
I don't know about you, but I'm a staunch believer in sale shopping. For the most part, I rarely buy things that are not on sale, partly because I know that great
deals and
steals abound (and where to find them), and partly because I'm aware of the high mark-ups retailers put on their products. But sometimes, I come down with a fever of spontaneous splurges .

One of the most sensible ways to deal with clutter (and consumerism) is to abide by this rule: "Every time you bring something new into your home, something else must leave." Since I bring you
wonderful home décor products day in and day out, you'd laugh in my face if I told you to stop shopping — wouldn't you. But, if you get in the habit of recycling or donating one possession before you bring home another, you'll not only prevent clutter in your home but you might actually feel good about yourself. That's not to say that when you finally save up for an ottoman, you should get rid of your matching armchair, but you should routinely get rid of things you genuinely don't need or want.

Did you know that each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion
plastic bags are consumed worldwide.
To do your part to reduce this huge amount of waste, make your own fabric shopping bags with these easy instructions from
Kristina J. Millar when you read more.
What You Need
- heavy-duty fabric, such as canvas or upholstery fabric
- thread
- scissors
- sewing machine
How To Make It
- Choose some fabric — something heavy like canvas or upholstery-grade cotton.