Not too shabby

I have a love for all things shabby chic. But I don’t love the prices of most retail shabby chic decor. And since I don’t have a crafty bone in my body, it’s totally out of the question to transform existing furniture into my desired “shabby” look. 

So I have been on the hunt for a shabby style entryway table that will coordinate with these pieces below:

A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon a sage green shabby table in a furniture store that was PERFECT but was priced at a whopping $250. Which didn’t surprise me one bit. And I almost paid it. Thank goodness I didn’t because I went home and did a little research and found this practically identical table for $89.00…yes…$89!!!

               

I love it! It’s the shabby / distressed look I was going for, and it’s the same green that matches the other accents in my home.

This is where I found it…at the Home Decorators Outlet. They have awesome prices on pretty unique furniture and home accents. The outlet website sells items that they have low inventory of. The specific table I purchased sold out the same day, but there are other sized tables and other pieces in the same Harwick collection that are still available if this fits your style. What I love about this website is that they have a “Last Chance” section, where it tells you how many of a specific item they have left. Aside from their outlet, they also have a traditional store, with more average prices. I have purchased a few things in the past from this company and have always been pleased with the quality of their products…and I always get coupon codes from them for discounts off of my order. Always a plus :)

My very own McSteamy

It’s my very first review on my brand new blog! If it’s your first time stopping by, check out my welcome post here.

For my first review, I’ve decided to pick something that has received quite a lot of buzz lately. Back in December I added this bad boy to my Christmas wish list:

 

It’s the oh-so-dreamy, ahem, I mean steamy…Bissell Steam Mop. Last month, I posted on my facebook page that I was in looovvveee with my new mop, and well I received so much feedback! I couldn’t believe how many people were looking for a great mop!

If you have any type of hard flooring in your house you need this thing! My entire downstairs consists of tile and bamboo flooring. I’ve spent way to much money and time trying to figure out how to clean my dark-espresso stained bamboo floors. I learned the hard way that apparently I can’t use any chemicals on bamboo and due to the dark color it shows every.little.fleck of dirt.  Aye. But since Bissell steamed it’s way into my life, I have repressed my urge to rip up each and every eco-friendly slat of bamboo that was laid in our family room & playroom.

Why do I love this thing? Because it’s so easy to use. You plug it in and go. No bucket of water to mess with, no wet pad refills to buy, and no chemicals needed. You just add water.

The steam sanitizes the surface and since there are no chemicals used, it’s safe for kids to roll around on the floor to their hearts content. This is a big deal to me since I have a 9 month old that is a crawling machine. But to add a cherry on top…it makes my bamboo floors look brand spankin’ new. No streaks. No residue. And no baby drool…for now :)

It works great on my tile too…in fact the hot steam leaves the tile floor toasty warm, which makes me feel like my house should be showcased on MTV cribs with it’s custom heated floors ;)

My minor gripes:

- I wish the cord was longer so I could move throughout more rooms without unplugging/plugging it in.

- I have really hard water at my house, which in turn has left hard water spots on my tile when I’m overly trigger happy. The manual mentions using distilled vinegar to remove the spots if this happens. It did in fact take them right off. I used filtered water the next time around and I didn’t get any spots.

Last time I checked, Amazon had the best price at $77.00 with free shipping. They even beat Wal-Mart, which has it listed for $78.00. If my McSteamy makes it’s way into your home, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Happy mopping…

A blog is born!

Welcome to my new blog launch! I'm not sure where this new found hobby will take me, but I hope to have some fun transitioning from a personal blog to an informational blog of sorts. What you'll find here is a collection of rants & reviews of products, deals, and websites I love, don't love, and things I just can't live without.

In my real life, my girlfriends are my greatest resource. If I need a recommendation of something, I ask and they deliver. That's what I hope to provide here. I love being the friend that can extend advice, experience and knowledge of good deals.

My real life job requires that I turn over every rock, every leaf, and investigate every avenue. That skill has leaked into my personal life. I know what I want, when I want it and I will scour the internet and stalk websites until I find the best possible deal. And then I like to share my finds! So wah-lah! A new blog has been born! I hope you enjoy.

Stay tuned for my first review…it’s a steamy one ;)

Coming soon...