You’ve got your digital mess in order, but now it’s time to take care of the more traditional spring cleaning essentials: your home and garden. If you’ve got wooden cleaning and gardening supplies kickin’ around that have seen better days, this simple DIY is a great way to brighten things up and make the task of cleaning a little more fun. And if you don’t already have brooms, mops, trowels, and shovels, head to your local hardware store and stock up.
Materials:
– wooden brooms, mops, etc
– wooden gardening tools
– acrylic paint
– glitter
– mod podge
– painter’s tape
– spray shellac
Gather all of your brooms, mops, gardening tools and colorful materials.
For all of these tools, the how-to is essentially the same. Put a piece of painter’s tape at the point at which you want the color or glitter to end.
For our brooms and mop, we allowed for about a foot of color. For our gardening tools, we allowed about 4 inches.
Now, paint! We used purple and teal acrylic paint, and had to paint two layers per wooden handle.
For the glitter, you’ll use a similar method to our DIY Glitter Heels. Brush mod podge onto the wooden handle, sprinkle glitter on, turn the handle and repeat.
Once everything is well-covered, it’s time to seal the deal. Head outside and lay some newspaper down. Use spray shellac to seal in the paint and glitter. You’ll probably want to do at least 2 coats of shellac to make sure the handle is waterproof. For the glitter, we recommend 3-4 coats.
And c’est fini!
Your days in the garden will be just a bit brighter as you wait for those darling spring buds to bloom.
And those Sunday afternoons spent cleaning will feel just a little more festive with bright purple, teal and glitter in your hands. ;)
Bonus: Your new set of cleaning and gardening tools will be so bright and hip that you won’t even want to put them away!
Your relationship with your finances is one of the most important relationships you'll ever have, and you can't avoid it. That said, for many of us, the pandemic only added to our financial stress. If you find yourself feeling frazzled, just remember that financial insecurity isn't a net-worth issue — it's a mindset issue. And, we happen to have plenty of advice on how to turn your money mindset around so you can take charge of your funds once and for all.
To start, feeling secure begins with a strong foundation, and there's no better time than now to get started stacking the bricks. It's easy to get swept up in the January "new year, new me" mentality, but really? Any time is the right time to get yourself in order. You don't need to wait for a new year, a new moon, the right moment, or a sign from above. You don't even have to start on the first day of the month — you just need to start.
Introducing NerdWallet: A Safe and Reliable Money App
To help with that, we've put together a list of the just-right-for-you ways that NerdWallet can help you monitor your financial outlook. Haven't heard of them yet? NerdWallet is a personal finance company that helps consumers make smarter financial decisions. Their website and app let you compare different financial products, find articles and tools to make financial decisions with confidence, and keep tabs on your finances (hey there, credit score, I see you!) all in one place. Plus, NerdWallet has over 75,000 glowing reviews in the App Store (and a 4.8 star rating) if you want to read up on any more testimonials.
Tim Chen, NerdWallet's CEO and co-founder, started this financial journey in 2009 after his sister needed help finding a credit card. Even with an economics degree and a Wall Street background, it took awhile for Tim to find the right recommendation (so don't feel too bad when it takes you a while, too). Their mission is to bring clarity to all of life's financial decisions.
So it's safe to say that NerdWallet is a pretty good sherpa for your journey, too.
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Did you know that the money you park in a savings account can lose value? Harsh, but true. If your money isn't earning interest that's on pace with inflation it will actually be worth less to you in the future. And if the bank charges fees? Forget about it. Make sure you're earning the interest you deserve and come out on top. NerdWallet has researched dozens of financial institutions to help consumers find the best options. The hard work has already been done for you, so you can just select the account that works best for you and your nest egg.
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Do you have the best credit card for your lifestyle? Some cards give cash back on every purchase, ones with travel perks, and ones that charge way less interest than you're paying now. NerdWallet takes the guesswork out of choosing the right credit card with simple side-by-side comparisons of different credit cards so that you feel confident choosing the right one. Whatever you want to do, NerdWallet can help you find the best credit card to get it done.
Know your options for settling down
Mortgage rates are pretty low and it looks like they're going to stay that way for awhile, so buying a home might be the move sooner than you think. But there's so much more to a mortgage than just the interest rate! To help you choose a mortgage lender, NerdWallet has in-depth reviews on multiple lenders in a mixture of categories so you get the home loan with the mortgage rate, term, and fees that's right for you.
Settle an old score
NerdWallet helps you monitor your credit score for free and helps you see how little things (like raising the limit on your credit card or paying your bills on time) can increase your score. NerdWallet partners with TransUnion® to provide your VantageScore® 3.0, based on information in your TransUnion® credit report. Your score and credit report information are updated weekly. But that's not even close to all:
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