What: Slatkin & Co. Ceramic Pumpkin Figural Candle

Why: Brace yourselves for pumpkin pie season is here. If you want to enjoy the soothing aroma that only pumpkin pie can bring, without all the calories, light up a Slatkin & Co. candle. The Ceramic Pumpkin Figural Candle smells so good—with a blend of fresh pumpkin, ground cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla cream—you’ll want to scoop it up and eat it. Really, it smells that good.

It’s an easy, affordable way to celebrate fall and makes for a festive hostess gift. And once the candle burns out, you can replace it with another.

Price: on sale for $9.25

Find it: bathandbodyworks.com

Tip: Not a fan of pumpkin pie? They also have divine candles with scents of cinnamon, caramel, nutmeg, apple and pear.

Nowadays, you can’t turn on the TV without hearing about the plunging economy, government bailouts, drop in consumer confidence and the economic recession. With all this worrying talk it’s hard for consumers to get excited about the upcoming holiday shopping season. Between Halloween candy and costumes, the Thanksgiving feast and Christmas and Chanukah gifts, many families are concerned about making all their holiday purchases within a shrinking budget.

(Photo: WPA: unemployed shown at Volunteers of America Soup Kitchen: Washington, D.C. (Circa 1936); from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.) Read the rest »

This week begins the second half of the 8 week challenge and focuses on Zone #4 – the living room, family room, and dining room. Check out detailed instructions to take back control of these rooms. Also, learn the tips on creating an atmosphere conducive to de-cluttering and cleaning! It’s not too late to join along…

We are working on our fourth zone this week. For me that is my living room, family room and dining room. If you have decided to define zones differently in your home, just adjust these challenges to best suit your needs. Read the rest »

Ready for Halloween? Make sure it’s a safe one with these 7 clever tips.

1. Some people still use candles to light pumpkins… so, costumes should be non-flammable and fit properly (a few inches above the ground will keep material away from flames while decreasing the likelihood of tripping!) Read the rest »

Diapers are not all that get changed when a baby arrives. Most couples experience a total shift in their relationship, one that many times does not realign until the baby leaves for college 18 years later. It all begins when an overly confident hospital nurse hands over your 8 lb bundle of joy and tells you to go home and care for him with no handbook or 24-hour emergency parent hotline. Are they really allowing us to just leave with him? Aren’t they going to test us or something? Yes, it’s harder to get a driver’s license than to have a baby, a scary thought, one saved for another time, but nonetheless, he’s yours and you are asked to go home with him. Read the rest »

Celebrate Oktoberfest with Vincent Shoes! 20 styles of cool Vincent kicks (including the ‘Dennis’ pictured right) are eligible for a 40% discount through this Friday, October 24th.

Quantities are limited so act fast! Use code: CP-OKTFEST-08 and click here to go straight to the list of shoes eligible for the discount.

This week we are working in Zone #3 – the bathrooms and entry way/foyer. Check out detailed instructions for a plan of attack in these rooms. Haven’t started overhauling your home yet? See the 1 hour turbo catch-up.

If you are either just joining the mission now, or have found yourself behind, please follow the turbo catch-up below:

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Turbo Autumn Overhaul One-hour catch up:

Straighten your Master Bedroom and Children’s bedrooms. (skip the Master bath for now, you can do that with your other bathroom(s) missions this week.

Set the timer for 1 hour
Change the sheets
Fluff all curtains making sure that spiders have not made nests in the folds
Wipe down all the walls (I use a swiffer sweeper and swiffer wet cloth)
Fill a bucket with hot soapy water and grab a microfiber cloth
Wipe down all furniture, doors, lightswitches, radiators, etc. etc.
Windex all glass surfaces
Sweep the floors

Ok… you are all caught up!!
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ZONE 3

We are working on our third zone this week. For me that is my bathrooms and foyer. If you have decided to define zones differently in your home, just adjust these challenges to best suit your needs.

Break this job into small tasks. Each day you should plan to spend between 15-30 minutes. I find I do best if I set the timer.

Below is a sample of my list: (Please keep in mind to break up your job into tasks however it suits you best)

Purge and clean storage areas (list each drawer, closet, cabinet etc., individually)
Dust furniture
Dust walls, ceilings, corners, ceiling fans
Thorough cleaning of the floors including corners and under furniture
Take down curtains and wash according to directions
Clean windows & windowsills
Purge and clean knick knacks
Wash baseboards, radiators, doors, etc.

Now break the large list into daily checklists however it best works for you.� Here’s a sample of my list:

Monday:
Purge and dust knick knacks, books, frames, etc.
Clean out cabinets from one bathroom

Tuesday:
Clean walls, doors, ceilings, baseboards, etc.
Purge and clean cabinets from another bathroom

Wednesday:
Clean out foyer closet (wipe down walls, sweep floors, purge and sort) – Do as much of this as you can. If this is a project that requires more than 1/2 hour, just write this down for a project to do when you have a chance. Don’t let yourself get stuck!

Thursday:
Take down curtains and wash
Clean the windowsills and trim
Windex windows and mirrors
Hang the window treatments/shower curtains back up
Purge and clean remaining cabinets

Friday:
Dust all the furniture thoroughly
Clean tubs and showers

Saturday:
Wash floors
Thoroughly vacuum the floors (don’t forget the corners)
Decorate for spring.. spring flowers, etc.

Sunday:
Free Day (or catch up)

Before you start any of the above projects, make sure you start with a straightened room. Place clean laundry away and dirty laundry in the hamper.

Some of the tasks may need more time than what you have this week. An example of this would be if you really need a thorough de-cluttering of your closet. For larger tasks, skip it for now (or do what you can without making a larger mess for yourself) and make a to-do list. At the end of our 8 weeks (or during, when you have the time) you can go back to the list to see what needs to still be addressed. I don’t want you to get stuck and lose your momentum.

Keep in mind that throughout the year we tackle many of these de-cluttering projects in a far more thorough manner, so only attempt to tackle what you can realistically do in 15-30 minutes/day. Your goal is to have a clean (and easily maintainable) home by Thanksgiving… NOT a perfect home.

Happy Cleaning!!
Betsy