Getting crafty for spring in your Winnipeg apartment – Feather Earrings

Create that springtime feeling!

Feather earrings are all the rage in the spring but they can be pricey if bought at a boutique. Why not make your own? Making boutique-style earrings yourself in your Winnipeg apartment will save you cash and make others green with envy when they see your new springtime style.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Feathers
• Needle nose pliers
• Crazy glue
• Crimp beads (image)
• Jewelry wire gauge guide
• Earring hooks (image)

Earring hooks, feathers, jewelry wire and crimp beads can be purchased at Michaels or Wal-Mart but Michaels has a better selection of feathers.

Shakti in Osborne Village is another great place to find some really unique and colourful feathers. If you need inspiration try looking through some of the feathery designs at a visual site like Pinterest to get your creative juices flowing.

Now it’s time to get creative! First pick out the feathers that look good together. Try layering them for a unique look. Place a drop of super glue on the end and slide a crimp bead over the glue before it sets. Crimp the bead tight with pliers and wrap some jewelry wire around the end, looping it through the open hole in the earring hook. Cut off any remaining wire and seal with a drop of super glue.

If you’d like to take your feather creations to the next level below are a few websites with step-by-step instructions for more intricate feather designs:

• The Coveted Blog
• Howtomakefeatherearrings.com
• The Domestic Diva
• Carotte & Lychee

Have fun and enjoy your new handcrafted jewelry!

Adding some vintage chic to your Winnipeg apartment

Vintage pretty in pink!

It’s not difficult to incorporate some vintage feel into Winnipeg apartments; all you need is a few accessories and a little know-how. Let’s look at a few ways to warm up your space with vintage on a budget.

Picture Frames

A wall adorned with an array of old and mismatched frames can be a great focal point for a room. Head down to the local Goodwill store, Value Village or even your parent’s basement (you’d be surprised what you can find in storage).

Make sure you have a number of different sizes and colours; the best part about incorporating vintage décor into your apartment is that mismatching is actually encouraged.

If you can’t find a wide assortment frames right away, you can still start hanging what you have and add more as you acquire them. Pick the wall you plan to hang your frames on and place the most unique or favourite frame in the center, then work your way out hanging the others as your collection grows. Take a look at a few photo frame collages for inspiration.

Throw Pillows

Add some vintage chic to old throw pillows by sewing your own slipcovers. You can often find ends of fabric rolls at bargain prices at Fabricland or Wal-Mart, but don’t discount using fabrics from around the apartment. Old curtains, a tablecloth or a quilt can make a perfect pillow covering fabric. The only other materials you’ll need are thread, a needle and a pattern.

Dishes

An interesting set of mismatched tea cups and plates can make a pretty vintage place setting. Like the picture frames, you don’t need to find them all at once. Start collecting fun vintage cups and plates at garage sales and thrift stores and before you know it you’ll be hosting a beautiful tea party.

Vintage style!

Valentine’s Day in your Winnipeg apartment

Valentine's Day in Winnipeg. A warm bath and romantic movies

Whether you’re spending Valentine’s Day alone or with that special someone, it’s a great time to sit back and relax in your Winnipeg apartment.

Why not whip yourself up some homemade, skin-softening bath salts, take a relaxing soak and follow up with some yummy take-out from your favourite local restaurant and a marathon of romantic movies by candlelight.

You likely already have a restaurant in mind but here’s a recipe for relaxing bath salts, followed by some romantic movie suggestions.

Homemade Bath Salts

Bath Salts are incredibly easy to make and can be given as a thoughtful gift or enjoyed as a personal indulgence.

What You’ll Need

• 1 cup Epsom Salts or Sea Salts
• An essential oil of your choice (lavender is great for relaxation or try grapefruit for a more invigorating bath)
• Food colouring
• Dried flower petals (optional)

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, mix the salts with 15-20 drops of the essential oil; add a couple drops of food colouring and dried flower petals (if you choose) then blend the mixture with a wooden spoon until coated and store in a mason jar. If giving it as a gift simply tie a bow around the lid of the jar.

Classic Valentine’s Day Movies

It doesn’t matter if you’ve already seen them; these 10 movies somehow manage to get better with age. And they never fail to tug at your heartstrings.

1. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
2. The Notebook (2004)
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
5. An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
6. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
7. Overboard (1987)
8. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
9. Love Actually (2003)
10. Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Need more romantic movie ideas? Check out The Ultimate Romantic Movies List (1990+).

Now all you have to do is sit back and relax… Ahh

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Light up your Winnipeg apartment on a budget with style

Silver lamp. Genie not included

It’s far too easy to walk through a thrift store and immediately dismiss the potential of a piece of furniture or an accessory because of its colour, but you might want to take a closer look. It’s incredibly easy to take a slew of $2 tacky, brass or even mismatched lamps and turn them into an envious focal point for your Winnipeg apartment.

What You’ll Need

Head to a hardware store such as Canadian Tire or McDiarmid Lumber and go directly to their spray paint section. Don’t be afraid to pick a bold colour like bright red or royal blue for your lamps, or, if you have fairly colourful décor already, try a metallic shade like silver or gold. While you’re there, pick up a couple sheets of fine sandpaper, which will help your paint grip to any surface. Once you’ve picked your colour you’ll automatically start to gravitate towards the right shades and styles when shopping for your lamps.

Shops like Value Village, Goodwill or Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore are great places to discover second hand gems. When you’re shopping, try to imagine every lamp you see in your chosen colour. The more extreme the difference between lamps the better; keep in mind you’re going to be creating cohesiveness by spray painting them.

How to Create

Once you have your lamps, paint and sandpaper, find an open area, preferably outside your apartment, where you can do your serious creative work. Lay down some newspaper and rub sandpaper on each of your lamps so the paint has something to grip. Then comes the fun part: spray painting! Michaels has a great Web page called Krylon spray-painting techniques, which can help transform you from a spray painting newbie into a pro.

Finishing Touches

Once your new and unique accessories are dry, screw in a light bulb and crown your creations with matching lampshades. White, black or grey work best and can be inexpensively purchased at Winners or Homesense.

Have fun lighting up your home with fresh, unique style -– on a budget!

Magnetic craft ideas for your Winnipeg apartment

Magnetic ideas can come from anywhere!

As the cold Winnipeg winter sets in so does the imprint of your seat on the couch, but there are plenty of fun crafts that can cure your winter blahs and brighten up your apartment. Let’s start with decorative magnets.

Personalized Magnets

Personalized magnets are fun to create and can make cute little gifts for the favourite people in your life. To get started, stop by a craft store such as Michaels and pick up a package of adhesive magnet sheets. You may also be able to find the sheets at your local Dollarama. The sheets are already adhesive, so the only other materials you need are scissors, photos or old magazines. Simply pull the paper off the back of the magnetic sheet, affix your chosen images and cut them out in whatever shape you’d like.

Here are some inspirational ideas to get your wheels turning:

Magnetic Poetry

Poetry magnets have been popular in stores for ages but they’re easy to create yourself. Go through old magazines and cut out words or sentences that inspire you — the more eclectic the colour and font the better. If you’re making your decorative magnets as a gift, think about a theme that’s fitting for the person or occasion –friendship, happiness, congratulations, or even just plain silliness.

Magnetic Photos

Digital photos are readily accessible now thanks to the Internet. Go through your Facebook page or Flickr account and find some photos you enjoy. You can print them on most digital printers. If you don’t have a printer, copy the photos to a flash drive and take them to your local Walmart Photo Centre for printing. The digital booths at Walmart also allow you to add text or borders to your photos to make them especially personalized and unique.

Paint Swatches

Websites like Kuler are great for colour and design inspiration. And you can make your own seasonal creations by grabbing some paint samples from Home Depot or McDiarmid Lumber, cutting out the colour squares you like and turning them into magnets.

The possibilities are endless. What creations will you come up with?

Dining on a budget in your Winnipeg apartment – even with take-out recipes

Delicious Garlic Chicken Wings!

After the holidays we all want to start watching our wallets and our waistlines – easier said than done.

The cold weather can make you feel sluggish, and picking up dinner on the way home to your Winnipeg apartments is often a more attractive option than taking the time to cook. Cooking your own meals however, even if just for one, is a great way to save money. It’s also much healthier than living off of take-out food. Below are a few ideas for easy, cost effective and healthy cooking at home.

It Starts at the Grocery Store

Planning your meals in advance just plain works. Try to choose recipes that use similar ingredients. That way you won’t be discouraged from buying items that can perish quickly, like fruits and vegetables. For example, steamed asparagus can be cooked all at once and you can set aside some to add to a salad later in the week.

Buying larger amounts of non-perishable staples is always a good idea. Things like rice and canned soups can be bought on sale and are very versatile for cooking delicious meals. Many soups have healthy recipes right on the label that you can cook and freeze for use as leftovers or lunches throughout the week. Items like meat and cheese can also be portioned into Ziploc bags and put in the freezer for later use.

Recipes Online

Even if you don’t have cookbooks laying around your apartment, you can always find recipes online. Sites like epicurious and allrecipes let you search for recipes by specific ingredients, which is especially handy when you’re looking to use up anything in your fridge. You can also set up online binders with programs like livebinders, to save, organize and make notes on recipes you like.

Try Creating Take-Out Classics at Home

Sometimes you just crave the taste of take-out food. There are actually quite a few take-out style foods you can make quite easily at home. Below are a few links to videos and resources that show you how to cook take-out food for less in your Winnipeg apartment. And they even include some Sushi!

Take-Out Recipe Videos:

•    Fried Rice
•    Fried Pickles
•    Spicy Tuna Rolls (Sushi)
•    Garlic Ginger Chicken Wings

Take-Out Recipe Links:

•    Quick & Easy: Classic take-out recipes ready in 30 minutes (Canadian Living)
•    Quick Better-Than-Take-Out Recipes (Martha Stewart)
•    Take-Out-Inspired Recipes (Good Housekeeping)
•    9 Take-Out Classics, Done At Home (Huffington Post, Food52.com)

Happy Cooking!

Who’s doing the dishes in your Winnipeg apartment tonight?

Who's doing the dishes tonight?

Sharing a living space can be difficult. No matter how well you get along with your potential roommates, you need to understand that there will be challenges once you start living together, especially in the dishes department.

Even if you’re lucky enough to have a Winnipeg apartment equipped with a dishwasher, problems are bound to arise. Below  are some tips to keep the inevitable dishes war at bay.

Scheduling Works

Creating a dishwashing schedule is a good idea when first moving in together. Take 10 minutes to create some guidelines. Should dishes be done once a day? If your schedules are similar, maybe the person who cooks should be exempt from washing the dishes. Alternating weeks is also an option. Also keep in mind that schedules can be interrupted, so try to stay open to compromise.

Communication Can Prevent…

Talking to each other is important. Even if you think your roommate is the worst dish dumper in the history of apartment living, there are likely some things that you do that make them equally crazy so, think before you explode. Ask yourself: is there a reason my roommate is neglecting to follow our dishwashing agreement? Taking the time to discuss problems with an open mind is guaranteed to bring better results than brooding about them silence.

Making It Easier

Rinsing dishes after you use them is a great way to prevent an ugly, smelly dish pile and it only takes two seconds. Using parchment paper or aluminum foil to line baking dishes is another way to avoid sticky situations.

Dirty dishes are inevitable, but with a little roommate communication and compromise your dishwashing conundrum can be quashed without starting a full-blown war.

Okay. You wash. I’ll dry.

De-clutter your Winnipeg apartment, and your life, for the New Year!

Clutter free!

We’re on the cusp of 2012, which means a new year and a fresh start for your Winnipeg apartment. Although right now your mind may be focused on where you’re going to celebrate the New Year, come Monday your going to want to focus on what you can do to make 2012 your best year ever. The key to your success begins at home. Below are a few tips for starting off 2012 on the right foot.

De-Clutter Your Apartment

Unless your Winnipeg apartment has a storage locker you may find yourself holding on to a lot of things that you rarely use. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself when was the last time you used something and when are you planning to use it in the future. If you’re unsure of either answer it might be time to let it go. Pack up CDs, books and clothes you no longer use and donate them to Goodwill. Not only will you feel better about less clutter, you’ll also get some good karma for the New Year. Read more de-cluttering tips here.

Rearrange Your Furniture

A change of scenery is always a nice way to start off the New Year and a great motivator to keep those positive changes coming. Before you start moving things around on a whim take the time to plan it out. Take a piece of paper and map out your idea. It also helps to take some measurements so you know your efforts won’t be in vain.

Consider things like electrical outlets and wall hangings when creating your plan; there’s no point in moving your television to the other side of the room if it will hide your favorite painting or leave you with no place to plug it in.

You may not have the same manpower you had during your initial move into your Winnipeg apartment so try a product like EZ Moves Furniture Sliders to help you move heavier furniture without damaging floors. Similar products can also be purchased at Home Depot, McDiarmid Lumber and even Walmart.

Get Your Spring Cleaning Done Early

When rearranging your furniture make sure to take the opportunity to get a good cleaning done, especially in all those crevices you’ve ignored in your regular cleaning routine. If you have numerous carpets in your Winnipeg apartment you may even want to rent a Rug Doctor and really get a deep down clean.

It sounds like a lot of work, but take it one room at a time and in just one day you’ll feel like a new person – which is always a wonderful way to start off the New Year!

Happy New Year!

Holiday entertaining on a budget in your Winnipeg apartment

Happy Holidays!

It’s the holidays and that means spending time with family and friends, but it also means budgeting. If you’re planning on hosting any holiday gatherings in your Winnipeg apartment here are a few tips to ensure your get-together is safe and fun for your guests while also being courteous to your neighbours.

Food

Snacks are a must have for every get-together but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a bundle on an extravagant feast. Hosting a potluck where everyone brings an appetizer is one option, but you can also create easy delicious appetizers that will wow your guests without breaking the bank. These tried-and-true recipes are easy and always a hit:

• Baked Mexican Pinwheels
• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Cranberry Walnut Brie
• Edamame Hummus
• Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Entertainment

Create a holiday playlist with smooth festive songs to play quietly in the background when guests stop by. Couple your holiday playlist with some cinnamon scented candles and your apartment will feel festive even if you don’t have a tree. Kids are easily bored by adult conversation and babysitters can be difficult to find so, if you have any friends with children, have a go-to holiday kids movie for them to watch. A few fun family movies to consider are How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Polar Express, or Home Alone. Or, if you want to get out for a few hours with the kids, check out the new holiday movie listings at WinnipegMovies.com.

Gifts

As much as you’d love to buy gifts for all of your friends, time and money are not always permitting, but you can make small gifts quickly and on a budget. One idea is to make a dry rub such as Cajun spice for holiday cooking and put it in little jars with ribbons around them. Gifts like this are thoughtful, useful, easy and affordable.

Don’t Forget to be Courteous and Safe

Always keep the noise level to a minimum and, if you know guests will be stopping by, let your neighbours know ahead of time or invite them over to mingle. Having a list of cab numbers on your fridge is always a good idea. Take the time to check the Yellow Pages and make a list of the lesser-used cab companies like Spring Taxi. They give great service and they’re usually much quicker.

Wishing you a safe, warm and wonderful holiday!

Making the most out of your Winnipeg apartment kitchen

Yikes! Don't let your apartment freezer get to this point.

Decorating and maintaining a kitchen in your Winnipeg apartment is not always an easy task. Whether you have limited cupboard space, older appliances, or little to no counter space, the challenges can sometimes seem endless. Below are a few tips for making the most of your space and maintaining your appliances.

Cupboard Storage

An easy way to double your cupboard space is by making use of all of it. Plastic  shelving tables can be purchased at most dollar stores or at  Walmart. Placing these over your stacked plates can give you an extra surface for storing more dishes or pantry items. Another option is to screw hooks into the tops of the cabinets to hang mugs and cups, freeing up the base of the cupboard shelf for storage.

If you have minimal pantry space try putting a Tupperware container underneath your sink for imperishable items. Decorative canisters for coffee, flour, sugar and rice are also a nice way to free up some space, as they can be placed on top of the refrigerator.

Defrosting your Refrigerator

Not all fridges require regular defrosting but it can be very helpful for even newer, frost-free models. Defrosting helps your apartment refrigerator run more efficiently and cool at the proper temperature, which will also save you money on electricity. When planning to defrost, keep the purchasing of perishable items to a minimum and store what’s left in your fridge in a cooler or a box with ice so that nothing spoils. eHow Home has a great step-by-step guide to defrosting your fridge.

Cleaning your Oven

If you’re starting with a fairly clean oven, one way to keep cleaning easy, economical and at a minimum is by using a mixture of baking soda and water. Mix equal parts in a spray bottle, coat any black grimy areas once a day when the oven is COOL and let it sit. If you spray when the oven is HOT you’ll have a whole new mess on your hands. Use the cool spray technique for a week and then wipe down the oven with a damp cloth. The result will be an odorless, clean oven.  Drip trays under the burners are removable and fairly easy to clean with dish soap and hot water. Don’t wait until they get too dirty, or your kitchen will fill with smoke whenever you use an element.

No one really enjoys cleaning, but a small amount of regular effort will result in peace of mind and a much happier living space!