me plenty of time to catch up with my mama. I love going over and seeing her garden and gorgeous flowers.
Anyway, I am ready for some change. Do you ever just get tired of how a room or space in your home looks and just can’t stop thinking about it until you do something? There doesn’t have to be anything wrong with it, you just need a change. Your environment plays such an important role on your mood and well-being. You want the effect to be a positive one. Here are five changes I want to make in my home:
1. Add some color to my dull, brown living room with pops of orange. I think orange will re-energize this boring space and give it a fresh, modern feel. Right now there’s just a lot of brown and white. Brown leather sofa, hardwood floors, dark brown furniture, and white walls. Boring. Here is an inspiration photo (click pictures for links to sources):
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Creamy Cheesy Chicken Bake
OK, save this recipe because it will be a hit. Trust me. I have some super picky kids and they all love it! It's one of their favorite meals.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Box Sign From...A Box!
I'm sure you've seen these everywhere: box signs. Cute little statements written in white on a black canvas. They are very popular and you can buy them anywhere you find home decor. But why buy them if you can make them, right?
Psst…Huge Sale at Macy’s Right Now
I don’t want to sound like an advertisement but I just wanted to let you know that Macy’s is having a huge sale right now! I don’t know about you but I love shopping and I love a good deal. I don’t buy anything that’s not on sale or that I don’t have a coupon for! I am especially careful when I shop for myself. But when there is a 50-75% off sale & I can save even more on top of that, I don’t feel guilty!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Gettin' Krafty With It
I’m bringin’ it back y’all! If you have been a long time follower, this is a
link party I used to host on Tuesdays. It’s called Gettin’ Krafty With It and
basically, anything goes! This is your chance to share your crafts, decorating
ideas, organization tips, recipes, and anything else!
One of the reasons I have decided to bring it back is to give everyone a time
and place to link up what they’ve been doing every week and to help my other
party Gimme Five For Friday be dedicated to just it’s topic: a list of 5
things.
Make sure you become a follower of Krafty Kat so you don’t miss a post or a
party! If you link up, please include the party button in the post or on your
blog. A text link is fine also. :) The party will be open until Monday so you can come back and add more stuff all week!
So, come on and get Krafty with it! I will be featuring my faves here and on
Facebook, so don’t be shy! I will also have a Pinterest board full of party
features!
Wanna bloghop? Add the code above into your post!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Store Front Curb Appeal
The images on the glass are just photoshopped in as we were deciding on what to put on them. Couldn’t find the original picture without them.
At the beginning of May, my boyfriend got the opportunity to expand his home-based computer repair business by opening up a shop. We were so excited! It was in a good location and the shop is the perfect size.
The only real problem was the exterior. It was all 80s burgundy and teal green. You remember…(don’t you?).
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Gimme Five For Friday #2
I hope you all had a fun Fourth of July with your family and friends. We sure did. I’m so glad it’s the weekend so I can catch up on laundry (ugh) and maybe get the time to take a dip in the pool and even get some painting done. What are you going to be doing?
Headbands of Hope
Today I have a very special guest to introduce. This is Jessica Ekstrom, President and founder of Headbands of Hope. Headbands of Hope is a movement to spread hope in all girls and fight childhood cancer, one headband at a time. This is her story:
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
My Shopping Secret Weapon (BeFrugal Review)
As a mom of five kids, I really have to watch every penny. I have to be wise with every purchase I make and that means doing the research, finding the best deals and shopping at the places that make it worth my while. In today’s economy, it just doesn’t make sense not to try to save money whenever you can. One of the best ways to do this is to shop online whenever possible. Shopping online helps you maximize your savings because you can use a coupon code and earn cash back. If you pay with a rewards credit card, you can earn points, miles, or more cash back. Every time I shop, I arm myself with my secret weapon:
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Red, White, & Blue Every Day Decorating
Happy 4th of July! If you’ve fallen in love with this patriotic color scheme and don’t want to see it disappear come July 5th, why not incorporate it into your everyday home design? It’s classic and easy to achieve if you start with a neutral palette and use accents of red and blue and lots of crisp solid white. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns. Bring out the stripes, checks, stars, and even floral and polka dotted prints. Here is a little inspiration:
Creamy Chicken Noodle Stew in the Crock Pot
This is what we had for dinner last night and still have plenty left over. It was easy and delicious – a good combination when it comes to cooking. This will easily feed 6-8 people.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Kids Summer Boredom Buster #245: Face Painting
Are your kids moping around saying they’ve ‘got nothing to do” and “I’m bored”? Here’s a fun, inexpensive way to bust away that boredom and get them laughing and being creative in no time. All you need is some regular acrylic paint in a few different colors, a few cheap paint brushes or even q-tips, and a little imagination.
RetailMeNot Mobile App
You’ve heard of RetailMeNot, right? The awesome online coupon website that helps you save tons of money online? I check RetailMeNot every time I shop online for a coupon code and I always save on my purchases. I really like it when it gets me free shipping!
The simple, easy-to-use interface with curated “Hot Deals” from popular stores is updated daily and allows access via search to RetailMeNot’s best online coupons from thousands of merchants. Browse Top Coupons, Popular Stores and Category listings and save your favorite coupons for later. Simple drag and drop function allows easy online coupon redemption.
RetailMeNot Coupons app for iPhone from RetailMeNot on Vimeo.
You can go here for more information. Disclosure: By posting this I am eligible for a drawing and all opinions are my own.
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