Helpful How-To: A Day Late & A Dollar Short

This post should probably be labeled as "How to Get the Most from $50".

Because that, my friends, is the reality of this post.

This weekend I went to my favorite store of all time.

And I spent less than $50 on a couple big ticket items....

Things that have already made a huge impact on my home.

Wanna see them?

1.  A 4x6 Bamboo rug for my kitchen. $19.99

Somewhat low impact for now. 

But in a few weeks, I plan to take the information that Jen over at Tatertots and Jello provided and make it into something fancy like she did.

Um, yeah.  For $19.99, I think it's totally worth it.

2.  Bamboo Blinds.  $3.99.

This poor window has been covered with a lacy valance since we moved in. 

It was so due for an upgrade.

Yes.  It's a bathroom. 

And yes, you can slightly see through the blinds when the light is on, but no one ever uses this bathroom. And my back yard is full of trees. 

This blind is more than sufficient.

TRUST ME.

3.  Another Bamboo Blind.  $9.99

Yes.  You can REALLY see through this one.

I'm aware. 

But considering that we put a blind like this in Little Man's room 2 years ago for 3x the price, I can't complain. 

It darkens the room just a smidge.

And very nicely when the drapes are closed. 

Plus, I love the warmth that the bamboo adds to the windows when looking in from outside. 

For now, this room is a guest bedroom. 

And hopefully over the next year, we will transition this room into Little Man's - big boy room, so the curtains will most likely remain pulled all the time anyway. 

Plus the windows will (finally) all appear uniform from the outside of my house.*

4.  Summer Curtains $14.98

Here I have a before for you.  My already dark living room.  With dark drapes.

As much as I love them....

These babies sing to me.

I feel like my living room just lost 40 lbs.

There is the slightest chance that these curtains will become valances and pillow covers to lighten the room even more.

Either way, money well spent.

Total cost: $48.95

Total impact: On me, Lots....

The only thing Techy has noticed so far is the rug.

Total impact on my neighbors?  None yet.  As long as I can keep Techy from walking into the guestroom completely naked with all the lights on, then it should stay that way.

I know most of you are wondering how often that happens and rolling your eyes.

But I'll just say that the chances of that happening are actually better than the chances of Pia getting voted off American Idol.

Yeah.

So if you hear someone screaming, "Oh!  MY EYES!" from our direction, you will probably know what happened.

*Am I the only one who looks at windows in people's homes and get annoyed if they don't appear uniform?  I mean, really drapes here, blinds here, curtains here....  It just BOTHERS me.