Staying Home Sawyer

Real Life Living on a Real Life Budget

Lifestyle

20 Questions

Today I woke up to a wonderful little treat. No, my husband did not bring me breakfast in bed. Although at least it’s now on his radar, since I know he’s a loyal husband and is reading my blog religiously.

In all actuality,  Liz from Liz and Lifestyle decided to treat her readers (ME!) with some fun facts about her. Her goal was for her readers to get to know her a little better, and then for us to return the favor. And I can’t just leave her hanging, now can I? Since we have so much contact with each other in the blog world (which I pretend is my real life), why not learn a little bit more about each other. So without further ado:

20 THINGS ABOUT ME

What’s your nickname? Sparkle, Sparklepants…anything Sparkle related.

How tall are you? 5’4 and 3/4. So 5’5 to anyone who asks.

How old are you? Happily 30.

Birth place? Only the best town ever: Green Bay, Wisconsin 

Ancestral home? I would consider myself somewhat of a mutt. I know I have a lot of German, Belgian, Polish, Irish….I’m sure there’s plenty more.

Favorite color? Does glitter count? Okay then…pink or teale.

Favorite verse in the Bible? This is a tough one. I’ve read the entire Bible twice, but unfortunately didn’t pay enough attention to particular verses.

Favorite cuisine? Thai. (And cheeseburgers – because we all know cheeseburgers are a cuisine)

Favorite artist? Do you consider Taylor Swift an artist? Okay then. Done and done.

Strangest talent? My creativity. 

Drink of choice? I mean, I die for a Pepsi about once a month. But the new Chestnut Praline Latte holiday drink at Starbucks has won my heart forever.

Biggest dream? Traveling the world, without worrying about affording it.

How do you take your coffee? With half and half, fat free milk, and real sugar. Just a pinch of each. And a Skinny Vanilla Latte with No Foam on Friday’s. Because: “We drink SVL’s on Fridays”

Currently obsessed with? Taylor Swift’s 1989 album (still. it has been months)

Biggest fear? Not being satisfied with my life. And death. Especially death.

Something you never thought you would get to do? Travel to the Maldives, stay in a hut over the ocean. Haven’t done it yet, but it’s on the schedule for June!

Humanitarian cause? I don’t really follow one particular cause. I believe in being a good person, and “paying it forward” when you can.

Skill you would like to learn?  I mean, I would like to learn everything. One in particular? Can you teach me to be psychic?

Experience you want to have? On a very realistic note: Winning the lottery. On a more-likely-to happen note: Meeting Taylor Swift. Okay fine. I want to live happily ever after.

Something random about yourself? I draw mazes. Very detailed, hard-to-finish, mazes. Want to play? Start with the easy one belowHandmade Maze

Liz tagged several readers that she’d like to get to know better, so I’m going to follow suit. Don’t feel obligated to oblige, but have fun with it if you’d like: Breakfast With Bentley, Hugs x Heart,  Life As I Know It, All Things Britney Lee, The Vodka Soda Escapades, Bunny Baubles, I Will Bloom, Weight2Lose2013, A Splash of Mimosa, Routine Dreamer, Joy Loves Travel

DIY, Lifestyle

Pay it Forward

Words of Encouragement StonesI don’t know about you, but some days are just better than others. And those days are hardly ever Mondays. Little things can go a long way towards turning your day around: someone smiling at  you in public, someone holding a door open for you, finding a lucky penny (or a lucky twenty) on the ground. As nice as it is to receive these acts of kindness, it’s also nice to give them too. I try to do nice things for others, but if I’m being honest, I don’t do it as often as I wish I did. Add that to the list of things I need to improve on.

I’ve seen many people paint stones before, many talented people. I might be able to make a project out of popsicle sticks and glue, but I CANNOT paint. Or draw. At least in any artistic manner. Think 1st grader (and that’s giving me a lot of credit). So instead of decorative stones, I thought little words of encouragements might make someone’s day.

I picked up these stones last weekend at the beach, painted them all different colors (the paint is less than $1 at Michael’s), and used a gold pen and Sharpie to write words of encouragement on each one. I left a few of them in places where I hope people will notice them. Hopefully they’ll put a smile on at least one face. Pay it Forward Stones of EncouragementBecause I wanted people to be able to track the stones, I included a hashtag on each stone: #pif. It’ll be interesting to see if anyone was motivated by them!

DIY, Holidays!

My Friday Five: Five DIY Adult Valentines

Ohhhh thank the Lord above that it’s Friday! I’ve never participated in the Friday Five before, but since I’m fresh out of new crafts to blog about, I figured I’d put all my eggs into the Friday Five.

Note to self: Valentine’s day is three weeks away. If you’re anything like me, you will inevitably wait until the last minute to make your Valentine something special. Or you’ll be braver than me and head out into the war that is Target on the night before Valentine’s Day. I, on the other hand, will fill the living room floor with paper products, glue, and my adorable new gold scissors. I’ll pour myself a glass of wine (or three) (okay four), and I’ll work well into the night.

If you’d like to get a little head start, so you don’t end up pathetically scouring the Earth for a gift on February 13th (which also happens to be Friday the 13th), these DIY Valentine crafts are generally pretty easy. Let’s call it DIY for beginners: Valentine’s Style.DIY Valentine's for Adults1) Send your Valentine their card from the Valentine Station. I do this every year and my husband still thinks it’s junk mail when it arrives from Valentine Station. Thank God for his short-term memory.

2) Make (or buy) stickers for a fruit bowl! These adorable stickers adhere to all different types of fruit. You can buy them in the link, or make your own for free. Great for your Valentine that doesn’t like candy (you’d think they don’t exist…but trust me: my husband doesn’t eat candy, desserts, or generally anything delicious).

3) I love these little fortune cookies. I’ve made my own several times, typically using felt and hot glue (my best friend). You can fill them with fortunes, or, for added sugar: use candy!

4) Shameless Plug: Make this Countdown to Valentine’s Day banner (and expect a new post on this soon). I still love this idea, and it will be a repeat in our house each year. Remind your Valentine of the 14 best days you had last year with him by adding a photo in each envelope.

5) Send someone a “Heart Attack.” This couldn’t be easier. Just cut out a bunch of hearts, write love notes on each one, and put inside a box. And if you’re really DIY-handicapped, then buy pre-cut hearts at Michael’s.

What are you getting for your Valentine this year?

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Birthday's, DIY

121 Birthdays

Easy DIY Birthday CardA few years ago I made a point to try to send out birthday cards to every family member, close friend, and even some random people. Like the President, Taylor Swift, Mickey Mouse, and Phil Mickelson. Oh wait…those were wedding invitations. Want to guess which two responded?

I have officially done a great job (if I do say so myself) of sending out cards to everyone. Or at least to all the birthday’s I’m aware of (thank you Facebook!). Cards can break the bank when you have 121 to buy. And yes, I totally counted. Either I hit up the Dollar Tree for 2/$1 cards, or I attempt to create something a little more personal. Who gets which card has nothing to do with how much I love them. Nothing at all. I suppose they know they’re really special when they get a gift too. If it’s handmade, extra point for them.

(Really my main goal is just to be overwhelmed with birthday cards on my own birthday. So far, this hasn’t happened. Each year I lose a little more hope.)

I found this card online (with a free printable and instructions) and I LOVE it. How fun is it? Visit Oh Happy Day in the link above for the instructions. Plus, she has cute little videos that look much more magical than my photo. I just couldn’t do it justice.