{"id":25674,"date":"2015-01-11T19:00:06","date_gmt":"2015-01-12T00:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/?p=25674"},"modified":"2015-01-12T17:29:21","modified_gmt":"2015-01-12T22:29:21","slug":"twelve-january-spruce-ups-12-00","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/?p=25674","title":{"rendered":"Twelve House Spruce-ups Under $12.00"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since January is a month of renewal (often on a budget), I have come up with 12 simple ideas that can spruce up your house without breaking the bank.\u00a0 Each one costs $12.00 or less.\u00a0 I like to come up with these ideas as a challenge to myself to see what I can think up.\u00a0 January can be a real downer for a lot of people.\u00a0 The weather is grim and gray, the budgets are shot, and those jeans that were a perfect fit in November might be a little snug right now.\u00a0 Well, these suggestions can brighten a room, add a little pizzazz, change things up on a budget, add a little sparkle to your day, and maybe make those extra pounds seem not so bad.\u00a0 You might be able to pull off some of them just by using something you have tucked away in a drawer, closet, or bin.<\/h3>\n

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\"Twelve<\/p>\n

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\"January<\/p>\n

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1.\u00a0 Buy a new plant.<\/span>\u00a0 When there is not much green going on outside of your windows, a green plant can bring some life to a room.\u00a0 You could buy several small plants and make a small terrarium<\/a>, buy some African violets at the grocery, or just snip off some overgrown vines on a plant you already own and put them in water to grow new roots.\u00a0 If you already have plenty of houseplants, maybe they need some TLC.\u00a0 Just wipe off the leaves with a damp paper towel so they can breathe easier and look better.<\/h3>\n

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\"January<\/p>\n

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2.\u00a0 Shine your silver.\u00a0<\/span> I did this just today.\u00a0 I think silver is jewelry for a room.\u00a0 Think about the jewelry you wear.\u00a0 It always looks best when it is clean and bright.\u00a0 So does silver.\u00a0 This is an easy and almost free step you can take to add some sparkle to your rooms.<\/h3>\n

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\"January<\/p>\n

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3.\u00a0 Buy some cute paper cocktail napkins, and use them<\/span>.\u00a0 I usually use just cotton napkins, but there are so many cute paper napkins that I often find myself tossing a package into my shopping cart.\u00a0 I loved these because Paris is one of my favorite cities, and that city is struggling right now.<\/h3>\n

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<\/h3>\n

\"January<\/p>\n

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4.\u00a0 Store items you use everyday in interesting containers<\/span>.\u00a0 This clear glass canister is perfect for the dishwasher packets I keep on the counter.<\/h3>\n

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\"January<\/p>\n

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5.\u00a0 Buy a new or vintage cup and saucer for your coffee or tea<\/span>.\u00a0 Or better yet, if you have a pretty set stored away, start using it.\u00a0 Drinking tea is a special ritual for me, and I love sipping it from a pretty cup.\u00a0 During these cold winter months, there will be plenty of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate consumed.\u00a0 Drink up in style.<\/h3>\n

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\"Powder<\/p>\n

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6.\u00a0 Use a silver tray for your soaps<\/span>. \u00a0 I have a nice dispenser full of liquid lavender soap in our powder room along with some disposable guest towels.\u00a0 I think guests would much rather use a throw-away towel during cold and flu season than a cotton one that someone else has just used.\u00a0 I put the soap and towels on a small silver tray just so they fit in with the room better and look a little more special.<\/h3>\n

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\"January<\/p>\n

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7.\u00a0 Switch out your dish towels<\/span>.\u00a0 You can either buy a new or vintage dish towel for your kitchen, or use some you have stored away. \u00a0 I have a drawer full of dish towels and switch them out according to the season.\u00a0\u00a0 This cheery vintage towel, that was a gift, makes me smile when it hangs on the towel bar<\/a> in our kitchen.<\/h3>\n

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\"January<\/p>\n

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8.\u00a0 Rethink your coasters<\/span>.\u00a0 We use coasters all of the time, and I have several sets.\u00a0 I found these small vintage saucers in an antique mall, and they make perfect coasters.\u00a0 Plus, the blue and white fits right in with our colors.\u00a0 It’s a new way to use something that is not a typical coaster.\u00a0 You might want to make a set of these coasters <\/a>that Jordan made.<\/h3>\n

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\"January<\/p>\n

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9.\u00a0 Try a new candle scent<\/span>.\u00a0 Do you always buy the same candle fragrance every time?\u00a0 I like certain scents for certain seasons.\u00a0 Right now the fresh linen scent (or fresh cotton) makes our home smell so clean and welcoming.\u00a0 Since it’s too cold to enjoy fresh air coming through an open window, a fresh candle is a nice substitute.<\/h3>\n

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\"January<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

10.\u00a0 Use some colorful books in your vignettes<\/span>.\u00a0 You can buy some at a thrift store or cover books you already own with colorful scrapbook paper.\u00a0 Our library has a used book store that has a mega-sale once a year.\u00a0 It’s a great time to stock up.<\/h3>\n

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\"January<\/p>\n

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11.\u00a0 Replace your worn kitchen gadgets<\/span>.\u00a0 My daughter-in-law knows how much I enjoy red in the kitchen<\/a>, and when she saw that my spatulas were looking a little rugged, she and Cory knew just what to do. They bought some new ones for me, and it makes such a difference in the kitchen.<\/h3>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\"January<\/p>\n

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12.\u00a0 Rotate your throw pillows<\/span>.\u00a0 I might be preaching to the choir on this one, but one of the easiest and cheapest ways to change up the look of a room is by changing the pillows.\u00a0 If you have a good selection of throw pillows, then store some away, and use the ones you have not used for a while.\u00a0 If you feel the need for a new one, then that’s great because a lot of them are on sale right now.\u00a0 An economical approach is to buy some good down pillows but only buy pillows covers. It is much easier to store away just a cover than an entire pillow.<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

BONUS<\/span> – This is always my go-to solution when the house is looking a little dull and drab.\u00a0 I pull out my spray bottle full of vinegar and water and clean the windows, the light bulbs, and the glass on photos and art.\u00a0 It’s unbelievable to me the difference a clean window makes in a room.<\/h3>\n

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If you liked the suggestions, then check out these<\/a>.\u00a0 (There are two duplicates.)<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

Hopefully, you found some suggestions that you can use in your own homes.\u00a0 Feel free to add your ideas to the list in the comment section.\u00a0 Thanks so much for stopping in.\u00a0 We will see you tomorrow.<\/h3>\n

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Take care.<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch<\/a> and Stone Gable<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since January is a month of renewal (often on a budget), I have come up with 12 simple ideas that can spruce up your house without breaking the bank.\u00a0 Each one costs $12.00 or less.\u00a0 I like to come up with these ideas as a challenge to myself to see what I can think up.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":25685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25674"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25674"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25724,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25674\/revisions\/25724"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/the2seasons.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}