e_lud's Profile

I agree with c in westchester: Ikea shoe bins! We have two mounted to the wall, one for gloves, one for hats. I put my keys in a bowl on top, along with a vase that holds sunglasses. It's our landing strip, and it works so, so well!

The Maid of the Mist is pretty cool, but I always recommend the Cave of the Winds as the number one thing to do. You get a poncho and non-slip sandals, and you get to walk down decks that bring you near the base of the falls. It is amazing!

One thing to consider is how wide/flat the base is. I bought some beautiful, wide, classic white bowls from Crate & Barrel. But the base is so small that you have to hold onto the bowl while spearing a bite of lettuce to keep the whole thing from tipping over.
I just ordered bowls from CB2 to replace them (http://www.cb2.com/dinnerware/dining/modern-dinnerware/f2768) that are essentially a big flat circle with high walls. I can't wait!

I think it depends a lot on how appreciated you feel. When I was single, 100% of my household (me!) was thrilled to live in a tidy, clean apartment. (100% of my household also thought my cooking was fantastic!). I married a low key man who doesn't flip out for much. When I work all Saturday to get the house spotless, he doesn't celebrate the way I'd like. Homemaking now feels like more of a burden (even if being married is a privilege!).

Does your hairdryer have a loop on it? It would be where the cord attaches to the dryer itself. If so, just screw a small coat hook into the wall, and use the loop to hang it.

I have a TINY bathroom, and that's how I store my hairdryer. It works really well!

If there are a bunch of dishes, this is how I do it:
Separate dishes into like piles on the counter (bowls, plates, pots & pans, glasses, etc.). Dump all utensils into dish bin in sink. Squirt in some soap, and water just to cover the utensils. Wash them all, put them in the other side of the sink when they're cleaned (but not rinsed). Then add the next pile of dishes to the dish bin. Rinse the utensils, adding more water to the dish bin if necessary, just to cover the dishes. The dishes in the bin get a chance to soak. Start washing the dishes in the bin. Repeat the process until all piles are clean.
Here's the order I do the piles:
1. Utensils
2. Plates & flat things (cookie sheets, cutting boards)
3. Bowls
4. Glasses
5. Pots & pans
(Essentially, I do the things that use the least water first. They're also the things that fit the best into the dish rack. It's much better to do plates first and line them up nicely in the dishrack, then to do glasses first, and then try to fit the plates in around them.)

If I don't have a bunch of dishes to do, or if I have a big pile and I don't want to do them all at once, I make myself wash FIVE things every time I go into the kitchen for a snack. (Utensils only count for 1/2 of an item.) By the end of the day, they're all done!

I did this in my rec room/guest room! I was inspired by the #1 post. It's a pretty economical, super-useful solution. We put trunk latches on the top and bottom of each bed so we can latch them together to make a king-sized bed. Two twin beds, one king bed, and two couches from two pieces? Awesome!

I have two bins: a special occasion bin and a "minis" bin. I've been traveling a lot for weddings this summer, so I tend to mix and match between the special occasion and the minis. But I do keep soap, shampoo, razor, toothbrush and toothpaste in the travel bag all the time.

My husband makes dry-ice rootbeer in a pressure cooker. It actually carbonates! But you do have to drink it right away...

We were in the process of tearing down a plaster and lath wall when we had a dinner party. The plaster was off, leaving the lath exposed. Our friends joked that it was a "modern" look, and that we should have left it just like that.
I think they were only sort-of joking. It did look interesting: like an exposed brick wall or something.