Clutter Busting Tips from Real Simple

Real Simple magazine has your fall clutter busting tips at hand. This magazine really gets to the heart of the clutter issue with these 7 simple steps to beating clutter, once and for all! Fall cleaning has never looked so great! Here's a condensed version of the 7 steps for those who are going to start right away, or try this link to Real Simple for more in-depth!

Clutter Buster Tips:

1. Act like you are moving. There is nothing like a deadline to make you actually complete a job!

2. Assess your rooms. Make sure each room and item has a purpose in it's space.

3. Clean out for a worthy cause. In this day of economic chaos- your "stuff" is appreciated by many charities. Donate!

4. Edit your rooms. Simplify the space you live in.

5. Make organizing a team effort. Everyone in the family can help with this one! Remember the "one in, one out" rule, and use it!

6. Shop in your closet. try on items that you haven't worn in a while and update your look that way.

7. Put apples with apples and oranges with oranges. Group like items together and put them where they will actually be used.

Enjoy your fall clean-up!

Trader Joe's- A Field Trip

Who doesn't like a good field trip! A couple of girlfriends and I traveled to Trader Joe's today. I had to share some of the pictures with you because this store has taken visual merchandising of food to a new level! I love this store, and could probably camp out there, but we did have to get home to our Little Ones! Of course, a bit of lunch was eaten. The fabulous margaritas were Cactus Flower- look at that color!

Trader Joe's


Like a European Flower Market

Orchids in every size and shape

Elevating the visual display of cookies

Not such a secret- "$2 Buck Chuck" wine by the case

I even like the grocery carts

And finally, Cactus Flower margaritas- shopping is very hard work!

Domino Magazine- October Issue

Okay- it's Sunday evening, and I had plans to watch football and leisurely look through the latest edition of Domino that I got yesterday. Well, I have not even made it past page 50 "scouting" and feel the need to share some great ideas! I cannot wait to look through the rest of the magazine tonight!

Love the idea of a cylinder vase holding extra toilet tissue!

How about 5 easy steps to an organized pantry? Everyone can do this!

What else is in this issue? I am signing off, grabbing a glass of wine, and enjoying thoroughly.

Have a great Monday morning everyone!

It's a Dog's Life!

Happy, Happy Friday!

It's truly a dog's life in our house! Sorry for the messy bedding, but our Cock a Poo seems to really enjoy the hot pink satin duvet cover! This is how a lazy day should be spent- enjoy your weekend!

It's Apple Season!

It's apple season, and the baking has begun. Start with a favorite of mine, Apple Crisp, and the whole house smells great while it's baking! The scent of cinnamon always enhances your decor (a real estate staging tip)- go ahead and bake something today!

Apple Crisp

4 cups sliced apples ½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup dry oatmeal 1/3 cup melted butter

Place apples in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Combine dry ingredients and melted butter, mixing until its crumbly. Sprinkle over apples in baking dish.

Bake 375° for 30 minutes, until bubbly. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and/or caramel sauce.

Pumpkin Bread- a Favorite Autumn Treat

Autumn is approaching and I am nesting a bit in this cooler weather- you know cleaning house, reading books, and cooking some of my favorite fall dishes. This quick bread is super easy, tasty, and freezes well- one of my all time favorites!

Pumpkin Bread

2 cups sugar

¾ cup water

1 cup oil

2 cups pumpkin (1 small can)

4 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons salt

3 1/3 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Mix ingredients until smooth. Do not overwork batter.

Pour into 2 ungreased 9x5 loaf pans.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour, 20 minutes

A Great New Read

Its been a busy week for me- new Etsy shop (FlowerGirlz- check us out!), new part-time job (scheduling my family is a full time gig!), school started around here, keeping up the websites, and still I found time to read a great book! Okay- some other things were put on hold while I was sucked in to Lisa Gardner's new book, Say Goodbye. Its creepy, crawling good fun with a hint of scary obsessions- especially about spiders! It has all of the ingredients for an edge of seat thriller- good FBI guys and gals, spooky bad psychopaths, kidnappings, murders, etc. Read this one with the doors locked this weekend!

Happy Friday, and happy reading this weekend!

Say Goodbye, by Lisa Gardner

Available at Amazon for $16.50.

FlowerGirlz- Our Etsy Shop

Happy Tuesday morning!

We have been very busy this Labor Day weekend at GirlzDecorate. We opened an Etsy shop called FlowerGirlz!

I am very excited to announce FlowerGirlz, since it was a collaborative effort in my family. The best husband in the world is the technical side of it, and the creative side is the women in my life. My mom is the artist, I am the floral decor, and my daughter will soon be showing her creative touches as well! All of us love anything botanical and in nature, so that is the reoccurring theme in our wares. I will be posting a permanent link on the site (hopefully tonight), but you can check us out right now through this link!


Enjoy browsing, and we would love feedback- as well as purchases!