How to Update Grocery Store Mum Basket + Fall Porch

Happy October!  I think I say this every month but what in the heck happened to September?! Fall is officially here which is good because my porch has been fully decorated for weeks...  I figured if I bought all my pumpkins at once Tall Tan Man would think I'm crazy.  Some women hide shopping bags... I try to hide pumpkins!  I bought 2 pumpkins a week and I am waiting for him to say "where did all these pumpkins come from?"  And then I can say "oh they have been here for weeks, you didn't notice?".  #imterrible  

I love a beautiful fall porch but I'm not about to spend our monthly grocery budget on it.  Two things I do to get the best bang for my buck is...
 1.  Buy your mums without a pot at the Home Depot.  The mark up on mums in a pot is insane!  
2.  Look at the clearance section infant of your grocery store.  Mums bloom more than once in the fall and grocery stores will put them on sale when the first blooms die.  

  Last year I got one of my mum bushes on clearance and it came with one of the plain baskets.  The color of the basket was not my favorite so I decided this year to change it up.

This was SO easy to update.  All you have to do is give the basket a quick rub down with whatever stain you have on hand.  

Ta-da!

How's your porch looking?  I'm thinking about trying {this method} on my pumpkins to keep them fresh longer!