Guest Blogger Series: Megan from M for love

Ryan is two weeks old today! Goodness, I can hardly believe how fast the time is going already. Yesterday, I shared 10 baby product essentials for the first two weeks. If you missed it, you can check it out here.

This week, my friend Megan is joining us to share her advice on moving and decorating a new home on a budget. Megan blogs over at M for love where she shares her creative writing style and super cool photos every week. She is a craft mama, and it shows in each of her posts! Be sure to check her out and send her some love!

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Hi, my name is Megan and I blog at M for love. Thank you, Heather, for inviting me to stop by today and CONGRATS to you and Matt on little Ryan’s arrival! He is so scrumptious! Those toes, those lips, ahhh! 

Okay, back to business before all this baby oohing and awing gets me into trouble. 

That's us up there, my family.  Just recently we three made a big, exciting move into a lovely little home. You can read about our first house here or here.  It was a gem, a humble 785 square foot gem. It was gorgeous and luxurious, yes. But spacious? Not so much.  But that's okay because for what our first home lacked in space, it gave back in lessons learned like, oh, we don’t really need bigger and more, more, more like we were in that habit of thinking.  We joke about our first abode, but our honest thoughts are that we really loved (and even needed) our time there.  Whoa, and that lesson doesn’t come easy.  We had our days, you know?  Like when Marin started crawling, and I felt like I chased her around an apartment-sized treadmill every day.  It was starting to feel TIGHT.  Oh, then there was the squeaky bed frame situation.  Enough said-right? 

By the time Marin turned one, we had approached the selling of our home issue from every angle.  The time was finally right. So, we went for it.  Things fell into place as they tend to, and we found ourselves in a home that is just right for our family and for our dreams of more bambinos and gatherings with friends. 

Anyone who has moved knows that it really isn’t just an external relocation.  It involves the innards.  We packed up roughly ten boxes of stuff, millions of memories, a few pieces of furniture, and all our lessons-learned. And go figure; they all fit in two loads of Andy’s dad’s suburban.

Then we unpacked….

And I set my eyes on all this space, empty rooms upon empty rooms.  My first impulse was to fill those bad boys up right away, but then all those valuable days in the condo set in and I decided to slow my roll a bit, to go about this in a less-is-more type of way.  So, this was my long, roundabout way of letting you in on my house decorating strategy.  It is my rendition of decorating a house, but with the frugal spin I didn’t used to put on things. I’m learning. Pretty, shiny things still get me sometimes.  

So, here it is…Megan’s rules for empty house survival and decorating on a budget. (Still working on the name…not so catchy;)

1.     Most importantly, invite people over.  Houses become homes by gathering and sharing memories.  Make due with what ya got, order a pizza and call it a day.
2.     Slow and steady wins the race. I can be an all-in type of gal so sometimes I need a reminder that these things take time. Know that furnishing a home just so can takes years. 
3.     Take a night or two to sleep on any BIG purchases you want to make.  This one gets me everytime, but usually pays off. 
4.     Make a game plan.  Pinterest is such a good way to get a vision for a room.  I tend to spend less if I know exactly what I’m looking for. 
5.     Ask your parents if you can borrow that oak dining room table that’s been sitting in the basement for years.  Give it a new twist with industrial metal chairs. 
6.     Find the nearest Goodwill. 
7.      If you have those Pottery Barn couches in mind like I did, scour the internet for something comparable.  I found identical couches at Rooms-to-Go for half the price.
8.     While on the topic of Pottery Barn, shop the kid’s or outdoor departments first.  You just might find a cute side table or area rug for less.
9.      If you aren’t afraid to ask, places like Anthropologie sometimes auction off their store décor. If you see something that suits your fancy, just leave them your name and number and they’ll give you a buzz when it’s time to take down those gold pinwheels or painted arrows.  So cute, especially for nurseries, kids’ rooms or even Christmas decorating.  
10.  Antique shops.  My favorite piece in our house is an old wooden fireplace mantle that I got for a steal at an antique store.  Sometimes all you need is one piece that sparks that conversation. 

Alright, that’s what I’ve got.  I’m sure there’s so many tricks out there, and I want to hear about them, so please feel free to share in the comments.  Thanks again, Heather for having me.

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Thank you for sharing, Megan!

To see the previous Guest Blogger posts, click on the links below:

Shay Shull from Mix and Match Mama
Samantha from Samantha Elizabeth: A Lifestyle Blog