Make Your House Spooktacular This Halloween

By Forschler's

October has come fast and Halloween will be here before you know it. Get ready for a frightfully good time by prepping the house early so you can celebrate in style. 

Decorate inside and out

Make your house “spooktacular!” Surprise trick-or-treaters on your doorstep with thrilling decorations, homemade or store bought. Here’s a perfect opportunity to get the kids involved. For example, transform your front yard into a haunted graveyard. Headstones can be set up with bones laid out and zombies placed so they look like they’re creeping up out of the ground. Put green, orange and purple lights on the bushes. Position spiders on the house and set spotlights on them. Stretch sprawling webs across the shrubs, doorway and shutters for a haunted effect. Scarecrows are fun to set up too!

Trick out the inside

Here's an example on how to set up a spooky Halloween party at the kitchen counter or dining table.

Make plans

You can also involve the kids with a craft project like making a bunch of cheesecloth that can be hung around the house. Wrap the banisters with Halloween style garland. Add lights if you dare. Clear off the mantle, tabletops, bookcase or the top of the entertainment center and decorate with Halloween accents like ceramic pumpkins, lighted haunted houses and animated spooks.

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Let’s Make Columbus Day An Exploring Day!

By Forschler's

When Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492, his voyage was an adventure even though it lasted for days! Today, some states do not have any formal celebrations, others do not consider Columbus Day as a national holiday. What exactly happens on that day?

In some states, special church services, parades and large events are held to commemorate the landing. Yet, Columbus Day has become a great time to explore the adventures of life!  Many  stores have great sales, making it a great shopping day!  How are you spending your Columbus Day?

Whether you decide to relax at home or go shopping, we just have one piece of advice for you: be an explorer!

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5 Materials That Can Make Your House Look Trendy This Fall

By Forschler's

Leaves are falling and nights are getting chilly; these are the cue to autumn! So it is time to invite fall indoors and create a warmth atmosphere at home while enjoying sunset hues from your windows. Certainly, we all have started to cozy up at home but how could we bring comfort into our house during this season?  With sensory and tactile materials that will make our house look trendy!

Here are our 5 trendy materials that can set up a perfect fall atmosphere in house:

1. Wood. Even If you do not have hardwood floor you can still add some rustic accents in your living room!

2. Wool. Worsted or knit, wool is a natural décor fabric for this sweater chilly season. Woolen rugs under a coffee table, throws or pillows can make a great difference on a couch.

3. Velvet fabrics. Have a craving touch for velvet!

4. Ceramics. Get pumpkin center table on your dining room to stay in the fall mood.

5. Our final trendy touchy material is animal fur leather!

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Time To Eat Smarter This Fall

By Forschler's

School’s in session and that means the daily ritual of filling the lunchbox is in full swing. Now might be the perfect time to reevaluate not only what you’re packing but what you’re packing it in.

Did You Know?

Over 20 million sandwich baggies are sent to our landfills every year, and each one takes between 500 to 1,000 years to break down

Americans throw away more than 60 million plastic water bottles per day

It’s as easy as 1-2-3 to find eco-friendly lunchbox alternatives that are safe for our kids and our planet.

Step 1 – Use BPA free, non-toxic containers and reusable baggies to fill their lunchbox with goodies they’re sure to love

Make this the year you stop throwing away all those plastic baggies. Invest just once in reusable products and save yourself money and guilt for years to come. Try getting a set for every member of the family and have fun packing your lunches together. Make sure you’re getting dishwasher safe products to make clean up easy and effective.

Bento Boxes

Metal lunchbox inserts

Fabric sandwich and snack baggies

Silicone food pouches

 Step 2 – Mix it up! Start with deconstructing the sandwich

Sandwiches are OK in a pinch, but why not try putting something a little different in their lunch box this year? Pare the sandwich down to its essential elements and roll, wrap or chop them up in style! Mix and match foods to create fun shapes and combos that’ll have them emptying their lunchboxes in record time.

Homemade wraps

Sushi rolls

Lettuce wraps

Crackers and cheese

Apple slices and peanut butter

Veggies and dips

Noodle salad

Laughing Cow cheese

Fun fruit shapes using cookie cutters

Frozen bananas sliced and sandwiched with peanut or almond butter

Yogurt parfaits

Mini muffins/quiches

French toast points/mini pancakes with fresh berries

Step 3 – Drink Fix. Smart solutions to the water bottle crisis

Be the first cool parent to make the switch to eco-friendly reusable water bottles. It’s the easiest and most practical way to show kids how much you care about the planet and their future. With so many varieties to choose from, let everyone in your family pick out the one that reflects their unique personality.

Stainless steel water bottle

Collapsible water bottle

Fruit infuser water bottles

Content provided by: +Tailbase & Ashley Furniture

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ALL YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AREA RUGS

By Forschler's

It’s amazing how much an area rug can transform a room. If you’re looking to roll out big style—for a modest outlay of cash—opting for an area rug is a good way to go. When shopping for the right area rug, choose one that’s roughly the same shape as the accompanying furniture. Cluster the furniture around it or on top of it, place a table, desk or bed at its center—and you’re good to go!

Why are area rugs so great? Because area rugs…

Tie together a room’s color scheme. An area rug works as well, if not better, than art or throw pillows to unify your color schemes.

Anchor furniture. Area rugs make a room look connected and cohesive. In living rooms and family rooms, use an area rug that’s big enough to fit under the front legs of your furniture. If it’s too small to do that, center the rug under your coffee table. 

Are inexpensive “artwork.” Bringing color and graphical elements into a room, area rugs help create a dynamic gathering place. Certain area rugs, such as handwoven style rugs, can also be hung on a large wall, at a fraction of the price of large-scale artwork. 

Add warm, comfort and safety. Especially if you have solid-surface floors, such as hardwood, concrete or tile, you can appreciate the cushy relief area rugs bring to your space.

Work everywhere. Be it in the living room, bedroom or dining room, area rugs feel right at home. As a rule of thumb; use an area rug under the largest piece, or group of furniture, in a room to anchor the space.

Absorb sound. Especially when accompanied by an ample rug pad, area rugs do a wonderful job of buffering noise.

Move with you. Wall-to-wall carpeting might be there to stay, but area rugs are all yours to take with you should you relocate.

While machine-made rugs are the most common today, there are plenty of handwoven options that can include everything from precious oriental rugs to affordable jute styles.

A bit about area rug materials:

Synthetic rugs are mostly made from petroleum products. They’re popular for their colorful designs, durability and low price.

Wool rugs offer a step up with their remarkably soft, plush feel. Most are hand-tufted, with loops of yarn punched into a cloth, backed with latex and then sheared to produce a cut-pile surface. It’s completely normal for wool area rugs to shed a little when they’re brand new.

Jute rugs are another natural fiber area rug. These are usually handwoven. Though associated with more relaxed/casual settings, they’re a designer favorite in many interiors today because they add texture, lie flat and are easy to maintain.

Tips for keeping your area rug as good as new:

• Purchase a rug pad to reduce movement on the floor and prevent rug wear.
• Vacuum regularly to reduce dirt accumulation.
• Blot spills immediately. Avoid saturation with water. 
• Rotate occasionally to reduce the effects of traffic and sunlight.

Content provided by: +Tailbase & Ashley Furniture 

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Choosing The Right Dining Table

By Forschler

The dining room is a great and memorable place in one’s home. No one can deny that the dining table is a meeting point, where friends and family come together over a bountiful meal to catch up, share stories and even jokes. So everyone needs a dining table in their house!

There are countless styles of dining tables; they come in many different shapes and sizes.  How do you choose the right one? Here are some tips to help you select the right one:

Space

You should choose a table that will fit your space and give you enough seating when hosting. Here are a few measurements guidelines to keep in mind before getting your table:

Allow 24″ between the table and the wall to let people easily sit down and get up from the table. Also, allocate 38″ if people are going to walk behind the table. 

When setting the table, outline 24″ for each place setting to let people sit comfortably without hitting elbows.

Size

Think about your crowd. You should consider with whom you will be using the table: small family or/and large guest groups. Although a small table saves some space, the larger it gets, the harder it becomes to reach for platters.  If you choose to go big on the table, then go small on the seating!

Most tables come with additional leaves that you add or take off as you wish. Therefore, you can even choose a small table and accommodate a larger group whenever you have guests coming.

When looking to take up less room in your dining space, a bench on one side of your table is also a great option, because you can place it under the table until the next time you entertain. 

Shape

Go Rectangular! Since most dining rooms are rectangular, there is no doubt that rectangular –shaped tables are the most common. It is also a great shape for big gatherings, as you can seat at least six people. 

The square table is useful in a small or medium room that enables you to sit 4 people. When it comes to special occasions with a bigger crowd, you can always place two tables together to make a rectangular one! 

Consider a round table for a small and cozy room. It is the best shape for a small group of 3-4 people or more.  Since it has no corners, you can usually fit more people around it, especially if it is a pedestal table which allows for more legroom.

An oval table is similar to a rectangular-shaped table in terms of seating arrangements. Yet, it takes less space visually because of the rounded corners. 

Remember the “3S” tips Space, Size and Shape when choosing your dining table!

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Let's Bite Into Apple This Fall Season!

By Forschler's

Be it the shiny apple Mom routinely packed in your lunch box or fond memories of your great aunt’s famous apple pie, fall’s favorite fruit is a slice of nostalgia.

Simply delicious, apples offer a golden opportunity for culinary magic. Can you believe there are more than 7,500 apple varieties worldwide? Talk about mass appeal. With their cornucopia of color—from ruby red and mellow yellow to lime green—apples tempt with various tastes and textures, from crisp and tart, to subtle and sweet.

 Eye the Right Apple

Some apples are perfectly yummy right off the tree. Others hold up wonderfully in pies, crisps and baked goodies. A slice of advice from the experts:

Best for eating out of hand: Braeburn, Cameo, Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, McIntosh.

Best for apple pies, crisps, etc: Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Jonathan, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Newtown Pippin, Winesap

Tip: Pies and crisps, especially, call for sweet-tart, firmer apples that hold their shape and flavor in the oven. To mellow a tarter apple (e.g., Granny Smiths), try more than one apple variety in your pie.

Best for caramel apples: Tart Granny Smith apples have become the standard since they counter sweet caramel. Some folks find them a little too sour. Try the same apples recommended for pies for your caramel apples

Frown on Brown Apples 

Yes it’s true, brushing on lemon juice does keep sliced apples from browning, as do other citrus fruits such as lime, orange and pineapple. To avoid any hint of citrus taste, soak apple slices in apple juice until ready to serve. Another option: Mix two tablespoons honey and one cup water. Soak apple slices in mixture for 30 seconds.

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Fall Into The Apple Season With Delicious Recipes

By Forschler's 

What a great season that is the fall! When the leaves turn into beautiful warm colors, it’s time for the last harvests and delicious fruits and veggies are ready to be picked. One of the most popular among them is the apple. It is highly unlikely that someone doesn’t like this crispy fruit! That’s why we propose 3 delicious apple recipes:

Old Fashioned Apple Pie:

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

Pie Dough

12 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

¾ cup of sugar (plus additional for pie top)

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 ½ teaspoons of cinnamon

½ teaspoon of nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 large egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly flour the working surface.

Roll out pie dough into two 1/8-inch-thick circles (diameter should be slightly larger than that of an 11-inch plate).

Press one pastry circle into the pie plate. Place the other circle on waxed paper, and cover with plastic wrap. Put all pastry in the fridge until firm (about 30 minutes).

In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon zest and juice, spices, and flour.

Toss well. Spoon apples into pie pan. Dot with butter, and cover with remaining pastry circle.

Cut several steam vents (about 3 little holes) across top.

Seal by crimping edges as desired.

Brush with beaten egg, and sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake until crust is brown and juices are bubbling (about 1 hour).

Let cool on wire rack before serving.

Apple Chips:

INGREDIENTS

4 Apples

2 tablespoons of sugar

½ tablespoon of Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Slice apples into ⅙" approximately (use a mandolin for better result).

Place apple slices in a single layer on a sheet pan fitted with parchment paper.

Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

Bake in the oven for 1½ hours.

Flip them over to make the other side crispy as well.

Bake for 1 more hour

Turn oven off and leave the apple slices inside for a few more hours or overnight

When they are ready, if you didn’t eat them all, place the slices in a zip top bag

Raisin bread and apple grilled-cheese:

INGREDIENTS

½ cup of cream cheese

2 teaspoons of honey

4 tablespoons (½ stick) of butter (room temperature)

8 slices cinnamon raisin bread

1 Granny Smith or other firm apple, cored and thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons of brown sugar

In a small bowl, whip the cheese and honey together until it’s well combined and fluffy.

Heat the panini-press to medium-high heat.

Spread butter on two slices of bread to flavor the outside of the sandwich.

Flip over both slices of bread and spread 1 tablespoon sweetened cheese on each.

Top one slice of bread with a layer of apples and close the sandwich with the other slice, buttered side up. Sprinkle some brown sugar on top.

Grill two sandwiches at a time, with the lid closed, until the fillings are warmed and the bread is toasted, with a sweet crust (about 3 to 5 minutes).

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