Last-minute budget centerpieces

I got a frantic call from my church mom about two weeks ago, saying she needed help putting together a centerpiece that didn’t cost too much money for her mom’s 70th birthday party. First, I was aghast — did she need it the very next day??? No, she needed it in one week. Still that didn’t give me much to work with.

In most cases, I would have said, “I’m going to go shopping with you!” But I had just returned to work that week from maternity leave, plus I now have two boys to care for, so flitting off to go look for stuff to use in a centerpiece was not an option. I had to direct my church mom on what to look for and hope for the best.

First, I directed her to go to Big Lots and look for vases and items using lights, since its January and those sorts of things will typically be on clearance after the holidays. Her shopping trip just two days before the party was pretty fruitful.

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