It happens all the time. I pick up a decorating magazine and see gorgeous designer rooms that cost a fortune. For a moment, I imagine how it would feel to come home to a picture perfect room that takes my breath away.

Then reality sets in. I realize two things. First of all, most of those rooms are not conducive to my family’s lifestyle. Secondly, I just plain can’t afford it.

However, this doesn’t mean I can’t make my home a comfortable and visually appealing haven for my family.

I’ve learned a few great frugal decorating tips along the way that are simple to implement and give the most bang for your buck.

A few ways to decorate on a budget:

1. Rearrange - One of the easiest changes you can make in your home is simply moving things around. By moving things around, I mean both your large furniture as well as items on shelves. I like to occasionally take everything off my shelves and then replace things in an entirely different manner. It sure gives that whole unit a different appearance.
2. Shop smart - If you need other pieces of furniture or accessories be sure to check out places like E-bay, discount home stores, Wal-Mart, Target, second-hand stores or yard sales. You might be surprised at the steals you can get on great pieces.
3. Repaint or refinish old furniture pieces - It may require a little elbow grease, but by redoing an old piece of furniture you gain a great sense of accomplishment, and you can also make it the color that fits best into the area you will be putting the piece in.
4. De-clutter - If a simple and clean look is what you’re going for, de-cluttering is an absolute must. I cannot stand clutter. On my shelving units, which are about two feet wide, I aim for putting three or less items on each shelf. This way I know they will not have a cluttered look and it’s also much easier to keep them looking clean.
5. Raid other rooms in the house - When revamping a particular room in the house, scour other rooms to see if there are items that would go well in your room that may not particularly fit in the room in which they are currently located.
6. Check lighting - This could mean moving a lamp to a new location to bring more light into a main living area, or it could mean changing the lamp shade to give an old worn lamp a more contemporary look. You may also consider changing out globes on old lighting fixtures or completely replacing lighting fixtures with newer updated styles.
7. Add a fruit bowl - One of my favorite ways of adding color is taking a simple glass bowl and placing the fruits I’ve purchased for us to eat throughout the week inside the bowl and making it the centerpiece for our table. It adds pretty color and utilizes the fruits I’ve purchased.
8. Greenery - Adding ferns or other luscious green plants are great ways to bring life and color to a room without costing an arm and a leg.
9. New print for an old frame - Liven up an old frame by purchasing an inexpensive print. I learned when one of my favorite picture frames broke recently, the frame is the expensive part to replace. If you have a great frame you can usually go to a home store and find a print that will work nicely with your existing frame. It is definitely worth a shot to keep from replacing the whole thing.

I hope you have found some of these ideas useful for your frugal decorating challenges. However, I can always use some suggestions myself.

What is your best frugal decorating tip?

This post is linked to Frugal Friday.

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Posted on May 28th, 2009 in Home and Organization | 12 Comments

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I’m off today, but you are welcome to browse my site and check out these links I’ve found for you to enjoy.

• Making Summer Plans: Planning Summer Schedules for Your School-Age Children - Organizing Your Way (written by Shaina of Food for My Family)
• How to Choose Goals and Ensure Success - Serene Journey
• Safe and Eco-Friendly Toys - Smart Family Tips
• Be sure to go over to Simple Mom for her Summer Week of Giveaways this week. Who knows, you just might win.

Thanks for stopping by. I’m off to play!

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Well, I just got back from a much needed camping vacation at the lake. We had so much fun and I had the privilege of sitting back, relaxing and spending time with the family. It was wonderful.

My family started going to the lake when I was about 15 years old and haven’t stopped since. I’ve gained many fond camping memories throughout the years.

Just the other night as my dad and I sat around the campfire, we began to talk about some of the reasons we have loved camping for so long. It’s just a totally different experience than going on a great big vacation to a large city or an amusement park somewhere.

Here are some of the reasons we came up with for going on a family camping trip and foregoing the typical big vacation, or at least occasionally.

• Rest and Relaxation: The atmosphere of the lake provides a simplicity and peacefulness that’s not so easy to come by these days with all our hectic schedules. As opposed to the normal vacation schedule in which you are busily zooming from one attraction to another, the peaceful outdoors and nice fresh air are the attractions.

• Inexpensive: Camping is a relatively inexpensive vacation option. The campsite we rented was only $20 a night, pretty cheap in comparison to a hotel bill. If you don’t have a tent, you can probably borrow one from a friend or family member. Even if you have to buy one, it’s a one time investment that will last many trips. You’re also grilling and eating simple foods that don’t cost near as much as going out to restaurants. Of course, another biggie is no expensive amusement park tickets.

• Quality Family Time: One of the best parts about camping is the quality time you can spend with your family. Since you’re in one place and not hustling to get from one place to another, you have plenty of time for togetherness. Some of the things we did this past weekend included throwing frisbees, riding bikes, making s’mores around the campfire and a little swimming. Actually the kids did the swimming, it was a little too chilly for the rest of us…burrr! We did sit and watch them have fun though.

Even if you’ve never tried camping before, it’s never to late to embark on this new adventure. You just might find yourself addicted too.

Does your family ever go on camping trips? If so, what types of things do you like to do?

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

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Posted on May 27th, 2009 in Kids and Family | 7 Comments

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