Hey Dads and kids, are you on top of things this year? Or are you scrambling to make the mom(s)-in-your-life’s day amazing?

I’m sure it’s not because you don’t care, but perhaps you’re a little unsure what she really wants. Let me help you out here.

She wants a HOME DEPOT GIFT CARD!

Seriously, you can’t go wrong. Let her use her imagination to create her dream garden or the perfect outdoor living space to read her favorite magazines or just relax with a beverage. Yes, cut flowers are nice, but a spring garden lasts all summer.

And yes, gift cards can be very personal. Either select a unique card design, or order one online and add your own photo or video and your own message. Total score! 

For extra points, present it in a flower pot or watering can.

Win a $100 Home Depot Gift Card!

Let me help you out here. Thanks to Home Depot, I have a $100 gift card to give away to one lucky YHOB reader! Just leave a comment about what you love best about the mom(s) in your life! Winner will be randomly selected this Friday (5/11/12) promptly at noon so you’ll have time to customize your online gift card for that special lady for Mother’s Day. The winner will receive the credit online, so you will have plenty of time to plan your presentation.

So go ahead, be a hero this year! Cape optional.

Ahem, so honey (you know who you are) – now you know how to be my hero this weekend. Let’s plant some memories babe!

The Home Depot Disclosure Statement
The Home Depot partnered with bloggers such as me to help promote their gift cards. As part of this promotion, I received a gift card(s) to share with my readers. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products. The Home Depot believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations. The winner of this giveaway will be randomly chosen and gift card fulfillment will be handled by a third party.

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This Easter will go down in our family history as the one to beat! Every future Easter will pale in comparison.

Yes, we’re finally getting the girls a puppy. She’s a “Bo-Jack” (Boston/Jack Russell Terrier mix) from a wonderful rescue organization down south.  She arrives next week, but we will surprise the girls Easter morning with puppy-themed baskets and a plethora of puppy supplies. I can hear the squeals already.

I love surprises! Last year our lions were anonymously decorated as Easter bunnies under the cloak of darkness. We still don’t know who did it, but they sure had some mad crafting skills! This was not the work of an amateur! While I do have bunnies ears and tails for this year, I cannot match the bar that was set last year! So whoever you are – THANK YOU!

And while we are on the subject of Easter, here’s a creative (albeit messy) idea to make bird nests with rice krispies, peeps and candy eggs.

And for the green and/or practical reader, how about a reusable planter in lieu of a traditional basket? Note the use of a baby blanket for the stuffed bunny – less messy than grass! Add some seeds and gardening tools, and you’ve got an afternoon project! You could also include paint to let the kids paint their own planter.

Any ideas for next year? I’d better start planning now!

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More Lion Fun Here!

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More lion outfits on Pinterest.

Any suggestions for Saint Patrick’s Day?

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For more lion “outfits” check out my new board on Pinterest! Have a fun day everyone!

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My daughter turns 11 today! December birthday’s can be tough, especially now that she’s a tween (or is that pre-teen?). It’s a challenge to separate birthday from Christmas, as documented a couple years ago in the “How to make a December Birthday Special” post. But she’s older now, and I really need to step up my mom-game.

I wanted to surprise her, so I’m tweaking her room while she’s at school. Yes, we recently designed her room when we moved earlier this year, as document in the “A Blue Tween Room for Girls.” Remember this room? –>

Because she loves art and has a passion (understatement) for horses, we found her a lovely horse painting from HomeGoods as inspiration.

Slight problem, however. Her room has red accents, and there is no red in this painting. Since she’s been asking for some green in her room, we went for a quick accessory fix.

By simply replacing the lamp shades, and swapping out the throw and a pillow for green (also from HomeGoods) we changed the vibe of the room, and for only $39 {happy dance}.

And of course, since December birthday’s are awkward, we lit up her room with a birthday tree, and her favorite Breyer horses.

Happy Birthday Amelia. I love you, and hope you enjoy your new room (and keep it picked up).

Giddy up!

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If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you probably know that I subscribe to a “less is more” approach to decorating – both in terms of dollars spent and clutter avoided. This year we have a new home to decorate, but I purposely kept the holiday decor simple yet again. And you may recognize a few elements from my Christmas Decor post from two years ago – I didn’t spend a penny on anything new this year (except for $12.50 to dress up the lion statues out front)!

Let’s start in the family room. In keeping with the birch tree color palate for this room, we traded out the earthy orange accents for festive red! By having such a neutral base, the accent color can change seasonally, just like leaves on a birch tree!

The lighted wreath on the mantel takes center stage, and although I’m not typically a symmetrical gal, I like the simplicity of this arrangement. Recognize those red lanterns? Yup – they came from my side porch.

We hung a few colorful bulbs on the faux ficus in the corner, which look great during the day, and reflect nicely off the lights in the tree at night.

We hung a couple wreaths over the windows.

Now follow me to the dining room. My initial idea was to display three oversized holiday bulbs on a cake plate.

But I ended up favoring a flameless candle with silver and gold pine cone ornaments.

Bonus – I had enough ornaments to hang on the chandelier as well!

Now on to the living room! A simple vignette on an end table was all we needed in here since the Christmas tree is in this room.

I’m hoping this is the last year for our old artificial tree. It has served us well, but I’m hoping to go back to real next year.

My daughters did a thoughtful job decorating the tree this year. We used ribbons of gold, copper, purple and pink and handmade jeweled garland. And what the ornaments are lacking in theme is made up for in personal relevance. Each ornament holds family memories.

So we didn’t go overboard, but the house feels like a home, and we’ll be able to take everything down in about 45 minutes come January. {Woot woot!}

What is your favorite holiday display in your home?

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I wonder what my neighbors really think!

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It’s Thanksgiving Eve, and as I think back over the past year, I am blown away at how much I have to be thankful for. While I’m thankful for family, friends (both new and old), and the kindness shown to us as we made a move from Connecticut to the infamous “Lion House of New Jersey” – I am also sincerely thankful to all the smart, amazing and fun readers of this blog.

I write from a place of passion, and am deeply touched that it has resonated with so many wonderful readers. As you head out (or invite in) for this year’s Thanksgiving celebration, please know that I am honored that you take the time to join me in this blog.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

ps – as you may know, I’ve been decorating the lions with the seasons – any suggestions for Christmas? Here they are in Halloween garb.

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 Enjoy this inspirational guest post from Jessica, a fabulous designer from the Balsam Hill Tree company. I love a great “do’s and don’ts” post – especially about seasonal decor! ~Susan

The rich colors of fall inspire even novice home decorators to take on a new project, and we at Balsam Hill Tree Company really get into the feel of the season, because it transitions into our favorite holiday, Christmas!

To us, the falling leaves means preparing for renewal, from hardship to ethereal beauty. For those who want to show off the beauty of autumn, we have these Do and Don’t tips to help you create an easy, beautiful front porch that greets visitors from last falling leaves until December rolls in.

Do: Use the rich, earthy colors of the season in your decorations.

Stunning oranges and reds (the colors of pumpkins and falling leaves!) and earthy brown resonate with the season. Think of your favorite autumn scene and use those colors as your palette, and let their warmth envelop you and all who approach your front porch.

Don’t: Go overboard.  

Too much of these colors can be overwhelming. Tone down bright oranges with soft beige, or add in a few green or yellow hues to your decor items. If it feels like you’re standing inside of a pumpkin or if your eyes hurt, you’ve probably gone too far.

Neutralize with shades of brown, and incorporating an item with texture and color, such as cornstalks or jute rugs. Those of you lucky enough to have a wrap-around porch, colorful pillows and blankets go a long way.

Do: Use natural elements and play around it.

Use pumpkins and other gourds as decorative items around the porch. There are dozens of species of squash and gourds that can last through the whole season if you don’t carve them. Just check with your grocer or the farmer selling them in the local market for an estimate of how long they last. Show off smaller gourds in baskets or bushels; larger ones can stand alone next to pots of mums. Beautiful leaves and twigs from your yard are a natural complement, and can be changed as often as you want.

Large vases or pots of flowers are also a stunning pop of color for the porch. Keep them in their soil and have them for longer. Asters, Russian sage, chrysanthemums and Monkhood are our favorites. With their amazing colors and wide availability, these flowers are beautiful to keep all year ’round but look best on the porch during fall. Another plus, these flowers are hardy, so even the most novice gardener can keep them alive.

Don’t: Pepper your porch with decor.

You need room to move around on the porch, and too many decorative elements just looks messy. Pick a theme to work around, like gourds and flowers; smaller porches need just two or three small displays, while larger porches can easily support double that. This guideline leaves enough room for beauty and utility!

Do: Make it easy to transition into winter.

Choose items that look are good for fall and winter decor. For example, pinecone wreaths are beautiful for fall, and add berry sprigs to bring color to a dull wintry landscape. Painting artificial pumpkins and leaves gold will also add a rich, luxurious touch to formerly earth-tone decor, and create a magnificent holiday display. Artificial garlands can be brought out in late fall; dress them up with richly colored faux autumn leaves, purchased at any craft store. When winter comes, simply remove the leaves and Christmas lights! These transition your fall decor to the next season, which is much easier (and more resourceful) than scrapping everything and beginning from scratch.

Don’t: Bring them out all at once.

As well as being exhausting, it can get messy and confusing to attempt changing fall decor to winter decor at once. Little by little, with the previous Decorating Do, you will be able to transition to from fall to winter with ease.

All the options for beautiful, elegant fall decor make any decorator excited! With our tips, make your front porch as eye-catching and beautiful as any professionally designed home.

Jessica Phan is a designer for Balsamhill.com, a purveyor of high-end artificial Christmas Trees. Living in the San Francisco Bay Area is perfect for her because she has a wide range of interests, including Art & Design, Fashion, Photography, Painting and Thrift Store Shopping.

Great tips Jessica – thanks! (And check out their customer pics on their Facebook Page). So how are you dressing up your curb for the upcoming holidays? And…have you started yet?

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