Turning a House Into a Home: The Benefits You Can Actually Feel

There’s a lot of conversation about home prices, mortgage rates, and affordability right now – and those things are important. But if you’re thinking about buying a home, it’s worth remembering something the headlines rarely talk about: people don’t buy homes just for financial reasons. They buy them for their lives. Because while homeownership can absolutely be a smart long-term financial move, it also comes with some emotional benefits spreadsheets just can’t capture. Maybe that’s why a 2025 survey from Fannie Mae notes : “Consumers were twice as likely to mention lifestyle benefits (67%)—like security, customization, and outdoor space—than financial benefits (34%) when explaining why their homes have become more important in recent years.” Here are a few reminders of what owning a home gives you that renting never will. 1. A Milestone You Get To Be Proud Of Buying a home is a big deal. First home, fifth home – it doesn’t matter. It’s a moment you’ll remember. And when you final...

Memorial Day Crafts: Patriotic Upcycled Can Flower Pots

4th-of-July-Party-Table-decor-craft-idea

Make these super simple patriotic upcycled can flower pots that are sure to brighten up any patriotic themed party table. Turn aluminum cans into a pretty and rustic Memorial Day decoration. 



4th-of-July-Party-Decoration-Craft-idea
Paint all of the cans with two coats of white mult-surface paint.
4th-of-July-Flower-upcycled-flower-cans-step-1Then apply vinyl shapes cut out with Silhouette and used them as stencils – stars on one of the cans and stripes on the other two.
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Then I painted right on top of the cans and the stencils. While the paint was still wet, I revealed my design.
The lines won’t be perfect because of the bumpy surface of the cans, but that is what gives this craft character and a rustic Memorial Day feel.
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After the paint was dry on all three cans, it was time to turn them into flower pots. I used cylinder shaped soft flower foam that fit perfectly into each can,  
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Fill each can with water, and the flower foam holds the water nicely keeping your flowers hydrated. The foam is soft enough that you can arrange your flowers in each can by poking the stems directly into the foam.

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