Jack of all Trays

If you have a counter in the bathroom or kitchen that has a lot of little containers, collect them and put them on a tray.  Your eye sees many little things such as tissues, cotton ball container and a soap pump as three things BUT if they are on a tray, they look like one item and less cluttered to the eye. 

The photo was taken in my kitchen.  I put the paper towel holder, the kleenex container (see the black item on the left), salt and pepper grinders, the dogs’ treat bowl and one or two little bags of treats all in that little tray.  It has freed up counter space and looks organized.  In addition to this tray, I also have three on the kitchen table – one for the condiments and serviettes and one for my husband and me (we put all those little things in them that just seem to float around the house like the mail, receipts, reading glasses, etc.

Collect and organize your clutter.

Do I ring the bell or just walk in?

Open House protocol came into question yesterday. 

A few visitors asked me if they should ring the bell and wait for the agent or just walk into the house. 

I said – Please ring the bell to let me know that there is someone there and then walk in –  if the door is unlocked.  The door would only be locked if there were too many people in the house and I needed to crowd control. 

I said that if I was tied up (hopefully just figuratively) with other visitors in another part of the home, I would like to know that someone else is coming in the house AND I would not expect them to wait for several minutes at the door until I could free myself from the other people. 

Another question was – shoes or bare feet?  Well, it was hot yesterday but, when asked, I said that the homeowner would prefer to deal with some bare feet prints on the floor more than the dirt brought in on the shoe soles. 

Now, if only the question was “Can I put in an offer today?” .  Oh well.  The home was in fantastic shape.  The air conditioning was working at a very comfortable level.  There were a lot of visitors and families looking for more space.  I have my hopes that there was a Buyer lurking in the group somewhere.

Hamburgers Served at My Last Open House

 

I wanted to make something fun for my Open House last Sunday.   I normally have a small bowl of lifesaver mints (individually wrapped) and some packets of Red Zinger tea.  Just a bit boring.  I found a recipe for cookie hamburgers.  Basically, a box of Nilla cookies, a can of icing, red and green food colouring, big shreds of coconut and some little chocolate chocolate-chip cookies.   What took me the most time – finding the right little ‘hamburger” cookies. 

Hand to the good book (Paula Deen’s cookbook where the basic ingredient of EVERY recipe is butter or cream or both), I have never bought a can of icing in my life.  Can’t say I would do it again but this was for fun and for others so…. 

This photo is close to how my hamburgers looked – I omitted the sesame seeds and didn’t make the mustard icing – just used the plain vanilla to make it look like mayo. 

I ended up with 40 cookies.  I then individually wrapped each cookie in parchment paper.  I live with someone who will not eat food made by unknown sources (except of course in restaurants).  An aside – he will not nibble at Price Club nor will he buy all those terrific jams, jellies, candies, etc at the big craft sales. 

I digress:  The hamburgers were a hit.  I think it helped when I said that they were actually cookies – they looked like the real thing – AND that I had made them.  At least the visitors had met the ‘cook’.  Of course you got the cookie on the way out.  I did not want bits of coconut scattered about the house with a trail of crumbs where the visitors walked.

It helps to have some fun while you work.  Hamburgers at an Open House was fun to do.

Photo credit:  burgers

If you are blessed with deep window wells ………. Add Flowers

Most construction in North America does not lend itself to deep window wells.  Now, if your home was 300 years old or more, then the walls would be thick and the window wells deep.  If you have your home for sale, think of adding flowers, hanging, flower boxes or on your exterior window sills. 

Being the horrible wretch that I am, I had to add the signature and the location.  

Hope you like this collage.