Do It On A Dime

$1 HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS | 2014

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Holiday, Money Saving

Annie’s Simple Life invited me to participate in this collab video to share some easy holiday gift ideas that don’t break the bank.  How nerdy is it that I get giddy when I see these types of videos pop up in my subscription feed?  They never get old!

***DOWNLOAD FREE GIFT TAG TEMPLATES HERE!***

One element that always guides my gift-crafting is: would I like to receive this gift?  Sometimes “cheap” has the assumption of “tacky.”  These are two gifts that we love and use at home, and they are extremely budget-conscious.  Enjoy!

***DOWNLOAD FREE GIFT TAG TEMPLATES HERE!***

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Holiday Aroma

 Holiday Aroma Recipe:

One Orange, One lemon, 3 Cinnamon sticks, 1 Tablespoon Whole Cloves, 1 teaspoon Nutmeg

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Baby Jesus DIY Nut Ornament!

P.S.  Don’t forget to check out my Halloween vlog if you missed it!

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Small ways to eat healthier and save money: BREAD MACHINE TUTORIAL

by Filed Under: DIY Projects, Money Saving, Online Deals, Recipes

It’s fall, so a bread-themed post is more than appropriate and probably long overdue.

I’ve wanted to share a bit about our breadmaker.  I’ve talked about it in passing in numerous vlogs, and I’ve had a fair number of comments asking to hear more about our Sunbeam.  I’ve had it on my list to make a video about for a while: how it saves us money, why it’s healthier how we store it, how we keep our bread fresh after it is made, etc… why in the name of bacon would I store such a GIANT thing in my kitchen!?!?

So cheers to carbs and how to make your bread-maker count!

Let me know your 2 cents.  Do you have a bread machine?  Do you use it?  I would love to know your favorite recipes if you do!

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HOW TO ACTUALLY STAY ORGANIZED!

by Filed Under: Organization

I get many messages from you asking for help getting organized.  A common theme is “I can organize things, but it never stays that way.  I think I’m just destined to live with clutter.”

I wanted to address this question simple give you some tips that really help me.  From a  working mom in a REAL house.

Here is how to ACTUALLY STAY organized….

1) DON’T BE DISCOURAGED:  High-traffic zones are hard to keep organized…they are for me, too!

2) TAKE INVENTORY:  Keep in a space only what  you actually use.  Not back-ups.  Not extras.  Only the stuff you use.  Quit the ifs ands and buts.

3) YOU DON’T JUST NEED “ANOTHER BIN”:  Most spaces don’t need new things to make them function.  Save $$, yo!

4) USE THE 20% RULE: Leave 20% minimum of free, empty space in any organized space…you need room to grow!

5) HALFWAY-HOME:  Put “extras” you are purging in a box for a few months to see if you really need to keep it.  Never go in it?  Get rid of it!

6) FORGET PERFECT.  I’m serious.  Your house will NEVER look like a blog.  Like ever.  And if it does you will be sad because you will have no life.  Just aim for efficient 🙂

SEE IT IN ACTION!

DOLLAR TREE K-CUPS REVIEW!

by Filed Under: Dollar Tree, Money Saving, Online Deals, Recipes

I stumbled upon reusable K-Cups at Dollar Tree.  There are these guys: Brew and Save Refillable Single-cup that retail for 5x the price (and they are the “cheap” ones!)  So when I saw them at DT, I knew I had to give them a whirl…er…brew 😉

I use a Keurig Mini.  They are affordable, compact, and do just as good of a job.  Plus, I think the maintenance is pretty easy for them.

Here are my thoughts…

Flash back to this video where I give even more tips for saving money with a Keurig (wow…I can’t believe I made this so long ago!  The good news is all my tips are still applicable.)

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STOP KILLING YOUR HOUSE PLANTS | Best house plants

by Filed Under: DIY Projects

I firmly believe EVERY ROOM in your house needs something alive and green.  Plants add beauty and elegance to your decor…and they also can have health benefits (more info on that here).  While I love them, I simultaneously hate plants because I always manage make them look ugly over time.  Too much water, too little water, or sometimes I think they are out to spite me.  LOL!

And then I think to myself, “Why invest in plants when I am just going to kill them?”

But, over the years of owning many kinds of greenery, there are TWO types of plants that I have had really good luck with and I hope you will, too.  I am not an expert or a pro at plant care, but I ran this by a few friends who are really (REALLY) into gardening and they responded with a resounding YES to these babies, too….

Sweetheart Vine or Heart Leaf Philodendron (Philodendron Scandens)
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamifolia)

Let me explain why I love them so much and why (with minimal maintenance we have been able to keep them alive for 6+ years!)

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Best Ikea Organizers: Under $10!

by Filed Under: Money Saving, Organization

Organizing without Dollar Tree IS possible (I know lots of my international subscribers are jealous of budget finds in the US).  I wanted to make this video to show you some of my favorite IKEA organizers.  Nope, this is not a sponsored video.  I bought everything with my own dollas…very unfortunately. 😉


One common trend among all these items is the color white.  White = clean = crisp = a feeling of high-end (even if you didn’t spend a lot).  So here are my faves.

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