Cheap and Easy Thanksgiving Decoration Ideas

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only a few days away? If you’re anything like my family, you haven’t even begun to start decorating the house for the guests that are coming over. Between managing work, coordinating multiple Thanksgiving dinners (thanks a lot, in-laws!), and keeping the kids out of trouble, it can seem like a gigantic burden to get the house looking festive. Well fear not, friends! I will provide you with a few easy and inexpensive ways to make your house looking Thanksgiving-y.

Considering that the place people will be spending the best part of their Thanksgiving dinner is the dining table, it seems like a good starting point for decorations. Perhaps the easiest decorations to place on your dining table are gourds. Pumpkins, gourds, and acorn squash are all very festive vegetables that are in abundance at any grocery store during the holidays. The pumpkin and acorn squash are both awesome for cooking during the holidays, as well. There is a plethora of recipes online for pies, soups, and other types of dishes prepared using these vegetables. Another fun idea with small pumpkins is to make a card for each one with a different guest’s name on it. Place each pumpkin at the table where you think the corresponding guest will sit. This is an activity you can involve the kids with that is both fun and festive. You can also use candleholders as an elegant way to elevate small pumpkins on the dining table.

            
 If you’re working on a budget like my family, there are many other ways to save money on decorating the table for Thanksgiving. Don’t be afraid to buy chipped or damaged decorations. When staged correctly, no one will notice a small chip. Thrift stores and estate or garage sales are typically the best dumping grounds for old decorations, but one would be surprised at how easy it is to get a discount on damaged merchandise at popular retailers. Most brick and mortar stores don’t really want damaged merchandise floating around their store and will eagerly discount things to get them out of the door. This doesn’t just apply to decorations, either. If you are short on plates or bowls, you can typically use cheaper or slightly chipped pieces and make them look fancy by placing a cloth napkin in the middle. Of course the napkins should match and be seasonably appropriate; also, they won’t look very nice unless you fold them in an appealing manner. Another alternative is to purchase cheap seasonal plating. You’d be surprised at how little you need to pay for plates with fall designs on them.

             
Aside from the kitchen table, there are an abundance of areas in your house that or perfect for cheap decorations. Pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins is a good motto for decorating your living areas on Thanksgiving. You can put pumpkins on your bookshelf to use as book stops, on top of your entertainment center, your coffee and end tables, and next to any snack areas you have set up in your home. Acorns are also a very appropriate fall decoration that you can get for free just by going on a walk. If you have children, they will relish in the opportunity to collect as many acorns as they possibly can for your decorations. You can make festive candle holders by placing acorns in mason jars with a candle in the middle. Even just filling up a glass with acorns can look beautiful, just make sure you clean and dry your acorns ahead of time.

            
 The first thing people see when they arrive to your house for Thanksgiving dinner is your front yard. Once again, the pumpkin philosophy of fall decorating applies to your front porch. If you have a wheelbarrow that’s in decent shape, fill it with pumpkins and put it on your porch. You can make a wooden sign with a Thanksgiving greeting and rest it on the pumpkins. Broomstick scarecrows can be fun to make with the kids and hang from the front door. You can use a step ladder to make a multi-tiered decoration with pumpkins and other fall decor to place next to your front door. Fall-themed pillows on a chair can be effective, as can using a basket filled with gourds and pumpkins. As with any decorating project, use your judgment when designing and placing your decorations and never go overboard.

            
Lastly, let’s not forget about the bathroom when it’s time to decorate. Pumpkins and fall scented candles can be placed on the sink and any open shelving in the bathroom. Even the back of the toilet can be used to place decorations or fall-themed air fresheners. Why not use some of those acorn candles we talked about earlier for added atmospheric lighting in the bathroom? Fall-themed Kleenex boxes and towels are always a bonus, although if you’re operating on a budget you might not want to shell out for a new set of towels.

I hope some of these ideas can get you excited about decorating and feeling less overwhelmed with the holiday approaching. Remember, you don’t always have to go all-out with your decorations to make a positive impression on your Thanksgiving guests. Besides, the holiday is about being thankful and being around loved ones… and food!

Christmas Decoration Safety Tips

It’s only been a couple of weeks since you put away all of your Halloween decorations (or perhaps, they’re still hanging up outside) and your neighbors have already begun to hang their Christmas lights. Every day you see a new candy cane pop up in front of someone’s mailbox or the shadows of a Christmas tree silhouetted in another neighbor’s window by the light from their television. You might feel a little anxious about having to dig out all of the Christmas lights, unknotting them, testing them, getting on a ladder to hang them up, nearly breaking your neck in the process, and losing your temper when a strand doesn’t work a la Clark Griswald in Christmas Vacation. But relax, by remembering a few holiday-decorating safety-tips, things should go smoothly.

One of the biggest dangers posed by Christmas lights is that of a frayed or damaged cord. Exposed wires can cause electrical shock or even fires, so be sure you put your eyes on every inch of the cord before you plug it in. While this may seem like a daunting task, it really isn’t if you take things one strand at a time. As you unwind the cord, run it through your hands and check the wiring for tears, as well as ensuring each socket has a light in it (usually the strand won’t work otherwise) with no signs of being burnt out or damaged. After you have checked the strand, plug it in to be sure it turns on. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be to have that strand running along your roof, only to find that it doesn’t work when you’re done placing the lights? I’ve never made this mistake before… Honest!

That brings me to the most obvious tip when hanging lights- make sure they all work before you even start hanging them. If you begin hanging lights and then come across a burnt out strand, you will have to put everything down, head to the store to buy a new set, and then come back only to find another set of lights that isn’t working further down the line. Go ahead and test all of the lights before you start decorating. It’s much easier to have everything ready ahead of time, rather than having to start over, pause, or take shortcuts because you don’t feel like running to get more lights. Also, I recommend getting all the tools you need to hang the lights ahead of time. Try using these or something similar to assist with hanging the lights from your roof or gutter; they are much easier and safer to use than a hammer and nails. The insulated clips are also safer than nails or staples, as they do not become electrified if they somehow breach the insulation of the strand of lights.

There are a few other more obvious things that you should not forget about when hanging Christmas lights. First off, be sure to tape your extension cords or any excess length of cable to the ground to prevent someone from tripping. A broken neck is no way to spend the holidays! If your lights are older, make sure they have fused plugs. This will prevent fire-causing sparks if something short circuits. I also recommend taping the plugs where they connect to prevent moister from getting in. You should also consider elevating the plugs off of the ground in case of ice or snow. It might also be a good idea to make sure that the outlet you are using to plug your lights in is a GFCI, as it will shut off the power to the lights if it detects current flowing through water or a person. The most obvious tip I can give you for decorating safety is to not take risks. Don’t get up on your roof if you’re not 100 percent sure that you can get back down. It is also very important that you have someone help you any time you are using a ladder while placing lights. Absolutely do not ever hang Christmas lights on your roof alone!

There are some other, smaller, things that I recommend doing to make your holiday decorating go a little smoother. First off, if you have wooden decorations, wear gloves when carrying them out of your garage and placing them. Sometimes they can be full of splinters around the edges. Always use care when going in and out of your attic if this is where you store your decorations. Every year it seems like I hear about someone in my family or one of our friends falling through the attic while trying to retrieve something. Also, use care when bringing stuff down from the attic. Don’t take shortcuts by pulling down multiple items at a time, just take it slowly and no one will get hurt. When taking down your decorations (yes, the holidays leave us as quickly as they arrive), take care to do it in an organized fashion. You are only making your next holiday season that much more difficult by rushing the cleanup process. Label all of your boxes and wrap up all of your cords neatly. Save all of the clips you used, they will come in handy when the holidays show up again in 10 or 11 months.

So there, take a deep breath, relax, put on a warm coat and go make your house look awesome!

How to Prepare for a Home Exterior Renovation - Part 2

Last week we discussed some ways that you could better prepare for an exterior renovation, such as understanding your neighborhood and budgeting; this week, we will continue with a couple of more tips.

Make Sure You Are Doing Things in Code

About 9 or 10 years ago, one of my neighbors tore apart his garage and was remodeling it to become another wing to his house. His parents had moved in with his family and he was looking to make his house more spacious by adding another bedroom and bathroom. Many days into his project, a code compliance officer showed up to let him know that his project was not up to code and that he did not have any of the permits that the city required for the type of remodel he was doing. Not only did my neighbor have to scramble to get these permits to prevent receiving a large fine, but he had to completely redo the wiring for all of the electrical outlets he was installing. Perhaps the worst part of his predicament was that he could have easily prevented it by talking to a home inspector about how to stay in code and by doing some basic research about what work the city requires a permit for. Always know what you are getting into with home exterior renovation, especially when it comes to code and permit issues. Nothing is worse than having to redo some of your hard work and face a fine from code compliance. Obviously the easiest way to avoid these problems is by hiring a professional that is well-versed in municipal building regulations.

Grill Your Contractor

If you are using a professional for you remodel, which I would almost always recommend doing, be sure you are using someone that is qualified. While it can be tempting to hire someone off of Craigslist for $50, for bigger jobs I would definitely recommend a contractor that has real credentials. Be sure you ask about their history, if they can provide you with referrals, and if they are licensed to do the work you are asking them to do (if applicable). Understand that not every contractor is out to take all of your money in exchange for a poor job done, but there are companies out there that prey on ill-informed clients. Typically the best way to find a good contractor for your remodel is by asking your friends who they used and how happy they were with the job. There are also resources, such as the BBB and Angie’s List that can assist you in finding out more about potential contractors. Don’t be afraid to ask the contractor as many questions as you feel you need the answer to, as exterior remodeling can be a pricey affair and it would be shameful if you had a job completed in a way you were not happy with because you didn’t want to “bug” the contractor. You are their boss when they are working for you, so don’t be afraid to ask them as many questions about the job they are doing or their work history as you feel necessary.

How to Prepare For a Home Exterior Renovation - Part 1

Your house is how you represent yourself to your neighbors. A dilapidated and rotting house, or even one with just chipped paint and an unmowed lawn might give the people around you the wrong idea. Sure, we all get busy and let things slip through our fingers, but that is a fact that people don’t often consider when they look at your home. A damaged exterior doesn't just present a negative cosmetic effect on your home, but can also be the source of other bad things such as leaks (water or energy), pests, and falling property value. It is for these reasons, or perhaps others, that you might have found yourself seriously considering an exterior renovation to your property, whether it be just new siding and paint, or an entire exterior home makeover. Regardless of what type of project you’re planning, be sure to approach it in a practical manner by following some of the following tips:

Understand Your Neighborhood

Make sure that you understand the neighborhood that you live in. You can create an eyesore for years to come by making a number of mistakes- from overbuilding to picking the wrong paint color. While you always want your house to stand out, it should be because it looks exceptional, not because it looks out of place. If you live in a neighborhood that was primarily built with a modern aesthetic, don’t turn your house into a Victorian mansion or Southern plantation. Also keep in mind that people that would want to buy a house that is considerably bigger or fancier than what’s typically found in your neighborhood most likely aren’t shopping for houses in your neighborhood. This is also something that you should remember for interior renovations, as well. If you are unsure about the direction you are going with your renovation or remodel, don’t hesitate to talk to your neighbors, a realtor, or just take a drive around the neighborhood for ideas. Your contractor should be able to help you out with any decisions you’re unsure of as they’ve probably installed siding or redone a roof in your neighborhood (or at least a similar one) in the past. Don’t be afraid to listen to other’s input for your choices, especially if they work in the field.

Don’t Under Budget Your Renovation

Nothing can be worse than embarking on a cruise that only gets you halfway to your destination. To prevent an unfinished or shoddy remodel, be sure you can afford what it is that you want. While you can certainly juggle estimates and mix-and-match paints and parts, don’t end up with something that looks bad or unfinished. If you cannot afford the renovation that you want, give it some time. As long as your structure is not failing or costing you an absurd amount of money that a quick fix wouldn’t take care of, there’s no need to rush into something that won’t benefit your family in the long term. It is also important that you have clear quotes on all parts and labor from your contractors before you let any work begin. If for some reason you cannot afford the work being performed, you could damage your credit or end up with an angry contractor on your hands. Remember, a contractor has to go buy materials and find laborers for the job he is performing- both of which costs a lot of time and money. Not only is it bad for your credit to start a job you cannot afford, it’s bad karma as well. Also, don’t think that the job will necessarily end up being cheaper if you do it yourself. The price you’ll pay for the correct tools, materials, and possible code violations may surprise you (not to mention if you have to pay a contractor to come out and fix some of the mistakes you made).

Next time I will discuss some more things you should watch out for when preparing for an exterior renovation, so please check back soon!