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How to Make This Year’s Halloween Party Your Best Ever

October 24, 2014 by

So you’ve decided to throw a Halloween party at your home, but where do you start? Luckily, a spooky Halloween theme offers an almost endless list of decoration and refreshment ideas to make your party a ghoulish good time. Here’s just a bit of inspiration.

Severed Finger Invitation [marthastewart.com]
Give your guests a fright before the party even starts by sending them a severed "finger" in a box as a party invitation!

Spiked Witch’s Brew [celebrations.com]
For refreshments, serve a black cauldron filled with a spiked punch that looks like witch’s brew. You can even make it “smoke” by adding dry ice to the cauldron.

Monster Face Paint [marthastewart.com]
Entertain the little ones at a Halloween party by setting up a face painting station. Even if the party isn’t a costume party, they’ll love to wear their new monster face around all night.

Mad Scientist Party [rachaelraymag.com]
If you prefer to go all-out with a unique theme, a mad scientist party is one that your guests probably haven’t seen before. Decorate with beakers and test tubes, don a white lab coat and a wild wig, and turn your kitchen into a laboratory filled with experimental refreshments.

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Boarding a Plane? Eat These Wholesome Foods Before Takeoff!

October 7, 2014 by

Even the most seasoned air travelers can experience some stomach discomfort during flight, which results in a not-so-pleasant flying experience. These wholesome foods are proven to keep you feeling your best while flying, especially if your flight is more than a few hours long.

  1. Protein-rich foods. Foods that are high in protein help to keep you feeling fuller for longer, so you won’t disrupt your fellow passengers when your stomach starts to rumble. Trying lean meats, nuts, or peanut butter spread on a few high-protein crackers.
  2. Smoothies. Drinking a smoothie in the car to the airport or at the terminal will ensure a smooth, comfortable flight. These healthy drinks are an easy way to get the vitamins and nutrients from lots of different fruits all in one gulp.
  3. Oranges. Oranges are full of Vitamin C, which helps to ward off illness and makes you feel energized and rejuvenated.
  4. Water with lemon. If you’re going on a long flight where jet lag seems unavoidable, try drinking water with freshly squeezed lemon before and during your flight. Staying hydrated is one of the best ways to avoid fatigue, and the lemon offers antibacterial properties that benefit every traveler.

7 Foods You Should Eat Before Traveling [All Women Stalk]
Seven Foods You Should Eat Before Flying [Smarter Travel]
Eating on Long Flights [USA Today]
Eat, Drink and Be Airborne [The Travel Doctor]

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How to Host Your Own At-Home Wine Tasting

September 12, 2014 by

Few things are more enjoyable than sipping a glass of wine with your closest friends. Hosting a wine tasting is a unique way that you can do just that, and it enables you and your fellow wine lovers to sample some wines that you may have never tried before. Here are a three tips for pulling off a successful at-home wine tasting.

  1. Choose a theme. Choose a theme for each tasting in order to cover all of the different types of wines, such as a Chardonnay night or an afternoon of Pinot Noirs. Tell each of your guests to bring a bottle from a different part of the world, a different year, or a different brand.
  2. Prepare the glasses properly. You don’t need to invest in expensive wine glasses, but be sure to provide one glass for each person. Fill the glass an inch below its equator. After tasting one type of wine, rinse the glass with the type of wine you’ll be tasting next in order to rid the glass of traces of the previous wine.
  3. Serve snacks. Provide small snacks like cheese, crackers, or delicate cookies to help guests cleanse their palates in between wines and provide some sustenance throughout the evening.

How To Have The Perfect Wine Tasting At Home [HuffPost Taste]
How to Host a Wine Tasting Party [Real Simple]
How to Host a Wine Tasting [Food & Wine]

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Apply These Easy Decorating Tips to Your Child’s Bedroom

August 8, 2014 by

It’s important for your little one's bedroom to be a reflection of his personality, but you want the room to look nice, too! If you’re searching for some fun, affordable ways to decorate your child's room, these creative tips can help.

  1. Add a gallery wall. If your son or daughter is a budding artist, encourage him or her to paint a few pictures on a variety of different paper sizes. Frame the artwork in colorful frames and hang them in a group to create an eclectic gallery wall that your child will be proud of.
  2. Restore hand-me-down furniture. It seems silly to invest in expensive furniture that the kids will outgrow in a few years, so give that old dresser a fun facelift instead. Sand down the existing paint or stain and paint it your child’s favorite color.
  3. Add removable wall decals. Most home goods stores today sell wall decals in a variety of different styles, so let your child pick the one he or she likes best. They’re a fast way to add personality to the room, and they dress up the wall without painting.
  4. Mix patterns. From throw pillows to rugs, mixing patterns based on the same color scheme creates a funky look while still coordinating perfectly.
  5. Invest in simple storage. Things like low dressers and cubed shelves with removable bins keep the room organized, and they’re simple enough to encourage the kids to put away their own toys.

Affordable Kids' Room Decorating Ideas [HGTV]
10 Decorating Ideas for Kids' Rooms [HGTV]
Decor Ideas for a Kid's Room [Real Simple]
DIY Kid's Room Decor Ideas [Babble]

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Here Are 4 Uses for Mayonnaise Beyond the Sandwich

May 16, 2014 by

Whether you like the taste of mayonnaise or not, you should add a jar to your cart the next time you’re at the grocery store. This basic condiment is incredibly useful on things other than sandwiches, from your face to your furniture and everywhere in between. If you want to learn how mayonnaise can help you save time and money around the house, check out these creative tips.

  1. Give yourself an at-home manicure. To get salon-quality soft hands right from your own bathroom, soak your fingers in a bowl of mayonnaise before painting your nails. It will soften cuticles and make them easier to trim.
  2. Create a DIY facial mask. It may not smell as pleasant as your typical facial mask, but mayonnaise works wonders on the skin on your face. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes to soften dry patches and encourage healthy, glowing skin.
  3. Remove water stains from wood. If you have pesky rings on your coffee table from cold drink glasses, remove them in just a few minutes with some mayonnaise. Simply rub the mayo over the water-stained area and wipe it away with a clean towel.
  4. Fix a squeaky door. Use some mayonnaise to fix a door that sticks or squeaks. Rub just a bit on the door’s hinge and it will instantly remove the squeaking noise.

20 Uses for Mayonnaise [All You]

11 Home and Beauty Uses for Mayonnaise [Reader's Digest]
9 Surprising Non-Cooking Uses for Mayonnaise [Every Day]

10 Unexpected Home Uses for Mayonnaise [Wise Bread]

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Easy DIY Beauty Treatments You Can Do at Home

April 25, 2014 by

Creating a spa experience at home is easier than you think. Here are three easy, inexpensive beauty treatments that you can perform at home using items you probably already have in your kitchen.

1. Ease puffy eyes with tea bags.
You're probably already familiar with this one: Chill wet tea bags in the fridge, then place them on your closed eyes for ten to twenty minutes. The caffeine in the tea will help de-puff the delicate eye area, while the tea's antioxidants aid in reducing inflammation. Sliced, cooled cucumbers or potatoes can also be used here.

2. Exfoliate with brown sugar.
This sugar scrub will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth (and smelling sweet!): Simply combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, two tablespoons olive oil, two teaspoons instant oats, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg to form a paste. Gently rub the scrub into your skin, then rinse.

3. Banish dry patches using lemons.
If you're sporting scaly skin on your heels, elbows, or knees, try this trick: Grab a lemon from your fridge, cut it in half, then rub the flesh of the lemon over the dry patches. The acid of the citrus fruit aids in removing dead skin cells.

Our Favorite All-Natural Home Beauty Treatments [Fitness]
6 Cool Homemade Beauty Treatments [Cosmopolitan]
6 All-Natural Beauty Fixes [Woman's Day]

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Organize Your Bookshelves With These 5 Easy Tips

March 21, 2014 by

If you’re a bibliophile with an ever-expanding book collection, it can be difficult to store all of your books in your home. A simple bookshelf works well, but it doesn’t always look pretty. Here are some helpful tips for organizing your bookshelves with ease.

  1. Consolidate your collection. Have you owned it without reading it in the last few years? Get rid of it (and we don’t mean throw it away – there area number of charities that take used books, and you can always give it to a fellow bookworm friend).
  2. Organize by color. If you have a large book collection, you can make things look less cluttered by organizing books by color. When you look at the bookshelf from across the room, you’ll see a rainbow of your favorite literary classics instead of a jumbled mess.
  3. Incorporate decor. Add a few funky bookends to divide up the space, or place some personalized picture frames in between your book collection to make things look a bit more stylish.
  4. Alternate stacking methods. Line some books across the shelves horizontally, and then alternate by stacking some vertically. The changing direction looks purposeful and more appealing to the eye.
  5. Create mini book displays. Rather than attempting to stuff large, coffee table books onto your standard bookshelves, pull them out and place them strategically around the home. Stack a couple large books on a dresser and place a plant on top, or place a few in your living room to give your guests something to flip through while visiting.

    Tips for Arranging & Organizing Bookshelves [BHG]
    How to Tame Your Overstuffed Bookshelves in 48 Hours [Oprah]

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DIY Christmas Idea!

December 16, 2013 by

Looking for a fun, INEXPENSIVE idea for Christmas presents this holiday season? This could be just the thing for you.

You can decorate Pringles containers will all of your favorite Christmas decorations, fill the containers with tasty cookies, and then pass them out to all of your friends!!

If you have any great ideas for DIY Christmas gifts, please comment below!

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Creative Crafts: DIY Notebooks

June 20, 2013 by

If you enjoy crafting, check out these awesome DIY notebook projects. These lovely, handmade notebooks make great gifts, or are simply a beautiful place to record your thoughts and memories. Plus, you can fashion a handmade notebook or memo pad out of just about anything — from paint chips to wrapping paper to leather! Apartment Therapy recently collected a guide to 10 of the best DIY notebook tutorials across the web, including possibilities like:

Click here to read more about these, plus seven other DIY notebook projects.

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The Big Clean: What To Tackle To Get Your Home Spick-And-Span

February 15, 2013 by

If your home's in need of a "big clean", and you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, check out the list below that breaks down the major tasks that need handling to leave your home wonderfully spick-and-span. Like any big project, breaking it down into manageable tasks can make it far easier to tackle. Apartment Therapy's "Stress Free Plan" to pre-party cleaning offers a guide to stuff that you'd probably should be cleaning about once a month, regardless of how often you have company. You can accomplish everything on their "Big Clean" list in just about five hours, including such tasks as:

  • Cleaning kitchen stuff like your cabinets, sink, stovetop, and refrigerator.
  • Scouring nooks and crannies like windowsills, doorjambs, and the spots behind and beneath furniture.
  • Scrubbing the tub and toilet, and cleaning your shower curtain.
  • Discarding built-up clutter, like recycling or stuff for donation.

Want to learn more? Click here to visit Apartment Therapy.

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