The holiday season is here. Decorating magazines and store fronts are filled
with beautiful wreaths, themed pillows and festive decorations, but this can be expensive.
Decking the halls doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Add some freshness to your home this season with these inexpensive ideas.
DIY Ornament Wreath
Find some inexpensive ornaments and use your hot glue gun to
attach to a wreath shape.
Fresh Greenery
Extra cuttings from the tree or even an evergreen in your yard adds charm to your front door, table or mantle.
Candles
Real or fake, candles create ambiance throughout the home. Use silver or white candle sticks
and holders to contrast with fresh greens for a modern look.
Candy Canes
Fill jars or glassware with multi-colored candy canes and leave on coffee tables and dressers.
Wrap Your Gifts Early
Nestle wrapped presents under the tree or in piles in corners. Use festive, colorful paper to add to the charm of the room.
Holiday Pillows
Discount stores offer inexpensive holiday pillows to through on sofas, beds and chairs.
Fairy Lights
Adding battery powered light strands to wreaths, tucked in greens and trimmings and clear bowls filled with ornaments can add a sparkle to the room.
These are just a few tips for decorating your home this year for less money, and have fun enjoy doing it!
Merry Christmas

The holiday season can be a good time to reflect on our blessings, and at my house, this spirit of appreciation starts during Thanksgiving, when everyone around the table says what he or she is thankful for. Often, people say family, friends and, of course, the good food we are about to eat. Beyond those good things, this year my mind is turning to what I’m thankful for about my home.
As someone who helps people improve their homes — and ultimately, their lives — I thought about several small changes I made to my home this year that made everyday living a bit more enjoyable. From practical necessities to comfortable indulgences, here are 10 things around my house that I’m thankful for this year.

1. Delicious-Smelling Hand Soap
When I was younger and had the luxury of time, I enjoyed choosing the perfect-smelling hand soap for my home from a local apothecary. Now I struggle to find the time even to order something all-natural and antibacterial online.
But this year I decided to reinstate my previous indulgence, albeit in a way that works for my life now: I started ordering the yummy-smelling hand soaps I used to love. I may not have the time to go to the local soap shop, but I can certainly still have delightfully fragrant soap. I now look forward to washing my hands, and the lingering, beautiful scent is once again a pleasure for me.

2. Plush White Towels
A year ago I decided that all my towels had to be white. It was a practical decision. White towels, for the most part, match any bathroom or powder room decor. And when all my towels (hand, bath, washcloth) are the same color, they’re easier to coordinate, especially when I switch out one of the towels before laundry day. I also invested in thicker towels this year. So yep, I’m definitely grateful for my plush white towels!

3. An Organized Linen Closet
Earlier this year I had a battle with my linen closet, in which it seemed to be hiding the matching pillowcase for one of my sheet sets. In fact, this was a recurring frustration. I finally put an end to the irritation by purchasing several storage baskets and placing each bed ensemble in its own basket. Now every time I open my linen closet, it’s a peaceful encounter. Thank you, storage baskets!

4. A Comfortable Bed
Since I was a little girl, I have taken pride in my neat, pretty and comfortable bed. Not much has changed. On a daily basis I look forward to crawling between my crisp sheets and laying my head on the soft pillows. It’s something we might take for granted, but after a long day, having a comfortable bed to rest in makes any challenge I’ve faced a bit easier and helps me recharge for the next day. It’s one of the most cherished places in my home that I’m consistently thankful for.

5. A Dark Charcoal Wall
A dark charcoal wall can make a beautiful statement in any room. It’s a signature color I use as a designer in many of my clients’ rooms, and that I also love in my own home. This year my family and I painted one of our kitchen walls in Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal. I added white marble shelves and styled each shelf with glass and gold accents. It’s inspired me to spend more time in the kitchen and even get a little more creative with my cooking — something my family is definitely grateful for.

6. Soft Throw Pillows
I think the right throw pillow can make a huge difference in a room from a design perspective, but for me the perfect throw pillow offers softness and comfort. This year we brought new life to our well-loved sofa pillows by giving them comfy down-like inserts. What a difference! My tired head and back thank me daily for this simple creature comfort.

7. Clear Plastic Storage Boxes
This year I was drowning in my grandson’s action figures and Lego pieces, and it drove me crazy every day to try to tidy these toys up. So one day I bought 20 different-size clear plastic boxes and invested an hour in sorting and labeling. This solution has been a lifesaver. Now the Star Wars guys have a home — and I have my living room back.

8. A Set of Pretty Drinking Glasses
Like many people, I’ve gone through multiple sets of drinking glasses, as eventually glasses break, leaving you with a hodgepodge of different styles. This year we replenished our drinking glasses with multiple coordinating sets — our backup plan for when some break. The glasses weren’t expensive, but this little upgrade is something the whole family is still appreciating months later.

9. A Beautiful Floor Mirror
An empty wall in my home was begging for a piece of art. My family and I looked and looked, but nothing spoke to us. One day, I decided to place a floor mirror against the wall temporarily, just until we found the right piece. To my surprise, it became my 3-year-old granddaughters favorite spot. From making funny faces to admiring her copious superhero costumes to playing with hand shadows, she finds endless entertainment at the mirror. Needless to say, we stopped looking for that piece of art.

10. Photographs of Loved Ones
I took the time this year to curate my credenza display of family photos. It took months, because each frame had to be different, and then I had to choose the photos to go in each frame. But the effort was worthwhile. Every time I walk by, the framed photos put a smile on my face. They remind me of the people I’m most thankful for in this world.

Ready to make a move? Have a certain figure in mind that you need to sell for? Depending on your market, you might be able to get a little more than what you may be needing. Go over with your agent if setting a bidding war is smart for the sale of your home, and if they give the green light, here are a few things to consider to help get your sales price over asking after starting a bidding competition. 

1. ATTRACT MORE BUYERSWhen there isn't much interest in a property, buyer's get nervous and suspicious that there may be something wrong with the home that they may be missing, and that could sometimes be further from the truth. You want to price your home competitively to entice more showings. When you price your home right under the market standard, it leads to more showings, more appointments, and more excitement around your home. 


2. PRICE IT TO MOVE ITYou want to make sure your price gets buyers interested in your property. Even if they end up paying more than asking, the excitement from feeling like they are getting a deal and landing your home sets the right mood for buyers to WANT your property. Always price the home in a way that is going to appeal to a large audience. Pricing a home at $399,900 can generally generate more foot traffic than one listed at $400,000. Advertising a home for sale that is listed for slightly under the market value can garner a lot of interest, which can lead to the home selling for more than what the seller originally wanted. 


3. START UP THE BUZZMake sure you work with an agent that has the ability to start up a coming soon buzz around your home. You want to let the market know that your home is going to be coming soon, and start up conversation and interest. This gives time for word about your home to spread to get more foot traffic and competition on your house.


4. STAGING IS KEYIt's without question that to get over market value for your home, it has to be in tip-top condition. Discuss with your agent the importance of having your home professionally cleaned and stage to attract more buyers. Starting up a buzz won't lead to much if buyers walk into your home and turned off by orders, unappealing lighting, or rooms that are not properly staged. You want to allow buyers and opportunity to see your home in the best light the first time they walk through your door.


5. CREATE A DEADLINEHave your agent set a deadline for offers, say a Monday or Tuesday, right after a weekend of doing open houses. This can generate a sense of urgency around your home, letting buyers think there is a large amount of interest and to get offers in quickly. Setting them up with this state of urgency generally makes them want to put their best foot forward with their first offer.

6. SWEETEN THE DEALTo generate a little more excitement and foot traffic, you can offer an incentive for whomever purchases the home, or set a fun giveaway during an open house. Some people have given away cars, tickets to a major event - like the Super Bowl, given away vacation tickets, etc. Doing an out-of-the-box giveaway helps to generate organic buzz around your home. Some giveaways have even landed seller's homes in the local news. More buzz means more potential buyers, which means a potential opportunity for a bidding war to get you a better sales price.

School’s back in session, Fall decorations are out, and Halloween is just around the corner. If you’re looking for fun DIY Halloween projects, estate sales are where it’s at. First of all, what’s creepier than walking around a dead person’s old house looking at a dead person’s old things? Not much!
But estate sales are also great places to score crazy deals on vintage props you can incorporate into some snap-worthy Halloween decorations. We scoured Pinterest for our favorite DIY decor ideas — using only items you can find at your nearest estate sale. If you do end up trying some of these crafts, show it off and post a pic in the comments below!
Happy (spooky) estate-sale-ing!
1. Glass Bottles

There is such a glut of glass that estate sale companies can hardly give it away. Turn ordinary glass into spooky apothecary bottles to set the Halloween scene.
2. Old Books

Old books live on as art objects in this mood-setting fall wreath.
3. Vintage Halloween Masks

Bring back the 1980s with this vintage Halloween mask wreath.
4. Decorative Mirrors

Estate sales are great places to find mirrors. Find a cheap one you can transform into a haunted hallway vignette.
5. Candlesticks

Run-of-the-mill household candle sticks to some, but to others with more spirit, these make excellent crystal ball holders.
6. Glass Cloches

You may not have a bunch of cloches lying around, but estate sales usually do. Cloches are great for creating all sorts of ghoulish dioramic scenes.
7. Vases

This is a neat DIY trick to use with cheap vases you can find all over estate sales.
8. Wine Glasses

For parties or decor, these festive wine glasses are easy to transform.
9. Creepy Dolls

In case you didn’t know, creepy dolls are everywhere at estate sales. Use them as props or chop their tiny heads off and stick them in jars to frighten trick-or-treaters.

10. Barbies

These pretty much win the Internet! But instead of raiding your kid’s toy box and scarring them for life, pick up vintage Barbies at estate sales.
11. Hobnail Boots for Witchy Table Legs

You wouldn’t want to use your own boots for this fun Halloween decor idea, but you can pick up some vintage lace-up boots at an estate sale to recreate this witchy table.
12. Baby Buggy

Ghouls on wheels! Buy a baby buggy from an estate sale to stage this creepy scene.
13. Ouija Board

What’s Halloween without an old fashioned seance? Find an old school Ouija board at an estate sale to conjure up your favorite dead celebrity.

     From old musty smells, to mildew, smoke, cigar, pet odors, and urine. Household smells can be ugly and difficult to get rid of      The methods of eliminating the bad odors will obviously vary depending on the type and severity of the smell. Some methods are extremely involved and will require time, my goal is to give you quick and helpful tips that will make the challenge easier.
Below are a few tips I find most useful.
Common Household Items That Can Help Eliminate Odors
SSome useful and commonly found household items can eliminate odors very effectively me useful and commonly found household items can eliminate odors very effectively
1. Baking Soda
   A common item found at any market, baking soda cuts through bad smells by neutralizing the pH levels. It’s safe and effective to sprinkle throughout the house or spread open boxes throughout the house
2. Vinegar
   Probably the safest and most effective method because it neutralizes the bad odors and works as good if not better than baking soda.  Whether it’s left in a bowl or sprayed around the house, it works wonders.
You may shy away from using it because as you spray undiluted vinegar, it has a strong scent, but it quickly disappears along with the bad odors you’re wanting to get rid of.
3. Coffee Beans
   Both whole beans and ground beans work wonders in absorbing bad odors, but it’s much easier to use whole beans unless you’re willing to clean up a possible mess with coffee grounds. All you need is a container with 6 to 7 ounces of coffee beans placed throughout the house, this will help eliminate bad smells.
4. Oats
   Thats right, oats can absorb bad smells. Pour it in multiple bowls and leave it throughout the house, it’s not only a healthy grain for the body but it absorbs bad smells very well.
     Here are a few very popular odor eliminating recipes.
First, make sure you’re wearing gloves to protect your hands, get a bucket and a rag ready.  Fill the bucket with the following ingredients:

• Four parts warm water
• Two parts hydrogen peroxide
• Two parts white vinegar
• One-part boric acid

Use the rag to dip and wipe down hard surfaces, porcelain, vinyl etc… Do not spray it on fabric or carpets because it may cause discoloration, but it’s a great cleaning, and bad scent eliminating recipe.
Humid environments may have the old musty smell.  Unfortunately, that smell gets into fabric and lingers, you’ll never be able to get rid of it completely but here are a few steps you can take to make it better.
First, try to isolate the smell, once you find the source, if it’s a single area, treat it individually by by drying it out.  If the entire home has a musty odor, here are some steps you can take

• Run a humidifier in the house non-stop.
• Run fans while using a humidifier to minimize the moisture.
• Place activated charcoal in the home, it’s charcoal in pure form but will usually take an entire week to absorb the bad odor but this along with the fan and humidifier should really help.
• If the home is carpeted, sprinkle baking soda throughout, this will absorb a lot of the moisture.

Depending on the severity of the odor, you may try a few or all the methods at once to attack and eliminate the bad smells quickly.
     Stick to a fragrance-free air freshener like Lysol disinfectant spray or even Zeolite, a natural mineral that absorbs odor without a masking scent.
Dealing with Smoke or Cigar Smells   
Here are some steps you can take to eliminate bad odors

• Remove any ashtrays and put them in the backyard or outdoor area.
•  Place fans throughout the house.
• Leave all windows and doors open the entire time your cleaning
• Sprinkle baking soda on the carpets throughout the house.
• If time allows it and the furniture is fabric, air it out in the backyard.
• Vinegar and coffee beans are natural and affordable. Place a bowl of vinegar or coffee beans in every room.

Removing Bad Urine Odors
     I don’t think there’s anything worse! You know exactly what I’m talking about. A urine scent in the home is an automatic turn off.
Bad odors due to urine are usually isolated to a certain area, or at least you hope they are unless it’s pet urine throughout the house. Urine odor is much easier to get rid of when it’s fresh. Here are some things you can do to deal with this bad odor efficiently and without sacrificing too much on labor. Besides pulling up the carpet and getting rid of the padding underneath, there’s no way to get rid of the scent completely, but there are a few options that will help. The best you can do is go throughout house or the affected area and neutralize the urine which is an alkaline base with an acid-base product like vinegar. Once you’ve done this, you can spray a heavy duty disinfectant to treat the odor. This is a great way to temporarily eliminate or minimize the urine related bad odors from the carpet, but you can still follow other methods mentioned above to treat the overall environment.

• Place a bowl of vinegar in every room.
• Air out the home by leaving windows open
• Put fans throughout the house to air it out.
• Use a fragrance-free disinfectant throughout the house including the treated carpets

Removing Bad Odors from Furniture

If the furniture has an unpleasant smell, try moving it to the outdoors to air out if possible. If it’s a strong odor or when the situation doesn’t allow you to move the furniture, try these methods.
Sprinkle baking soda on the furniture the first day and vacuum it up the next day, this may be time consuming and will not cover the entire furniture like the back side but will work well on fabric covered benches or chairs with fabric in the seating area only. A couch sprinkled with baking soda. It will be vacuumed up the following day.Spray the furniture with two parts water, one part vinegar on the first day and the next day wipe it down with dryer sheets or use Fe-breeze.
Another product that’s affordable and works well on furniture is OdoBan. One gallon can make 32 gallons of usable product. Using a spray bottle, fill it 3 parts water, one-part OdoBan. Once you spray the furniture, make sure the surface is nice and wet. Allow the furniture to dry indoor or outdoor. This product doesn’t mask the smell but gets rid of it completely.

      Do you have a favorite recipe or Go To Cookbook, I bet you do. Maybe it’s the latest put out by a famous Food Network chef, or perhaps it’s one handed down to you from your mother or grandmother.
      Food and relationship are closely intertwined, aren’t they? The family table is a special place, filled with “family” foods, where we break bread together and share the day’s events. We prepare some of those dishes using recipes hand-written by dear friends and family, others are typed up in special “cookbooks” published by groups we may have belonged to, and still others can be found in our private cookbook collection. Wherever the recipes come from, they are reminders of special times spent with special people.
Through the centuries, instructions for food preparation would have typically been passed down by word of mouth, within communities over shared hearths & from mother to daughter.
      I’ve read that the oldest “recipe” can be found written on the tomb of Senet, an Egyptian woman, who apparently had a passion for flat bread. Through the centuries, however, the instructions for food preparation would have typically been passed down by word of mouth within communities over shared hearths and from mother to daughter. With the advent of paper and more leisure time, some cooks began to write down their instructions. Some medieval books, chronicles of home-keeping methods, also included information about food preparation, but merely as one aspect of managing one’s household. But the average person would not have had access to such a book.

Typically,  a woman would have a manuscript cookbook, handed down to her by her mother, filled with written instructions for various meals, as well as many other aspects of housekeeping, like recipes for herbal remedies, cleaning methods, or sewing notations. Above is just such a manuscript that I discovered at an estate sale. Missing its cover, it was clearly well-loved by the women who used it. It journals the food, medical, and spiritual history of the family and, to a certain extent, gives us a glimpse into their way of life.  We learn that back in 1889, someone had a concern about constipation. They lived in Newburgh (NY) and were open to the idea of home remedies.

The Receipt for Drunkeness appears as well, curiously, with the “long s” written like an “f” without the cross (in the word “Drunkeness”), as it would have been in the 1700’s. But apparently some old fashioned writers hung on to this style well into the 1800’s.
People began to use the term recipe and it’s cousin receipt (derived from the Latin recipere, which means to receive) with respect to food in the early 1700’s.  Prior to that, both terms referred to written instructions for medicines. Until about the 1960’s, cooks continued to use both terms interchangeably, but receipt is now considered quite old fashioned, and most people would not even know what it means in relation to food. Did you?

Later in the journal, we see some prayers and also a signature, “Lottie,” (bottom right on first page) a staunch Christian believer and the author of this manuscript/journal.

Mixed in with the prayers and remedies, we at last find some recipes: Jenny Lind Cake, Plain Cake, Apple Omelet (hmm), and Chocolate Filling for Cake.













Also in the manuscript, the popular “Birth-days” poem that starts, “Monday’s child is fair of face…” The sepia-tone, old-fashioned handwriting is something, isn’t it?

I have in my possession another “receipt” book, although, you can see from the letters in the lower right, it was intended as an address book. In very rough condition, it contains only recipes for food, and, like the previous manuscript, it has been clearly well-loved over the years.

It’s browned with age and filled with grease and batter spots (just like some of my recipe cards, as you’ll see shortly). This recipe for Crullers is written in wonderful old-fashioned hand. Notice how “tea spoonful” is written and how the author adds changes in parenthesis. And, as was often the case, the measurement for the last ingredient, flour, is “enough to make dough to roll out.”

About the turn of the last century, ladies began to enjoy women’s magazines, which quite often contained recipes to be clipped and stored away for future use. When I buy cookbooks, I often find these magazine (and newspaper) clippings inserted in the pages as way of safeguarding them and making them easily accessible.

Eventually the 4″ x 6″ index card and box became the popular way to organize one’s recipes.

Though I get many of my recipes off the internet these days, I still have many favorites stored away, like these I’ve clipped from newspapers over the years.
I Hope You Enjoyed Your Visit & Thanx so much for stopping by–

Sometimes old boards are so deeply knife-scarred, even mangled in spots, that only a light sanding offers hope for restoration.

Seasoning
After cleaning and/or sanding your boards, you will want to season them. These means applying mineral oil to the surface and allowing it to soak into the board. Seasoning prevents your board from becoming dry and brittle. When that happens, you increase the chances of your board cracking or even splitting. You can tell if a board needs oiling by sprinkling a few drops of water on its surface. If the board absorbs it, it’s dry and in need of seasoning. If it pools on the surface (repels the water), you’re in good shape.
You can pick up mineral oil at any drug or grocery store, and it is food safe–perfect for use on kitchen wares.
Pour a small puddle of oil onto your board and spread it evenly from corner to corner and down along the sides. Leave it for an hour or two (or overnight). If in that time, the oil has been entirely absorbed, apply another layer. Continue this process until the board no longer absorbs the oil. Wipe off any excess and then flip it over and treat the other side. The typical cutting board may require seasoning 2 or 3 times per year.

May all of your cutting boards be clean, smooth, and well-seasoned!
Thanks so much for stopping by–

If you have been considering purchasing a home, you may be curious to know if this is the right time in the market to make your move. The market is fast changing, with new laws coming into play, interest rates are constantly rising, and a whole slew of things buyers have to face when it comes time to picking the right house. What does that mean for you? Well, that there isn't a better time to buy than now. Let's break down the benefits of purchasing a home now, instead of waiting. 

1. INTEREST RATES ARE SOARINGIf you haven't been keeping up with the real estate market, you might be missing out on the data around interest rates. They are going up, and they are going up fast. 5% may not seem like a lot, but can be the difference between hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars on what you are paying out towards your loan on a monthly basis. Would you want to pay an extra $200 towards interest for your loan each month, or would you prefer to pocket that $200? Well we know the answer to that. 
Buying a home now while interest rates are at a low is going to be an advantage, both now, and long term. Take advantage of today's rates and purchase a home that doesn't cost you extra just because of interests.


2. HOME PRICES ARE INCREASINGHave you been hearing about folks complaining in your market about the price of homes going up? Well those prices are going to continue climbing. A home that is $200,000 now, could go up to $400,000 in 10 years because of market conditions. We also are aware that wages are not increasing as steadily as the cost of living. Purchasing a home in today's market can get you a bigger and better deal on a house than if you were to wait a few years. Especially in hot city markets, where prices are virtually guaranteed to sky rocket, making a move now can save you hundreds of thousands. 


3. COMPETITION IS GETTING BIGGERPopulation growth is a real thing, and with more people, comes more competition for homes. Homes are selling faster, which means a high demand increases home prices. Buying your home now, while the competition isn't as strong as it could be 5 years from now, helps you get a better deal on the home you want now then if you were to wait it out. 

So, in conclusion, the ball is in your court in today's market. There isn't ever a better time to purchase then now. Avoid the competition and the increase in fees and prices, and take advantage of a market that is still in the buyer's favor.