Get Your Outdoor Space Ready for Summer Entertainment

04.21.2018 by Marie // Leave a Comment

Summer time is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors. Gathering with friends and family or simply letting the kids run wild, the outdoors is a life saver. If your backyard is looking a little bleak, Way Day is the perfect way to get your outdoor space ready for summer entertainment without breaking the bank.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

When we first moved into our house, we loved hanging out outside. Then as life got more chaotic it started to die down. I hadn’t even realized how little time we were spending in our yard until trick-or-treating last year.

We stopped at a neighbor’s house whose backyard is up against ours. She commented on the fact that she never sees us in the yard anymore.

Find out how to get your outdoor space ready for summer entertainment! +Free Printable Planner Click To Tweet

Now, on the one hand, she has an awesome pool with a giant deck and we do not. On the other hand, how sad is it that our yard was one of the selling points for us choosing our house and we never use it?

This year I’m on a mission to change that. Unfortunately, after a year or so of disuse, the backyard is looking a little a lot drab. That’s why I’m so excited about the first ever Way Day!

Key Components For Backyard Entertainment

Before we get onto what you can expect at the Way Day sale, let’s get a game plan ready. There are a few key elements to making your backyard an oasis.

Seating Area

Whether you have a patio, deck, or just a flat patch of grass, you need a seating area to relax in. We have this amazing outdoor furniture set that is crazy comfy. It also seats plenty of people so our guests always have a seat.

Protection

At least part of your seating area should have sun protection. The easiest way to accomplish this is with an outdoor table and umbrella. Umbrellas are perfect because you have the option of folding them down when needed.

Entertainment Area

This can be as simple as placing a fire pit in the center of some chairs. Create a gathering area where friends and family can hang out (and warm up if needed). You can also look into a set of corn hole boards, badminton net, or similar outdoor games.

Kids Zone

Don’t forget about your tiny human guests when planning your backyard oasis. While you might be perfectly content to kick back in the hammock, you can bet kiddos will not. Why not give them a little corner of the yard to call their own?
It doesn’t have to be a giant swing set. Instead, try a container full of outdoor toys like balls, bubbles, and play kitchen wares. This will give them hours of enjoyment.

Bonus Tip:

Add a rug inside the back door for people to clean their shoes off on. Undoubtedly guests will be coming in and out of the house. A rug will help cut down on the dirt and yuckiness tracked through your house.

Grab a Free Shopping Planner

Before you hit the Way Day sale, jot down the items you are looking for on this free printable planner. This will help you stay on track while shopping. There are even sections for priority items and non-priority items.

Grab your free printable Outdoor Refresh Shopping Planner now! Click To Tweet

Sky full of clouds and balloons with text: Way Day — Photo Credit: Wayfair.com

Why Shop the Way Day Sale

We love Wayfair for furniture and home decor. You can find unique and awesome pieces, like this pineapple lamp in my office, for great prices. Seriously, almost every new piece of furniture we own came from Wayfair.

This stuff holds up! Our kids beds are all from Wayfair and, despite the kids’ best efforts, they are all just as strong and pretty as the day we assembled them.

That’s why I have to share the brand new Way Day sale with you. Wayfair is putting a new home holiday on the map with rock bottom prices on all the stuff you need to get ready for the outdoors. We’re talking prices as low as Black Friday deals!

Mark your calendars for 12 am on Wednesday, April 25 when more than 70,000 products start going on sale. As if that weren’t awesome enough, they will also be launching door-buster deals every 6 hours!

What’s to Expect

On the 25th you’ll find tons of seasonal items including patio furniture, umbrellas, hammocks, and fire pits. You can turn your backyard into an oasis your family never wants to leave.

Don’t worry, though. Way Day has you covered inside as well. Price drops can be found in kitchen and dining, rugs, and more.

Turn your master bedroom into a relaxing retreat with deals on bedding and mattresses. Both our mattress and our box spring came from them and let me tell you, it’s like sleeping on a cloud (only without the falling through the sky part).

Are you excited to get your outdoor space ready for summer entertaining? Make a pledge to get outside more this summer with me. I’ll help you out by sharing awesome games, activities, grilled recipes, and more to inspire you.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for Wednesday, April 25 at 12 am! You don’t want to miss out on these deals!

See where I’m linking up!

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More Ideas You’ll Love:

9 Easy Projects to Improve Your Curb Appeal
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DIY Giant Backyard Glow Pong Game
7 Ideas to Beautify Your Outdoor Spaces – Cookies, Coffee, and Crafts

DIY Travel Fund Savings Jar | Easy Upcycled Project

04.19.2018 by Marie // Leave a Comment

Learning to pay cash for everything to prevent going into debt takes practice. Sometimes leaving that money in savings makes it too easy to spend on other things. When you want to splurge on a family vacation you need to protect that savings. A DIY travel fund savings jar is the perfect solution.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

Turn your spare change into vacation savings with a DIY Travel Fund jar! Click To Tweet

Before we get onto the tutorial I have some bad news. I lost the entire folder of photos for this project. After a day of fruitlessly trying to retrieve it from some unknown depth of my computer and a night of tears over the loss, I had decided not to share it.

However, this beauty sits on our mantle every day and I absolutely love it. It is such a fun piece of decor and is helping us stay on track with our vacation savings. I have decided that I’m going to share it with you anyway.

Eventually I will get around to finding another jar to remake the project. Then you can see photos of the creation process. Until then, you can use the easy directions below to create your own. Don’t worry. It’s incredibly easy to make.

Materials

Giant Glass Jar (mine is a pickle jar)
Travel Themed Scrapbook Paper
Letter Stickers
Mod Podge
1 inch Foam Brush
Spray Acrylic Sealant
Tan Cording
Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

Step 1

First, make sure that your jar is thoroughly cleaned. This will help the paper and stickers adhere better to the jar.

Step 2

Next, cut out a sheet of travel themed scrapbook to create a fun scene. I decided to keep the plane and the clouds from mine. The rest, I removed from the page.

Step 3

Paint Mod Podge directly onto your jar with your 1 inch foam brush.

Step 4

Then place your paper cut out to your jar over the Mod Podge.

Step 5

Add more Mod Podge to the top of the paper to help it mold to the jar.

Step 6

Next, add your letter stickers to the jar to spell out “Travel Fund”.

Step 7

Immediately cover your stickers with additional Mod Podge.

Step 8

Continue covering the rest of your jar with Mod Podge up to the lip of the jar.

Tips:

You want to cover the back of your jar as well as the decorated part so that all of the glass has the same milky look.
Pay extra attention to the edges of the paper and the letters.

Stop blowing your vacation money online with a DIY travel fund savings jar! Click To Tweet

Step 9

Allow your Mod Podge to dry completely before moving on.

Step 10

After your Mod Podge has dried, seal your jar with acrylic sealant and allow it to dry. This makes it a durable and long-lasting piece for your home.

Step 11

Once your sealant has dried, glue your cording around the lip of your jar with hot glue.

Step 12 (Optional)

If you have some cording left over, braid it into a faux handle for your job and knot each end.

Step 13 (Optional)

Lastly, glue your “handle” to the lip of the jar with hot glue.

You can see why I decided to share this DIY travel fund savings jar with you despite the lack of photos. It is such a cool piece and will help you on your frugal journey. Now you can toss extra change into it to save up cash for vacation. You can also do what I do, which is take any leftover allowance I have at the end of 2 weeks and toss it in.

Your travel fund will be growing in no time. Seeing it displayed beautifully in your home every day will help you keep your eyes on the prize, too. Where will you go with your new travel fund?

See where I’m linking up!

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More Ideas You’ll Love:

How to Make an Easy DIY Bedroom Door Sign

08.04.2017 by Marie // Leave a Comment

Some days you feel energized, creative, and ready to take on the world. You are Mom. Hear you roar. Of course, other days you wonder if you made the coffee wrong or something because you are dragging. Those days make it tough to spend time with the kids because you are simply exhausted. Today’s kids’ craft is the perfect activity to pull out on the dragging days. This DIY bedroom door sign is easy to make and to clean up. There is no messy glue involved because everything is literally peel and stick. It doesn’t get much easier than that. Check out the tutorial now: then stick around below for bonus tips for mom.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.

Materials

Adhesive Foam Sheets
Foam Letter Stickers
Foam Smiley Face Stickers

Step 1

First, decide on what the bedroom door sign will say.

Step 2

Next, sort through your foam letter stickers and lay out the ones you need.

Note:

You may need to adjust our saying if the letters aren’t available, especially when making multiple signs.

Step 3

Before you remove any backing, test the layout of your foam letters until you have the desired alignment.

Tip:

Take a picture of the alignment with Mom’s phone to have a reference in case it gets bumped or messed up.

Step 4

Remove the sticky backing from your letters and begin placing them on your sign.

Step 5

Continue placing your letter stickers on until your saying is complete.

Step 6

Next, go nuts embellishing the sign with your foam smiley face stickers.

Step 7

Remove the backing on your foam sheet and stick it to the bedroom door.

Extra Tips and Tricks for Mom

This craft is easy enough for toddlers to do since it is only placing stickers.
I recommend letting older kids pick their sayings first and then letting toddlers just have random letters that are left.
Younger kids may need help spelling or getting creative with the letters. For example: a sign saying “Princess X-Ing” instead of “Princess Crossing” will save S stickers.
Use a cotton swab soaked in Goo Gone to gently pry it from the door. This prevents paint damage and leftover sticky residue.

This #DIY bedroom door sign is the perfect #kidscraft to pull out on sluggish mom days. Click To Tweet

See? I told you it doesn’t get much easier than this DIY bedroom door sign. Clean up the sticker backing pieces and you are done. I want to warn you to give the toddler a set amount of stickers in the beginning of the project. If you don’t, he will continue sticking them on until you have a quirky, 3-Dimensional wall sculpture on your hands. Of course, if you don’t mind being totally out of stickers, it is kind of cool looking as far as abstract art goes. Don’t forget to check out the other crafts in our Creative Play Kit series, like these Mini Pompom Monsters, before you go.

See where I’m linking up!