How to make a plant pot from a plastic bottle

Happy Halloween!

We don't seem to get many "trick or treaters" here on Halloween, so if this is a holiday you enjoy, you may just want to go for a nice walk through the neighborhood to enjoy all the costumes and to see the families enjoying the holiday.

It's tough here, because the outside lights can't be controlled individually, so you can't turn your light off if you don't want to participate, and having a light that's on doesn't necessarily mean you want to.

If you want to take your chances and try to lure in the little ghosts and gobblins on their quest for more candy, I recommend putting out a door mat or a sign that lets everyone know you're participating.  Likewise, if you don't wish to have trick or treaters visiting your door, I would recommend not putting any decorations that are visible outside your home.

Here are some halloween decorating ideas for apartment dwellers from ehow.com.

1. • 1
     Buy Halloween dish and bath towels. These take up no extra room as they merely replace your normal dish and bath towels.
   • 2
     Place orange decorative lights around your windows. These lights are the same as Christmas lights except that they are orange instead of red, green or white. Find these lights at craft, department and grocery stores during Halloween season.
   • 3
     Find Halloween stickers and decals and place them directly on your window. Place them inward so that you and guests can see them while in your small apartment, or outward so those passing by can enjoy your decorations.
   • 4
     Purchase a Halloween rug. If you have carpeting, consider a Halloween bath mat instead. Find these decorative rugs at department stores as Halloween approaches.
   • 5
     Hang Halloween buckets and “trick or treat” bags on the walls, as a child-like way to decorate for Halloween.
   • 6
     Light orange, Halloween and fall scented and colored candles. Scented candles are for more than aesthetic value. Certain smells can bring back memories of childhood. Light these throughout the month of October to give your entire apartment the feel of Halloween.  Be very careful using any candles in your home, and never leave them unattended while they are burning.

Make Paper Clay "Barnicles" to decorate your home

If momentos of the ocean, coast, or boating are things you like to decorate your home with, you'll love these "Barnicles" made from paper clay.  Cheap, organic, and fun to make!

Here are the instructions on how to make them yourself!

How to Make an All-Natural Air Freshener at Home

Purify your air!

NASA conducted a study to find the best plants for cleaning the air in buildings.  Below is a list of the best plants for cleaning the air in your home.  All of these can be easily obtained at your local nursery or online and they are easily maintained.


Fill your home with these beautiful plants, and breath and sleep better!


1. Bamboo Palm: removes formaldahyde and is also said to act as a natural humidifier.

2. Snake Plant: Found by NASA to absorb nitrogen oxides and formaldahyde.

3. Areca Palm: One of the best air purifying plants for general air cleanliness.

4. Spider Plant: Great indoor plant for removing carbon monoxide and other toxins or impurities. Spider plants are one of three plants NASA deems best at removing formaldahyde from the air.

5. Peace Lily: Peace lilies could be called the “clean-all.” They’re often placed in bathrooms or laundry rooms because they’re known for removing mold spores. Also know to remove formaldahyde and trichloroethylene.

6. Gerbera Daisy: Not only do these gorgeous flowers remove benzene from the air, they’re known to improve sleep by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving off more oxygen over night.


More plant data from the NASA Clean Air Study.

Gardening Without a Garden

10 gardening ideas for apartment dwellers from ApartmentTherapy.com.  I would skip the ideas that suggest attaching something to the building or railings of the apartment you live in, as that's not a very good idea (without written permission from the owner/agent) that is, but the rest of the ideas are great.

If you have a small amount of outdoor space, or even just a sunny window, there are alot of things you can do to grow some of your own food, even if you live in an apartment!