Saving Money on Beauty Products

You might think that you have to spend a lot of money to look beautiful, keep away the zits or the wrinkles, get the latest trends in makeup or just looked polished and professional. The truth is that the more you know, the less you have to spend, so you can save a lot on beauty products. Beauty Specialty Stores Beauty speciality stores, such as Ulta, Sephora and Bath and Body Works tend to be very generous with samples. Sometimes you’ll find baskets of freebies there on the counter, other times you may have to ask. Either way, a visit … Continue reading

Top 10 Fitness Trends for 2013

So what’s on the horizon for 2013 when it comes to fitness trends? A recent survey has come up with predictions for what those will be. And you might be surprised to learn that most of these are pretty basic. In general, “body weight” exercises are going to be the big thing. These are your typical physical activities, such as pushups or pull-ups, which can shed pounds and tone muscle…yet, there is little cost involved. With the economy continuing to struggle, this is going to be very appealing to fitness enthusiasts and those who will be ready to make changes … Continue reading

Money Saving Decor Projects

Sure it would be nice to have a showroom of a home, complete with the finest accessories and decor, but hey, that just isn’t reality, or is it? I’ve come across some cool projects that we can do ourselves. For a hour or less and a little pocket change, we can wind up with stunning pieces to accessorize our homes. For some reason, I wanted to focus on home craft projects that involve glass. I think this is because my recycling bin always seems to be overflowing with glass jars and bottles. Why not turn all of that glass into … Continue reading

Hold on to Your Money: Cabinet Knobs

Are you just itching to do a renovation in your home but know that it isn’t a good idea to spend any money right now? Sometimes just changing a little inexpensive thing can make a big difference. Fresh new knobs can bring new life to your cabinets, drawers or even furniture. You can feel blessed with something modern and new without spending much at all. This past weekend as I was waiting for our washer to fill, I started to explore a little bit of the basement. There is a shelf that I call the “man” shelf. It is full … Continue reading

Gardening Trends for 2009

I came downstairs this morning and took a look out of my kitchen window, which looks out onto the backyard. There is a good dusting of snow covering it all. But the first thing I thought about was this year’s garden. I know that seems strange, but spring will be here before we know it, and it is time to start planning. If you are looking for some new ideas for your garden this year, take a look at the following trends. These things are all areas in which homeowners and gardeners have shown interest in 2008, according to The … Continue reading

Turning Bad Design Trends into Good Design Trends

Some trends in home decor and design can seem hip one minute and out the next. Sometimes the trend is so fast that they are out before the magazine featuring them hits the stand. If you like to experiment and you have the means (budget) to do so, go ahead and have some fun. For the rest of us, though, these are some of the trends we should probably stay away from. Here is how you can taken an existing trend that might make you say “What???” and turn it into one that will make you say “Wow!” Bad Trend: … Continue reading

Baby Name Trends: Place Names

What are some of the trends that are affecting baby names this year? Can you find a name that is both popular and unique at the same time? The key to a great baby name is finding one that will stand the test of time, while still feeling that the name will still be recognized this century. Take a look at what is currently going on in popular baby naming. Place names Place names can go in and out of style. But they usually hang on somewhere in the top 100 names no matter what the trend. The upside of … Continue reading

“Cocooning” Phenomena Leads to New Home Trends

“Cocooning” is a national phenomena, according to an article written for a national real estate magazine. People are more inclined to stay home and surround themselves with all forms of security and comfort. This isn’t surprising, given the recent events over the last few years, with terrorist threats, war, issues with travel and a tough economy. When we are home, we can de-stress and shut out the rest of the world. This being close to home in comfort phenomena has sparked some pretty interesting home trends. Let’s take a look. Inside Out There is a large trend of indoor to … Continue reading

Will Your Home Sell in a Recession? Trends Can Influence a Sale

During a recession, it can be difficult to sell your home for a good price, or even sell your home at all. The reasons a home may sell has to do with a set of complicated factors that come in to play, more so when there is a lot of other homes available and few buyers. If you are trying to make a decision about putting your home on the market, take a few moments to review these various factors. They will help you make a good decision about selling or at least help you be prepared in today’s market. … Continue reading

Be Wary of Trends in Kitchen Renovation

As you may know from following along in my recent blogs, we are in the process of choosing materials, colors and finishes for a kitchen update. One aspect of this whole journey is a desire to make sure that we choose materials, finishes and accessories that will withstand the test of time, or at least the test of ten years. While we plan on staying in our current home for quite some time, circumstances could always change, leading us to sell our home. If we are caught with something that looks outdated, it could hurt a sale. We also don’t … Continue reading