Moving Time!

All right, I haven't blogged because I've been so busy this fall and spring getting our house cleaned up and decluttered with my hubby, because we're MOVING!  Our cute little 1500 sq foot home has been awesome for 12 years for us. We had 7 offers on it in 7 days, and I honestly think a lot of the projects we've done to improve it really helped it to sell quickly--for our asking price! But with great excitement, we are moving to another home 15 minutes away in a few short weeks.  It has a LOT of great features, but, thankfully for me, it needs some TLC and home improvements.  I'm so excited to get started!  And, I plan to record each step of the way with my readers. I hope the projects inspire you and get you on your way to creating your own great home projects!  Here are some of the projects to come....

Kitchen: 1) I'm going to remove the outdated panel light fixture and replace with recessed lighting and pendant lights.

2) Remove, sand and paint the cabinet doors, paint the cabinet doors white, and add door pulls

3) Paint the walls light blue or gray; we're going for the coastal look.  I may live in the desert but I'm still a Hawaii girl at heart!

3) Take out the peninsula and build an island with IKEA Sektion cabinets--so excited to get started on that! (Do you see how narrow that space is between the peninsula and the refrigerator?  Especially when the fridge doors are open--that's not gonna fly in a house with 2 teens and 1 pre-teen!

4) Replace the tile flooring with resilient vinyl plank in white/gray

5) install granite or quartz countertops.  

Most of these projects I'll do myself or with the hubby/friends, but for a few I'll need to call in the pros, like for rewiring the lighting and rewiring the electrical for the island.

What would you do with this kitchen?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Online Kids' Consignment Store:ThredUp

 

I love bargains.  Occasionally I visit thrift stores, because you never know what useful items you might find that someone else has discarded.  They're often known for being a great place to find Halloween costumes (they are), but they can also be a surprising resource for kids' and adults' clothing items, (with a good washing before use!)  Some of my favorite pairs of jeans have come from thrift stores, with good quality brands like Gap, Banana Republic, DKNY, and Ann Taylor.  And it's a great way to be a good steward of the environment.

I also like shopping online.  No lines, no going out, and easy to sift through products to find exactly what you're looking for at the best price.  

So here's a happy marriage of the 2: Online consignment shopping.  I just learned about a company called ThredUp, where you can sell your kids' clothes in good condition, and buy gently used clothing in good shape at steep discounts from the new, retail price.  They often run special deals to make your shopping even sweeter.  Right now, save 25% on your first order.  If you have clothes to sell, order a free bag at their site and they'll send you a bag to ship your clothes in, at no cost.  Check out their website for more details.

That sounds like my kind of bargain!  Let me know what good deals you find!

Use Shop at Home to Earn Easy Cash Rebates

Get cash back with Shop at Home!  For a lot of my building projects, I shop online for my supplies, and then pick them up the same day in the local hardware stores.  Lowe's even has a 20-minute guarantee; when my order wasn't ready on time once, they gave me a $25 gift card.  Besides being convenient and easy, it saves money to shop online.  There are many online rebate companies, like Shop At Home.  When you set up a free account with them, and visit their page, they'll have links to different stores along with the percentage of your purchase you'll get back in cash.  Sometimes it varies by day, but right now at Lowe's and Home Depot, for example, you can earn 6% of your purchase back, and at Ace Hardware, it's 7% back.  The site will also list any applicable coupons, free shipping codes, and sales for the stores.  The savings really add up if you are buying lumber, hardware, or other supplies.  Check it out here: Shop at Home.  Here's to building more for less!

1-Year Family Handyman Annual Subscription Only $4.99!

Despite the crazy Las Vegas summer heat, I did a few fun building projects over the summer that I can't wait to blog about.  

But until then, I just had to let you all know about this great deal that seems right up my alley, and probably yours, if you're reading this blog: 11 issues of Family Handyman for only $4.99!  To snag this deal, go to www.Discountmags.com, add Family Handyman to your cart, add coupon code HIP2SAVE in the coupon code box, and check out. (Thanks, HIP2SAVE!)

Food on the Table

Recently, I have been trying out a computer program and app on my phone for grocery shopping and meal planning, called Food on the Table . This is a great resource that helps you plan meals for the week, based on your family's preferences, and save money.  There are many recipes to choose from, with reviews included.  You can even specify any dietary restrictions such as vegetarian, gluten-free, low-sodium, or low-fat.  After selecting recipes your for the week (or adding your own), the program automatically builds a grocery list for you.  You can even link it to your local grocery stores to find sale prices on any items on your list.  Finally, you can access your list on your smartphone or print it out and check off items as you shop.  If you're looking for a way to get organized with meal planning, or maybe you just want some new recipe ideas, I highly recommend trying Food on the Table.  Until 4/30/12, lifetime membership is free with the code: SPRINGFREE.  Simply register your email address, download the software on your computer, and then download the app on your iPhone or Android smartphone.  Happy grocery shopping!