Before and after: Lamp post makeover

My take on a homemade lantern post. 

Total cost:  $35

I've had this lantern for quite awhile and it's been shoved from room to room inside my house, but I always felt like I wasn't giving it the praise it deserved. I picked it up at the local grocery store for $35 when they were closing out the last of their summer inventory around the floral department.

I had an old table post from the restaurant Jeff used to work at when we lived in Arkansas, and it too needed a bit of TLC.  This poor table post has been used from everything from a planter, the middle section to a water fountain (I so wish I had a photo of it), and even a make-shift pole for small table during a party awhile back.  

This post needed a good makeover, so I started thinking about what I could possibly do to give it a new life.

I started with a thought of spray painting it and seeing where things took off from there.

A bit of silver paint and boom, the post was a completely different thing to look at.

I loved how it turned out and the marks on the post made it look even better once the spray paint dried.

I paired the lantern on top of the post and secured it with small screws and viola, it was a whole new item that I can't seem to stop admiring.

The whole project cost less than $40!

I think it looks wonderful on my front stoop and while I was admiring my new creation, I got photo-bombed by the Mr.

Such a fun and great project!  And the best part, during my Brit Kit Co-Op Party I had party-goers admiring it. 

Hopscotch and Memorial Day

This past weekend we took advantage of the sunshine that came out for a few minutes from time to time throughout the three days we had off.  During that time we finally got to try out the sidewalk tattoos my mom has sent Skylar for Easter.

The last two weekends we have enjoyed the thrill of hopscotch and Skylar is actually getting pretty good at it.  It's such an oldie, but a goodie when it comes to kid's games.

The sidewalk tattoos that we used were ones from a company called WeVeel.

We wet the back of the tattoo completely and followed the instructions on the box.

And ended up with one out of the eight work on the sidewalk completely.  It was a bit of a let down.

So instead of the sidewalk, 

They worked out pretty well on the skin.

We had a fun day coloring the sidewalk though.  

We played hopscotch till it started sprinkling on us once again.  Bummer.  :-(

It was a pretty fun three-day-weekend for us.  

We also reflected on Monday about what the day is truly about and what we are thankful for everyday. 

Eco-Tip:  Remember to get those magazines into the recycling along with everything else.  Better yet, recycling them in ways that others can utilize them too, like the library, hospitals, and/or Goodwill.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

Soaking up the sunshine

We finally got a break from the rain and were able to head outside and soak up some sunshine.  And we are rocking this Saturday!  Skylar and I laid under the rays and just enjoyed the heat and warmth of the sun for a few hours this afternoon. #Wearereadyforsummerhere

Wouldn't you want to cuddle with this sun buddy too?  :-)

Eco-Tip:  Harness your rain water throughout the season and use the water you've captured to water your garden, lawn, and flowers.  When you do this you use zero water and in turn you end up saving money too!  The best way to capture rainfall is with a rain barrel.  Check out the ones below to find one that works for you.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.

    

Our Garden Currently: And the cleanup begins

Our raised beds took a beating this winter.  They have become overgrown and not very well kept.  It is fully our fault, but we have a plan!  We are going to just start over and actually put down weed barer to prevent this next season.  Although Skylar and I won't be here, it will at least make it good for Jeff when he goes to plant next year.  Here is what they look like so far......

Jeff had to use the weed eater on the beds first.  Yeah, they were that bad!

Our Cosmos are starting to show their pretty little heads.

And Skylar found the littlest snail.  

We decided to remove the beds altogether and flatten out the dirt that was in each bed.  Skylar is the biggest helper ever and loves to get his hands dirty with work.  Makes us proud!

Hopefully in a week or two we will have the garden back on track to where it should be.  

Weeding always goes smoother with a few of these.  Ha!

Eco-Tip:  Instead of buying your fruits, berries, and vegetables this summer consider having a garden.  A small garden, one that just has tomatoes, lettuce, or carrots, can be planted and offer almost zero maintenance throughout the growing season.  If you only have room for one or even two vegetables, start growing!  It will save you money and offer a plentiful supply of food.  For this and other tips on going green visit, The Earth and Me Go Green.