AnnickaJ's Profile

Lack of character mah behind!!! I would kill (or at least break some major lease agreements) to have a kitchen like the remodel! So nice! So much more counter and cabinet space! It's crazy how the same space looks so much bigger and more efficient by just switching the layout around a bit.... I mean he even has a bar in there! And the huge forks and pictures and paint color add flavor to a modern space.

Wow!! Thats awesome! I love it!

Awesome! Totally love it!

Why hasnt anyone suggested making your own body wash from your favorite bar soap? Then you gan get the best of both worlds. It tried this bloggers formula and it worked great! http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/make-your-own-body-wash.html
She also has tips on how to make your own laundry soap and everything. I also like that she seems to be an AVERAGE person who just would like to use more eco/dollar friendly methods of caring for her household. I hate getting tips like this from someone who's been roughing it in the forest for decades. Perspective, ya know?
I like all the tips listed here for the most part. I appreciate that they're inexpensive things a renter can easily do. Tips like "Paint an accent wall" or "retile the backsplash" aren't really helpful to those of us with iron clad DO NOT ALTER leases and a limited budget.

A friend said she went to a babyshower that was also a gender party! The parents were having twins and for fun asked the doctor not to tell them, but to write down the sexes of the babies. They sealed the paper in an envelope and gave it to the bakery with the instructions to make a plain vanilla sheet cake with each half dyed to represent the sex of the babies (pink cake or blue cake) and cover it with thick white frosting. At the end of the party everyone (including mom and dad) found out the sexes of the babies when the cake was cut! I thought that was a great idea and made the event lots of fun for everyone!

I agree that the rooms are kinda boring, but they were just trying to illustrate how versatile your decorating options can be by making a few simple changes. Anyone can shop elsewhere for great accessories and make those boring rooms amazing.
As for IKEA quality, I hardly believe anyone is buying a $49 bookcase intending it to be passed down to their children. With that said, they do have better quality items on the higher end of their price scale, and you can't beat their quality if you're looking for durable, simple and affordable modular storage. For their furniture, it really does come down to picking the right pieces and finishing them correctly. I've had the 3 drawer version of that dresser pictured for about 4 years now and it still looks brand new-- and that's with 2 kids wailing on it. I got it because I knew the glossy laminate finish would repel crayon and marker and BOY does it! We used wood glue when assembling it (I had no intentions of ever taking it apart again), and I also went a step further and put a coat of gloss paint on all the raw wood in the drawers. My friend on the other hand (no children) bought the dark wood version a year and a half ago, just used standard assembly and is already looking to replace it because its falling apart.

Speaking as someone who has lived with a hoarder I feel I should speak on behalf of those who AREN'T enablers who happen to live with a hoarder. For a loved one, "correcting" serious hoarding behavior is pretty impossible for a few reasons:
1. They compile so much stuff it can take WEEKS of constant work for 1 person to clean and clear it all. @LBhirise, A trip to the grocery store is maybe enough time to dispose of the immediate garbage in one small area.
2. You can't just throw everything away. They are still people with lives and there are things mixed in there that are actually needed and useable (like anything people use in day to day life- clothes, dishes, home goods), but everything is usually so bunched up with junk you'd need time to sort through it to find all the stuff to keep. Plus, I'm not a millionaire and can’t just re-buy a whole house worth of items for my hoarder family member. (and if they have to re-buy it themselves there will be blood)
3. Imagine if your loved one threw away all your furniture, photographs and anything else you value that is irreplaceable. The reaction you would have to that is the same reaction a hoarder usually has to you trashing a stack of old magazines or a pile of new clothes that are destined to never be worn. It’s irrational yes, but it's what I’ve experienced and had all out brawls over for years. Often sentimentality and need are bestowed upon things that don’t deserve this treatment, and in a hoarder’s mind keeping bins of old mail is just as justifiable as keeping a wedding album.
4. Most often times as soon as you do dispose of something, other things will soon fill its place. This is life. More stuff will come in and you are basically the only soldier fighting a never ending war.
The hardest part of living with someone like this is realizing you can't change them, and nothing you do externally to them will treat their behavior. They have to want to change themselves.
In the case of the show, think most people are nicer to strangers so the "experts" on this show do have the upper hand in a sense. The show is only an hour long so they don't show you all the anger, and crew members talking these people into changing their lives for money or new things. I'm sure almost everyone on this show has had to be talked out of backing out of the process numerous times. I'm fairly sure the families have tried to intervene in most of these cases and this was the last resort. Also, I would bet money that almost all of these people will be right back to their old ways after filming wraps if they don't see their behavior as a problem and aren't provided with some kind of post show counseling

I think this is one of the most sought after prizes!

I just realized the neighbor's window is right next to my balcony... Imagine an L shape, my balcony is the long side of the L and the neighbors window is the short side. I dont like the idea that someone can watch and listen to me do my morning coffee or a hang out with company on the balcony. Its kinda of unnerving. Im considering balcony decorating options that could help.

This seemed like a cool idea till I saw the creepy ass video.
O_O
They will need to revamp their marketing of this product. More comforting, less frightening.