Deck the House
Uplift your home with gifts that keep on giving.

The holidays are time to forego necessities and go for niceties. As you figure out what to give the “people who have everything” in your life, why not make a wishlist for the house that has everything, too? Think “aesthetic” and “cosmetic,” because generous home improvements can prove to be prudent investments. Here are a few suggestions (presented with a holiday twist!), sure to bring lasting enjoyment to your home.

Ornaments: Invest in original artwork.

Before the grin on your front porch Jack O’Lantern softens to a frown, it’ll be time to get your kitchen ready for its holiday close-up. As the center of seasonal celebrations (and the core of your home’s resale value), the kitchen is a workplace, showplace and gathering space. Though time is short for major overhauls, you certainly have time to cook up realistic improvements before holiday guests arrive.

Welcome to early fall planting season! Since this is one of just two prime seasons for planting each year (the other is early spring), it’s important to “plan your plants and plant your plan.” Even a little dirt can require lots of work and cost lots of green, so it’s best for busy women to think ahead.

The era of the formal living room is over. (It’s an irony we ever called those stuffy spaces “living” rooms anyway!) Few of us dare spare precious square footage — let alone our budgets — on space bedecked in hold-your-breath fancy furnishings that aren’t, well, livable.

Essentials: Food & Water

If things are looking a little tired in the garden, it’s likely because they are. Are your plants getting enough water and nutrients? For thirsty plants, some tips: First, water in the morning before the heat takes over. Mid-day watering stresses plants out, and evening watering leaves them vulnerable to disease.