Christmas Wreath

I finished my Christmas wreath last night and I wanted to share it with you. It was super easy and turned out really cute, it only took me about 10 minutes to finish.

The best part is that the whole wreath cost me $4. Want to know how I did it so cheap? The dollar store. That's right everything I used (excluding the glue gun and glue sticks) was bought at the dollar store-I love that store.

I bought two 15" wreaths and glued them together. The dollar store wreaths are pretty sparse and look kind of pathetic on their own-but gluing two together make the wreath look fuller without having to pay for a more expensive wreath. 

Then I bought some cheap dollar store ornaments and some bows. I tied the bow around the bottom of the wreath and then glued the ornaments all over the wreath using my glue gun.

Like I said-super easy and really inexpensive. Here is my finished wreath-hanging on my door waiting to be admired by all.

What fun things have you been doing to spruce up your front door? 

Don't forget to link up to this weeks Tutorial Tuesday to show off what fun projects you've been working on!

Linking up to:

Get your Craft On
Tuesday's Tutorials and Tips
Totally Tutorial Tuesday
Show me what ya got
Tuesday Talent Show
Home Decor and Organizing Link Party
Show and Tell
Show and Share
Make it Yours Day
Show off Your Stuff
Frugal Friday
Holiday Party
Friday Flair
Weekend Wonder
Look at Me Party
Addicts Anonymous

Tutorial Tuesday #32

So I know I promised you a wreath tutorial today-and I have it...well most of it. You see I finished the wreath last night and I just couldn't get a good picture of it hanging on my door-this is why you shouldn't try and take pictures at night.  Anywho, when Mojo gets home today he's going to snap a few pictures for me and then I'll share my lovely tutorial with you all.

But I didn't want to wait until this afternoon to get the party started! I can't wait to see what you guys have been up to the past few weeks.

We didn't have very many link up last week (insert sad face here) but I had to share these two fun tutorials with you and I hope that I get to feature lots of people next week! (hint hint)

I know Thanksgiving has passed but I love love LOVE this adorable shirt Lindsay from Artsy Fartsy Mama made for her kiddo. So cute!

And I love the idea of 30 minutes rolls that taste like they took you 2-3 hours. I have a soft spot for bread-and I probably won't be making these anytime soon as I try to lose (or at least maintain) weight during the holidays-but they do look good! Thanks Natalie from Doodle Craft for sharing!

Before we start the party I just want to remind you that this Thursday kicks of the "10 Days of Christmas" over here at Newlyweds on a Budget!

It's 10 days filled with everything Christmas from craft tutorials, to recipes, to fashion tips! The schedule will look like this:

Day 1: Natalie from Doodle Craft

Day 2: Lindsay from Artsy Fartsy Mama

Day 3: Jessa from Jessa Jill

Day 4: Erin from How to Nest for Less

Day 5: Rachel from Pink Peonies

Day 6: Tutorial Tuesday-Holiday Edition

Day 7: Jeanette from The Adventures of J-Man and Millerbug

Day 8: Stacy from Not JUST a Housewife

Day 9: This could be you!

Day 10: Totally awesome, don't want to miss it, holiday giveaway!

As you can see I'm still looking for one person to be our guest on December 9th! If your interested and want to share something Christmas related (craft, sewing, recipe, traditions, etc.) please email me at kari {at} morganandkari {dot} com. Or you can just click on the "contact me" button on the top of this page!

Alright, on to the party-link up anything and everything you've been up to this week and show me just how awesome you really are!

Happy Turkey Day!!

If you live in the U.S. your getting ready to gorge yourself on massive amounts of food and sit around in a turkey induced stupor all day long. It's going to be awesome.

I thought I'd share this fun little kids craft I found via Pinterest for any of you moms trying to make Thanksgiving AND entertain the kids.

I found this Mr and Mrs. Turkey Potato Head at Kiki Creates-enjoy!

I hope everyone has a fun safe holiday and good luck to all those braving the crowds for Black Friday shopping tomorrow!

Tutorial Tuesday #31

Good Morning folks! I'm pretty excited about the fact that it's Tuesday-I only work a three day week this week which means today is really like my Thursday and tomorrow is like Friday. I am so excited for a four day weekend and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Here are some of my favorites from last week's party-

Angie from Gathered and Sown an amazing woman and one of my awesome sponsors (check out the left side bar) showed us how to make cookie dough without eggs so if your like me you can eat plain cookie dough, which is the best part, without worrying about raw eggs.

Carissa from Carissa's Creativity Space has an awesome recipe for organic apple sauce. My mom gives us apple sauce every year as one of our Christmas presents and it's one of my favorite-this recipe looks almost exactly like my moms-yum!

Of course I have to show of Erin from How to Nest for Less's craft room makeover-it's so cute! One day I vow to stencil my craft room-Erin's turned out so perfect. I love the color!

And finally Kristen from Turning a House into a Home shows off this amazing crane mobile by reusing cranes that had been made for her. I love it-it would look so cute in a little boy's nursery!

Alright, you know the drill-now it's your turn to show off what you've been up to this week...crafts, recipes, fashion, thrifting, etc. There are no rules for this party so just have fun and spread the word by grabbing a button from this page. Can't wait to see what you've been up too!

Last Minute Thanksgiving Projects

Only 3 more days till Thanksgiving is here and if your like me your not really sure where the month of November has gone. It feels like it was Halloween yesterday-not three weeks ago. And you might be scrambling around trying to find decorations while planning the Thanksgiving menu.

If that sounds like you here are a few great last minute Thanksgiving decor options that are easy to make but will really bring the holiday spirit into your home.

Kind over Matter has a huge selection of Thanksgiving printable's for your party-it's as easy as print and cut!

5 Orange Potatoes shows off a great way to preserve any fall leaves you may still have around your house and with a candle inside it becomes a cute and inexpensive centerpiece.

Hostess with the Mostest  shows off a whole Thanksgiving party-but I thought these Thanksgiving tree's were adorable and would be so easy to make. What a great way to remember to reason for the holiday.

Le Classe Della Maestra Valentina gives us an idea for an awesome craft that you could have the kids do Thursday morning while your trying to get the big feast ready. It's easy enough that even small children could do it with supervision and it helps keep the kids busy.

I hope this helps any procrastinators like me who didn't realize how fast Thanksgiving was going to be here! 

Have a fantastic Monday and be sure to come back tomorrow for Tutorial Tuesday to link up your fun projects!

Feature You Friday #3

Happy Friday! I'm so glad it's finally the weekend-not only because we have a lot of fun things planned including a craft night tonight, but because it means it's time for Feature You Friday!









I stumbled upon this blog a few weeks and have been in love ever since. Elizabeth from Delightfully Tacky is so beautiful inside and out. She's a fashion blogger and I love her quirky sense of style-I wish I had it in me to dress more like her.

Some of my favorite outfits are:

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And she just got married a couple weeks ago! She wore her mom's wedding dress and it looked absolutely beautiful on her!

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So if your looking for a great new fashion blog to ooh and aah over be sure to check out Delightfully Tacky-I know you'll love Elizabeth as much as I do!

Just a reminder the linky party is open until tomorrow so you still have time to link up all the fun stuff you've been up to!

How to Decorate a Beautiful (Yet Thrifty) Christmas Tree-Guest Post from Sharon

I know we're not quite to the holiday season and that Thanksgiving is right around the corner but most people put their decorations up the day after Thanksgiving so I've got a fun guest post for anyone who find themselves, like we do, wondering how to decorate for the holidays on a dime. Sharon Harlan is an interior decorator and the owner/author of Interior Design Degree. She's got some great tips for us today!

If you are newly married or just starting out on your own, it may be your first year to decorate for Christmas. There are so many decorating options, many of them costly. Christmas decoration shopping can easily get out of hand when you are just starting out, so it’s really important to decide what and how you want to decorate before purchasing items.

The best Christmas decorations are the beautiful yet simple ones. To make the job easier, just keep the main traditional decorations for the season in mind: a tree, a wreath and stockings. The wreath and stockings are easy; just pick out the ones you like and hang them up! Christmas tree decorating, on the other hand, can get confusing and expensive. Listed below are items that you will need to decorate your tree. All of them are moderately priced yet still good quality and can be found at your local Garden Ridge, Lowe’s or other home goods store.

The tree: To save money, purchase a faux Christmas tree. Faux Christmas trees tend to last for five or more years. If you want your tree to last even longer, purchase a tree that is not already pre-lit (it’s a pain to change out all the bulbs when they start to fade) and that comes with the tree stand (most faux trees do). Garden Ridge currently has a sale on all of their Christmas trees. You can buy a moderate-sized tree for only $49.00. Now that’s a steal!

Lights: Christmas lights can get expensive. If your tree is larger, you’ll need more lights. If you are interested in energy conservation, you will want LED Christmas lights. They will save you about 90 percent on your energy costs, they last a lot longer than conventional lights and they are actually brighter. They are, however, a lot more expensive than conventional lights. The general consensus on light usage is 100 lights per 1 foot of tree. So, if you have a five foot tree, you will need 500 lights. You can use less, though. Conventional lights usually run about $2.50 to $5.50 for a 100-count pack of string lights. LED lights usually run from about $12.00 to $20.00 for a 100-count pack of string lights

Ornaments: First, ask your parents, grandparents or other family members if they have any old ornaments or family heirloom ornaments they would like to hand down to you. Then, go find packs of traditional bulb ornaments in various colors (these usually run around $5.00 for an 8-pack to $30.00 for a 40-pack). The general rule of thumb is that you should have 15 ornaments per 1 foot of tree. That’s 75 ornaments for a five foot tree! Again, you do not have to follow this rule exactly, but do use it as a guideline. A great way to fill in space on a Christmas tree is by using faux flowers and holly berry branches. These usually run anywhere from $3.00 to $6.00 per stem or branch. Using these decorations will bring in another dimension to your tree, as well.

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A tree topper: The tree topper is the grand finale of your tree decorating. Tree toppers add a nice balance and finishing touch to the tree. There are so many different styles of toppers, so choose one that you like. Most toppers are priced anywhere between $10.00 and $30.00. Pictured below is a GE 10" 16-Light Capiz Star Tree Topper that can be found at Lowe’s and is priced at $24.97.

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Our grand total for a beautifully decorated Christmas tree (that should last us about five years) is around $200.00. Not bad! Happy Holidays!

Sharon Harlan is an Interior Decorator and also owns the site Interior Design Degree. She likes to write articles about everything fashion and design.

Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your great tips with us today Sharon! I know Mojo and I have been wondering how to have a tree without having to spend a lot of money. I hope this helps you as you get ready to set up all your holiday decorations!


Tune in tomorrow for Feature You Friday and don't forget to link up to this weeks Tutorial Tuesday!

Tutorial Tuesday #30

Good Morning everyone! I hope you are all having a fantastic day-as you can tell mine is going much better then it was at this point yesterday.

Last week we missed out on having Tutorial Tuesday for a chance to talk about how much I love my little sister in this post. She is doing so much better and her and I went shopping last night for a little retail therapy which always makes her feel better.

I am excited to get back into the swing of things with Tutorial Tuesday today-here are some of my favorites from two weeks ago-

Cute Kristen from Turning a House into a Home shared a fun and unique way to fake pallet art with paint stir sticks. I love how it turned out!

Lauryn from Love notes by Lauryn shows us how to make a fun earring display with burlap-I really need to start making one for mine, my earrings are currently spread out all over my dresser...

Thanks again to everyone who linked up-I can't wait to see what you guys have been up to the last couple of weeks! 

Now it's your turn to show off your mad skills...

Just another Manic Monday

It's Monday. Not only is it Monday but it's one of those Mondays.

The one's where you don't sleep well the night before, you wake up with bags under your blood-shot eyes, and you fall asleep in the shower. Which leads to you having to run around like a mad woman trying to get to work on time when you only have 8 minutes to get ready.

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I'm sure tomorrow I will be back to being cheerful and excited for Tutorial Tuesday. But right now all I can think about it my bed and how much I wish I was in it right now.

It's going to be a loooooong day. 

May your Monday be far better than mine. 

Crafting for the Holidays

Good Morning Everyone! Aren't you so glad it's Thursday? Only one more day until the weekend and sleeping in!

I've got a really fun announcement today-I am not one to just skip right past Thanksgiving and pretend it doesn't exist in lieu of Chirstmas, but I do love Christmas! And I love decorating and making gifts for Christmas. I've already started on my homemade Christmas gifts and I would love to share them-but I've a got a few family members who actually read this blog so I don't want to spill the beans.

I do however want to see what you've been up to and so I'm hosting CRAFTING FOR THE HOLIDAYS. It's 10 days filled with guest posts all about Christmas. It's not taking place until the 1st of December-because we want Thanksgiving to get it's due-but I need some of your mad skills to guest post! If your interested in guest posting and joining in on all the fun, email me at kari {at} morganandkari {dot} com!

It must be an original idea-but you can get inspiration from another idea just as long as you make it your own. The post should include a tutorial as well as lots of pictures, this can include anything from gifts, to decorations, to holiday recipes, etc. Don't feel like you have to own a glue gun to participate in this series-just show us what you do to bring a little homemade to your holidays.

I can't wait to see what you come up with! The deadline to sign up with be Saturday November, 19th-so get crafting  (or baking, or wrapping, or crocheting, or sewing... I think you get my drift)

Thank You

All I can say is Thank You-a thousand times over. I was astounded by the response I got from yesterday's post-God be with you till we meet again.

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I had comments and emails from so many people that have also been effected by suicide-whether directly or like in my case a sibling that has had to suffer through the pain and loss.

I am so glad I decided to go ahead with the post. I was worried that talking about something that was so taboo would alienate a few of my readers-and it may have. But the overwhelming feeling of love has far outweighed anything else.

My little sister is doing so much better than I would have expected. She has moments where she misses him and wonders why-but she is always looking at the bright side. She has told me over and over again that she knows he is at peace and that he is in his Heavenly Father's arms. I think that has been the most comforting thing.

The viewing and funeral are this weekend and as many of you said in your comments and emails-grief will come over her in waves. But for every story of heartache you sent to me there was a happy ending-and I know my sister will come to a point where she will have her own happy ending. I'll take the advice so many gave-I'll be there for her, to listen and to grieve and also to remind her of happier times. But mostly I'll just be her big sister-the one who still teases her, who takes her shopping, and who will constantly remind her how much I love her.

God be with you till we meet again

I know today is Tuesday and so many of you are here for Tutorial Tuesday. I'm glad you came-I hope you'll forgive me for not having Tutorial Tuesday this week in light of things that have happened the last few days. Don't worry it will be back next week with lots of features but today I wanted to do something I haven't done before on this blog.

I often times talk about Mojo and I or my adorable nieces and nephews but for the most part I try and keep my family as well as Mojo's family out of this blog. I've never intended this to be a personal blog even though I do share some things every once in a while.

Today will be different. Today I want to talk about my little sister and how I wish she could stay little and innocent forever. Sunday night Mojo and I were getting ready to head to a neighbor's house for dinner and I was having some problems with my rolls raising so I called my mom. I talked to her about the rolls and figured out my problem and then said goodbye. When I hung up the phone I saw I had a text from my sister. It said that one of my little sister's best friends had been found that morning by his family after he committed suicide and that my little sister was really struggling with the loss.

I was stunned. I had met this boy-he was funny, charming, and completely lovable. He was popular and kind and the type of person everyone wanted to be friends with. And he was my sister's first big crush and I found out later on-he was her first kiss. I was immediately overwhelmed that a boy who was in the prime of his life, who was loved and adored could feel so overwhelming alone and that life was to much to bear and therefore make the decision to end his life.

What overwhelmed me even more was a fierce protection of my little sister and how I could make this better. My little sister and I have not always seen eye to eye as anyone with younger siblings knows. But I love her more then any of my other siblings because she is my baby sister and I feel like it's in my job description to protect her. But how could I protect her from something like this?

I called my mom back as soon as I got the text and talked to her some more after which I called my sister. I talked with her and cried with her and let her know how much I love her. As the night wore on I realized that as much I hated that she would have to come to terms with this I knew she would take this tragedy and turn it into something amazing.

Because that's how my sister is. She is the strongest and most amazing 17 year old I have every met. There are times where she drives me crazy, and she know just what to say or do to push my buttons. But in my family of 7 children my little sister is the strongest of us all. She is a greater example to us then I feel like we are to her.

I am still astounded that something like this could happen to such a sweet boy. I am still saddened at the thought that he never felt like he could share his dark thoughts with someone else. I know my sister will always miss him and that it will be something that will forever shape her life.

But I know my sister, and her strength, this will be something that will effect her life for the better. Sometimes I think I'm a little crazy for being affected by the death of someone I barely knew so much, but then I realize that he was a child-a Child of our Heavenly Father who felt so overwhelmed that he thought death was his only escape. So even though I only met him a few times-he is someone who deserves to be mourned not only for the life that he lived but the life that he could have had. The opportunities he could have had,the experiences that would have shaped his life, and the people he would have touched.

Suicide is something that not very many people feel comfortable with talking about but it's something that needs to be addressed. I don't know how to make the world change but to my little sister and all those affected by suicide I hope they know that we love them, that their family loves them, and that their loved ones are in a better place and surrounded by a loving Father in Heaven and his Son-who died for all mankind to be saved, including those who have lost their way and thought that death by their own hand was the only way.

I'm spending as much time with my little sister as I can and I will do anything she needs me to do to help her get through this difficult time. My heart and my prayers go out to the family of this amazing boy that they may be comforted and supported through this difficult time. I ask that you keep them and everyone effected by this horrible tragedy in your prayers-that they may all feel loved.




I've touched briefly on my beliefs today-if you would like to know more about what I believe and how I know that Jesus Christ is my Savoir please visit The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints where you can learn more about our beliefs. 

Guest Post-Cameron from Homemade

I've got a really fun guest post for you today. Everyone say hello to Cameron from Homemade. I was thrilled when Cameron approached me about doing a guest post and I love that she's got a fun way to help keep our gourds fresh. Cameron is just starting her blogging adventure so be sure to leave her some comment love! Take it away Cameron!

Hi! I'm Cameron from Homemade and I'm so excited to be guest posting at Newlyweds on a Budget today!

We've all experienced this terrible plague on fall decor - gourd rot.  Also known as pumpkin putrefaction, this insidious disease turns your gorgeous fall diorama into a stinky mess of black goo and malodorous spots.  I'd like to say I've found a cure to this ailment, but sadly, it's one of those circle of life things - like the changing leaves, it's a sure sign that winter will soon be here.  However, I have found a way to eke out a bit more life from the soon-to-be-soupy-squash that have been keeping your doorsteps company for the past few weeks.  

Make a bird feeder! (wildlife feeder would probably be more accurate - ours is filled with corn, so the squirrels and coons will have more fun than the birds.)  To be fair, I got this idea from the Land of Nod blog - check it out here.

First, look your gourd/squash/pumpkin over and make sure there aren't any really large rotten spots - anything over an inch wide is probably going to turn your bird feeder into a seed sieve . . . then, cut off a section that will make a bowl shape when hollowed out (lucky me, my squash was double-ended!).

Hollow out the gourd and attach wires for hangers . . . you can either drill holes in the side, insert sticks/dowels and wrap the wire around those, or . . .

Wrap wire around the stem and bring ends up and twist into a loop.  I used three lengths of wire and spaced them equally around the circumference of the squash bowl.

I love how they turned out, and it is a huge improvement over the forlorn (and empty) hummingbird feeders that were previously hanging out in my backyard.  

I put the middle section of the squash (full of seeds) out along my fence in hopes that we can grow a few of our own next year - talk about the circle of life!


Thanks again to Kari for letting me having the opportunity to guest post!

Thanks Cameron for having such a great post for us today! What a fun way to keep them fresh all through Thanksgiving! Be sure to check out Cameron's other fun projects at Homemade and if you have time you'll want to check out her amazing Esty Shop-lots of fun stuff there!

Feature You Friday

It's Friday which means it's time for another Feature You Friday. Today's blogger is another one of my fabulous readers-my newest one in fact.

Every time I have someone start following my blog via GFC I always try and take the time to go check out their own blogs if they have one. When I saw Amanda's blog I knew she would be perfect for this week's Feature You Friday



<br /><a href="http://www.morganandkari.com/"><img src="http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m617/yourfavoritelizard/Newlyweds%20on%20a%20Budget/FeatureYouFriday.jpg" border="0" /></a>Lindsey my genius blog designer made a new button just for Feature You Friday-isn't that great?
Amanda has only been blogging for a couple months but she already has some great ideas. She blogs over at Home, Food, and Family ,  I loved going through her posts and being inspired-these were a few of my favorite.

I love love loved how she came up with a great way to get her sister organized and to keep it cute and fun at the same way-you can find her tutorial for this {here}

I'm sure Amanda would love it if you popped on over to Home, Food, and Family and checked out her blog yourself. Be sure to leave her some fun comments and let her know she's been featured today!

If you know of someone who deserves to be featured on Feature You Friday email me at kari {at} morganandkari {dot} com

Family Pictures

Okay do you guys remember when I showed you this fun prop I made to use at our Christmas card photos? Well we took the photo's last Saturday and I'm so excited to share them with you.

My sister took these photos so they aren't professional but I love love love them! Here are a few of my favorites...

WARNING-LOTS OF PICTURES TO FOLLOW

This is one of my favorites....

 I love all the graffiti in the one!

We think we're pretty funny...

I wanted to make the heart with our hands but it was my sister's idea to use the frame-I love it!

They look so great! The day was cloudy which made it absolutely perfect. A lot of people don't understand why I wanted to take our pictures and what some would consider a really ugly train car. But both Mojo and I love them because of the personality they have-it makes it so unique!

Hopefully this will give you a few ideas for your own family pictures! Be sure to come tomorrow for Feature You Friday and don't forget to link up to this week's Tutorial Tuesday.