Life-changing hacks to make adulthood easier

1. Always get the name of the person you are speaking with. Because an effective way to argue with some corporate person on the other line is not: “The person I spoke with last time I called Con Ed said that I’d paid my bill.” That sounds like you either spoke to a ghost or are trying to scam the electric company. Save yourself some time and energy: “I spoke to Ashley, her employee number is 1234567, and she said I’d paid my bill.” BIAAATCH.

2. Leave your heels under your desk at work and wear sneakers for the commute. It may feel fun and rom-commy to be running through the streets to work in your heels, but that shit wears off its charm the second you feel the first blister forming.

3. You don’t have to drop a zillion dollars on anti-aging face cream — just get a drugstore brand with retinol. Our beauty editor Carly Cardellino says that you do not need to let an upscale makeup store salesperson talk you into getting a $300 serum made of crushed-up diamonds and glowworm jizz. Just go to CVS.

4. Use adhesive velcro to stick phone and laptop chargers underneath your desk. You WILL NOT be the girl whose phone dies every afternoon at 4 p.m.

5. Did you accidentally send a text to the wrong person? DON'T PANIC. Put your phone on airplane mode and it will fail to deliver. You're so welcome.

6. Order your drinks at "kids' temperature" at coffee shops.You'll save yourself a burnt tongue, the biggest #firstworldproblem our nation faces today.

7. Marshmallows help sore throats. So you've got an excuse to treat yourself when goddamn mouth-breathing Linda at work gives you a cold.

8. If some dude keeps blowing up your phone, send him the following text message. "SERVICE ERROR 305: MESSAGE DELIVERY FAILED. FURTHER MESSAGES WILL BE CHARGED TO YOUR ACCOUNT." Take that, Neckbeard.

9. When you heat leftovers, space out a circle in the center of them. It'll make them heat more evenly. Because nobody likes scalding hot potatoes and cold meat, except maybe aliens.

10. If you've got a ridiculously expensive candle that's burned too low to light with a regular lighter or match, use a dry spaghetti stick.

11. To avoid a mess at your #AdultDinnerParties, use unscented dental floss to neatly cut cheese or dessert.

12. Plump up a flattened pillow again by putting it in the sun for 30 minutes. I don't know why this works. It just does. I'm 27 now, and I know things.

13. Those plastic hangers you sometimes get when you buy clothes from places like Old Navy have clips that are good for keeping bags of chips fresh. As seen here.

14. Wrapping a wet paper towel around your warm beer and putting it in the freezer will make it frosty in 15 minutes. Like Paula Cole, you don't wanna wait. To have a beer.

15. And frozen grapes chill white wine while you drink it. Just freeze the grapes. (Delicious summer snack too, bee-tee-dubz.)

16. A hanging shoe rack is great for storing cleaning supplies on the side of your bathroom door. Instead of tripping over your spray bottle of OxyClean every time you have to pee.

17. If nothing's worked for a bad breakout or you've been feeling run-down, use apple cider vinegar as an all-purpose healing mechanism. Dilute it with water to use as a toner, shampoo, or dietary supplement... just make sure it's one of these, with "the mother" in it. Salad dressing will not improve your skin.

18. Run out of bleach for a load of your white laundry? Use white vinegar. It's better for removing pit stains and general body-related clothing stains anyway.

19. Get removable platform shelves for your cabinets and closets. Double the space! And you will never ever get around to installing actual shelves.

20. Set up Kayak price alerts for flights to every city you eventually want to visit. Maybe you didn't plan on that long weekend in Paris this year, but for a round-trip flight that cheap, what the hell, right?

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Surprising cleaning solutions

Baby Oil as Chrome Polish
Forget keeping skin soft, baby oil also polishes chrome. Apply a dab to a cotton cloth and use it to shine everything from faucets to hubcaps. You'll end up with shiny, happy surfaces from a medicine-cabinet staple. (Who actually owns chrome cleaner, anyway?)

Broom as Long Distance Duster
To dust crown moldings, place a microfiber rag over the broom's bristles and secure with a rubber band. Then use the long handle to dust areas that your arms can't reach. No more circus acts (starring you, on a rickety, wobbly stool).

Rice as Coffee Grinder Cleaner
Mill a handful of grains in your grinder and the fine particles will absorb stale odors and clean out residual grounds and oil. Discard the rice and wipe clean.

Toothpaste as CD Cleaner
To restore a damaged CD, apply a dot of non-gel formulat toothpaste to a cotton cloth and rub in a straight line from the center of the CD outward, covering any scratches. Rinse off the toothpaste with water.

Masking Tape as Scuff Preventor
Keep baseboards free of skid marks when you vacuum. Cover the edges of the vacuum head with masking tape so they won't leave dark smudges when you inevitably bump into the walls. There will be no more black marks on your cleaning record.

Fork as Carpet Fluffer
Use the tines to gently fluff plush carpet fibers back to their original height, removing dents left by heavy furniture. Now, that's a real fork lift.

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Unexpected cleaners

White Bread and Ketchup
Use white bread to: Dust an oil painting. Gently dab a slice of white bread over the surface to pick up dirt and grime.

Use ketchup to: Remove tarnish from copper and brass cookware. Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. They should go back to their coppery color in minutes. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel.

Oatmeal
Use it to: Scrub very dirty hands. Make a thick paste of oatmeal and water; rinse well.

Rice
Use it to: Clean the inside of a vase or a thin-necked bottle. Fill three quarters of the vessel with warm water and add a tablespoon of uncooked rice. Cup your hand over the opening, shake vigor-ously, and rinse.

Tea
Use it to: Scour rusty garden tools. Brew a few pots of strong black tea. When cool, pour into a bucket. Soak the tools for a few hours. Wipe each one with a cloth. (Wear rubber gloves or your hands will be stained.)

Glycerin
Use it to: Remove dried wax drippings from candlesticks. Peel off as much wax as possible, then moisten a cotton ball with glycerin and rub until clean.

Club Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
Use club soda to: Shine up a scuffed stainless-steel sink. Buff with a cloth dampened with club soda, then wipe dry with another clean cloth.

Use hydrogen peroxide to: Disinfect a keyboard. Dip a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide to get into those nooks and crannies.

Cornstarch
Use it to: Clean grease spills on carpets. Pour cornstarch onto spots and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes before vacuuming.

Rubbing Alcohol
Use it to: Erase permanent-marker stains from finished wood floors or solid-surface countertops. Pour rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball and apply.

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Seven kitchen items you should toss now

A neat cleaning trick

If you're on pinterest then you've probably seen this before but this is for those who haven't. I'm in the process of moving out of my apartment and that means cleaning areas that have never been cleaned before. One frustrating area is the stove because grease and oil congeals and it seems impossible to remove. All you need to do is take the stove pans, put them in a zip lock bag, add a splash of ammonia, and let it sit for 12-24 hours. Once you take out the pans, all you have to do is wipe them down with a sponge and everything magically comes off!

Household cleaning tips to help you save time and money

Staying ahead of household chores is a challenge for any busy person. In fact, 68% of people wish housecleaning took up less time. Still another challenge is keeping all your cleaning products to a minimum so you can save money, as well.

We met with Carolyn Forte of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute for some solutions.

Start With Your Sink
Forte's first tip to help you accomplish more in less time is to start by cleaning the sink. If you only have 15 minutes to clean, pick the one chore with the most impact, and, she says, that's your sink. It's inspiring to see quick progress, and it's also one of the top places in your home that attracts bacteria.

Stay Up Top
While you're there, here's another time saving trick: clean surfaces before floors. This way you're not wiping crumbs or dust onto your clean tile or rug.

Take Your Shoes Off
Next, believe it or not, 85% of the dirt on your shoes comes off in your home, especially in those first few steps. A no-shoes policy in your household can save you hours cleaning the rest of your home.

Consider Steam Mops
The latest in housecleaning technology is the steam mop, which can save you time, effort and money on cleaning products, as it only uses heated water. The Good Housekeeping Institute tested 16 steam mops to find the best performing. Forte's bargain pick is the Bissell Steam Mop Deluxe, which retails for around $70. It's great on ceramic tile, and tough on greasy stains.

Time Your Chores
When it comes to cleaning, sometimes saving time means finding the time. Get to know how long your chores actually take, by timing yourself. If you know it's only seven minutes to mop your kitchen or just three minutes to clear your desk, you'll be far more likely to just do it.

Double-Duty Dish Soap
Did you know dish soap can double duty as a carpet cleaner, and especially a stain remover? Dish soap contains all the ingredients necessary to get rid of stubborn food stains, especially grease.

Use Multipurpose Cleaners
Multi-purpose cleaners are economic because they do the job of three products in one - saving you time, money and storage. Forte's favorite is the Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner, for all-around-the-house jobs.

Go All-Natural
All-natural household ingredients are the most safe and economical way to clean. Use baking soda as a substitute for soft-abrasive cleaners. You can also use 100% uncut vinegar to clean tough odors, hard water stains and bacteria, such as on cutting boards. Or, use diluted vinegar with 50% water for general cleaning like windows and countertops.

Compare Dishwashing Detergents
There are so many choices out there in dishwashing detergents from gels to powders and packs. Good Housekeeping tested over 35 kinds and found that for cleaning ability, convenience and bang for the buck, the Cascade Complete Pacs is the top pick, especially for normal and heavy loads.

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New giveaway

There is a giveaway going on at Let The Tide Pull Your Dreams Ashore where the winner gets a monogramed pillow from Be.Designs.

New uses for everyday items

The entire list is here. Below are some of the ones I found the most fascinating.

Can opener to open plastic packaging

Toilet cover to blot oily skin

Marshmallows help soothe a sore throat

Put an ipod into a bowl to amplify the sound

Use vicks vaporub to keep pets from biting and scratching furniture

Hand sanitizer to dissolve ink stains

Use unscented floss to cut cheese

Scotch tape or clear nail polish will help stop insect bite itch

Most expensive house in the DMV area

The ongoing ping pong match between Northern Virginia and DC over who has the most expensive listing has swung back over to Virginia. No longer is sixteen million enough to top the market. It's going to take eighteen million at least. In the leafiest part of leafy McLean is a new to market house asking $17.9M. You'll have to trust us on the leafy part since the seller would prefer not to disclose the address (he's a mega-successful lawyer at a mega-successful law firm). But we took a drive by to check out the digs and confirm the overall high-end, top of the market, river views, sweeping driveway. etc. etc. Indoors there are six bedrooms and nine bathrooms, but we didn't make it anywhere close to seeing inside and the photos don't show anything of the sort.

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Unique kitchen utensils

These are all from uncommongoods.com which is a great website for gifts and unique home items.

Fork-knife chopsticks - $10

Magnetic nesting utensils - $25

Cut and collect - $25

Twist whisk - $10

Cheese slicer - $29

Sink drainer cutting board -$32

Soup and sandwich ceramic tray - $30

This is my home

On an unseasonably warm November night in Manhattan on our way to get ice cream, we stumbled upon what appeared to be a vintage shop, brightly lit display window and all. As we began to walk in, a man sitting out front warned us that we were welcome to explore, but nothing inside was for sale. Our interests piqued, we began to browse through the collections the man out front had built throughout his life. This is a story of a man and his home.


This Is My Home from Mark on Vimeo.

Homes with bizarre bedrooms

The subterranean $3.15M mansion in Bowdon, Cheshire packs some James Bond wizardry into its master bedroom, but the craziest part of the design might be the absolute lack of windows. Okay, so the jacuzzi atrium features a skylight, but without the morning sun, it's a good thing the owner can splash more than a little water on their face in the AM.

In Russia, a luxury bedroom isn't complete without some neon green lighting to illuminate the crown molding. At least that's the impression we got from this master bedroom, part of an extravagant $24M offering outside of Moscow.

When model Agyness Deyn did up her Brooklyn bedroom, she took things "under the sea" with a coral mural, seashell light fixtures, and a blue ceiling. Surprisingly, this might be the most sedate room in Deyn's loft, currently listed for $2.5M, but in contract to sell.

Faux stone finishing and black leather are the keys to failure in this truly Texas-sized bachelor pad of a bedroom. Part of a $9.8M "contemporary" mansion, this place missed the modern boat back in the early 1990s.

What to do as a young software millionaire? Deck out an L.A. mansion in a very dated, tacky form of luxury then try to cash in on the $6.5M resale. The trouble is, this opulent master bedroom is located in Woodland Hills, where comps are selling for a third the price per square foot. Location, location, location probably drove the owner to pull it from the market.

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Going Underground

These are awesome posters that detail the train routes from cities around the globe. Fab.com is having a sale on them so if you're interested then I would sign up!

Chicago

Washington DC

Los Angeles

London

San Francisco

Boston

Seattle

New uses for old things

From Real Simple Magazine:

Repurpose an old frame for a vanity tray that’s pretty as a picture. Place a piece of colored paper or fabric inside as a finishing touch.

Forget unruly plastic bags that seemingly regenerate under your sink. An empty tissue box keeps them neatly corralled and ready for use.

A hard plastic soap case is the perfect size to protect a camera stashed in a carry-on bag.

No more worries of camisoles, sundresses, and other slippery garments slipping off hangers when you wrap the ends with rubber bands.

Save a countertop with an old mouse pad turned trivet. (Make sure it has a nonplastic coating.)

Make no-mess pancakes with the help of a ketchup bottle: Pour in batter, then squeeze out precise portions.

Slide bobby pins onto a hem to hold pleats in place as you iron them.

Shower-curtain hooks provide sturdy storage for heavier items, like purses.

Homes with awesome fireplaces

There is no better feeling than sitting by a fireplace on a cold night. Here are some homes with incredible fireplaces.

Aspen, CO

This contemporary house on the Ridge of Red Mountain was designed by architect Frank D. Welch, and built in 1984.

Guests at this estate can gather and warm up at either side of the centrally located island-style fireplace. Another unusual feature of the house is the enormous pink-marbled bathroom with Hollywood dressing room-inspired vanities. The property also has a media room, elevator, caretaker’s quarters, security system, spa, pool and a hot tub.

Montecito, CA

This gated Mediterranean house has multiple fireplaces in the traditional places like master bedroom, dining room and study. But there’s also a huge fireplace with ocean, harbor and mountain views outside on the covered terrace.

Also on the 11.18 acre property are a one-bedroom guesthouse with separate gated drive and garages for up to five cars.

Ridgefield, CT

This minimalist modern mansion sprung from the design table of Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly, part of the THINK team who competed to design the new World Trade Center. It has 50-mile views, with the highest views reserved for the kings of the castle: The master bedroom is located in a tower.

The art gallery-esque residence has a bold inverted-pyramid fireplace design reminiscent of Aztec architecture. This estate has been on and off the market several times since 2008, when it had a starting price of $10 million.

Irvine, CA

The dreamy and fairy tale-like setting created by the Ambrosia Home is packed with details like hardwood floors, custom paint, moldings, and window treatments.

The house’s collection of four fireplaces includes a rounded corner fireplace in the family room and another rounded marble corner fireplace in the master bedroom. Outdoors contains much of interest as well, including a kitchen with marble countertops and a plasma TV, a huge pool, and olive trees along stone pathways … and another fireplace.

Canet de Mar, Spain

How about a historic castle in Spain? Castillo de Santa Florentina — Casa Nova, named by Architectural Digest of one of the “Most Beautiful Homes in the World,” has been on the market for over a year. This country retreat is located by the sea and beaches, yet is just 22 miles from Barcelona. Although price is not included on the current listing, Luxist cited it as $24.8 million in 2010.

The foundations of the castle were laid in Roman times, but the estate has been much expanded to include a private chapel, grand salon, formal dining room, caretaker’s house, stables and a vineyard. Fireplaces include one in the massive sitting room and the top-heavy, wedding-cake-esque bedroom fireplace that pairs well with an equally top-heavy canopied bed (furnishings are included in the sale).

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Homes with amazing staircases

The Cells
Location: France
One of Geoffrey Packer’s favorite sculptural staircases is Cells®, which EeStairs manufactured and installed in 2011. The staircase is located in a modern house overlooking the sea in Le Havre, France. “The client had seen some of our previous designs and although liked them, felt that the stair was too open and wished for a more closed balustrade structure,” Packer said. “EeStairs was challenged to design a stair with an organic feel that was open, but still felt enclosed.” Using specialist software EeStairs came up with Cells®, Packer said. “It is both geometric and organic simultaneously, allowing both a solid feel that is also pleasing to the eye. The Cells pattern appears many times naturally, from a microscopic level to bee-hives.”

Bookcase Staircase
Location: England
Space saving is the inspiration for a bookcase staircase in an attic apartment that occupies part of the top floor of an existing Victorian mansion in London. “We created a ‘secret’ staircase, hidden from the main reception room, to access a new loft bedroom lit by roof lights,” states the Web site of Levitate, a London based architecture and design studio, which designed it. “Limited by space, we melded the idea of a staircase with our client’s desire for a library to form a ‘library staircase’ in which English oak stair treads and shelves are both completely lined with books on three sides.” People are essentially surrounded by books as they ascend or descend the stairs. A skylight above illuminates the staircase, making it “the perfect place to stop and browse a tome.”

Staircase Slide
Location: England
Some staircases are visually appealing and fun, allowing people to get from point A to point B playfully, like this one that has a slide alongside the staircase. This one was designed by Alex Michaelis of Michaelis Boyd Associates, based in London, and was built in an environmentally sustainable, detached 5 bedroom two-storey townhouse built underground, complete with indoor pool and children’s play area. But the fun is not reserved just for kids. Some adults can not resist the temptation to slide down, Michaelis said. "We’ve been known after a big dinner party to use the slide," the architect told Cookie Magazine.

Spelling Manor Stairs
Location: Los Angeles
The 56,500-square foot mansion bought by heiress Petra Ecclestone touts a grand set of steps resembling the famous stairs from Hollywood classic, Gone With The Wind. The sweeping double staircase frames an opulent chandelier and features gold-colored detailing on the face of each step. The home, which has its own dog grooming room, movie theater and salon was on the market for $150 million dollars before being sold to Ecclestone.

Ribbon Staircase
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
This modern staircase, resembling a delicate rippling ribbon, is in the main living area of a house in Liben, Prague, in the Czech Republic. It is constructed from 10mm thick sheet metal, and pairs of adjoining steps connect with an external side joist that forms a bracket anchored to the wall, according to HSH Architects, the Czech based architectural firm that designed it. It looks fragile, but each bracket is constructed as a rigid frame, the firm noted on its Web Site, and the higher steps bear most of the weight, while pressure is transmitted through the lower steps.

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