Avoid Carving the Pumpking

Do you want to decorate for Halloween? You do not need to deal with the mess of carving a pumpkin to have one in your home. There are plenty of options to get that Halloween feel without using that dreaded pumpkin carving knife. Keep reading for some great options on pumpkin decorating. You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

There is only so much you can do with grimacing orange jack-o-lanterns. Instead, check out these 25 no-carve pumpkin ideas that are endlessly creative and varied, yet still suit the holiday. Even better: they are easy to pull off, and don't require the motor skills of a top chef.

Above, a black matte pumpkin (seen on Cosmopolitan) is covered in glitter, and is darkly glamorous for the holiday.

1. On trend with metallics and copper, from Suburban Reno.
2. When you are stuck for time, and there are only office supplies on hand, take a cue from A Subtle Revelry.
3. You can channel Lily with preppy Pulitzer pumpkins from Popcosmo.
4. Lovely Indeed channeled string art for this version.
5. Look closer and you’ll realize this image is actually string art as well. FromDream a Little Bigger.
6. Put those thrift store doilies to good use, from Allyson Baker Design.
7. Cross stitch is an easy way to create a pattern. From Elsie Marley.
8. There’s always duct tape, according to Creating Really Awesome Free Things.
9. Better Homes & Gardens suggests stamping as an alternative to carving.
10. Another use for all that Halloween candy you’ll have to buy! From All You.

11. Putting a creepy skeleton mask on a pumpkin is quick and easy (and creepy in this case). From Five Birds on Parade.
12. The DIY Network used both chalkboard paint and silver leaf, because they are fancy.
13. I’m still not over Grumpy Cat, and neither is this pumpkin from Zig Zag Mags.
14. Appropriately bloody little pumpkins from Curbly.
15. Beautifully hand-drawn sugar skulls from Brit & Co.

16. Good lord, these animal-themed versions from Country Living are too cute.
17. As is this vampire pumpkin from All You.

18. Paper N Stitch upped the ick factor with this cat eye pumpkin.

19. Pay tribute to someone you love, with a silhouette project like the one fromOMF Style.

20. Duct tape to the rescue (again)! From Better Homes & Gardens.


21. Aunt Peaches tried her hand at marbleizing, with really beautiful results.
22. If you are feeling artsy, trying your hand at painting. These were done byTaylor Joelle’s mom.

23. Although messy, these drippy pumpkins from The Imagination Tree are pretty neat.

24. Chica and Jo have some serious Sharpie style going on.

25. Danielle made a super glamorous guy in brass and black.

Keep Those Colds Away

Cold season is upon us, and we do not want to get sick. There are many things you can do to prevent colds. Apartment Therapy has put together five tips to keep the colds away. Check out the list below and see what tips you need to add to your routine. 

1. Wash (and dry) those hands (a lot) — Go for both quality and quantity with your hand washing routine. Wash frequently (more than you think you need to) and scrub for at least 20 seconds a pop. Make sure to dry hands completely on a clean towel to prevent immediately picking up more germs with damp hands.

2. Sanitize your surfaces — Everything you touch is a potential germ catalyst so be extra diligent to keep your frequently used items clean, especially if other people are touching them as well. After all, germs can live on many surfaces for up to 48 hours so they have plenty of time to nab you. Your cell phone? It's probably filthy. Your keyboard? Germ factory. Take a few minutes each day to sanitize some key things and you could be saving yourself weeks of sick days.

3. Sleep is your best friend — Just do it. Treat your body right and it'll return the favor. Sleep is the most restorative thing you can do to keep your body functioning optimally so log plenty of sleeping time between the sheets and hopefully you'll wind up logging fewer miserable sick days in bed.

4. Boost your immune system — Keep your defenses in good shape so that the germs you do encounter can be deflected. Reduce stress through meditation (or any way that works for you), try acupuncture which has been shown to boost immunity and think about beginning a regular probiotic routine which can help strengthen your gut and ward off problems. Bonus: My best addictive cold weather habit? Regular use of my nettie pot helps me rinse my sinuses before colds can set in.

5. Stock up on medication (just in case) — Even though you're doing everything in your power to stay well, if you do succumb to a bug, the last thing you're going to feel like doing is making a drugstore run. Keep necessities (and maybe a few extra sick day treats) in the house and maybe, just maybe, Murphy's law will work in your favor for once.

A Morning Breakfast Treat

What is your breakfast routine like?  If you are getting sick of the same food and coffee everyday, we have found a new recipe for you to try.  These baked apple donuts are perfect for fall and will taste delicious with your favorite coffee.  You can find more great recipes at The Kitchn.



What could be better than sitting around a morning fire, listening to the pop and crackle, while dunking an apple cider donut into a mug of spiced tea? Not much in my book. It's the simple act of sharing a special treat with friends that makes this time of year just precious—especially when you're tucking into something so quintessentially "Fall" like an apple cider donut! Here's an easy recipe for a seasonal favorite. No fryer required.

These doughnuts are baked instead of fried. Some purists may argue that these aren't "donuts" at all, merely cupcakes dressed in a ring–shaped form and I wouldn't entirely disagree. However, they are so much fun to eat and very reminiscent of a traditional, fried apple cider donut, that I say bake on!

When considering the preparation of a big batch of fried foods at home, the task just seems too messy and inconvenient for an impromptu morning project. By layering the apple cider flavors into a quick bread and baking them in donut form, you really get a similar effect without the fuss of large quantities of oil. These donuts are also much lighter, yet still packed with spice and apple flavor. After eating them I don't feel heavy and stomach achey as I do after the real thing.

Have you ever worked with a donut pan? Usually found in non-stick, they come in two sizes - mini and regular, they are handy to have on hand for occasions such as this. I used the regular size this time, but I find the mini donut pan to be pretty darn cute. You can pour any type of cake or quick bread batter into one of these and bake according to your original instructions and voila, a round of donuts is born!

Whether you are tired of cupcakes or just want to add some humor and fun to your baking repertoire, I highly recommend experimenting with a donut pan. A tray of these apple cider donuts make for great conversation and delight!

Baked Apple Cider Doughnutsmakes about 8 donuts, depending on size of your donut pan



2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons canola oil (plus a little extra for greasing your donut pan)
powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a donut pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients (these are all your wet ingredients). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient mixture and whisk until just incorporated. Don't over-mix! A few lumps are okay; they won't show in the final product.

Spoon the batter into each donut mold until about 3/4 full. Bake for approximately 12 minutes and cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with tea, cider or black coffee.

Do You Need More Sleep?

There are many devices and apps that will tell you why you are not sleeping!  However, this new device not only tracks your movement but environmental conditions that may cause you to wake up.  Keep reading and check out Apartment Therapy for more information on this new device.

There are plenty of devices and apps that track your sleep, but not many that explain why you're waking up. Sense is a ball that sits on your bedside table and records changes in sound and light that might wake you. It corresponds to a "Pill" that clips on to your pillow that records your movement, and an app that gives you a full report of the night, so you you can do something to get some more shut eye.

• This Smart Sleep Tracker Tells You Why You're Not Getting Enough Sleep |Co.Exist

A New Stew For You

Are you a fan of the pumpkin craze of fall?  Every recipe seems to have a little taste of pumpkin in it around this time.  However, you do not need to settle for just a coffee or beer.  Here is a great pumpkin stew that will be a great addition to your fall recipes.  You can learn more here.

10 New Ways to Re-Upholster Old Furniture

Do you have an old piece of furniture you are trying to figure out what to do with?  We have some great tips on how to take that old furniture and make it something new.  Apartment Therapy guides you through ten tips to make that furniture a great piece for your home.

Nothing perks up an old piece of furniture quite like new upholstery. If you're looking for a chair or sofa that will make a statement, something a little out of the ordinary, take a gander at these 10 creative ways to reupholster old furniture.

1. Cover the back of the chair in a contrasting fabric.

Like Andrea of Wild Chairy, who is the queen of transforming old chairs into stunning new pieces. (The chairs pictured above are available, if you're not feeling like a project yourself.) This is a great way to add a little extra interest to a piece that will be seen from all sides.

2. Cover an old piece in an unexpected pattern.

Like this bold floral from Timorous Beasties...

Or these bold stripes, on a Victorian-style sofa spotted on Young House Love.

3. Punch up an old piece with a brightly colored velvet.

Like this chair, spotted on The Paris Apartment.

4. Consider non-traditional upholstery fabrics, like a serape...

DIY from A Beautiful Mess.

5. ...Or a Pendleton blanket.

This sofa is available from Sit and Read.

Or a cat.

Just kidding, this is more Pendleton upholstery inspiration, from Freunde von Freunden. But of course every chair looks better with a cat on it.

6. Nothing livens up a piece quite like contrasting piping.

We love this blue + orange combo, from Mona Ross Berman Interiors.

7. A Mongolian sheepskin (especially a black one) will add a little edge to a delicately styled piece.

Another great idea from Wild Chairy.

8. Play with different fabrics...

Like velvet + ticking stripes, spotted on Twig Hutchinson.

9. And different textures.

Velvet and leather, spotted on Trendland.

10. If you're feeling really bold, try a pattern-on-pattern look.

Spotted on House to Home. Choosing two patterns in the same color family will keep the look from getting too too wild.

Better Lighting in the Bedroom

Lighting in the bedroom is not the most important thing that people think about.  However, it is just as important as every other room in the home.  Putting laundry away, doing makeup, or getting dressed all require you to be able to see clearly.  Straining your eyes to complete these tasks is not good for your vision.  Here are some great bedroom lighting tips, and you can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

At first glance, the bedroom seems the least important room in the home, in terms of lighting. After all, we're not really working in there much (unless it doubles as an office), and the primary goal of the space is to support sleep— which requires an intentional lack of light.

Once you start thinking about it, though, you realize the lighting needs of a bedroom— from general lighting for putting the laundry away to task lighting for doing your makeup and accent lighting for chilling out of an evening— are pretty complex. A bedroom lighting scheme should be as considered as that of any other room, so read on for a few tips on doing just that.

General

A good even light, cast from a central pendant or from windows (natural light from windows or skylights counts as general lighting!), is important in every space. Even if you don't spend a lot of non-sleeping time in your bedroom, this basic light is what we get dressed by in the winter, clean the room to, and helps us see when natural light is low. However, you probably don't want this space to be too bright, so consider a lower-watt bulb and the all-important dimmer switch.

Task

Unless you have a desk or office space in the bedroom, there is a limit to how much work you'll be doing there. But for those of us who read in bed, a good bedside lamp is a necessity. Don't be restricted to desk-style reading lights; a low-hanging pendant like the one above works, too. Think of the other things you do from day to day— do you apply your makeup or iron your shirts in the bedroom? Both require good, specific lighting. Wall sconces, floor lamps and directional spot lights are your friends.

Accent

In the bedroom, accent lighting is really mood lighting. Whether it's to create a romantic atmosphere or just to support relaxation in the evening, a cosy glow in this room never hurts. It can be achieved through simple dimming of the light sources we've already talked about, or by adding decorative lights like fairy strings, corner up-lighters or candles.