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February 15, 2015

Mardi Gras Day Porch Reveal! #SCBH2015

Spring Craft Blog Hop

Welcome to the first spring craft blog hop challenge for the spring season! We’re challenging you to create and share a Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, or Mardi Gras craft tutorial. This hop will run from January 20 – February 17 and you can share your creations in the link-up at the bottom of the post.

Meet all 18 hosts!

*Please follow your hosts on at least one or more social media platforms of your choice. Let us know you’re following from #SCBH2015*

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My Pinterventures

Today’s Project: My Mardi Gras Front Porch Reveal!  

 

Eat. Enjoy. Share. 

 

Hello again, savvy savers! I am so excited to share with all you my Mardi Gras Porch Reveal! One of my favorite parts of our home is the fun porch, and I have been more than excited to decorate it seasonally!  As my family is back at school for the spring semester, its time to got life back into a normal routine, and part of that for me is porch decor! So, when I was asked to be apart of the Spring Craft Blog Hop, I totally jumped all over it!  My husband and I frequently travel to NOLA, as I love all things French, and my husband a Jazz Music Minor, love nothing more than grabbing a bite at Cafe du Monde, strolling the banquets of the Quarter, and taking a tour of the Garden District! So. a Mardi Gras Porch-Scape is simply a no-brainer for us! 

 

Eat. Enjoy. Share. (2) 

 

A few months ago I found this awesome chair on the side of the road in my neighborhood, and with the help of a can of Kelley Green spray paint, I had a new porch stand!  Please note, I didn’t bother making sure I got perfect coverage on either coats, because I knew I was going to do some sanding and wanted a lot of layers to show through. To finish it I sprayed it with a Polyurethane to finish up my colored layers.  

And, although the chair was cute by itself, I knew I wanted to use several new finds I picked up after the holidays in town to use in conjunction with a few Dollar Tree crafts I made from last year.

 

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For this project I used the following materials:

  • 1 Rattan Wreath Forms; $0.50, picked up at Walmart, free with Walmart Savings Catcher funds.
  • 2 Wreath Stands (on hand, but purchased from JoAnn Fabric’s, with coupon, for $5.99 in 2012).
  • 2 Mini Grapevine Wreaths; on hand, free.
  • 20 Strands of Mardi Gras Beads; free from Freecycle.org.
  • 1 foam wreath form; free from Freecycle.org.
  • 1 bag of medium size Mardi Gras Beads; free from Freecycle.org.
  • 1 tinsel bow; free from Freecycle.org.
  • 1 hanging ceramic Gator; on hand and I love him… his name if Boudreaux! 
  • 2  Mardi Gras Masks; free from last years local Mardi Gras Parade.
  • 2 Polka Dot Ribbon Spools; free from Freecycle.org.
  • 1 Solar lantern from Sam’s Club, a holiday gift from my Husband. 
  • Hot Glue Sticks (on hand).
  • Kelley Green Spray Paint (on hand).
  • Polyurethane (on hand).
  • Chair (free).
  • Hanging Mardi Gras Masks; free from last years local Mardi Gras Parade.
  • Large Strand of beads; on hand.
  • Mardi Gras Mask; from Tuscany, on hand.
  • Fleur de Lis Door Hanger; on hand, free.
  • Door Mat, Amazon (used Amazon Gift Card, earned from survey points for purchase).

Total Cost: Free!

Putting this porch-scape together was as simple as, laissez bon ton roulette! I loved putting this porch together, and with the use of three simple wreaths, each spray painted green, draped with beads and masks, a hanging gator, an adorned lantern, as well as vintage chair all which really help to make this porch pop! I also love the use of my new door mat. The door mat reads, “Ask not for whom the dog barks, it barks for thee.” This is a joke for my UPS driver, who always asks, whom my pups, a Westie, Shih-Tzu, and Great Pyrenees are barking at, and now, there’s no question…pun intended! 

I just love how simple, clean, and inexpensive this project was. What’s better than free, no? With the cleaner lines, empty spaces spring holidays give us, its almost a breath of fresh air! What really speaks to me is my husband’s Tuscan Carnival Mask, he acquired during a trip to Italy five years ago, with People to People. I just love how simple this is! 

So, seriously guys, how fun did this turn out?  I am so beyond happy with it! I am so happy with how my porch turned out!  

Here’s to creating on a budget,

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Spring Craft Blog Hop – Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, & Mardi Gras

RULES

  1. Link-up your craft or DIY tutorial that fit the themes of the Spring Craft Blog Hop. Links that do not fit the themes will be deleted.
  2. DO NOT link-up food or recipes.
  3. DO NOT link-up round-ups unless all the craft posts are yours.
  4. Link directly to your post and not your blog.

Show us what you’ve created and be seen on 18 blogs!

4 Comments

Giveaways!

Hello again, savvy savers! Be sure to mosey on over to The LadyPrefers2Save Giveaway tab, and take a looksie-loo at all of my current giveaways on the blog!

Typically, there are two-three of the following per week:

  •  Giveaways
  • Contests
  • And promotional offers

 I encourage you all to enter for your chance to win a myriad of fun prizes, products, and gift-cards! To check out these giveaways, click here!  Enjoy!

Gardening To Lose Weight!

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Hello again, savvy savers! Today I am starting another new blog series, Battle Of The Bulge, Budget-Style! I will be focusing on ways to live a healthier, more active lifestyle while be able to afford clean, organic, obtainable foods! I believe this series can be worthwhile for many, who like myself, wish to get more in shape, not through crash-dieting but by small attainable lifestyle changes!  All of the changes I propose will be free or affordable, and most meals and plans will contain couponed savings or deals! Fads are fancy, but coupons are a commitment! With that said, here is where I am currently: I have a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. I am looking to lose 60lbs., find affordable non-gym membership options for working out, and change the way I consume food; this includes meals, snacks, and splurges!

Today I am 31 years young, I am 5’6”, and weigh 198 lbs; I am down one pound since last week. I walk my dogs but beyond this am not terribly active. My lifestyle causes sedentary behaviors; I work-from-home, blog, run two internet businesses, and perform advocacy work online as well. I am an internet-based excuser! Today this changes! Spring has sprung, and so shall I! I have taken up yoga, and have started working out with a pedometer on as well!

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For my 8th post, I wanted to discuss a new measure I have implemented to help in my healthier lifestyle choice, gardening! Did you know that according to the American Heart Association, gardening 1 hour daily will burn up to 400 calories, and considering that the average weekend project tales 4-6 hours, and that maintaining your yard weekly, in warmer weather, will take nearly 1 hour a day, you would, on average burn upwards of 2,400 calories a week! An entire days worth of calories! This is a staggering number! For me, I make sure to water the plants, lawn, and mow as often as I can, as its no longer a chore for me, but an exercise! I love that performing tasks for  hobby can lead to better health!

How awesome is that? For a small, simpler routine,  here is my suggested, and used, gardening workout routine:

  • Pull weeds in 1 flower bed for 10 minutes
  • Rake mulch back into place in all beds, as needed, for 10 minutes
  • Fertilize roses, bushes, and low-lying shrubs for 10 minutes
  • Manually edge 30 feet of driveway, sidewalk, or straight-edged areas, 20 minutes
  • Water front flowers beds, 10 minutes

So, by my routine, all of which I can accomplish before 8 am, or after 6 pm, and will burn 400 calories! No gym membership or lawn service needed! This is an awesome way to put on a few podcasts, listen to a cd, or just have some time to yourself, and your yard, for nothing more than time! I also keep my Shih-Tzu, Sassy with me while gardening to lose weight; I have metal screw-into-the-yard hooks in various places in my yard, which I leash and harness Sassy to, and move her from area to area; so I can bond with my fuzzy-love, lose weight, and clean my yard at the same time!  This is one of my favorite ways to burn extra calories, while creating a more serene home for my family and myself!

Also, if you are looking for other ways to save money, lose weight, and maintain your yard, beds, and landscaping, be sure to check out my frugal garden tips, here! 

Here’s to the Journey!

Misty

February No Spend Month Challenge: Day 15 ( Cleaning Out Your Stockpile)

Day 15-

Good morning, savvy savers! Can you believe we are almost half-way finished with this No-Spend Month! WooHoo! So, today will be the final day of this months No-Spend Challenge Cleaning projects! 

Today I want to focus on one of the most neglected areas in my home, and perhaps yours, my couponed stockpile. Yes, the cave of Frugal Wonders! My stockpile, housed in my homes basement, though it’s well lit, houses many built-in shelving features, the area still seems to always be in need of rearranging, sorting, and cleaning! The one saving grace of this area, the exhilarating feeling I get each time I am able to gaze over my shelves, from the shampoo to the paper products, and then proceed to “shop from my home!”  

My stockpile, though hard earned, is an immense blessing to my home. And as they say, to whom much is given, much is asked, and this rule equally applies to my stockpile! My stockpile saves my family thousands of dollars a year, but I must honestly admit is the most neglected area in my home. But no more! So today, I challenge you all to clean up your stockpile! 

Here are a few tips to get you started:

  1. Rotate your stockpile. “Rotating your stockpile” means rotating your stockpile per season. You will need to place goods in order of expiration date, my seasonal usage, as well as keeping climate into consideration; you may need to start storing it in one location for summer and another location for winter, in terms of baking tools, cans, chemicals, etc.. 
  2. Long Term Storage: If you plan to store any item for longer than a week or two, you need to know its long-term storage requirements. Some items will only last months or longer if stored in a cool, dry place. Some items must be stored in a refrigerated or frozen environment in order to last longer. Make lists, and create sub-areas in your stockpile; examples are canned goods, cosmetics, paper products, etc.
  3. Take Note of Patterns: Start a list of your product usage, this will allow you to see what you need, will use in a years time, and what should be donated accordingly. Unused goods are cash wasted.
  4. Last Forever Items: Nothing lasts forever. Even goods such as bottled water, start to have an altered taste after a decade, so keep this in mind.
  5. Canned and Preserved Goods: Keep inventory and note the dates of home-preserved items; a rule of thumbs is to only keep items no longer than two years. 
  6. Pests: Pests love your stockpile, almost as much as you do! Be sure to check goods monthly, especially in Summer, and any goods that look altered, chuck immediately! 
  7. Dehumidifier: Humidity can alter and mold many goods, so consider running a dehumidifier twice weekly. 

So, today I challenge you to check your shelves, inventory your goods, and make a point of donating all goods that you will not be able to consume, as a family, within one year! For as any couponer knows, cyclical sales, like the tides of the shore, just keep on a comin’! 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for today’s recap, and tomorrow’s new challenge! 

Here’s to saving,

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