Staying Home Sawyer

Real Life Living on a Real Life Budget

DIY

A Glass of Wine & A Little Sunshine

A Gift of Wine and SunshineAs previously mentioned, I am NOT looking forward to fall. I would forgo the PSL’s, the colored leaves, and the football for just a few more weeks of summer. Remember just a few short months ago when everyone was on Facebook complaining about the winter-never-ending, and begging for shorts weather? Now those same people are online begging for Fall, claiming they cannot wait to get their hands on everything and anything pumpkin. I am quite settled exactly where I am, thank you very much. Don’t rush me. I don’t want to wear boots with leg warmers, I’ll stick to my bikini. Good thing I live in California, we still have weeks of good weather left! (knock on wood)

Because I love sunshine so much, I’m apparently the queen of sunshine gifts. I seem to be making one of these every month, as you can see here. However, this time I wanted to change it up a little bit. I typically do a ‘Box of Sunshine,’ that is mailed to a friend or family member that needs a little brightening up. But last week, our neighbor was going through a tough time. Now, I’m not denying how great the boxes are, but what’s even better?

A Glass of Wine & A Little Sunshine

Wine. Wine and cookies. Duh. Wine and cookies make everything better. The only thing missing is a cheeseburger. But that’s definitely just me.

So I designed a new little tag for the wine bottle, tied up some cookies (with this little tag), and voila. A much more appropriate sunshine gift for your friends. This way, they can drink their troubles away. I can’t possibly be the only person that does that right?A Glass of Wine & A Little Sunshine

DIY

Giveaway Alert: Adult Coloring Book

Adult Coloring Book GiveawayI don’t know about you, but I was not too excited to return to work after the nice long weekend. Why is it that when you get that extra day off work, it is even harder to return to work than it is on a typical two day weekend? I couldn’t fall asleep last night, so of course I woke up feeling groggy and sick this morning. Not the best start to another work week if you ask me.

But because I don’t want your week to start off on the bad note that mine did, I’m hosting my very first giveaway!! I had so much fun with my adult coloring book pages that I figured I’d give one away to one of my readers. This book is the best I’ve found so far, because all the pages are fun quotes you can hang up at work, frame for the house, or even give to your friends to cheer them up.

Adult Coloring Book GiveawaySince you can’t get your adult coloring on without some sort of utensil, I bought the 72 pack of colored pencils to go with it. With that many options, your pages will definitely stand out. Am I the only person who gets seriously excited for a new coloring book and a SEVENTY-TWO pack of colored pencils?! Hello options!

Adult Coloring Book Giveaway Prize Details

Here are the RULES for entering:

1) Leave a comment below telling me why you can’t wait to get your coloring on.

2) For additional entries, visit Rae of Sparkles on Instagram for more details!

The winner will be chosen at random. The contest closes on September 11th, 2015 at 11:59am. Winner will be announced on Facebook, and will be contacted based on their email address provided for comment. Good luck! 

Adult Coloring Book GiveawayAnd just in case you don’t win your own copy, you can print the Today is Going to Be Awesome page for free on In The Playroom.

DIY

Donut-cha Know How Much I Love You?

Leave a little love with Donut Love NotesI’m just going to throw it out there. My husband can’t whistle. Yup. There it is. When you start feeling like you’re having a bad day, just think about how much worse it could be. You could be pursing your lips, blowing air through the little hole, and getting nothing in response. You could look like a total fool just trying to get some noise, any noise, to come out of your mouth. You could fail miserably trying to whistle along with your favorite songs on the radio. You could never whistle while you work. The devastation is endless.

Clearly my husband needs a little cheering up every once in a while. I can’t imagine a life without whistling. It’s just too traumatic. So in order to get him smiling again, I like to leave him little treats in his lunchbox. Preferably with pink tags that are extremely feminine. The more flowers, hearts, and stars, the better. I only wish I could see his face when he pulls out these treats at work, in a room full of macho men. I’m sure they’re all jealous.

Leave a Donut Love Note for Someone SpecialFortunately for me, there are so many talented bloggers out there who design cute little tags when I don’t have the time. I found these little donut printables on Damask Love. You can print them here. There’s endless possibilities with these little cut-outs.

These are perfect treats for friends, neighbors, or co-workers that might be having an actual bad day. Although I’ll take any excuse to make little treats for my hubby, not being able to whistle does not actually count as a bad day. We are well aware that our life is pretty dang good. We are thankful every day for the blessings we have, and try to take time to appreciate everything we’ve been given. When I’m having what feels like a ‘bad day,’ I try to remind myself that it could always be worse.

Take a second to be grateful for your bad days. And then make a little treat for someone else, someone who is having a day worse than yours. Making someone else smile is the best cure to your bad day. Trust me.

DIY, Party Planning

The Best Thing About Fall? Football!

Easy Football Gift Basket

Okay, okay. I’m starting to accept this thing you all call Fall. I’ll deal with it for one reason, and one reason only. And that reason is not the Pumpkin Spiced Lattes that I mentioned yesterday. That one reason is most definitely: Football.

By now you know that I hail from Green Bay, Wisconsin. And if you don’t, you’re clearly not paying close enough attention, now are you? Being born and raised in the biggest football town in the country (self-proclaimed; if it’s not first, it is most definitely in the top three) has made me appreciate football. And if it wasn’t that, it would be the fact that if I wasn’t into football, I would seriously disappoint my parents. And since I’ve already done that a time or two in my teens (okay…maybe in my twenties too), we don’t have time for any more disappointments. Especially since the last major disappointment had something to do with me marrying a Bears fan. I moved all the way to California, just to bring home one of our biggest rivals. Good thing he has such a great personality. And good looks. Everything helps.

Easy Football Gift Basket Dollar Store IngredientsSo in honor of the upcoming season (the one, in which the Green Bay Packers will take the Lombardi trophy back home to GB), I put my green and gold on and hit the stores. I ended up with a little football gift basket. You know, for all the parties I plan on being invited to. I think if they see this basket, they’ll definitely extend the invitation. And if not, I’ll add jello shots. Who would turn me down with jello shots?

What to put in a football gift basket

The Dollar Tree is my first stop, because they always have the in-season items I want (no plug there, right?). But really. A football serving bowl, football napkins, football plates, and football party tape?! Hello, SOLD. I bought it all. I also bought the potato skins, chocolate, and the beer mugs there as well. I mean, as I told you before, I cannot walk out without ten items.

Easy Football Gift Basket IdeasI would say I am fully prepared for another amazing football season. And since the Superbowl will be held in our area this season, I am really hoping that the Packers make it that far! I think it’s a very realistic dream.