How to Create a Home Office Area within Another Room

At the end of last year, my husband and I created a home office space at one end of our living room that could house both our desks, while keeping them both almost completely out of sight.  It has worked out so well that I thought I would share about how easy and fairly inexpensive it was to do.  There was also a huge added bonus from making this easy change.  We added tons of storage to our living room for Blu-rays and DVDs, video games, books, the children's electronic games, their coloring books, and many other things we wanted to keep handy, but not in plain view.

The only things we needed to accomplish this change were 3 inexpensive bookcases.  I found these Ameriwood 3-Shelf Bookcases at Walmart for about $20 each.  They happened to be the exact width we needed when lined up side-by-side to make a wall in front of our desks.  If you can believe it, the bookcases were not the largest expense.  The Set of 6 Beige Winsome Capri Foldable Fabric Baskets sell for about $30 per set.  We bought 3 sets for slightly less because we had found them on sale on Wayfair.com.  They just happened to be the perfect size we needed, both in width and height, to fill each shelf with two across.  I also found them in Black on Amazon.com, but we ended up deciding that the Beige would help to brighten up the room.

Since it was impossible for me to take an aerial photo of our home office area, I created the diagram below for your reference instead . . .

As you can see, it was extremely easy to do and would be for anyone who has a long room, whether it is your living room, family room, or bedroom.  Our newly created office space takes up about 1/3 of our living room.

Of course you need to adapt this idea to your own space.  If you only have one desk to house, then you might not need 3 bookcases across the front.  The important thing is to measure exactly how long you need the wall to be and then find the bookcases that meet your needs both in height and width.  We also added a small bookcase that we already owned onto the side of my husband's desk to hide his desk from view for anyone walking in from the kitchen.  You can definitely keep the cost down by using what you have already to supplement the new bookcases and bins.

If you try this idea in your home, I would love to hear how it turns out.

Curves Invade the World of Modern Decor

Recently, my husband and I have been having the wouldn't-it-be-nice-to-move-to-a-larger-house conversation again.  Every time we get on this topic, I always start to think about how I would decorate our home if we could start over from scratch.  Although I do not dislike the mission style furniture we currently own, I would love to revisit the idea of modern decor.

Modern furniture and wall art is not what it use to be, which was lots of straight lines and right angles.  Today's designers have shown us that furniture can be rounded and still look sleek.  Some modern chairs, such as this Ball Chair, look sleek, but more importantly, they look comfortable and kid-friendly.  Even though our twins will be 5 years old soon, we still do our best to stay away from furniture with sharp corners. When I was browsing online, this Ball Chair was the one that our 7 year old son seemed to like the most, probably because it looks fun and inviting, rather than lacking in warmth, like some modern furniture.  What would be more kid-friendly than a pair of these Ball Chairs sitting by a large plush shag rug?

Is Modern Furniture Right for Your Home?

When I worked in a furniture store as the visual manager, some of my favorite areas to work with were the modern furniture room settings for living rooms, bedrooms, and dining.  They always looked so simple and clean.  In spite of my love for modern furniture, my own home is more mission style.  I suppose in my mind, modern furniture is not very kid-friendly . . . so many right angles.  Over the past decade, however, I have noticed that modern furniture has come a long way.

If you love the space-saving benefits, functionality, and streamlined look of modern furniture, but are worried about comfort, I encourage you to look a little harder.  Although many modern furniture designers pay more attention to design and not enough to comfort, there are some that seem to understand that furniture needs to be family-friendly as well.  Comfortable furniture that is not overstuffed is difficult to come by, but it does exist.  You just need to be patient and persistent in your search.


I received a gift code from CSN Stores as a thank you for participating in this campaign.

Review: Faux Leather Rectangular Storage Ottoman for $79

Last month, I had this idea for better Lego Duplo blocks storage by using a rectangular storage ottoman that has a built-in tray. Well, we have been able to test this idea out for 3 or 4 weeks and, so far, I have to say it is working out rather well. In fact, I had not realized how much I missed having the convenience of a coffee table until we added this ottoman to our living room configuration.

This faux leather ottoman measures a roomy 35-1/4"W x 17-3/4"D x 17-3/4"H. The padded top makes it a comfortable bench for extra seating. It is perfect for sitting on to play video games because it leaves a path for other members of the household to walk behind, rather than being forced to cut in front of a player who is sitting on the sofa. The top flips over and becomes a sturdy tray that nestles right into the ottoman securely. It is a great place to put a drink and a snack because it has a lip all around to contain accidental spills and it wipes clean easily. This ottoman has a solid wood frame that can easily hold the weight of an adult. I loved that it came ready-to-use straight out of the box.

(Click any image to enlarge)

The top has two sets of handles. One pair is two faux leather handles that are used to lift the top out of the base when the top is wedged into the base padded side up. It is only meant lift the top slightly so you can get your hand around the edge. Our first grader, who is strong enough to flip the top over on his own, actually broke one of these handles because he was using them to lift the whole weight of the top. The second set of handles are cutouts at each end of the tray and allows you to lift the top when it is tray side up.

We use to have our Lego blocks in two large utility storage drawers and one storage cube. Everything fit inside this ottoman with a little room to spare. This even includes all our larger pieces, like train tracks and other specialty parts. The tray even offers the children a flat surface on which to build.

I think this Convenience Concepts Broadway Storage Bench (or something similar) would be a great way to store any toys you would like to keep out of site. It is a constant struggle to keep our living room from looking like a playroom. This very nice looking storage ottoman put us one giant step closer to keeping our living room adult-friendly.

Currently, you can purchase this ottoman on CSNStores.com for $79 with Free Ground Shipping.

This product was partially purchase with a gift certificate from CSN Stores, which I had received as a thank you for participating in a past CSN Stores campaign.

Storage Ottoman for Storing Lego Duplo Blocks

It has been a long time since we have considered using coffee tables in our living room. Aside from the issue of limited space, we always worried about the children having accidents, falling down, and bumping their heads when they were younger. Now that our children are preschool age and up, I think it is time to revisit the idea.

What got me on this train of thought is trying to solve the problem of storing our Lego blocks. When our oldest was in preschool, he loved to play with his Duplo blocks, but the twins hardly ever play with them. So my husband and I started to wonder if they were too difficult to access. Currently, they are in a two drawer plastic storage unit in the corner of the living room. So I started looking at what my options were for a coffee table with storage.

Well, instead of a table, I ended up deciding upon a rectangular storage ottoman. The one shown below is just under 3 feet long, so it should hold all our building blocks. The top also lifts off and can be flipped over to reveal a tray. So, in addition to providing storage, this ottoman will provide a flat surface on which our children can build with their Legos or to put snack or drink upon. It also provides additional seating. Our oldest will be able to sit on this ottoman to play his Wii games instead of on the sofa, allowing other members of the household to pass by behind him rather than in front of him. I just love furniture with multiple functions!

Look for my review of this storage ottoman next month when I will let you know how my idea worked out.

Thank you to CSN Stores for providing a gift certificate for me to shop as a thank you for participating in this campaign.

Review: Linon Crescent Short Back Storage Bench

As I have mentioned many times, our townhouse is the size of a shoe box, so I have continuously needed to come up with new storage solutions. Our most recent problem was that our shoe basket by the back door was no longer sufficient because, as the twins grew, so did the size of their shoes. So I had the idea to replace the shoe basket and the chair next to it with this wooden storage bench.

As you can see, this bench provides twice as much seating in addition to allowing us to store our family's shoes. For easier access, the seat is split in two, so that you do not have to lift the entire seat up. This way, a child can still sit on one side to put on his or her shoes even if the other side is open. I love that the shoes can be placed inside in an orderly fashion, helping to keep them nicer than being thrown in a jumble inside a basket. I also never hear either of the twins complain that they cannot find their other shoe anymore.

My husband assembled this bench and thought it was simple to put together for one person. He did say that it would be easier if you had an extra set of hands while attaching the hinges for the seats. I love that the bench comes with these cushions so that the children cannot slam the seats down. The hinges are also very strong and keep the seats open hands-free.

I have to say that I am extremely happy with this bench. The dark stained hardwood makes it blend with the rest of our furniture and the construction is sturdy enough to stand up to three extremely active children. It would be perfect for storing indoor or outdoor toys, backpacks, and anything else you like to keep handy, but do not necessarily like to have visible.

This Linon Crescent Short Back Storage Bench can be purchased on CSNStores.com for $145.05 with Free Ground Shipping. It is also available in oak and cherry finishes, though the price varies slightly between colors.

I purchased this bench partially with a gift certificate I received as a thank you for participating in a past CSN Stores campaign.

Countertop or Over-the-Counter Microwave?

From drop leaf tables to armless sofas, I have explored just about every possible way to save space in a small house like ours. One thing my husband and I have casually discussed over the years is an over-the-counter microwave. We have very little counter space in our tiny kitchen. Since the time has come to replace our existing microwave, the question has come up again. This question brings up a whole sea of other ones, so I am asking my readers who have an over-the-counter microwave to share their experience and knowledge with me.

Here is what I want to know:

1. Is an over-the-counter or over-the-range microwave difficult to install? Will we need a professional to install it?
2. Is it worth not having a range hood?
3. Are over-the-counter microwaves usually a lot smaller in capacity than countertop microwaves?

I already know that they cost more, but I need to know if it is worth all the money and work. Thanks in advance for any feedback or advice you have to offer.

CSN Stores provided a gift certificate as a thank you for my participation in this campaign.

Our Kitchen Dining Set is Turning One!

Last fall, I had kitchen tables on the brain. I was so tired of our family of five trying to fit around a table that was really meant to seat four people comfortably. Since we could not really spare the money to buy a brand new set, I ended up looking on Craig's List. By a stroke of luck, I found this large dining set made of solid wood for an incredible price. If you read my blog back then, you may have remembered how excited I was about this find.

Okay, yes it is great that we can seat three children plus two adults and still have room for two or three more people, but this set literally fills our whole dining area in this tiny little shoebox of a townhouse we live in. Luckily the bench can be pushed in under the table. Unfortunately, we do not always remember to do that. I have the bruises on my shins to prove it.

I really do love this table set, but it makes everything such a tight fit that we cannot have company over for dinner . . . well, aside from my parents, who do not mind the cramped quarters. Of course, we will not be living in this townhouse forever.

So, do we keep this dining set or sell it and find something else that seats only six people?

I received a gift certificate from CSN Stores for participating in this campaign.

Review: Vernaccia Leather Ottoman

As previously mentioned in another article, we had been struggling with how uncomfortable our old sofa has become. What started out as an L-shaped sectional with a built-in chaise, has not dwindled down to two armless sofas pushed together. It is just too shallow and the only person who is comfortable is the one who is laying down.

Purchasing a new sofa set was just not an option for us, so I thought maybe an ottoman would help remedy the situation. CSN Stores, a Massachusetts-based online home furnishings retailer, was nice enough to send us this Wholesale Interiors Vernaccia Leather Ottoman.

This ottoman is 14" high and is the perfect height for our sofa. It has been in our home for about one month and has held up surprisingly well against three young children and four cats. It has been banged and bumped by toys and still looks good as new. I am extremely happy with the durability of the polished leather.

The round plastic feet makes this lightweight ottoman easy to move, even for children. This feature also protects your hardwood floors.

For the price of only $52.50 with free shipping in the U.S., I think this ottoman is a great value. The only drawback is that it only comes in dark brown, which luckily worked with the earth tones in our living room.

You can find this ottoman at the following CSN Stores:

LivingRoomsDirect.com

CSNLeather.com

CSNSofas.com

Upholstery.com

Thank you to CSN Stores for sending us a sample ottoman free of charge to base this review upon.

The Most Uncomfortable Sofa Ever!

A little over 3 years ago, we had purchased two cribs in anticipation of having twins plus what we thought was a comfortable sofa to add more seating for our growing family. The sofa had an L-configuration and had a chaise attached to one end. It was perfect because two people could stretch out on it while still leaving enough seating for the rest of the family. Well, through the years one piece after another was ruined by our pets. Now we are left with two armless sofas pushed together to make one very long sofa. The sofa is not very deep, so it is not comfortable to curl up in. Good thing we had much better luck with the cribs.

Since we do not want to invest in new living room furniture just yet, we wondered what we could do to make this situation bearable. Well, CSN Stores came to our rescue. This company incorporates over 200 retail sites, which carry everything from home furnishings to cookware, toys to fitness equipment, and everything in between. They will soon be sending us an ottoman to review, which will be the perfect solution to our sofa problem. Now we will have room for someone to stretch out without their taking up half the seating.

I am extremely excited to try out the Vernaccia Leather Ottoman from CSN Stores. Look for my review of this ottoman in the coming weeks.

No compensation was received for sharing this information with my readers, however, I do have an upcoming review scheduled for a CSN Store product.

Caring For Aging Parents

As I am quickly approaching middle-age, thoughts about caring for my husband's mother and my aging parents have crept into my mind with increasing frequency. I am extremely lucky in that my sister and brother-in-law have built a single level in-law apartment into their home in which my parents could live.

My sister had the foresight to plan ahead by equipping my parent's bathroom with extra handle bars and so forth. Also my parents have already purchased a set of adjustable beds, even though they are by no means immobile. I remember how they had to shop from store to store for these beds. It was quite a chore because most furniture stores only have one or two choices for products such as this.

I actually use to sell furniture for a national chain and remember that we never had more than one choice available for adjustable beds and no more than two choices for reclining lift chairs. When the time comes to shop for mobility products, such as lift chairs and scooters, I will turn to a tool like Mobility Compare. By then we will not be able to drag my parents from store to store, so taking advantage of any online shopping tools would be the smartest route for us.

This article was written as part of a campaign for Affiliate Heat.

Lea Industries Introduces Nickelodeon Bedroom Furniture

Lea Industries, a division of La-Z-Boy Furniture devoted to youth bedroom furniture, will introduce a new line called "Nickelodeon MyRoom" this month. This is the first licensed furniture line for children that I've seen that comes from a higher end furniture brand, as opposed to plastic or thin particle board RTA (ready-to-assemble) furniture that comes in a box.

We won't be buying new furniture for the twins until we can move to a larger house and they can each have their own bedrooms, but it's fun to think ahead about how we might decorate each room. I believe that children are much better off when their bedrooms are a happy, inviting, and safe place to be. I think Lea Industries is on the right track.

Although I was only supplied with these two photos to share with my readers, I do believe this new line will also include other Nickelodeon characters, such as Spongebob and iCarly. I look forward to seeing these sets in person when they finally hit the furniture stores in my area.

Thank you to Bender/Helper Impact for providing the information for this article. I did not receive compensation of any kind to share this information with my readers.

Shop 'n' Share: Our First Purchase from Craig's List

My husband and I have sold a few items on Craig's List before, but we've never purchased anything . . . until yesterday. We were in a situation where the dining table we had inherited from my parents was on it's last leg. Not to mention that I don't think the chairs were built to hold anyone over 100lbs. Since buying a brand new dining set, that would be built better than the one we had, was not in the cards for us, I reluctantly decided to take a look on Craig's List. I am not a big fan of buying pre-owned items, but it couldn't hurt to look, right? I convinced myself that it would like going antiquing . . . sort of.

I immediately found a casual dining set that was our style, seated 6, was in great condition, and was priced at only $225. Of course it was sold. Then I noticed that many people were selling the tables by themselves and others were selling just chairs. So I found this beautiful solid wood table for only $99 with delivery included. I called the man up and he said he just dropped it off at someone's house only 15 minutes ago. It was starting to become clear to me that I needed to babysit the listings and really act fast if I saw something I liked.

It was about 10 o'clock at night and I was giving up on the possibilities of any new listings for that day. So I hit refresh one more time, just for the heck of it. Then there it was! Our new dining set. It was the right color, the right size, in great condition, and was priced at only $210! I showed the photos to my husband quickly and then emailed the seller right away. Within 40 minutes, we had the details all worked out.

So here it is . . .



The family who owned it previously took very good care of these pieces for 16 years. It is solid wood and more than strong enough to hold up against 3 young children. I bet we'll own it for at least 16 years ourselves.

"Get Cool For School" Giveaway #22: Sumo Bean Bag Chair, Barbar Cordless Combo, The Container Store GC [CLOSED]

Get Cool For School! Giveaway #22

Go to all Get Cool For School Contests

Please take a moment to meet our sponsors . . .

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What you can win:
One lucky reader will win ALL the items listed below.

SUMO Omni Supersized Bean Bag Chair/Pillow (ARV $149)

SUMO Omni Bean Bag Chair Review

The winner will receive one a SUMO Omni Bean Bag Chair in the color of their choice.

• 10 achingly fashionable colors to choose from
• 10 different positions (discovered so far – some say we lack imagination)
• Measures big - 4.5’ X 5.5, but weighs little – just 18lbs
• Space age rip-proof nylon, stays new looking – easy to clean
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The Barbar 1900 Tourmaline Cordless Combo

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• Tourmaline plate flat iron
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• Heats up in 2 to 3 minutes
• 5 Minute usage time

$40 GC toThe Container Store

The winner will receive four $10 gift cards to The Container Store to spend on themselves or to share with a friend.

Adovia Vanilla Bath Salts 15 oz.

These are the 8 blogs participating in this giveaway event. You can gain additional entries for this contest by entering on all 8 blogs.

3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires

As They Grow Up

Blessings Abound Mommy

Experimental Mommy

Life Starring the Kids and Me

Momstart

The Shopping Mama

What Mommies Need

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, we will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:
1) Browse the selection of lounge furniture available on Sumolounge.com . Then leave a comment telling us what other item you saw that you would love to own.

2) Visit Barbar Hair Tools and leave a comment on another hair tool you'd love to own!

3) Browse the selection of items available on ContainerStore.com . Then leave a comment telling us what you would spend your GCs on if you won this contest.

4) Visit Adovia Spa and leave a comment on another bath or skin care product you'd love to pamper yourself with!

You MUST do ALL FOUR to be eligible to win this contest, but you will receive one entry for each completed mandatory entry provided you leave a separate comment for each.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments telling me the title of the post you left your comment on. You will earn 5 extra entries for each non-giveaway post you leave a comment on.

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9) Add my "Get Cool For School" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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Now go visit the other participating blogs to obtain additional entries for this contest!

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Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, August 31st, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!