DIY Home Sweet Home: 2013

150+ Organizing Tips & Tricks

For those of you who would like to become more organized, I've got you covered with some great tips and tricks for every area of your home.

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Win a Vacation for Two to Puerto Rico

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puerto Rico, The All-Star Island for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Does the chaos and stress of the holidays leave you feeling exhausted? Once the holidays are over with why not treat yourself to some R&R in Puerto Rico!! Puerto Rico has been on my 'list of places I would live to visit some day' for some time now.

5 Savory Soup Recipes

Are you dreading the cold month ahead?

Hopefully these soup recipes will make it a little easier to make it through those chilly nights.

With the holidays fast approaching, I wanted to share a few simple gift wrap ideas.
I love the look of simple brown packages with a splash of color.

Make your LEGO Family Holiday cards

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of LEGO for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are your kids obsessed with LEGOS?

Well now you can turn your entire family into LEGO Minifigures. LEGO has created an online experience called “Minifigure Family”, which enables you to create your own custom LEGO Minifigure holiday card.

Check out my LEGO Family holiday card!!

Happy Starts Here with ALPO®

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ALPO® Brand Dog Food for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm so excited to share this video from Alpo with you!!!

Why?!?

Because my sweet buddy, Flint, is the star in it!!!

That's right! Flint is now a MOVIE STAR (Ok, so maybe only a youtube video star but in my eyes he's a movie star) Check it out for yourself.

I'm so excited to share my glitter star tree topper with you. It is super easy to make and only requires a few supplies. The best part is that with a little imagination you can make this as fancy or as simple as you would like.

Michaels Dream Tree Challenge {The Tree Reveal!!}

WOW!! This challenge turned out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. After accepting this challenge I searched through several photos of Christmas Trees and even took a peek at the trees from last years Dream Tree Challenge. After several hours I came up with a plan. I'm more of a traditional gal so I wanted a lot of natural elements but I also wanted a pop of glitter. Who doesn't love glitter?

With a plan in mind and a list of items I was hoping to purchase, I headed to the nearest Micheals. However, once I arrived I realized that it was not going to be as easy as I thought. There were so many beautiful ornaments and I changed my mind about the decorations at least a dozen times. I ended up purchasing way more ornaments than I actually used.

Once I was back home, the girls help me set up the tree and then I spent the next week decorating, redecorating, and arranging ornaments. I started out with a lot of 'natural' decorations (pine cones, berries, and twine) but I decided that they made the tree look too country. While I am a country girl I just wasn't in love with the look. In the end I decided to stick with a simple color combination of white, gold, red and bronze. Most of the ornament that I used are covered in glitter. I even found a few cardboard and wooden ornaments that I painted with glitter paints. When I first took off all of the 'natural' ornaments and started adding more glitter ornaments I was worried that it might be too much glitter. However, I couldn't have been more wrong. The tree looks amazing.

Gobble Gobble!!!

Get the kiddos ready for Thanksgiving with these super fun Turkey Crafts.

Michaels Dream Tree Challenge {Sneek Peek}

Shhh...

I've been keeping a secret and it has been driving me crazy!

But now it's time to finally let the cat out of the bag and let you all see what I have been up to for the past couple weeks.

I was asked to participate in

Michaels 2^nd Annual Dream Tree Challenge!!!!

Of course I said YES!!!

Painted Cork Board with FrogTape® Shape Tape™

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FrogTape brand painter’s tape for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
A few weeks ago I was asked by the good people at FrogTape® to try out one of their new products, FrogTape® Shape Tape™

Organize your bathroom with these clever organizing ideas.

ALPO® Wet Dog Food { Take 2 }

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ALPO® Brand Dog Food for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is part 2 of a 3 post series. You can read part 1 (and view some adorable pics of my four legged buddy) HERE.

My sweetie pie, Flint, was one happy pooch the other day when he was given the opportunity to try ALPO® wet dog food– Homestyle Prime Cuts Gravy Cravers.

Don't subject your walls to boring art.

Here are 23 out-of-the-box ideas to personalize your walls.

Fall is only a few short days away!! Are you as excited as I am?

I absolutely love fall!
Here are 26 amazing fall and Halloween wreaths to get you in the Fall spirit.

ALPO® Dog Food

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ALPO® Brand Dog Food for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Meet Flint!

Isn't he adorable?

Flint is a 4 year old Labrador. We have had him since he was 6 weeks old and he is my daughters best friend. Most days Jocelyn and Flint are inseparable. On any given day you can find the two of them playing dress up, making mud pies, running around the back yard, or lounging on the back patio. Every night before bed you will find Jocelyn sitting on the floor reading a bedtime story to Flint. I love watching the two of them play together. It brings a smile to my face every time.

It's that time of year again!!
Time when pumpkins start to take over the groceries stores, street corners, and front porches.
Here are 21 simple, and creative pumpkin crafts.

Do you have one of America’s Most Desperate Landscapes?

Hey guys, I just wanted to write this quick post to let you in on a little secret.
I was contacted by Amy Seng, a producer for DIY Network’s Desperate Landscapes.

When you have kids, you are bound to have clutter. Don't let those toys take over your home.

Here are some great diy tutorials to help add storage and organize those toys.

I would like to say thank you to all of those that entered the Kreate-a-lope giveaway.

The winners, chosen by random.org are...

Every kid loves cardboard boxes. This easy-to-construct cardboard playhouse will provide any child with hours of fun.

Home Management Binder - Monthly Budget

Some of you may have noticed this Monthly Budget printable in the main photo for my Home Management Binder post. Somehow this printable managed to slip through the cracks and it was never posted.

So here it is.

Monthly Budget - View & Print

My New 2014 Planner!!!

Look what I received in the mail last week!!

The Circa smartPlanner Master Agenda 2014 from Levenger!!

A few features of the Circa smartPlanner Master Agenda include:

I used to make stick art when I was a kid. Who knew I would love it as an adult as well!!

All you need are, sticks, a frame, and glue or a staple gun. This project could not be any easier!

I am in love with this beautiful patchwork pillow!! What a great way to add a pop of color to any room.

This diy toy box will add extra storage and seating to any kids room. Perfect for apartment living or anyone else who is limited on space.

I love this unexpected and unique wall decor. Made using foam blocks, an open frame, spray paint and glue, this price of art is sure to be a conversation starer.

Foam Block Art - View Tutorial

Do you have any diy tutorials, organizing tips, or recipes that you would like to share with DIY Home Sweet Home readers?

DIY Envelopes using the Kreate-a-lope® Envelope Maker

Over the weekend I was able to test out a new envelope making product called the
Kreate-a-lope® Envelope Maker.

I think I got a little carried away!
I ended up making 34 envelopes in all!!

Need some inspirational ideas to make your own art work?
I've got you covered with these super simple projects that even the most inexperienced painter can do.

With kids back in school and winter right around the corner, it's only a matter of time before someone in your family catches a cold (if they have not already). Here are a few home remedies that may help you and your family combat the cold and flue this season.

Paper clutter is a big problem in many homes today. Between bills, junk mail, and papers sent home from school it is easy to let the paper work get out of control. Check out these genius ideas for taming the paper monster and keeping your home and family organized.

Winner of the $100 Dollar Gift Card.

Congratulations to Aprila!!

The winner of our $100 gift card giveaway.

Personalized Child's Wash Cloth

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gecko Tech for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Have you heard of Gecko Tech®?
Gecko Tech® hooks can be used again and again! Gecko Tech® hooks are reusable products, made using revolutionary microsuction synthetic rubber technology that allows them to be used again and again! They do not damage the surface they are applied to, and they remove cleanly (ideal for apartment dwellers!). They can be used on plasterboard, tile, laminate, glass, stainless steel and any other smooth, hard nonporous surface.

I have a confession to make. I'm not big into the 'so-scary-I'm-going-to-pee-my-pants' side of Halloween. I prefer to look at cute and cuddly Halloween decorations.

I'm the same when it comes to movies. I hate scary movies! I would rather spend all day watching Disney cartoons than to sit through a single scary movie.

Please tell me I'm not the only one here?

Tips to Organizing a Small Pantry to Maximize Space

Lucky, our home was blessed with a large walk-in pantry.
However, I have received many questions from readers asking for advice on organizing a small pantry. Here are my top 5 tips for making the most of your small pantry.

Band-aids, cockroaches, shrunken heads, and more. These recipes are guaranteed to make your Halloween party a huge hit.

Duck Tape® Pencil Bag

*** THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED ***

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walmart for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Have you seen the amazing products that you can make from Duck Tape®? Purses, book covers, even prom dresses to name a few. It seems like there is no limit when it comes to this amazing product.
Today I would like to share a tutorial to make your very own Duck Tape® Pencil Bag.

This 33-page downloadable pdf has everything you need to organize your life.

Organizing tips? Yes, please!! Check out these amazing DIY tips and tricks for organizing your entire home.

30 Day Challenge - Ultimate Life Planning System

Do you do 30 day challenges?

I love 30 day challenges. It's a great way to try something out to see if it will fit into your lifestyle without fully committing to it. To help me keep track of these 30 day challenges I created this worksheet for my Life Planning System.

30 Day Challenge - View & Print

Monthly Budget - Ultimate Life Planning System

Thank you for all of your suggestions and ideas!!

I have an entire page full of new printables for our Life Planning System and I am slowly working on them.

Monthly Budget - View & Print

Fuel your goals. Fuel your greatness #FuelABetterYou

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nutrisystem, Inc. for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
With Summer in full swing, what better time to loose weight and feel great than NOW!!! Nutrisystem is a proven weight loss plan featuring food that is not only delicious, but also delivered right to your doorstep. By providing real food you know and love, guidelines you can live and learn by, and balanced nutrition your body needs, Nutrisystem has created a program that makes losing weight work for you.