6 Simple Steps to Painting a Room

*this blog was originally posted to RealSimple

By Jennifer Jafarzadeh

Once you’ve prepped the walls, the actual painting is easy.

Step 1

Clean walls.
Remove dust, dirt, and grease spots (which can ruin a smooth finish) with water, a little mild dishwashing detergent, and a cellulose sponge. Rinse walls with clean water to remove the soap residue.

Step 2

Tape the trim, window, and doorframes
Be sure to use painter’s blue tape, which can be applied up to a week ahead. Remove tape immediately after painting, before the wall dries, so you don’t peel off any paint with it.

Step 3

Prime the walls.
It’s a common myth that walls that have been painted many times don’t need to be primed. In fact, primer helps maximize the sheen and coverage of paint and gives the finish coat a more uniform appearance.

Step 4

Brush where you can’t roll.
Brush on paint around trim and in the corners of walls, where your roller can’t reach, with a two-inch angled brush. Extend out two to three inches from windows, doors, and moldings.

Step 5

Use the W technique.
For efficiency, start in the corner of a wall and roll on a three-by-three-foot W pattern, then fill it in without lifting the roller. Continue in sections until you’re finished. Paint one wall at a time.

Step 6

Paint the trim.
When the walls are completely dry, tape where the trim meets the wall. Paint the moldings and the door and window frames with a two-inch angled brush.

One man’s junk…

..is another man’s treasure. Truer words have never been spoken.

The most definitive example of this statement is the age old trend of garage sales. I remember it like it was yesterday; waking up a 4:30 on a SATURDAY with my mom, route in hand, a clean car, wads of cash, and bargain faces on.

There’s no doubt some of the best bargains can be found at yard sales. Items with color, personality, that you won’t find anywhere else are just waiting for you to throw a few dollars down, load up, and give a new shot of life to.

Garage Sale (Photo credit: besighyawn)

But it is definitely an endeavor. After years of doing it alongside my favorite partner, mom, I have some tips to share with everyone that will help them make the most of treasure hunting:

1. Plan your route the night before. Gather your addresses and plan out a smooth route. MapQuest has an awesome route planner that will sort and organize all addresses you input into the system. That way you’re ready to go in the morning with no chance of running back and forth all over town.

2. Bring plenty of cash. This is pretty obvious. You can’t use your card and most people are pretty weary of personal checks. Cash is the boss. Take lots of ones and other smaller bills. Put your cash in separate wads- one for furniture (little higher in amount), one for clothes, and one for knacks. Helps you keep organized.

3. ALWAYS negotiate. If anything you want is over $10, try to reason with the price. The best way to do so is to pull out the amount you’re willing to pay, present the cold hard cash right then and there, and let them decide if they’ll accept. You can always add a dollar or two more, but starting low is the best bet that you’ll get the best deal. One of my moms favorite things to do was grab a lot of stuff and offer one flat price for it. Worked every time.

4. Check the items. Make sure buttons aren’t missing, zippers zip, and pieces are complete. Do a quick once over to assure that any item, from board games to t-shirts, are in the condition you want them to be in.

5. Dig! Don’t be scared or shy. That’s one thing my mom taught me. Boxes, bags, crates, etc, they’re all filled with the things the person WANTS to sell. You never know what hidden treasure you might pass up by not looking through things.

Yard Sale Northern California May 2005. This image is in the public domain. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

6. Tip: YARD SALES HAPPEN RAIN OR SHINE. You might score some sweet deals by venturing out in less than desirable weather. My mom once bought a sofa worth at least $200 for $40 once because of bad weather.

7. Go early, stay late: The best deals happen first thing in the AM and just before things are put away for the night. In the morning, you’re there early and they’re ready to unload. In the afternoon, go back to any ones you left desired items at hours before and see if they are still there. If they are, you’re probably going to score a sweet deal, as many folks just want to get rid of stuff and pack up.

8. Interact: This was my moms key to successful yard sailing. She made friends with the other shoppers and the yard sale host. Chatted about items, families, and the weather. It helped her drive harder bargains, make new friends, and ultimately spice up the experience. Yard Sales are not dog-eat-dog environments. Its a fun way to spend the morning and use the recycle system. So make it fun!

9. Pack snacks. You don’t want to waste precious time stopping for food. Bring a batch of fruit, nuts, and bars to help you stay energized during the peak yard sale hours.

10. Dress modestly. Again, it helps with the bargain negotiations that you’re not wearing super expensive clothes. It may be a harsh point, but its one I’ve seen make a difference.

These tips will hopefully help you not only find better deals, but make going to yard sales something you look forward to not just for the things, but for the overall experience. Happy sailing!

8 Affordable Essentials for a First Bathroom

Got a bird that just left the nest? College time is always difficult for parents. Riddled with worry, excitement and a little bit of sorrow, seeing your “kids” off to their newest venture in life definitely tugs at your emotions.

The golden question tends to be:

“Are they prepared?”

Well you can help them with that.

Apartment Therapy posted an awesome list of 8 essential things to buy your youngsters breaking out into the world that all come in under $40 per piece.

Everything from shower curtains to the easily forgettable shower/bathroom cleaner. Check them out and rest at ease, parents.

Of course, we recommend a great shower head as well!

Tell your kids to shop at places like Target, IKEA, and Bed, Bath & Beyond to get quality but affordable products. You don’t want to break the bank, but you also don’t want to leave them with items that become useless in the matter of months.

Also consider asking grandma, auntie, or big brother to purchase things like hand soap, toothpaste, and toilet paper as little gifts to help the first stocking of supplies.

Now go study!

15 Natural Beauty Recipes Using Everyday Foods

*originally posted on Inspiring Pretty

Every girl wants to be pretty, but it can be difficult using tons of masks, lotions and just a load of products. It can break your bank and expose you to unnecessary amounts of chemicals. I believe in keeping it simple and cheap. No need to go shopping at Macy’s, Bare Minerals or any of other stores. Just head to the grocery store with a $20 bill to get the same effect. I’ve compiled a few beauty recipes below, but there are a plethora more that are just a search engine click away. (Be sure to check out more beauty recipes here as well coffee beauty and beer beauty recipes, too!)

1.) Brown Sugar and Honey Facial Scrub
This is probably my favorite one. Brown sugar exfoliates the skin ridding the pores of all dirt, oil and dead skin cells causing blemishes. Honey is naturally antibacterial, so as the brown sugar scrubs away the things clogging pores, the honey cleans out the sources of the buildup to prevent future breakouts.

2.) Coffee Grounds in Conditioner
This one is really simple. Instead of throwing old coffee grounds away, toss them into your conditioner to make your hair extra shiny. That’s all it takes!

3.) Replace Conditioner with Vinegar
To get rid of the usual problems with hair: build up, dullness and just lackluster, replace your conditioner with vinegar 1-4 times a month, depending on your hair type. Just use it as you need it. And, don’t worry about buying the best stuff for the best results, common white vinegar will do the trick as well as any other vinegar.

4.) Olive Oil as Hair Moisturizer
It’s easy to see how oil can moisturize your hair. It’s simple to use as well. Simply cover your hair in olive oil and leave it in for 30-45 minutes. You can also wrap it in plastic wrap to keep it from dripping. Some also believe it enhances the effect.

5.) Lemon and Egg Facial
Have red splotchiness on your face? Soothe both symptoms away easily by mixing together one egg yolk and the juice of one lemon into a paste. Cover your face with it and leave it on overnight. If this seems like too much work, leave it on your face for an hour. You might not get the optimal results with this amount of time, but you will see a difference.

6.) Replace Conditioner with Baking Soda
Want to be more like a guy and only use one thing to clean your hair? Then just add baking soda to your shampoo. It will remove build up and make hair shinier. And to make it even better, you can use it everyday (if you have normal hair).

7.) Degrease Oily Hair With Lemons and Aloe
Mix together 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon aloe vera. Mix the mixture in with a normal serving of shampoo. It will get rid of your oiliness in your hair with one shower.

8.) Smooth Fizzy Hair With Honey
Add a tablespoon of honey to a liter of water. After shampooing, rinse your hair with this concoction to tame your frizz.

9.) Replace Face Wash With Skim Milk Powder
Switching face wash out with skim milk powder can make your face much softer and give you a smoother complexion. It’s also very gentle, so even the most sensitive can use it.

10.) Moisturize Skin With Honey and Olive Oil
Honey holds moisture extremely well and olive oil hydrates well, too. Mix equal parts of olive oil and honey (and add a dash of lemon juice if you’d like) to create a pasty lotion. Rub it onto the dry skin and let it sit for 10-20 minutes. Your skin will be hydrated for plenty of time to come afterwards.

11.) Soften Skin With Oatmeal
There are many concoctions and mask recipes that involve oatmeal, but you can use oatmeal by itself to help your skin. Ground up about 1 cup of oatmeal using a blender or coffee grinder, and add it to bath water to soften skin to baby-like quality.

12.) Treat Chlorine-Damaged Hair
Mix together 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4 cup of a peeled cucumber. Cover you hair with the mixture and leave it on for 10-20 minutes. You’ll see your hair return to normal almost immediately.

13.) Tone and Rebuild Skin With Avocados and Carrots
This recipe can work wonders. Combine 1 avocado, 1 cooked carrot, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 egg and 3 tablespoons of honey. Leave on for 10-20 minutes and then rinse. These ingredients add a multitude of vitamins, antioxidants and calcium to rebuild natural collagen, tone skin and remove age spots. There is plenty to read about the benefits of each of these ingredients, but all you need to know is that each natural element does more than any store-bought item can.

14.) Lemons or Oranges for Fine Hair Hairspray
Use Lemons for dry hair and oranges for a stronger hold. Chop up the entire piece of fruit in a bowl as to not lose any juice. Boil the fruit with 2 cups of water until soupy or to when the liquid has been significantly reduced. Strain through a cloth and pour into a spray bottle for use. The citrus will hold the hair and not damage it due to the fact that there is no alcohol.

15.) Apple Cider Vinegar for Cleanser and Toner
This eliminates dead skin cells easily, so you can use in lieu of expensive toner. That’s all there is to it!

Being beautiful can get expensive and damaging if you’re using products often. Try using these natural tips before spending money and see if you even want to try products after. Check out out post on how to treat acne naturally, too!