Life

Q: My husband and I adopted a kitten a few months ago, and now that the warmer weather is coming we need some help cat-proofing the apartment in a new way. We’re lucky enough to have two large 6 foot windows and a sliding door (with screen) that’s about 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Any tips for how to keep the cat from climbing on the screens? We keep her nails clipped short, but she manages to grab hold anyway. Any diversion tips? Thanks!

Bricor claims they are the only manufacturer to create a truly “low flow” showerhead without sacrificing water pressure. Their Ultra Max 100 showerhead has only a 0.5 GPM, yet it has the highest performance value rating of any showerhead tested—more than Oxygenics or Delta. See here for Bricor’s assessment of their FIT rating (Flow Impact Intensity)Technically, “low-flow” is anything under 2.5 GPM, so 0.5 GPM is pretty astounding. How does it work?

You can make your own all-purpose cleaner using three basic, inexpensive, non-toxic ingredients. You can use this cleaner for everything — from streak-free mirrors to wiping out the cat litter box. I keep it pre-mixed in a reused windex spray bottle for easy access. Ingedients 2 cups water 1 cup hydrogen peroxide ¼ cup lemon juice Mix and adjust to suit your needs. Hydrogen peroxide is the key to this cleaner. It’s inexpensive, non-toxic, and readily available.

It should come as no surprise that fabric softeners have a long list of artificial ingredients and chemicals in them. So if you want that cozy, soft feeling without the headache-inducing scent, you can try one of these natural alternatives:1 Baking Soda: Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the water in your washer and let it dissolve. Add your clothes.2 Vinegar: Add 3/4 – 1 cup of vinegar to either the wash or the rinse cycle.

As I shared yesterday, last week I got on a plane and flew to Minneapolis to tour the Mrs. Meyer’s headquarters and meet the fabulous 79-year-old Mrs. Meyer in person.

Once upon a time we were happy people, a family that lived harmoniously with a cat. Then we discovered hidden caches of pee: in the hamper, in trash cans, on quilts. Some members of the family wanted to banish said cat from the house, we refused and dedicated ourselves to solving the problem. Our kitty is a female so she wasn’t spraying the walls to mark her territory, she was just unloading her bladder on, normally, piles of soft things.

If you’ve ever been asked by mall security to put your point-and-shoot camera away, you’ve probably questioned what US law governs photographers and taking pictures. The truth is, there is no single rule to live by as a photographer at any level. Whether you’re a family-historian amateur or a journalistic pro, the question of when you can and cannot take pics is a slippery slope.

I used to have an older neighbor who was charming and friendly at first, but became very needy and intrusive later. Because at first I saw his frequent visits as friendly behavior, I never set boundaries for what is acceptable. I paid the price later and he got into a routine of invading my privacy in every way possible. Everyone has a different definition of privacy and appropriate neighbor relations.I learned my lesson with my unfortunate neighbor experience.

Q: I’m getting new carpet in my house and trying to find out where in my local area I can dispose of my old carpet and pad properly? I live in Macomb, MI, and have over 1300 sq feet of carpet and pad to dispose of.Sent by LynetteEditor: Here’s what our friends at Green Home Guide have to say:Answered by Cynthia Phakos of Koffka Phakos Design: My first step in finding carpet recycling options in your area was to visit the website for CARE, the Carpet America Recovery Effort.

Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap claims 18 cleaning uses in one bottle. One of those is laundry soap. Want to know how to make your own using only a cup of Dr. Bronner’s per 64 loads? Check it out: This laundry soap doesn’t create suds, but it doesn’t need to in order to get your laundry clean. 1 cup Dr. Bronner’s pure castile liquid soap1 cup baking soda2 cups water1/3 cup salt Warm the water and mix with salt and baking soda until dissolved.

It can be difficult to muster up the willpower to say “no” when you’re compelled to drop some cash.It doesn’t matter what speaks to you—boozy brunch, a new rug for the living room, a limited edition sneaker drop—the siren call to spend can be deafening. But if you’re serious about saving money for the long haul, you’re going to have to learn how and when to say “no” when shopping.

Growing up I remember family and friends adding all sorts of things to their Christmas tree water. Some added crushed up Asprin, others a fizzy, sugary soda, even bleach and lemon juice. Does this really help? We’ve got answers!The long and the short of the question, “Should I add anything to my Christmas tree water?” is that you don’t have to. If you have hard water, you especially don’t have to.

Beautifully organized spaces are very inspirational for me. Often, I think, if I only had more space, but these rooms make it clear that space is not the issue. In fact, we know that it’s more environmentally-friendly to live small; you just need to know the secrets to making a small space work. Creative solutions, lovely placement, and only having what you use and love make a room clean and simple.

What are the biggest furniture stores you can think of off the top of your head? IKEA, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel? Those were the ones that immediately came to my mind, so I was really surprised when I opened Furniture Today’s 2011 Retail Planning Guide and found a list that included some humongous stores I’d never heard of. Nebraska Furniture Mart? Badcock Home Furniture? Having lived in big northern cities for my whole life, these places have stayed outside my radar until now.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of keeping 3-year-old Tuli company while her mother worked. She’s a darling girl, but has been in a few tree collisions lately while sledding. A simple request to remove a band-aid that was “owie” looked ready to turn into a scream fest – lucky for Tuli, I came armed with this simple trick.Ok, so it’s not so much a trick as it is an appliance.

Every well-run home is teeming with tricks and shortcuts to keep it humming along. We’re sharing our best quick tips — for cleaning, organizing and repairing stuff at home — to save you time and money. Click through for today’s helpful hint, and links to tons more… Pets, in general, aren’t comfortable walking on strange surfaces that make noises. Try placing a piece of ALUMINUM FOIL (or bubble wrap) on the area in question and leave it for two or three days.

For as long as we can remember we’ve heard the old wives tale that you should not mix battery brands in the same device. Naturally, that did nothing to prevent us from doing it frequently. We’ve never had any problems before (or so we thought) so it had to be fasle, right? Well it turns out the answer might have you running to the drug store after work.We’re sure the story is familiar.

But here are a few other IKEA-inspired baby names you could use instead (some assembly required).

Holy forking shirt! Kristen Bell, star of “The Good Place,” the “Frozen” franchise, and the upcoming “Veronica Mars” reboot, has a new bullet point to add to her resume: La-Z-Boy brand ambassador. Wait, huh? Yup, La-Z-Boy, synonymous with old school recliners… that one. But if anyone knows about the hardship of working with a piece of furniture that’s less than ideal, it’s Kristen.

Perfect Night In is a series where we ask actors, artists, entrepreneurs, and beyond how they’d spend the ultimate luxury—a blissful evening at home.Whether you know her best as shrimp-loving Eleanor on “The Good Place,” spirited younger sister Anna in “Frozen,” or from her total Mom status on Instagram, one thing is for certain: We love Kristen Bell almost as much as she loves sloths.

No matter where you live, capturing rain to water landscaping or wash cars is a good way to use less potable water. However, depending on where you live, your rain water catchment system should be sized accordingly. Here are five questions to help you decide how big your rain barrel should be.If you can collect rain water from 1000 square feet of roof and a typical rainfall is one inch then a 623 gallon barrel will capture most of the typical rainfall. (1000SF x 1/12 feet = 83.

Whether you’re a renter or city dweller, living with a yard can come at a premium. The absence of a yard can also seemingly make life for your pet unpleasant, but after six years I can attest that not only can living without a yard be fine, but even fun! For the past six years my husband and I have lived in Chicago — a city notorious for its lack of yard space. But for each of those years, we’ve lived with a cat, and most recently added a dog to our family.

As a former Waldorf class teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how unchecked screentime from films, tv and computer games can adversely affect young children as they grow, but I also believe in doing what I can as a parent to educate and turn a potential problem into an opportunity – and to meet the modern world carefully and at our own speed. I started this project four years ago, it’s been going really well. Here’s the latest update.

Mindfulness is being embraced everywhere these days, from the Kindergarten classroom to company retreats. What is mindfulness, exactly? Susan Smalley, Ph.D., and Diana Winston, co-authors of Fully Present, say that mindfulness is “an accepting and kind attitude toward yourself and your present moment experience.” One that will change your relationship to life. Sounds enticing, huh? Here are a few tips on how to integrate the practice of mindfulness into your home. 1.

With entertaining season upon us, what’s a more fitting project than a versatile little bar cart? A sturdy — but rather ugly — thrift store find, this little microwave cart gets to live on with an (arguably more fun) second life.The writer at She’s No Martha had a hankering for a sleek little cocktail station, and she dressed up her $20 find with some white paint and some handles on the sides.

The day before Thanksgiving I slipped on my front steps and broke my foot. Suddenly, life became a lot more challenging. Hopefully you’ll never break anything, but if you happen to come home from that holiday skiing trip with a souvenir, here are some of the things I’ve learned that will make your life a lot easier.Roll Up The Rugs: Rugs, especially those without a rug pad under them, can slow down a wheelchair or slip under a crutch. Roll them up or remove them.

I was at Target the other day, and standing in front of me in line was a gentleman buying a plunger. That’s it. A plunger. While I really should have been feeling bad for him, because after all, the poor guy was out on a plunger run, I found myself staring at him in wonder, dazzled by his ability to get out of Target with only one darn thing.

That pristine wool carpet you just installed looks great. Keep it looking that way for years with these straightforward, easy tips. Vacuum regularly. Loop carpets like Berbers are more delicate and should be vacuumed only with suction. Pile carpets, like Saxony pile and textured pile, can withstand heavier cleaning and should be cleaned with a beater bar. Natural wool has a wax coating that keeps dirt on the surface, making it easy to keep clean by vacuuming. Stain treat immediately.

She was a tad late, but spring is finally in full swing down in Charleston, and we are taking advantage of every opportunity to enjoy it outdoors. The sandbox has become a favorite hangout for my daughter, and I’ve learned a few tricks to make our sandy experiences a bit more enjoyable. Keeping three simple items nearby is the key to smart sand play.The water hose is something we don’t often think of when playing in the sand.

Many people are divided on the idea of “games” at weddings. There are those who find them fun and harmless, and those who think that surely weddings are enjoyable enough as-is, and question the need to add opportunities for embarrassment to the day’s schedule. While I have sympathies with the latter group, my older sister, who married last summer, is firmly in the former camp.

The first time I saw a top-entry litter box, I wondered where it had been all my life. That top-oriented entrance hole looked like it would cut down dramatically on my cat tracking litter out of the box on her paws and eliminate accidental out-of-the-box spraying. Unfortunately, that kind of litter box can be expensive. But now someone has figured out a way to make one with a simple IKEA hack.

thatBuying a house on a busy street let my husband and I live in an area we otherwise couldn’t afford. We are only a few blocks from the heart of the neighborhood, which means loads of walkable options for food, shopping, etc. We enjoy beautiful views of the mountains when we walk our pup on clear days. And it’s easy to get to downtown by car or bus.But what about all that racket, you ask? You get used to it, I swear.

Tackling home DIY and remodeling projects can be fun! Exciting! Stressful! Completely overwhelming. Money, exhaustion and pressure can all lead to a whole mix of emotions, positive and negative, when working on projects around your house. We’ve got seven tips to consider when you start feeling overwhelmed. 1. Acknowledge that you’re overwhelmed Allow yourself to feel overwhelmed. Say it out loud. Now remember you’re human and it’s totally okay to feel overwhelmed.

Maybe I’m an addict. Like many list-makers, crossing things off my list makes me feel really good and makes me want to cross the next thing off my list, and the next. What’s really going on here? More specifically, how can we harness this reaction to make the sometimes arduous task of cleaning not only less irritating, but even downright tempting?

I’m a voracious reader, and have been since I was a child, so I naturally wanted to pass this love on to my children. With two boys, though, I soon discovered that there aren’t as many obvious book choices for boys, especially in the early and middle elementary school years. We’ve spent a lot of time trial and erroring books for my sons, so I thought I’d round up their favorites.

For many of us, the love of architecture, home design, and decor had deep roots in childhood. This season, help spread that passion to the kids in your life with these books, blocks, and crafts. Top row: 1. Draw Me a House: Architectural Ideas, Inspiration, and Colouring In by Thibaud Herem, $17.01 2. LEGO Architecture Fallingwater, $98.95 3. Citiblocs Wooden Building Block Set, $48.21 4. 3-D Home Kit, $31.46 5. Fun with Architecture Rubber Stamp Set, $24.95 Bottom row: 1.

This past summer my husband and I were excited to learn that Verizon’s high-speed, fiber-optic, internet/phone/tv FiOS service had become available to our building and we were quick to sign up. Having suffered through many tedious cable and internet installations over the years, I was expecting pretty much the same rigamarole, but there were a few twists to the process you might want to know about if you’re on the brink of making the switch yourself.

Many of us spend extra time and money sourcing organic foods. Yet if you polled those same people, I imagine you would find the majority don’t think twice about organic fabrics. So what’s the big deal, you might ask? It’s intuitive to be concerned about whether fruits and vegetables have been treated with chemicals or preservatives, but fabrics? Is this taking the organic aspect too far? Are organic fabrics worth it?

Pet owners know this scene all too well: you walk into a room and find your beloved pet eating your television cord, your phone charging cord, or some other important electronic cord which should not be gnawed. If this sounds familiar, worry not: here are three steps I’ve taken to train two dogs and two cats to leave cords alone: 1. Always correct the behavior when you catch them in the act. If you find your dog chewing on a cord, use your disciplinary word of choice.

I am an exotic pet person. This came as quite a surprise to me when I moved to a new city and called a vet specializing in small animals to see if they could fit in one of my guinea pigs who had developed a sneeze during our move, but was told that the vet did not treat “exotic pets”. Surprise! Both of my guinea pigs and my little mouse are exotic pets. I assure you they all felt quite fancy when I informed them of their status.

When is a book not a book? When it’s actually a tiny little bound packet of posters. Since we’re all about pieces that pull double-duty, I thought I’d share a few ready-to-frame poster books: titles you can grab at the bookstore to keep on the coffee table, and then tear pages from as needed to fill up the walls. I was recently gifted the book Swissted, a collection of vintage rock posters re-designed by digital artist Mike Joyce.

No doubt about it: kids make noise. What happens when you have kids, noisy kids and your neighbor doesn’t? Apartment living can be tough, but it’s even tougher when a case of shared walls meets very different lifestyles. Here are a few guidelines for ensuring everyone gets along just fine. 1. Get to know each other. Invite your neighbors over for dinner. Nothing beats a shared meal for wearing down divisions and clearing up misunderstandings.

Product: Tory Burch for FitBit Price: $38.00 – $195 Rating: Strong Recommend* FitBit users are a passionate bunch. And rightly so. The app and corresponding wristband have achieved quite a bit of notoriety for creating one of the most all-encompassing body, health and fitness trackers on the market. The minimal band of the FitBit was always missing something for me, though. Enter Tory Burch.

At Apartment Therapy, we have an entire category called Budget Living where we funnel ideas and strategies for living and decorating when you’re tight on funds. But “budget living” isn’t a one-size-fits-all term. One person’s poor is another’s filthy rich. When we published an article about living on minimum wage, our lovely readers came together with an outpouring of responses for making ends meet when it feels like there are miles between them.

Last week I had a cold. Nothing too serious, but I needed lots of bed rest and a break from the mile-long to-do lists that normally make up my daily routine. While I felt better from taking much-needed time to rest, it also meant a huge pile-up of stuff around the house that didn’t get done, from laundry, dishes and weekly vacuuming to a bunch of home maintenance tasks that all seemed due at once, like changing filters and testing smoke detector batteries.

While the idea of taking a road trip—whether it’s a quick weekend getaway with your SO or a cross-country tour of America’s national parks—certainly sounds dreamy and adventurous, the logistics of planning such a trip, particularly finding the right vehicle to use, can feel daunting. Enter: RVshare.RVshare is like A‌i‌r‌b‌n‌b‌ for RV rentals.

Halloween for the three- to five-year-old set is obviously an exciting time, but not without a few pitfalls. One of them is finding appropriate books to share. The stories need to be savvy enough to respect their intelligence but not so spooky that you will find a trembling child in your bed at two in the morning.

There’s no getting around it—tiny things are adorable. And I’m not just talking about tiny newborn kittens that can fit into the palm of your hand. (Though OMG, are those cute, too.) I’m talking about our collective fascination with miniaturized things, which has become something of an Instagram craze in recent years. If you don’t believe me, just check out @dailymini, an Instagram account run by Kate Esme Unver, who calls herself a “miniac.

If you like making resolutions, there’s no need to feel like you missed the boat just because we’re well into 2015. In fact, I’d say you’re probably better off making resolutions now than in a hungover haze on the 1st— once again, procrastination wins the day! Here are the 5 reasons I’m a big fan of delayed resolutions- of course, if you don’t like making resolutions, simply carry on. 1.

When I got married almost five years ago, I had a vague idea of what we might need for our home and registered accordingly. However, after several years, I have a much more realistic sense of the things we need and don’t need. Since our wedding, we moved three times and these moves (and all that packing and unpacking) has helped discern between what we really use and things that have stayed in boxes from our previous places and went straight into our closets or attic.

Have you heard of the “4-7-8” breathing method? I hadn’t until references to it kept popping up in my Facebook feed. I ignored them at first, but the positive endorsements from friends and friends of friends (“works for me every time!”, “did it last night and it worked!”) were a siren song that I couldn’t resist.

Dear Alice, Hope you can help me with this one because it’s getting awkward. My apartment’s kitchen windows look out onto another building and one of the tenants there likes to walk around his living room naked. I know because he forgets to shut his drapes most of the time. I’m always humiliated when it happens, but he doesn’t seem to learn his lesson and wear a robe.

After you factor in the printed invitations, the plated meals and the pretty peonies you just have to have, your wedding budget is likely getting higher and higher than you’d ever imagined. And you’re supposed to plan a 10-day European vacation with the leftover budget? (Again, what leftover budget?) The answer to your troubles doesn’t have to be “skip the honeymoon,” you just have to be a little creative with your post-wedding travel plans.

Dear Alice, Thanks, Stuck between a friend and a large space Dear Stuck, I think you already know what to do. You’re clearly not looking for a roommate, even your best friend. Your concerns about privacy and her lifestyle are valid, but whatever your reasons, you don’t need to justify why you don’t want to let a grown woman and her baby share your space.

My day job is the only one I’ve ever had in which the employees never socialize outside of work— it’s also the only one I’ve ever had in which all of the employees’ families live locally. Coincidence? I can’t help but wonder: do all of the family recitals, parties, graduations, brunches, and favors take up so much time that there’s little-to-none left over for a non-family social life?

I love books. From a very young age I’ve been surrounded by them, and the feel and even the smell of books is something I find incredibly comforting. I love them so much that I wrote a manifesto about how, even if the printed word becomes technically obsolete, I’m never letting go of my books. And then, about a year ago, on the eve of a six-week trip to Europe, I made an uncharacteristic decision: I decided to get an e-reader.

Dear Alice, I live alone in a large apartment building in the city and usually this would provide some level of anonymity, however, a new couple just moved into the unit next door and they won’t leave me alone. I’m an introvert and I really prefer to keep to myself. I’m happy to nod politely and say a quick hello to other residents that I see in the lobby or the elevator, but I really don’t feel the need to get into long conversations every time I step out of my door.

Hi Alice, How do I ask a neighbor to pick up the dog poo from their yard more often because it is smelling up my yard (front and back) real bad? Do I go straight to 311 or do it face-to-face or is there a better suggestion? I’d like to cause the least amount of embarrassment/awkwardness/ill-will while still getting the shit taken care of. Flies, man, already and super-humid Baltimore summer coming … Thanks!

Dear Alice, I live in an apartment building with pretty thin walls and thus I can hear the couple next door fighting…a lot. It’s not physically violent (as far as I can tell) but it’s certainly unnerving to hear these two yelling at each other all the time. At this point, it’s gotten to be that they have a fight at least twice-a-week (and at least once every weekend).

There are several reasons you could need to stretch $100 through an entire week. Maybe you’re saving hard for a vacation or maybe you had some unexpected emergency expenses and are low in your checking account until your next paycheck. Whatever your personal reasons for embarking on an extra-frugal week, here are some budgeting tips to help make $100 last all seven days. If you know you only have $100 and a week, you need to be extremely deliberate about where that money is going.

Dear Alice, I am in a long distance/weekend relationship and unavoidably spend every other weekend with my boyfriend’s family (we take turns visiting each other). Unfortunately, they aren’t exactly hospitable. The weekends I stay there are the ones my boyfriend has to work during the day. His parents always fix dinner for us, and sometimes they also invite me for breakfast – if I’m lucky.

Being sick sucks, pretty much universally. But it can suck just a little bit extra when you live by yourself and don’t have anyone to help run out and grab meds or soup. If you live solo, here’s how to survive being stuck at home sick. Nothing’s worse than waking up with a terrible sore throat, stumbling over to the medicine cabinet and finding it empty or full of expired meds.

Hi Alice! I recently moved into an apartment building that allows cats. Although I am severely allergic, I never thought it would be a problem— why should a cat confined in a separate apartment bother me? Then, the day I moved in, I met a neighbor who happily told me I moved to the “cat floor.” Uh oh. I wasn’t confused for long: my neighbors open their doors and let their cats roam around the common area by the elevator!

I had the pleasure of spending time with Ali McNally while working on a House Tour of her New Orleans home, and the Toronto native is as gracious as she is gorgeous. And what a powerhouse! In addition to doing all the buying for Neon Heart—the boutique she owns with her husband Chris Scheurich—Ali is a fashion stylist, model, and frontwoman for the pop band YYZ. The girl has style for miles, so I asked her to share her take on fashion with us.

I used to be a night owl. A midnight movie? No problem! An after-after party? I was there. But, in an interesting turn of life events, I’ve begun getting drowsy embarrassingly early these days. Obviously this means some of my late-night habits have had to change (hello 10:30 bedtime), but when I know I’m going to have to stay up late? I do this stuff.

It’s true that old habits die hard, but it seems like it’s equally impossible to start a new one. No matter the goal–if you’re trying on a consistent gym regimen, or just wanting to make the bed everyday–there is one small tip that might help you get on track. Can you guess which day of the week sets you up for success in kicking off a new good habit?

You know all the conventional advice: Keep a dark room and lay off the snooze button. But for the stubborn sleepers–the ones who would sooner give up an arm than their snooze button–here are three hacks for getting a good night’s sleep that you might not have heard yet. Real talk: Your smartphone is ruining your sleep. Besides the fact that the last thing you see before bed is a bright lit screen, I have to imagine it’s also bad for your snooze habits.

Dear Alice, I am living with my family in a high-rise apartment. I am new to this country, Germany. My child is three-years-old and I am having trouble getting him adjusted to this new environment, but he is doing much better than in the beginning. Our upstairs tenants have a problem with my kid crying as it is loud and echoing at times. This happens especially when my son is inside the bathroom, as it is small and opposite to the bedroom.

Your brain is a pretty powerful thing, and yet, you can’t seem to remember where you left your keys last night. There’s a lot to be said for having a routine and keeping things in the same place every time (can you say “landing strip”?). But sometimes, you just need a good, solid memory trick.

Confession: I have a lot of anxiety about shopping for new clothes. I love adding new pieces to my wardrobe, but historically, I haven’t always been good at judging when I actually should or shouldn’t buy something.

Thrift stores carry a lot of, eh, “interesting” pieces on their racks. Bedazzled evening dresses from the ’80s rub shoulders with floral sundresses from the grunge era; sweater vests mingle with mom jeans, and Peter Pan collars throw you back into a time where Twiggy ruled the magazine stands.

New crib, new crib mattress, new rug, new curtains, new rocker, new wall art, new bookshelves, new dresser, new change mat—no doubt about it, the nursery business is big business. But do we really all need to buy into it? I mean, is it possible to just do no nursery? Would that be okay? How would that work? Well, ultimately, the answer to that question is going to be personal. And by personal, I mean it’s going to depend on you.