life made simple: get those nasty yard shoes off the garage floor

between my husband's slight OCD and my new mommy given OCD, we are pretty good at find quick fix it solutions to make our lives & home more manageable. our garage is no different - given the fact that we park both my civic and his truck in it, we need all the extra space we can get

one problem spot: our yard shoes. we do alot of yard work so we each have a pair that always stay out there, and we were constantly tripping up on them or piling them up on a shelf. 

solution: hang them! it was totally easy and simple and everyone has the materials required, making it a budget friendly solution. this may be a total no-brainer for some of you, but for me its ingenious! 

tools: hammer, 2 nails per pair of shoes & a wall space

hammer nails decent width apart to ensure shoes wont bump.

and hang. seriously.
viola! shoes are off the floor & you have a little more space for better things like potting soil & paint.

got any life made simple tips you would like to share?

letting my artistic side soar

my brain is something vicious. not in a bad way. in a creative way. i'm the type of person who can envision a million little artsy things but then i have a hard time committing myself to making them. when we moved into our home, i was pretty much already pregnant, so doing anything wasn't on my list of fun things for the first ten months of home ownership. so now that i'm not pregnant & more energized, i'm changing my ways. i'm crafting. like crazy.

and my crafting will follow along the lines of my budgeting series (that i have started, yet not posted on yet), using lots of recycling, upcycling & using whats lying around the house. well except for the house painting. gotta get new paint for that. i've got quite the list of things to do with even a few quick tips and tricks for your household. things that are coming up:

• a magnetic chalkboard for benjamin 
• a foyer photo wall
• storing those nasty yard shoes so they aren't in your way
• an Eiffel tower for your garden
• pallet garden
• painting our house (the before and after) 

*image above is something i created myself.  please do not take without proper permissions or approval.*

as pennies become millions....

here lately I have been doing all my blogging from my iPhone. it's a lot easier than trying to use the computer and appease a baby. one of these days I will sit down and blog normally with cutesy links and more pictures that are placed within my post how I like. but for now, iPhone it is.

our little family is under going some changes, which hopefully I will get to divulge in soon when we have all the details ironed out and those close know first. and you sick minded folks, baby number two is not on the way.

but for now, being a new mom and family of three, one whom is growing by the second, have decided to start living more consciously. before Benjamin, we lived just us, easy and carefree. now I find our grocery cart with at least a $25 can of formula and super box of diapers. and if we've had an exceptional week, some shiner bock to celebrate a week of pluses and a couple nights of good rest.

I've suddenly become obsessed with coupons and sales ads. now I'm no extreme couponer, but I strategically plan my menu each week to maximize my dollar. its amazing how much money can be saved by doing just a little work.

with that a new blog segment was born.. budget living and maximizing that dollar. the segment will include great coupon sites, budget friendly recipes, and so much more. I'm hoping someone besides myself will benefit and enjoy this segment as much as me.