- Stole this idea from a guest appearance by the Mrs. Meyer on CBS' The Early Show: To keep mirrors clean, spray them with a solution of water and vinegar, then wipe them with an old piece of newspaper. It actually works - my mirror, which has been grungy for years, suddenly took on a brand new sheen after I sprayed it with the vinegar solution and wiped it with some newspaper. Since then I've been keeping a small spray bottle filled with the vinegar solution next to my sink - that way, I'll be ready as soon as the mirror gets grungy again.
- I have a powder brush that I bought from a drugstore which started out fluffy but turned out to be ratty and unusable on my face. I was all set to throw it away when I noticed that my laptop keyboard needed some cleaning. Inspiration struck.... and now I use my brush to pick up stray bits and dust bunnies that have been stuck between keys. Sometimes I even spray the brush with some 409 or household cleaner, then sweep it lightly over the keyboard to take care of the dirty bits between keys. Now I can always start the writing day with a clean writing surface!
Showing posts with label Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home. Show all posts
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Everybody's Got to Start Somewhere
I don't like making New Year's resolutions, but since I did need to do something this year to snap me out of my funk, I thought I'd do some cleaning up around the house.
This is what the bathroom sink looks like in its unstyled form. It's not quite finished yet, but it's much cleaner than what I started with. Note the new Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on the left-hand side of the sink; it's there to purposefully remind me to keep this area from getting too grungy. Also, the snowman mug holds my lady-shavin' razors; maybe it's a subconscious habit from living with my Dad, but since the sink is right next to the shower I felt that this was a more convenient place to get to them.
Behold: Le bathroom sink en la Maison du Mei.
This is what the bathroom sink looks like in its unstyled form. It's not quite finished yet, but it's much cleaner than what I started with. Note the new Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on the left-hand side of the sink; it's there to purposefully remind me to keep this area from getting too grungy. Also, the snowman mug holds my lady-shavin' razors; maybe it's a subconscious habit from living with my Dad, but since the sink is right next to the shower I felt that this was a more convenient place to get to them.
I had the good fortune of receiving not one but two bath-product sets from my Sunday School kids, which are now part and parcel of my bathroom arsenal. The pink tin was from one of those sets; I immediately decanted its contents and stuffed every single facial skin-care product and primer I could find into the basket. (No more excuses for missing moisturizers and makeup removers!) The Alba Botanica Hawaiian stuff is from another set; I still have yet to try out that Pineapple Enzyme Facial Scrub, but I'll get around to it when my skin starts acting grungy again.
Also: That Details hand soap from Walgreens? BEST. HAND SOAP. EVER. I love the delicious tropical scent, which lingers on my hands in a good way.
Let's talk about those corner shelves, shall we? I fell in love with them when I first got this apartment. As you can see, the other stuff from the bath sets are in the middle shelf, and the top shelf holds my "weekend hair stuff" - ie. baking soda for occasional scalp scrubs, and a shower cap for deep conditioning. Incidentally, I started deep conditioning my hair again with a mixture of extra-virgin coconut oil and lime juice, which is supposed to stimulate hair growth; since then my hair has never felt softer without losing its bounce.
And then there's the neti pot. 
If you suffer from frequent colds and nasal allergies like I do, a neti pot is your best friend. (See how it works here.) I got mine at Whole Foods after my sister recommended the routine to me; since then I've been significally less sniffly, and my breathing has never been better.
As it goes, this is just the beginning; I still have to figure out where the rest of my stuff goes in this apartment, but once I do I have resolved - not just for New Year's, but all year long - to keep posting pictures of places that I've kept in spic-and-span condition. Because, hey, if I could have the chutzpah to post about my closet and my makeup routine... why not post about keeping this apartment clean?
Friday, September 29, 2006
Domesticity Dispatch: Tiny Bubbles and Rock Star Apartments
I’m tired, I’m cranky, and I can’t believe that school is starting so freaking soon.
In other words, it’s good to be back in Honolulu.
Things have changed. When I went to the Philippines I lost my old apartment in Makiki and (as of this writing) practically everything else that I left behind. Now, my landlady gave me a newly renovated studio which I immediately christened my “rock star apartment” because of all the built-in furniture, exposed brick, and wood paneling. Look, I even have a chandelier in my kitchen! Everything else is new: the roll-up “studio bed” that folds into a tiny couch; the green shower curtain that goes with the brown tile in the bathroom; the plates, forks, and spoons… and even my computer (a Compaq notebook with WiFi capability) is brand-spanking new.
Once the dust was cleared and all the new stuff organized in their rightful place, I rolled out my sofa/bed, threw a sheet and pillows over it, and marveled at the beauty of my new sanctuary. I’m still getting over it.
******************
Before I finally moved back into my apartment, I stayed at my parents’ hotel room in Waikiki, which had a tiny bathtub. That gave me a great opportunity to sneak into the LUSH store in Ala Moana so I could finally try one of their bath products – and in this case, it was the Creamy Candy Bath Bubble Bar, which I’ve always loved since I first saw it in the store.
On my last day in the hotel room, I took the last half of the Creamy Candy Bath and crumbled the whole chunk under running water to form endless mounds of frothy, moisturizing, candy-and-patchouli-scented bubbles. I only had twenty minutes – but, oh, what a great last 20 minutes that was, just sinking straight into the bubbling water and letting all those cleansing and moisturizing ingredients wash over me.
I’ve always wanted my own bathtub for as long as I remember – maybe it’s the way bubble baths seemed so much more glamorous and luxurious than a regular shower. And now, sinking into the tub for an honest-to-goodness bubble bath, I realized that it’s just as good as I’ve always thought it ought to be, if not better. A good bath is practically everything you could dream about – satin sheets, chocolate truffles, champagne – but it’s all for your own enjoyment, with no burden on your conscience and no strings attached.
In other words, it’s good to be back in Honolulu.
Things have changed. When I went to the Philippines I lost my old apartment in Makiki and (as of this writing) practically everything else that I left behind. Now, my landlady gave me a newly renovated studio which I immediately christened my “rock star apartment” because of all the built-in furniture, exposed brick, and wood paneling. Look, I even have a chandelier in my kitchen! Everything else is new: the roll-up “studio bed” that folds into a tiny couch; the green shower curtain that goes with the brown tile in the bathroom; the plates, forks, and spoons… and even my computer (a Compaq notebook with WiFi capability) is brand-spanking new.
Once the dust was cleared and all the new stuff organized in their rightful place, I rolled out my sofa/bed, threw a sheet and pillows over it, and marveled at the beauty of my new sanctuary. I’m still getting over it.
******************
Before I finally moved back into my apartment, I stayed at my parents’ hotel room in Waikiki, which had a tiny bathtub. That gave me a great opportunity to sneak into the LUSH store in Ala Moana so I could finally try one of their bath products – and in this case, it was the Creamy Candy Bath Bubble Bar, which I’ve always loved since I first saw it in the store.
On my last day in the hotel room, I took the last half of the Creamy Candy Bath and crumbled the whole chunk under running water to form endless mounds of frothy, moisturizing, candy-and-patchouli-scented bubbles. I only had twenty minutes – but, oh, what a great last 20 minutes that was, just sinking straight into the bubbling water and letting all those cleansing and moisturizing ingredients wash over me.
I’ve always wanted my own bathtub for as long as I remember – maybe it’s the way bubble baths seemed so much more glamorous and luxurious than a regular shower. And now, sinking into the tub for an honest-to-goodness bubble bath, I realized that it’s just as good as I’ve always thought it ought to be, if not better. A good bath is practically everything you could dream about – satin sheets, chocolate truffles, champagne – but it’s all for your own enjoyment, with no burden on your conscience and no strings attached.
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