A chip off the old...?

Getting ready for your holiday guests with a fresh coat of paint?  Check out 
Sherwin-Williams' online tool at www.letschipit.com.

This site allows you to instantly generate perfectly matched paint chips from any image on the web (and, yes, it's free!).

Too hot to handle!

With ceiling fans all over our Phoenix home, lightbulbs are constantly burning out and just when I need them in precisely that room!  Saw a great idea for taking out a still hot lightbulb - use half a tennis tennis ball (hollowed out) to put over the bulb to unscrew it safely.

Free online home planner!

In a daze from trying to redo a room in your home? Check IKEA's website for a free online planner to help you use a selection of their furniture to try out sizes and scale before you do something "drastic"!

Spring is springing!

When Spring arrives, I want to bring flowers inside, but I never seem to have enough vases and don't want to break my budget buying lots of them! Here's a great idea that you can check out at Facebook.com/HomeMadeSimple:

All you need to make stylish, colorful vases is: assorted clear glassware (bottles will work fine), a drip tray and latex paint in spring colors (try lavender, white, green or yellow). Clean glassware and dry it completely. Pour paint (over tray) down inside walls of the glassware and swirl to coat it (add more as needed). Once done, hold it upside down and drain off the excess paint. Set vessels upside down to dry for about 30 minutes and then turn upright and let dry for 24 hours. Don't fill with water or drinks as paint may wear away. Use these as vases for dried or silk flowers/green or fresh ones without water.

Chill out!

Face it, when you live somewhere as hot as Phoenix during the summer, you look for all sorts of ways to cool down. Yes, we have a pool (water is as warm as a bath!) and air-conditioning is as necessary as bottled water to survive here! But sometimes it's just the little things that give the appearance of cooling you down that really count! I love an idea that I saw in "InStyle" magazine (May, 2011)... they suggest setting out small clippings (bundled) of fresh herbs in colorful, "handblown" votives. The herbs with their scent and the color of the votives give a soothing, almost spa-like feel to your kitchen (along with handy herb access for cooking!). They suggested some lovely votives in blue and green glass, each of which runs $40 at glassybaby.com. You should know by now that the Penny Pincher doesn't go for that type of budget for displaying herbs (let alone the family heirlooms!). But check out Michael's, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby or even Pier One or CostPlus (99 cents for clear votives!) for some look-alike deals to chill out with! Ah...can you feel the breeze?

Outer Space (I mean in your garage!)

USA Today's Sunday insert last week provided some great ideas for organizing your garage (and mine could really use it!)

1) Determine "zones of function" - separate places for laundry, tools, your car(s), etc...
2) Think vertically - use walls to create storage - shelves, cabinets, etc...
3) Go "above and beyond" - store bikes, etc...overhead (hanging from ceiling).
4) Organize "tool" kits - in separate bins put garden tools, oil change supplies, dog wash stuff...you get the idea!
5) Keep toys within reach...make it easily accessible for kids to get their bikes, game equipment, etc.

Voila...instant garage organization!

Great bulletin board idea!

Create an attractive, personalized bulletin board for your home or dorm room (see "redbookmag.com"). Use a cheap yet spiffy-looking picture frame (a Goodwill or garage sale find??!), an Exacto knife and a role of adhesive-backed cork (check out office or craft stores for this!). The "how-to's" are fairly self-explanatory...a project that is both quirky and corky! :D

Ants Begone!

Short and sweet! Have you ever struggled with anthills in your yard? Good Housekeeping (6/90) advises putting cucumber peels on an anthill to ensure that the ants will go away! Let me know if this really works, ok?

Organizing your closet (cheaply of course!)

Check this out - is your closet as much of a disaster area as mine? Help is on the way!

Learn for Free & Do it Yourself!

Free is always my favorite way to get something. And as "Good Housekeeping" notes (April '10), the Internet provides a huge assortment of sites providing free instructional videos. To avoid bad info on "how to" questions, be sure to look at the major sites (a few are noted below. You can also search "how to [fill in the blank!]" on Google. Don't pay for video lessons - stick with the freebies since there's no shortage of them!

Some to check out:

For Home Repairs:
* diynetwork.com (I love this one!)
* doityourself.com

For Cooking & Entertaining:
* goodhousekeeping.com (yeah, it was their article so they are biased, but it is a good site!)
* epicurious.com

For Beauty & Style:
* realbeauty.com
* howdini.com

For Crafts & Hobbies:

* ehow.com
* howcast.com

Please let us know if you find any great ones out there...just add it as a comment to this post! Thanks!

Color me happy...and my grout white, thank you!

Be still my heart...at nearly 50 it takes so little to get excited! I just ran across an ad for "Stone Care International's Grout Ink" - two coats and it allows you to stain grout for a "like new" (or at least much cleaner) look for only $8.35/"pen". It comes in white, grey and earthtone and can be wiped off tile with a damp towel if you slip up during the process! Believe me, until my kitchen counters are at long last replaced by granite, this could be the answer to my counter cleaning prayers! And I am sure this would be amazing for bathrooms too! (I think it's the kid and the Crayola syndrome manifesting itself again, sorry!)

Spring is in the Air and on the Wall!

If you're like me, spring breezes in and I suddenly want everything to be renewed...My hair? New style (or color!) time! My yard? Flowers are a must (well maybe NOT since I seem to wilt them with a mere glance!)... But above all, I feel this sudden urge to redecorate our home. "Redbook" (3/10) has a great idea - hang an inexpensive but bright or uniquely patterned rug on a wall. They advise it can cut sound and add texture to a room's decor...To save your walls, they recommend using decorating Velcro along with a strip of appropriately strong wood to allow you to hang the rug like a heavy painting (or tapestry). I'm off to check IKEA or Target - Spring is in the air and I will be ready this year!

Spring into Action (for decor, not spring cleaning)

A few ideas from a number of resources (yeah, ok, women's magazines, but they always have some cool ideas even if you loathe admitting it!):

* Use a modern lamp to add a "kick" to an otherwise very traditional room.

* Place candles of various sizes in a non-working/non-used fireplace to create a focal point (hmmm...maybe more appropriate in winter?)

* Make a low ceiling seem higher by painting it a "cooler" color (i.e. dove grey?)

* Save money on drapes and buy stylish shower curtains - there are lots of pretty and inexpensive options (ok...not clear with fish and seashells on them...!)

Other ideas, please?

Build your own outdoor fire pit!

I have frequently priced and sighed over the costs of fire pits - you know the ones...copper bowls, brick pits custom-designed or even the less ornate wrought-iron versions. But, no, we still don't have one. Fear not...there is hope for those of us with fire pit delusions and low budgets!

Check out: http://home.aol.com/diy/experts/eric-stromer/how-to-make-your-own-outdoor-fire-pit-instructions

In short here is what you need to do:

1) Locate the area where you want the fire pit to be located and level the ground (avoiding any fire hazards such as structures, bushes, trees, etc.)

2) Determine fire pit size and mark it - then dig a six-inch trench around it.

3) Mix concrete using shovel or hoe and aim for a thick (i.e. peanut butter-like) consistency.

4) Fill pit with concrete, leaving one to two inches of the dirt area for the pit exposed at the top.

5) Level the concrete using a scrap piece of lumber and then allow it to dry for at least four hours (overnight is even better!)

6) Wash rocks

7) Mix mortar to consistency slightly thinner than the concrete and begin stacking the rocks while apply mortar to them, covering about 3/4 of the bottom surface of the rock with a trowel. Continue stacking the rocks until your fire pit is at desired height.

What you need: rocks, concrete, mortar, water, trowel, mixing tub, shovel or hoe, scrap piece of lumber.

I may just have to try this one!

And when spring cleaning is done...decorate!

As an avid reader of all things "cheap and easy" (well, except Playboy and the like!), I ran across another money (and face) saving article in the 2/1/10 issue of Woman's Day...(yep, just skip my blog and subscribe!...kidding, just kidding!).

Check out the complete article for all 50 cheap and easy decorating ideas, but here are a few of my absolute favorites:

* Add plants to your rooms - they filter out pollutants and "add life" to your home. (ok, my friends know I have the exact opposite of a green thumb, but they do suggest money plants and spider plants as they are the easiest to care for)!

* Move your furniture around...give it a different look with the stuff you have!

* Give a new look to your kitchen by filling clear glass jars with grains, coffee, tea, etc. (hint - check out IKEA)

* Don't replace carpets - get them professionally cleaned (or do it yourself to save a few more dollars) and/or layer a rug on top of them!

* Put out fresh flowers & guest soaps in your bathroom...look like it is guest-ready all of the time...

* Make windows look taller simply by raising your curtain rods!

See the article for even more amazing ideas...you won't believe you didn't think of them yourself...so simple and yet so cool!

Accessorizing your table (from your old winter wardrobe)!

Rather than toss an out-of-date, yet good condition winter scarf, try recycling it as a table runner. It can be a cozy addition if the color is right for your decor (and if you don't have one, check thrift stores for one that fits your taste!).

Way to spiff up your house on a dime!

A few quick ideas to give a fresh look to your home:

* Change the hardware on your cabinets (bathroom or kitchen)- give it a new look!

* Add a "backsplash" in your kitchen - vinyl wallpaper is washable and adds a new look!

* Use a stencil to add a pattern or extra flair with paint in any room in your home!

IKEA deals!

Depending on where you live, you can stroll through IKEA and check out the deals in-person, but if not, check them out at IKEA-USA.com. The 2010 catalog just came out and they always have fun stuff at reasonable prices (or better than reasonable)!