DIY Instagram Style Square Fridge Magnets

Good morning!
I have been looking for little ways to add some character around my home, which as you all probably know by now, is a rental condo that I can't do much with as far as permanent updates and crafts. One thing that rentals seem to come with that are always outdated are refrigerators. My kitchen has a pretty stove, nice countertops, a decent dishwasher, and then.... bleh. An ugly, black, scratched up fridge. I've been seeing tons of posts regarding these Sticky9 magnets recently, but hadn't jumped on them because of the pricetag for a set of 9. Frugality, remember?! Then I thought, why not create my own version!

This project was fairly simple for me to wrap my head around how I wanted to get the magnets done. First thing I needed to do was order and gather my supplies! I printed out 29 - 4" square photos for $5 (Tip: I got an email from Walgreens saying they're giving half off photo orders until the end of the month. Go now go!). To back each of my photos I ordered a huge pack of these coasters, which I will be using the rest as an actual coaster after I add pretty designs and stamps to the front. I love multi-use! To adhere the pictures onto the coasters, I used everyone's favorite Mod Podge. And lastly, to get them to stick to the ugly fridge in a moveable fashion, I grabbed a pack of self-adhesive magnets, which turned out to be perfect! Time to get to work!

I took each of the coasters, applied a little bit of Mod Podge across each piece with a 3" paint brush, and simply lined up and stuck each of the photos to the front. This was admittedly my first time using Mod Podge, but my goodness... where have you been all of my life?! This stuff is amazing.



Because they dry so quickly, I didn't have to wait to keep going with the project. Bonus! next it was time for the magnets. Since they were self adhesive, all I had to do was take off the paper backing and stick them to the center of each of the coasters.

It was seriously that simple. I finished all 29 of my photos in about 20 minutes. All that was left to do was look at my ugly fridge, and stick those pretty little pictures up there!

Amazing! The pricetag was miniscule in comparison to the companies that are currently selling these for between $15-$20 per set of 9. No thank you! I am very happy with my DIY version for pennies on the picture. So thrilled in fact, that I had to grab a quick snapchat of the finished photos!

Anyone else living with an outdate fridge that could use a little pizazz?! I'd love to see your version! Plus, we all love adding photos and a little character around the home. Why not start with pictures of our loved ones?

Free Monthly Budgeting Printable and Worksheet

And so we begin another week!
I'd like to take a moment to announce a glorious moment.... tomorrow is our 4 month blogiversary!
It may seem like a silly milestone to some of you, but the fact that we are still juggling a crazy life of work, school, home, blogging, and everything else, I am pretty dang excited! They say that most blogs fall off of the map within the first 6 months. Well my friends, we only need to tackle 2 more before we beat the statistic!


In honor of this moment, we are going to switch gears a little bit from the many organizational projects we have been accomplishing lately. Today, we are going to talk about something we all love.... MONEY! Okay, or more specifically, how I budget my monthly income!

I created my budgeting spreadsheet in Excel a few years back, and I have to say it has been hands down the most used document in my life. My document works on a bimonthly payment lifestyle. I literally start every morning by pulling up my accounts and comparing it to my budget sheet. Do I need to do this every day? Probably not. But I feel so much better starting the day with the reassurance that I am exactly on track with where I want to be. And now I want to share that good feeling with all of you!

I divided my spreadsheet into four main categories: Home Expenses, Daily Living, Vehicle Expenses, and Financial Obligations. This allows me to easily see how much money I have going into what category, and which category I need to start taking spending cuts.

The bottom of the page I added in a totals section to show me how much money I have incoming verse how much money I have outgoing with spending. I make it my goal to land at a balance of zero every month since I want all extra dollars that may be laying around to be plopped right into the SAVINGS portion.

The best part about this sheet? It's all automated. As you change amounts and incomes, your portions at the bottom with what you have leftover will reflect your recent changes. Get you're own fillable version of the budget sheet here and begin filling her in. Change the names to whatever works best for your lifestyle, and add in your own categories in the OTHERS field. I took the liberty of adding in sample dollar amounts to show you how easy it is to work with. Comment below if you decide to use the sheet; I'd love to know this helps others as well! Happy Budgeting!

February Happenings at the Home

Hallelujah, it's the weekend! I'm celebrating over here with just one week left in this sessions courses. I've been making a celebratory list of upcoming projects and I am SO excited to start them. I think you're all going to love what's to come.

For today's featured post, we're going to take a quick look at what has been happening around the home! 

First, it was FINALLY time to change out those photo frames in the living room. Embarrassingly enough, they still had my Fall quotes in them. Oops! It was time to update them with some color and make them a little more Spring-like!

While I was working in the living spaces of the house, I decided that my tiny dining table needed to be beautified a bit... it was rather boring with my Ikea lantern and dollar store lace piece.

 I originally thought I'd be able to fit a centerpiece and a dining set....wrong. It just looked too cluttered.

It looks much better with the simplicity of the table runner, lazy susan, and fauz flower arrangement for all day prettiness.

The placemats were bought at my local Ross in a set of 4 for $5. I also snagged the beautiful table runner at the same time for a mere $5 as well! Score!

The small silver detail adds the perfect feminine touch to the mats. 

I had originally contemplated changing out my turquoise plate set for a plain white version. But after I added them to the table with my stemless wine glasses, I was in love! The added pops of color are gorgeous! 

Gorgeous, right? I am so much happier sitting down for dinner each night!

I knew I wanted to add a little something to my countertop, but I admit... I HATE having things out on the counter. I don't know why, it's just always bugged me. So what to have out when you don't like having things out?? A counter basket!

The small basket from Ikea is the perfect size for housing my potted faux plant, my mason jar measuring cups, a cutting board, and two bottles for olive oil and vinegar. 

Perfect for a little kitchen cuteness if I do say so myself!

Remember those pretty files from Target that we added labels to?

I found an amazing acrylic file holder at my local Target, and along with some hanging file holders, I created a quick and cute place to hold my important documents! It's nestled nicely inside of my entertainment stand.

Lastly in my happenings around the home, a lamp! I know I know, it's silly to be so excited about something so minuscule, but I haven't had a lamp in the room! Weird, huh. After four month, LET THERE BE LIGHT! I scored this tall lamp for a mere $20 at my local goods store! Anyone else wonder why furniture stores try and sell lamps for over a hundred dollars?! I mean.... it's a stick and a light bulb! Well, I am pleased with my inexpensive choice!

There you have it, friends! Quick little mini updates from around the home. We're making this house into a home, one small portion at a time. What was your favorite? I'm still dreaming over the inexpensive table updates.

DIY Closet Dividers

Hello, Friends!

I had this post for you all yesterday that I was so excited about... I made my own homemade, gluten free, and additive sugar free Maple syrup for my morning oatmeal and coffee on Sunday! Sounds amazing and too good to be true, right?! Well... unfortunately, it is. After letting it sit for a day, I taste-tested my concoction only to find it tasted like earwax. Yum. I'll be making some changes and trying again, and hopefully getting that to you in the near future.

So for the post of the day, did you guys check out my bedroom update has me so insanely giddy??

In an earlier post I showed you how I made my quick and simple labels without the help of a label machine. The labels are nestled beautifully on the top shelves in my closet, and now also in my linen closet update, full of my daily accessories and tid-bits. Today, I decided to take my closet one step further and introduce my easy peasy closet dividers!

Before my mini update, my closet was a nightmare for trying to find a specific outfit in the morning.

While I do try and decide what I am going to be wearing the next day before I lay down for bed each evening, I have never truly taken the time to organize the layout of things hanging in my closet. Many days I forget all about that dressy top or cute cardigan until I am digging around trying to find a t-shirt. What better way to solve this dilemma than with my very own clothing dividers! The first step in this project was to design my dividers in Microsoft Excel. I decided to go with a pretty yellow floral background to add a bit of flair to my ever so boring rental closet.

Similar to my previous basket labels, the next steps are pretty simple and straight forward. I printed out my dividers on plain white letter paper, laminated the entire sheet, and cut each one out individually.

Once they were cut out, I took an Exacto Knife to the center of the dividers, cutting out the inner white portion completely.

Finally I took the inner side of the dividers (for how mine will be hanging - this would be the right side) and cut a slit all the way to the center portion so that the dividers can slip over my closet bar.

I also took a moment to add in my Ikea shoe rack to the bottom portion of my closet.

Because I am going for a uniform-look for my closet, I changed out the mismatching hangars for solid white. It looks much more clean and organized now!

The size of my dividers each measure 3" by 3", with the center cutout portion being 1.5" by 1.5".

Anyone else hoping to create your own clothing organizers? Would you benefit from having this template to print out on your own? I'd love to share it with anyone else that's looking to start their New Year off right with a little home organization project. Plus, who doesn't love a bit of color to start their day off! I hope you enjoy! Happy Organizing!

January Organization Challenge: The Master Bedroom

Guess what day it is.... Guess what day it issssss!
I'd like to say it's Sunday, but it is in fact Hump Day! A happy realization that we're already half way through the week, and a sad moment knowing that I missed my bedroom organization challenge by 3 days. Thanks to a 3-day long migraine that put me on my booty last week accompanied with a research essay paper, I unfortunately missed my deadline for my 4th space in 4 weeks. Booooo. I'm sorry, friends. Thanks for hanging in there with me and being patient.

I'll try to stop there and not go on and on about how this is picking at my soul and that we were SO CLOSE.... instead, let's just get right into it. I will say that this has been the most challenging transformation so far while trying to keep it on the frugal side. You remember what we were working with, right?! Here... let me remind you of my stuck-in-the-80's rental bedroom.

Bleh. Totally ugly, boring, and outdated. I mean, the wall AC... really?! And those shutters? Who thinks these kind of things are ever a good idea? I'd like to meet with them and have a little chat. And then there was the case of not being outdated, but a highly unorganized dresser and vanity area that looked like a bomb went off after setting everything on it during the move.



Obviously this space needed quite a bit of help.
In the quick turn around of a week, I wasn't able to make all of the adjustments I would have liked (painting the dressers, adding new hardware, going all out on the décor with fresh flowers everywhere and fairy lighting strips... you get it). But, I can say that the changes that have been made so far have made me no less than THRILLED.

So much better, right?! I wish the lighting wasn't so horrid in the room... we will work on that.

I was able to hang these Rivta Ikea curtains from the ceiling and back them with the pretty white lace to add a little oomph to the boringness, as well as cover the hideous wall unit.

I sadly haven't had a bedframe for a year. Like, at all. So I purchased a beautiful white queen bed and had it shipped straight from the store. I topped it with the navy blue, white and grey comforter set I bought from Macy's last Spring around Memorial Day. I feel like such a big girl now!

I searched around the home for décor that I already had on hand to place on top of my Hemnes nightstands to add a little beauty. Trying to stay frugal can be quite the challenge when wanting to update your home... use what you have when you can! That's my motto.

Moving to the organizational aspect, I took a look at what was going on inside of my closet. Not too thrilling. But you remember the closet baskets I added labels to for the shelves?

I wanted to add to the closet organization and decided to create my own clothing dividers to help my closet searches even more. I love now being able to slide the closet doors open and easily pick out what I am looking for. We're going to have a more in-depth post on that tomorrow where I show you how to make your own!
Next in the big picture... that dresser! It was time to take it from drab...

To Fab!

The TV was moved onto the smaller dresser piece and centered under a teal painting I have had for years. I wish I could tell you where it came from originally, but it's been handed down through the siblings and family for years. I'm ecstatic to put it to use once more.

All of the junk was taken off and put into a new home. The lotions went into the hall closet in their neatly labels baskets. The acrylic makeup stand was moved on the tall dresser next to the Ikea planters I use for my lip products and makeup brushes. The space wouldn't be complete without a few family photos to go with it.

To add some prettiness next to the TV, I found a new home for my favorite owl piece and 2 of my favorite grab-and-browse books... Yes, Please!

Overall I am happy with the changes and updates all while trying not to empty the bank (we will be having a budgeting and savings post soon for anyone not currently prepping for their future). I do still find it difficult to make the updates and changes that I would like to make without doing anything permanent to the rental unit. But I am a happy little clam with the journey we've made so far!





Thank you to all of you that followed me on the four week challenge... how did you do? What was your biggest organizing challenge? And lastly.... are you still on track with those new years resolutions?! I fear many may have tapered off now that we've hit February. Keep up the good work, you pretty little organizers! I'm off to get started on my next essay.... joy.