A small apartment or room can look fabulous, if you decorate smart. Many people are tempted to use all small furniture in a small room — but that’s not always the way to go. If you have a small apartment, don’t clutter it up with tons of little pieces. Instead, open things up with the right colors and furniture.
Get the perfect couch
The couch will be the focal point of your living space. An armless couch in a bold color is a modern choice that will capture the attention of your guests and open up the look of the room. Avoid …read more

From now through St. Patrick’s Day, Dunkin’ Donuts is offering the “Lucky Dozen” Donut. This festive donut is perfect for kids’ parties, St. Patrick’s Day events and other celebrations.
This limited edition donut is a raised yeast ring with chocolate icing topped with white and yellow sprinkles, along with green sprinkles shaped as clovers. With a suggested retail price of just 89 cents each, this is an affordable, sweet treat that your family will love.
Visit DunkinDonuts.com to find a location near you. There’s nothing quite like a good donut and a cup of coffee.

If your kids have crayon stains on their clothing, you can remove the waxy, colorful stains by following these simple tips.
Begin by using a kitchen knife to gently scrape away any excess.
Traditional stain removers may not be your best bet on wax crayons, try a dry cleaning solvent. Put the fabric (stain side down) on a stack of paper towels. Apply dry cleaning solvent to the opposite side of the fabric with a sponge.
The stain will be absorbed over to the towels. Continue applying more solvent until the stain is removed and change the paper towels as needed. Allow the …read more

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. Whether you are planning a kids party or an adults-only affair, these crafts, projects, recipes and tips will make your party planning easier and more fun!

Green Crafts for Kids

Irish Stew with Mint Sour Cream

Free St. Patrick’s Day Cross-stitch Patterns

St. Patrick’s Day Party Planning

Shamrock Wall Hanging

Irish Coffee Meringues

St. Patrick’s Day Pet Costumes

Leprechaun Craft Projects

Bailey’s Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

Festive St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail

More St. Patrick’s Day Crafts

Image: sxc.hu

If you can’t afford to buy a new sofa right now, consider a slipcover. One of the easiest ways to make old furniture look new is with these versatile covers. They are very affordable and you can find them just about anywhere.
Look for slipcovers that are reversible — then you can change the look of your room by just flipping them around. A few months ago, I found some terrific slipcovers for the furniture in my game room at SmartBargains. At about 70% off the retail price, they were great bargains.
Recently, I came across Sure Fit slipcovers. Their one-piece slipcovers …read more

Wasted food is wasted money. “Chip clips” are functional but they sometimes don’t keep your potato chips and other food very fresh because they don’t seal the bag all the way across. Plus, they are a little clumsy and clutter up your drawers when you aren’t using them. A terrific solution is the Banana Seal.
This re-usable bag closure can be used on any type of bagged food including chips, cereal, bread, dry baking goods, coffee, salad greens, as well as frozen vegetables or frozen entrée bags to help avoid freezer burn.
To use, you simply peel it like a banana and …read more

POURfect has created a unique line of mixing bowls, measuring cups and other kitchen tools that are ergonomically designed and lightweight, making them easier to grip, pour and control. Available in up to 38 colors, the POURfect collection is dishwasher and microwave safe. The products also feature measurements in English, Metric and Braille.
The POURfect Bowls come in 1-cup, 2-cup, 4-cup, 6-cup, 8-cup and 12-cup sizes and sets. They are designed to nest within each other for easy storage. The bowls are priced from $15.00 to $40.00. But it’s not just bowls. There are also measuring cups ($18.00), the POURfect Beaker …read more

I’ve been fiddling around with the idea of getting some solar panels, but the thought of having someone chuck a baseball into a panel array like the one in the photo and breaking it to smithereens has had me hesitating. On top of that, I was worried about the weight of the snow if we had ten or more inches at a time breaking them, too. So, no panels yet. Then I saw that the small flexible solar panels that people have been using to charge small things like cell phones on the go have been supersized! In its February/March …read more

We all need a pretty box to keep our trinkets in and I have the perfect project for you today. It is a rosebud memory box and it will look beautiful on your dresser. You can use this box to hold such things as letters, jewelry or even makeup, whatever you wish.

Here is what you will need to get started:

7-8 inch square paper mache or wooden box
1 spray of rosebuds – for one variation (I made this one)
25 small roses – for another variation
1 spray of leaves – whatever size you prefer
Forest green acrylic paint
A hot glue gun and glue …read more

Italian food is my favorite to eat! So, of course, a book like Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes (Knopf, October 2009) is a wonderful read for me, as you may imagine if you also love Italian food.
Did I just say that a cook book is a wonderful read? Yes.
While the bulk of the book is recipes, you’re also invited to get to know Italy. You don’t have to imagine it either. Along with photos of food, you’re also treated to amazing photography featuring regional gems like the village of Santo Stefano di …read more