Home & Garden Blog

We all want to save a little money while still being festive while we prepare for the holiday season, but how does “green” or “organic” living fit into either of those categories? Sometimes it’s hard in the throes of winter, to remember that greenery, though covered in snow, still survives. I like to pay a little homage to the shivering, icicle plants by dusting them with a little cheer, usually some strands or nets of lights to brighten up the night. It also has some value: the lights are small enough not to add to the light pollution of a city or suburban area, but also help to light the paths in front of your house when it gets dark early during the winter months. You’re doing a service to your neighbors and to your family by lighting their path, and hopefully it dissuades you from leaving all the lights on in your house, if you have a little ambient lighting coming in from the window!

Smarter.com’s helps you find the most festive lighting at the best price this holiday season. From net lighting to colored strands, they have you covered. Here are some of my top picks:

American NetLighting: $18.00

Solar Power LED Halloween Lights - 50 Bulb Strand: $22.95

Shop for more solar powered lighting at Smarter.com.

I woke up this morning wrapped in my blankets like a torpedo. Or a burrito. Or a “brrr”rito, as my blanket-wrapping was in reaction to the frosted windows and frosty weather outside. Heat distribution in my house is very hard to regulate: while the kitchen and the living room get the brunt of the fire from the central heater, my small bedroom off in the far left corner of the house gets the least amount of love from the central heat supply. The problem is that when we raise the heat, my room becomes comfortable, and my roommates’ rooms turn into microwaves. So how can we make everyone happy?

I recommend space heaters. They work well and are small enough to heat small rooms, foyers, mud rooms, maybe even the space for the dogs and cats (though don’t get it too close to their beds! It could get a bit too hot and cause your pet to dehydrate). Space heaters are affordable and functional. They are a great item to have on hand in the freak occurrence that the heater breaks (god forbid!) or a particularly cold-blooded aunt or grandmother.

Here are some of the top space heaters on the market:

Dayton NW9 1500 Watt Electric Ceramic Convection Space Heater
Features 5,118 BTUs of Heat, Auto Overheat Shut-Off, and Washable Dust Filter - FREE GROUND SHIPPING! from Air-n-Water.com: $49.95

DeLonghi TCH8590ER Ceramic Heater: $61.99

Shop for discount space heaters at Smarter.com.

We all have a case of the Mondays from time to time, when that alarm goes off at 7:55am (or 6:55am, or 5:55am) and all you want to do is hit the snooze, hit the hay, and fall back asleep before your head hits the pillow. I’m guilty of the snoozing, including this morning, and when I finally am lucid around noon I look back on that extra 5 minutes of sleep (and the 5 minutes less I had to prepare for my work day) and I think was it worth it? What are some ways I could convince myself to get out of bed at the right time? And when I smell my roommates coffee pot and 7 in the morning, I think–yes, that would do the trick.

And lucky us! LivingComfort.com has a special sale on coffee brewers this week! Let’s check out some of the viable prospects that keep us waking up on the right side of the bed:

Krups Moka Brew Coffee Maker 8 Cups 468-42 from LivingComfort.com: $129.00

You either need a rocket to get yourself out of bed in the morning, or you have a lot of roommates, because this coffeemaker has quantity like no other. 8 cups? 8 cups?! I think I’d zoom through the day so fast I wouldn’t even take a break before going back to bed.

LivingComfort.com isn’t the only one vying for our bleary eyed, groggy morning love and attention. Buy.com has a great selection:

Cuisinart Grind and Brew: $99.00

Shop for more affordable coffee makers at Smarter.com.

“For Maryalice Huggins, old things — particularly fine antiques — are living, breathing beings. Some radiate irresistible allure. Auctions might as well be singles bars.”- NYTimes.com Home and Garden feature article, 11/13

Maryalice Huggins, besides having a beautiful name, loves the artisanal and sumptuous quality of fine antiques and priceless heirlooms. And the heirlooms don’t just have to come from your family! Maryalice loves to mix and match from a variety of contemporary and historical artifacts and time periods, and we can do a lot to learn from her. Thank you, NYTimes.com, for bringing once again a refreshing mix of the old and the new to home and garden styling!

What if you want to recreate the aesthetic of Maryalice Huggin’s home? I suggest we start with a base layer of neutral, contemporary objects. Some standard white walls and solid colored rugs, some geometric sofas and glossy tables. From there, let’s look at some antique, rusted, inspired pieces to give your home a kick. Good objects to look for are mirrors, lamps, and table sculptures. Let’s take a look:

First, the base contemporary layer:

Zuo 900231 Fortress Sofa White: $1,322.00

And the antique lovely to set it off just right:

Uttermost 12525 Hesper Wall Art w/Etched, Antique Mirrors and Pewter Finish: $144.00

Find more contemporary style home decor at Smarter.com.

Today’s special deal of the day is for savings found on Drs. Foster & Smith, the veterinary supply store that covers everything from household pets to farm animals.

A pet can be a wonderful addition to any family, but sometimes the cost seems to overwhelm the value of the pet itself. You may only spend $5 on the fish itself, but for the tank, the filter, the food, the nets, the cleaning supplies and the occasional snail to create a natural water cleaner, the total can be pretty steep to keep Mr. Fishie.

Let’s take a look at some of the bulk savings you can find:

Aqua Ferns from Drs.FosterSmith.com: $2.99/each

Barnhouse III DogHouse from Drs.Foster&Smith.com: $129.99

Find a Drs. Foster & Smith coupon at CouponMountain.com.

Springs are for flings, but what are falls for? What type of classy affair do you have in the fall, and winter transitional, to make the weather even more delicious? I suggest some high class, parental-only soirees with some throwback martinis. To make the best martini, you really do need the materials, and I’m not just talking about the liquor. Martini shakers, stirrers, and mixers are absolute necessities to make the best tasting drink, so here are some of the top mixers to make your party sparkle:

Dorset Martini Mixer: $99.00

28oz Stainless Steel Cocktail Mixer: $10.81

Shop for more cocktail shakers at Smarter.com.

Walmart.com’s Clearance sale has a perfect selection of outdoor garden and lounge furniture. Think of happier days when the weather was not getting colder every minute–what would you do to be sitting outside, sipping margs with the neighbors in some beautiful teak or wood furniture? Here are some clearance specials to make your dreams come true:

Delahey 6-Piece Wood Furniture Outdoor Set from Walmart.com: $298.00, marked down from $349.00

Bravo Mesh Bench Seat from Walmart.com: $140.00, marked down from $174.00

Shop for more discount furniture at Smarter.com.

NYTimes.com article on the Home & Garden section today talked about revolutionary architect Roald Gundersen, who builds structures, furniture, and whole houses with entire branches and trunks of trees. He bends and manipulates the trees to make beautiful organic structures that liven up any home and give it an earthy and fresh quality. Gundersen likes to build with trees because they represent the outdoors and nature, where he would spend all of his time if he could. Instead of living outdoors though, why not bring the trees indoors? And not in a potted planter or desktop tree simulation. Here are some beautiful pieces for you to add to your collection that are built with wood and make your home fresh and lively:

Canopy Swing Stand: On sale from $800 to $590, this beautifully built and organically curved structure will make you feel alive!

3400 Series Wood Chair: $114.99 Brings you back to memories of the old school house with this lovely, basic wood chair.

Shop for discount wooden furniture at Smarter.com.

We all want to save a little money, but not thin down our quality of life. Electronics eat up a lot of power and money, so wherever you see an opportunity to save a little money and do things the “old-fashioned” way, I recommend doing it. Wash the dishes instead of putting them in the dishwasher, hang your clothes on a drying rack and let the water and detergent gently whisk away–it works nicely as a room smell-conditioner, too! Make sure you have the proper tools for whatever venture you go on: rubber gloves and sponges for the hand washing, drying racks for the hand drying. Here are some of the top clothes drying racks for you found on Smarter.com:

Expandable Drying Rack: $97.00

Collapsible Drying Rack: $19.99

Find more affordable drying racks at Smarter.com.

Nothing’s better than waking up in the morning and wrapping yourself in something fleece to start the day. May it be your luxurious bathrobe or your comforter, mornings need a little extra padding to get you from the bed to the shower, at least for me. I think there should be fleece mittens for when you have to reach out and turn off the alarm clock–maybe that will give me more incentive to listen to it!

Fleece blankets are one in a million, so make sure you get one that’s worth it’s salt. Here are some of the top fleece blankets to keep you warm and cozy as the weather gets a little bit frigid!

Supreme Heavyweight Fleece Blanket: This day only, $29.99

Available in so many different colors, you can outfit the whole family!

Woven Alpaca Fleece from LocalHarvest.org: $229.00

A bit of an investment, but Alpaca Fleece is worth it. It’s beautiful texture and luxurious feel will make you feel like a princess!

SuperSoft Andes Alpaca Fleece Blanket from Peru, from AlpacaWear.com: $62.99, marked down from $155!

Find discount fleece throw blankets at Smarter.com.