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Thursday, July 26, 2018

How To Easily Reduce The Clutter In Your Kitchen!


This post is provided by Boris Dzhingarov.

Do you feel like you cannot escape the clutter in your home? The kitchen is one of the rooms in your home that you may want to make clutter-free because you need to have available space to prepare your meals and cook them without worrying about a bunch of products getting in your way. Even if you have a rather small kitchen, you can still get creative and eliminate the clutter by trying out some convenient and useful cabinet storage tips.

Start Using Hanging Baskets

Clutter is not just an eyesore- it is something that can negatively impact your mental health while posing as a potential fire hazard. Coming up with creative storage solutions is the best way to feel more comfortable in your living space. One way to make more space is to invest in some hanging baskets. You can store different types of items inside of these baskets, such as your dish soap, sponges, hand soap, fruits, and even containers of vitamins. Hanging baskets are convenient because they provide an additional place for you to put some belongings without taking up any extra countertop space.

Start looking around your kitchen to come up with ideas on where to place these baskets so that they are out of the way. The baskets are available in several different shapes and sizes, so you can select both smaller and larger options based on the size of the kitchen and what you are trying to store.

Save Space Inside Your Cabinets

The purpose of having cabinets is to have extra space to put different items, including utensils, plates, cups, and even your cleaning supplies. However, it is quite easy for those cabinets to become a huge mess when you have multiple items inside of them. If you would like to save the space inside of your cabinets to eliminate some of the clutter, start looking into different cabinet storage ideas. For example, you could install miniature plastic shelves on the inside of the cabinet door, giving yourself some additional space for bottles of different spices you would normally use when preparing meals.

Rather than having the spices thrown about inside of the cabinet, you could keep them lined up in a row and organized. Some people have installed magnetic strips to the doors of their cabinets so that they could easily hang some of their metal items and save that extra space.

Get Rid of What You Do Not Need

Aside from getting creative and coming up with different ways to store items inside of your kitchen, you should make sure you are getting rid of the stuff you do not need. If it is something you would normally use, you are not going to want to part with it, but there are other items in your kitchen that may be expired, may no longer work properly, or may never get used by you. If you are not using something or if it is expired, get rid of it to make more space.

If your kitchen is cluttered, start using hanging baskets, come up with creative ways to organize items inside of the cabinets, and get rid of anything you do not need. It may be possible for you to transform the room into a clutter-free kitchen in just one day.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Six Inexpensive Summer Crafts!


This post is provided by Heather Bradford.

Summertime projects are a great way to welcome in the new season with some creative flair. Not only do these crafts add character to the spaces that they fill, they also present a fun opportunity to spend time with your loved ones as you put together any number of projects yourselves. These projects can be as simple and easy as drinking glass umbrellas or as elaborate as a firepit. Along with the time commitment required, there can also be a financial price to pay when trying to complete these summertime projects. Taking that factor into consideration, the following are some projects that you will get a lot of enjoyment out of but would not break the bank. 

Bird feeder 

Bird feeders are great for bringing little friends from all over to your backyard. Even better than how easy it is to create feeders yourself is how inexpensive it can be. For this project you do not need more than an old plastic soda bottle, two wooden cooking spoons, a tiny screw eye, some string and bird food. Take the bottle and cut a pair of holes across from each other on one level. You want these just wide enough that you can slide a wooden spoon in and it can remain, but poke one a bit bigger to let some food spill out. This will be the side you want your spoon head coming out of. Do the same thing just below it and insert your other spoon, then the food. Screw your screw eye into the soda bottle top and hook the string through it. Tie it off with a knot and hang your new feeder in a place where you will be able to greet all of your little visitors.

Blog post

One inexpensive project that could actually earn you money this summer is starting your own blog. Especially if you have something that inspires you or that you are passionate about, your own blog will give you the freedom to discuss it, share regular updates, and engage with a variety of different people from diverse backgrounds who may hold similar interests. You can adorn the pages of your site however you see fit and get creative with your posts and the topics you discuss. And if you are feeling a little uninspired one day, you can invite fans of the site or other bloggers to provide guests posts discussing agreed upon topics from their perspectives. And even if blogging does not become an everyday habit as it is for some, it is still a fun and creative way to express yourself. 

Place mats

Making place mats is a great starter project for those who are beginning to venture into sewing. The only materials you will need are two pieces of rectangular fabric, an iron, some scissors, a sewing machine, and some thread that can blend in with the color or the fabric or is coordinated with it. From there you will lay the fabric pieces on top of each other so that the patterned sides face each other. Sew the pieces together, making sure you are sewing straight and giving your machine a ½ inch seam allowance. Be sure to leave tiny hole(3-4 in) as you sew so that you will be able to later to flip the placemat inside out. Once it is sewed up you can either snip the corners with your scissors or leave it as is. From there you will flip the mat right side out and iron it to get it to lay flat. From there, go back through and sew the entirety of the mat once more with a ¼ inch seam allowance and you will have yourself a new mealtime companion.   

Mason jar lights 

Mason jars come in several varieties, but the quaint and subtle appearance of smaller jars can transform your backyard deck or patio into a warm space perfect for summer nights. To get started on this project, all you need are several mason jars, wire clothing hangers, flameless LED candles, some small wire cutters, and some needle nose pliers. Be sure to wear something over your eyes to protect them before shaping the hangers. From there you are going to use the pliers to cut foot long segments of the hanger. Use the needle nose plier to create a loop in the middle of the segment. Once that is done, you will wrap it around the mason jar and finish off the other end with a loop. With the other straight hanger segment, you will curve it into a U with smaller inward curves at either end. These shapes will be slid into the initial loops created around the jar, making a handle for it. From there, insert the LED candles and find a nice place to hang your new outdoor light fixture.
  
Pail Lanterns

This is quick and easy project that is sure to brighten up your summer. All it requires is a small to medium sized tin pail, along with a candle or a flameless LED light, whichever you want to use. Using a hammer and a nail or a hand drill if you are more comfortable with that, simply begin punching tiny holes throughout the pail. Start by spreading them out to see if you want slightly fewer holes and go back in and add more if you desire. Once everything is to your liking, simply insert the candle or light into the pail and find a place for your new lantern. Smaller sized lanterns are great for providing light on the table, while slightly larger ones can be placed within the yard. Using lanterns or other self-sustaining sources of light are a great way to give your home an inviting ambiance and also saving on lighting at the same time. 

Tie Dye Shirt

To get started with this classic summertime activity, all you will need is a white shirt (preferably cotton to help the dyes show up better), a basic tie dye kit that can be purchased for about $15, something to bind the shirt like large rubber bands, and a large plastic bag. Throw your shirt in the washer before you begin. You are going to want to skip drying it when it is done because you will need the fabric damp when it comes time to dye. What you will want to do with the wet shirt is twist it up and then bind it depending on the technique you want to use. From there, you will want to begin applying your dyes. When that is completed, cover the tie-dyed shirt with a plastic bag to help keep it damp. You will end up leaving it like that for several hours, as it is important to let the colors set in place. Once the time has passed, you can remove your shirt and begin sporting it off to the world. 

Bio: Douglas Keller has been a financial expert for 20 years, helping people reach financial stability. Today through he is writing on Payless Power, he continues to help others save money on their bills every month.

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Floating Shelves: They Look Great And Double As An Additional Storage Space!


This post is provided by Matt.

If you have never seen floating shelves, you need to. They look amazing and they can transform your blank wall into a place where you can store extra items in your home. The best thing about these floating shelves is that they can be placed in any room in your home. You can choose from floating shelves that are one foot in size all the way up to whatever size you need, which makes them such a convenient option. 

Let’s take a look now at how floating shelves can improve your interior décor and double as additional storage space. 

Create A Unique Wall In Your Home

If you have been staring at that empty wall in your home and you have additional décor that could use a home, floating shelves are the perfect addition. In fact, you can choose from a variety of sizes to meet the needs of the space you have available. You can decorate that wall however you like without all of the hardware showing too. 

Solution For Your Books

If you love to read books, but have a hard time keeping that stack from tipping over, consider using the floating shelves to store your books and display them neatly. Once you are done with one book, simply put it back on the shelf and grab a new one. 

Floating shelves can double as a bookshelf in any room in your home, but would look great in the bedroom or even the sunroom. 

Create Space In The Bathroom 

You can create additional space in the bathroom and limit the amount of counterspace that you use up. For instance, you can place hand towels and bath towels on the shelves and your guests will be able to grab them as needed. You could also use the shelves to store other items such as bathroom décor pieces or your makeup or hair accessories. 

Use The Shelves In Between Spaces

You can use the floating shelves in between spaces within your home to add to a blank space. For example, if you have space in between two windows, you can add some floating shelves in between them to prevent the area from appearing to be boring. You can decorate the shelves however you would like to. Many people do like to place picture frames and memories from family events on these shelves as they can be displayed neatly. 

Floating Shelves Are A Great Addition To Any Home

Floating shelves look amazing in any home and they make a wonderful addition to the space you have available on your walls. You can use them for a variety of applications to include in the laundry room to store your laundry soap and dryer sheets or even in the garage. 

If you find that you simply have more decorations or books than you can fit on your shelves, you may want to consider renting a storage unit. This is a great option when you want to remove some clutter in your house. The floating shelves make great accents and can make a boring wall pop but if you overload them with dated décor or stacking things on them, they will look messy and cluttered. Make your home look great today with the proper use of floating shelves!