The 20-minute trick that will help a carved pumpkin last for weeks

Carving a pumpkin is one of the joys of autumn, but they typically only last between three and five days before beginning to rot.

To stop your pumpkin from looking sunken, sad and smelly, experts have recommended a clever 20-minute vinegar trick that could help your carved creations last for weeks in the run-up to Halloween and beyond.

Better still, this simple solution is an eco-friendly alternative to the trend of spraying pumpkins with bleach.

It's also safe for wildlife too, so you don't have to worry if you leave your pumpkin outside.

"The vinegar kills fungus, making it hard for the pumpkin to rot. That's why vinegar-soaked pumpkins look so new; they're unblemished by the grossness that inevitably befalls their untreated peers," says the team at Taste of Home.

How to preserve a carved pumpkin with vinegar

Want to give this trick a go? According to Taste of Home, you can make your fresh pumpkin last longer by using vinegar and water. To do this, follow the steps below:

1. Choose a healthy pumpkin from your local pumpkin patch. "Make sure there are no soft spots or discolored areas, and avoid any gourd that's too bruised," says the team.

2. Next, carve your pumpkin with your desired design. Browse our guide on pumpkin carving ideas for plenty of inspiration.

3. Fill a large bucket with 10 parts water and one part vinegar (the bucket needs to be big enough for your pumpkins). Some experts also suggest doing this in the bath or a large sink.

4. Submerge your pumpkin in the vinegar and water solution, leaving them for 20-30 minutes. Once the time is up, pull them out and let them air-dry. You can then place your carved pumpkins outside for a long-lasting display.

Read more at CountryLiving.com

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Greater Denver Area Real Estate Market Report from September 2025

September always brings a natural shift in the Denver housing market-not just because of the calendar, but because life changes pace, according to the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

Summer vacations wind down, kids head back to school and buyers and sellers alike settle into new routines and motivation. This year, the seasonal rhythm aligned with a remarkably steady market. Sales, prices and overall tone through 2025 have followed a consistent path. Still, the close of Q3 signals a moment to recalibrate; interest rates, which have defined so much of the year, are showing early signs of easing.

The seasonality and economic conditions of our market today are micro adjustments compared to a market where we see large swings in demand and prices, as we did during 2020 through 2022. These variations in the market seem uneventful compared to our lingering expectations of the previous market cycle, but they are no less meaningful. The subtle adjustments show a nuanced buyer and a nuanced seller, requiring tenacity, trust and expertise to make the perfect match.

Options continue for buyers; new listings in September increased slightly for both attached and detached homes, by 12.74 percent and 3.87 percent, respectively. The active inventory at month's end was up 17.62 percent year-over-year and 70.17 percent from 2022. This increase in active listings is a result of lower buyer demand, as the total number of new listings that have entered the market through the end of September is up 10.46 percent year-over-year and down 1.75 percent compared to 2022.

Buyers are increasingly opting for detached homes over attached ones. The sales volume for detached homes in September was up 6.55 percent year-over-year, while the attached sales volume decreased by 16.78 percent. Attached homes continue to see challenges in the increased costs of insurance and community maintenance, resulting in higher-than-historically-typical community dues.

Although the market has seen a large number of listing price reductions, the detached home market saw only a small decline in the median sale price in September, 1.79 percent month-over-month, while attached homes experienced a slight increase of 1.17 percent. Year-over-year, however, the median sale price for detached homes increased by 1.33 percent, while the median sale price for attached homes decreased by 3.35 percent. The number of days in the MLS has increased from 30 in August to 35 in September, representing a 16.67 percent increase and a 40.00 percent increase from September 2024. Pricing strategy is the most crucial element for sellers in this market, and as days in the MLS in-crease, determining when to wait for the right buyer and when it's time for a price reduction is a delicate balance.

The stress on buyer demand was eased slightly in September with a 25-basis-point reduction in the federal funds rate.

The anticipation of the rate cut brought the lowest mortgage interest rates we have seen so far in 2025, but it did not prompt a rush of buyers into the market. Whether they are holding out for additional rate cuts or feeling the uncertainty of inflation and employment, buyers remain cautious.

Learn more about the market from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

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Thank you to our partners at the Denver Metro Association of Realtors for compiling this information.

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Featured at West + Main Highlands: Adam Anglin

Join us for First Friday in RiNo Ft Adam Anglin

2632 Blake St #102
10.3.2025, 6-9pm

Meet Adam Anglin

Adam Anglin (b.1984, Rogers, AR) is a fine artist and musician with a background in graphic design. Adam paints impressionist landscapes with color-field forms. Recipient of the 2024 Cherry Creek Art Festival “Emerging Artist” grant. He lives and works in Denver, Colorado.

Artist Statement - I am a self-taught landscape painter who connects synthetic and natural forms in purposeful dissonance for those who long for beauty in a world that is too often satisfied with distraction. I use vibrant color-field compositions overlaying western landscapes and interwoven perspective lines to move the viewer between worlds.

Learn more about Adam in our Q+A!

What are you known for? - I'm known for painting impressionistic landscapes that intersect with color-field and abstract compositions.

Who/What are your biggest influences? - My biggest influences are abstract painters - Frank Stella, Josef Albers, and Clyfford Still.

What is your dream project? - I've been really enjoying working bigger lately, so a dream project for me would have to involve making something huge. I love when work takes up a big wall. It's so satisfying. My work needs scale to accentuate the colors and composition of the abstract elements so if I could make some real big boys, I think the payoff would be incredible.

What are you working on right now? - Currently, I've been chipping away at some commissions. That's been a big part of my workload this year and I love it. Making something unique for a particular space or client is the best feeling. I really love when everything comes together in just the right way. I'm hoping to do more in the future.

Is a hotdog a sandwich? - Let me answer your question with a question - Is a corndog a sandwich? Or a slice of pizza? What is a sandwich? If it's bread and some other essential bits then I think we could just as easily turn this around and say, What isn't a sandwich? If I put enough croutons on my salad, am I now eating a sandwich?! Is my soup in a bread bowl actually just a really wet sandwich?! What becomes of pancakes, crepes, or tortillas? Is a taco a sandwich? Are tacos just thinly folded sideways sandwiches?! Where does it end?!

What are your thoughts about your city's creative scene for artists, designers, crafters, makers, and/or small businesses? - I'm so lucky to live in a place that really values the work of creatives. Denver has been home for me and my family for almost 20 years. We love feeling like we live in a place where artists can pursue their passions and be supported by a number of incredible small businesses. I've been lucky to be invited into some really wonderful shops, design stores, and galleries to show my work. Every artist has to figure out the right approach for them, but it's sweet to know that in Denver carving that path is encouraged in so many ways.

What was the best day at work you've had in the past three months? - Last month I showed my work at the Golden Fine Arts Festival just down the road in Golden, CO. I sold more in that show than any other show all year. I almost sold out of a new series I've been working on and I landed a pretty large commission.

Get in touch with Adam

Instagram: @galleryatfdc

Website: www.galleryatfdc.com

If you are a local artist/crafter/maker/indie business owner and would like to be featured on our blog, please fill out this form or contact Joy at joym@westandmainhomes.com with questions...we can't wait to learn all about you!

Greater Denver Area Real Estate Market Report from August 2025

The Denver Metro housing market may not be making bold moves right now, but that does not mean the story is simple, according to the DMAR Market Stats Committee.

In fact, 2025 has been defined by a steady, almost stubborn stagnancy. Prices have remained relatively stable for much of the year, with buyer activity mirroring 2024 levels. Although interest rates continue to weigh on affordability, they have not sparked dramatic changes in buyer or seller behavior. On the surface, the market looks quiet-maybe even predictable.

A high-level look at the Denver Metro market in August includes price changes, days in the MLS and inventory lev-els. Price changes throughout the year have been modest, and August reflected this trend with a slight 0.15 percent decrease in median close price for detached homes and a 1.28 percent decrease for attached. Days in the MLS increased by a median of six days for both attached and detached homes.

Inventory, however, is where we see the sharpest contrast. Through the end of August, 45,868 new listings hit the market in 2025, up 10.49 percent year-over-year-yet active listings climbed even more, up 21.77 percent. Despite this, buyer demand has stayed steady, with closed sales nearly identical to 2024 levels.

The bigger divide is between homes that sell quickly and those that linger. Of the properties that closed in August, only 1.12 percent had a price reduction, with a median adjustment of just 2.95 percent. Compare that to current active listings, where 58 percent have reduced their price, with a median drop of 4.52 percent. A significantly larger divide exists for homes that have been on the market for more than 30 days; 74 percent have taken a price cut, with a median change of 4.76 percent. This gap highlights the importance of strategic pricing from the start.

Homes priced appropriately are selling with little or no reduction, while overpricing often leads to extended days on the market and steeper price adjustments. While the median closed prices have stayed relatively stable, sellers continue to push against buyers' price tolerance.

As we enter the fall months, there is little expectation for the market to change as we round out the year. September is a notoriously volatile month for markets, and the anticipation of a Federal Reserve rate cut this month could increase uncertainty regarding the impact on mortgage rates. Factors such as unemployment, inflation and tariffs may ultimately undermine the intended benefits of any rate cut.

For Denver real estate, a stagnant market does not mean an easy one to understand. Data alone does not tell the full story. If you cannot understand the trends or refuse to see the story they reveal, charts and stats are meaning-less. Understanding how the trends connect to real buyer and seller decisions is what truly matters.

Learn more about the market from the Denver Metro Association of Realtors.

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Thank you to our partners at the Denver Metro Association of Realtors for compiling this information.

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Featured at West + Main Highlands: Berkeley Hoerr

Join us for First Friday in Highlands Ft. Berkeley Hoerr

3442 W 32nd Ave
9.5.2025, 6-9pm

Meet Berkeley Hoerr

My paintings are a celebration of color and the profound beauty that exists within the everyday. I am inspired by the quiet details of my daily life–objects, textures, and fleeting moments. I live much of my life outdoors, where I notice and record moments where our presence leaves its mark on the landscape and how our environment shapes us in return.

Color is central to my practice. It allows me to turn these familiar moments into something extraordinary. I use bold hues and unexpected combinations to invite viewers into my world, where ordinary scenes are actually vivid expressions of connection, resilience, and constant change.

My work is a call to pause, to look closely, and to embrace the richness of our shared experiences. By magnifying everyday moments, I aim to inspire a deeper connection to the world around us and a renewed sense of wonder in the small details of our lives.

Learn more about Berkeley in our Q+A!

What are you working on right now?
Right now I am starting work on a series of large scale oil paintings based on photographs from my trip down the Grand Canyon this fall. I took photographs of different textures throughout the canyon along our 24 day rafting trip. I’m zooming in on each subject so much that although the paintings themselves are realistic they feel abstract because of the close-up scale.

What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work I like to spend time outdoors. As much as I love trail running and mountain biking, I also enjoy moving slowly. Looking is my favorite thing to do. Observing small moments in nature feels monumental.

What is your dream project?
My dream project is a large-scale installation of my palette scrapes series. I would love to frame each palette scrape individually and hang them in a huge grid. I’ve done smaller-scale installations of them before but would love to see 60 or so of them hung together on one wall.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is mixing paint. I started oil painting when I was eight years old and would copy Old Masters' paintings. In doing so, I became an expert at matching colors and it's still one of my very favorite things to do. I love adding unexpected pigments to a big pile of paint, smushing it around with my palette knife, adjusting until I get just the right color.

Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in the outdoors and in the mundane routine of my life. I’m much more interested in painting subjects that are not already considered beautiful, but instead become beautiful through the act of painting them. I think inspiration only works up to a point. I am a much bigger believer in going to work everyday and working even when inspiration hasn’t “struck.” I think it is the process of painting that propels my ideas forward.

What are your thoughts about your city's creative scene for artists, designers, crafters, makers, and/or small businesses?

I love Denver’s creative scene! I have a studio at Prism Workspaces, where I’m surrounded everyday by other artists working in a variety of media. I’m constantly amazing by the creativity and talent of other Denver artists.

What is the best piece of advice that you have ever received?

The best piece of advice I have ever received was from my college painting professor: “Don’t wait for inspiration, just show up and work everyday.” It’s a motto I continue to live by. 

Get in touch with Berkeley

Instagram: @berkeley.hoerr.art

Website: www.berkeleyhoerr.com

If you are a local artist/crafter/maker/indie business owner and would like to be featured on our blog, please fill out this form or contact Joy at joym@westandmainhomes.com with questions...we can't wait to learn all about you!