Baby Girl Nursery: The Color Scheme

 

First of all, I realized this afternoon that today marks exactly two months until my due date. ACK! When I shared that little tidbit on my personal Facebook (and admitted in the comments how overwhelming it feels to realize that I'm JUST. THAT. CLOSE.), I received some awesome encouragement (and even offers for help). I just have to give a shout-out to my sweet, supportive, encouraging friends. I am so blessed to know you!

But I digress... What was the point of this post? Oh, right! The nursery.

I know I've established that decor isn't really my thing, but call it nesting instinct or insanity, because I just HAD to do something (especially once I found out we were having a girl). Considering the impending arrival of our little lady, I thought it was high time to share the plans I've been making for her room.

Baby Girl Nursery: Dual Purpose

This room will not only be a traditional nursery where baby girl will be sleeping and inevitably waking for midnight feedings; it will also serve as a guest room when my in-laws and others come to town.

The room already has a full-sized bed, which will stay. In addition, there will be a dresser, crib, rocking chair, and hopefully a small bedside table/bookshelf of some kind (I'm still working on that). It's not a huge room, so I know I'll have to play around with the arrangement to find what works. However, Kiddo's nursery in the last house was TINY and I was able to fit everything in (minus a full bed) without an issue. 

The Plan: Neutral and Sophisticated

I'm not much of a girly-girl, so I didn't feel the need to go crazy with the pink and tulle in this room. I learned from Kiddo's adorable-but-decidedly-baby jungle themed nursery that babies grow into "big kids" way too fast. (I will be sure to give a virtual tour of his old nursery in a future post.) I know I won't have the time, energy, or motivation to be constantly re-doing bedrooms, so my goal is to go more neutral and timeless this time around, especially since this will also be a bedroom.

Are you intrigued? 

Here is a teaser for the color scheme I have in mind for baby girl's nursery:

Photo sources: Color Inspiration, Dresser, Rocker, Knob, Flooring, Paint

The Budget:

My goal is to stay under $150 for all bedding and decor, not including furniture, wall paint and flooring.

Yes, you read that right: under $150. 

I am well aware that lot of crib bedding sets sell for more than that! 

But I have a plan. I've already picked several pieces out and, with some DIY's, I should be on target to stay on (and hopefully under) budget. I can't wait to share my plans with you!

The details are already in motion. Hubby picked up the comforter for the bed while he was out yesterday and I have plans to go shopping on Friday for nursery stuff. I'm getting so excited!!

So stay, tuned folks! In the next few weeks I'll be sharing my plans and (hopefully) progress as I create a functional, budget-friendly nursery/guest room.

So, what do you think?

Do nurseries excite you as much as this mama? Do you have any ideas or tips for me? What are some ways that you decorate on a budget? 
I'd love to hear from you!

I link up at these fabulous link parties.

Saving With A Family Swap: A Simpler Christmas

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Budget. It's often a dreaded word around Christmas time. I'm a part of a local moms' group on Facebook (buy, sell, advice, etc.) and the budget question has come up a lot in the last few weeks. How much should you spend on family? How much should you spend on kids? (I'm in the minority on this one, I'm sure.) How can you give meaningful gifts to family members while on a small budget?

Our Solution:

When it comes to our extended families, I think we've come up with a good solution: we draw names. We buy gifts for immediate family - parents, siblings, and our niece - but then we swap with the extended family. As cousins get married and babies are born, the gifts start adding up fast! We began the swaps over five years ago and have come up with a pretty good system:

• Each family member (including kids after their first Christmas) draw a name for the person they will give to that year.
• All wish lists are sent to one family member, who sends out a master list the week before Thanksgiving. (Gift cards are allowed, but should not be the only things on the list.)
• Gifts should have about a $30 value. 
• The name you drew is a SECRET which will be disclosed at the time of the gift exchange. (Christmas Day or family Christmas get-together)

Why We Love It:

The gift swap has been a great solution for our family for several reasons:

• The Surprise. Like a Secret Santa exchange, it's fun to watch who receives what gift from whom! 
• Less Shopping. Buying for a few specific people saves me the time, money, and hassle of trying to find a perfect gift for each family member. 
• A Clear Budget. Knowing exactly how much to spend per person gives us a clear budget, meaning we won't over-spend.
• Purposeful Giving. Because we have specific people in mind and a clear wish list, we can buy a few nice gifts that we know our assigned family members will want, rather than a large number of smaller, clutter-type gifts just because it's Christmas and we have to buy a gift.

Stockings:

If you still have a hard time not buying a little something for your extended family members, stockings are the answer. When we began our swaps, both of our families exchanged stockings. We'd lay the stockings out and as they arrived for the family party everyone would fill them with small items - gift cards, sweets, chapstick, books, calendars, etc. My side of the family still does stockings. However, with the addition of two babies and a few marriages, it was getting hard to keep up with Hubby's side of the family. Sadly, it was agreed that we stop with stockings last year.

How do you give gifts on a budget?

I would love to hear your tips, tricks, and ideas! Leave a comment below. I promise I'll respond to every single one! :-)

I link up at these fabulous link parties.

 This is a part of my series on A Simpler Christmas.

     

 

Our $12 DIY "Hillbilly Cider Press"

 

There are few things that scream "Fall!" to me like apple cider. I love the stuff! But is it just me, or is cider expensive? I've seen it as low as $4 a gallon on sale in stores, but at farm markets (where I prefer to buy it), it's as high as $6-8!

Enter my Hubby's frugal mind. When we really love something and it's on the more expensive side, he likes to find a way to do it ourselves. Off to YouTube he went to find a simple homemade press. And sure enough, he found one here:

How to Freeze Zucchini and Yellow Squash

I feel like all I've talked about lately is zucchini. I can't escape it! One plant produces a lot of squash -and we have six! (Two yellow squash and four zucchini). Needless to say, we are a bit overrun with the yellow and green veggies right now.

Reminder: Free Chicken Tomorrow!

Last week I shared some tips for saving money at Chick-Fil-A, and tomorrow is a great opportunity to get some free food!

How to Freeze Broccoli

There is no comparison.

None.

Broccoli frozen straight from your garden (or farmer's market) is so much better than the stuff you buy in the freezer case.

7 Ways to Save Money at Chick-Fil-A: Tips & Tricks Thursday

Welcome back to Tips & Tricks Thursday! This little corner of the blog is devoted to those simple ideas that make life better or easier in some way. :)

Several times a month on our MOPs Facebook page, you'll probably find a message saying, "I'm going to Chick-Fil-A today at "X" time. Would anyone like to join?" It has become the go-to spot for impromptu play dates, and for good reason.

How To Freeze Strawberries Two Ways

{This post contains affiliate links for your convenience}

The middle of June means many things: the official start of summer, school letting out, warm weather, longer days... But one of my favorites? Strawberry season.

Homemade Critter Repellant: Keep Rabbits from Eating Your Plants

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Ah, rabbits. Don't let that cute little face fool you. If you've ever had a garden, you know what damage they can cause! Even though we fenced in our vegetable garden, we were still seeing evidence of critter nibbles, most likely from rabbits.

Gardening without Breaking the Bank

I think it is well-established at this point that we are very frugal here at the Pinspired Home. If we can find a way to save money and use our resources more wisely, we will do it. This is especially true when it comes to gardening and landscaping. We're willing to put in the work (well, in full disclosure, Hubby does most of it), and we definitely reap the benefits. The following are our favorite cheap or free ways to maintain our outdoor spaces.