We have a special guest today:  Kyle James from Rather Be Shopping has dropped in to give us a few tips on budget home renovation. Kyle's a Shark Week fanatic who loves Fruity Pebbles, the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and GREAT DEALS, of course!

Painting yourself is messy but worth the effort! paint-can-11

I don't mean the body paint variety, but rather the latex kind that you put on walls and ceilings. I spent Labor Day weekend doing exactly that. I ended up painting three rooms in our home and saved a nice chunk of change in the process.

I have actually become a pretty effective painter over the years. It is by far the cheapest and easiest way to quickly transform a room. For you first-timers, here are three painting tips to make your life a little bit easier:

1 - Wear the same clothes each day you paint. Otherwise you will end up with a drawer full of shirts covered in paint. On the plus side, by the end of your painting project your clothes can stand up by themselves and maybe even walk around. Your kids will undoubtedly get a big kick out of this.

2 - Don't be cheap when it comes to primer paint. Priming the walls, while initially a pain in the butt, will not only make your final coat last longer, but will also cover up that pink fuchsia nail polish that your daughter painted on her wall three years ago.

3 - And last but not least, always wear a hat when painting the ceiling with a roller. I made this mistake and forgot my hat and my head ended up looking like a glazed Krispy Kreme by the time I was finished. Again, my kids got a big kick out of this. Are you sensing a theme here?

COUPON TIME

Barb here:  I just have one question for Kyle:  where were you last summer when my husband and daughter painted her bedroom a fiery orange color?

$10 off orders over $100
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Use this link to activate the promotional code. You will see your discount reflected in your shopping cart.
Valid through: September 30, 2009 11:59pm ET
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10% off your order at Bath and Body Works
Enter promotional code 1044 in your shopping bag.
Valid through: September 13, 2009, 11:59pm ET
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