As far as home things go, this month is shaping up to be a tough one for me in the heart department. As though it weren’t enough to be saying goodbye to my childhood home, which is now on the market, I also moved out of my all-time favorite apartment in Manhattan as my twin sister moved in with her long-term beau. To be clear, I couldn’t be happier for all parties involved: My parents are moving on to the next phase and building a brand-new home for their retirement, my sister is exploring the joys of decorating with the man she loves and I get to outfit a new, (but still technically very old) apartment in the neighborhood, and we all know how I feel about that. So, fun, new beginnings all around, yes, but as a girl with somewhat of a sentimental streak and a real connection to “home”, the changes do bring about a few moments of pause. Never again will I live with my twin sister on the same street where my parents got engaged, in the apartment that has hints of my Dad’s handiwork all over it, from the paint to the spackle, to a small print he had in his first apartment. Numbered are the days I have left in the house where I lost my first tooth, welcomed and said goodbye to a beloved pet, and journeyed out for preschool and prom. Yes, leaving places is a part of life and I’m not devastated by any means, but I do associate both places with some of my very dearest memories, so I have to ask: Do you have a home or homes that you remember most fondly of all the places you’ve lived? Do you have specific memories that always come to mind when you look back? –Sarah C.

Moving into a smaller home made one thing immediately clear to us: we were overdue for a garage sale. So, as we unpacked our way-too-many boxes of stuff this January, we started a “for sale” pile and waited and waited for a sunny spring weekend. We got our wish a few weeks ago, making over $200 and clearing out some much-needed space in the process. All that was left was one box of small things that we donated. I’d call that a huge success. If you, too, are buried in things you no longer need or want, here’s what worked for us (and what we learned for the next one):

Use Craigslist – Look up other garage/yard sale ads to see what the typical hours are for sales in your area (we went with 9-3, and I think we could have ended by 2). Once that’s set, put your own ad on Craigslist by mid-week and then follow up with another one the night before the sale. Include a list of what you have; pictures are a bonus. If you have anything from Pottery Barn, mention it. A lot of people specifically asked where the Pottery Barn stuff was as soon as they arrived.

Get small bills — Most people pay with the $20 bills they get from the ATM. I got $60 of $5s and $1s, and that still wasn’t enough.

Price things in advance — There’s always room for negotiation (and, believe me, most people will try), but I think buyers appreciate seeing price tags. And, if you have a lot of stuff for sale, so will you.

Make street signs — We live near a busy intersection and put up big signs with arrows on both streets. As my husband was nailing one of the signs up, he saw drivers taking last-minute turns down our road as soon as they spotted it.

Find that old fanny pack — Or, to be a little more stylish, wear a cute apron with pockets. The sale can get busy, and you’ll want to keep your cash close.

Make $1 or $0.50 bins for the little doo-dads — Surprisingly, people seemed to like sifting through those bargain bins, like they were going to find a hidden treasure.

Don’t expect big-ticket items to sell — People are looking for a deal. Our patio set and nice dining room chairs garnered very few looks, so we sold them on Craigslist instead.

Hang those cute baby clothes – They drew oohs and ahhs, and I got more for them than if I sold them to a consignment shop.

Garage sale veterans, please add your own tips in the comments. And happy decluttering, everyone! –Ginny F.

Sign and photo by Flickr user hauntlove

Related: How do you feel about yard sales?

These Lego walls we spotted at SwissMiss may be the most amazing wall treatment for a kids’ room ever. EVER!

Camping out this long weekend? Before you head out, make sure you read Serious Eats’ 25 great camping recipes for some campfire-friendly nosh.

It’s a map, a mural and a corkboard: see how to make one of these cork world map murals at Craft.

Lifehacker lives up to its name yet again, by solving a problem brilliantly and inexpensively: mount paint cans as coat hooks to store scarves, gloves and other items.

So, yeah, chalkboard paint has kinda jumped the shark, but we can’t help be a bit smitten by this chalkboard painted dresser spotted at Style Files. The organizational possibilities!

Hit the beach in high style: beautiful beach towels — and lots of them — at CasaSugar.

Potlucks everywhere are wishing they had a tray of these Japanese seven spice deviled eggs at Coconut and Lime. Make them… and FedEx us some too, please!

We’ll be taking Monday off in honor of Memorial Day, so everyone enjoy the long weekend — hopefully filled with sunshine, good friends, and good times!

If you recall, I wasn’t revealing the source of my brownie recipe for entering my company’s bake-off. Well, now it can be told: I used Bake It in a Cake’s recipe for Fran’s Salted Caramel Brownie Bites, and I walked away with People’s Choice — enough votes to put me in the running for my company’s bake-off finale! Yay! I received compliments all day long on this recipe, which even tempted the strict dieters to sample a bite or two. I did modify it slightly, though, so be sure to read on before you try it yourself! — Mary T. (more…)

Memorial weekend marks the official start of grilling season, and for me, that means one thing: HOT DOGS. There’s just something about them — I couldn’t rightly enjoy summer without one. Veggie, turkey, polish, or kosher beef, one thing’s certain — everyone likes them a particular way. Often, that varies by region, like my current crush the Seattle dog (with cream cheese, grilled onions & cabbage, and a dash of Sriracha), or the famous Chicago-style dog (pictured above). Hot dog lovers represent! Do you dare to put ketchup on a dog, or are you strictly mustard? Will you be grilling up a batch for your holiday BBQ? — Megan B.

Chicago dog photo courtesy of Flickr user midiman.

It’s no secret we’re coffee lovers here at Shelterrific. So why would the fathers in our lives be any different? (Actually, my dad never touched the stuff, preferring Diet Coke.) So I’ve gathered up a handful of groovy gadgets and gift ideas for those java enthusiasts on your shopping list — most under $50 (with the exception of #1).
Click for my picks, after the jump! (more…)

Leave it to the Swiss to come up with a summer staple you can easily whip up for backyard brunches, showers and picnics. When hunting for menu ideas for a mid-morning baby shower I threw a few weeks ago, my half-Swiss co-host thought her birchermüesli (pronounced beer-ker-mew-slee) would be a nice addition to all the croissants, tarts and quiches we planned to buy at a local bakery. To be honest, I wasn’t 100% sure what it was, but the word alone sure sounded yummy. (Anything with an umlaut automatically tastes good, doesn’t it?) In plain English, it’s simply fresh fruit mixed with soaked oatmeal, which gives it a bit of substance and makes it more of a meal. — Ginny F.
Click for the oh-so-simple recipe after the jump! (more…)

I have to admit that I own a lot of interior design books. A lot. It’s a little bit frightening, really. So it’s really something when a book crosses my path that exceeds expectations. When I picked up Kelly Hoppen Interiors, I was expecting another coffee table book, packed with gorgeous photos of unattainable spaces, very little text, and plenty of eye candy. I was right about the eye candy, but the rest was epically off the mark.

Kelly Hoppen is a designer known for her love of neutrals and clean lines (her spare style recently landed her on Architectural Digest’s Top 100 Designers list), an aesthetic that could easily become predictable (or even boring) in the wrong hands. But Hoppen manages to keep her interiors looking fresh, unique, and even warm, without a trace of color or clutter (two easy tricks for upping the cozy quotient in a space).

Instead of letting the photos do all the work, Hoppen has made this book a true “how to,” packing it with tips, techniques and tools to help you emulate a bit of her signature style. Broken up by rooms (even halls, staircases and corridors each get their own chapter), each section contains photos of various projects, complete with copious notes about the hows and whys of each room, and checklists packed with tips to help with everything from laying out a space to the best lighting schemes for each room. The result is a book that manages to make you feel that the inspiring looks are actually attainable, which is a true feat in the world of interior design tomes. –Becki S.

I don’t know how I caught the bug, but two years ago I started grilling and I haven’t looked back. And of course, summer is THE time to rev up the BBQ, invite some friends over, and get cooking! Before I kick off the season I usually try out a few delicious marinade recipes to get my grilling-chops up to speed. A little trial and error helps me figure out exactly how far ahead, or intensely, to marinade meats and veggies. Then, I take the fruits of my labor to lunch in the form of wraps, salads, mixed with rice … such delicious treats to spice up my workday. Here are a few of my favorite marinades you can try for yourself:
- Thai chicken bbq. I use thighs instead of wings.
- Grilled sweet potatoes and scallion salad
- Brick chicken. I make this on a grill instead of in the oven, with a brick covered in foil
- Balsamic grilled vegetables.

Enjoy, and add to the list in comments! — Rebecca F.

Photo credit: Rebecca Firlik

Every time I go to my mailbox, I find myself aggravated with the amount of junk mail that comes my way. From prescreened credit card offers to catalogs I never asked for, my mailbox is usually filled with little more than wasted trees. I always say I’m going to do something about it, but the motivation is replaced with a mental fatigue spurred by the assumption that figuring out how to stop the assault from various sources will amount to no more than a colossal hassle with unreliable results. Well, there’s nothing like moving to a new place to spur an organizational renaissance, and while changing my address I decided to confront the beast head on. Great news! Taming the junk mail dragon is as easy as making a few simple calls. Here’s how:

To stop prescreened credit card offers: Call 888-567-8688. Answering a few simple questions will stop the mailers that arrive as a result of information obtained by the main consumer credit reporting companies.

To keep your junk mail in check all around: Fill out a temporary change-of-address form with the U.S. Postal Service when moving. Filling out the permanent change-of-address form makes your new address available to direct marketers who pay a fee to access the National Change of Address database. The temporary option buys you 12 months to contact all parties you’d like to hear from to notify them of your new location individually.

These steps, both easy and quick, go a long way on their own to not only taking back the mailbox, but also protecting your privacy. I stumbled upon this comprehensive guide (typical of Real Simple, love it!) while doing my research and suggest taking a peek and tying up more loose ends when you have a minute. From getting on the FTC’s Do Not Call list to blocking personal phone numbers to stopping the receipt  of unsolicited catalogs, each of these tips can be completed in little time and deliver big, stress-reducing results! — Sarah C.