Speaking of Gardening...

If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you'll know I'm OBSESSED with the Dollar Tree.  Seriously, if you're not shopping there on the regular, what exactly are you doing with your life?  

Spring has sprung here in south Texas (yeah, I know it's still January!) and the Dollar Tree has put out their merch for the season.  If you are new to gardening, or a seasoned green thumb, get yourself down to the Dollar Tree for some great stuff!

A 'must have' in the backyard gardening world are Grow Towers.  They've been around a while and they can be very expensive.  On Amazon you can find them anywhere from $60-$300 bucks depending on the size.  But today as I walked into the Dollar Tree, I found these stackable three tier planters!  

They are exactly the same as those found on Amazon,

BUT FOR A DOLLAR!

I purchased four, had one of the boys drill holes in the bottoms for drainage, filled them with potting soil, and topped them with a cute frog and mushroom (also from the Dollar Tree!) and now I have my own trendy grow tower for just a few bucks.

The Dollar Tree also carries the American Seed brand in their stores.  The packets are four for a dollar.  So for a grand total of less than ten dollars, we now have a table top herb garden right outside our kitchen window.

I think more of these towers will be in my future.  Maybe make some up as gifts or they would also be perfect for a children's first garden with strawberry starts or flowers

Their gardening products don't stop at stackable towers!  You can find quality pots, gloves, bulbs, hand tools, hummingbird feeders, and even darling little fairy garden supplies there.

So have fun, get creative, but most importantly...

PLANT SOMETHING!

Just One Dollah Makes Me Hollah!

If you're not going to the Dollar Tree for your holiday decorating, then what are you actually doing with your life?  

This store has really stepped up their game in the decor department!

 By now, every Dollar Tree on the planet is stocked full with Christmas decor for you guessed it....a BUCK!

Last year, I made the cutest (and cheapest!) Pottery Barn knock off tablescape village using these miniature houses and ornaments, I combined them with garland and lights that we already had and it only cost me around forty dollars.  

See how I put it together HERE:  https://creamerchronicles.blogspot.com/2018/11/holiday-decor-on-cheap.html

Get all your wrapping paper, gift bags, tags, and bows here too!

Why spend tons of money when they are just going to be ripped into by excited children and later trashed?

You'd pay upwards of 4-5 dollars a bag elsewhere, and these bags are nice and thick with adorable prints.

I purchased several of these pics, some burlap bows, and every single ornament they had that contained a pinecone or pine greenery to create my kitchen tree.

The whole thing was less than fifty bucks...TREE INCLUDED!

(Tree not purchased at Dollar Tree, got it from Walmart for $25) and it makes a cute addition to our Farmhouse kitchen.

And yes, I've turned into one of THOSE PEOPLE.

You know the ones...they decorate for Christmas the day after Halloween.  I just can't help myself, I love this time of year!

So just play along, and run yourself down to the Dollar Tree, too!

Baby It's COLD Outside!

It FINALLY feels like winter here in south Texas!

We woke up this morning to a temp of 36 degrees and 25 mph winds blowing off the hay field behind our house.  

A chilly start to our day, but I love it!

It's a good day to stay inside, snuggle up on the couch, 

binge on Netflix, and drink hot cocoa all day long.

Now that my kids are older, I set up this little hot cocoa/coffee bar so that they can enjoy a cup of comfort any time of day...and now that they're older, I'm not in fear of one of them stealing the butter cookie tin and eating the whole thing behind the couch...

  I'm lookin' at YOU, John Paul Creamer!

Everything you see here came from, you guessed it, 

DOLLAR TREE.

Included in our hot cocoa bar:

Large silver serving tray

Snowman cup with peppermint sticks

Danish butter cookies

Jar of mini marshmallows

Jar of Andes Chocolate   Mints

Pepperidge Farms Pirouette

Nonni's Biscotti

A shaker of cinnamon

Torani Sugar Free Hazelnut syrup 

(NOT from Dollar Tree, but I can't drink my coffee without it!)

And because you know how much I LOVE me some Dollar Tree,

I couldn't help but decorate my kitchen window sill that sits right next to the hot cocoa bar:

Y'all, those cinnamon scented pinecones, my fave!

Now you’re ready to enjoy hot cocoa at any minute of the day or night with ease. Your guests will also love your set up 

and you’ll help them to feel right at home.
Plus, I don't think there is anything a little
chocolate can't fix.
Am I right?

Holiday Decor on the CHEAP!

If I've said it once, I've said it thirteen times, 

Dollar Tree IS WHERE IT'S AT!

  When you live in a small town where Walmart is your only big shopping option, you tend to look for variety where you can find it.  And Dollar Tree has really stepped up their game.

I have been wanting to do a Pottery Barn knock off of their white Christmas village for some time.  Just one problem, I couldn't get ANY of the Dollar Tree village houses anywhere!  

Every store I called within a 50 mile radius was sold out.  

After lamenting about my dilemma to my family (first world problems, right?), my oldest son found a line of small Christmas village houses at Walmart for under two bucks each!

**Que angels singing**

To get that Pottery Barn knock off look, spray paint the houses with chalk paint or a matte white.  It takes a good three coats to cover all the color.  When dry, you can use ModPodge and a little fine glitter to make "snow" on the houses.  
I left mine flat white.

I'm all about the instant gratification.

Now mind you, I ONLY had plans this day to paint my village.

I ended up decorating my whole dining room instead.

This entire table scape was made with Dollar Tree merch!

(Well, everything except the garland and lights,
which we already had.)

Maybe one day I'll save up a boat load of Benjamins to actually go to Pottery Barn and decorate my house for the holidays, 

but for now I have to make sure my family has food and electricity to enjoy.

So for now, I’m living life on the wild side and decorating on the cheap. It’s cool, and fun, and if you’re in the same boat with me, 

you know what I mean.

#noshameinmygame

Dollar Tree Decor

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you'll know I'm all about the CHEAP AND EASY!

And for inexpensive household items, 

you can't do better than the Dollar Tree.

I LOVE FALL!

And even though it's still 90 degrees most days here in September and October, I can't help but want to drink all the pumpkin spice things and decorate.  So here is my favorite decorating on the cheap idea,

CHALK PAINTED PUMPKINS.

The Dollar Tree carries these day-glow orange styrofoam pumpkins.  They're totally cute as is, but they really clash with the "farm house" style of our house.

So, pumpkins, meet chalk paint.

Rust-oleum makes a wonderful line of spray chalk paints.  I've used them to paint everything from furniture to candlesticks to Mason jars.  The great thing about chalk paint is that it will stick to any surface without having to prime first!

Just poke a stick or skewer through the bottom of your pumpkin and spray away!  It takes about two to three coats to get rid of that bright orange color (let pumpkins dry 20 minutes in between coats).

Definitely buy more pumpkins than you need,

painting them is a little addicting!

And you're left with pretty little pumpkins to display all around your home.

HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL!