Brightening up their home while also remaining on budget is a challenge that many people face every
day. While you can be sure that coupons and promo codes can give you access to exciting deals on
selected products, there are also a number of inexpensive tips that will help you spruce up your
residence without having to break the bank in the process.
Add Mirrors
Mirrors are a great cheap solution that will enhance the appearance of your home’s interior. If an area
is dark and small, placing a mirror there provides the illusion of open space. Simply stop by your local
thrift store or a secondhand shop, as they are sure to have plenty of great items for you to select from.
Even if the mirror isn’t exactly the one you want, they are very easy to strip and redecorate!
Create or Purchase Furniture Covers
While it is costly to purchase all new furniture, making or even purchasing covers for your old pieces is
not! If your furniture is dark, head online to search for new, lighter color patterns that will uplift the
area. Should you be unable to find a cover that you like at the local stores, online research can lead you
to patterns that are more to your liking – ones that you can easily make on your own.
New Rugs
Rugs are able to change a room’s entire appearance, although they are often expensive. If you are
looking for a cheaper rug option, head to a carpet wholesale outlet. In many instances, they will allow
you to purchase off cuts, which gives you a chance to find rugs for smaller rooms without having to
spend big. Rooms that are oddly shaped will benefit from carpet scraps that have been cut into the
appropriate shape!
Use More Whites
When it comes to colors that will brighten up a living area, few are more versatile than white! This hue
will work great for your walls, floors and large pieces of furniture. Giving yourself a white canvas to
work on makes for much easier home decoration projects and also serves to make dark, small rooms
look much more open and bright. It will give your tinier areas a larger, roomier, more inviting overall
appearance.
Choose The Right Accessories
A few trips to your local secondhand stores and thrift markets is all it will take for you to find some
great accessories to brighten up your home!
Brighten Up Your Home On A Budget
Home Alone: Ultimate Collector’s Edition Giveaway #HomeAloneInsiders
Get ready to ring in the holiday season (a little early!) as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment celebrates the 25th anniversary of Home Alone: Ultimate Collector’s Edition arriving on Blu-ray and DVD October 6th!
Visit Olive Garden For Good Food and Fun Passes #sponsored
Disclosure- I received a gift card in order to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own and honest. Please see “I Disclose” for more information.
With fall arriving, and the kids being back in school, it is hard to find time to get out and have some fun. Everyone has a busy schedule and it can be hard to get the kids together at the same time to enjoy an evening out together.
Want to find a way to get more family fun for your buck? Olive Garden knows that families want to get the most fun that they can when they are planning activities. That is why they have a new family fun promotion.
Starting from September 28th, when guest visit Olive Garden and order an adult entrée and a kid’s meal, they will receive a “Fun Pass” voucher that can be redeemed for a variety of local activities. These activities can be roller skating, seeing a movie together and even bowling. This promotion is open nationwide and you can find what activities are available around you by visiting the website.
You can receive as many Fun Passes as the amount of qualifying purchases you have made and registered. If you purchased 3 adult entrees and 3 Kids Meals on the same receipt, you will receive 3 reward codes to select 3 Fun Passes after you register your receipt.
Olive Garden makes a great dinner out and now that you can get discounts for some added fun, it makes a great start to a fun night out.
Win an iPad Mini Pre Loaded with @FlareKids app
One of you can win a great prize- an iPad mini, pre-loaded with the fun and family friendly Flare Kids app. If you haven’t read my review on the app, please do so here. It’s a fun app that lets kids watch movies and shows, without mom and dad needing to worry about them getting into trouble with it.
Please feel free to enter the giveaway, using the RC form below. In order to enter, you will need to answer a question from the review, so make sure you read it before you enter. Ends Oct. 31, 2015. Good luck!
Good Oral Health With #LISTERINE
Disclosure- This is a sponsored post. I received LISTERINE® Brand products from Johnson & Johnson Consumer, Inc. as part of my participation in this project. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.
You can only make one first impression. One of the best ways to make a great first impression is by smiling. Here’s the thing: Many people probably don’t realize that the health of their mouth says so much about them!
Having poor oral health can have a big impact on your life and in more ways than people expect. Most people know that it can make a bad first impression, cause health issues but it can also one’s career. Nearly 7 in 10 Americans think having an unhealthy mouth threatens one’s chances of getting hired. In a recent study by LISTERINE® Brand and GFK’s, while more than 8 in 10 people believe they have a healthy mouth (83%), the truth is that nearly all Americans suffer from some form of oral disease. More than half of Americans believe that oral health issues can negatively impact one’s success in their relationships (52%), more than an unhealthy weight (33%) or bad skin (19%). To learn more about the LISTERINE® Brand survey, click here
People fail to realize that brushing alone just isn’t enough. That is because brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth, and that leaves millions of germs behind. If that is left untreated, these are the germs that can lead to oral care issues such as plaque and gingivitis. Using LISTERINE® Antiseptic cleans virtually 100% of your mouth. It can give you up to 5 times healthier gums in 2 weeks and up to 9 times healthier in 4 weeks.
LISTERINE® wants to talk to you about having better oral health. Be sure to join the Twitter Party Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 12 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. CT / 9 a.m. PT. #LISTERINE, whether it’s during the Twitter party or in blog posts and additional social promotion, will trigger a $10 donation, up to $40,000, to support Oral Health America’s Fall for Smiles campaign (October 1 – December 1, 2015) to educate communities about the importance of proper oral care.
The @ASPCA #ChangeYourChicken Challenge
I am an animal-lover. We donate time and money to worthy non-profits, but one of the biggest things that we do is speak with our wallets in the way we buy. While we are not vegan or vegetarian (and some contend that there is no real “cruelty free” animal product purchase, which I disagree with) we don’t buy from places or brands that abuse animals. Many people don’t know much about farm animal cruelty issues, but it can be an often brutal industry. Have you heard about the “Change Your Chicken” Challenge? It’s one way you can make a difference, and let brands know you won’t tolerate animal abuse.
Did you know that most full-grown chickens have less than one square foot of space to live in– less than the size of an iPad?
The ASPCA is hoping to raise awareness about the plight of factory farmed chickens in order to inspire the public to demand healthier, more humane conditions. They launched Change Your Chicken– a 30 day challenge that encourages Americans to shift all their chicken purchases from the worst factory farmed products to more humanely raised products.
Want to help?
- Take the Change Your Chicken Challenge for 30 days. You can find more info and valuable resources on how to find more humanely raised chicken at www.ChangeYourChickenChallenge.com
- Watch and share the ASPCA video titled “Stand Up for Chicken,” featuring chicken jokes that highlight the sad truth of factory farms: https://youtu.be/Zb9j9YSHxWw
- Share the ASPCA’s mobile-friendly poultry label guide – an explanation of the most common food labels and what they mean, as well as other social shareables: http://pitch.pe/1QmEJJO
- Post on social media, encouraging your followers to take the challenge as well. Sample language could be: “I’m cutting out factory farmed chicken for 30 days for the @ASPCA #ChangeYourChicken challenge: ChangeYourChickenChallenge.com”
The most important thing you can do is to buy only cruelty free chicken- paying careful attention to what you buy speaks volumes. It’s often the only thing that companies “hear” as well, because you are talking with your wallet (the only thing that matters to those who are making those animals miserable for a bigger profit). So speak loudly, and buy humane.
Best Ways to Pamper Your Pup #FurryFoodie #ad #Walmart
Disclosure- This post is Sponsored post by Lunchbox. All opinions are my own and honest.
Dogs are part of the family. There are there for us when we are feeling down, want to jump with us when we are feeling happy, and want to snuggle with us when we sleep. Any good pet owner knows that the best way to keep your dog happy and feeling his best, is to make sure that they are well cared for. That includes making sure that your pup is pampered and spoiled.
Ways to spoil your dog:
- A bed of their own: While dogs love to sleep where you are, in your bed if they are allowed, or on the furniture, a dog also likes to have a bed of their own. It can be a great place for dogs to unwind after getting too excited and it can be their own space.
- Walks: It is important to keep your dog active, and a walk around the neighborhood is a fun way to do that. It gives the dog a chance to see and smell new things and mark some new territory. Just like people, most dogs like to get out and see different things.
- Special treat: Do you like having a special treat or candy? Your dog does too. It doesn’t matter if it is given as a reward or as a nightly addition to their meals, giving your dog a treat will make him happy.
- A trip to the dog park: If your dog likes other dogs and love to have the chance to run around without his lease, the dog park might be a fun option. It gives the dog a chance to get out some energy and have the freedom to run around that they do not normally have. Since most dog parks are fenced in, you do not have to worry about them getting lose. Plus, just like kids, some dogs love to play with other dogs. Someone to chase and run with and jump on.
- A Great Dog Food: A dog needs a food that will give him good nutrition plus has a taste that he wants to eat. IAMS offers a Visible Difference, available at Walmart, that gives a noticeable improvement in energy, skin, coat and digestion. IAMS is 100% proactive nutrition and has 0% fillers. IAMS Visible Difference products are the perfect way to cater to your Furry Foodie.
When you purchase IAMS from Walmart, you can receive a collapsible dog bowl in the mail when you text or upload the receipt. After purchasing one of the participating IAMS Proactive Health, Healthy Naturals, Grain Free or Premium Protection eligible products at Walmart, shoppers can text “DOGBOWL” with a photo of their receipt to 811811 to get a free collapsible dog bowl. This offer is valid on purchases made from 9/15/15 – 11/30/15.
What is your favorite way to spoil your dog?
Breast Cancer Living Locket from OrigamiOwl.com
October is the month to think pink! Origami Owl, the customizable jewelry company is joining the cause and supporting strong women everywhere. Whether you’re a survivor, want to honor a friend of family member, or are just an ally of the cause, Origami Owl has designed a Living Locket featuring themed charms to commemorate those who have given us hope and courage.
Not only is this piece beautiful, but you can either buy it “as is” or make it your own and design and customize it as you like. It comes with it’s own little pouch, so you you can keep it safe while you are not wearing it. This is exactly what it looks like if you purchase “as is”, without alterations.
It is a great way to show your support, not just during the month of October, but year round. It’s also very pretty, and it does brighten up an outfit. The eye goes right to it! The silver color goes with just about anything, too. It’s easy to dress up or down, and unlike some articles of jewelry, does not “jingle” when you or it moves. I don’t know about you, but when my jewelry jingles, it drives me mad.
The Breast Cancer locket features the Silver Heritage Living Locket with the pink ribbon charm, hope charm and rose Swarovski stardust crystals, with options to add additional charms and crystals to further personalize your locket. But the customizing doesn’t stop there – the locket also includes a Silver heritage plate to inscribe a special message, a date or initials for an everlasting memory.
Retailing at $90.00, the Breast Cancer Living Locket will be available for purchase through the month of October at OrigamiOwl.com, and for every necklace purchased 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Face in the Mirror, a non-profit organization that provides cancer patients with makeovers that calm the spirit and touches the inner person, giving back hope and self-esteem.
