Want to do a quick home make-over? Short on cash? There’s no reason to buy new stuff; you already have everything you need. Here are some quick and cheap tips from realsimple.com:

1. Prop Up Art to Conceal Cords

Lean frames against a wall to hide wires and outlets. Layer them for extra impact.

2. Turn a Quilt Into a Headboard

Got a plain-Jane bed? Give it character―and warm it up, too―by draping a quilt over the frame.

5 easy ways to declutter every day

3) Dress Up a Dresser With Ribbons

Don’t let all those scraps you’ve been saving from holidays and birthday parties go to waste. Transform a child’s bedroom by tying colorful ribbons around the knobs on a chest of drawers―or the stem of a lamp or the legs of a table

4) Hang Photos and Artwork on One Wall

Your family pictures have more impact when they’re grouped together. A word to the wise: Before you do any hanging, arrange the pieces on the floor to get a sense of how they’ll look on the wall. And never mind if the frames don’t match.

5) Stash Toiletries in Mismatched Tableware

Just because your vanity is a catchall for makeup doesn’t mean it can’t look put-together. Place a platter on top and fill it with seldom-seen china pieces, like a sugar bowl and a creamer, that can hold cotton balls, nail files, and brushes.

GET MORE TIPS HERE

Organize Now: Simple Weekend Projects

Although we love the kind of clutter clearing that takes all weekend, produces car loads of donations and gives us the satisfaction of everything being sorted and resolved we don’t normally have time for that very often, so in the meantime we try to do a little each day.

We recently read an article on Unclutterer on “10 more uncluttering things to do every day” and we thought we’d share our favorites from the article along with some of our decluttering routines that just take a minute or two every day.

From Unclutterer:

• Never leave a room empty handed.

• When you’re done with something, put it away.

• Reset your home each evening.

• When you’re done with something, put it away, right away.

Some of our tips:

• Keep an area as a designated outbox and regularly empty it. Sometimes we need to see our space without that painting, that bowl or the pillow for a while before we’re willing to let it go. The outbox is a great way to give yourself some space from your stuff without having to commit immediately to dumping it.

• Don’t go to bed with a sink full of dishes.

• Set a Timer. for 5 -15 minutes and choose one area to declutter, a drawer, a closet, the fridge. Just go for it.

READ THE REST HERE

Organize Now: Simple Weekend Project

3 ways to stay sane while DIY’ing

Now that Spring is here (we think), it’s time to fantasize about a bag we wish we could afford for the warm months ahead.  This lush, oversized rose sculpted bag from Valentino is sure to make a statement and the neutral shade is perfect to pair with your floral dresses this season.

The bag is not available as yet, but you can pre-order for $1,595.00 at Nordstrom.com.

FANTASY FRIDAY: Disappearing Swimming Pool

FANTASY FRIDAY: Vela Bathroom Collection

Whether you have roommates, a significant other or kids, chances are you’re having to share your bathroom with someone else. Someone who might not have the same standards you do or someone who seems, at times, to not even realize they need to share the bathroom with you!

And while we all have a certain amount of patience, it can get used up mighty quick when the bathroom is a mess and the roommate couldn’t care less. We can’t all be lucky enough to have separate bathrooms so chime in with your tips for keeping the peace while sharing a sink! At the end of the day keep in mind that we can’t always control the other person, but we can be good bathroom mates ourselves.

• Communicate. We have been so surprised to ourselves seething with anger over how long a morning shower is taking when we need to get in the bathroom to put on some makeup and get out the door. And yet, we don’t say anything until we’re tapping our foot mad. Don’t make that mistake, talk about when and how you need the bathroom before it becomes an issue.

• Schedule. It could be as easy as one takes a shower at night and the other in the morning. If this is your situation, congratulations!

• Clean the Drain. Always always clean the drain after a shower.

• Change the Roll and Buy More Paper. Enough said.

GET MORE HERE

Simple upgrades for your bathroom

5 ways to make your bathroom more luxurious

(From realsimple.com)

Lemons are probably the most versatile items you can use in your kitchen to keep it smelling fresh and clean. 

Here are some tips on how to use a natural ingredient like lemons to clean your kitchen:

Countertops: Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda to tackle countertops; wipe with a wet sponge and dry. Don’t use on delicate stone, like marble, or stainless steel (it may discolor).

Cutting boards: To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.

7 ways to reuse household items.

Dishes: To increase the grease-cutting power of your dishwashing detergent, add a teaspoon of lemon juice.

Faucets: Combat lime scale by rubbing lemon juice onto the taps and letting it sit overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth.

Click here for more tips.

How to create a cheerful kitchen

Childproofing the living room is important, especially for your little one, but also for your breakable valuables.

Here are some quick tips:

1. Cover all electrical outlets with childproof outlet covers.
2. Keep potted plants out of the reach of children.
3. Place corner guards on all furniture with sharp edges, such as coffee tables, shelves and end tables.
4. Do not use glass tabletops in rooms where children play.
5. Put all breakable items out of reach.

Go here for more tips.

Lighten up your living room for spring.

5 tips for arranging your studio apartment

1. Spread out the duvet. Spread the duvet out on the bed, keeping the top corners within easy reach and the bottom opening nearest you. Use a duvet that matches the size of your comforter for the best fit.

2. Open the duvet cover. Open all duvet cover closures to ensure that no buttons pop during the process.

3.Turn the duvet cover inside out. Turn the duvet cover completely inside out. Reaching up into the now inverted cover, grasp the corners from the inside. The cover should be bunched up around your arms.

How to choose wall color for your bedroom

4.Grab the top two corners of the duvet through the duvet cover. Holding them securely, lift the duvet up as high as possible and shake it downward, over the comforter.

5. Set it down. Carefully set the half-filled duvet down on a flat surface, being careful not to disrupt the already filled section. Pull the rest of the duvet cover down to cover the bottom of the comforter and fit the remaining two corners into the cover.

6. Position the duvet on your bed, straightening out any bunched sections along the edges. Fasten the bottom closures and you’re done!!

Redecorate your bedroom on a budget

(From realsimple.com)

Whether your last move was across the country or across the street, it probably ended with two words: “Never again!” But you don’t always have the luxury of staying in the same place forever. Sooner or later, you find yourself surrounded by cardboard boxes and packing tape again. Don’t despair.

Here, you’ll learn how to hire a mover (or move yourself), pack your belongings properly, and do it all with relative ease. Take this advice―and maybe the two words that end your next move will be, simply, “I’m home.”

Choosing a Mover

Of course, there is more than one way to move. Depending on the size of your home, the distance of the move, your budget, and the amount of time you have to get yourself situated, you might choose to rent a truck and move yourself, hire a mover to do the job, or use a “you pack; we drive” service. Here’s the lowdown on each option.

Do it yourself. Are you comfortable driving a big truck on busy highways and narrow streets? Do you live in a fairly small home and have a few strong, very good friends you can recruit to help you? If so, moving yourself might be a good option, and an economical one, since you’re not paying a mover to load, drive, and unload your stuff. It’s also the option that gives you the most control.

Just be aware of hidden costs, such as insurance for the rental truck (your auto policy probably doesn’t cover this, and neither will the credit card you rent the truck with), gas, and the rental or purchase of special equipment you’ll need, like dollies and quilted furniture covers.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

5 tips for arranging your studio apartment

How To: Spring Forward In Your Home

Take a look:

FANTASY FRIDAY: Disappearing Swimming Pool

FANTASY FRIDAY: Korfu Cowhide Ottoman

• Make sure you have plenty of storage in the bathroom. Use kitchen canisters or wall-mounted racks to store cotton balls, Q-tips, and bathroom supplies, and use wall hooks to hang towels.

• To spruce up old windows and add privacy to a bathroom, use decorative window film.

• Update your hardware. It’s fairly easy to switch out old cabinet knobs, towel bars, and drawer pulls.

• Replace old light fixtures. Some of the ugliest light fixtures hide out in old bathrooms.

• Paint the walls. In a bathroom, you usually want to go with a semigloss paint that will clean up more easily than a flat finish.

• Switch out the medicine cabinet. If you have a surface-mounted medicine cabinet, it’s pretty easy to take it out and install a new one in its place. If you have a built-in, there’s a good set of tips on installing a recessed medicine cabinet here.

• Spring for new accessories. You could try new towels, shower curtain, bathmat, mirror, or wastebasket.

Any other recommendations for simple ways to upgrade your bathroom?

5 ways to make your bathroom more luxurious

Spa treatments you can do at home