Archive for February, 2009
Oh Happy (Valentine’s) Day
We recently got a few emails from readers requesting some fun things to do/buy for Valentine’s Day. The web is already teeming with ideas (we forgot that people start talking about V-day before New Years!) but we finally caught up with the times and had a moment to put a little something together based on a few of our favorite ways to celebrate the occasion. Happy smooch day!
Get a cute heart shaped pancake mold (we’ve seen ‘em everywhere from Target and Kroger to William’s Sonoma and Sur La Table) and get up early to surprise your man with some heart shaped raspberry or strawberry pancakes with whipped cream for breakfast.
Go to the dollar store together and split up and spend ten dollars each on supplies to create hand made Valentine’s Day cards for each other in secret. Then reveal your masterpiece to each other and laugh at all the weird things you glued/tied/painted/etc. Didn’t Nick & Jessica do this on one episode of The Newlyweds? Either way, it’s a fun way to spend an afternoon.
Surprise your man at work for a lunch date (since V-day falls on a Saturday this year, sneak up on him and do it Friday to kick off the V-day celebration early). If it’s warm enough you can eat in a local park (maybe pack some goat cheese, crackers, strawberries and Orangina) and if it’s too cold you can drive him somewhere scenic and dine in the car together. It can actually be quite romantic when there’s not greasy fast food in your lap and the smell of fried potatoes in the air.
Start a new tradition together. From finally putting a year’s worth of photos into an album together (and taking a fun walk down memory lane) or learning a new recipe and baking cookies together to sketching funny caricatures of each other while sipping red wine- it’s cute to brainstorm something you can do look forward to doing together every V-day. Heck you can even vow to take an annual trip to the zoo and pose for a picture with the same amorous monkeys each year. Or a faux-bear… take your pick.
Stage a scavenger hunt around the house with clues that lead to other clues that lead to other clues that finally lead to a little something you know he’ll love (a new pair of running shoes, a CD you know he’ll enjoy, concert tickets).
Splurge on something in the bedroom that you’ll both enjoy like a plush new featherbed, down pillows, high thread count sheets or even a thinner duvet for summer if he’s always complaining he’s too hot with the all-season one you have. It might not be something your man would buy for himself, but guys love to be comfy cozy so it’s something he’ll endlessly appreciate in the long run.
Make your man’s life easier somehow. This might be the gift that actually takes the most thought so it’s sure to be appreciated. If you notice that he has a million belts that are always all over the place get him a belt hanger from The Container Store and hang them all up to get him started (and show him how much it beats digging around on the floor for ‘em). If you notice that he loves to go running and laments when it’s too cold, get him Under Armour and some thin running gloves. Just pay attention to how you can make his life a little better and he’ll love that you took the time to notice.
Enjoy a romantic dinner “picnic” laid out on a blanket in the living room with champagne, candles and all the foods that he loves. Is he crazy for Ring Dings? Get a whole box. Serve ‘em on a silver platter with a red rose. How about pancakes for dinner or Oreos and Twizzlers. Whatever he loves, it’s on the menu.
Learn something new side by side. Sign up for cooking classes at Sur La Table, or pottery classes at a local college. Heck, you can even surprise your man with a day of snowboarding lessons at a nearby ski slope. Guys love doing. This is pretty much guaranteed to keep his interest more than the latest Meg Ryan flick.
And whatever you do, make sure your loved one knows that they’re appreciated 365 days a year, not just on a Hallmark holiday like V-day!
For more great V-day ideas, check out some cute suggestions here and here from thenest.com
Love Me Some Domino
Kate over at We Love Domino asked us to put together a lil’ post about which Domino images inspired us most. You can check it out here, and if any of you bloggers would like to contribute to her fabulous new project, feel free to contact her at ilovedomino@gmail.com!
Image courtesy of Domino
Fab Freebie: A Room With The View
If any of you are addicted to The View, Thom Filicia or Kimberly-Clark products then you probably already know what I’m about to say. The three have teamed up for a Room-A-Day Giveaway where 16 lucky winners will be chosen to receive $25,000 (!!!) to transform a space in their home. They announced the first winner today on The View, but you can still enter once-a-day here until March 6th for your chance to take home the cold hard cash.
And while we can’t help you win the 25k, we do have a special prize to give away right here: a copy of Thom Filicia’s latest book, Thom Filicia Style, along an eco-friendly bag filled with a slew of Kimberly-Clark products (think Kleenex, Cottonelle, Scott, Huggies, etc).
You may know Thom from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, or his current show (a Sherry favorite) Dress My Nest. In case you’re not familiar with his magical makeover powers, you can see how he transformed the dated dressing rooms at The View to help kick off the sweepstakes. Here’s the blah before:
And the ready-for-my-close-up after:
Images courtesy of ABC/Donna Svennevik/Steve Fenn
To enter to win Thom Filicia’s amazing new book and the eco-bag of Kimberly-Clark goodies, just comment on this post with the words “BOOK ME” by Wednesday, Feb 4th at 8pm EST. And while you’re at it, why not tell us what room you’d make over in your home if you won the grand prize.
We’ll announce one, randomly chosen winner by the end of the week. And don’t forget to enter to win the grand prize over at the Room-A-Day Giveaway while you’re at it. Good luck everyone!
New to our giveaways? Find out all about them here.
Waste Not Want Not
Why spend money or fill up the garbage can if you don’t have to? It’s no secret that we love to repurpose, and we actually got a note from a guy named Kenn with this fabulous image attached:
How great are these old cans turned pencil cups? A simple coat of paint is all that it takes to unify a bevvy of cans that you already have in your recycling bin- and they’d also make charming vases and could even corral spoons and forks at a casual gathering.
Inspired by the inbox eye candy, we put on our thinking caps to come up with some other normally-discarded items could be reimagined into something useful. We rarely have plastic bottles around the house (this one was left behind by a visitor) but anyone who does could make a charming little bud vase in a second:
And ten of them plus a tennis or nerf ball could create a fun DIY bowling set for any little ones in the house.
Oh and check out this great reuse of glass apple juice bottles that I just discovered in my bulging inspiration folder. I wish I knew where it was from so I could credit it- anyone recognize it?
There are so may other objects that can be reused in a flash. Old egg cartons can come in handy for storing jewelry in a drawer or a cabinet (much like my ceramic egg crate “jewelry box”):
It could even work in a junk drawer to sort rubber bands, paperclips, push pins, and other small office supplies. Or in a garage or tool area to store nuts, bolts, screws, anchors, and nails. Gotta love 12 little compartments that work for almost anything (bobby pins and hair elastics… the possibilities are endless).
And we can’t forget one of our favorite repurposing solutions. Old wine and Pelegrino bottles become pretty decorative accents in a flash (especially after the mismatched labels are soaked and removed):
We’re also big fans of refilling things, like this gorgeous bottle of olive oil (a gift from one of our high-rolling friends from William’s Sonoma). We love to top it off each time it runs low. Anything to keep that pretty bottle on our kitchen counter:
We also plan to refill our Cucina soap and lotion set (a recent $32 purchase from Anthropologie). It wasn’t exactly dirt cheap, but not too bad when you consider you get soap, lotion, and a charming little ceramic dish that holds ‘em both. And the fact that we can refill them with our favorite organic soap and lotion once they run out means we’ll have them sittin’ pretty near the kitchen sink forever:
And why stop there? Here are a few more ideas:
- Cereal boxes covered with brown paper bags can become shipping boxes used for sending books and other small objects to friends and family members
- Old plates and platters can be used under planters with drainage holes to catch any excess water and protect your furnishings and floors
- Used coffee grounds and tea bags make great natural plant fertilizers- read more about that here
- An empty plastic milk jug becomes a watering can with a few holes punched into the plastic cap
- Your old magazines can be dropped off at local bookstores or hair salons (we easily found one willing to take our leftovers) who then give them away for free to other customers
Now it’s your turn! Tell us all about everything that you recycle, reuse and repurpose in your home. We can’t wait to hear how you guys make haste and not waste.
For more repurposing tips, check out this great post from TipNut and the comments left by our lovely (and very clever) readers.
