DIY garland for under $15

Hey y’all! So as you’ve probably realized by now, if you want the “good” Christmas decor then you have to start shopping for it at the beginning of November. I made the mistake and did not and then was unable to find garland that I like that wasn’t $30 a strand. So I decided to buy what target had- the cheap $4 garland and spruce it up myself.

Since this garland is very thin on its own I bought two and tied them together with the metal pieces that are at the end of each strand to give it a more full look. After fluffing the garland out I wrapped these lights around the garland and hung it on my mantle (I may or may not have used thumb tacks). After it was hung I went back in and added some berries (similar here) that I had used in my tree a few years ago so I decided to cut those up and add them to the garland to just give it an extra pop. I cut them longer than I needed them and just stuck them into the garland where I wanted them. From start to finish it took me 15 min which the majority of the time was spent fluffing the garland. But there you have it! 

I hope you enjoyed this short and sweet post!

xoxo

Preparing for trips

Happy Friday everyone! We are currently on the way to Atlanta because tomorrow we are going to the beach! You really don't realize how much stuff you need for a week until you have to pack it all... especially with an infant. Y'all should have seen Coreys face when I told him all the baby gear that was mandatory to bring- he thinks I'm insane haha. BUT its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

About a 3-4 days before our trips I always make a list of what needs to be packed. I make everyone their own section and put the number of the item that I need next to it. Ex: Shirts (7). I start a few days in advance because there's so many of us and if I don't I will forget something. I remember things down to the morning of that need to be added to the list because packing for 6 is A LOT. As I pack I put a * next to the things that have already been packed instead of deleting them/ crossing them off so then I have the same list when we're packing to go back home.

Side note: I make a list for EVERYTHING. Errands for the day, trips, grocery, what I'm getting people for Christmas/ birthdays.

I'm very particular when it comes to packing suit cases. My kids will unfold every last piece of clothing in order to find something then just shove it all back into their bags *insert hand over face emoji*. So, over time I have figured out a way to eliminate that. I first lay everything out on the bed that they are going to need for the trip. Then, I pair all of the outfits together so they will know this shirt goes with these pants etc. I then put them into their bags in the order they will wear them- so the last day will go on the bottom and I work my way up. I put their socks, underwear and the girls bows in the zippered pouch so they don't accidentally get mixed in with the clothes causing their suitcases to look like a tornado came through lol.

Corey and I have separate toiletry bags but in mine I keep all the travel sized necessities such as toothpaste, shampoo & conditioner, a soap container, toothbrush containers, contact solution, body wash, lotion, razors ect. Already having the majority of the stuff we need in there is so nice because its just one less thing that I have to do.

(My little helper is so excited for her first beach trip)

I hope some of my tips help make packing for your trip easier!

xoxo