Archives for October 2020

With people spending more time at home, home renovations are on the rise in 2020—and that includes bathroom renovations.

But what are this year’s top bathroom renovation trends? According to Houzz’s 2020 U.S. Bathroom Trends study, some of the biggest trends in bathroom renovations for 2020 include:

Renovating for increased relaxation. Many homeowners are renovating their bathrooms to make their space more relaxing. Two out of five homeowners report using their bathroom as a space to relax, with the bathtub (55 percent) being the most relaxing feature.

Shower accent walls. White is still the go-to color for bathrooms—but more homeowners are getting adventurous with their designs. 37 percent reported adding an accent wall to their shower area. The most popular ways to make a shower accent wall stand out include different surface material (51 percent), color (45 percent), and using pattern (44 percent).

Switching up the lighting. Arguably the most common swap during a bathroom renovation? Lighting. Four out of five renovating homeowners reported changing their lighting during a bathroom renovation.

Halloween will look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t entertain your own ghosts and ghouls at home! Check out this month’s newsletter for some festive (and social distance approved) entertaining ideas, recipes, and tips that will haunt your loved ones for years to come…in a good way of course.

Enter if you dare! Try out these frighteningly fun decorating ideas to stop even the bravest member of your household dead in their tracks.

Attack of the Spiders

Spooky Apothecary Jars

Frightful Foyer

Bleeding Halloween Candles

Halloween Tablescape

Bones and Bodies

Haunted Mirror

Add Cob Webs

Incorporate Spooky Plants

Monster Halloween Door

Tombstone Yard

Floating Witch Hat Luminaries

DIY Pumpkin Luminaries

Decorated Tree Branches

Buried Bannister

Specimen Jars

Plaster Hands

DIY Witch Leg Chandelier

Don’t leave your guests rolling in their graves all because of a bad music playlist…Try out one of the below Halloween playlists to match the occasion!

YouTube Halloween Hits from the 80’s

Disney’s “This is Halloween” Playlist

Spotify Halloween Playlists

Pandora Halloween Playlist

Grab the popcorn, cozy blankets and turn on your favorite Halloween flick on one of the below streaming services!

Netflix Line-Up

Hulu Haunts

Amazon Picks

Disney Plus Magic

TV Classics

You don’t need a spell to whip up some delicious “boos”. These creative concoctions (and fun mocktails) will get everyone into the holiday spirit in no time!

Adult Cocktails –

Potion De Muerto Cocktail

Sweet Poison Cocktail

Smoking Blackberry Sage Margarita

Shimmery Liqueur Cocktail

Eye Ball Martini

The Vampire Cocktail

Halloween Pumpkin Punch

Black Sangria

Mr. Hyde Potion

Candy Corn Jello Shots

Bleeding Heart Martini

Purple Witches Brew

Shrunken Heads in Cider

Mocktails –

Hocus Pocus Halloween Fizz

Swamp Juice

Creepy Shirley Temples

Goosebumps Punch

Little Monster Mocktail

Pumpkin Butterbeer

Sparkling Pumpkin Pie Mocktail

Purple People Eater Punch

Slow Cooker Vampire Punch

Wondering what to brew up in the kitchen? See below for some serious food inspiration that will have your little monsters “dying” for seconds!

Jack-o-Lantern Pot Pies

Black and Blue Mac & Cheese

Spider Web Pizza

Eye Ball Pasta

Turkey Eyeballs

Halloween Stuffed Peppers

Pumpkin Bread Rolls

Pumpkin Chowder

Pumpkin Cannelloni with Sage Brown-Butter Sauce

Pumpkin Risotto in Hollowed-Out Pumpkin

Spooky Short Ribs

Cider Scalloped Potatoes with Smoked Gouda

Batty Chicken Wings

It’s all treats and no tricks here! From bewitching breadsticks to spider cookies, we have a delectable line-up of homemade appetizers and treats that are “to die” for.

Apps –

Puking Pumpkin

Mummy Dogs

Bewitching Breadsticks

Spooky Spider Deviled Eggs

Skull Veggie Platter

Elegant Meat & Cheese Board

Terrifying Skeleton Cheese Platter

Halloween Ghost Fruit Kabobs

Ghostbusters Green Slimed Popcorn

Halloweeno Poppers

Monster Munch Party Mix

Pumpkin Cheeseball

Desserts –

Strawberry Ghosts

Spider Cookies

“Poison” Apples

Screaming Pretzels

Cake Pop Eye Balls

Rice Krispie Treat Monsters

Dracula Dentures

Spider Web Cake

Hocus Pocus Inspired Smore Pops

Haunted Halloween Brownies

Jack O’ Lantern Bowls

Blood Drip Cupcakes

Mummy Apple Pie

Witch’s Hat Cupcakes

Graveyard Chocolate Cheesecake Dip

While large gatherings are discouraged during this time, you can still drop off some “parting” favors for your friends and family to remember for all of eternity… We’ve got you covered with some creative finds below.

DIY Halloween Smore Kit

Ghostly Grub Treat Bag

Witch’s Broom Favors

Monster Slime

Monster Cookie Kit

Bugs & Kisses Treat Bag (Include Hershey’s kisses)

DIY Candy Corn Hot Chocolate on a Stick

Trick-or-treating is going to look different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn’t mean you should hang up your costume just yet.

Trick-or-treating is not impossible under Sacramento County Public Health’s (SCPH) new guidelines. The county says that trick-or-treating with modifications will be the way to do it this year. Click here to learn more.

COVID-19 has changed the real estate landscape in many ways—including shifting buyer priorities.

But what, exactly, are buyers looking for in today’s market? A recent article from realtor.com outlined the home upgrades buyers are looking for:

Outdoor upgrades. Many people are spending the majority of their time at home these days—and that can lead to a serious case of cabin fever. To escape that cabin fever (without having to leave their homes), buyers are looking for homes with functional, relaxing, and well-designed outdoor spaces. Sprucing up your outdoor space (for example, by refreshing the landscaping or adding a patio) before listing your home can help make the property more attractive to buyers.

A functional home office. More people than ever are working from home—which has made home offices a must-have for many buyers. If you don’t currently have a home office, staging a guest bedroom as an office can help potential buyers see the home’s potential for a functional workspace.

A spruced-up laundry room. COVID has increased many people’s cleaning habits—which, for many, has translated to more time in the laundry room. Making minor updates to spruce up your laundry room (like adding wallpaper, a fresh coat of paint, or extra storage) can help to up your home’s value in the eyes of cleanliness-concerned buyers.

If you’re planning on selling your home, these upgrades can make your home more appealing to buyers—which may help you sell your home faster and more profitably.

Renovating your kitchen can be a pricey endeavor. And while you might be tempted to embrace the latest trends in your kitchen renovation, if you want to ensure you’ll love the look of your kitchen as much 10 years from now as you do today, the best thing you can do? Choose a kitchen trend that will never go out of style.

In a recent article, home improvement website LifeRejoice highlighted 40 of the most timeless trends in kitchen design, including:

Pairing whites and cools. If you want to create a streamlined, organized look in your kitchen, consider pairing white with a cool neutral (like gray).

Statement tile. Intricately designed tiles can add visual interest to your kitchen and make for a unique (yet timeless) design. Just make sure to keep other design elements, like paint and fixtures, more understated to keep your kitchen from veering into “visually overwhelming” territory.

Using lighting or color to define the kitchen. If your home has an open floor plan, strategically using lighting or color can be a great way to define your kitchen space and separate it from your living area.

If you’ve been thinking about renovating your kitchen (and you want that renovation to have serious staying power) embrace one of these timeless design trends.

Autumn is here! And while fall is always a cozy time, this year, coziness has officially emerged as one of the biggest interior design trends of the autumn season.

A recent article from remodeling website Houzz highlighted the biggest trends from the 2020 Atlanta Furnishings Market—including cozy decor and design. Things like camping-inspired pillows, plush throw blankets, and earth tones were definite players at this year’s market…which makes sense…

As people anticipate spending more time in their homes than usual this fall and winter, there is a desire to make their spaces as comfortable and inviting as possible—making cozy design the go-to trend as we move into the last few months of the year.

So, what does this mean for you? If you’re thinking about doing a bit of redecorating to get your home ready for the fall, make sure you’re on trend (and super comfortable!) by embracing all-things-cozy in your decor and home design.