Category: Deals, Steals, & Thrifting

Good deals and thrift store shopping.

Gimme a Giveaway Winner: Milk & Cookies Canada & Rug Deals

Published on by Our Humble Abode11 Comments

Last Friday, we asked you to tell us your favorite afternoon snack in honor of the Milk and Cookies Canada giveaway.

My favorite afternoon snack lately is a small handful of pistachios.  So good, it’s hard to eat only a few.  The winner of one Milk and Cookies Canada pillow, Kristen eats a granola bar in the afternoon, saving cake for an after dinner dessert.  That’s my kind of gal!

Kristen, this Friday the 13th is your lucky day!

But that’s not all, folks.

In our survey, we asked you to answer 10 questions to help improve the blog.  One question was “What would you like to see less of?”  A few readers requested fewer Etsy related posts, others didn’t care for giveaways, and two readers didn’t like that we used a post to only announce giveaway winners.  I hear that.  So, we’re making a change, starting today.  When I announce giveaway winners, I’ll also share a random snippet.  Notice I said random.  Anything that’s floating in my head, really.  This could be window shopping, a recipe (yep, had a few requests for those, too), inspiration pictures, Pinterest ideas, a round-up of a particular item (like soap pumps), anything.  Basically, you’ll get to see how my mind works.  Scary, isn’t it?

Today, I thought I’d share a few rugs I liked while browsing Overstock.com.  Like this 8 by 10 chevron rug for $151.99.

Or this 5 by 8 wool rug for $177.99.

And this 5 by 8 foot Ikat rug for $167.99.

How ’bout a wool Moroccan number like this for $169.99.

This grey ombre rug by Martha Stewart is only $170.99.

Finally, take a look at this olive and ivory wool rug for $171.99.

Which one is your favorite?  Like that every other Friday you’ll get to peek in to the insanity in my mind?  Have any suggestions for content?  Send us your recommendations!

Please note:  We were not compensated for this post, we just like these rugs and wanted to share with you.

Stools, and Not the Gross Kind

Published on by Our Humble Abode19 Comments

Well, we ordered three stools for the bar.  What did we get?  The Twist stools from World Market.  We took advantage of a Cyber Monday 20% off everything sale plus a free shipping code from EBates.  This was the first time I’d used EBates, but if I get another 8% back, that puts another 20 bucks in my pocket, making our stools 28% off plus free shipping.  So we spent $80.95  per stool which originally cost $109.99 each.

That’s better than the 25% off or free shipping we considered before Thanksgiving.

Fortunately, the stools are fantastic.  Super sturdy, heavy-duty, good-looking, and adjustable.  Three tuck nicely under the bar top without taking up space in the living room.  A few readers warned us about backless or swivel stools with little kids, but so far they’ve been great.  We haven’t let Everett sit on the stools, but Vincent has been totally fine.  And, the swivel feature amuses them.  Both boys turn the seats like they’re driving.

As you can see, we still have finish work to do on this side, like adding trim to the cabinets, filling nail and screw holes, and painting, but the space is usable and that’s what really matters.

What I like best are the heavy wood tops.  Nothing cheesy or fake here.  The color to the seats coördinates beautifully with the wooden counter top.  Bonus!

Now if Ben and I could agree on a color to paint the cabinets.  I want white to match the entertainment center because they’re technically in the same room.   Ben thinks we should paint the cabinets the same gray as the kitchen lowers because they’re back to back.

What do you think?  Do you have bar stools in your home?  What style do you have?

Sharing the Goods

Published on by Our Humble Abode11 Comments

We took the day off yesterday to recover from Christmas.  And we were stuck in a car for 12+ hours without internet access.  Hope you all had a happy holiday filled with family, friends, food, and fun!

Today, we’re sharing some goods.  Both the ‘Will and Home goods.  Get it?  Both stores have ‘Good’ titles.  Ha, so punny this morning.  Anyway, last Tuesday, my buddy Jen and I invited readers to meet us at the Roseville Goodwill during our Minnesota vacation.  Several sweet gals showed up to share a night of shopping with us.

We had a blast chatting and everyone bought something.  So, I thought I’d share my Goodwill finds with you.  First, I spied these melamine plates, originally from Target, for one buck each.  Immediately, I snagged six to use for the boys.

Does anyone else feel that most kid items are ugly?  We have plastic plates and bowls already, but we’ll have glass doors, so I want something that looks pretty when displayed in our new kitchen.

Right across the aisle, I spotted small pink juice glasses for only 49 cents each.  I debated getting these because I saw only seven glasses.  Then I noticed the eighth glass on a lower shelf and popped them in my cart.

Thrift stores are a great place to find dishes.  Always a variety in fun colors.

When Jen offered up a Goodwill challenge, I had to find something to make over, so I found a thick hard cover book, but it didn’t have a price tag.

Turns out, that worked well for me because I got the book for only 15 cents!  I have plans for the book, I just hope it works!

Because we had so much fun at Goodwill, we invited everyone to cross the street to stop at HomeGoods with us.  After wandering around the store, I found myself in the bath section where I scored something for the kitchen.  Remember when I looked for different knobs for the upper cabinets?  Hobby Lobby had tons of decorative options, but nothing both Ben and I loved.  I found bubbly pink knobs, but wanted a different color.  Sadly, this style was available only in pink.

Even though HoLo had 50% off hardware, the pink knobs would cost $4.50 each.  Which is why I was thrilled to find a set of four clear bubble knobs for $9.99.

We’ll have six upper cabinet doors, so I bought two packs and we’ll have two extra knobs if one breaks.  Or I can use the knobs on night stands or something.

And, unlike the teal knobs I liked, these have satin nickel bases to match our drawer hardware.

I love the subtle look of the bubbles and the difference between the lower and upper sets.

But that’s not all that HomeGoods had to offer.  We’ve been spending many of our nights curled up on the couch in the theater room and every night we clean up before going upstairs to go to bed.  The nightly process includes cleaning up the toys the boys played with, changing diapers, corralling any dishes, folding up blankets to put away in the entertainment center, and usually carting a sleeping child or two upstairs.  Some things won’t change, but I thought a simple wire basket could drop blanket folding.

For a 10 basket, it’s quite handy.  Two favorite blankets tuck inside nicely and are accessible.

We got a few home related Christmas gifts, too.  Jen gave me a beautiful West Elm tree ring pillow cover.

My sister Ashley also gave me a few pillows.  One with a silky scalloped design and two with a velvet floral pattern.

More teal in the theater room wakes up the windowless space.

 

As a Christmas gift to myself, I have finally entered the tech savvy world.  That’s right, I got an iPhone.  I’m so excited I’ll be able to upload photos easily, even when I’m not at home!

Thankful for…

Published on by Our Humble Abode1 Comment

You, dear readers and our sponsors, IHeart Organizing and S and S Babee.

To show our appreciation for all of you, we’ve designed a new, completely custom cut out, similar to our Family Tree Cut Out.  For a more personalized art piece, we’ve added this cut out, The Whole Family Tree, complete with each family member’s name.  Jen, this one is for you:

We’ll have to discuss cut out and card stock colors, but the basics are there.  Jenna at S and S Babee, you’ve got one coming your way, too.

Friends, we didn’t forget about you.  Which is why we’re offering you a 30% discount on all orders placed now through Tuesday, November 29th.  Enter the code THANKS30 at checkout to receive the discount.

Thank you all for your never-ending support and encouragement.  We’re thankful for each and every one of you.   Happy Thanksgiving!

Belly Up to the Bar

Published on by Our Humble Abode42 Comments

With our bar top in place, we’re on the hunt for good-looking, durable, affordable stools.  The list doesn’t stop there.  We also want 30 inch stools with swivel, backless seats under 100 bucks each.  Of course I started my search where I tend to find a lot of affordable items, Ikea.  I saw these adjustable height swivel stools for only $40 each.

I don’t care for the black finish, but that could be changed easily enough with spray paint.  We do have a bigger issue though.  While Ikea is known for their can’t-be-beat furniture prices, they’re also known to be cheap.  And our closest Ikea is twelve hours away, so we can’t test them before buying.

So I switched gears and searched local stores.  In my opinion, World Market has quality furniture at reasonable prices.  Our 32 dollar dining chairs have held up wonderfully, looking just as great today as they did over a year ago.  For some reason, I’ve been drawn to more industrial furniture lately, so these Cargo Stacking Stools caught my eye.

Did you notice the problem though?  Yeah, no swivel feature.  And their lightweight design worries me.  I just imagine two little boys falling off and bumping their heads.  Gotta find something else.

Ben likes the saddle style stools.  I’m not the biggest fan, but they’d do the job.  World Market has an online only Schoolhouse Bar Stool for $69.99.

Yet again, I don’t care for the black finish and the stationary seat.  And we’d have to pay 30 smackeroos just to get them to our door.  I seriously hate paying for shipping on furniture.  {If you like the saddle style, here’s a set of two for only $94.99.}

Then, we found the perfect stools.  Twist Swivel stools for $109.99 each.

Let’s start with the good news.  Until Thanksgiving, World Market is offering a 25% discount on all furniture, which makes each stool $82.50.  Definitely not the cheapest stool available, but they’re pretty, I’ve seen them in person, the stools come fully assembled, and the tops are an adjustable height.  Oh, and the online reviews are fantastic.  Twenty-nine rave reviews in fact.

Now for the bad news.  Yesterday, the boys and I took a trip to World Market specifically to buy three stools.  Wanna guess what they told me?  They’re sold out.  And they won’t offer a rain check on the discount.  Boo.  I tried ordering online, but shipping is forty dollars, for a total of $287.42.  Double Boo.  To top it off, the new shipment of stools will arrive around December first.  If only World Market shipped to their stores free.  These beauties would be on their way to my home.

So, I thought I’d check Overstock because shipping is usually super cheap.  I found stools similar in style to the Twist stools.  Though these stools cost about 10 bucks more a piece, Overstock is offering free shipping for a total of $275.97.  Too bad a few reviews mentioned the stools can be wobbly when adjusted to a taller height.

Then I found another adjustable height stool for only $49.99 each.  I love the price, sadly the adjustment height is only up to 24 inches.

Now I’m wondering if World Market will offer a similar discount or coupon in the near future.  Or, should I cater to my impatient side and buy something that I like the look and price, of on Overstock?  I really like the simplicity of these stools.  And at $40 per stool {$159.98 for four stools, coming in at $127.44 cheaper than the WM Twist stools}, I could let the lack of swivel top slide.

The sixteen reviews are great, too.  A few small dings, but that’s bound to happen.  Ahh, decisions!

Here’s what I ask of you, friends.  If you’re aware of any World Market furniture coupons or discounts after December 1 (when they’ll get the shipment of Twist stools), please let us know.   I’m worried we won’t find a similar discount, which means we won’t justify buying the World Market stools.  You can also help by sharing your opinions and/or experience with the Tabouret style stools.

Are you patient enough to wait for your first choice?  Or are you like I am, needing to get your hot little hands on something right away?