I think each person has a tendency to accessorize with one type of jewelry more than the others instead of owning equal amounts of necklaces, bracelets earrings, or rings. My daughter and I, for example, love earrings more than others. We both have jewelry organizer boxes but they have a limited number of spots for earrings to give space to … [Read more...]
Smart organization and storage ideas for kitchen cabinets
ORGANIZING KITCHEN CABINETS Our house is spacious and has an open layout where it looks like we have a big kitchen. However, compared to how much I use my kitchen and number of the tools and utensils I use, we have very limited counter space and cabinets. Not only do I have to be very selective in what I store in my cabinets, I also have to be … [Read more...]
Smart storage and organization ideas for small bathrooms
Struggling with organization ideas for small bathrooms? Small bathrooms require smart storage and organization solutions to keep it organized and free of clutter. Especially when all family members or residents are using the same small bathroom, you need to make the use of every nook and cranny including the cabinet under the sink, over the … [Read more...]
DIY: Trash and Recycling Center
DIY TRASH & RECYCLING CENTER We recently completed a DIY trash and recycling center hack. The trash bin with a butcher block we've built by hacking a kitchen cart with wire baskets 6 years ago started to fall apart. I really liked the fact that trash can was hidden and we had the additional space to use as either a cutting board when … [Read more...]
DIY: Laptop Stand for Fitness Equipment
I had purchased this Gazelle Edge Elliptical Trainer a while ago to keep me moving indoors during winter. I like it better compared to regular treadmills. It's easy on the knees. I sometimes listened to music or podcasts while I use it but I wanted to read a book or work on my laptop while I ran on Gazelle. It has an odd shape so you cannot … [Read more...]
DIY Garage Ball Storage Rack
The number of balls in our house increases over the summer. The football ball, basketball ball, soccer ball. The little kids' sizes for my daughter, regular-sized ones for my son. We needed to organize all the balls and get them out of the way. I found this idea on Pinterest and it worked perfectly in our unfinished garage. This project is … [Read more...]
DIY: Wall-mounted book display shelf for my cookbooks
I am extremely excited to share my new cookbook display shelf in my kitchen. We don't have plenty of cabinets in our kitchen. I have been looking for a solution to place my cookbooks in a visible and easily reachable location instead of hiding them in a cabinet up high. After seeing a shelf similar to this in a photo on instagram, I set out to find … [Read more...]
Organizing entryway clutter
We mainly use our back door to get in house arriving from the garage. This entryway is very limited in terms of space. It's right by the kitchen and the stairs that go to the upper floor. That small area has been a mess for a long time. Our major issue with that mess was finding the stuff kids needed getting out of the house, especially on school … [Read more...]
DIY – LEGO table and storage
Our new LEGO table or workstation was really easy to put together. The main item is the large IKEA Linmonn table that gives enough space to work on for 2 children. We have LEGO 10 x 10 baseplates but I don't have any plans to glue them down. IKEA Adde chairs are better fit than their old IKEA Mammut chairs. (On the table: Organizing LEGO … [Read more...]
Redesigning our playroom
I have been working on a lengthy project in our basement, which is our children's playroom. It's been quite a while since we set up for early learning, then preschool and kindergarten, while my son already outgrew a lot of stuff, including games, toys and furniture. This summer, I decided to take on a complete overhaul and update the … [Read more...]
Organizing herb, spice and seed bottles
We use herbs, spices and seeds a lot, and we use a lot of them. I also dry my own herbs from the garden during the summer to use all year round. So we had so many different types and sizes of bottles and ziploc bags filled with dry mint, oregano and parsley. Then within all that disorganized crowd we cannot find what we are looking for and go to … [Read more...]
Best indoor plants for air quality
Forests and plants are our source of life on this Earth. They provide us with oxygen and food. What's even nicer is that they aren’t necessarily have to be outdoors. There are many indoor plants for air quality which help decorate your house at the same time. As a matter of fact, I grew up in a household where there was always a corner or a room … [Read more...]
Organizing LEGOs: Alternative storage idea for LEGO pieces
LEGO - at least the basic sets - are considered to be the toys that foster children's creativity. It is also the main source of the mess in the house. Kids go crazy when they cannot find the piece they are looking for. Parents go nuts having to clean up and store all the itty bitty pieces. Not to mention that one of the worst painful moments in … [Read more...]
DIY: Trash bin with butcher block
I wanted to hide the trash can in our kitchen out of sight. Kids were playing with its lid and touching it unnecessarily when it's just sitting out. We use a big 13-gallon trash can and none of our existing cabinets is able to hold it. Then I came around this butcher block bin online and was intrigued. However, it was expensive for my budget and … [Read more...]
Moving into new bunk beds
Last year during our trip to my parent's house, kids loved sleeping in the bunk beds that I and my brother used to sleep. Especially my son enjoyed the top bed. As my daughter got closer to outgrowing her crib, we started thinking about how to setup their rooms. Out house layout has 2 rooms on one floor and 2 rooms on the second floor. … [Read more...]
DIY Arts & Crafts Table for Kids – IKEA Hack
We set up this small table when my kids were much smaller for them to eat snacks by themselves and scribble once in a while at one corner of our living room. During the time it became a full-fledged craft and drawing place and causing a terrible mess in our living room. Instead, I wanted to build a drawing, painting and crafts table for my two … [Read more...]
Souvenir shelf for kids’ room
We painted and installed the souvenir shelf that I've mentioned in my Traveling with 2 kids - Part 4 post. The shelf is a left over shelf from a past planned but never realized project. It's one of those unfinished plain shelves from a craft store. The paint is IKEA's water based furniture paint. The furniture in kids' room is white. My son … [Read more...]
DIY – Bean bag chair for children
I got a few to-do items completed while my mom's here. Kids loved the giant bean bag chair at my husband's aunt's place in Vancouver. I decided to sew one for each of them to rest, read books, and play on. SEWING MATERIALS I used the instructions on this video. She uses a 12-inch pattern. I made a 15-inch pattern for our bean bag … [Read more...]
Practical solutions and ideas with a pair of scissors
Easy grab hole/ window for teabags. If you are a tea fan, like I am, you know how hard it is to get teabags out of the stacked boxes in the kitchen cabinets. The boxes clutter, fall down, just drive you crazy. I figured this trick actually from a Stash tea box. You just cut a half circle at the bottom. Then sort the tea boxes vertically, side by … [Read more...]
Product Review: Canvas Closet Organizer Shelves
I have been using these canvas organizer shelves since my son was born. They are very practical and handy if: You live in a small condo/house with limited storage space and need to store baby's clothing as organized and categorized as possible. You have a lot of items, such as socks and sweaters that you use every day, but do not want to … [Read more...]