Sunday, March 30, 2014

Do You Have A Plan For Your Commode?

(Image courtesy of Kristin Nador)

Decorating all the rooms of your new apartment can be fun! There’s nothing better than scouring magazines, websites and stores looking for the perfect pieces to pull each room together. Sometimes, though, the most used room in the house, the bathroom, stumps many renters-what can you do with this space other than the same old tired shower curtain and tooth brush holder?

A typical trap that many renters fall into is the idea that everything in your bathrooms’ decor needs to coordinate perfectly with every other piece. Well, we’re here to shed the light on this bathroom-decor myth. These ideal bathroom accessory ideas from apartmenttherapy.com may just give you the inspiration that you need to get a little more risque with your bathroom desgin. Keep reading to learn more.

  1. The simple and rustic bathroom of Sophie Demenge and Michael Ryan, creators of Oeuf. As seen on The Socialite Family.
  2. From Lonny, the deep blue bathroom of Lucky's Marlien Rentmeester, as designed by Hillary Thomas.
  3. The plant-filled bathroom of Michigan home of Lauren Naimola & Chad Pratt, from Apartment Therapy.
  4. Also from Lauren and Chad's home, a gallery wall in the bathroom.
  5. Miranda Brooks and Bastien Halard's Brooklyn Home from Vogue, with rug, armchair and side table.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

How Green Can You Go?


Living at Montecito At Dos Lagos includes the excellent perk of living close to beautiful natural surroundings. Because we love the views so much, it’s important to remember all the little steps we need to take each day to preserve our environment. You may not think your carbon footprint is very big, but by making a few small adjustments you can shrink your impact on the earth even further.

By being aware of the effects of many of your small, day-to-day routines, it will be easier to be kinder to the earth.These quick tips, courtesy of renters.apartments.com, will have you showing your green side in no time. Keep reading to learn more:

Adjust the Thermostat
Just because the heat is included in the rent does not mean you should crank the thermostat up to eighty, turning your living room into a warm-weather Jamaican resort. According to the Department of Energy, by turning your thermostat back 10° to 15° for 8 hours, you can save 5% to 15% a year on your heating bill -- a savings of as much as 1% for each degree if the setback period is eight hours long.

Avoid Plastic Bottles
Have you ever stood in the water aisle at the grocery store and wondered where all those plastic bottles end up? Just for starters, many of them end up in landfills where they take eons to break down; others end up floating around in the ocean. However, you can go green, cross the case of plastic water bottles off your grocery list, and attach a filter to your water faucet or purchase a filter pitcher, which does the same thing. For the best results, however, be sure to change the filter every three months.

Streamline Your Electricity Usage
Sometimes it’s difficult to remember to turn off the light every time you leave a room. If it’s a struggle to do that, chances are it will be a challenge to streamline your electricity usage by unplugging phone chargers, coffee makers and other appliances and gadgets when they are not being used. Many of these household items are electricity vampires. Once you get the hang of it and begin to see a significant difference in your electric bill, however, unplugging the unused appliances and gadgets and turning off the lights will become part of your daily routine.

Seriously, Don’t Forget the Plants
While turning your apartment into a sub-tropical jungle isn’t really feasible, or practical, incorporating plants into your living space is a great way to go green. Plants are more than decorative filler. While they are said to have a soothing effect on people, they also help clean the air. By absorbing carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen, plants cleanse the environment. They also remove toxic emissions like ammonia and benzene. The next time you're wondering how you can make your apartment more eco-friendly, all you have to do is take a trip to the local nursery.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

The Spring Purge

(Image courtesy of Liamfm)

It’s that time of year again. The days are getting longer and warmer and soon it will be time to open up your windows to let in the breeze. After a long few months cooped up inside, it will be great to finally get back outside and start exploring. With the start of Spring, however, comes the necessary evil of spring cleaning. Though it can be a bit tedious, we have to admit that it feels good to shake off the layer of dust that’s been settling in our apartments since the beginning of winter.

Just because you have to clean this Spring, doesn’t mean that the tast has to be difficult-there are a number of easy fixes to quite a few common messes that you may have in your apartment. These tips, courtesy of shopsatdoslagos.com, will help you pull together your apartment just in time to get out and enjoy the sunshine. Keep reading to learn more:

The Dreaded Couch Stains

It seems like no matter how hard you try, couch stains are inevitable. Even spilling water can create somewhat of a disaster, especially on a microfiber couch. For a simple clean-up without renting large machinery or throwing anything in the washer all you need is a bristle brush, a spray bottle, rubbing alcohol and a sponge. White cleaning products are best so the colors don’t transfer onto whatever it is you’re cleaning. Simply spray the rubbing alcohol on the stain and give it some good old fashioned elbow grease with the sponge. When dry, if that section of the couch is stiff, soften it using the bristle brush! For more in depth details, click here.

Say Sayonara To Scum

Limescale, soap and other buildup occurs over time naturally as we use our showers and sinks. If left untreated for a period of time, it becomes really difficult to remove. Even when “cleaned,” residue often remains in a thin layer. Use a mixture of water, vinegar and lemon juice to cut through the grime and leave your facilities sparkling clean!

Microwave Meets Sauna

Microwaves seem like a fairly easy thing to clean but when food particles splash about and get reheated as the microwave turns on, stains become more engraved and more difficult to remove. Wipes seem to just push things around rather than cleaning the surface area. For a no-fuss deep clean, simple set a bowl in the microwave for about ten minutes filled with vinegar and water (about 50/50 for each). You’ll be amazed at the cleanliness and how easy it is now to wipe down.

Brand New Blinds

Last but not least, our favorite tip to making your old blinds look brand new. If you have the old pull up blinds, chances are they have begun to yellow with age. To revive them, simply fill your bathtub with warm water and bleach or vinegar and give them a good soaking. They’ll look good as new when you’re through!

We hope these tips help you Spring into action this March!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Procrastination - The Best Way To Declutter

(Image courtesy of serenejournal)

Growing up we were all told repeatedly to never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. For most aspects of our adult lives, this advice rings true - it’s generally not a good idea to let little projects pile up into sudden emergencies.

However, when it comes to decluttering your apartment, it may be best to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Sometimes, the best way to determine what you really need is to see what you dig out of your moving boxes first. This inspiring idea courtesy of renters.apartments.com shows us that maybe procrastination isn’t such a bad idea after all. Keep reading to decide for yourself!

To road test my theory, I applied the procrastination approach to unpacking the boxes in my new apartment and you know what? It works.

By unpacking by priority, I’m uncovering three major truths: First, I have a lot more stuff than I need. Second, I moved a few boxes to this place that I never unpacked at the last place either. Third, I’m not nearly as awesome at ruthlessly downsizing my clutter as I thought.

Reaping the rewards of inaction pretty much stops here – after all, after a month of only unpacking by necessity, the place is still kind of a wreck and I should probably track down that cable bill I know I tossed in a box on moving day.

But the good news is, by knowing what I don’t need, I’m in a better position to ditch the clutter (*Bonus! Most of it’s still in ready-to-donate boxes!) and better organize my life. After all, that way-too-high shelf in the back of the closet? It isn't for just anything – it’s for air conditioner manuals and important documents I never seem to need but am required to keep.

Now, post-procrastination, I know where it actually makes sense to keep the cutting boards in my new kitchen and I've come to terms with the fact that I don’t need to keep giving valuable under-the-sink real estate to curling irons and straighteners my hair has been far too short for for roughly the last 3 years.

Personal growth through inaction, people; I recommend it.
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