Hello friends!

One of my very favorite things is making our house into a home. I adore decorating, cooking, gardening, and “keeping house” so that every space feel cozy and welcoming.

Today I wanted to show you around my home plus share tips and tricks to save money and live better! (Nope, not a Walmart ad.) You certainly don’t need to do all this stuff to have a nice home, but being efficient and resourceful brings me joy for some reason, so I thought I’d share in case it thrills you too. 🙂

Enjoy these pretty pictures of one of my favorite places to be. 

Cook with what you have/what’s in season. Of course I still buy meal-specific ingredients, but overall I try to shop for fruit, meat, and veggies that are a good price and then find ways tasty ways to use them. Pinterest is helpful for that. If you’re stuck on what to make, a look into the pantry or freezer might just inspire you without a trip to the store. I’ve bought a lot of watermelon this summer, and recently made chocolate chip pumpkin bread with pumpkin still in my freezer from last fall. So yummy!

Use good weather instead of electricity. It’s more cost-efficient, sustainable, and generally more pleasant. 🙂

• When it’s sunny outside, I hang hard-to-dry clothes like jeans, work shirts, and towels over our deck railing so I only have to run one load of the more delicate clothes through the dryer.
• Minimize AC/heat usage by opening your windows during the nicest part of the day or night and closing them when it gets too hot or cold. I love the smell and feel of fresh air in the house.
• Some things that don’t take much electricity, like outdoor string lights, are pretty easy to find in solar-powered versions which eliminates the mess of dealing with cords and outlets.

Thrift/tailor/mend your clothes. Thrifting is more fun, sustainable, and inexpensive than shopping at department stores. I wish I was good at tailoring clothes, but I can at least do basic mending. If a seam rips or a button pops off, get out a needle and thread instead of throwing out the garment. Look up YouTube tutorials if you’re unsure. It’s easier than you think!

Find creative ways to reduce food waste. Chances are, a lot of the scraps and leftovers you throw out can be repurposed into something delicious.

• Turn old leftover rice into fried rice for supper, or mashed potatoes into mashed potato pancakes for breakfast.
• Make crisp refrigerator pickles with watermelon rinds or slices of tough broccoli stems that usually get discarded. 
• Cook down the peels from peaches, apples, etc. to make yummy fruit roll-ups. 
• Throw meat bones (especially from whole roast chicken) into the Crockpot with water and seasonings to make your own nutritious broth.
• Save excess bacon grease in a mug to use instead of butter for cooking eggs, green beans, onions, etc.

Replace instead of adding. As much as possible, I try to replace clothing and decorations rather than adding to the heap. I crocheted this blanket to replace one that didn’t fit as well, and thrifted this pretty pitcher to replace the less-aesthetic stainless steel container the utensils came in. Especially with clothing, try to donate pieces whenever you go on a big shopping trip. I love knowing that my house and wardrobe are becoming more beautiful little by little without becoming more cluttered.

Grow your own produce or herbs. Gardening can be overwhelming, but it’s pretty simple to grow at least a few things even if you don’t have a big yard. 

• Cherry tomatoes are easy to grow and produce abundantly. Plant them by a trellis or in a pot. Use in salads, pasta, or on their own as a snack.
• It’s almost the same price to buy a whole herb plant as it is to buy cut herbs in a package at Walmart. Grow some potted herbs on a sunny windowsill, porch, or balcony to add a fresh taste to any dish.
• Plant edible flowers like nasturtiums, roses, or lavender in your flowerbed to enjoy beauty and taste combined.

Add art to your walls! This is a personal preference rather than a tip, but I love when people have gallery walls or frames decorating their home. Blank walls make me sad as an artist, hehe. I recently brightened a sad little corner by sticking a bunch of postcards to it. It makes me happy every time I pass by. 🙂

Turn what you use into beautiful decor. Especially if you’re an artist, consider adding some fun to the functional pieces in your home.

• Paint pretty details on instruments, wooden chairs, stairway risers, etc. 
• Cover ugly surfaces with peel-and-stick wallpaper. (I want to do this to my fridge but I haven’t yet. Make sure to do your own research!)
• Decorate flowerpots, pencil jars, waterbottles…

DIY your cleaning products. I still use Comet, Bleach, and other harsher chemicals sometimes, but for everyday cleaning I spray on a diluted mixture of Dawn and white vinegar and wipe surfaces clean with a rag. It’s quite effective, you don’t have to breathe in strong cleaners, and it’s extremely cheap.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed making it! I got lots of other pictures around my house and garden which I’ll share in another post, but that’s all I have for today.

What are your favorite homemaking tips?

Thanks so much for reading, my friends, and have a lovely day!

***Allison***

P. S. Photos taken with my Nikon D7200 and a 35mm lens. Edited with Lightroom.