Tip: Take better photos of your home

On Friday, I suggested that you snap a few shots of your home to help better evaluate your decor. So, it seemed only fitting that today we looked at how to make those photos better - a lesson that I'm working on myself.

Lighting is, of course, the biggie. So, open the blinds and capitalize on daylight. If possible, try to position yourself so that the primary light source is behind you.  And remember that using your flash can make the shot look blown out, or give you bright streaks bouncing back off glass or mirrors, so experiment a bit to make sure you get at least one usable shot.

Turn on the lights and light any candles. Layering lights adds visual interest and can create a bit of drama in your shot.

Don't forget to survey the scene as a whole. Tidy up cords (or try to get them out of frame), clean up the space (there's nothing pretty about a fingerprint smudged faucet or frame), and avoid angles that obstruct or cut off items in your lens. A whole chair often looks better than a third of it in the shot.

And don't forget to make it look a little lived in. All those great shots in magazines include carefully positioned signs of life - small details that tell you a little about the inhabitants and provide evidence that people do in fact live there. For example, a set dinner table looks a lot better, and a lot more realistic, if the glasses aren't empty. A slightly askew pile of books is more interesting than a fully cleared surface.

Take lots of pictures, too. While a shot may look cluttered on your camera, a closer crop or a little photo editing magic on the computer may turn it into exactly what you need.

For more tips, check out Apartment Therapy's post on this subject.

Read more tips from "Make life easier" March (and please share your own tips in the comments, too!)

- Speed wallpaper removal

- Remove stickers and price tags

- Keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up

- Cut down on painting cleanup

- Banish tea (or coffee) stained mugs

- Quiet that dripping faucet

- Make sure your furniture fits before you buy

- Don't let your paint can drip on the floor

- Why every tool box should include nail polish

- Check those smoke alarms

- Whip that closet into shape

- Remove red wine stains

- Silence squeaks

- Bust clutter

- Remove gum from your fabrics

- Organize your cables

- Re-deploy your accessories

- A (slightly) less painful way to dust your blinds

- How to critique your decor

Tip: How to critique your decor

Whether it's home decor, fashion, food or media, most people know what they like. But, when it comes to evaluating your own space, and your own decorating prowess, it can be tricky to figure out what pieces are missing, out of place or just plain wrong.

That's why I love this tip I learned from Glenn Dixon of Take This House and Sell It: Look at your home like you would a shot in a magazine. Because who doesn't love examining (and criticizing) those perfectly styled magazine shots?

So, whip out your point-and-shoot and take some snaps, then load them up on your computer (or print them out) and start critiquing away.

That little bit of distance will provide the objectivity you need to properly evaluate the space, and perhaps finally admit that sadly, there really is no place in your home for that super-trendy impulse purchase. 

Read more tips from "Make life easier" March (and please share your own tips in the comments, too!)

- Speed wallpaper removal

- Remove stickers and price tags

- Keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up

- Cut down on painting cleanup

- Banish tea (or coffee) stained mugs

- Quiet that dripping faucet

- Make sure your furniture fits before you buy

- Don't let your paint can drip on the floor

- Why every tool box should include nail polish

- Check those smoke alarms

- Whip that closet into shape

- Remove red wine stains

- Silence squeaks

- Bust clutter

- Remove gum from your fabrics

- Organize your cables

- Re-deploy your accessories

- A (slightly) less painful way to dust your blinds

Tip: A (slightly) less painful way to dust the blinds

Despite my best efforts, a domestic diva I am not. And among my most loathed chores is cleaning the blinds. 

But, sadly, it does need to be done regularly. So, I wanted to find the fastest way to get it over with! This tip, first gleaned from the Molly Maid website, is my quickest discovery so far.

Find a clean pair of cotton gloves, a (clean!) old sock or a microfibre cleaning cloth (my most reliable cleaning tool).

Put the sock or gloves on your hands, or wrap the cloth around your hand, and run your fingers along each slat of the blind.

You'll pick up dust as you go, without needing to take down your blinds or fear missing a spot. And, if you're like me, you'll learn to make those slat-by-slat swipes very quickly!

Read more tips from "Make life easier" March (and please share your own tips in the comments, too!)

- Speed wallpaper removal

- Remove stickers and price tags

- Keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up

- Cut down on painting cleanup

- Banish tea (or coffee) stained mugs

- Quiet that dripping faucet

- Make sure your furniture fits before you buy

- Don't let your paint can drip on the floor

- Why every tool box should include nail polish

- Check those smoke alarms

- Whip that closet into shape

- Remove red wine stains

- Silence squeaks

- Bust clutter

- Remove gum from your fabrics

- Organize your cables

- Re-deploy your accessories

Tip: Re-deploy your accessories

While spring may be teasing us these days, it still feels like a good time to open all the windows and get a fresh start.

Rather than going out and buying all new accessories for spring (though it is certainly tempting!) I like to start by giving all my existing accents a good cleaning and then re-deploying them throughout my house.

I find that after a while, I stop seeing all those carefully planned vignettes. By re-arranging the pieces, I get a new appreciation for them along with a whole new look - and don't need to spend a dime.

For example, candlesticks that had been hanging out on my mantel have found a new home grouped together as a centrepiece for my table.

A vase that had been filled with winter-themed baubles, also on my mantel, has been filled with limes and paired with a bottle of gin and a martini glass and tealight combo on a serving tray on my dining room console.

I also see it as an opportunity to switch up my artwork, which, like my accessories, also tend to fade into the background after a little time. I started with the piece above my mantel, shown, swapping out my makeshift snowflake artwork for a streetscape (made from Ikea fabric).

These minor changes have made my home feel fresh again just in time (*fingers crossed*) for the warm weather!

Read more tips from "Make life easier" March (and please share your own tips in the comments, too!)

- Speed wallpaper removal

- Remove stickers and price tags

- Keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up

- Cut down on painting cleanup

- Banish tea (or coffee) stained mugs

- Quiet that dripping faucet

- Make sure your furniture fits before you buy

- Don't let your paint can drip on the floor

- Why every tool box should include nail polish

- Check those smoke alarms

- Whip that closet into shape

- Remove red wine stains

- Silence squeaks

- Bust clutter

- Remove gum from your fabrics

- Organize your cables

Tip: Remove gum from your fabrics

Chewing gum is one of those things I'd kind of like to ban from my home. Mashed into a sofa cushion or smushed into the carpet, it looks disgusting and is a real pain to remove.

But, of course, I wouldn't be a very good hostess if I asked guests to ditch their gum at the door, so I rely on this tip from Molly Maid to combat any messes.

Using a piece of ice, freeze the chewing gum. When it's nice and frozen, shatter it, then vacuum up the broken pieces. 

Read more tips from "Make life easier" March (and please share your own tips in the comments, too!)

- Speed wallpaper removal

- Remove stickers and price tags

- Keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up

- Cut down on painting cleanup

- Banish tea (or coffee) stained mugs

- Quiet that dripping faucet

- Make sure your furniture fits before you buy

- Don't let your paint can drip on the floor

- Why every tool box should include nail polish

- Check those smoke alarms

- Whip that closet into shape

- Remove red wine stains

- Silence squeaks

- Bust clutter

Tip: Bust clutter this weekend

On any given day, I walk through my living and dining room at least 20 times. On weekends, the number of trips up and down the stairs is easily doubled or tripled.

And, in addition to the extra exercise, it's also a great opportunity to clear up all the clutter that tends to accumulate during the week.

Each time I walk through a room, I try to grab one item that's out of place. So mail that was left on the coffee table, a book that should be re-shelved, any number of headphones and flash drives that ought to be in the office, all, slowly, return to their proper homes.

As I return each item to the room where it belongs, I also try to grab something that's out of place in that spot. For example, if I'm taking a book down to the basement when I go to watch TV, my next trip upstairs will likely include a water glass that had been forgotten on the side table, and so on.

And, because I'm doing it on the way to do something else, I don't feel like I've spent the whole day cleaning - but still get those clear surfaces I so desperately crave. 

Read more tips from "Make life easier" March (and please share your own tips in the comments, too!)

- Speed wallpaper removal

- Remove stickers and price tags

- Keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up

- Cut down on painting cleanup

- Banish tea (or coffee) stained mugs

- Quiet that dripping faucet

- Make sure your furniture fits before you buy

- Don't let your paint can drip on the floor

- Why every tool box should include nail polish

- Check those smoke alarms

- Whip that closet into shape

- Remove red wine stains

- Silence squeaks

Tip: Silence squeaks

Squeaky doors and floors are one of those minor annoyances most homeowners try to live with.

Over time, however, the noise of opening that bathroom door (or walking on the third stair from the top), starts to take on a "nails on a chalkboard" feel.

While the surest way to stop the squeaks is replacement and repair, that can get awfully costly. 

To soothe your ears at least temporarily, try a little baby powder.

When the noise is the result of two surfaces rubbing together - like squeaky hinges or wood on wood - applying a thin layer of baby powder to the crevices or hinges can silence it.

Re-apply when the squeaks start returning, and be sure to clean up any excess powder from the floor to prevent slips (and those questions about why there's white powder all over your house).

Read more tips from "Make life easier" March (and please share your own tips in the comments, too!)

- Speed wallpaper removal

- Remove stickers and price tags

- Keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up

- Cut down on painting cleanup

- Banish tea (or coffee) stained mugs

- Quiet that dripping faucet

- Make sure your furniture fits before you buy

- Don't let your paint can drip on the floor

- Why every tool box should include nail polish

- Check those smoke alarms

- Whip that closet into shape

- Remove red wine stains

(SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO)

Tip: Remove red wine stains

It is St. Patrick's Day, so tastes may be running more to green beer than red wine, but, in light of all tonight's celebrations, I figured it was a good time to share a stain-removal trick.

(Plus, I still haven't learned the perfect way to banish those green beer stains.)

Whether it's one glass too many or a spilly guest and your favourite tablecloth, it's always wise to act fast when red wine spills.

I like the method recommended by Electrolux, which starts with covering the spot with table salt to absorb the wine.

Next, pre-wash by hand with dish washing liquid, followed by a regular wash according to the care label. The stain should be gone!

You can also try removing red wine stains with a small amount of white wine - a tip I've been told many times, but have yet to try.

Read more tips from "Make life easier" March (and please share your own tips in the comments, too!)

- Speed wallpaper removal

- Remove stickers and price tags

- Keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up

- Cut down on painting cleanup

- Banish tea (or coffee) stained mugs

- Quiet that dripping faucet

- Make sure your furniture fits before you buy

- Don't let your paint can drip on the floor

- Why every tool box should include nail polish

- Check those smoke alarms

- Whip that closet into shape

(SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO)

Tip: Whip your closet into shape

This sunny day has me thinking about spring, and rescuing summery frocks and t-shirts from winter storage.

Despite having just purchased a new fleet of hangers to be deployed in my closet for this purpose, I still find my closet a smidge crammed when both my winter and summer wardrobes are forced to co-exist.

Luckily, I like getting organized. Purging outdated, ill fitting and questionable finds is easy enough, but pieces that tend to languish in the back of my drawers is tougher. You know, that shirt/skirt/pair of pants that every season you 're-discover' and think, while you may have forgotten about it, you'll most certainly wear it this time round?

That's where this tip from professional organizers comes in handy: At the beginning of the season, make sure all your hangers are facing the same way. As you wear each item, turn the hanger to face the other direction. By the end of the season, you'll be able to tell which pieces weren't touched - and then can donate them to a new home where they will be appreciated, leaving you more space for clothes you will wear!

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I can never pull this trick off in my own closet. I can't stand having my clothes or hangers facing different directions! So, I'm going to try to adapt it with a piece of ribbon or string - same effect, while maintaining the uniform look I crave when I open my closet every morning.

Read more tips from "Make life easier" March (and please share your own tips in the comments, too!)

- Speed wallpaper removal

- Remove stickers and price tags

- Keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up

- Cut down on painting cleanup

- Banish tea (or coffee) stained mugs

- Quiet that dripping faucet

- Make sure your furniture fits before you buy

- Don't let your paint can drip on the floor

- Why every tool box should include nail polish

- Check those smoke alarms

(SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO)

Tip: Check those smoke alarms

OK, so maybe this is more of a reminder than a tip, but I still think it bears repeating. With yesterday's time change we may all still be feeling a bit sluggish, but checking your smoke detectors is a really good habit to get into when you're changing your clocks.

So, yesterday morning, armed with a wooden spoon - it's the perfect length to reach those high up alarms and I wasn't dragging out the ladder unless I needed to actually change the batteries! - I hit all of my test buttons.

One was very loud. The other two, however, needed their batteries replaced, so it was well worth giving up 10 minutes of my time for peace of mind until we "fall back" in the autumn.

Read more tips from "Make life easier" March (and please share your own tips in the comments, too!)

- Speed wallpaper removal

- Remove stickers and price tags

- Keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up

- Cut down on painting cleanup

- Banish tea (or coffee) stained mugs

- Quiet that dripping faucet

- Make sure your furniture fits before you buy

- Don't let your paint can drip on the floor

- Why every tool box should include nail polish