Wouldn’t it be great to be a savvy consumer who always gets the best deals? It only takes a little preparation to shop with purpose and walk out of the store with what you want every time.

We all want to get good value for your our money, whether buying a car, hiring a contractor, or purchasing a new vacuum or dehumidifier. Whenever you enter a store or office that is selling a product or service, you immediately become a selling target. Actually, in the age of the internet, we are all constantly sales targets with ads, commercials, email marketing, and direct mail. Everyone on the internet seems to have an agenda; even things that are “free” seem to have ulterior goals. Wouldn’t it be nice if when you went to the store, people always told you the truth? Or we already knew the value of the product? With groceries and style, this may not be as hard for you, but with big ticket items and appliances, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of specs and jargon. Here are our top 5 tips for becoming that savvy shopper who walks in knowing what they want: Read more »

I got this blooming tea set off Amazon last Christmas for about $20. It was really cool and fun and ended up being a great gift! As you can see, the quality is great. Online products often have reviews so you know exactly what kind of experience to expect.

It’s easy to skimp on things because of money. In the real world, we have a limited budget and competing needs, desires and priorities. But we’ve all had a bad experience where we’ve bought something cheap and it didn’t work out too well for us. As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for” and sometimes cheap products become more of a hassle and you end up losing money on them between repairs and replacing them. From researching product reviews, it seems that most people find it more worthwhile to buy a higher quality product as long as the value is reasonable than mess with a faulty one. Read more »

Make a cheaper DIY gallery wrap with a Staples engineering print and foamboard. Original pin idea from dearlillieblog.blogspot.com

Another pin I thought I would try. As a photographer myself, I love large, gorgeous prints as home decor. However, high quality gallery wraps are usually $50-200. Recently I’d been hearing of this new trend of getting “engineering prints” done at office supplies stores for really cheap (under $10) instead. I was kind of skeptical. Are you really going to get high quality prints using some secret other method? Though of course I had to try it out of curiosity, too. Read more »

Pin idea originally by http://artisandesarts.blogspot.com/

Have you ever seen a pin you thought was really cool but weren’t sure if it was legit? Tell us about it in the comments and we’ll blog about it!

In high school AP art, I found my calling with colored inks and watercolors. They dry quickly and there’s so many cool effects you can do – wax resist, sprinkled salt to look like snowflakes or stars, flicking the paint off the brush to make it look like random spray, using rubbing alcohol to make “craters,” etc. Well, you can imagine my enthusiasm when I found this pin on Pinterest. Read more »

Duane F. Christopher, a professional landscape architect working in Rock Hill, SC is our guest for today.

Ever wish you could gain some professional insight in how to make a liveable and environmentally-friendly space and garden? Today we have a special Q&A with a local professional landscape architect who is a graduate of the prestigious Cornell University, an Ivy League research school in Ithaca, NY. Duane F. Christopher currently owns his own practice in South Carolina and is experienced in sustainability, gardens, residential design, and land planning. Read more »

With thousands upon thousands of vacuum cleaner models out there, ever wonder which are the best of the best? Happy Havens is hosting our very own 2012 Top Vacuum Awards (TVA) telling you who wins best of category with different superlatives, regardless of the type of vacuum you like!

Best Upright: Hoover Platinum LiNX Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

Runner-up: Dyson DC40 Multi Floor Upright

This genius vacuum has 4.5 stars on Amazon and is packed with a ton of smart features every upright vacuum cleaner should really have. First of all, the design is sleek and sexy with a great silver, red and black design. It just looks like 21st century vacuum for the innovative homeowner. A big problem with bagless cleaners is that they can puff dirt in your face when opened if not designed correctly. Read more »

Get ready for winter and to enjoy your time snuggled up indoors with these fall cleaning tips.

It’s finally fall! That means pumpkin spice lattes, caramel apples, Halloween and Thanksgiving, along with beautiful leaves and cool weather. Not to mention my birthday was this month!

But as the indoors start to become a cozy shelter from the winter cold, it’s probably time to do some fall cleaning and get rid of some dust in the air and make your house a bit livable for some wonderful nights in front of the fireplace (or the TV under a blanket drinking hot cocoa browsing Facebook and Pinterest, pretty much the same thing). Read more »

Evil dust bunny is hoping you don’t learn vacuum types. Or for that matter, ever use one again.

They’re fluffy, evil, and composed of all those secret hairs that fell off your head when you weren’t looking. They also probably steal your useless pocket lint. These evil nose-twitching lagomorphs are under your bed, couch, and behind the curtains, plotting viciously how to take over your home.

Luckily, an effective vacuum can be your sword and shield to banish those little lint balls forever.

Obviously, vacuums aren’t really…optional. It’s a pretty essential home appliance. But are you getting the right kind of vacuum for the type of space that you are living in? Choose your weapon wisely: Read more »