Create A Winter Wonderland In Your Home With These Cozy Ideas

Photo from: Pixabay

As fall starts closing in it’s certainly time to think about getting cozy and creating a warming and inviting feel in our home. Roaring fires, super soft wools, the scent of gingerbread and cookie dough and twinkling lights all bring magical elements to the home. And certainly a hint towards Christmas coming soon. And with that feeling in mind, here are some ways to create a winter wonderland feel in your own home.  

Faux Fur And Cashmere

Without renovating your rooms, there are plenty of accessories you can add come fall to create those warm and cozy vibes. Using tactile pieces and adding different textures to your space will instantly make it feel more inviting and snug. Faux fur rugs look wonderful in the bedroom and living room and convey the snugness of an Alpine chalet. Textured velvet throws over arm chairs add a sumptuous winter feel when thrown over chairs. And muted gray cashmere throws are the ultimate in luxe, cozy chic when thrown over the sofa or across your bed.


Photo from: Pixabay   

Fireplaces

The warm glow of embers is an instant way to get those winter wonderland vibes in your home. Nothing says fabulous fall is on the way more than a roaring fire does. And a fireplace can become the hub of a cozy living room. However, we are not all lucky enough to have a chimney in our house or a wood burning stove. However, one great round this is to invest in an ethanol fireplace. They look contemporary and chic and can be wall mounted for extra style points. They use bioethanol fire, are simple to install and look ever so stylish. With the flames of a real fire protected behind a sheet of sleek glass, your home will look like a chic boutique style hotel just in time for winter.     

Fairy Lights And Lanterns

Lighting should always be kept soft and inviting. Choose pearl bulbs over clear ones for your side lamps as these emit a soft tone of light. String fairy lights under bookshelves or across mantelpieces for a cozy feel. And for a more contemporary look bundle them together in a tall, sleek glass vase for a focal accessory in the room. Use paper lantern lights as a nod towards the fact that Christmas is coming and stack your candle in threes at various points in each room. Candles look beautiful and inviting in bedrooms and living rooms. But always make sure you are present in each room that you are lighting them in. Create a warm and relaxing ambiance with your lighting and it should feel super wintery in your home.

Photo from: Pexels

Adding In Autumnal Tones

Another quick way to bring fall into your home is to add in some rich autumnal shades. Use pillows, throws, artwork and flowers to bring warm hues into your home. Think lashings of orange, mustards, rusts and rich reds and olive greens. All set the scene for snuggled down on a winter’s night and getting cozy beneath your cashmere throws.

#JohnsonFarms in Kansas City ... Thank You for a Great Halloween Treat, Tutu!

I don't even know how many years we've been going to Johnson Farms. My mom doesn't live far from there so she was the first to tell us about it when my kids were tiny and we've been going for maybe 10 years if I had to guess. I just remember taking very tiny kids there, nursing there, pushing a stroller there (something I don't do anymore, which still feels weird = freeing and yet bittersweet).

This place is a great pumpkin patch and play area for the kids. There is so much to do and my kids are always occupied for hours. We usually try to go on a day when school is in session so we don't have a lot of crowds. This year we went on a NUTSO CRAZY DAY because schools were out on the day I scheduled us to go = a Friday that my husband was off work. Still, by around 3 p.m. most of the crowds take off and we have the place to ourselves.

Thank you, Mom (Tutu), for Halloween money for the kids so they could get into Johnson Farms and also get pumpkin donuts and apple cider slushes. We picked out our own pumpkins (one for you also, Mom!) and even had a late lunch there. The weather could not have been more perfect and we thought of you the whole time! Please enjoy our day in pictures at Johnson Farms!

Get Over $90 in gift cards when you earn with Uber!

For those of you looking to earn extra money, driving for Uber may be the opportunity you're looking for! You set your own hours so you can earn as much or as little as you want! Thanks to Swagbucks, you can get paid to try it out! (I have seriously been thinking about doing this, seeing as how I have a 12-passenger van and a lovely monthly payment to go along with it.)

Just for signing up, you'll get 1250 SB (the equivalent of over $12 in gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, Target, Walmart, and more, or just PayPal cash)! Once you take your first paid passenger, you'll get another 8000 SB ($80!) in addition to your earnings from driving. Click here to get started.

What's more, if you sign up through me and complete even the first part of this offer before November 1st, you'll get another $3 bonus (300 SB) in the first week of November. So we're talking about almost $100 in free gift cards just for making even more money on the side. Another great way to make a little extra is through Swagbucks - they have a lot of different ways you can earn free gift cards every day! I signed up with Swagbucks years ago and have earned so many gift cards ... and then I started taking my SB in PayPal credit deposited directly into my PP account.

Swagbucks is a great way to bank points all year and get gift cards for birthdays and Christmas! I buy things I normally buy, like things on eBay or even my Time4Learning homeschool subscription, and get points! Then, of course, you can also take polls and surveys and watch videos and buy more stuff you would normally be buying online. I really rack up the SB when I get Christmas shopping done ... think LEGO double VIP points in October through LEGO and then Swagbucks on top of that! WIN WIN!

Simple Changes to Make To Your Household Spending to Cut Down Debt

For whatever reason, many of us might find ourselves in some household debt. We might be in debt for our home and perhaps a car and education. Those debts are a little more controlled, and we have a monthly amount that is paid off. But when the credit card bills add up, just from everyday spending, you know it is time to make some changes. So here are a few hints and tips to help you reduce your spending, which in turn, will help to clear any credit card debt that you have.

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Make Your Own

One great way to save money on your day to day bills is to make things yourself. Cooking from scratch, as well as making your own laundry and cleaning products can save you quite a bit. It is most likely going to end up being better for you too. So what is not to love? There are many websites and sources online that will have recipes and hints and tips you can follow. For many of us, it might be a new concept, to start making your own laundry detergent! So somewhere like The Fortunate Investor is somewhere that you could look. It has articles you can read about saving money on household things, like cleaning products, for example.

Get Rid of Unnecessary Things

There are lots of things that you will have around the home that you could get rid of. From possessions to contracts, they can all be reduced. You could hold a garage sale, for example, or sell belongings online. You could even start to think about contracts in the home that you don’t really need. Do you need the all-singing-all-dancing cable package? Could you reduce it to a more basic package, for instance? Could you get rid of it all together? Things like that might be a nice idea. But if you don’t get that much use of it, is it worth it? Just things to think about to help you make some savings.

Use Reward Programs

Many stores have loyalty and reward programs that can be really beneficial. So think about the stores near you and what they offer. Quite often you can earn loyalty points that can be converted to things like coupons for money off your gasoline. To get some money off, for things that you will be buying anyway, is completely worth it. So shop around and sign up to some loyalty programs.

Cut Down Grocery Costs

A lot of our household budget goes on groceries. What we can eat add up to a lot of money if we don’t restrict things. So make yourself a weekly budget if you don’t already have one. Then think about making some switches. Cereals are expensive; so why not switch to oatmeal and porridge instead. It is also a good idea to buy some of your products in bulk. Things like meat can be bought in bulk, divided up and then stored in the freezer, for example. It will save you money in the long run.

I Like When God Smacks Me Upside the Head (Are You Living Your Life Like a Saint?)

I didn't really want to go to Religious Education class last night with my kids. Eva asked to stay home and I said, "It's only the 6th class and we already missed one to be with Poppy, which turned out actually instead to be me nursing a horrific dying tooth nerve that night. We can't miss tonight. Sam is doing First Communion in the spring and needs to go to all the classes."

Still, I didn't want to go myself. The past classes had been difficult trying to understand what the Spanish-speaking speakers were talking about when I know maybe a first-grade level of Spanish (we go to a very welcoming church). Our director would try to translate but that became a little disruptive to the Spanish-speakers trying to understand the lecture. I wasn't really looking forward to my brain being on fire more after a tiring day with another tiring day on the way (co-op tomorrow).

We went anyway.

This time my three English-speaking companions and I were taken into a classroom (ironically, the one I taught in last year and had such a hard time because trying to teach kids Religious Ed directly after they've been in school all day was REALLY difficult). A video was put on and I was like, "Oh, I am going to fall asleep."

The video was about saints. And four saints were covered that blew my mind wide open. I sat there taking notes and trying not to bawl like a pre-menopausal baby when Edith Stein's (a Jewish-to-Catholic saint? Shut the front door!) story was told and it turns out she died in a gas chamber.

I wasn't super impressed with The Little Flower even though most Confirmation girls choose her as their saint, and Edith Stein was cool and all that back when it wasn't cool to be a woman. But the two that affected me were Katharine Drexel and Mother Teresa. Drexel was brought up all fancy and then used her $4 million from her parents dying to help Blacks and Native Americans. Talk about philanthropy! Mother Teresa ... what sacrifice!

And you know what I never truly sat and thought about? The fact that these people did not set out to become saints. They were not pious and selfless from the moment of their birth. They all come from different backgrounds and locations. They were not perfect. The Little Flower had to be dragged out of the Pope's pad by guards because she was a teen begging to become a nun and wouldn't give up. I dug that part because it sounds like something that would happen to me when I get an idea in my head and won't let it go!

THEY WERE HUMAN. Sometimes they were annoying and tenacious, but those qualities paired with hard work get stuff done.

The evening left me asking this:

What can I, as the homeschooling mother of 5 and wife of 1 do to make things better in the world? Maybe my calling is raising and educating awesome kids who might go on to do crazy-rockin' things in the world. That thought makes me laugh and feel less-than, as I look at the piles of dishes and laundry and think about how many popsicles I let them eat in the summertime and how we sometimes skip schoolwork for fun outings and how they have too much screen time. Maybe my calling is taking in extra kids when they need a place to just be kids. Maybe my calling is to someday write books that help people beyond getting published in magazines and learning how to make tater tot casserole.

Even if you aren't Catholic, and I was not raised Catholic (or even really Protestant yet I was drawn to it anyway), are you living your life like a saint? I'm not talking about being PERFECT. The saints were never perfect. Some of them have incredibly sordid pasts but turned their lives around and gave up their lives for a more selfless pursuit or two. Are you living your life like a selfish jerk or like a giving, loving, kind, patient, forgiving person?

*I think my comment box has disappeared! Can you let me know here or at mommykerrie@yahoo.com? Thank you for your help!