Easy DIY Charging Station

Technology...I love it, but hate all the cords required for it to work!  I needed a place to corral the charging cables for my phone and various other electronics.  I know there are proper charging stations you can buy, and there are even some DIY's out there online too, but I wanted something cheap and easy.

So I took a walk over to my local Dollarama and lo and behold found this great turquoise box.  It even had a lid. I transformed it into a decorative charging station using nothing other than scissors.

It's made of cardboard, so I cut a hole in the back just large enough for the end of the phone charger to fit though. 

Then it's simply a matter of plugging your phone in to charge!  I tend to leave the lid off when my phone is charging, just to let the heat escape.  But otherwise the lid goes on and it looks just like a normal box.  

Is it the most glamorous?  Probably not.  Was it cheap? At $2.50 I'd say yes.  And I love the blue.  It matches Stevie Bird's feathers!  For now, it's a solid win on organizing my charging devices.

Starting the Spring Cleaning

I SAW MY FIRST ROBIN TODAY.  I am seeing the arrival of pavement and grass too.  I think this mythical thing called spring may actually be coming.

It was a whole 9 degrees here today so I threw open the patio door a crack and let some fresh air in.  I also got started on my spring cleaning.

Project organize kitchen cabinets:

I still had presents from Christmas that I had not put away...mostly kitchen items since I didn't have room in my cupboards for them!  If there's one thing I've learned living in a small space is you have to make use of vertical surfaces whenever possible.  This includes your cupboards as well.  I bought some plate racks from Canadian Tire (I've been waiting for them to come on sale forever!), and some baskets from the dollar store. I didn't take any before photos because I was too excited to get started and I forgot...but just picture a mess of dishes, food, tupperware, and lots of unused space!

I can see everything I own now, and each dish has it's own home.  I call this project a success!

I also put away my winter coats and washed my scarves and mitts.  The entry way floor was washed and vacuumed.  I've decided I will do one room at a time, but each room is going to get a thorough cleaning. Front entry...done.  We'll see what next weekend brings!

2 Cool Tips I Learned from Pinterest

I'm sure there are way more than 2 that I've learned, but these are the two that I have put into practice in my own home and they work!

1)  Need to put your hair straightener away (or pack it) and it's still hot?  Put a pot holder around it!  Courtesy of my sister as a Christmas present last year, just fold a pot holder in half longways, and sew it in place.  It's meant to get hot from pots so it can take the heat of the straightener while it is cooling off.

2)  As part of my bathroom re-organization, I needed to find a place to keep my hair dryer, straightener, etc.    I grabbed some 3M hooks and stuck them on the inside of the cabinet door under the sink.  They have worked perfectly and have yet to fall down!  Best part is, they are removable, so there is no permanent screws needed!

  

Best finds on Pinterest yet!  Anyone else have some tips that have proven useful that you've found on Pinterest?

Makeup on Shelf, Not on Toilet...Check!

So, if you've been around these parts for a while now, you know that I have been working on fixing up the bathroom to include better storage and give it a more personal feel rather than the generic standard condo bathrom layout.

If you're new to B5, here's what my bathroom looked like before:

You'll notice the complete lack of storage, and my makeup was being stored in a basket on the back of my toilet.

Well no more!!

I put up some Grundtal glass shelving from IKEA and installed them over my toilet.  They don't stick out too far, and you can see through them.  This helped to keep the bathroom feeling open.  I was worried with the Lillangen shelving unit across from the toilet and the shelving it would seem too closed in, but the glass just disappears into the wall!

Here's a few shots of how it looks now:

I love that my makeup and bath products now have a real home where I can access them easily. 

Here is how the list looks now, with links to the completed projects for you to check out:

• Add a piece of fabric to the bottom of my shower curtain
• Update the shower head
• Update the light fixture
• Change out the mirror
• Add some closed storage
• Add towel hooks
• Add some open shelving over the toilet
• Paint

So close to being done!  I think I may even have a lead on a new light fixture...the end is in sight!

   

Tackling the Bathroom: Update

Last time I filled you guys in on the bathroom, we had just given the shower curtain a much needed makeover. About a month ago IKEA had a bathroom event and after lots of measuring and time spent on the IKEA website, I decided on the Lillangen mirror and mirrored cabinet to add the much needed storage in my bathroom.

I didn't get the legs for the tall cabinet since I had two Capita legs left over from Bert's installation, so I used those instead.  I also didn't put the two side hooks on, but decided to save them in case I needed them later.

As a reminder, here's what the bathroom looked like before:

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This was after we removed the mirror and painted.

And here's the bathroom now!

I also picked up two hooks which you can see in the picture above to hang towels on.  I've never been a fan of towel bars.  Hooks are more convenient I find!  I LOVE that my makeup is no longer on the back of the toilet! It's so much cleaner and less cluttered.  The Lillangen series is made with smaller spaces in mind so they fit great.  And their black-brown colour matches perfectly with my existing cabinetry.

So here is how the list looks now, with links to the completed projects for you to check out:

• Add a piece of fabric to the bottom of my shower curtain
• Update the shower head
• Update the light fixture
• Change out the mirror
• Add some closed storage
• Add towel hooks
• Add some open shelving over the toilet
• Paint

Making progress!!

Tomorrow is the last day of school before Christmas break and they are calling for a big snowstorm with 30cm of snow forecast. Looks like it's going to be a white Christmas here!  Stay safe if you're travelling this weekend!