JenOni

#apartmentliving

DIY : How to Build an Indoor Terrarium

It’s Spring here and  I love adding to our apartment living space.   I wanted to bring a bit of the outdoors inside of our bedrooms. My daughter is always game for a DIY project.

What you need to make an indoor open TERRARIUM:

List of Supplies:

  1. Glass Container
  2. Pebbles or Stones
  3. Activated Charcoal
  4. Plants (used succulents)
  5. Potting Mix

 

DIYTerrariumSupplies

 

Container-  A glass container(use a wide mouth container).   I found these glass containers in the plant section at IKEA for $2.99

1. Add a layer of stones or pebbles- Home Depot

DIYTerrariumStep1

 

2. Add a layer of activated charcoal(found at pet store)

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3. add soil, succulents(found at IKEA), moss or pebbles(I used more stones for the top layer)

DIYTerrarium

 

DIYTerrariumSucculent2

Office- Creating a Home Office

Office Space

Where do you work at home?  I found myself working on the dining room table, sofa, loveseat, and my bed.  The real drag was scurrying to find my laptop charger each time my battery was low.    The need to create an office space came from me not having a clearly defined space to WORK.   How did I fit an office space in an apartment with  1400 square feet of living space?  It was actually simple!!!! I knew I wanted to utilize the wall space between the dining room and the living room, presto my office space was BORN!!!! 

I mapped out what the  was going to look like before putting it on a piece of paper.    If you are ever in need of any ideas to get your creative juices flowing just go to Pinterest.   Again I call Pinterest, INSPIRATION NOT DUPLICATION!!!

I visited  IKEA online to search for a desk and chair for under $100.   The BORGSJO desk was $59.99 and the FINGAL swivel chair was $39.99.  Yes, 2 cents shy of my $100 budget!!!!  Some may say IKEA boo-hoo -I can’t put anything together.     If all else fails, I will find someone who actually enjoys using their hands and invite them over for an IKEA/Pizza party and as an extra include wine or beer!!!!! Whatever works to get the job done!!!  I like a challenge and being hands on so I put together my office chair in 30 minutes and the desk in 1 1/2 hours.  Kudos to IKEA for great quality control because all my parts were accounted for in each box.

Target has a great selection of office/home organization supplies so I decided to use three boards, a calendar, a cork board, and a white board.   Each board serves a purpose in addition to my google calendar,  I need visual reminders as well.   The cork board serves to hold  inspirations, schedules, pictures, etc. and white board is for me to list daily/weekly tasks and ideas.   The black/white boxed art is from Home Goods and TJ Maxx and the shadow box with roses is from Marshalls!!!   I have a love for fresh flowers so my desk must have flowers every week(Whole Foods, found some for $3.99/arrangement).

 DIY Office Space Blog Series Wall

 

From my previous work office I was able to repurpose my IKEA floor lamp, pillow, vase and area rug.  The best part of creating a space is everything has a purpose at some point.   The black box with quotes is from HOME GOODS, this is perfect in black/white;  incoming/outgoing mail, bills, to do tasks and filing.

DIY Office Space Filing -To Do-Bills-MailHomeGoods

In an apartment space, the best advice is to MAXIMIZE wall space.  The rod and basket are from IKEA’S kitchen design center.  The $1 jars are from Target’s $1-$3 aisle and the office supplies are from Target’s office accessory aisle.   Oops I almost forgot the lime green pails (found in IKEA plants department) were $.99!  Initially I wanted to use them for small potted plants but the pop of color is really COOL!!! Fresh flowers are a part of my deskscape!!! Flowers brighten any corner.

DIY Office Space Desk Accessories

I ordered my HP printer/scanner/copier from Amazon(PRIME member) and since my desk is smaller I found a sturdy IKEA file cabinet.   The cabinet has a dual purpose: a place to set the printer and 3 drawers for storage.

DIY Office Space Blog Series Printer Cabinet

 

Side view of office space…….If you missed my blog post on how to DIY a desk mat-Desk Mat

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Rear view of office space……

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This was so much fun and I am looking forward to starting on my DIY bedroom -DD’s ballerina themed room.  HOME GOODS, IKEA , and HOME DEPOT here I come… STAY TUNED !!!!!

Single Mom Chronicles: DIY Blog Series – Window Treatments Hardware

Why I no longer feel compelled to hire a HANDYMAN?   I have resolved to be a HANDYWOMAN for all my odd jobs that only require a few accessible tools and easy directions!!!!

DIYHandywoman

I waited for over a month to install my IKEA window treatment hardware.   Why? I thought the job required hiring someone and spending money to be done right.

DIYIKEAWindowTreatment

 

Well guess what? I was wrong after driving to my local HOME DEPOT I purchased a Ryobi power drill and step stool for $50.00.   The Gorilla Ladder was a great buy and eliminates the need for a heavy, bulky ladder.    If you are between 5′-6′ in height the 2nd step gives you an 8′ reach.  It folds easily which makes it great for storage.

DIYGorillaLadder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Ryobi power drill comes with a tool bag.   Drills bits are not included with the drill so you will have to purchase drill bits separately.

DIYRyobiDrill

 

In addition to purchasing the drill bits I also purchased a kit with a mask, safety googles and ear plugs.   The total purchase was about $11.   These items were purchased from LOEWS.

The overall job took me less than 2 hours to install hardware on four windows.

DIY Blog Series-Decor:How to Use Vinyl Decals to Accent Walls

Since I am in an apartment and not a fan of painting.  I discovered a way to add character to the walls throughout my apartment.   If you don’t know I LOVE, LOVE inspirational quotes and sayings.      I found these vinyl decals at Amazon and will definitely help to put a smile on your face and brighten the mood in your living space.

This is by far a simple way to accent any wall in a room.   I found all of these decals at Amazon.  The decals are easy to apply and remove if necessary.    Tools required is minimal.   I did them by hand without measuring with placement lines.    All the decals come with simple instructions so it is really a breeze!

The other great part is all of these decals below are available at Amazon.   Can you tell I love Amazon?  You can visit my Amazon store, CocoaMommy Luvs Amazon Deals to find a great selection for your living space.

 

DIYDecorVinylDecals

 

Single Mom Chronicles: DIY Indoor BBQ-July 4th Family Dinner

July4thMealJuly2015

One thing I miss from having my home is my WEBER grill.   Unfortunately there is no outside space for grilling on our apartment building property.    My solution : Bring the BBQ indoors!   My brother suggested buying the George Forman indoor/outdoor grill but I was against spending an extra money beyond the food.

Since I have discovered a love for cumin after trying a recipe for Spicy Chicken Thighs I decided this recipe was perfect for chicken with a grilled taste.

I am always in search of new and delicious recipes which has made MyRecipes.com my all time favorite site for recipes.

My patience will not allow for preparing any meal the day of so I am all about prepping food the day and night before.    It saves time,  allows all the flavors to infuse in each dish and keeps me sane to entertain.

Menu: BBQ chicken thighs and legs, BBQ baby back ribs, Spinach salad with tomatoes, cucumber, strawberries and shredded cheese, homemade potato salad, corn on the cob, baked beans (I use Bush’s vegetarian beans), Wegmans creamy cole slaw.

For BBQ chicken:

I used the first 6 ingredients of the recipe to season chicken overnight!!! Instead of thighs  I used thighs and legs for our bbq.    Also baked the chicken for an 1 1/2- 2 hours on 350F vs. broiling only.

Spicy Chicken Thighs

Once the chicken was done I drained the fat and poured(I need a brush!) on the honey and vinegar to create a glaze.  Next I turned on the broiler and put the chicken in  for 1 minute on each side.  Just make sure you time the food once it is in broiler setting.   I love lots and lots of bbq sauce so I slathered the chicken with Sweet Baby Ray’s Sweet and Spicy BBQ sauce.  My days of making homemade bbq sauce are over!!!!

For oven BBQ baby back ribs,  I found a delicious recipe online with amazing pictures.  This recipe was my inspiration for the oven BBQ baby back ribs,   ForTheLoveofCooking.  I purchased one rack of baby back ribs from Wegmans. 

When I grilled ribs I would start in the oven and finish on the grill for that smoky flavor.   I did tweak the recipe slightly by using what was on my shelf for the rub.  I  created my  rub with Lawry’s seasoning salt, McCormick garlic powder, salt, McCormick black pepper and a dash of chili powder.  Next time I want to experiment with a little brown sugar.  Also I always buy the jarred minced garlic to make prep time a little faster and easier.   After putting garlic on each side of the rack of ribs, I pressed the rub in on both sides.

I tightly sealed the ribs in aluminum foil and baked for 1 1/2 -2 hours.   Another tweak on the recipe is that I used the honey and vinegar glaze from the chicken recipe.  Since the broiler was already on for the chicken I put the ribs in for 5 minutes.   Reminder: Watch the ribs once on the broiler setting.   After I let the ribs rest I cut them and slathered with Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce.

I grew up learning to cook without recipes.  My mother and grandmother called it cooking by rote.  For staple side dishes like baked macaroni and cheese, potato salad(I do use red potatoes, Hellmann’s mayo is a must according to my mother) and baked beans.   I learned to make the recipe my own by adding a little of this and a little of that!!!!!   A true confession on the baked beans.  I always use Bush’s vegetarian baked beans and I doctor up with brown sugar, regular sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and this time.  For Saturday’s dinner I added diced celery and onion.   Typically I add whatever produce I have at the time like diced red onions and green bell pepper.

Baking is another one of my fortes however I had my eyes on the double crust apple pie at Wegmans for weeks.   What is July 4th without apple pie even if it’s not from your oven!!!!   A la mode is even yummier!!!  Everyone was stuffed after dinner so the pie went home in doggie bag!!!! Wegmans never fails!!!!! The pie got rave reviews!!!!! even my kids ate it and they are picky eaters.

This was truly an impromptu dinner that I pulled together in 24hours.   I am determined to never waste food so everyone took home a doggie bag even the guests who were absent!!!

What is July 4th without fireworks?  Our after dinner activity…….