Romance Novel Author - Lifestyle Blog: Dagmar's Home
I haven’t been blogging for days because I’m still in bed with the flu. I fainted yesterday and hit my head on a bedside table, giving Don quite a scare. I feel a little better today and hope by tomorrow the chills are gone and my energy back.
Interesting how you all of a sudden want to take a walk in the sunshine when you can’t :)
I don’t even have new pictures to share, I haven’t really taken any since deciding that I’m not using Instagram like I used to for my blog posts.
Are you looking for an easy DIY pinecone bird feeder tutorial? Here you go!
We made pinecone bird feeders at our last 4-H meeting, and it was a big hit with the kids and so easy.
And we learned something interesting: we’re doing birds a favor by feeding them in the winter. Birds need to eat all day in order to maintain energy to stay warm and to survive in cold climates.
Some birds have to consume as much as their body weight every day. At 5° F, a sparrow can only live without food for up to 15 hours.
So have fun with the kids and make some bird happy!
We also made simple gift bags out of paper bags that we decorated with a stamp. Then we used a hole puncher to make a hole, and closed the bag with a ribbon.
Pin this for later!
Our birds gobbled up this feeder in a day. Time to make more!
I haven’t told you yet about the week I test drove the Chevy Volt electric car, the best-selling plug-in car in the U.S. We are still missing this zippy car!
Being a green living advocate, I couldn’t wait to drive an electric car for the first time.
The second the Volt got dropped off at our house, I fell in love with it — the no-fuss seats that are super comfortable, the quiet drive, and the Boss speakers that are such an improvement to what I have now. And the acceleration is amazing!
The best feature of course is that you can charge the Volt for about $1.60 to get 38 miles before you switch to using regular gas. [Read more…]
I was itching to make my own table decor inspired by the Thanksgiving decorating ideas I posted yesterday.
Here is the result: pumpkins on candle sticks, candles I made, fall decor I had, greenery that was still nice from the centerpiece from Don’s party, silver kettles, a milk glass vase, and an earthenware bottle.
Took me five minutes to put together on a tray I lines with fake leaves so the design on it wouldn’t distract from the fall decor.
Wishing you a wonderful, memorable Thanksgiving!
Are you looking for tips about how to throw a 50th birthday party on a budget? Fifty or twenty — these tips work for any birthday on a budget!
{or really any birthday party}
Then you’ve come to the right place!
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I’m super frugal and try to do everything in the most inexpensive way.
Over the years, I’ve planned many birthday parties on a budget, many for under $100.
In this post, I’ll tell you how I was able to create a 50th birthday party for 25 people for just $500.
You can adjust my tips for any birthday party you are planning.
Depending on your party, you can create a celebration maybe for even less money.
I will show you how you can pay less for
Here we go!
When my husband’s 50th birthday was coming up, I was determined to make this a special day for him, even though we were on a tight budget.
I was able to organize a lovely surprise party with our family and friends he really enjoyed.
How was I able to throw a classy party for 25 people in a beautiful venue for only $500?
Tip 1. Venue, Music, and Flowers for Less
Venue:
Don’t be afraid to barter!
I had my eye on The Lodge room at a local farm, which is a pretty venue with a lovely main room, but I couldn’t swing the rental fee plus the costs of food, etc.
So luckily I mentioned the upcoming party to the owner and she let me have the Lodge for free, in exchange for social media consulting. It was a win/win for the both of us.
Check out your local community center or church and ask if they have a party room you can have for a few hours. I bet you could offer something in return to barter.
Music:
If you are on a budget and don’t have money for a band on DJ, don’t fret!
Having music doesn’t have to cost much nowadays: all you need is an iPhone or iPod and a speaker, and you can stream free music with the Pandora app.
Here is an inexpensive iPhone speaker.
Pandora lets you decide which type of music you prefer to hear for the party, and then you just let it run, or if you have your favorite music downloaded, then just play that.
I personally didn’t want to be distracted by music and wanted our guests to be able to talk to each other, so we didn’t even have music.
Flowers:
One of our friends, a talented florist, made a beautiful floral arrangement as her birthday gift for Don that I used as a centerpiece.
Don’t have a florist friend? One of the best deals for flowers can be found at Trader Joe’s — they offer pretty bouquets for not much money, and you can just place them in a few vases you have, or mason jars or vintage milk glass vases you can find in thrift stores. Done!
Here is another idea: buy beautiful fake flowers at the craft store. You can always find a coupon when you go to the store’s website. Show it to the cashier on your smartphone when you check out for extra savings.
Or shop and have them shipped to you via Amazon. They are inexpensive and pretty, and available in any color you want.
After the party, you can use the fake flowers in your home, or for the next party. So much more affordable than real flowers!
I hope this post makes planning a big party for little money easier for you.
Go here to read Tip 2 and 3, plus the breakdown of my birthday party budget.