home decor

Flea Market Shopping Tips

July 5, 2016 by Bre 37 Comments

Looking for the best flea market hacks or flea market tips? I’m sharing all of my favorite secondhand shopping tips in this post!

Flea market season is in full swing! Having gone to my first flea market just two years ago, I am now officially addicted to them. I love searching high and low for unique items for my home!

Shopping a flea market can be a great experience, but if you’re not prepared, it can lead to frustration and a bad time. So I decided to share my best flea market shopping tips in hopes that it will help some of you novice flea market shoppers!

(And hey, maybe some of you flea market pros will learn something, too!)

So helpful! This post has TEN great tips to help you make your flea market shopping experience the best it can be! Get these flea market shopping tips and have fun finding!

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my To read my disclosure policy for more information.

Flea Market Shopping Tip No. 1 – Clean Out Your Car

Before you head out for your flea market adventure, be sure to empty your trunk, remove any car seats (unless you’re bringing your small children with you), and put the back seats down if you’re feeling ambitious.

This way, when your shopping trip is over, you’ll be able to quickly pack everything into your car and avoid the hassle of moving things around when you’re hot and tired.

Flea Market Hack No. 2 – Wear Comfortable Shoes

I wore flip flops to my first flea market. BAD! Not only did my feet hurt from walking all over the place, but they got so dusty and dirty – it was disgusting.

Definitely wear comfortable (closed toe) shoes. Your feet and back will thank you for it!

Flea Market Tip No. 3 – Bring Cash in Many Bill Sizes

Some flea market vendors are equipped to take credit cards, but many are not. Make sure to have cash on hand so you don’t have to hit up the flea market ATM, where you will likely face high withdrawal fees.

Also, have many types of bills on hand. If you haggle with a seller for a lower price on an item, the last thing you want to do is ask for change. It’s definitely best to have a variety of bills in your pocket so that you can pay the exact amount.

Flea Market Hack No. 4 – Bring a Tote or Collapsible Wagon

Most flea market vendors do not have bags to put purchases in, so make sure to bring your own bags! Reusable grocery bags or canvas totes work great.

But, there’s a chance that some of your flea market finds may be bulky and less than convenient to carry around. So, you might want to bring a collapsible wagon or folding shopping cart to push your purchases around in.

Flea Market Shopping Tip No. 5 – Bring Water, Food, and Headache Medicine

Check the rules of the flea market you’re going to, but if you’re allowed to bring food and water inside, definitely do it. Flea market shopping is draining and you’ll want to stay hydrated and fed (hey, nobody wants to deal with hunger-induced rage).

Also, if you’re prone to headaches like me, make sure to bring some Advil or other headache medicine with you. Nothing kills the fun like a headache.

Flea Market Trick No. 6 – Don’t Hesitate

If you see something you LOVE and must have, don’t hesitate to buy it. If you wait, it may not be there when you get back. I violated this rule recently and paid the price. The super cool decorative container I wanted for my mantel was gone by the time I got back to purchase it.

Flea Market Shopping Tip No. 7 – Hesitate

Yes, I just said the opposite of what I said in tip no. 6! If you see something that you like but don’t absolutely have to have, wait and go back to the booth later in the day to see if it’s still there.

If it is, haggle with the seller to see if you can get a lower price. At the end of the day, sellers are more willing to discount their items because they’d typically rather sell something than have to re-load it and haul it back home.

Flea Market Shopping Tip No. 8 – Don’t Buy Counterfeits

Flea markets can be full of counterfeit items like purses, sunglasses, etc. These items are cheaply made, divert sales from designers and retailers who invest a lot of money in product development and marketing, and have been linked to helping terrorism efforts. Save your money for authentic goods – please!

Flea Market Tip No. 9 – Bring Measurements and Paint Colors

If you’re looking for an item for a particular place or room, make sure to bring space measurements and paint colors with you!

Chances are you won’t be able to return anything you buy at a flea market, so if you buy the wrong size or color of something, you’re stuck. (Check out this great way to organize paint swatches for on the go.)

Flea Market Shopping Tip No. 10 – Remember Where You Parked Your Car

On my most recent flea market shopping tip, I was so excited to get in the fairgrounds and get shopping that I didn’t pay close attention to where I parked my car. Then, when I was leaving with my rusty metal projector cart that I had to carry (it wouldn’t roll over the gravel in the parking lot), I was perplexed to realize that I could not find my car.

I carried that projector cart all over, pressing the alarm button on my keychain until I could hear my car and locate it by sound. SO embarrassing and SO painful. My arms still hurt!

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So there you have it: ten awesome flea market hacks that will give you the best flea market shopping experience possible!

Comment below with your favorite flea market find, and let me know if you have any flea market tips to add to this list!

Employees Must Wash Hands Free Bathroom Art Printable

June 24, 2016 by Bre 4 Comments

Every time you step into a public restroom you see one of those blasé signs reminding employees to do what they SHOULD be doing anyway – washing their hands before returning to work. It’s kind of gross to think that a reminder to wash your hands after using the restroom is necessary, but I suppose that’s just how it is – especially in this day and age of crazy illnesses!

Anyway, I thought it would be funny to hang the same reminder in my powder room for my employees, er, I mean children and husband, and so I made this cute little printable version of the saying we all know and love, that I’m sharing with you today! Download this “Employees must was hands before returning to work” printable and display it proudly!

Seriously, isn’t this so much cuter than the reminder signs you typically see in the bathroom?

Now listen, I’m not showing you this printable in my own bathroom because the space is SO small that I couldn’t even get a decent shot of it. But take my word for it that it looks pretty darn cute in there.

And if you want this same print for your bathroom, I’m giving it out for free! And guess what? I’ve made it in FOUR different colors for you to choose from: (1) Teal & Gray; (2) Charcoal & Blue; (3) Rust & Green; and (4) Navy & Teal! Hopefully one of these will work with your bathroom color scheme. . . (fingers crossed).

All you have to do is click to download the color scheme you want! Print on 8.5″ x 11″ paper and cut to size (8″ x 10″). This will look best on cardstock or heavier weight paper! Please limit your use of this free printable to personal use only; no commercial use is permitted in the absence of express written permission from me!

(1) Employees Must Wash Hands Teal & Gray

(2) Employees Must Wash Hands Charcoal & Blue

(3) Employees Must Wash Hands Rust & Green

(4) Employees Must Wash Hands Navy & Teal

I have a feeling that people will either grin when they see this free bathroom art printable in your home or wonder why it’s there. 🙂

Either way, it should give them something to think about while visiting your humble facilities.

-Bre

My Urban Backyard Patio {Garden Tour Blog Hop}

June 22, 2016 by Bre 36 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

I’m so excited to show you a part of my home that I’m pretty sure I have never shared before – my backyard! OK, well I’m not showing you the whole backyard . . . just the patio. But really, there’s not much more to see since my yard is the size of a postage stamp. Even though there’s not a lot of space, we make the most of our urban backyard patio, and I am happy to be sharing it as part of the Garden Tour Blog Hop that was organized and hosted by my friend Tara at Lehman Lane.

Installing this patio area was one of the first projects we did when we purchased our home almost seven years ago. The backyard was basically a jungle when we bought our house, so we needed to do something out there. We decided to put the patio area in the back of the yard, next to the detached garage, so that it wouldn’t line right up with our neighbors’ patios. (As much as we love our neighbors, it would be a little awkward to all be out there eating or hanging out right at the same time and with no privacy. This gives us a little buffer.)

We have a nice dining area where we love to enjoy meals with the family or friends, and then a cute little sitting area off to the side where we lounge and light a fire once in a while.

I love the little garden stool, which doubles as a table and plant stand. It’s the perfect size for two glasses of wine. 🙂

And the outdoor pillows (linked to similar pillows) dress up the very practical and easy-to-clean-bird-poop-off-of plastic adirondack chairs. I tried to convince my husband we needed an outdoor sofa out here, but he didn’t bite.

Although the yard was a jungle when we bought our house, I am grateful for the massive amount of peony bushes the previous owners planted. They are all over the yard and are just stunning.

And I’m pretty darn proud of the clematis vine I’ve been growing the past couple of years. It’s actually thriving, which is shocking to me. Apparently those are finicky, so it’s a wonder that my black thumb hasn’t killed it yet. (I hope I’m not jinxing myself by writing this.) Another favorite plant of mine is our giant oak leaf hydrangea. It’s super low-maintenance, but produces the most gorgeous blooms.

All of these pretty flowers make me feel like I’m not as close to the city as I am (head two blocks north and you’re in Chicago). And that makes enjoying my patio that much better.

Flea market inspired table decor like these aqua round placemats, adorable mix and match fabric napkins, and woven candle holders also help relax the setting and make it feel less urban to me.

Keeping a cute little drink dispenser on the garage window ledge is perfect on especially hot days. (That probably won’t last long – my kids have already claimed it for their upcoming lemonade stand – date TBD.)

And this little plant stand in the corner is perfect for adding some height and color to the patio. Plus, it doubles as a serving stand, which I love!

I’m so glad I had a reason to show you my backyard today! If it weren’t for this blog hop, I probably would never have posted about it. I hope you enjoyed taking a look around!
And if you liked any of the decor items I featured, you can click here to shop or learn more about them.

Please also be sure to check out some of the other beautiful backyard spaces that are being shared today, too. You can visit their posts by clicking below, and you can search for all of the other garden spaces that are part of this hop by searching for #gardentourbloghop on social media!

Summer Garden Tour & Outdoor Spaces Blog Hop

Monday

Lehman Lane

Our House Now a Home

The Dean’s List

Green with Décor

2 Bees in a Pod – Vicki’s House

Tuesday

Two Purples Couches

Knock it Off Kim

Wednesday

2 Bees in a Pod – Jennifer’s house

My Life from Home

Average but Inspired

Refresh Living

Thursday

Little Bits of Home

The Honeycomb Home

Iris Nacole

Twelve on Main

Beauteeful Living

Friday

Hunt & Host

Simple Nature Décor

Love Your Abode

My Creative Days

No Mudroom, No Problem: No Mudroom Solutions for Any Home

June 10, 2016 by Bre 6 Comments

In the house of my dreams, I would have three things that I don’t have in my current home: (1) a screened-in porch; (2) a transom window or two; and (3) a mudroom. Dreamer Bre would pick numbers 1 or 2; realist Bre would pick number 3.

A mudroom would be practical and fabulous; a perfect little spot for my family to stash all belongings as soon as they come in the door. And of course it would be hidden so that nobody would have to see the mounds of shoes, backpacks, purses, jackets, winter gear, etc. that accumulate all too quickly.

Since a mudroom like this just isn’t in the cards for my home, I’ve figured out a way to create fake mudrooms of sorts in my foyer and also at my back door.

Neither spot is the perfect mudroom of my dreams, but they function well and help keep my family (and our stuff) relatively organized. Because of that, I thought I’d share these “no mudroom solutions” to hopefully help you, too!

Because of several key components in each of these spaces, my home’s lack of a mudroom is a non-issue. All of my family’s things have a place to go, which keeps clutter and disorganization at bay.

No Mudroom Solutions: Elements of a Faux Mudroom

So what do you need to create a fake mudroom? Here’s where to start! (P.S. this is an old photo! I updated the pictures in this post after I originally wrote it!)

The product images in this post contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.

No Mudroom Idea No. 1: Wall Hooks

Wall hooks are so important in any fake mud room! You must have a place for your family members and visitors to hang their bags and jackets, especially if your coat closet is small.

Double hooks or coat wall hooks are a great way to get more storage in the same amount of space.

And, lower hooks give small children a place to hang their belongings instead of throwing them on the floor.

If your space is really tight, folding wall hooks are a game changer! I have these in my new home and absolutely love them!

No Mudroom Solutions No. 2: Bench or Seating

A place to sit is essential in entry spaces. It gives people a comfortable place to take off their shoes or put them on, and it serves as another drop zone, too.

Storage benches are a fantastic option because they pull double duty. Whether they have a seat that lifts to store things inside, or compartments underneath to store shoes or add storage baskets, you can definitely use one as an entryway organizer.

If you don’t have a storage bench, even a small chair or stool will do. Give it extra functionality by keeping a small boot tray underneath and an umbrella stand next to it.

No Mud Room Idea No. 3: Drop Zone Area

Having a place to drop your keys, bag, sunglasses, or whatever else is in your hands when you walk in the front door or back door is so important to maintaining order at the entry!

A little console table near the door is perfect for this job. You can find affordable entryway tables in just about any shape or size, so no matter how small your space, you can make something work!

If you’re really squeezed for space, a wall-mounted folding table that opens up only when you need it could be a perfect solution! Or, even a shallow wall-mounted shelf could work.

Finally, I personally love a wall-mounted key hook holder. As a reformed “where are my keys?” person, this has been a game changer for my sanity!

Small Entryway Idea No. 4: Baskets and Trays

I cannot stress the importance of baskets in entry spaces! There are so many uses for them!

I use one under the bench as a shoe tray, and it’s great because my kids know exactly where to put their shoes when they come in the door.

I also have one next to the entry table to put umbrellas in, and in the winter I stick a small one next to the bench for a place to deposit scarves, hats, and gloves (which I then put into my super small but super Organized Coat Closet!).

A hanging rope basket that hangs from a hook is where I stash the dog leashes and dog accessories.

You can never have too many baskets or trays: trust me!

No Mudroom Solution No. 5: Hall Tree

If you have the space for it, a hall tree is an amazing all-in-one solution to the no mudroom problem.

It combines storage and seating into one piece, and there are tons of ready-made options available in stores these days! I love the piece we have next to our back door!

I bet you have a lot of these entryway organizer items in your home already! So, if you struggle with containing clutter and maintaining organization in your home, try and set up a mudroom of sorts with what you have on hand.

Then, see what works and what doesn’t. You can add more organizational tools to the mix over time, and get your small entryway working (and looking) better for everyone!

Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind Free Printable

April 4, 2016 by Bre 2 Comments

These past few months it feels as if life has been going a million miles per hour. I know most of you can relate to that; life seems to speed up immensely the older we get! It seems as if there is never a moment to spare around here!

That constant activity was starting to leave me feeling run down, so my kids’ spring break came at the perfect time. We took a few days and visited my mom in Wisconsin, and the change of scenery was just what I needed! Taking a break and letting myself relax did me a world of good, and I came back ready to buckle down with a refreshed spirit.

Because of that, I felt inspired to make a pretty, free printable to remind us to take time to refresh and renew.

It truly is transformative! Treating yourself to even the smallest kindnesses can make a world of difference in your outlook and ability to tackle whatever is facing you. Go for a drive, take a walk, or sit in the sun. You’ll feel better.

If you’d like a copy of this Be Transformed Printable, which is free for personal use, please click right here to download it! Simply print at home or at a local print shop, and trim to fit an 8×10 frame.
Remember to be gentle with yourself! Take time to rest and relax once in a while, and come back stronger than you were before.
Bre

Creative Ways to Bring the Outdoors Inside!

March 28, 2016 by Bre 4 Comments

Even if it doesn’t feel like it where you live, spring is here! We made it through winter (thank goodness!), and now it’s time to bring some spring vibrance and freshness into our homes. And what could be better than doing that with some creative indoor planter ideas? Any of these awesome projects – all of which were shared at The DIY Collective Link Party (every Thursday beginning right here at 5:00 am central) in the month of March – will help you feel like spring has arrived, no matter where you are!

If you’d like directions on how to make any of these indoor planters, please click through to find the full tutorials for each project! Then get to work bringing the outdoors in, and feel renewed and refreshed!

Florist Bucket Transformation via Shabbyfufu

Rustic Farmhouse Mason Jar Planter via Making it in the mountains.

Vintage Tins and Cactus Planters via The Coconut Head’s Survival Guide

DIY Marble Succulent Pots via DIY Passion

Teacup Planters via Nourish and Nestle

Eggshell Planter via The Everyday Home

Mini Moss Ball Terrariums via Stacy Risenmay Not JUST a Housewife

Rustic Succulent Centerpieces via Love Create Celebrate

DIY Magnetic Succulent Planter via The Crazy Craft Lady

Aren’t these indoor planter ideas so creative? They definitely have me feeling like I need to bring some more green into my space!

– Bre

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