Holiday Decorating Simplified

Do you realize there is a "major" holiday nearly every month?  I really like holidays, all of them.  Well, most of them.  I like decorating for the holidays, but I'm not very creative.  To be even more honest, I'm lazy.  Dawn doesn't do a lot of decorating either, but her excuse is that lots of decor looks cluttered which is not her preference. And we all know more decor means more storage space needed.  We both prefer to just do little touches of festivity for the bigger holidays except one...  Christmas is the only holiday I go all out and decorate multiple rooms in the house and the one in which Dawn uses more decor than just little touches.  Though I confess, I find it a chore...mostly the putting everything away after Christmas.  (Boy, do I sound like a downer??)  Despite the laziness, I do like to decorate for the biggest holidays...Valentine's Day being one of them!  So I thought I would show you how I decorate quickly and easily for Valentine's Day.  You could do this for any holiday.  If you want to plan for the future -- and save money!! -- wait until after the holiday and purchase decor when it is on mega-sale.  So here are my little Valentine's Day decorations!

I have a pair of decorative salt and pepper shakers.  They are difficult to fill because the hole
on the bottom is quite small.  Here's a simple tip to fill them without making a mess!

Take a small piece of tape and cover the holes.
If you don't, you may have a "duh" moment when you turn it over.  :-)

Next, place your tape-covered shaker in a container to keep it propped up.
Put in a small funnel, add salt or pepper, replace the stopper.  You're ready to go!

Salt and pepper shakers are only one part of my decor.  I have
these clear glass floating candle holders.  They are wonderfully versatile!  

Whichever the holiday, I can usually find something to fill
the candles holders.  For Valentine's Day, I use "conversation
hearts."  I would use chocolate...but it would get eaten.  :)
I have had these hearts for four years.  They just don't go bad!

I add the salt and pepper shakers to the candle holders and
end up with a nice little centerpiece for dining room table.

The only other places I have decor are on my front door and in my kitchen.  Wreaths are easy to switch out and offer guests (and yourself!) a festive entrance to your home.  Kitchen towels are a super easy way to keep a touch of fun with the functional!

Using simple decorations like these allows your home to be a touch decorated and festive for the holidays without all the fuss 'n muss and expense.  AND... it's easy to clean up, put away, and switch out for the next holiday!  What are some ways you decorate for the holidays?  Which is your favorite holiday to decorate for?

Frugal Valentine's Day

Note: My apologies to my dear co-author for just now editing and posting this.  Better late than never, right?  Use it as an inspiration to celebrate an un-Valentine's Day for your spouse!  :-)

Oh, Valentine's Day... the day we all want/expect to be romanced by our boyfriend or husband (I'm assuming all our readers are ladies).  I don't know if My Honey and I are getting old or are just content or both, but we're just happy to be home on Valentine's day.  Of course, the last time we went out for dinner on Valentine's Day, we arrived at the restaurant straight up at 5:00...and we had a two hour wait.  That is crazy!  This year, My Honey sweetly asked what I would like for Valentine's Day.  I told him if he felt like he wanted to get something for me, I would be happy with some simple flowers and a nice card.  The day before Valentine's Day, My Honey ran to the grocery store for me and came home with some sweet red and white flowers.  They made me smile.

So, when Valentine's Day came, I really wanted to make it special for him.  He has been especially sweet and helpful recently because I had surgery on my ankle in November.  I tried to think of ways I could make the day special.  I had purchased a card -- then found another card from last year that I apparently forgot to give him.  So I signed them both.  I put one on our bed for him to find when he was getting dressed for the day.  While he was in the shower I laid out his clothes for the day because I know that is something he really appreciates.  Also, while he was in the shower, I ran out to his car and put another card in it with a box of Hot Tamale cinnamon candy... one of his favorites.  I called during the day to see how his day was.  Then for dinner, I took the leaves out of our table so it was as small as it could be which made the setting more intimate.  I covered it with a red cloth and used candles and the flowers he bought me as a center piece.

 I made a yummy dinner of salmon, asparagus, and stir-fried veggies.  It was all ready when he got home.
 

I also had big band music on my Pandora radio station.  We really enjoy that type of music.  It is, to our minds, romantic.  We had a really nice dinner, enjoying the food and each others' company.  He mentioned how nice it would be to take a walk after dinner.  I haven't been able to do that since my surgery.  I told him I would try!  :)  So after the kitchen was cleaned up, we went for a little walk.  We stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and a small sweet treat.  It was a really lovely evening.  I think we both felt like it was romantic and a nice way to celebrate our love for each other.

So you CAN have a nice, romantic Valentine's Day celebration for not a lot of money.  I think I could have served hot dogs and mac and cheese, and it would have been just as nice a celebration.  You really don't need fancy flowers, an expensive dinner out, and presents.  You really just need each other and find the joy of being together.  One thing that struck me that night as I was going to bed and reflecting on the day... He did get me flowers, and he did give me a very sweet card.  But the day was wonderful for me because I focused on him and the things I could do to make him feel loved.  It is a lesson I hope I take with me through the year...making him feel loved makes me happy.  I'm so grateful the Lord taught me that!

Please comment and leave your own ideas for frugal Valentine's ideas!

Happy Valentine's Day!

You COULD make red, heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast.  But if you have to get yourself and three kids (and your hubby) out the door by 8:40 with lunches, bags, etc...you might wanna be wise with your time.  If you still want a Valentine breakfast...