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4 Easy Ways To Transition Your Home Into A Cozy Fall Oasis – Without Breaking The Bank

Just a little bit of decoration can go a long way to welcoming the transition of a new season into your home. Though it doesn’t quite feel like fall just yet in the Northeast, everyone is starting to get excited for the changing colors of leaves, holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving and spending cozy evenings indoors. When it starts getting colder out, I know I tend to start spending more and more time indoors, and creating a warm, seasonal atmosphere is important to making me and my guests feel at home and comfortable.

It isn’t difficult to add a few seasonal pieces to your home, but you can be strategic about it. I am trying to create less waste and be more sustainable, so for me, instead of heading to the dollar store to find some fall decor, I’d rather do a DIY project, buy a few pumpkins and gourds that can be composted after they go bad, buy a few versatile statement pieces that I know I will reuse or, head to my local Goodwill® store to find some well-loved treasures for great prices. When decorating, I’ll usually start off in the home section of Goodwill to see what they have that day for inspiration and then base the rest of my decor around what I find. Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of great art in the home section there, and think that would work nicely in my apartment.

Whatever you decide to base your decor around, remember that you are decorating to make your home more you. You want to be comfortable, so even if you want to do minimal decorations this season that’s okay. It’s your space!

Below are some great set ups (all including items found at Goodwill!) for more fall decor inspiration. Be sure to tag @GoodwillIntl on Instagram with your finds, and you might be featured in an upcoming blog post.

1. Seasonal Art

Photo: @threebluebirdslovenest

You guessed it – these stunning autumnal paintings were scooped up at a Goodwill store! You can find beautiful art, prints and frames in the housewares section of many Goodwill stores, it’s definitely something to check out and it’s all priced extremely reasonably too!

2. Accent Furniture

Photo: @ashlandcraft

Whether you’re moving or redecorating, it can be unreal to see how expensive accent furniture can be. You want your space to feel like it’s yours and like it is a reflection or extension of yourself and what you like. Trust me, I know. Since I moved back in July I’ve been on the lookout for an accent chair that doesn’t make me cringe at the price tag. In the image above the lucky shopper (and owner of that happy dog) found that accent chair at Goodwill for just $10!

3. Leaning Shelf

Photo: @bohodelsol

I really love this look and think a leaning shelf like the one above can be really flexible for any holiday decor. It’s also the perfect place for plants, foliage and coffee table books. Basically, anything you want highlighted in your apartment should go on this shelf. Here, I think the rattan pumpkin makes the shelf feel really fall while also keeping with the clean minimalist look of the decor. And of course, that was the item found at Goodwill!

Exciting Announcement about New Goodwill Service

Goodwill offering IdentoGo Services in Job Center

Sioux City, IA- Goodwill of the Great Plains has partnered with Idemia to offer IdentoGo services including TSA Precheck, Hazardous Materials Endorsement and Transportation Worker Identification Credential enrollment screening.   Additionally, customers can have their passport photo taken at our site.   These services are being offered by appointment at 3100 West 4th Street located inside the Retail Store in the Job Center.  Appointments and pre-enrollment should be completed online at https://universalenroll.dhs.gov/ or calling the Customer Services Center at 1-844-321-2124.

Hours of operation are:

Monday – Friday: 09:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Monday – Thursday: 01:00 PM – 05:00 PM

For more information about Goodwill of the Great Plains, please visit our website at www.goodwillgreatplains.org or connect with us via social media.

Rapid Valley Grand Opening Soon!

We are busy getting ready to open our brand new Rapid Valley store in one week! It’s exciting for us to expand our organization in Rapid Valley and we can’t wait for you to see our new store. Our Grand Opening is on Thursday, October 3rd beginning at 8:30am with our ribbon cutting. Don’t forget to get there early, if you are one of the first customers in the door at 9:00am we have a special surprise giveaway for you. We will be giving away prizes throughout the day which include: Fire TV stick, Echo Dot, Fire 7 tablet and Goodwill gift cards. We hope that you will come celebrate with us on this special day! Check out the sneak peek of our store below.

Demico’s Life Changing Experience at Goodwill.

Demico is an open and honest person about his life. He knows where he has been and where he would like to go. Recently, he was released from prison on parole and living in a halfway house. Demico knew that he needed to get a job to get his life back together. However, it was difficult for him to get a job with a record. Most employers wouldn’t consider giving him a job because of his background.

Demico knew about Goodwill and the services they offer. He contacted Goodwill about needing assistance with finding a job. He was referred to Chasity, Employment Specialist, who helped place him in the Employment Skills Training Program.

“The Employment Skills Training program is a 6-week assessment that teaches individuals the hard and soft skills needed to be successful in the competitive work field. We train our participants on their tasks according to the area they choose after coming through on a tour. They learn how to be on time, clock in and out, interact with coworkers and how to deal with every day work issues”, Chasity explained.

Demico worked hard on both his soft and hard skills during the first 3 weeks of the program then he was asked by Brad, Store Manager, if he would like to apply for a job. He graciously accepted a job in the backroom testing electronics and stocking merchandise on the sales floor.

Demico has excelled in both areas by making sure that the best merchandise is placed on the sales floor. “He takes pride in his work and genuinely cares about the customers experience. Demico is a great example of an individual not letting a barrier stop him from gaining competitive employment and keeping it”, Chasity stated confidently.


Make a difference in someone’s life today by donating to Goodwill of the Great Plains. Your donation is not only tax deductible, but you have the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping individuals like Demico in your community find job training and employment. Monetary donations directly support our mission programming by ensuring we have professional and trained staff, adequate facilities and technology to support individuals enrolled in our programs. We make it easy for you to donate funds quickly and securely online through PayPal. Donate now and find out how great it feels to support Goodwill!