My sister and I used to share a car, and I was always amazed at the panache with which she would do car maintenance and repairs, like top off the oil and windshield-wiper fluid.

"Oh my God, you’re like a mechanic," I’d say, watching from our stoop as she strode purposefully from trunk to engine with mysterious bottles.

"It’s not hard," she’d inform me.

Maybe not. But despite the fact that I can negotiate a car purchase with terrifying efficiency, cook amazing meals that'd make Emeril Lagasse say "BAM!", and share the stage with male improvisers without fear, I was convinced that if I'd attempt such tasks, I’d somehow end up with oil spurting across my windshield on the New Jersey Turnpike.

But when I got a fix-it ticket last week and looked at our dwindling bank account, I knew I had to try a few simple car fixes, including fixing my broken tail light. And you know what? It wasn't hard. My sister’s right.

I hate when that happens.

It's shocking to me how ugly my house is.

It shouldn't be, I mean, I work from home (I use the term "work" loosely here), which means I'm firmly ensconced in my fugly house most hours of the day. But somehow, I started accepting the fug as normal, and that's when the wheels came a-flyin' off the train.

For years, YEARS, I've worked in an office (read: my dining room) that was painted such an atrocious shade of green that it made me actually angry to look at the walls. I hear green is supposed to be soothing, but let me tell you, this sort of "cat pee on plasterboard look" is what they probably paint prisons with if they want the inmates to start brawling. It's that bad.

Or it was.

This weekend, because I have a party in which people may actually show up and see the fug in person, I realized it was time for a change.

And now.

This serene nursery created by Christine proves two things: First, just because your decorating for a girl doesn't mean you have to douse everything in pink, and, second, a DIY project doesn't have to be difficult to be effective. Take a closer look at the details to see what I mean. 

Anyone can buy a gift during the holidays, but it's the ones that take time and effort to make that really stand out to me. They're inexpensive to give, but really special to recieve. I, for one, would be thrilled with any of these. (Hint, hint!!!)

"You know what would be great?" said my husband last summer. "One of those heavy grill press things that keeps meat and bacon from curling up when you're cooking it." You know what he's getting for Christmas? A heavy grill press thing that keeps bacon from curling up when you cook it. He never bothered to put it on his wish list, I just made a mental note and bought one, and I plan to pat myself on the back every time he uses it.

This, I like to think, exemplifies a crucial aspect of skillful gift-giving: listening. Another crucial aspect: remembering. Also crucial: time, money, and feeling some affection for the person you're buying for.

But what if it's December 22 and none of those aspects are in place, and suddenly you need to pick up a little something for the person in your office who invited you to cocktails Friday night? Or your husband's step-sister who suddenly decided to fly in from Norway? Or the sitter who's coming. over. right. now?

Did you ever go to a doctor that seemed a little distant and remote? Well, in England, doctors are about to get a lot more remote. Literally.

They’re unveiling a pilot plan that allows patients to take certain medical tests at home and upload the results so doctors can remotely monitor their patients. Awesome, right? No more waiting for busses, looking for parking, and spending an hour and a half in the waiting room so you can do a five-minute test. Instead, you can do it all in the comfort of their own home.

Except they haven’t taken one thing into account: Often the homes of most busy moms are no where near as clean and organized as a hospital or doctor's office. In fact, if my doctor monitored me in my home, she’d either call 911 or have me committed.

Congratulations to our winner, mamakin616!

When it comes to home decorating, I love heading to my local Lowe's because it has everything I need in one place. Sure, I might get lost in the massive warehouse while looking for that extra can of semi-gloss paint, but hey, that's half the fun of it, right?

Now that the holidays are here -- Lowe's is the perfect spot to snag great gifts for everyone on your list. That's why we're giving one lucky Stir reader a $100 Lowe's gift card. Whether you're looking for carpeting, window treatments, or that fun doodad your father-in-law just has to have this Christmas, Lowe's is sure to have it all.

To enter to win, simply tell me:

When it comes to Thanksgiving, you want to save your cash for gas, tolls, heirloom turkey, and Klonopin (or maybe that’s just my family). The so-simple Pilgrims wouldn’t approve of overspending on décor. Of course, they probably wouldn’t be too pleased with marshmallows in the sweet potatoes, either, but let’s not split hairs.
 
If you’ve done all you can with the stuff in your backyard and you’re hoping for a little autumn cheer (without endangering the Christmas budget), here are some not-too-spendy options for Thanksgiving decorations on the cheap.