Cleaning is sexy!

Gleaming countertops, neatly folded laundry and a perfectly alphabetized DVD collection may just be proof that couple's got a spark: turns out that "women and men who 'work hard' also 'play hard'," says a study published Oct. 9 in the Journal of Family Issues. (Read more at The Wall Street Journal or the Calgary Herald.)

Basically, the study of 6,877 married couples found that the more housework a couple does, the more often they have sex. 

The research found that for go-getter types, working hard in one area - like housework or a paid job - produces more energy for other. 

Wives in the study spent an average 41.8 hours a week on housework - defined as cleaning, preparing meals, washing dishes, laundry, driving family members around, shopping, yard work, maintaining cars and paying bills - compared with 23.4 hours for husbands.

The split for paid work was unequal too - with wives working 19.7 hours on paid work compared to husbands' 33.8 hours a week. The couples, on average, had sex 1.6 times a week, or 82.7 times a year.

So, should you race home and start cleaning? Not exactly.

According to lead researcher Constance Gager, as quoted in the Wall Street Journal, it may just be that these hard-working types make sex a priority. It may also be that working together for a common goal, like maintaining your house, shows shared priorities and strengthens the couple's bond.

But, a clean home for the weekend still can't hurt your chances for a little couple time. So plan to pick up that vacuum and check out our cleaning tips:

Clutter buster: To scrap or save kids' artwork?

Organize your closet in 10 minutes

Conquering the clutter

Making peace with messier lives

Weed out clutter's roots

Fake a clean house

Clear clutter for a more peaceful home

Mix up your own homemade cleaning supplies

5 ways to cheat on holiday cleaning

Cleaning house for the holidays

A designer's tea mug?

Those who know me know that I take my tea very seriously. Without it, my days would be quite bleak!

As a result, I'm always poking about online for new tea ideas, and was quite smitten with the Pantone tea mug set (found via dwell).

Pantone is the colour authority for designers, and with this set of mugs, they're creating a guide for how milky you'd like you morning cuppa! (Mine would be the third one in, by the way.)

Made by Whitbread Wilkinson (and yes, they do ship to Canada), the set costs US $50.

And, if tea's not your thing, they've also got a colour-coded espresso set, as well as cheerier, non-beverage derived hues.

Knit up some furniture

OK, I must admit, I've never been a very good knitter. I tried to learn during university as a way to keep myself engaged while reading very dull texts, but I never got past straight scarves. And stripes nearly destroyed me.

But "Phat Knits" from Bauke Knottnerus kind of makes me want to pick up the needles again, albeit on a much larger scale.

The exhibition uses a series of giant threads to create pieces of furniture (or art, depending on who you ask) that look knitted. Imagine the possibilities for chairs, ottomans, even tables!

And, while I don't think a piece like this would fit in my home, you've got to admit, that guy (or girl?) looks pretty darn cozy!

For more information, visit the designer's website.

(Via Furniture Fashion)

Spell it for me?

I've previously disclosed my love for all things typographical, but this chair (which has been floating around the blogosphere for a little while, I know for sure I saw it on the Mogg Blogg and Apartment Therapy) takes it to a whole new level!

Mission No.2 by Eric Ku takes the letters that spell "Chair" to create a ...

...

-- wait for it --

...

... chair!

I must admit that I'm not totally sold on the idea of having the final product as an accent in my house.

In fact, I think I may prefer the deconstructed version over the finished for my own decor!

But, still, I can't deny that this is one cool, alphabet-inspired idea!

Finally, a full sized Lego house!

While Mr. Speedy is the resident petrol head, I too have gotten hooked on British car show Top Gear (with a little help from presenter Richard Hammond).

As a fan of the show, and the hosts, I was excited to learn that while the series is on a break, co-presenter James May has decided to tackle toys in an epic way this summer with his new series James May's Toy Stories.

The coolest project? A full-size, two-storey house made entirely from Lego, complete with a (working!) Lego bathroom! His bed (and other furniture, too) will also be made out of Lego. (Check out the full story and photos at the Daily Mail).

May says everything, in so far as it's possible, will be made out of Lego, and, better yet, he's promised to live in it, for at least a few days (or until it falls down).

The public has been lending a hand with the construction, which is slated to be completed some time this week. The series, which will also feature a garden made of plasticine, will air in Spring 2010, but I'm sure there will be loads of pics before then!

There's an app for that!

Want to make sure that photo is level? Or match that perfect shade of paint? There's an iPhone application for that! (Read my roundup of handy downloads for around the house).

Lately, it seems like there's an app for everything. And, on a recent visit over to the Ikea hacker blog, I discovered that tech geniuses have applied their prowess to the good old Swedish design superstore's shopping list and teeny tiny pencil combo. 

SwedeShop ($0.99 from the App Store, shown) lets you tap in your shopping list, with fields for item name, price, aisle and bin. You can also add notes, priority and even pictures!

And, if you're like me and have a tendency to blow you budget picking up bits and bobs throughout the shop, it can even keep track of your spending: just set a budget, plus your tax rate, and it keeps a running total, along with an "unobtrusive" notification (which I believe is a buzz) when you go over. 

The second one, called iShopFlat, also $0.99, lets you create a digital shopping list, including aisle, row, price, quantity, item name, and notes.

How cool is that? Or, are you attached to the pencil and paper combo?

Decorating with social media faves?

So, after writing about that super cute Nintendo controller pillow last week, I was alerted to another, equally nerdy, series of throw pillows that I just had to share. 

Handmade by Etsy's Craftsquatch, these fleecy pillows feature familiar icons from your favourite social networking sites!

Available logos include the Twitter "t" and the bird, Flicker, Reddit, Digg, Tumblr, Facebook and MySpace, as well as a full series of Adobe pillows!

There's even a RSS feed! That one's my favourite, because it could almost be mistaken for a trendy graphic print.

How cute would these look lined up on a sofa or in your office? Or are they too geeky for your tastes?

Going ga-ga for gaming decor

When it came time to find the perfect first anniversary present for Mr. Speedy, I turned to Etsy.

I scoured pages and pages of one-of-a-kind, handmade goodies, looking for something that reflected his interests and was at least a little bit useful.

And, while a pair of Space Invaders cufflinks won out, I was mighty tempted by a lot of the fabulous video game-themed home decor on offer.

I mean, really, how cute is this cushy-looking retro NES controller back pillow?

Ever since I first laid eyes on it, I've been ready to curl up with Super Mario Brothers and test whether I can still rescue the princess in one sitting.

At $39 US, this hand-stitched fleece pillow from the shop of EstelleDeParis is a great throwback to the classic console of my childhood, and would provide an extra touch of comfort during marathon adventures on more contemporary systems.

It measures 46x23cm, and the pillows are made to order, so if you're eying one for your geeky gal or guy, allow about three weeks for it to be made in addition to shipping.

I'll definitely be keeping it in mind for that hopefully not too far off day when we're ready to amp up the decor of our yet-to-be-decorated red, black and white gaming den!

A doormat that speaks your mind

I'm currently on the hunt for a new doormat to replace the rather ratty specimen left on my front step by the previous owners. 

And, while I'm no closer to making a decision, I am mighty tempted by this cute specimen which has been making the decor blog rounds. 

This mat tells your guests how you really feel, with a chipper "Come in" greeting them on entry, and "Go away" when they're ready to depart.

Or, you can use it as a type of open and closed sign, turning it to "Go away" on those evenings when you'd really rather settle in with a cup of tea and a good book than with company.

The natural coarse fibre mat, designed by Sam and Jude, measures 15.75 by 26", and retails for about $40 US.

I spotted it, with Canadian shipping available, at Generate Design.

Ah, so that's what cassette tapes are good for!

Last week, during my morning commute, I did a double take when I saw a woman on the subway listening to a walkman.

Yes, a walkman - not an iPod or other mp3 player, not even a discman, but a good old, tried and true portable cassette player. She was fast-forwarding and rewinding, and thankfully, totally oblivious to my stares.

Seeing it did get me thinking though - whatever happened to all those cassettes? Are they hanging out in people's basements and attics, filling up landfills, or for sale at yardsales?

Thankfully, while doing my daily perusal of the blogosphere, I got my answer: They're being turned into lamps!

Ooomydesign sells a surprisingly stylish collection of cassette tape lamps lamps, including floor lamps (shown, about $330), box lamps (about $60), and small yet sweet lamps (about $40). Contact the company for shipping information.

From the photos, it looks like they cast a pretty fabulous light, and I think this would be a lovely addition to any audiophile's den!

(Via inhabitat)