Decorating an office on a dime! (Part 1)

I don't know about you, but I didn't have a lot of money to get my office looking nice. I wanted to make a warm, inviting space that kids would want to come to. I didn't want to spend much on it, though. I'm going to start posting some of the things I did to get my offices up and running. Here is are two quick tips for today:

1.Ask for donations! 
I was given four lamps, a bean bag, an assortment of toys for sand trays, stuffed animals, and a few others things when I asked for stuff on Facebook. I even had my undergrad university agree to donate pennant flags for my office. It's never to early to get them thinking about college! Most colleges will send you these for nothing, even at the elementary level. My grad school said they'd send me some, but I never received them. I've just been too busy to call them back!

2.You can also check out Craigslist for free stuff. It can be hit or miss, but sometimes you get lucky. BUT be safe and smart about checking stuff out on Craigslist. People are crazy. I was able to get a bean bag for nothing from Craigslist, but I met the couple at a public gas station near their home. 

More ideas will  be on the way in the next few days!

Here is a picture where you can see some of my free stuff from one of my offices: a beanbag and several stuffed animals. The blue trash can is also one a family member gave me that I cleaned well to store my animals in