How To Cook Without The Mess

(Image courtesy of icelight)

There’s nothing better than a home-cooked meal. When you make dinner for yourself, you know exactly how to prepare your own dishes just the way you like. Though there are many plus sides to cooking for yourself, it can be an intimidating undertaking after a long day of work - who wants to commit to the work of cooking and then cleaning up the mess afterward?

Cleaning up after meal times doesn’t have to be the hassle you’re imagining. If you follow these quick tips courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com, you’ll be enjoying a home cooked meal -and relaxing afterward- in no time. Keep reading to learn more.

1. Make a plan before you start cooking.

Review your intended cooking project and refine — maybe you can reduce a complicated plan to one dish requiring a lot of work and two dishes that can be made ahead or are very simple. - abcornwell

Look for ways to combine ingredients without using more bowls or pans. For instance, in some recipes some vegetables have to be added before others because they need to cook longer. Instead of chopping everything and separating them into two bowls, I add the first batch of vegetables and let them cook while I chop the next batch. They go into the same bowl that had the first batch of vegetables and I don't need to pull out another one. - Pi.

For anything you have to hand-wash, pick tools that are easy to clean. My chef's knife is very easy to clean, but a garlic press is a PIA, so use the knife to prep garlic. My frying pan is easy to clean, but a Foreman grill, not so much. -Triptik

2. Start with a clean kitchen.

Tidy before you start. That means no clean dishes on the drying rack or dishwasher (gives the items you are going to "clean as you go" somewhere to be). No dirty dishes/cups in the sink. No snack foods hanging out on the counter. This can be an especially useful habit if you live with others who don't always return things to a put away state. - trish042

If you have a dishwasher, always put the clean dishes away before you start cooking! Rinsing and popping in the dishwasher-safe items takes even less time than washing them. - cuminafterall

I find it dispiriting to have to clean and then cook, so my motto is "leave the kitchen ready to cook". That means everything dried and put away, surfaces wiped, etc. Doesn't have to happen right at the end of cooking, but does need to happen well before the next round. - ellabee13

3. Prep your ingredients and tools before you start.

Mise en place. Measure out ingredients, peel and chop veggies (maybe not onions if you're not using them right away), crack eggs, etc. If they're going into the main dish at once, then put them in one big bowl. This seems like it would add dishes to clean but many of these bowls will need little more than a quick rinse off. - cloggiegirl

Mise en place does not necessarily refer to the arranging of ingredients into tiny bowls. It means being in a state of preparedness in the kitchen….In general, it's about cooking smart and in an organized manner. Preparing your ingredients and tools in advance can seriously mitigate your stress levels later on in the process.

- tara-christine

The best thing I did for improving my kitchen efficiency was investing in a large cutting board. I prep most ingredients on the same cutting board; every ingredient in its own section of the board. I leave the chopped veggies on the board until needed. - JessyJess

4. Clean as you go.

Anytime I'm waiting for a pot of water to boil (my electric cooktop takes FOREVER) or the oven to preheat, I'm prepping ingredients. Similarly, anytime I have something simmering on the stove or roasting in the oven, I'm cleaning the cutting boards, knives, graters, bowls etc. I used for food prep. -cuminafterall

Once I'm done chopping an ingredient I put the unused portion away. Same goes for a sauce, condiment, or other ingredient; measure/use and put away. -emcap

Take a large bowl or dish tub, fill it with hot, soapy water, and leave it in your sink (or on your counter, next to the sink, if you can afford the space). As you dirty smaller items, toss them into the water to soak. If you're putting things in the dishwasher later, you won't have to rinse each item first, and if you're hand-washing, you should have little to no scrubbing. - tonberryqueen

5. Use a garbage bowl to collect scraps.

For a garbage or compost bowl, I don't even use a bowl. I use whatever plastic bag I put the vegetables in from the grocery store and all the scraps go in there. Tie up the opening and drop it into the trash. - Pi.

Usually this is an extra tupperware container. As you accumulate compost scraps (or scraps + garbage if you don't compost), put them together and out of your way. Dumping the contents later on is much easier. - petworthy

6. Give the illusion of neatness.

Ten dirty dishes scattered everywhere looks terrible and overwhelming, but the same ten dishes stacked into a single stack is somehow immediately manageable and cope-with-able. - TeaTowelDame

No matter how crazed it is, no matter how stressed you are, rinse each dish/measuring spoon when you're done with it. It's so much easier to face a dirty kitchen if all the dirty dishes are rinsed and stacked in nice, neat piles. -try146

7. Make it fun!

Try to make cleaning fun — watch TV if you can, or listen to a podcast/audiobook/music. If you can create a set-up where cleaning actually gives you a little extra time to do something you enjoy, you will definitely mind it less.

- China Millman

I do the finishing-up while I listen to This American Life. My "dates with Ira" are always productive. - DD Lizzy

8. Ask for help.

This is the key to my system: I make my husband finish the clean up because he didn't do the cooking. Voila. Mess solved. - cmcinnyc

First of all, and I think most importantly — if I'm cooking for other people, I ask them to help with cleanup. Least they can do, especially if they live with you. Insist. Really. - mhays

Give Your Apartment A Pick Me Up

(Image courtesy of hetsluvdesign)

No matter how much care you’ve taken in decorating your apartment, after awhile your carefully chosen curtains and wall art will start to look a little stale after awhile. Looking at the same pieces of art and knick knacks in the same spots every day can begin to take a toll on your eyes and your senses after a few months. When you get that itch to redecorate you don’t need to feel like you need to start over from scratch-there are few simple steps you can take to rejuvenate even the most bland apartment.

Adding a few extra decorations or moving around the pieces that you already have displayed in your apartment can make a world of difference! So before you head for the dumpster with the canvas prints you were in love with last year take a second to rethink your apartment layout. These ten tips, courtesy ofapartmenttherapy.com, walk you step-by-step through the quickest ways to give your apartment a boost when you feel like it needs it. Keep reading to learn more:

1. Bring the outdoors in with houseplants.

A little green can go a long ways towards bringing life into your space. Choose something low maintenance, like a succulent, if you have a less than green thumb.

2. Add a few throw pillows.

Throw pillows can add both color and texture, and go a long ways towards making a room feel finished.

3. Hang some art.

Frame it up or get creative. You can find great art on Etsy or at the thrift shop, or hang a masterpiece by your kid — anything that resonates with you or just makes you feel happy.

4. Buy fresh flowers.

Flowers add a lot to a space and feel decadent, but don't have to cost much. A bouquet from the grocery store in one bold color can have a great impact.

5. Add a shot of color.

Whether you pick up a bright throw pillow or paint a wall, bringing in color is the quickest way to bring about a dramatic change.

6. Cozy things up with a throw.

Throws add texture and warmth, inviting you and your guests to get comfortable.

7. Make it personal — display something meaningful.

Putting a sweet note or personal photo on display makes a house feel more like a home, and brings in a bit of your personal history.

8. Set out books and magazines.

Keeping reading material within reach invites you to sit down and make yourself at home, and is a great way to keep guests occupied.

9. Light some candles.

Scent can have a big impact on how we experience our environment, and the glow of a candle also brings a bit of warmth to a room.

10. Turn on some music.

Music is one of the easiest ways to set the mood and liven things up in an instant.

The Quick Apartment Fixer-Upper

(Image courtesy of Alberti.nl)

We all get that itch from time-to-time. You know the one - the feeling where you just need to change something about where you’re living. It may be the furniture, or the paintings on the walls, or just the way that you feel when you walk in the door that something’s not right. There’s no need to tear your apartment apart and start your decor from scratch, there are quick simple solutions to help your apartment feel brand new again.

It’s easy to feel like your apartment isn’t living up to your expectations after you’ve been seeing the same thing everyday for months. These tips, courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com will help you take the step back you may need to fall in love with your apartment again. Keep reading to learn more.

• Clean your home. It's usually the single best way to improve your environment, and it costs nothing. Plus, even a new sofa won't fix a dirty house.
• Get rid of something. It's free and free-ing. The bonus? Helping your apartment lose weight is a lot easier than dieting.
• Lay off the shelter porn. Just as ads make it seem like everyone's a beautiful underweight 21-year-old, shelter mags and blogs (yes, us too) often feature beautiful homes that can make your own space seem like it doesn't measure up. Work on learning to love your home for what it is.
• Paint. Nothing perks up a room like a fresh coat of paint, and the right color can offset things you already own, elevating your whole apartment to a new level.
• Rearrange your furniture. It's a really effective way to change your outlook on your home, it's free, and it gives you a good workout.
• Upgrade something. This doesn't necessarily mean you need to buy something new - you can revive an old piece of furniture with a coat of paint, reupholster a chair, or make a slipcover for something.
• Fix something. You know that drippy faucet, torn window screen, or broken doorknob? You'll feel better once it works again.

How To Divide Your Space

(Image courtesy of Wickerfurniture)

Creating exciting decor is all about finding one piece that will draw guests attention. Though definitive art pieces and colorful couches are great for drawing the eye and creating conversations, if you’re looking to change the shape of your space, it may be helpful to try a room divider.

To divvy up your space, you’re not relegated to the plain paper dividers that you can find at almost any store, there are simple solutions and opportunities to upcycle that will create a vibrant and colorful decor. Follow the links below, courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com, to find the perfect space divider for your apartment.

1. An old window used perfectly to divide the space, worth checking out the rest of the photos the rest of the house is lovely. koko studios via flickr

2. 3form's partitions are made from their Varia Ecoresin material, which uses a minimum of 40% recycled resin. A variety of options and colors available.

3. A nice use of the classic IKEA Expedit shelves, these are included because they are fairly easy to find used on craigslist. You can find all of the specs for these shelves on the IKEA website. SweetLunaNet via flickr

4. This project from Lifehacker turns old LPs into a room divider.

5. Natural Bamboo Screen from Gaiam, pesticide-free bamboo finished with nontoxic water-based finish.

6. Another great example of windows as room dividers. Perhaps not the best example for a renter, but so pretty. From Casasugar.

7. A fabulous fifties-inspired home, uses a tall entertainment unit that doubles as a divider. mouchoux via flickr.

Building The Perfect Bathroom

(Image courtesy of leyla.a)

Because the bathroom is the room we all spend the majority of our time in, doesn’t it make sense that we should feel comfortable and at home in there? A more cozy feeling bathroom maybe closer than you think. You don’t need to worry about replacing all the fixtures, tiles and wallpaper to create a different environment in your washroom.

Simple changes to the accessories and your storage routines can make all the difference in the world. These ideas from apartmenttherapy.com may be just the pick-me-up your bathroom needs to feel brand new again. Keep reading to learn more.

1. Accessorize.

A new shower curtain, bathmat or towels will add a blast of color to your bathroom and immediately raise your spirits. This could backfire if your bathroom is really past its prime, as it will highlight how scruffy the rest of the room is. But on the plus side, every time you walk in, you will see at least one thing you love.

2. Get rid of grubby grout.

It's not as much fun as choosing a new shower curtain, but this chore really will make your bathroom look cleaner and fresher. Here is one way of tackling grout without resorting to harsh chemicals: make a thick paste out of baking soda and water and spread it along the grout. Leave for ten minutes, then scrub with a toothbrush, using circular movements, and rinse. There are more bathroomcleaning tips here.

3. Add houseplants.

Plants love bathrooms, and they are good for body and soul too. Spider plants, ferns, aspidistra, and philodendron will all thrive in the warmth and humidity and are almost impossible to kill off. Find a longer list of suitable bathroom houseplants here. (And for a little inspiration for adding plants in the bathroom, check out this post.)

4. Add some art.

Hanging art is one of the easiest and most effective ways of transforming a space. No matter how small your bathroom, there is always room for a picture or two. Beware of humidity though, and save your original masterpieces for other rooms. Check out this post for inspiration.

5. Paint it.

Most bathrooms play it safe with all white fixtures and walls. Get creative and add some color and personality by painting the walls, ceiling or trim. I love the soft grey paneling in the picture above, from Kristen and Michelle's Modern Bohemian House Tour.

Sometimes making just one small change can be enough to shift your whole attitude towards a room. I'd love to know what has worked for you.