​Fall is upon us and as the weather gets cooler and the leaves turn bright colors it's time to start adjusting your interior decorating to help you feel cozy! There is outside prep to do to a home as well, but focusing on the inside is where the decorating can help to make the living space inviting for all.  

The first thing that comes to mind for warm and inviting is the fireplace. Candles on and around the mantel are a nice addition, maybe in a leaf holder or create mason jar candles with leaves. Any fall colors like shades of orange, brown, yellow, green or red can make a place feel cozy. A vase with berries, twigs or leaves in it has a nice fall feel.  Rustic garland, with some greens, leaves, and burlap for example would be a lovely decoration across the fireplace. 

Decorating for holidays this fall is also a fun way to enjoy the season. Halloween is fast approaching and then Thanksgiving will be next. Pumpkins are perfect for both holidays and look nice to add to your decorating theme. Pinecones are another popular decoration for fall and can be used in many different arrangements. 

According to home staging expert Tori Toth, author of Feel at Home: Home staging secrets for a quick and easy sell, painting, updating the floors and replacing light fixtures are the few things that make a home sell fastest. She claims that, "Paint can instantly update a tired old space and make it look, feel, and smell like new again – especially if the walls were covered in wallpaper."  
If you're stuck on what color to update to, we'll go over some common rooms and suggestions that work regardless of furniture, and layout.
The foyer is an important part of the house because this gives guests the first impression. Sherwin Williams has a great color selection that we'll be choosing from. This first one is a nice greige option, where you can go lighter or darker. I've chosen the lighter shade so as not to make the entry feel confined. You can find this color here.

The next room to paint in your home is the study, or living room, depending on your home floor plan. It's not a very large room and may or may not be separated with  french doors. This is perfect for a dark gray color. It is very versatile because it goes with whites, blacks and even darker wood colors. Usually this is a room that doesn't get used too often so the darker color is not overwhelming yet it is sophisticated. You can find this color here.

Most people produce trash on a daily basis - okay, pretty much everyone. In your home there are certain items that when you are ready to throw them away you need to take into account the proper way to do so. This is one way to care for our environment and some things can be harmful; HHW stands for harmful household waste and should not be thrown in your home trash. In this blog post I'll share with you 5 things that need special attention.

Paint
Water-based latex paint-
For large amounts, combine this with absorbent materials like sand or cat litter. once it's dried out you can dispose of at your home. Small amounts will usually dry just by leaving the lid off. The other option is to purchase paint hardener, which you can find at your local home improvement store.
Oil-based paint-
This is considered a HHW and must be trashed at a local facility for this type of item. There will be a free collection for Berks County residents on October 24, 2015 at FirstEnergy Stadium, Rt. 61, Reading, Pa.


Batteries
This is probably the most complicated one because there are many different types of batteries. Button cell batteries (the ones you put in watches, etc.) need to be recycled and if you get the battery replaced somewhere they will usually recycle it for you.  All states except CA allow single-use alkaline batteries to go in the household trash. Most recycling facilities accept them. If they are rechargeable batteries you must recycle them- Best Buy will take any less than 10lbs, and laptop, cellphone and battery backups.  ​

Right now I'm sitting at my desk situated next to a window in my living room. The sunlight is important to me so I make sure to have as much as possible while working. The rest of my living room is decorated in a way that tells about me with quotes like, "life is a journey not a destination." There's about 10 plants around the room, and a purple (my favorite color) power wall where my TV is. 

The point is, our home is our safe haven. Everyone's home is different, and that is cool. Maybe decorating is something that you've put a lot of thought into or maybe your decorating is a little bit of this and that from gifts, or maybe someone else in the house decorates. Whatever the case, your environment impacts your day to day feelings and activities whether you realize it or not. Here's 3 tips to help you be more conscious of what's in your space.