Affordable Luxuries

Home style: Umbra wallflowers and dragonflies

Lylah — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:08:56 +0000

Scatter a field of flowers or a flurry of dragonflies on any wall in your home. Designed by Marion Lanktree and sold by Umbra, the tiny sculptures have special snap-on connectors that allow you to hang them with just a thumbtack. The polypropylene blossoms come in a mix of five sizes, so you can arrange them any way you see fit. Choose from stark white, deep pink, black, kiwi green, or chrome; they’re perfect for a hallway, foyer, teen’s bedroom, or even a bathroom. The brushed-nickle dragonflies also come with several sizes in a set, and are striking by themselves or arranged around other artwork.

$21 for a set of 25 white, pink, black, kiwi colored flowers, 20 chrome flowers, or 20 brushed-nickle dragonflies at Umbra.com.

Technology: USB hub man

Lylah — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:08:31 +0000

This handy little hub is a practical work of art. It’s compatible with all USB drives, has four ports, and provides up to 480 Mbps data transfer speed. Use it to connect a mouse or a portable hard drive to your laptop — or as a conversation starter on a business trip.

$8.99 (usually $19.99) plus free shipping at Buy.com.

Kid Stuff: Craft Tutorials at Cut Out and Keep

Nataly — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:40:39 +0000

Do you love doing craft projects with your kids but can’t always come up with new and fun ideas? I’ve recently stumbled upon this absolutely awesome website called Cut Out + Keep, where thousands of people share their craft projects and easy-to-follow directions for doing them on your own. This will definitely earn me cool mom points!

Cutoutandkeep.net

Great Deal: Joan & David shoes

Mir — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:01:19 +0000

I know it’s a terrible cliche, but there’s just something about a fabulous new pair of shoes that makes me happy. Of course, I can’t just go buying myself a new pair of shoes anytime I need a pick-me-up… or can I? Thanks to 6pm.com’s daily deals, I can afford a sassy new pair of kicks a lot more often than I might otherwise.

Today they’ve got a slew of Circa Joan & David shoes at 75% off. That’s not quite your style? Okay, they’ve also got Grasshoppers, Softspots, Helle Comfort, and Dr. Scholl’s on special as well (just to name a few). There’s truly something for everyone, and you’ll need a new pair of shoes for Valentine’s Day, right?

Mom’s Must Haves: Your Child’s Drawing on Jewelry

Nataly — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:29:38 +0000

My darling husband, if you’re reading this, I WANT THIS for my non-cheesy present for Valentine’s day. You send in your child’s drawing and this wonderful jeweler, Mia van Beek, makes a piece of jewelry from it. Prices start at $59 and the process is really easy. So, so cool.

Formiadesign.com

Kid Stuff: Paper doll kit

Lylah — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 05:43:16 +0000

This low-tech present is pleasingly retro: A set of paper dolls and pets you can dress and display. The set comes with 12 people and 12 animal friends, as well as stencils for clothes and accessories and a stack of pretty papers from which to make them. Paper colors and patterns vary.

$19.95 at Paper Source.

Home Style: Filigree Doormat

Lylah — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:55:11 +0000

Leave the wintry weather outside and bring a burst of color to your front door with this gorgeous doormat by gardening gurus Smith & Hawken. The deep red coir rug is hand-woven and embellished with a filigree pattern reminiscent of wrought iron.

$19.99 at Target.

Kid Stuff: Buddha Board

Nataly — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:22:53 +0000

28We were at a gift store this weekend and my five year-old daughter spent about 20 minutes playing with this Buddha Board. You dip the brush in water, paint on the board, and in a few minutes it dries and you can start all over. Minimal mess, maximum fun.

$34.95 at PlanetHappyKids.com

Great Deal: Valentine’s Savings at Scholastic

Mir — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:50:51 +0000

Now through Valentine’s Day, surf on over to the Scholastic Store Online and you can save big; coupon code AFFVDAY will give you an additional 20% off and free shipping on your $25+ order.

Scholastic is best known for books, of course, but they also have educational kits, toys, DVDs, and more. And if you check out the Sale section there’s plenty of cheap ways to fill up your gift closet so you’ll never have to do a frantic shopping the night before a birthday party again.

And I don’t know about you, but I don’t need too much encouragement to buy books for my kids. Savings like this are just a little added bonus.

Mom’s Must Haves: KOR-One BPA Free Hydration Vessel

Nataly — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:16:19 +0000

To make sure I drink enough water I keep a large water bottle at my desk all day and refill it after it gets empty. A friend brought in this KOR bottle and let me tell you, it looks and feels a lot more fun than my boring water bottle and as an added bonus is BPA-free.

$29.75 at Delight.com