Pumpkin season is upon us, and if you're anything like me, you're excited to decorate your home with those vibrant, and colourful beauties. 

Whether you plan to carve spooky jack-o'-lanterns or simply use your uncarved pumpkins as fall decorations, you'll want your pumpkins to last as long as possible. In this guide, I'll share the best ways to extend the life of your pumpkins so you can enjoy them throughout the entire season.

Long-Lasting Pumpkin Tips

Before I dive into the different methods, let's talk about the fundamental steps to make your pumpkins last. Follow these simple steps for the best chance of extending the life of your pumpkin.

The Pumpkin Preservation Basics

1. Choose the Right Pumpkin

Your pumpkin's journey to a long life starts at the grocery store or local pumpkin patch. You'll have the best chance of finding store-bought pumpkins in late September to early October. 

Look for healthy pumpkins with firm stems and no soft spots. Select a pumpkin that is even in colour and has no visible gouges or open bites. A healthy pumpkin is more likely to stay fresh longer.

2. Keep it Clean

The exterior of your pumpkin is its first defense against decay. Before applying any preservation method, clean the surface of the pumpkin. You can take the whole pumpkin and wash it with the hose or in the sink. This removes dirt and potential contaminants.

3. Preserve the Carved Areas

If you plan to carve your pumpkin, remember that exposed carved edges are more susceptible to rot. To preserve these areas, follow the tips below and consider using a pumpkin preserve spray.

Now that we've covered the basics, let's explore the different ways to make your pumpkins last and I'll show you the method I use.

The Best Pumpkin Preservation Methods

The Method I Use

Any of these preservation methods will work to extend your pumpkin's life. The one I've found very effective is a Bleach Solution Soak, followed by a Bleach Spray applied every few days. Using these two methods ensures that your Halloween pumpkin retains its moisture and fends off decay.

Additional Tips for Long-Lasting Pumpkins

Now that you know the best methods for preserving your pumpkins, here are some additional tips to ensure they last throughout the season:

1. Keep Your Pumpkins Dry: Moisture is your pumpkin's enemy. Store them in a dry place away from rain, dew, or any source of water.
2. Avoid Direct Sunlight: While pumpkins love the sun, prolonged exposure to hot sun can cause them to wilt and soften. Place them in a spot with partial sunlight.
3. Check for Rot: Regularly inspect your pumpkins for any soft spots or signs of decay. If you spot any, remove them immediately to prevent further spread.
4. Use Real Candles Sparingly: If you're using real candles in your jack-o'-lanterns, consider LED candles as an alternative. Real candles can generate heat, which may speed up the rotting process.
5. Fruit Fly Prevention: To keep fruit flies away, create a fruit fly trap with a small bowl of vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. Place it near your pumpkins to lure the pests away.
6. Harvest Pumpkin Seeds: Don't forget to save those pumpkin seeds! Roasted pumpkin seeds are not only delicious but also a fun snack to make during the fall.
7. Deter Animals: Squirrels, chipmunks, and other outdoor animals may be tempted to take a bite out of your perfect pumpkin. Deter their tastebuds with unappealing tabasco sauce, cayenne pepper or a few drops of peppermint oil rubbed on the pumpkin's exterior.

With these essential pumpkin preservation methods and tips, you can make your pumpkins last longer, ensuring your home remains festive and vibrant throughout the pumpkin season. Whether you're gearing up for Halloween or simply celebrating the beauty of fall, your pumpkins will stay in perfect shape to brighten up your front porch, your gatherings, and your home. Happy pumpkin season!

Is there a way to make time stop? Chloe graduates from Grade 8 next week and I am in no way ready to be mom to a high-schooler in just a few months. She, on the other hand, is ready to cast off all the trappings of being a kid. The latest casualty? She wants to ditch her cottage bedroom and move up into the cottage loft.

I get it. Sleeping up in the open loft is much cooler for a teen.  Now while I'd really like her to be sleeping at ground level, I'm not fighting this idea too much - because it means I get to redesign two rooms! Yay!

Unsurprisingly, I don't have any current photos of the loft so these photos from 2016 will have to suffice. Fun fact, you become more afraid of heights as you age and that has been the case with me. I can ride roller coasters no problem, but these days if you put me on a ladder, I instantly feel a sense of imbalance. Have you felt that too?  

As you can see, the loft has slanted ceilings and low walls (the right side much more slanted than the left) which will make furniture placement a challenge. It's a good sized space at 17'x12'. We currently have an IKEA sectional sofa up there and a coffee table, both of which are staying.

When designing a room, I start with the layout. Scratch that - I start with determining the function first. That's one of the things I teach in my course Room Design Simplified.

When you know how you want a room to function, you can then determine what furniture you will need to meet those functions. Once you know your furniture, you can figure your layout. And once you decide your layout, you can start shopping and decide on your decor. See? Designing a room is easy if you take it step by step.

For this loft bedroom, we had a few requirements:

- a place to sleep

- a place to lounge/sit/hang out with friends

- clothes storage

- a private place to change your clothes

- maintain access to the small storage room door on one of the short walls

Though Chloe will be watching movies or shows up here, she decided she didn't want to have a TV. She'd prefer to watch on her laptop, with her headphones on, which is actually more convenient because then her sound doesn't interfere with the sound of the living room TV which is just on the other side of the railing on the ground below.

One also important consideration was maintaining access to a small storage room on the right hand wall. The room is used for off-season storage so it needs to be accessible though we can have something in front of it, as long as its not there permanently.

Knowing those functions, I knew we had to add a dresser, bed, and dressing area to the furniture we already had. Want to see some of the layout options? 

In laying out a room, I feel you should explore all your ideas, no matter how crazy and impossible they might seem. I've had this DIY canopy bed idea stored in my memory bank for years and thought the loft might be a place to replicate it.

Having curtains around the bed would allow for two things:

1. Providing a sense of coziness in the open loft space
2. Allowing for privacy when Chloe is changing her clothes

Option 2: Loft Bedroom With Dressing Zone

Option 3: Loft Bedroom Balanced Layout

Have you ever found an image of a room on social media and wished you could instantly snap your fingers and have it appear in your home? Sadly, that's not how decorating your home works but there are lots of online home design tools, apps and sites that can make your task easier!

From creating floor plans to designing a dream room top to bottom, there are tools to help you turn your interior design ideas into reality. Yes, you can pay for interior design services from a professional but if you want something that's unique, customized, budget-friendly, and fun, why not try being your own designer?

Technology can really help you create and elevate your room designs. Whether you are terrible at design or fancy yourself an amateur interior decorator, there's a room design tool for you. I've tried many of them and I wanted to share which ones I rely on again and again to help with my furniture arrangements and decor schemes.

Best Inspiration App: Pinterest

Every great room starts with a good idea and Pinterest is the best tool for gathering those ideas. Pinterest is a quick and easy way to find visual inspiration for home design and room ideas. For those who only 'know what they like when they see it', Pinterest can help you identify design ideas that appeal to you and narrow down what elements you want in your own room.

You can group these ideas on a Pinterest board or a mood board. The click and save nature of Pinterest makes it a very simple platform to use for any type of project or any type of room. You can create boards in a way that works for you. For example, save pins by room type (kitchen, bathroom, laundry room), by category (wallpaper), by style (English cottage), or product (upholstered beds). You can even collaborate with others and share boards.

Pros:

• endless ideas and inspiration
• easy to use and organize your ideas
• quick way to identify your style preferences or hone in on a certain "look"
• can be referenced now or later for future projects

Cons:

• can be difficult to identify sources (e.g. paint or wallpaper) shown in photos
• requires lots of time spent pinning to unearth ideas that inspire you
• your boards can quickly get out of control, making it hard to find what you really want
• hard to move from inspiration to taking action in your own home

Alternatives:

• saving pages from magazines
• bookmarking or downloading images from the Internet
• saving Instagram images

Best Room Layout App: Floorplanner

As far as creating a floor plan or room layout goes, there are lots of options out there but my top choice is Floorplanner. For basic planning of a living room, bedroom, or any other room, you'll have everything you need in this room design app. 

You can start with standard room shapes or create your own. It comes with a full furniture catalog of both real furniture you can bring into your space, and generic items that you can scale or alter the dimensions of to suit your needs.

Floorplanner is a free online room layout planner but also offers some paid additional features. Industry professionals can use some of the advanced features like designing multiple floors, create unlimited number of rooms, and export high quality renderings of entire homes.

The best part of Floorplanner is its ability to translate a 2D plan into a 3D plan. I like to use the 2D view to first create the room shape and place furniture. Once I have the aerial view of the room layout looking good, I switch to 3D mode to see how the space would feel in real life. You can see how similar this 3D floor plan is to the real living room: 

You have the ability to 'walk' through your room, move objects vertically or horizontally, and assign colors and patterns to walls, floors and more. You can even move your camera/viewpoint, hide elements like walls and ceilings, and set what the view will look like outside your imaginary windows.

Floorplanner has a bit of a learning curve, but the potential is unlimited once you get the hang of it. You can change furniture and rearrange the layout with a click of your mouse. The augmented reality feature of the 3D floor plan really helps to eliminate those unknowns - you can truly get a sense of your space.

Pros:

• great all-around tool for room layout
• extensive catalog of furniture
• easy to design one or many rooms and multiple floors
• decorator feature abilities e.g. change paint colors, flooring material

Cons:

• hard to find exactly the item you want in the furniture catalog. There's too many items and no easy way to filter for things like color, shape, or size
• moving items in 3D space can be challenging
• no predesigned layouts or suggestions. It would be great if they had some AI suggested floor plans!

Alternatives: 

• Roomstyler
• Plan Your Room
• Magic Plan
• SketchUp
• AutoCAD

​Best App for Mockups: Canva

Floor planning tools are great but there's a certain level of detail that they lack. While you can use Floorplanner to identify a room layout and get a sense of the scale of furnishings relative to one another, when it comes to actually deciding which furniture and decor to buy, there's better tools out there.

Canva is my tool of choice for creating mockups. A mockup is an arrangement of pictures that showcases how the finished room will look. 

With a room mockup, you bring in the actual products you intend on purchasing to see how they look all together. The easiest way to do this is to copy images from retailer websites, place them in a Canva document, and use the background eraser tool to remove distracting elements. Ideally, you paste images taken from the same perspective or viewpoint so that when you put them together, you get a true approximation of the room.

With a mockup, you can work out very fine details such as how the selection of cabinetry, hardware, lighting, flooring, tile, and appliances will look together in your kitchen. A mockup is fantastic for bringing focus to one particular part of your larger design scheme.

Pros:

• easy to copy and paste images and remove backgrounds
• ability to layer items
• easy to use, intuitive interface

Cons:

• can't stretch or skew images to change perspective
• editing photos can be time consuming

Alternatives: 

• Photoshop
• Keynote or Powerpoint (see this video for a Keynote tutorial)

Best App for Sketching and Rendering: Procreate

Have you ever drawn out design ideas on the backs of napkins? While you can easily draw a sketch of your living room design using paper and a pen, using an app gives you the ability to alter and create different versions of your idea. 

An app like Procreate allows you to start with a blank screen and create a sketch that you can erase, rescale, and colour. You can also layer objects, allowing you to easily add or remove things from your drawing.

You can also create renderings in Procreate in just a few steps. My favourite way to use this program is to import a photo of the room and then sketch on top to change some of the design elements. 

For instance, you can outline a wall shape and fill it in with a new paint colour. You can draw in light fixtures, rugs, tables, and furniture to the existing space and see which option you like. Watch this video to see how I do that:

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A post shared by Jennifer Flores // Home decor DIY Blogger (@ramblingreno)

Pros:

• easy to create and store sketches and renderings
• can import photos as a starting point
• can draw different room variations or options quickly
• less likely to be lost than a paper napkin :)

Cons:

• $9.99 one-time cost for Procreate
• need a tablet and stylus to use the program
• a bit of a learning curve to learn how to use layers
• requires some drawing talent

Alternatives: 

• sketch book
• tracing paper
• Photoshop

Online Interior Design Course for Home Enthusiasts

Even with all these tools though, a great room design doesn't just happen. To truly make your home beautiful, you need a design that reflects your style, functions for the way you live, and can be brought to life within your budget! Room Design Simplified can help you create that room.

I take an approach to interior design and decorating that is different from most designers influencers out there. I don't believe you need to be artistic or creative or have a designer's eye. I don't believe that only those with natural design talent can create beautiful rooms.

Room Design for Homeowners

With the right process, anyone can design a room they love and Room Design Simplified gives you the step-by-step process you need. Here's just some of the questions this online self-paced course can help you answer:

I believe that homeowners who struggle with design can create beautiful rooms - they just need a process to guide them. Think of Room Design Simplified like a recipe for home design. Plus, I provide specific technical training on how to use room decorator apps I mentioned - Floorplanner, Canva, and Pinterest - for your designs.

Could you use a process like that? Sign up today.

Do you have any home projects planned for this summer? Tackling a home renovation project is an exciting process, but it can also be overwhelming and time-consuming. From managing budgets and tracking expenses to coordinating contractors and staying on top of timelines, there are lots of details to juggle. Thankfully, there's a solution that can transform your renovation experience and ensure a smooth and successful outcome: the renovation planner. 

As someone who has been decorating, DIYing, and renovating her homes over the last 15 years, I can tell you that having a good renovation planner can make all the difference in your project's success. For first-time renovators to seasoned homeowners, a planner is key to making your renovation journey stress-free and enjoyable... and I'm excited to tell you about the easy renovation planner I've created just for you!

What is a renovation planner?

First of all, let me explain what a renovation planner is. A renovation planner is a comprehensive tool designed to simplify the entire renovation process. It serves as a blueprint, guiding you through each stage of your project, from initial design ideas to the final finishing touches. With its structured layout, a renovation planner template provides a systematic approach to managing all aspects of your home improvement projects.

Whether you're planning a new kitchen, a small bathroom renovation, or a quick DIY bedroom makeover, a planner can help you keep track of every aspect of your renovation project, from the initial design to the final finishing touches. You can use it to set goals, make to-do lists, keep on top of your renovation budget, and so much more. Often you'll find renovation planners in paper form as a printable document, a simple free version download, or as a multi-page digital product like an Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheets file.

Easy Renovation Planner

After countless home renovation projects, I've come to discover that there are certain pieces of information that are useful for each and every project. Each project will have a scope and tasks. Each renovation will have a budget. There will be an allocation of resources, time, and money. There will be sources for products and contractors and suppliers.

You need this basic information whether you're doing a full home renovation or just updating your living room. The best way to easily manage your renovation is to have all of this information in one handy spot, so I've put on my nerdy spreadsheet-loving project manager hat and done just that. 

I'd like to introduce you to the Renovation Planner, a 10-worksheet Google Sheets file designed to keep your home improvement project on track.

One of my favorite things about this digital planner is that it's customizable. You can choose the pages that work best for your specific project. You can fill out the information that's relevant and make changes and adjustments as you go along. You can update it in real time and see progress on your tasks and utilization of your budget.

But a renovation planner is more than just a powerful tool; it's a vital component for ensuring success of your remodeling projects.

Six Reasons You Need a Renovation Planner:

1. Helps You Stay Organized

Starting a renovation project without a solid plan in place can lead to chaos and confusion. Without a clear roadmap to the home of your dreams, it becomes challenging to keep track of tasks, timelines, and budgets. This may result in missed deadlines, overlooked details, and unexpected costs, not to mention unnecessary stress which can affect the overall quality of your renovation.

Identify Tasks and Requirements

The Renovation Planner helps you stay organized by providing a clear roadmap of what needs to be done, who will do it, and when it needs to be completed. With a planner, you can stay in control of the planning process and ensure that everything is accounted for. By breaking down a large project like a kitchen remodel into smaller, manageable tasks, the planner enables you to prioritize and tackle them in a logical sequence. This helps you stay focused and ensures that nothing falls through the cracks.

You can also the planner to note critical information that you will no doubt need in the future. Things like what paint colors were used in the bedroom, or the email address of the interior designer, can be referred to again and again.

Track Project Scope, Timeline and Budget

Additionally, the planner template allows you to set realistic timelines for each task, helping you stay on schedule and avoid delayed delivery times. With clear deadlines, you can allocate your time and resources efficiently, ensuring continual progress on your renovation plans. The budgeting aspect of the planner also helps you keep tabs on your expenses. You can allocate funds to different aspects of the renovation, monitor costs, and make adjustments as needed.

2. Saves You Money

A renovation planner can save you money by helping you manage your finances and plan your renovation project effectively. Setting a realistic budget and sticking to it is crucial. Without proper budgeting and expense tracking, costs can quickly spiral out of control but with a planner, you can avoid unforeseen expenses and delays and identify cost-saving opportunities. The clear organization a planner provides empowers you to make informed financial decisions and prevent overspending.

Setting A Budget

To begin with, the Renovation Planner template guides you through the process of setting a realistic budget. I've made this task easier by pre-populating the worksheets with potential expenses, including materials, labor costs, permits, and any unexpected contingencies. You can easily see how much money is designated for each aspect of the renovation.

Monitor Expenses

The template's budgeting section makes it easy to track expenses. You can record and monitor all financial transactions, including the timing and terms of vendor payments. In addition, built-in calculation functions automatically sum up your expenses, making it easier to keep a running total of your project costs. This eliminates the need for manual calculations and reduces the chances of errors or miscalculations.

3. Makes project tracking easy

The Renovation Planner template goes beyond just basic task lists and includes specific features that enhance project organization and streamline your renovation journey. Some of the features include:

a. Task tracking: A list of all the tasks involved in your renovation. You can assign an end date to each task and responsible parties, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

b. Budget breakdown and expense tracking: With both simple and detailed budget templates ready for your input, you can allocate funds to different categories. Visual budget summary charts and expense tracking tools enable you to record cost estimates and monitor your spending.

c. Supplier and contractor management: The planner includes sections to record and organize important contact information for suppliers and contractors. This ensures that you have all the necessary details readily available, making communication and coordination more efficient.

d. Purchase requirements and sourcing: Pre-populated shopping lists and easy to use checkmark boxes allow you to see your project requirements at a glance. You can compare and price shop from different suppliers to ensure you stay within budget.

4. Fosters communication

The home renovation process can involve many different players, from interior designers and architects to plumbers and contractors. Effective communication is an important aspect of a successful renovation project. It builds understanding, minimizes guesswork, and ensures that everyone involved is on the same page. A lack of clear communication can lead to delays, costly errors, and unnecessary frustration.

You can store project-related information in your planner and make it accessible to your contractors and suppliers. Use a planner to outline your goals, tasks, and schedule, providing a clear roadmap for the renovation. Share this information to ensure that everyone understands your project's objectives and requirements from the start.

5. Helps you manage resources

The home renovation planner can also help you optimize resource allocation and utilization, ensuring that the right resources are available at the right time and in the right quantities.You can use the digital file to estimate material requirements based on your project scope and specific tasks. Managing labor (yours or contractors or suppliers) is also simplified as the template allows for recording work hours, tasks completed, and associated costs.

6. Reduces stress

One of the primary sources of stress during a renovation is the overwhelming amount of tasks and deadlines to manage. The Renovation Planner helps alleviate this stress by providing a structured approach to task management. You can break down your kitchen renovation or basement remodel plans into smaller, manageable tasks and set realistic deadlines for each. By having a clear roadmap and prioritized task list, you can reduce stress and stay organized throughout the entire project.

In conclusion, if you're planning a home renovation or DIY project, I highly recommend checking out the Renovation Planner. It's easy to use, customizable, and can make a big difference in the success of your project. With a clear plan, efficient task management, and quick access to information, you can navigate your renovation journey with greater ease and confidence.