Thrifty Trends - Sprucing Up Your Laundry Room

This post is so refreshing considering this is what I deal with on the daily...

We're renting and the laundry is located below the stairs, across from the half-bath (which I actually stood in for the photos since the hallway is only wide enough for the bathroom door to swing open!). Aubrey even caught me on laundry day- so real life photo post of my laundry mess! My favorite thing about my laundry room closet is the sign above that I've had since 2011, haha! Someday when we purchase a house, I'll know exactly what I want after living in a new place every 2-4yrs!

If you complete a project inspired by her post let us know in the comments, if you use Instagram you can also hashtag #thedaringdandelion #freshlybrewedhome #thriftytrends and tag @thedaringdandelion @aubreylouiseb

After you check out this inspiration post, make sure to pop on over to Aubrey's website [A Freshly Brewed Home] for more tips, tricks, and ideas! 

-Tay

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Let's be honest, doing laundry is hardly anyone's favorite thing to do... but everyone has to do it so we might as well make it a pretty space! If you're like me, you hate spending a lot of money on decor especially for something that is to fit a specific space when you know you'll be moving in the future. But that doesn't mean you don't have to do anything to a room...small details likes rugs and wall art make a huge difference! Invest in pieces that you know can work in other spaces so that you can play Tetris with all your decor when you move.

Now I know not everyone has a laundry room with a sink or cabinets or room for large bins (heck, mine is literally a closet with bi-fold doors and a stack of builder grade shelves) but you can still make your room (or closet) a space that functions well. Here are a few thrifty tips on how to get a functional and beautiful laundry room.

1. Find a mailbox like this one here for $12.95 to put lint and small trash in (or just use a small basket)
2. Free printable from Pinterest put into a frame
3. Another free printable from Pinterest
4. Get two hooks from Lowes at $3.97 each, mount them on a scrap piece of wood to create a cool ironing board holder that hangs on the wall
5. Install a towel bar (cheaper than a curtain rod) like this one underneath a cabinet or just on the wall for a place to hang clothes
6. You can get glass jars like this at Walmart for $5.89 or you can find similar ones to mix and match at thrift stores (usually for just a buck or so). When you store things like laundry detergent, clothespins or oxi clean in them, it automatically makes them look fancier!
7. Use storage baskets like this for $12.99 at H&M and this for $15 at Target for storing towels, missing socks or just keeping your dryer sheets and Tide to-go sticks out of sight
8. Cover a sink front with a homemade fabric curtain to hide buckets and other utility items. I liked this particular fabric which is $8.99 for a 5'x5' piece at IKEA. Or visit your local craft store and raid the clearance bin for cute fabric. Buy some iron-on hemming tape (typically a buck or two) for a no-sew hack.
9. Use a storage bin or two to sort laundry
10. Don't forget to add a rug like this one from Wayfair for $45. A sturdy indoor/outdoor one would probably be best in a utility space but if standing on a fluffy rug would make doing laundry feel fancier, then get one!

Here is the inspiration photo that I used. Tracy at Right Up My Alley used some DIY hacks and simple little changes to update her laundry room and made it a bright and cheery little space. I love that she framed a little sweatshirt that all of her girls wore when they were babies...so sweet!!! And such a great idea to make personal art!

I also love how she chose to store her ironing board...brilliant! And her chandelier is great. Most people I know that rent, can't change their lighting...but if you can, please do! It makes such a difference. Find an old chandelier at your ReStore and spray paint it. Tracy added beads to hers and I love that detail.


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I know everyone has different taste and styles so here are a few more inspiration photos of beautiful and functional laundry rooms. They don't need to be anything fancy, I promise!


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There are a few things these spaces have in common...rugs, shelving, a space to fold clothes and a rack to hang items after they're washed. Add in some meaningful or funny artwork, some storage baskets and containers and your laundry room can turn from boring to beautiful! You don't have to spend a fortune to make your space more fun...go "shopping" in your own home and go explore your local thrift stores. Find some fun pieces and you'd be surprised how much of a difference a rug, some artwork and glass containers can make!

Happy Decorating,
~Aubrey

You can find me here:

My Website

(where I post inspiration photos daily)

and

Instagram

Fit Friday! - Stroller Leg Workout

Thanks to a nasty stomach virus Friday was pretty much a blur... and I completely missed posting this (last) week's Fit Friday, I sincerely apologize (especially to Adrien!), but I promise it's still great! So... since today is a day off from work for many, if you can get outside or to an indoor track if it's raining/snowing like it is for me, this is going to be a fun workout for mom (or dad) and baby/toddler!
-Tay

As always, if you use Instagram don't forget to tag 

@thedaringdanedlion @active_freckals and this month #strollerlegworkout

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Like many families out there, ours is a one-car family, and we simply cannot afford for me to have gym membership. So workouts have to either be quiet enough to happen during baby girls naps or they have to be baby friendly. Not to mention my husband and I also really missed being able to run with each other. So after much research and asking my fellow mom friends their thoughts on different types we decided to invest in a jogging stroller.

Best decision ever. I get to go running at least 2 times a week (more when we all go) and my daughter gets to see her parents stay healthy and active. Plus she loves being outside so she really enjoys the rides.
~Adrien

Freckled & Free

Below is a short stroller workout you can add to your walk or jog.
Take pictures of you working out with your little loves and tag us on Instagram
@active_freckals and @thedaringdandelion

 
Disclaimer: Adrien is a Beach Body Coach, however all the moves listed are done at your own risk. Please ensure that your baby can hold their head up on their own before attempting any of these moves. Be sure to consult a doctor before starting any exercise program. The Daring Dandelion along with Freckled & Free assume no responsibility for injuries that may occur while completing the moves utilized in this workout.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Hearts

Reese's are like my favorite "candy bars," with PayDay's in a close second... But I also want cleaner ingredients so I found Detoxinista's recipe and used some IKEA silicone ice molds for a spin. You may have all the ingredients in your pantry right now (the only truly "unique" ingredient is coconut flour)! I just made these for my family and neighbors to celebrate Valentine's Day.

Peanut Butter Hearts (or balls/any other mold you have):

Gluten free, vegan
Filling

1/2 cup natural peanut butter, I used chunky because I don't mind the crunch

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

1 Tbsp coconut flour

Coating

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 tsp coconut oil

Melt the dark chocolate chips and coconut oil together, if you are using molds put a layer in the bottom.

If you aren't using molds...

Combine peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut flour together, you can roll into balls/shape hearts and place on waxed paper. Use a fork to dip the balls into chocolate (or just drizzle over the top - you may need more chocolate to completely cover them).

If you did use molds, place the peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate.

You can pop them in the fridge or freezer to speed up the setting process.

I hope you enjoy!
-Tay

DIY Watercolor Prints

I'm going to come out and say it... Pinterest has made motherhood ridiculous.

Okay, now that that's off my shoulders I have an EASY toddler friendly craft for you. Just be smart and buy washable water colors and know that there will be paint on the baby, the floor, and possibly the wall next to the stairs (I still can't figure that one out, he's a magician I guess).

Here's what you need:

- Cardstock Paper (I actually used thick sketch paper)

- A white crayon

- Washable water color paints

- Thick paint brushes for little hands

Optional: newspaper in attempt to contain the mess!

Steps:

1) Draw your designs on the paper, make sure you have GOOD lighting, especially if you want to go over the same area a couple times to thicken up the design. I did this the night before after I put my son to bed.

2) Set-up your paint station.

3) Wet brush, and dip in paint.

4) Show toddler how to paint the paper.

5) Randomly trade out brushes with new colors.

6) Just go with the mess!

The beauty of these are that you can change the designs for any time of the year... Spring flowers, fall leaves, etc. 

Don't have kids? That just means your watercolor art can be "perfect." Think color gradients, even and matching strokes, non-soaking wet paper, haha!

These Valentine's are on their way to family all over the country (hopefully they already arrived so we don't blow the surprise!), if you make some please share with me either in the comments below or on Instagram by tagging @thedaringdandelion.

Happy painting!

-Tay

Guest Post: "Reigning in the Toy Clutter"

While washing dishes the other night, I smiled when I saw my Aloha surfboard behind the sink, and thought about my friend Taylor - who hosted the class I created said surfboard in. There are multiple people I can say that I've lived in 2 states with thanks to the military, but she is the winner so far with THREE! We met in my senior year of college (2008-2009) at Arizona State University. Her husband (fiancé at the time) decided to join the Navy and I married my Marine that fall. Eventually allowing us to live near each other both in Maryland and Hawaii. Crazy, right? She and I have very similar views on clutter and what gets to stay in our homes. Maybe in the future I'll do a post on how I organized little man's toys and books, but for today - I'm excited for you to read all about Taylor's toy storage solutions for her adorable little girl!

How do you handle the toy clutter?
Share your solutions with us in the comments!
-Tay

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My job as a regional rep for CeCe Caldwell’s Paints takes me around the Northwest and I’m often at my room in Lighthouse Antique Mall but I do most of my marketing work, order fulfillment and DearOlympia.com shipping from home.  My new Enchanted Northwest Soy Candle Line line demands more storage space and space is at a premium.  I refuse to take out a storage locker or cram my garage with unused stuff.  

Quick tangent: after we moved out of our military base housing in Hawaii (read: they decided to go ahead and demolish our house 3 months ahead of schedule), I promised myself that business stuff would no longer take over our living spaces.

 

In Hawaii, we literally had cases of paint lining our bedroom walls.  It’s mentally stressful to me to try to work in an abundance of clutter.  Cramming stuff in and out of shelves makes me irritable because when I have time to work alone, I want to max out that time on work and not on fighting pans and containers and shoving my daughter’s toys in every nook and cranny!

We recently purchased a foreclosure in WA and renovated it.  I didn’t want a huge house, just a livable one.  My philosophy is that you let the house size dictate your stuff, you don’t let your stuff dictate your house size.  

When we finally started to move stuff back into the house, I was like the “none shall pass” character from Monty Python.  Unless I needed to use it in the next two weeks, it didn’t come in!  We donated it or took it to the dump.  That was working well but as all parents know, Christmas can throw you. 

Adair was blessed to receive many gifts but the gifts had nowhere to go.  I decided to use an industrial shelf I already had for her toys downstairs.  I further decided that she would get rid of any toys that we couldn’t nicely fit on that shelving unit or in the tubs beside them.  She does have some shelves in her room for books and her tricycle and slide live outside.

I purchased some fabric and metal storage containers (under $75) from Target and got to work.  Craft supplies went in one container, legos in another, little figurines in another, etc.  When I was done she had some infant type toys that were large and bulky (you know the kind) that didn’t fit on the shelves.  We donated them to Salvation Army and now another child can enjoy them.  

One toy in, another toy out.  That is my policy.  I have had zero regrets so far. Adair is allowed to play with one container at a time which is good because her attention span is so short anyway.  Then we put it back in the container and put it back on the shelf.  I am hoping this puts her on a path of enjoying her stuff but not letting her stuff dictate her happiness or emotional state.

This is a key to my semi-sanity in working from home. The less to put away, the quicker I can put things back in cabinets, wipe down the counter and vacuum the floor. The fewer items we have, the easier it is for my husband and I to tag-team picking up the house because we both know where everything is and where everything goes.

My house is never as clean as I want it and I’m 100% okay with that.  It’s pretty much clutter free, though, not because of my organization skills but my ability to let go of items instead of constantly fretting over where and how to store things.  

~Taylor
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Thrifty Trends: 2016 Top New Trends

Say what... my gold and crystal lighted ceiling fans are back in style? Haha... okay maybe that's a stretch, but we live in a rental that we've already installed laminate floors in, I'm not about to replace light fixtures. But hooray for our circa 2009 IKEA furniture being on-point this year! ;) 

If you complete a project inspired by her post let us know in the comments, if you use Instagram you can also hashtag #thedaringdandelion #freshlybrewedhome #thriftytrends and tag @thedaringdandelion @aubreylouiseb

After you check out this inspiration post, make sure to pop on over to Aubrey's website [A Freshly Brewed Home] for more tips, tricks, and ideas! 

-Tay

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Are you wanting to revamp your home decor a little but have little to no money to spend on extra items?

Well I'm going to try help you by looking at some of the top new trends of 2016 and showing you how to achieve the look inexpensively.

1. Dramatic Color
2. Gold and Copper Accents
3. Scandinavian Design (simple, neutral)
4. Geometric Cement Tiles

There are a lot of new trends that I'm seeing on Pinterest, Houzz, and other design magazine but I'm just going to focus on a few that I see most often.


1. Dramatic color 

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Dramatic color is a favorite trend of mine because my aesthetic tends to be full of dark, bold colors mixed with neutrals. Black is growing in popularity now in kitchen cabinets, furniture and even accent walls! Grey is easily becoming the new "builder grade" neutral and I'm seeing a lot of beautiful jeweled tones in the form of furniture pieces. Just because it's dramatic doesn't mean it needs to be dark if that's not your favorite look. Any use of color is great!! Pantone's Colors of the year are Rose Quartz and Serenity (a soft blue) and those are dramatic in a totally different way.

The easiest (and cheapest) way to use color is in the form of paint...whether it's a wall or painted furniture. You can also incorporate it in accent pillows, blankets, rugs and other small decor pieces.

Paint the inside of your bookshelf a dark or bold color (this is a great idea if you can't paint your walls but still want color in your life).

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Or paint a furniture piece that you've had in your space for a long time. It's crazy how different a coat of paint will make the room look.

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2. Gold and Copper Accents

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The fact that Gold and Copper Accents are coming back is shocking to a lot of people. Most have just changed out their 80's gold fixtures in hopes of updating their house and now they turn around to see a lot of people wanting  them again. I think this accent needs to be done carefully because who knows how long it will last this time. While it can be done beautifully with a certain look, don't go investing too much money in it quite yet. But if you love the look, don't hesitate to jump on board. If you happen to live in an apartment that still has gold, you're in luck ;) Spruce it up with a contrasting dark color on the wall or some natural wood tones.

You can incorporate it with lamps, vases and wall art.
You can also switch out your cabinet knobs/pulls fairly inexpensively which is a great tip even for renters since you can just put the originals back before you move.
(Tip: Go for a more muted gold rather than the super shiny traditional look and geometric shapes and your space will look a lot more eclectic and updated).

This bathroom looks like a simple bathroom with just some basic upgrades...a black frame around the mirror, a dark painted cabinet and a cool gray on the walls. It takes the gold fixtures to another level, making them look glamorous, not basic.

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Make your own gold accents with a little painters tape, gold spray paint and mason jars (or any other jars you have in your recycling bin)

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Or break out the washi tape/decals and create some cool wall accents


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Or create drama by gold brackets for your shelves and then make a washi tape wall using black and white

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3. Scandinavian Design 

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Scandinavian design has been popular for awhile but blogs seem to think that this is a big year for it. I love the simple, clean lines and often neutral tones of it. If you don't know what it looks like, just think of Ikea and that's the aesthetic. Wood tones, neutral colors, clean lines, mix of textures and a non-cluttered look are key ingredients to a Scandinavian room. Good thing for us, Ikea is fairly inexpensive when it comes to most things so if you are looking to update your look to a more Scandinavian one, it's a great place to start.

Bedding is a great place to start for a cleaner, more Scandinavian look. Try for creams, grays and blacks with simple lines or patterns. Some simple bedding can make a traditional room look clean and fresh.

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You can also add some black and white art to your space. Typography and very graphic prints create a clean and simple look.

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Another easy way to add Scandinavian style to your home is to layer textures. Furs, woven and soft textiles look clean on a neutral sofa.

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4. Geometric Concrete Tiles 

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Geometric concrete tiles are things you see in HGTV shows that look super custom, are handcrafted and expensive. And while that usually is true, you can create something similar on a budget. If you have just basic tile, you can add washi tape to create your own designs. It will pull right up when you want to change it up or you need to move.


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You also could get a little crafty and find some inexpensive cement pavers or tiles at the hardware store, a stencil and paint and have some fun creating your own geometric tiles


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Trends are just that...trends.
They come and go often.
Don't feel like you have to follow every single one and don't feel terrible if your favorite aesthetic isn't "in" right now. Be true to you and it's fun to be different!

If you are wanting to change your space and maybe tackle a few of this year's trends, you do not have to spend a lot of money. Be creative with the things you already own and just input a few small changes to start. No need to commit everything to a particular style. The coziest of homes are an eclectic mix of pieces that tell a story of who the people are. And you'd be surprised how much a simple coat of paint, new cabinet hardware or a patterned pillow will make a big difference in your home.


Happy Decorating,
~Aubrey

You can find me here:
My Website
(where I post inspiration photos daily)
and
Instagram