A Cohen Christmas

Growing up, our house at Christmastime was in a word, incredible.  My mom had every decoration one could imagine and everything got a bit of the Christmas touch...and I mean everything.  There were Christmas dishtowels, and soap dispensers, and dinnerware, and snowmen, oh my!  There were candles in the windows and bows on the tree; there were stockings filled to the brim and presents wrapped weeks before the big day.  It was a big deal.

The first year in my own apartment, I did exactly what mom did, the way she did it.  I changed out everything from our area rugs to the place-mats and everything in between.  What I didn't have, I borrowed from her.  After all, she had enough to decorate her entire house and mine!  I thought that was how it should be done.  I decorated and decorated and didn't look back.

Last year, however, I got a little overwhelmed at the thought of changing EVERYTHING out.  I didn't want our place to look like Christmas had exploded as it had in years past.  So this year I decided I wanted to put my own spin on my mom's Christmas extravaganza.  I toned it down a bit and infused Christmas in little ways, adding some red and green to our existing pieces and switching out a few things here and there.  As it turns out, a few simple changes really go a long way.

 

 

 

My favorite part of our decor is, of course, the tree.  It was a yard-sale find the summer before we moved into our apartment.  I mixed in red and gold ornaments from Target with meaningful ones.  We make it a point every vacation to bring home an ornament from our travels.  Our tree is filled with souvenirs from Alaska, Baltimore, and Disney among others.  We also have some ornaments from our childhoods like one from the hubby's very first Christmas and my beloved Bruins and Eeyore ornaments.  It's a nice mix of old and new.

Since I had just put up and decorated the shelves and didn't want to change the pieces out completely, I replaced just a few items and added in my new serving tray from Pier 1.  Our stockings have yet to find a home, and each year, the table they hang from is moved.  While I hate that we don't have a mantle (Note to Self: Get house with fireplace), I love the stockings themselves.  I searched high and low to find stockings with our names or initials on them with no luck.  But one day at Kohl's, I found these adorable stockings with the words "I Believe" on the bottom and bells on the top.  I then found monogram pins at Target, and they were complete.

I had always wanted something to contain the countless cards that come in every year and this photo holder from Pier 1 was the solution.   And finally, the table centerpiece is a new addition.  I removed the Christmas runner and replaced it with a bamboo one.  The center vase is from Home Goods and is filled with more red and gold ornaments.  The candles that surround it are from all over - on sale at Yankee Candle, the Dollar Store, and gifts.  I think it's simple, yet sophisticated.

While I loved the way my mom put so much time and effort into making our house a Christmas palace, and will definitely be using a few of her tips and tricks as I decorate each year, I needed to put a little Kristyn into our place.  Our decorating styles may be different, but mom truly taught me that Christmas starts at home.  I am still filled with the Christmas spirit every time I walk into my childhood home and I hope one day, my kids will look at our house with the awe and admiration that I always looked at ours.

Be well,

Sweet Potato Pie

Today at the supermarket, I met an elderly man in line ahead of me.  He was in his early 80s it seemed and walked ever so slowly with a cane.  The contents of his basket, a small rotisserie chicken and a sweet potato pie were to be his Thanksgiving dinner.  His eyes lit up as he told me how much he loved sweet potatoes and hoped he would enjoy the pie as well when he tried it for the first time.  He would, however, be dining alone as he told me he lost his wife to cancer in 2008 and his daughter in 2010.  I told him I was sorry for his losses and hoped he was able to enjoy his meal.  He wished me well this holiday season and was then on his way. 

For the brief few moments that we spoke, this man warmed my heart.  He reminded me to slow down and take a breath.  He reminded me that the holidays are not about the money spent or the presents received.  They're not about the decorations or the lights or the carols.  They're about the people you surround yourself with and the traditions you keep.  They're about giving back to your community, your family, and yourself.  So, thank you sir for reminding me of what I had forgotten.  I will be thinking of you as I sit down with my family this Thursday for dinner...and perhaps a piece of sweet potato pie.

Be well,

The Jewelry Wall

I love the idea of jewelry as artwork.  It's a great way to bring a little creativity and color into a spot.  I have so many pieces that I often forget what I have, so having my jewelry out in the open lets me keep track of everything.  A few years ago, I bought an inexpensive jewelry tree at Ikea.  That has served as a way to display most of my jewelry.  But as I have a slight shopping addiction, the tree got so full it toppled over one day.  

Since then, I've had to come up with other options.  I watch a lot of design shows (hello HGTV!), and have noticed designers using cork boards to display jewelry.  A few months ago, I found a board at Target that matched our bedroom decor.  We happened to have a tiny bit of wall space left, so I thought this was perfect for it.  I picked out some of my more colorful pieces and used earrings that I don't wear too often as "tacks".  I don't think it came out half bad:

I've also been somewhat obsessed with watches lately.  I found a cheap silver dish at the Salvation Army (I think I paid $.99 for it), polished it up, and found a new home for my growing collection.

And last but not least, I bought a small chest at Michael's (with my 40% coupon of course!) and used that for my larger pieces like beads and long necklaces.  I usually keep it open, but I'll sometimes close the lid for a more polished look.

Here is what the area looks like as a whole. 

Like my cowgirl hat?

Be well,

Chicago Savings

I hate flying.  I've never hated anything more.  But I LOVE to travel.  My husband and I usually don't take vacations to relax, though, and we're generally busier on our vacations than we are at home. Our latest travels seem to have us venturing to new cities.  This probably started a few years ago when we took a group trip to Baltimore and fell in love with the idea of getting lost in a new city.  Since then, we've been to Seattle and most recently to Chicago on a suggestion from my brother and sister-in-law.  Well, Chicago didn't disappoint, and we spent 4 jam-packed days exploring everything the city has to offer.  

When we booked the trip, flights were super cheap.  We usually fly Jet Blue because the tv's on each seat are the only thing that get me on a plane.  Did I mention I loathe flying?  We were able to get 2 free nights at the Doubletree Hotel just off the Magnicient Mile using points we earned during our wedding.  Tip: If you're planning a big event at a hotel you frequent, sign up for that hotel's credit card to earn points.  We are big fans of the Marriott, so my husband has been earning points on that credit card for years, but when we decided to have our wedding at a Double Tree, I signed up for the Hilton Honors credit card.  We racked up thousands of points with all our wedding costs (food/rooms/etc.), and as a result, got 2 free nights in Chicago.

Downtown Chicago

The hubby did all the research for this trip and planned all the places for us to visit and priced everything out.  It was during this process that he discovered the City Pass.  These are available in many cities across the US and offer discounts on the area's most popular attractions.  We bought ours for $76 each and it included admission to the Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Skydeck, Adler Planetarium or Art Institute, and John Hancock Observatory or the Museum of Science and Industry.  The pass is valid for 9 days from the first day of use and we used it every day. The City Pass also gives you the highest level of admission at all attractions.  For example, at the Aquarium, our admittance was for the "Total Experience Pass" which is normally $34.95 a person and includes both the 4D and aquatic shows.  At the Skydeck, we were able to bypass the two-hour plus line and only had to wait about thirty minutes to get to the top.

View from the John Hancock

Savings:
Rooms: $597.78 (80,000 points)
City Pass: $47.90/$23.95 per person (This would have been more, but we ran out of time and didn't get to go to the Field Museum)
Misc: $2 (Free Coffee at John Hancock)
Total Savings: $647.88


Be well,

Dining Room Update

My husband, Dan, and I have been in our apartment for 3 years.  While we really do love it, we're literally busting at the seams.  I simply don't understand how two people can accumulate so much stuff in such a short amount of time.  We started the home buying process a few months after we got married last June, but quickly realized we were in over our heads and needed to reevaluate our financial situation.  That, combined with the slim pickings in the Boston area, forced us into the decision to wait until the spring. 

Since we're going to be here for awhile longer, I decided to update the "dining room".  We have a living room/dining room combo, and the outside wall in the dining area is slightly curved, making it impossible to find artwork to fit the space.  I've been literally staring at it for 3 years, wondering what I could do to (finally) complete the wall.  I settled on some inexpensive shelves from Home Depot and filled them with pieces I had stored in the basement.  Here's the final results:

I was so excited to finally display this collection, as each piece has some meaning.  The pitcher and two small plates were recently inherited from my father.  I love the patterns on them and the pops of color against the pale yellow walls.  The plate and vases on the tops shelf were purchased at Ikea when my boyfriend (now husband) and I took our first trip to the mother land.  The wine glasses were a gift from my sister-in-law.   And the letter C artwork?  Well, that's one of my favorite things.  While perusing Etsy one day, I stumbled across the letter C printed on burlap and then framed.  If you don't know what Etsy is or haven't visited the site before, please do!  It's amazing.  Everything is handmade and the designers are really inspiring.  I was close to splurging on this artwork, when I realized I could make it myself.  So, I printed the C on a piece of scrapbook paper I had lying around, put it in an inexpensive frame, and voila, instant artwork.  Here's a closer look:

Dining room update? Check!

Be well,

And So We Begin

It's finally here, the great big blog unveiling!  I've been dreaming/thinking/talking about creating a blog for awhile now and finally took the plunge.  So here it is, a glimpse inside my life and the millions of things I have going on, all the while on a budget. 

Let me start by saying my life is one giant to-do list.  I'm trying to pack 48 hours worth of stuff into a 24 hour period.  For every one thing I cross off my list, though, I usually add about 10 more.  So it's no surprise that when I sat down and tried to come up with one central thing to blog about, I couldn't do it.  I'm always thinking up some new project, researching new places to travel, finding new recipes, etc., etc., etc.  But, one thing I found in all my obsessions was the central theme of using coupons, saving money, and bargain hunting. 

These days, coupons are all the rage and using them isn't uncool; it's real life and it's necessary.  No, I'm not rich, but yes, I do lead a rich life.  I do the things I want to do, I go the places I want to go.  I literally want to do it all, and that's what I strive to do.  I shop, I spend, I save.

And so, in the middle of an October snowstorm in good old New England, The Daily Cheap was born.  I hope this blog teaches people how to save money on everything from food to fashion, and how to incorporate thrift store finds and designs into their every day.  I hope it inspires people to do whatever it is they have on their list - to take that trip, finish that project, buy that thing you've always wanted - because it CAN be done, even on a budget.  

Cross something off your list today!