Bored? Don’t Break The Bank

(Image courtesy of Ken Teegardin)

How are you planning on spending your summer? With a little creativity and spontaneity, you can break away from the typical and have fun at home with a few close friends. The best part? You don’t have to spend a dime to do it!

We know what you’re thinking, and it’s not too good to be true! These tips from apartmenttherapy.com will get you through the long days of summer without costing an arm and a leg. Don’t believe us? Keep reading for a few ideas and see for yourself!

• The first and most obvious option is to check out the free events in your neighborhood or town. Big cities have plenty of free concerts, movie screenings in parks, street festivals, etc., but small towns also have their fair share of cultural events and free local flavor.
• Visit local art galleries.You can learn about local talent without having to pay museum entry fees, and you can become more engaged with the local art community. Plus, you might find some artists that you'd like to support once your cash flow is more ample.
• Have a picnic or a grill night outside. You've got to eat, so why not do it outside? Break up the usual routine and find a nice stretch of grass and make yourself at home. When I was a poor graduate student living in Paris, I had many nights where friends and I shared a cheap bottle of wine and a rotisserie chicken and spent hours hanging out canal-side. I brought this practice back with me, and it's one of my favorite ways to while away a night.
• Host a board game night. If you don't personally have many games, then have your friends bring over their favorites. You can vote on which one to play, or, if you have enough people, then you can have multiple games going. My friend hosts a yearly Bunco night, which only requires a few dice and some fake trash-talking, and it ends up giving us hours of laughter.
• Look for Meetup groups with similar interests. Join a book club, a French conversation club, or a running club (for a dose of fun, find your local chapter of the Hash House Harriers!) Usually, you can find hours of entertainment for little to no cost.
• Take bike ride adventures. Set different landmarks as your goal, or have a fun final destination like a botanical garden, beach, or favorite pub, where you can spend a few hours cooling off before resuming your journey. I love to combine this option with the next one too….
• Set up a scavenger hunt. This affords hours of fun, since you have to plan, set it up, and then get in on the action. And to maximize the fun, you can leave the clues open-ended enough so that you can participate as well. (For instance, say that each team has to find a street that closely resembles the name of one of the team members.) Instead of having clues that require purchasing souvenirs as evidence, have everyone take photos.
• Have a dance party in your living room. Yes, I know this won't suit all tastes, but it is definitely lots of fun. I'm lucky enough to live in a city with aDanceDancePartyParty group (twice a week a group of women meet in a local dance studio to cut loose on the dance floor), but even if you don't, get a few friends, turn down the lights, set up the iPod, and get it going with your tackiest, most embarrassing, most energizing moves.
• Go take photographs. Treat your town as if you've never seen it before. Get close-ups of leaves, take stealthy pictures of strangers, play the part of the tourist who's never seen the local architecture – whatever! Build a scenario and play your role, enjoy getting to know the more fine-tuned features of your camera, or simply slow down and see your home with fresh eyes.
• Have a baking get-together. Everyone brings a bunch of cookie dough or the ingredients for their cookies, and everyone sits around story-swapping while cookies are in the oven. Ingredients are low-cost, the room smells divine, and the occasion provides a wonderful, warm, homey atmosphere.
• Go outside. Most cities have parks or access to natural space, and most rural areas have plenty of places where you can roam free, look at the flowers, and spot some birds. Hit your local park, nature preserve, hiking trail, or what have you, and enjoy the glorious spring weather while it lasts!
• Host a movie night. Have your friends bring their own beverages, make a huge tub of popcorn, and use that Netflix subscription that you already have. It's much better watching Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead with friends.

Get Your Thrift On

(Image courtesy of lillian30)

No matter if you’re saving for a luxurious vacation to Hawaii or worried about how much money is slipping through your wallet during the month, it’s always a good idea to take a look at what you’re spending. When hearing words like “frugal,” and “thrifty,” many people imagine that they will have to give up some of the finer things in order to save - but this assumption simply isn’t true.

If you’re interested in tightening up your budget, you don’t have to worry. These simple tips from apartmenttherapy.com will have you spending less in no time. Keep reading to learn more.

Cooking at Home: To save the most, cut back on ordering in or going out to eat. For tips on home cooking, recipes, and advice, check out our sister site, the Kitchn. Just to get you started, we're linking to a few of their ideas for cooking at home on a budget:

• Recipes for Vegetarians (and Vegans Too)

• More With Less: Frugal and Budget Cooking

• Cupboard Challenges (working with what you've got)

• Cheap Wines for Tough Times

• Could You Eat on $25 a Week?

Repurposing and Reusing: Before you buy something new, try "shopping" within your own home. Look for items that could have a second life as something else. For instance, Rachel transformed this tea tray into a magnetic board for her kitchen. For a few repurposing ideas from AT, see these posts:

• 20 Ways to Reuse from AT:Chicago

• House Tour: Rachel's Repurposed Mid-Century Place

• Recycline: 10 Best Ways to Reuse an Empty Plastic Bottle

• 10 Upcycled Uses for Old Things

• Creative Reuse: Best of 2008

Cleaning and Organizing: A chaotic, messy apartment is loaded with spending traps. You're more likely to overspend when you can't find something, you have no clean laundry, or you just feel depressed about your home. Before you throw any cash at the problem, start with a clean slate. You'll probably find that what you really need is less, not more. A few starting points from AT:

• Cleaning & Organizing Tip: Start with the Bedroom

• 4 Steps for a Successful Closet Cleanse: S.H.E.D.

• Tips, Tricks, and Tools: AT Cleans it All

• Can Cleaning Your House Change Your Mood?

• Clip File: 8 Great Cleaning How-To's

Thrifting and Scavenging: You know those people who always have a story to tell about how they scored an Eames chair on Craigslist for $20 or a set of antique silver at a garage sale for pocket change? You could be that person; it just takes a little effort and training. Begin your education in thrifting by reading these posts:

• How To: Restore Thrift Store Furniture

• How To: Collect Quality Furniture When You Don't Have Much Money

• Flea Market Shopping with Eddie Ross

• Craigslist Buying and Selling Etiquette

• Clip File: 10 Thrifty Tips

Sewing: We learned the basics of sewing in our Girl Scout Troop, and those skills have paid off much more than the training we used to earn our horseback riding or campfire badges. With our very basic abilities, we've made everything from bedspreads to curtains to pillowcases, saving lots of money in the process. Our advice to learning a new craft is to start small and work your way up. Here are a few basic how-to's to begin:

• How To: Sew An Envelope Pillowcase

• How To: Make a Simple Bed Skirt

• How To: Sew Lined Curtains

• How To: Make Your Own Cloth Napkins

• How To: Luxe Faux Fur Throw

Recharge Your Decor For Spring

(Image courtesy of Wicker Paradise)

Cabin fever strikes at the most inconvenient times - even at the beginning of spring! If you’re tired of looking at the same furniture in the same spots, simply going outside may not be enough to make you feel better. There are plenty of simple solutions to keep your living space feeling fresh, even without an expensive trip to the furniture store to buy a new couch.

Simple changes in a limited space can make a BIG difference when it comes to home decor. If you’ve got some spare time, and are willing to put in a little bit of elbow grease, you’re living room (or bedroom, or kitchen, etc.) can feel brand new in no time. Follow these simple tips from renters.apartments.com to see what we mean!

Keeping a fresh perspective is key.

Have you ever noticed how different a room looks when you stand in a new corner, sit in a new chair or stand on a table to replace a light bulb? If your living room has been arranged the same way for multiple weeks, months or even years, it can almost be shocking to catch a view you haven’t seen before. It lends to the refreshing feeling of new and exciting, and it’s good to keep the room juices flowing for this reason- especially if no plans for moving are in your future.

Planning ahead isn’t necessary.

Rearranging on an impulse can be extremely therapeutic. The idea here is to think less, do more. The freedom derived from an act as simple as rearranging whenever you feel like it can take form in other parts of life as well. If we’re open to change with our things, perhaps we’ll also be more open to encouraging change within ourselves. So next time you come home to the same annoying couch/bike/TV combo, crank up some music and slide some things around.

Start with removing tables, chairs and lights.

Keeping these items in the other room will allow you to focus on larger placements such as couches, bookshelves and entertainment systems. The right setup for now will present itself much easier when the room is emptier- think about how fun arranging stuff in a brand new, empty apartment can be. Add the little things later, keeping light placement in mind throughout the entire process.

Use the process to downsize on stuff.

If you find that every time you rearrange, the same light gifted to you last Christmas gets put in the corner on a table and never used, give it away. If you love that trio of comfy recliners but one always seems to get in the way of your morning stretches, give one the boot and chances are you won’t miss it. Care for your things but don’t be tricked into relying on them. As our lives and needs change, so should the things we keep inside of our homes.

Do you have a favorite tip to freshen up your apartment that we missed? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Parisian Style

(Image courtesy of springshownyc)

If you’re like us, you can never get enough of exotic design ideas. Often when you’re creating an idea for a space it can be easy to be drawn into the comfortable - and usually playing it safe comes at the price of a visually stunning room.

If you’re a bit timid when it comes to the idea of “letting it all hang out,” with your interior design, there are still options to create an elegant, yet eye catching room. These easy principles, courtesy of renters.apartments.com, are inspired by French decor and will leave you saying oui. Don’t believe us? Keep reading to find out more.

Snow White.

The most common theme you’ll find in French design starts with white. This means a fresh and clean palette where you can artfully add in soft pastels to bring color. Walls are often white with white wainscoted detailing and crown molding. Plush white sofas are also a must. Don’t overwhelm a room with color, keep white the clear theme – the ultimate goal is a clean palette. To keep things from going too white and mod, the toiles and florals come in….

It’s a Toile World After All.

Nothing says French faster than a toile print. For anyone who loves whimsy, these are your dream fabrics. Fairy-tale-esque scenes are printed in repeat and can be used as curtains, throw blankets, pillows and more. If the farm scene isn’t your thing, try the Chinoiserie toile.

Pillows and Flowers and Armchairs - oh my!

French design is nothing short of sophisticated yet it simultaneously should invite you to step in and have a seat, a comfy seat that is! Why? Because they understand the power of decorative pillows. Pillows invite but also make statements. If white is your overarching palette, you need pillows to provide your pops of color and break up the monotony. The French are known for choosing quality fabrics so don’t cheat yourself here, a cheap pillow will look cheap. Williams Sonoma has top notch options.

Perusing Paris you’ll remark upon how many flower shops there are, this is because the French love to bring life into their homes and what better way to do so with flowers? Try it out for a month and I’m sure you’ll soon get addicted to this little indulgence, this joie de vivre.

Finally, the French armchair is a staple in any French home. Often called the Louis XV chair, these delicate but sturdy chairs anchor a room and add the final touch. These chairs come at a price however so shop around. You can easily find a great option at Restoration Hardware but you may save yourself some money by scouring antique shops first. Consider having the chair reupholstered to suit your taste. The chair seen here was refinished and reupholstered by Time Treasures Antiques & Restoration.

Bon, you have a great starting point for French-ifying your home, bonne chance! And s’il vous plaÎt, share your favorite French design tips as well!

Be The Host With The Most

(Image courtesy of Kristina D.C. Hoeppner)

You've scrubbed the floors and you've changed the sheets - now all that's left to do is wait for your guests to arrive! We're sure you know that being a great host means more than just giving your friends and family somewhere to sleep and store their stuff while they're in town. Being a host means letting your guest feel like he or she is at home when they're with you!

Whether your guest is staying for the weekend or for a few weeks, it's important to make sure that he or she is comfortable in their temporary environment. For a few tips on what you can do to give your guests everything that they need, check out this article from apartmenttherapy.com. For our favorite pieces of the article, keep reading!

1. Eat or Wash: Upon arrival, always ask your guest whether they'd like to eat something or wash up first. This takes care of their most immediate needs, removes discomfort and gives them something to do right away.

2. Get Settled: Next, show them to their room and leave them to get settled and rejoin you after they wash up or need something to eat. Having a little alone time immediately after arrival is very comforting and useful.

3. Connect: After getting settled it's important to THEN sit down, share a drink, connect and go over the evening and days ahead. This is the true and proper time for greeting, and best done AFTER the first two steps. Do this too soon and you've got overload.

Take fifteen to thirty minutes to find out where your guest is coming from, what they're hoping to do during their stay and share with them what your plans are as well - even if they're your parents! This is not necessarily the time to launch into hours of conversation (unless you're both ready for that), but the time to get a good download, orient your guest and know exactly what the shape of the whole visit will look like.

4. Start With The End In Sight: Ironically, the most uncomfortable part of hosting/guesting is knowing the endpoint. Be sure to bring this up right away so that you are both comfortable about how long the visit will be and if your guest needs any help with his or her departure. Many guests worry about how to get back to the airport or train station right at their arrival, so it's good to bring this up now.

5. Be Consistent: If you always offer your guests the same treatment and the same orientation it's very comforting, and particularly welcome after a disorganized day of travel. I have friends in Chicago who always put me up in the same spare room and greet me in the same way, and I love it and feel like I know just what to expect.

6. Mi Casa Es Su Casa: The best feeling you can give your guest is truly that your home is their home, so make sure they know everything they need to know and don't need to trouble you too often. The next few tips speak to this.

7. Towel, Water, Bed, Bathroom: These are the basic needs of any weary guest. Make sure they have a towel on their bed, water by its side and a clear path to the bathroom you'd like them to use.

8. Kitchen Orientation: It's really nice to tell your guests to help themselves to whatever they need in your fridge, but also let them know how to take care of their dishes while you're at it. :)

9. Flowers: It's an extra touch, but placing fresh flowers in the room or by the bed where your guests are staying is super nice and spreads the message that you really honor your guest and their place in your home. It will also signal to them to join you in taking care of your home.

10. Allergies: These can be a real problem for some people, so - if you have pets - do let your guests know AHEAD OF TIME and give the room they're staying in an extra vacuum with the windows open. Extra care in cleaning can make a big difference, but bringing extra allergy medication may be necessary too.

11. Privacy & The Air Mattress: Even if you don't have an extra bed or bedroom, do what you can to give your guest a private space and a good air mattress (or sleeper sofa). I've slept on many floors with an air mattress in rooms with a little privacy from the main room and been totally happy, especially with really soft, comfy sheets!

12. Know Your Personal Goal: With every guest that comes into your home, be sure to know what you'd like to do with them personally before they leave and then schedule it with them. Visits can get rushed and busy, and it is super important to have a real quality connection with friends and/or family staying in your home. You'll both be really happy that you do.

13. Fold Them Into Your Life: With everything you do while you have guests, try to run your life as you always would and fold them into it. It's a great sign of trust that you can do this with them, and it will make both of your visits more enjoyable and more often to happen again soon if you feel like having guests enlarges your life instead of taking wind out of your sails.