My nephew recently turned six and my sister was the mastermind behind an amazing black and white, super classy Batman party. She even had a fantastic Batman Birthday Boy baseball tee made for him with his name and age on the back! Check out all the deets for the party below.







We hosted at Chick-fil-a for no cost, but you could really host at any place that works for you. CFA worked well because we were able to reserve a section and have tables blocked off, and we were able to fully make use of the playground, as well. That's all some six year-olds needed: food, cake, and a playground. No need for anything fancy.


(PS. Anything with a * below was purchased at Dollar Tree!)










For the tablescapes:

Plastic tableclothes (black & white) *
Laminated Batman placemats
Large black paper plates (square) *
Small black paper plates (round) *
Black plastic flatware *
Black & white paper straws *
Plastic Batman cups
Paper Batman masks 
Plastic cutout bats
Yellow vases (filled with black sand) * - topped with Batman & Joker character figures
Cape on the back of each chair








For the wall decor: 

"6" mylar blow-up balloon *
"NA NA NA" mylar blow-up balloons
DIY Batman mask banner (created with only felt and twine)
Several helium-filled latex balloons (black & white)







Cake table:
Black & white sheet cake - homemade stencil & edible glitter for the Batman symbol
Framed printed graphic *
Stuffed Batman plush to hold a few balloons








For the goodies table:

Cityscape created with foam board and yellow duct tape *
Plastic cutout bats
Paper popcorn boxes with printed Batman stickers
Goodies - slap bracelets, pencils, masks, bubbles, finger puppets, beads, rubix-style cube (all Batman-branded except masks and beads)





My sister purchased nugget trays, tea, and lemonade and we served the kiddos. The cow came out (dressed in a cape!) after lunch. It was honestly such a big hit, and definitely a budgeted party. I don't have kids of my own, but I do believe most kids are pretty easy to please. I feel like so many parties are thrown for the parents to try to one-up others, but kids just want to hang out with their friends, have some cake, see a giant cow, and play on the playground.


This was such a fantastic birthday party and props to my sister for all her hard work. I'm glad I got to help out with some of the little details.

If I had to take a guess, I would say one of the biggest issues in a lot of people's lives is money. We're all always trying to make the best budgets for us, but sometimes we could all use a little extra cash, whether it's saving up for a vacation, saving up for a rainy day, or just even just trying to minimize the things in our lives.



So, here are a few things you may or may not have thought of before:



1. Junk an old car, or old car parts. Hubby and I have both junked cars. My 2002 Malibu, which I loved dearly, ended up with a warped engine that was going to cost more to replace than we paid for the car. A 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee that was quite literally falling apart. A 1991 Toyota Celica that had too many problems to count, and eventually filled with spiders because the window wouldn't roll up. We've definitely had our share of car problems, and have really made a come-up and now both own our own cars we bought brand new. But finding a trustworthy, reliable, and easy-to-work-with junker can be difficult to come by and you certainly want to get the best deal for your car - because sometimes our cars can come with a lot of sentimental value, so we don't want to just get rid of our cars, ya know? So find a great, reliable junking service like Sanford & Sons Junk Cars. Serving the Atlanta area for many decades, Sanford & Sons are reliable, trustworthy, and quick. Plus, they pay on the spot when they pick up - not to mention, they'll come to you!





2. Turn your skills into services. Are you great at writing? Pick up some tasks like writing articles freelance for your local newspaper or even online outlets. If you've got a blog, work on sponsored posts (like this one!) that you feel can fall into your blog's niche. There are also sites and apps, like TaskRabbit that let you pick up all kinds of varieties of tasks, from cleaning to organizing to styling!



3. Drive folks around with Lyft or Uber, if that's an option for you. It's not personally a job I'm sold on (I don't want to drive drunk people around and risk them throwing up in my car, if I'm being completely honest), but my brother-in-law does it, and since I work at a university, I honestly know a handful of people who earn a lot of extra money by driving for rideshare companies.



4. Thrift unwanted clothes. I've been visiting thrift shops my whole life. My mom really taught me how to stretch a dollar and it's something I'm still proud of to this day. But thrift shops have really become more popular, especially since Macklemore's Thrift Shop dropped several years ago. So get rid of the clothes, shoes, and accessories you don't wear anymore, or let's face it, if they're never going to fit anytime soon. While you may want to donate,  you can certainly earn an extra buck or two by selling your clothes to local thrift stores, resale stores like Plato's Closter, or resale apps like Poshmark, ThreadUp, or Mercari.





5. Recycle cans. This can take a bit of time, depending on how many cans you go through a day, but you could think a little out of the box here, too. Collect cans at work, or collect a group of friends to volunteer to pick up cans and trash roadside or within the community. Look in your area for a recycling company - they typically pay mere cents per can, but I used to rack up like $80 every couple of months growing up because I forced my family to recycle their cans!



6. Use apps that help you earn, like Shopkick (earn kicks/points for walking into stores, scanning items, and shopping - you don't have to spend money to earn, which is my favorite thing about this app) or Achievement (earn points for being active, taking health and wellness quizzes, and keeping track of your food intake!). There are probably a million other apps out there, but those are just some I actually use fairly regularly.

I'm a cheapskate. If you know me, you know this. I hate to spend money, so even though I've wanted an area rug for years, I just cannot bring myself to spend hundreds of dollars on one. (Does anyone else have this issue?) So, I decided to make one myself, and honestly, I love the way it's turned out. Keep reading to find out how to make your own below.






Materials: Several small woven rugs (I chose three 3' x 5' rugs to make a 9' x 5' rug) Yarn in a color that coordinates with the main weaving of the rugs Crochet hook (helpful, but not entirely necessary) Scissors (to cut the yarn) Directions: 1. Unroll the rugs and lay them out side by side. The positioning will vary based on your rugs, however, the rugs I used I laid the sides together length-wise with tassels facing out.  2. Cut a piece of yarn that is the length of the rug, plus one foot (for good measure). 3. Using the crochet needle (or your fingers), thread the yarn through the first loops on the end of two side-by-side rugs. You'll want to pull the yarn all the way through, almost two the end, with about 3-4 inches left on the end. Tie this in a knot several times to secure.  4. Using the lengthier (threaded through) piece of yarn, thread this through the corresponding pieces on the side-by-side rugs until you've completely connected the rugs. 5. Loop the yarn through the last two loops several times, and then tie in a knot. Cut off any excess yarn. 6. Complete steps 2-5 with the additional rug(s) until the rug is the desired size. 7. Place your rug under your sofa, bed, or in the center of a room, and enjoy your new area rug!




Where do you plan to put your new area rug?

Christmas decorations are expensive. Well, any type of decor, really. But we all know I'm not down to spend hundreds of dollars on anything. So, how do I decorate for the holidays on a budget? I've listed a few tips below that I use to decorate frugally.

1. Shop Black Friday sales. When you think of Black Friday, buying gifts for others (or yourself) is probably what comes to mind. Toys, electronics, clothes, etc. But guess what. A ton of stores mark down their holiday decor (including trees and big items) on Black Friday.

2. Shop clearance and markdowns. Some stores, like Target, mark their holiday items to clearance before Christmas. My local Target has their holiday items marked down to 30% off, but this isn't active for all decor online, so check your local Target to see if they do early markdowns. (Christmas trees are half off online.) Don't forget the Dollar Spot, either! You can find the cutest holiday stuff there!

3. Thrift stores. I am an avid thrift-store girl (and have been since way before Macklemore - even though I am a huge fan of him!). My momma taught me to shop the right way, so I never pay full-price for non-necessities. Some favorites are the Goodwill and Salvation Army, but don't overlook local thrift shops. We have a wonderful local shop that often lets you fill a bag for $1-5. Sometimes you may have to dig, but I assure you it will be worth it when you find those perfect items.

4. Hand-me-downs. Do you have a family member or friend that updates their decorations regularly, getting rid of some older items? Ask them if you can take those items off their hands!

5. Repurposing. Maybe you have some outdated decorations. Style them in a new way, or incorporate them into a new style. Maybe you have some old garland that's broken up or in shorter pieces. Stuff it in a jar with twinkle lights, or lay out across your mantle or entryway table for a new look.

Set of two gold nutcracker candle holders: yard sale for $2. Florals: Walmart for $4. Garland: who knows? Gold owl: Dollar Tree.

6. Use nature! Girl, are you going to really pay $12 for a bag of pinecones? Don't do that. Collect large (dry) pinecones from your yard. You can throw them in a bowl for use as a centerpiece, or you can use them as ornaments (just add some fishing line or yarn to hang!). Use gold spray paint or glitter to give them a fun charm.

7. Shop for next year. The days after Christmas are the best time to buy Christmas decor. Sure, there may be some slim pickins, but let me tell you - you can get most of the decor for ups to 90% most places. I always buy ornaments after Christmas, but this is the perfect time to get lights and other cutesy things for the holidays next year!


How do you make the most of your money when decorating for the holidays?

I just can't help myself when I see cheap books. I just want to buy them all! The top set of books I found at the Dollar Tree, and the lower picture were Goodwill finds. I also tend to find books at yard sales and dime stores. Here's this month's finds:
Dead Set by Richard Kadrey
Astray by Emma Donoghue
Five Days by Douglas Kennedy
Lifetime by Liza Marklund
Crime of Privilege by Walter Walker
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Bossypants by Tina Fey


I've already got through The Fault in Our Stars, and can't wait to get through the rest of them. Have you read any of these before?

I love the Dollar Tree. It's just freaking awesome. Okay, so some of the stuff is super cheaply made, but that's okay, because it's all a dollar. So, I went the other day with my mom. She was looking for something particular, but I got lost in the book aisle and stayed there the entire time we were in the store. Now, they used to have crap books. Everything that no one's ever heard of and doesn't even look appealing, but they are moving on up! They had a lot of fantastical looking novels, but I found five that I was super interested in.

Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey. If you follow my blog at all, you know I'm become a huge fan of James Frey in these past few months, so you can only imagine how excited I was to find one of his books for only a dollar. ONE DOLLAR!

Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love & Karaoke by Rob Sheffield. I can't say I'm totally sure what this book is about, but I can't stop singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart," so it has to be a fun book to read, right? (Speaking of, I freaking love the Glee version of the song.)


Claire Dewitt and the Bohemian Highway by Sara Gran. This one also seemed like a pretty interesting novel, and I'm a sucker for a cute cover. Unfortunately, this is the second book in a series of books, so I will have to find the first one before reading this one.

Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas. I have Zailckas's book Smashed, so I would love to read her debut novel, too.

The Fields: A Novel by Keven Maker. This novel seems like it will give me major feels, while also making me laugh out loud. This one's another debut novel, and I love reading new authors.


I rarely pay full price for books, unless it's Harry Potter (or related). I tend to buy them from discount stores, like Ollie's; thrift stores like the Goodwill or other holes in the wall; or yard sales. I tend to pay 10 cents to $5 for books, so to find them for a dollar is pretty awesome.

Where do you find cheap books? What are some of the best books you've gotten for really cheap?

What was your thriftiest wedding find? Did you 'maids wear matching dresses?











Linked up with Macy at To Travel & Beyond for Wedding Wednesday.

I'm super excited to share our new coffee cart with y'all. I had received a gift card to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for Christmas, and I had been wanting to make more counter space, so a coffee cart seemed like the best way to go.

The bad news? Coffee carts started closer to $100, and I wasn't looking to spend that much. Like I said, I had a gift card, and was really looking to spend a minimal amount out of pocket. Luckily, I found this cart for less than $50. It came in multiple colors, but I picked the orange because it was the cheapest (I guess the color was "outdated" or part of a limited edition).


Our kitchen colors are mostly reds and oranges, so this cart was the perfect color. Plus, it was the perfect size for our Keurig 2.0. We topped the cart with a rubber kitchen mat to keep the Keurig from sliding, throw some spoons in mug and the top shelf was good to go.




The second shelf is perfect for sweeteners and k-cups. We also keep our Keurig carafe on the second shelf. We usually just use the single pods, so the carafe doesn't get much use.

There is a third, bottom shelf, but it's currently not in use. I didn't want to place our coffee mugs on the shelf, because cats, so they're still in the cabinet over to the left of the cart.