ideas Archives - Page 4 of 4

3 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do With Christmas Lights

October 10, 2016 by Painter Mommy 2 Comments

Did you think Christmas lights were only for winding through the branches of firs and spruces during that festive season? Think again. Christmas lights are a versatile way to decorate for your parties at any time of year. Discover three things you didn’t know you could do with Christmas lights.

Add Glamour to a Roaring ’20s Party

Glamorous 1920s-themed parties have become all the rage since the release of Baz Luhrmann’s film “The Great Gatsby.” The era was all about decadence, and Christmas lights can set the scene beautifully.

You’ll need a lot of Christmas lights to pull off this look, so the approach is perfect for people who decorate their home like the Griswolds in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” If you don’t have enough lights already, you can often find great discounts at sales throughout the year.

String the lights across every surface you can. White lights work best here, because they look a little like crystals glimmering in the night. All those lights can draw a lot of power, so consider choosing energy-efficient LED strings of lights from suppliers such as Christmas Lights Etc instead of traditional Christmas lights.

Light Up a ’60s-Themed Party

Christmas lights can be used in many ways to make your ’60s-themed party groovier. From tie-dyed fabrics to lava lamps, this decade was all about color, so you’re best served with brightly colored lights, not plain white ones. Simply stringing colored Christmas lights around your party will give it a groovy glow. However, if you have more time on your hands, you can get a little more creative.

Knot strips of tulle around a ribbon and tape it to the edge of the table where you’ve got your chips and dips or a retro cheese ball. Wrap some Christmas lights around the legs of the table, underneath the tulle, and turn them on. The lights will shine through the tulle, making your spread look even cooler.

If you have time, you could also make a twinkling peace sign wall hanging. Cut the peace sign out of a large piece of wood and drill holes through the design, following its lines. Poke colored Christmas lights through the holes, turn on the lights, and wait for the compliments to roll in.

Transport Your Guests to the Islands at a Hawaiian Party

We can’t always get away to tropical Hawaii, but with the right Christmas lights, you can re-create time on the islands at home. Any Hawaiian-themed party needs a tiki bar serving exotic cocktails such as mai tais and piña coladas. To add the right island atmosphere to your tiki bar, string up some Christmas lights. The idea sounds strange, but many colored Christmas lights actually look a lot like the lights that decorate island bars. Lights that have large bulbs, such as raspberry LED mini lights, are ideal for your Hawaiian celebration.

If you pack your Christmas lights away in January, you’re not using them to their full potential. With these ideas, you can enjoy these lights when the holiday season is long gone.

Image via Flickr by MsSaraKelly

5 Laundry Room / Mudroom Design Ideas

June 9, 2014 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

A mudroom or a laundry room, whatever you name it, is a multi-purpose area that is invariably becoming one of the most important spaces around the home. Whether you’re renovating your current abode or building a new home, your laundry room design and decoration deserves to gain the same attention as your kitchen and bedroom.

Although not the biggest room, but for some, it certainly is one of the most important and most used spaces around the home. From adding a space to store hockey bags to incorporating a project work area, laundry rooms are extensively being used as multi-functional spots for more than just cleaning clothes.

Here’s presenting a comprehensive list of 5 useful tips to help you design and build an ideal laundry room:

Let’s Begin With Flooring

Your laundry room is exposed to consistent foot traffic so make sure you opt for a floor that is easy to clean and is also durable. Linoleum, concrete or tiles constitute some of the best choices while selecting suitable flooring for your laundry room.

Also, if you could incorporate a space where you can wipe off your feet while entering the room would simply be amazing. You can add in a circular right at the entrance of the room, plus it would also help in enhancing the décor of the room.

Equip It For Rainy Days

If your laundry room, also doubles as a mudroom, then it will be helpful to have a dedicated space to hang hats and coats. This area should be loaded with sufficient amount of hooks. Be sure to hang the hooks over a rug so that the water can be easily absorbed in case it drips off the clothes.

Enhance Your Walking Space

The more storage space you have the better. Make sure you build spots to store muddy shoes such that you don’t track dirt and mud throughout the house in rainy seasons.

This place would also constitute an ideal storage space for toys that are meant for exterior activities only.

From Laundry Room To Cozy Niche Space

There are laundry rooms which don’t even look like one. Even you can transform the look and feel of your laundry room and make it a cozy place by working on its color palette. Try feminine cottage style décor with softer hues to make it a comfortable niche space.

Just a little forethought and you can transform your boring laundry room into a cozy space to read on your favorite book away from the family. Such an environment is certainly going to make laundry feel like a less chaotic task and more of a tranquil getaway.

Have Your Way To Storage Space

Storage is certainly the most important aspect of laundry rooms, so make sure you take advantage of ever inch you can. Build up your storage space as close to the ceiling as you can.

Place shelved cabinets which run horizontally above the washer or dryer unit. There you’ve build a perfect place to hold you laundry essentials.

About Author: – Bob Fortune is a professional writer & worked as an Customer Service at Fortune Restoration. Fortune Restoration is one of the best companies in Chicago for providing Services like Painting, Restoration services for residential homeowners from Hyde Park to Lincoln Park. To Connect with Bob Fortune in Google plus click here.

Summer Trends of 2014

June 3, 2014 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

This is a guest post…

With the return of the sun and temperatures nudging, numerous people will be hitting the stores for some summer essentials especially clothes. Here are some summer trends of 2014 that will freshen up the wardrobe.

Deluxe Denim

There is no doubt that denim has gone deluxe. Marc Jacobs confirmed this in his final show at Louis Vuitton. To keep up with this trend, you can purchase and wear sheer embellished tops, boyfriend jeans and heels or choose double denim. Alternatively, you can wear patchwork jeans and a denim shirt. Patchwork jeans are available at Karen Millen. Deluxe denim will do fine with patterned or white court shoes.

Sporty with Spice

Deluxe sportswear will continue trending into summer. This trend is among the most versatile as long as you concentrate on sportswear basics re-made in luxe materials. Some of the main pieces include silk bombers,
leather joggers, suede sporty shorts and any piece with shear panels. Suede sport shorts or dressy sweatpants, a grey marl tee and heels would make a perfect combination.

Pastels

It is not surprising that pastels are fashionable for summer. A blurred floral sweatshirt coupled with a pleated mini skirt will do just fine. Pastel botanical knits and pastel lace twinsets are also an awesome addition to your wardrobe for summer.

Tropical Florals

Tropical florals are always hot for summer. You can wear a tropical floral top-shirt with bright white culottes and you will look amazing. If anything, culottes are some of the coolest trousers of the season. On cooler days, tropical florals can be worn with loose-fit black blazers, flat slider sandals (preferably white in colour) or clashing top-shop heels. Dior has numerous tropical florals.

Art school

Art school is one of the most recognizable summer trends of 2014. Art school is seen at Celine, Prada and Chanel through their brush and colour-blocking strokes, and paint swirls. Art school is all about amazing prints and vibrant colours. Zara has a cool collection of art school including geometric print trousers.

You should reach for something that glitters this summer. Most fashion houses such as Miu Miu, Prada and Louis Vuitton are using sparkle, shimmer and costume jewellery fancies on collars, dresses, tops and any other inch of fabric they can get. They are some many fashionable old and new summer trends out there, the choice is yours. Some are simple and classy while others are quite complicated since fashion knows no limit.

UK Catalogues are a great place to find the latest Summer trends at great prices! You can even spread the cost with interest free credit if you so wish. For an in-depth guide to the UK’s catalogues check out Catalogues247.co.uk. They have unbiased reviews of the top UK clothing catalogues as well as the latest discount codes with up to 20% off!

Image Source: www.ealuxe.com

Ideal Vacation Holiday Destinations for the Whole Family

May 23, 2014 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

This is a partnered post…

A family holiday is the perfect way to relax and unwind away from the pressures of the modern rat-race. All inclusive family holidays are becoming more prevalent nowadays because of the number of people who want to bond with those who are dear to them and enjoy quality time with each other.

Why choose an all-inclusive deal?

Taking your family away on holiday can be an expensive business. Not only do you have to think about the flights, accommodation and meals, but extras such as drinks or children’s activities, can rack up the cost alarmingly quickly. You don’t want the hassle of counting your pennies every time the kids want a drink, so an all-inclusive deal gives you the peace of mind of knowing exactly how much your holiday will cost.

Holidays in Africa

There are many destinations in Africa which are ideal for families. For example, an all-inclusive holiday in The Gambia guarantees unbroken sunshine and glorious temperatures. Only six hours flying time away, and with no jet lag to worry about, Gambia has beautiful beaches, luxurious hotels, and plenty of interesting excursions to offer.

Holidays in Brazil

A holiday in Brazil is an unforgettable experience. The modern city of Rio de Janeiro has the iconic Copacabana and Ipanema beaches to enjoy. For a more traditional feel, Salvador boasts colonial architecture, as well as stunning beaches. And of course, the natural beauty of the untamed jungle, with its breathtaking hosts of wildlife, is sure to delight any family.

Holidays in The Caribbean

With sun-kissed tropical beaches and crystal-clear seas, the the Caribbean is a matchless family destination. Luxury hotels offer wonderful facilities including pools with panoramic views, water parks, kids clubs and much more. Sports activities, cocktail bars, and buzzing nightly entertainment are all provided, so you can be sure that adults and children alike will have a fantastic time.

Holidays in Costa Rica

With all-inclusive deals to suit every budget, Costa Rica is the ideal spot for families wanting sun, sea and sand. Surrounded by a unique volcanic landscape as well as tropical rainforest, this is a great choice if you are looking for somewhere a little unusual. With all the facilities you would expect from family hotels Costa Rica is hard to beat.

So if you are looking to build a store of family memories, why not opt for an all-inclusive holiday that your family will remember for years to come?

8 Interesting Ways to Live the Frugal Lifestyle

March 12, 2014 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

This is a guest post…

The frugal lifestyle is about saving money and living on less. Some do it because they have to and others do it by choice. No matter what group you fall into, we’re all in the same boat. We all have the same goals.

The best way to promote frugal living is through the sharing of ideas. And that’s what we’re going to do here. We’re going to help you find out more about how to live a frugal lifestyle.

1. We Enjoy It…No Really

Most people who live a truly frugal lifestyle do it because they want to. It isn’t influenced by how much money you have in the bank.

The truth is a lot of frugal people live on less than someone who’s truly destitute. There are a lot of ways you can live on just a few dollars a day quite comfortably. All it takes is work.

2. Drying Your Clothes

You don’t need a dryer.

It’s hard to believe, but you can quite easily go back to drying clothes on a line. In the U.S., this is no longer the done thing. In many countries, such as the UK, it’s what practically everyone does.

You can easily save $100 annually on energy costs by letting your clothes air dry.

3. Detergent

For some extreme penny pinching, try making your own detergent. It’s easier than you think. All it takes is soap, washing soda, and borax. You can save hundreds of dollars over the course of a few years like this.

It also saves on all that running down to the store whenever you run out!

4. Public Transport

Public transport is so cheap it’s shocking why people don’t use it. Not every city has dirty buses with lots of weird people onboard. Leave the car at home and consider taking the bus.

Gas is expensive these days. You’ll be surprised at how much you save.

And if you really want to save money try walking or jogging to work. You’ll save on all travel costs and get in shape at the same time.

5. Make Gifts

Do you remember all those fake holidays dreamed up by retailers?

Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Mother’s Day are just three of them. Instead of becoming a social outcast by not buying anything, make your own gifts.

Use your imagination and materials you find around the house. Gifts that were made by hand mean so much more than something you picked up for $20. It demonstrates you put some real thought into your gift.

6. Vacationing Closer to Home

For a vacation we always think of exotic countries and the wonders of other states. It’s amazing how little we know of the regions closest to us.

Instead of spending so much on travel and hotels, try taking the odd vacation closer to home. Within a few hundred miles of home you’ll find so much to do. It can just be as fun as flying to Europe or the other end of the country.

7. Coupon Masters

We’ve all seen news articles and TV shows about coupon nuts. These strange beasts collect coupons and save thousands of dollars every year by using their discount finding skills. You can do the same thing!

It doesn’t take any specialist knowledge. All you have to do is practice. Know where to find the best deals and how to maximize the power of every coupon.

Start by using a few coupons, and then try to transition as many of your purchases as possible over to coupons.

8. Repair Your Clothes

It’s disgusting just how many perfectly good garments we throw out every year. If a shirt has a small hole in it, don’t throw it out. Repair it instead.

You don’t need a sewing machine to do it. A good old-fashioned needle and thread is all you need. If you do want to perform complete rejuvenations, take a sewing class and invest in a machine.

Not only will you save money by doing all this, you’ll also help the environment. We as a nation need to use less and make do with what we have.

And here’s the true secret to frugal living: It’s laziness that holds us back. Anyone can do it if they really want to.