Of the many lessons gleaned from watching the Novogratz family in our home tour with the upcoming stars of Bravo series "9 by design", one of the most interesting was that mom Cortney, despite juggling a rowdy clan of seven kids, swears by all-white bedding. Paradoxically, she says they're the easiest to clean, simply by tossing them in the laundry with a bit of bleach. I too love an all-white bed though I rarely bleach my sheets, for fear of the chemicals weakening the fabric. I found a couple natural alternatives to bleach that work well though:

Lemon juice. It's amazing how many things you can clean with lemon, white sheets among them. Add a quarter cup of lemon juice to your wash cycle with warm water-it really helps brighten your linens.

Mrs. Stewart's Bluing. This stuff dates back to the 1800's, which is kind of mind-blowing. It's a non-toxic, biodegradable blue dye (all you need do is sprinkle a couple drops to your laundry load) that actually serves to make your

As someone who's a bit candle obsessed-I've said it before, but there really isn't a better, easier, more instantaneous way to create a sense of ambiance in your home-I burn through them very quickly. In an effort to rein in my candle budget (while tea lights and tapers are generally pretty cheap, the bigger pillars and scented varieties add up really quick!) I found a few tricks to make them last.

Wrap candles in foil (which keeps the wicks from getting soggy) and chill them in the freezer for a few hours to slow down the speed with which the wax melts.

Always make sure the wicks are trimmed short: ¼ inch or less. If the wick is too long, the flame gets out of control and you burn through wax really quickly. If you see smoke or flickering, it's time to blow out the candle and give the wick a trim.

The first time you use a candle, let it burn long enough so that the wax has liquefies all across the surface to avoid tunneling, which is when the wick starts to burn and

Get ready for the newest edition to the reality show realm. 9 by design follows the Novogratz family as they buy, demolish, transform and sell homes. Bravo follows Cortney and Bob and their bountiful brood of seven! As you can imagine, never a dull moment. Their unique design style meshes form and function with a funky twist. I caught up with the family in their latest home masterpiece and I promise you it's a must see.



Mom and Dad love to mix high and low when they decorate, and taking their entire family on a flea market hunt is their idea of a family outing. The kids love it and the cool items they find add a lived-in look to contemporary style. The 8000-square-foot townhouse in New York started out as a vacant storefront and as you'll see, today it's a happy haven for all nine of them.

The family has moved more than 11 times, so mom and dad have some packing and design tips to share:

#1 Don't pack too early, because you'll just prolong the chaos.

#2 Get an extra empty

Chances are you've got dozens, if not hundreds, of paper clips lurking around your home and office, but are you making the most of them? Beyond binding sheets of paper, there are plenty of other ways to use these cheap, versatile, flexible wire bits as tools. Read on for twelve of my favorites. Got anything to add to the list?

1. Bookmark

2. To seal an open bag of potato chips

3. Emergency shirt button

4. To keep pairs of mittens together for storage

5. Glue bottle de-clogger

6. Re-setting electronics

7. Alternative bobby pin

8. To hang Christmas ornaments

9. Hemming pants

10. Replacement zipper pull

11. Eyeglass repair

12. To (carefully!) clean under fingernails

By Woman's Day Staff

Photo: © Shutterstock

How you arrange your art makes as much of a visual statement as the art itself. A free-form approach gives off a creative vibe. For a crisp look, go with a grid. And to be casual and modern at once, the ledge is a trendy option.

Free-form

This is your best bet when you have a variety of styles and sizes you want to display together. Select your largest piece first and decide whether you want it to be at the center or off to the side. Then, arranging all of your artwork on the floor, place your other pieces around the largest one. Keep the same distance between each frame. When you're happy with the arrangement, transfer it to the wall.

Gridlock

If you have four or more paintings of equal size, go for the striking, graphic look of a grid. Precise measuring is essential with this arrangement-if one painting is slightly off, it throws off the crisp look of the composition. Keep the same distance between each

A pretty sachet filled with dried herbs is one of those little touches that's so simple yet feels so decadent. They're great for tucking into the corners of your linen closet, lingerie drawer (or really any dresser drawer), storage bins for out-of-season clothes, or suitcases. And while they can definitely add up in cost if you buy them pre-made, they couldn't be easier to whip up yourself for a fraction of what they'd go for at a boutique. Assuming you're as bad at sewing as I am, try this no-stitching-required method, which will take you about a minute to produce at home:

The first thing you'll need is fabric. Dainty lace-trimmed vintage handkerchiefs are widely (and inexpensively) available at any flea market, or online on eBay, and make an excellent base for this project, though you could use any scrap of fabric you have lying around at home. Next, you'll want something nice-smelling to put inside. I like dried lavender, which is fragrant without being overpowering and has such a

The first-year yield from the White House vegetable garden, Michelle Obama's first salvo in her bid to get us all eating healthier and tackle childhood obesity in the United States, was impressive: 1,000 pounds of food that fed many at the White house and nearby homeless shelters, as well as the beginning of the first lady's nationwide anti-obesity movement.

So, naturally, this spring when Mrs. Obama returned with school children to sow the garden for its second year, she is digging and tilling wider and planting even more. Just like we often do with our own gardens, move them out just a bit every year once we get our footing in the homegrown game. Now 1,500 square feet, the vegetable garden is 400 square feet larger than last year and will grow four new vegetables: bok choy, cauliflower, artichokes, and mustard greens.

Do you plan to plant a garden this spring, or expand the one you already have?

I just arrived at my parents house for the weekend, where I went to grab a hand towel and realized the linen closet is exploding with mismatched pillowcases, 30 year-old bedding, bleach-stained towels, blankets in all kinds of sizes, and so on. So, today's mission: help mom get organized. Here's the game plan:

1. Take everything out of the closet, and make a big pile of things to get rid of: bedding that doesn't fall into a set, towels that have seen better days, threadbare-anything. The stuff that's in decent condition can go to charity.

2. Spray down the shelves with a bit of countertop spray and wipe them down with paper towels.

3. Use this trick for keeping sets of sheets in check: fold the fitted and flat sheet, plus one pillowcase, and place the stack inside the remaining pillowcase.

4. Divide bedding and towels by the room that they're used for (you could also separate by color/size).

5. Give the stuff that's used most frequently, like towels that are changed every couple