Last Minute Coworker, Boss or Colleague Gift

 If you are looking for last minute Secret Santa, or Office gifts for your coworkers, boss or colleagues, then your best option is printables.

Printables are items such as quotes that you can purchase, download to your computer and then print.  I found this awesome ETSY shop that offers mostly 8x10 printable quotes.  These won't take up so much ink, and all you need to add is a frame.  DONE!

GOOD VIBES WORD ART

Click on cubicle decor for awesome office, coworker, boss and colleague gift ideas, or just to decorate your own desk with fun and humor, or cheeky advice.  Example:

Funny, Cheeky, Sarcasm Quote

These are mostly 8x10, with lots of different ideas depending on what you like.  Some are more on the cuss word sides of things and others are inspirational and a bit mushy.

These are definitely on budget and there is a sale on right now.  Many people are purchasing printable quotes from this shop for the office, home office, fun, friends, colleagues or coworkers.  

Cubicle Decor Printables

There are many other sections such as bathroom fun, inspirational and more, but if you are looking for work related quotes and prints, then click the above link for cubicle decor and you will find many funny and inspiring quotes.

Match them with your office or coworker personality and you have an awesome office gift, or Secret Santa Gift Idea that is presently under 5 bucks!

With the mail becoming backlogged with this year of the COVID taxing the postal system, printables are a stress free way to get creative fun gifts.

Print on Nice Paper

To make the gift special, once you make your purchase and download the file you can print as many times as you need for yourself or for gifts.  

Try using different quality papers or photo paper, and have fun with thrift shop frames.  These quotes print in any printer.

I have many myself!  I liked them so much I didn't give them as gifts, I kept them.

This Christmas will definitely be different this year, but you can still have some fun.

Enjoy the holidays!

Homemade Outdoor Cat Shelter - For Those Free Spirited Kitties

 I have 2 cats.  One is perfectly happy indoors 24/7 but the other one, we inherited as he just showed up at our back patio door one day and has adopted us!

He comes in the house, is litter trained, and neutered, but he still loves to go out at night no matter how hard we try otherwise.  It is either he goes out or none of the household sleeps!  But with our Ontario winters, it is super cold outside.

I found this awesome cat shelter that you can make yourself.  After a recent move we had those inexpensive foam coolers to move the refrigerator contents and now are simply sitting under the stairs.

Check out this video to see just how quickly you can make them.

It really doesn't take much to make these.  

I am making the foam one, and just need to get straw from my local pet supply outlet.  Remember, NO pillows, blankets, newspaper or other bedding as the cat will make it wet and then it will freeze.  Straw wicks away moisture.

PUT A WEIGHT ONTOP

If like me, this will sit somewhere where the wind could take it away, especially the foam ones, find some bricks to keep it weighed down, or a more sheltered area.

YOU CAN ALSO GET PRE-MADE CAT SHELTERS ONLINE IF YOU PREFER BELOW:

These do look cuter, and do a wonderful job of keeping kitty out of the weather.  I also find by keeping the shelter close to the house, you will deter other critters.  

I hope this gives you some inspiration to keep your "free spirited" kitty warm this winter.

Homemade Car Interior Cleaning Solutions - All Natural

 Has your car interior seen better days?  Is the sun shining through the filthy windshield and highlighting the dust, dirt and grime on the dashboard?

This is the sad state of my car.  I didn't want to go and buy and car cleaning products, so I researched on how to clean the car interior, especially the dashboard with products you use everyday.  Check it out.

To Clean the Dashboard and All Vinyl Surfaces

What you will need:

White vinegar

Water

clean cloth

Method:

Mix equal parts white vinegar with warm water into a spray bottle, and spray on your dashboard and then wipe off with the cloth.  If super greasy and dirty, let it sit for a few minutes.

Vinegar is the best cleaner for the vinyl and dashboard since regular household cleaners are too harsh and tend to leave a film.

THIS WORKS!

Now condition the surfaces.

How to Condition the Dashboard and All Vinyl Surfaces

What you will need:

Olive oil

Clean cloth

Method:

Take your clean cloth put a LITTLE olive oil on the cloth and then wipe onto the surface and then rub in and wipe off. 

You don't need much olive oil.  You will get a feel for the right amount, best to start with a tiny amount.

Car Upholstery and Carpets

If your upholstery is looking sad and stained...

What you will need:

1 x cup of white vinegar

2 x drops of dish soap

1 x gallon of warm water

Method:

1.  Vacuum the seats and carpets first to get rid of crumbs and debris.

2.  Take a cloth or soft scrubber brush and dip into the water/vinegar/ dish soap solution and dab and scrub at the stains.  Don't over saturate, the idea is to just get rid of the dirt and stains.

3.  Let dry.

Hopefully the above were helpful hints to clean and bring the inside of your car to life on the cheap, without having to risk your health in a store.

Then there is always new car mats or seat covers you can buy online if the dirt has simply gone to far!!  check out below for ideas.

STAY SAFE EVERYONE!

How to Make the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich - One Secret Ingredient

 I love grilled cheese, but I could never quite get the outside of the sandwich crispy without burning it or drying it out.

I finally found the secret ingredient to the perfect grilled cheese sandwich from a cook friend of mine!

Get ready for it.....

MAYONNAISE!!!!

How to Make Restaurant Style Grilled Cheese

If you want mouth watering comfort food this fall and winter, check this out.

What You Will Need:

2 x sliced of your favourite bread

Your best cheddar or cheese of your choice

Butter

Mayonnaise

Method:

Butter your bread on the inside

Add the cheese between the bread

Spread mayonnaise on outside of sandwich (both sides)

Fry in lightly buttered frying pan

or... use a sandwich griddle (you can get these on Amazon below)

I find a small non stick frying pan works well too, but if you are a grilled sandwich lover, then using the proper griddle will give you those cute lines on the bread.

Experiment with different breads and cheeses, but try using the mayonnaise on the outside of the bread and fry.

This will give it that awesome crispy taste you get in the restaurants.

So what are you having for lunch today???

I think I will have grilled cheese!!

Creating An Office in a Small Space

This is a problem I have been researching as we are selling our house and my nice large desk will not fit in the space we are going to.  We are DOWNSIZING.

But I work from home and I need something.  So after much research I came across products online that use the walls and vertical space of your room no matter how tiny.

Yes I will have to purge some useless items as every square inch becomes prime real estate in a small space but it can be done!!

Step 1 - PURGE

Make 2 piles.  One for keeps and one for recycling or donation.

Step 2 - DECIDE WHAT YOU NEED

Now that you are looking at the "keeper" pile, decide on the type of storage and user friendly things you will need for your office.

In my case... a place for my laptop etc, drawing table and filing are the main things.

This is when I found the floating wall desks.  AWESOME idea!  check them out.

I especially like the idea of the folding desk. If you can keep things tidy you can fold away at the end of the day.

If you simply need table room, you can get a fold down desk that attaches to the wall and can be put away at the end of the work day.

Make Your Own Small Simple Desk

If you don't want to invest much, another option that can use not as much space as a monster desk and can serve a couple of purposes.

What you Need:

2 x Single Filing Cabinets with 2 drawers.  (perfect for any storage)

Door or Wood cut to your preferred size.

Method:

Take your filing cabinets and place at each end and then place the wood or door on top.  You can add a piece of glass to top of that and you have an instant desk.

Don't Forget the Back of the Door

You can get a lot of space on the back of the door.  These storage units simply fit over the door and don't interfere with closing and really are an awesome way to store the things you need without any damage.

By using the back of the door, wall mounted desks and storage or even an armoire that houses everything, you can create the perfect home office in a tiny space. I was amazed at just how much of my stuff will organize well by using more of the walls and the door.

Hope this has inspired you to rethink your home office space especially if you have been delegated to a tiny room, corner or closet!

With so many of us working from home now, it is super nice to get organized and invest in a few space saving pieces that actually help you work your best.  

Keep in mind you can usually write off any investment in a home office.  Something to think about!

How to Create Storage in a Tiny 2 Piece Bathroom

 Whether you are renting or have recently purchased a home with a tiny 2 piece bathroom, storage becomes an issue pretty much right away!

You don't want to run out of toilet paper knowing the rolls are stored in a closet in your bedroom! 

I have found some awesome products that will use the tiniest of spaces without construction or renovation for neat and tidy storage.  Getting creative is the key. 

1.  Beside the Toilet Storage 

Check out these tiny yet spacious storage cabinets for beside the toilet or small spaces.

These little cabinets are perfect for extra toilet rolls and personal items.  By using the vertical space available you can utilize every square inch without crowding the room.

2.  Over Toilet Storage

The biggest usable space of course is the space over the back of the toilet.  You could simple add some shelves to the wall, but if you are renting and don't want to do any damage, then you can get free standing units online.  Check out below for some ideas.

This assemble quicly and can house quite a few things for the bathroom. You could add baskets to the shelves for even more storage that still looks clean and organized.  I like the idea of the ones with cabinet doors to hide everything.

3.  Over the Bathroom Door Storage

Using the back of the door is another area where you can utilize the most space.  Check these units out.

This space could house your cosmetics, towels and more.

4.  Under the Pedestal Sink Storage

This is a little bit more of an investment, but does look good.  Many 2 piece bathrooms or powder rooms have a toilet and a pedestal sink making storage tricky.

These units below, simply slide under the sink.  No construction and you can take it with you when you move.

This is probably one of the easiest ways to store everything in one spot.

Have I Got You Inspired Yet?

As you can see by the above 4 ideas, you can create quite a bit of space even in the tiniest bathrooms.  If you use beside the toilet, over the door and toilet and under the sink, you will have plenty of space.  

You can totally change the look of this room instantly to a more user friendly space, where all the bathroom supplies actually live in the bathroom!

How to Clean a Smelly Couch

 I came into the house one day after cleaning everything and my house just had a smell.  Just a cat, dog, stinky feet, sweaty, odd,  not nice smell.  

After much investigation, I realized it was my couch.  I had removed animal fur and really vacuumed it, and it looked nice, but that lingering smell was still there.  This couch always has family and pets on it, so I wanted a way to make it smell better.

I FOUND A WAY TO CLEAN A SMELLY COUCH!

This works.

What you will need:

Box of baking soda

Pinesol (original cleaner)

Warm water

Micro fibre cloth

Scented Dryer Sheets 

Vacuum cleaner

An afternoon

Method:

Step 1:  Sprinkle the baking soda over the couch liberally.  

Step 2:  Let it sit for at least an hour

Step 3:  Vacuum all the baking soda off the couch, cushions and under the cushions

Step 4:  Take approx 1/4 cup of pinesol and mix with about a quart of warm water.  (Test this mixture somewhere on the couch to make sure it doesn't react to the fabric first)

Step 5:  With your micro fibre cloth, dunk in pinesol mixture and wring out well then rub all over the couch.

Watch this video to see how she does this with the cloth.

Step 6:  Let it dry for a few hours.

Step 7:  Take the dryer sheets and open the zipper in the cushions and and place the scented unused sheet in the cushion.

Your odors should not be gone!

Don't get rid of that fabric couch before giving the above steps a try. It definitely deserves another chance and will save you money in the end.