Make That House Into A Home

Does your apartment feel like your home yet? We have four great tips to help you get that homey feeling that you are looking for. Lighting, artowrk, and a few other things will help you achieve your goals. Read this blog and get excited about coming home! You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.


The Right Lighting: Lighting is one of the quickest ways to change the feeling of a room. If you are only using your overhead lights, you are missing an important part of the equation. By having different levels and placement, you can create an atmosphere that's comfortable and cozy for guests to relax in.


Well-Chosen Artwork: What you have on the wall should reflect who you are, what you like, and what makes you happy every day. The artist or the source is less important than how it makes you feel. Plus, artwork adds a different layer to your walls — color and interest. Don't forget that non-traditional things can be stand in for art as well. When framed and/or put in a place of honor, an instrument, postage stamps, or shoes also show your personality.


Fill It With People: The most important thing in the home are the memories you create while living there. If you work at all hours of the night, and only return home to sleep, then those warm fuzzy feelings about your abode are few and far between. Similarly, open your doors to others and invite them to share your space.


Personalized Details: All of us have lived in boring, blank boxes at some point — whether it’s a dorm room, or a standard builder-grade home, that aren’t perfect, might be temporary, or are just we were are at that moment in our lives. Even with standard and predictable finishes, it’s easy to tweak your space enough to make it reflect your personal taste. If you are renting, stick to swapping out hardware or painting furniture. These needn’t be large massive changes, but small tweaks and choices that make you smile and feel good about where you are.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving with your friends and family!

The Perfect Apple Pie

What is your favorite holiday dessert? We love baking apple pies!  However, baking a pie to have it fall apart is something that no one wants to experience.  We have gathered five baking tips to make the perfect apple pie every time.  You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.



1. Using the wrong variety of apple.

When choosing apples for your pie, keep in mind that all apples were not created equal. Just because your favorite apple variety is perfect for eating out of hand, doesn't necessarily mean it's the best choice when it comes to making pie. Certain apple varieties, as well as overripe fruit, will break down quite a lot during baking, leaving you with mushy pie filling.


→ Follow this tip: Choose your apples with care. The best apples for baking provide a nice blend of sweet-tart flavor, and hold their shape well under high heat. Some of the best varieties for baking include, Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, and Honeycrip. It's also nice to use a blend of apples to vary the taste and texture of the filling.

2. Not chilling the pie dough.

Nothing beats tender, flaky pie crust. And, there's one key to making this happen every single time - chilling your pie dough. This step is important for two reasons — it re-solidifies the butter, and allows also the gluten to relax and de-activate. Not taking time to rest and chill the dough will result in pie crust that's tough and more likely to shrink during baking.


→ Follow this tip: When making pie crust, keeping it cold is the rule to live by, starting with using cold butter to prepare the dough. After making the dough divide it into two equal portions (assuming you're making a double-crust pie), form it into disks, cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Then, chill the dough again after its been rolled and placed in the pie dish, before filling it. Also consider popping your fully assembled pie in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes before putting it on the oven.
3. Not using egg wash.

This last little step before the pie goes into the oven is so easy to overlook. Skipping this is also one of my pet peeves when it comes to double-crusted pie. Again, it's a small step and it doesn't affect the taste of the pie, so much as it affects its appearance. But, that's equally as important! Egg wash gives the pie crust a nice golden brown color and beautiful, glossy sheen.


→ Follow this tip: Whisk together 1 egg, plus 1 tablespoon of cream or milk, then brush over the top layer of dough once the pie is completely assembled.

4. Not pre-baking your pumpkin pie crust.

If you've got plans to bake a pumpkin pie, or any other custard-based pie, take note, because this is crucial. This step is also known as blind baking, and requires that the bottom crust be partially baked before the filling is added. Skip this and you'll find yourself with an soggy, under-baked pie crust that's totally inedible.


→ Follow this tip: Blind baking is necessary when making a custard pie, like pumpkin, and when the pie filling doesn't get baked.

5. Cracked pumpkin pie.

Have you ever taken a perfect-looking pumpkin pie out of the oven, only to have the center cracked once the pie cools? This is the result of overcooking. Even though the pie may not looked overcooked when it comes out of the oven, residual heat continues to cook the dessert, and the overcooked eggs are the cause of the crack.


→ Follow this tip: Remove the pie from the oven as soon as the filling sets, but before it completely firms up.

Tips For Cleaning Brushes

How many makeup brushes do you have?  Did you know it is important to clean these brushes to prevent bacteria from forming?  This task is often overlooked.  However, if you you keep your brushes clean it can help with clear skin everyday.  You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

What You Need

Materials

• Castile soap or organic baby shampoo
• Hydrogen Peroxide (optional)
• Warm water

Tools

• Glass or small bowl
• Clean cloth or paper towel

Instructions

1. Whether or not your brush looks clean, the bristles are porous and are more than likely harboring bacteria and oils that you won't want on your face. Before mixing the solution, wipe your brush off with a dry cloth. You'll be surprised how much makeup you can remove with this simple step.

2. Add a few drops of castile soap or baby shampoo to a bowl of warm water. I used Dr. Bronner's unscented baby-mild castile soap which is fragrance free and contains double the amount of olive oil, perfect for my sensitive skin. At this point you can also add hydrogen peroxide to the solution as an anti-bacterial.

3. Gently swish the brush around in the mixture. You may allow the brush to sit in the solution for up to ten minutes.

4. Remove the brush from the solution and wipe down a clean rag to remove any excess moisture from the brush.

5. Reshape the brush and lay flat to dry.