Monday, January 17, 2011
Organizing Under the Bathroom Sink: Tidy Tips
Underneath the bathroom sink can be a scary place. Lotions, hair products, curling irons, it can all get very messy, very fast. I am not a fan of clutter (who really is though?) and am constantly trying to rethink the way I organize. Recently, instead of just throwing my straightener and blow dryer underneath I came up with a way that makes me feel less cluttered. I really need to start taking before pictures, someday I will learn. The first trick to organizing blow dryers, curling irons, and straighteners is cable management. It isn't good for the cords of those items to be wrapped around themselves because it weakens them. I got a nice new blow dryer for Christmas and one thing it said in big bold letters, "DO NOT WRAP CORD AROUND BLOW DRYER." This trick is an oldie, but a goodie, that you have probably seen before, my Mother has been doing it for years. It makes me feel less cluttered and it's free. The solution: empty toilet paper tubes. Use you empty tubes and neatly tuck your cords into them. I do this EVERYWHERE at my house, it isn't the prettiest solution, but the places I have the cords are usually out of sight from guests, so I don't mind. My blow dryers cord was too large to fit in the tube, so I used an old, stretched out hair tie, it works well. The next trick I did was to put some hooks inside my cabinet. I just used some gold hooks we had in a kit, and they worked perfectly. My blow dryer and straightener both have specific places to hang them from a hook, and I totally love it!! I only hung the 3 items I use most, large curling iron, blow dryer, and straightener. The other items I put in a small basket (you know how I love storing things in baskets.)
Ahh, much better for everything to have a place, rather than just thrown under there.
Lastly, to organize all your bathroom supplies, I read this trick in a magazine. I *think* it was Better Homes & Gardens, but I can't remember it was a few years ago. You put a lazy susan underneath your sink. That way everything is easily accessible with one simple turn and there are no explosions when you open up the cabinet. Make sure you face everything with the label facing out, so you (or your husband) can easily find what you are looking for without having to dig. This has worked really well, and until recently, I did it under every sink with cleaning supplies, etc. Now I have a mobile baby, so I have come up with a safer solution. We have a child lock on our bathroom door, so I am not too worried about these.
What are your solutions for under the bathroom sink?
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Spice Up Your Boring Lunch! : Weekend Website
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday Freebie
Found myself this cute little black lampshade, sitting by it's lonesome, on the curb.

I knew I had a special lamp that it could be added to, just sitting on a shelf in my garage. This lamp needed some work though...

I got it for a steal on 50% off day at the Goodwill~just under $2.00!

I love, love, love the roses, but the gold had to go.

I taped up the cord, and the light bulb socket.


Out to The Spray Paint Place for some primer, paint and poly...

I paired them up and popped them up on top of my piano.

What a great team they make!
I knew I had a special lamp that it could be added to, just sitting on a shelf in my garage. This lamp needed some work though...
I got it for a steal on 50% off day at the Goodwill~just under $2.00!
I love, love, love the roses, but the gold had to go.
I taped up the cord, and the light bulb socket.
Out to The Spray Paint Place for some primer, paint and poly...
I paired them up and popped them up on top of my piano.
What a great team they make!
Labels:
before and after,
friday freebie,
trash to treasure
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Party Plannin'
2011 is going to be a year full of party planning for me. I have a baby shower, my son's first birthday, and my parents 50th wedding anniversary this year, thankfully I love party planning! My lovely sister in law is due with her first baby, a boy (yay for boy cousins!), in about 6 weeks. We are planning her shower the first weekend in February and I am SO EXCITED! A few weeks ago I was browsing one of my favorite websites, Bake It Pretty, in search of some straws for my son's first birthday party. Yes, I do realize that my son's first birthday party isn't for another FOUR months, but what can I say, I am a planner, and have a very tight budget, so I am starting now!! ANYWAY, though I found some super cute straws, I actually found some cute ones at my local kitchen specialty store for a lot cheaper. I did however come across these....
Mustache lolli molds!!! I HAD to get them, plus they were on sale. I thought they would be perfect for a little man party, and having a son, I know we will have one of those one day. I was tempted to change my first birthday party theme, but I love the ideas I have for that! I decided these would be PERFECT for my SIL's shower though! I am having a little man themed shower and SO excited!! It will be fun to share all the details after the shower. Stay tuned!

Labels:
babies,
favors,
little man,
mustaches,
parties
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
One Dollar Wednesday...Once there was a teapot
I have to admit, I'm coming up a little short at the Dollar Tree lately. I need to get out to some other Dollar stores, and see what they have to offer. Luckily, I still came up with a one dollar project for today.
Once there was a teapot...a scuffed up ugly teapot. Thank goodness he needed a makeover or I wouldn't have gotten him for just 50 cents! Actually, if it hadn't been sale day at the thrift store I may have still given him a chance for his original price of 99 cents.

After a super HOT, sudsy bath, I taped up his vital parts really good, and sent him out to the Spray Paint Place for a coat of metal primer.

Then I added some color with these vibrant yard sale stickers I picked up at The Dollar Tree...

A couple coats of a pretty Valspar glossy spray paint, and a little drying time.

Pulled off all the stickers, and finished him off with a quick coat of poly. Now he's all ready to get to work.
Once there was a teapot...a scuffed up ugly teapot. Thank goodness he needed a makeover or I wouldn't have gotten him for just 50 cents! Actually, if it hadn't been sale day at the thrift store I may have still given him a chance for his original price of 99 cents.
After a super HOT, sudsy bath, I taped up his vital parts really good, and sent him out to the Spray Paint Place for a coat of metal primer.
Then I added some color with these vibrant yard sale stickers I picked up at The Dollar Tree...
A couple coats of a pretty Valspar glossy spray paint, and a little drying time.

Pulled off all the stickers, and finished him off with a quick coat of poly. Now he's all ready to get to work.

Labels:
before and after,
crafts,
dollar store,
reuse,
trash to treasure
Monday, January 10, 2011
Milk Steamers
Ugh, January, my least favorite month of the year. Don't get me wrong I love the new beginnings that the new year ushers in, but I do not like January. I spent 6 years in the desert of Southern Utah where I grew accustomed to the lovely desert winters of the bitter cold 50 degrees. :) Though I have now lived in Northern Utah longer, (going on 8 years), I am still in no way used to the long, drab, bitter cold (really this time, 20 degrees or less) winter, and by January I am done. I enjoy the snow for Christmas, but then getting through the very long month of January, where you are stuck indoors due to cold and the worst air quality ever! I guess that is enough of a rant about my loathing of January, but one thing I do like to do when I am stuck indoors is make milk steamers. It is a good alternative to hot chocolate, because sometimes I get a little burnt out of hot chocolate. It can also be a fun, albeit, messy activity to do with kids, I had my nephew and niece over and we made these. Here is the amazingly simple recipe of milk steamers:
Heat milk in microwave until hot, do not boil
Add 2-3 Tablespoons flavoring syrup
Froth for 30 seconds
Add 2-3 Tablespoons flavoring syrup
Froth for 30 seconds
I usually heat my milk in a glass pitcher and then pour it into mugs to froth. If you are letting kids do this, only pour about a fourth of a cup of milk in for less mess. I really like the Torani flavorings, you can get the sugar free and they taste really good! If you are looking for a milk frother, you can get them just about anywhere.

Saturday, January 8, 2011
Dinner Ideas and More!: Weekend Website
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