by Vicky Sanderson

The holiday countdown in on, and for many, that means the stress meter is starting to approach the danger zone. That’s why it’s so important to remember that Christmas is a state of mind, not a competitive sport. So here are a few tips for ensuring that the holiday season is fun, festive and full of meaning.

Holiday baking and cooking can be relaxing and enjoyable, but not everything has to be made-from-scratch.  So stock the freezer with good-quality prepared foods. Try M& M Meat Shops, www.mmmeatshops.com , where you’ll find everything from hors d’ouvres and dips to delish desserts. You can also buy fully prepared meals, including pot roast in gravy (perfect for the slow cooker or Dutch oven) and a whole Atlantic cod, topped with shredded potato, cheddar cheese and chives. The desserts are also fab — and we can personally recommend the raspberry macaroon tarts, especially when they’re paired with a dollop of whipped cream and a few fresh raspberries.  To make things even easier, you can order online and pick up at your nearest store.

Pencil family time into your schedule and treat it like an appointment that you can’t break.  It doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. Instead of making your way in the car to an over-crowded, over-heated theatre, why not plan a long walk on a local trail before heading home for a game or a family movie night?

HMV www.hmv.ca has great options, including a boxed set of Cars, the 50th anniversary edition of West Side Story, the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows collectible box and the complete collection of Home Alone.  Give one of these as a gift and you’ll be guaranteeing some quality downtime.

Music is a great gift for teenagers, and can be a real conversation starter. Families can share musical tastes easily with a small but mighty iHome speaker — for just $20 — that connects to an iPhone, iPad or MP3 players and lets the user take music wherever — from the family room to the backyard to the cottage dock. This is a can’t-miss gift. There’s also a funny Rubik’s cube speaker for $30.

Too much sharing, of course, can be a bad thing. So consider offering up noise-cancelling headphones. Toxix headphones’ extra-large speaker drivers deliver smooth, undistorted highs, clear vocals and are comfy and compact. And at about $25, they’re also very affordable.

If you’ve got a Star Wars fan in the house, pick up a string of Yoda and R2D2 holiday lights ($20) or a Star Wars USB key ($20) just for fun.

This time of year is about loving and giving. So remember that despite the hectic pace, the stress — and even the squabbles — you’re blessed with family and friends and a warm, safe place to live. In lots of places though, that’s just not the case. So think about sharing your good fortune by making a donation to your favourite charity.

One that touches my heart is World Vision www.worldvision.ca/gifts , which partners with local communities in developing countries to improve lives. (They also do good work right here at home.) Make a donation of $30 and a family receives five fruit trees, enough to start on the road to self-sufficiency. Fifty dollars buys two hens and a rooster to help a family hatch a business. There are also options for warm clothing for kids, medical supplies and even sports equipment and books.  You can get special gift cards to share your message and it’s so, so easy to pick gifts online.

These gifts are perfect for the person who has everything, and are a wonderful way to model the true spirit of the season to your kids.

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About the Contributor

Vicky Sanderson writes Hot Home Products, a widely-read weekly column on home improvement, décor and housewares that appears every Saturday in the Toronto Star. She also keeps readers up to date on new products through her blog, On the House, which can be found on www.yourhome.ca.  She frequently shares tips, tricks and trends on such media outlets as Canada AM, Breakfast Television, CHCH Morning Live, and CBC Radio. Follow her on Twitter @vickysanderson

by Guest

Think you’ve tapped into the full potential of your home? Think again. Homeowners everywhere are discovering a new bonus space they’ve overlooked until now: the garage. No longer just a place to park or hurry through, the garage is a great source of functional square footage. With the right planning it can be transformed into a full-fledged man cave, a hobby station, an entertainment zone, or overflow storage – while still accommodating the family cars. As a leading provider of home storage solutions, ORG continues to respond to this trend with a new line of products designed specifically for the garage.

ORG Garage storage products blend smart organizational design with the same level of quality that discerning homeowners expect in other parts of their homes. At the center of the product line are heavy-duty cabinets, designed and engineered for the tough garage environment. ORG uses quality construction like full back panels to protect against dust and pests, one-inch thick sturdy shelves, and doors with euro-style hinges that open wide for easy access. Other options to personalize storage include dovetail drawers, durable hardware, full extending baskets and a butcher block work surface.

Aesthetics are another hallmark of the ORG product line. Clean lines, unique finishes and colors, and sophisticated storage accents create a sense of continuity that extends from garage to home and makes the entire space more inviting.  Extruded aluminum handles add protection and style to doors and drawers, while a sleek aluminum wall track can be customized with steel hooks and brackets for storing tools, bikes, yard equipment, toys and sports gear.

According to Randy Tallman, Product and Marketing Director for ORG, “People are staying put longer and entertaining at home more often. This is driving a stronger desire for garage storage systems that not only improve the home’s appearance but also support homeowners’ active lifestyles.” Tallman says that ORG Garage products give customers exactly what they want such as “options for personalization, heavy-duty construction, and design features that are functional and timeless.”

Because every garage and every homeowner’s needs are unique, ORG Garage is designed with extensive flexibility.  Homeowners can choose from a wide range of color options, clever accessories for special storage needs, and even customization for individual requirements. The garage cabinets are designed to be hung on the wall for easy cleaning, but legs can also be added for additional support or style.

With wall-to-wall storage all the way to the ceiling, ORG Garage products can maximize every inch of available space and clear up clutter inside the home, too. Sports gear, dog food, soft drinks, canned goods, hobby tools, recycling and even shoes can find a new home in the garage. Cabinets can also hold special use servers, dishes and small appliances, freeing up valuable storage space in the kitchen.

“Many homeowners take the renovation one step farther by treating their floor with an attractive, protective coating,” says Tallman. “When you put that together with ORG Garage products, the room is instantly elevated into a space that’s perfect for hosting family get-togethers, neighborhood socials or birthday parties.”

ORG Garage products are available through the nationwide network of authorized ORG dealers who provide professional design and installation services. Manufactured in Holland, Mich., by The Stow Company, ORG offers custom closet organizers, pantry storage systems, garage cabinets, laundry storage, office organizers, wall beds, entertainment centers, mudroom storage and more. For more information or to locate an ORG dealer, visit www.HomeORG.com or call 800-562-4257.

I have to admit that since working for HIG and HRG, I do often get the urge to redecorate my home. However, it can be challenging when you are 1. working with a budget and 2. do not any decorating experience. So, of course I’m always looking for pretty ideas that are both affordable and beginner’s level type of DIY.

Here are a few such ideas I recently received from the Home Depot (all following content and images provided by):

Create your own vintage-inspired kitchen

What’s old is new again with the return of vintage flair. Incorporating this trend into your kitchen doesn’t have to include a complete overhaul. To infuse your kitchen with a vintage vibe, install easy to use peel and stick backsplashes like the Pewter Motif Smart Tiles.

Step 1: Measure your backsplash and determine how many tiles you will need.
Step 2: Wipe down the area, removing all dirt from the surface.
Step 3: Peel the backing from the tile exposing the sticky surface.
Step 4: Stick the tile in the appropriate position and rub down all corners of the tile to secure it.
Step 5: Repeat until the desired area is covered.

Cost of product: $11.99 for 10 In. by 10 In. tile (Pewter Motif Smart Tile)
Time: three to four hours
Tools required: a clean cloth and capable hands

The finishing touch

Painted finishes are back on trend and especially hot for kitchen cabinets – from antiqued and weathered to glossy and glazed! Frank Turco, Manager of Colour, Trend and Design, The Home Depot, suggests experimenting with yellow, cream, sage, green, red or black for spring ‘09. It’s easy to give your kitchen an instant facelift by painting those old cabinets!

Step 1: Remove the cabinet doors from the framework (to make them easier to work with) and smooth out your doors and cabinet framework by filling in any dents with filler and sanding away rough areas.
Step 2: Prepare any areas you don’t want painted with painters tape and lay a drop cloth on the floor.
Step 3: Paint the entire surface with primer.
Step 4: Tackle the edges and corners first by painting them with a paintbrush.
Step 5: Fill in the remaining area with a roller (once dry, repeat with an additional coat).

Cost of product: $32.97 for Premium Plus Interior Semi-Gloss Enamel Paint – Deep Base, 3.43L
Time: one weekend (may vary depending on the size and number of cabinets in your kitchen)
Tools required: sand paper, painters tape, drop cloth, primer, paint roller, paint, roller pan and 2 or 3 In. paint brush.

Redesign your closet

For those of us not so lucky to open the door to a new 10 x 10 Ft. closet; decorating, updating and organizing your closet will make it feel brand new, and perhaps even reveal some hidden treasures you had forgotten about!

Step 1: Remove everything from your closet and sort by things to give away, store and keep.
Step 2: Take the opportunity to clean your closet. Wipe down shelves, remove dust bunnies – make it sparkle!
Step 2: Freshen it up by painting the back wall in a colour you love or better yet, why not use a bold wallpaper to create some drama (closets need excitement too).
Step 4: Take advantage of unused space by setting up a set of drawers or easy-to-install closet organizer to provide even more storage.
Step 5: Maintain, maintain, maintain – it is up to you to keep it clean all year round!

Cost of product: $44.98/20.5 In. Black and White Large Scale Dramatic Floral Outline wallpaper; $89.99 Vaughan Woods Laminate Closet Organizer or $169.00 South Shore Furniture Five Drawer Chest (available only on homedepot.ca)
Time: one weekend
Tools required: damp cloth, eco friendly cleaner, hangers, shoe rack, sandpaper, primer, paint brush or roller, drill, hammer, screws, nails

Put it on display!

Don’t hide treasured pieces in a cupboard stuffed with endless items – put them on display. Here’s how to create your very own stylish hanging display piece using Rubbermaid’s Triple Cube Wood Shelf Kit. Each pre-assembled cube shelving unit is easy-to-install and can hold up to 11 Lbs. of weight. It’s as simple as these five steps:

Step 1: Before putting any screws in the wall, first determine how you want all three cubes to be displayed.
Step 2: Use a level to ensure the cube is straight on the wall. With a pencil, mark two points on the wall for the location of the anchors and screws.
Step 3: Hammer the anchors into the marked pencil spots, place the brackets over the anchors and secure the brackets to the wall with screws.
Step 4: Place the cube on top of the brackets so it is securely fastened to the wall.
Step 5: Repeat steps 1-4 for remaining two cubes.

Cost of product: $38.99 (kit includes three cubes, anchors, screws and brackets)
Time: one to two hours
Tools required: level, hammer, screwdriver and pencil

Conserve it

The desire to move to a more eco-friendly household has everyone working to “green” their home. An eco-friendly low-flow shower head is a great option to conserve water while still maintaining a powerful shower!

Step 1: Tighten an adjustable wrench to the flat spots on the base of the shower head, and turn it counter-clockwise to loosen and remove the old shower head.
Step 2: If there is a rubber washer, place it on the shower. Otherwise, don’t worry about it.
Step 3: Screw the shower head onto the exposed shower arm and tighten it with your hand.
Step 4: Turn the water back on at the faucet and check for leaks.
Step 5: If the shower head leaks at the connection to the shower arm, you need to tighten the connection more and may need to use a wrench to finish it off.

Cost of product: $44.99/WaterPik Aquascape shower head (Eco Options approved)
Time: one afternoon
Tools required: wrench, elbow grease

I for one am keen on the backsplash tile and perhaps repainting the kitchen cabinets –perhaps a fun indoors activity if it proves to be a rainy weekend.

What? National Home Show
When? Feb. 20 – March 1, 2009!
Where? The Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, 100 Princes’ Blvd.

The largest home show in Toronto is coming up next week with a plethora of home improvement and decor products, accessories, ideas, and celebrity guest appearances.

What to Expect at the Show: (info provided by www.NationalHomeShow.com – visit the official show site for more details)

* The Dream Home – Built by Probuilt by Michael Upshall and styled by Janette Ewen.

* Toronto Star Dream Gardens

* tySTYLE presented by Toshiba

* Colin and Justin, hosts of HGTV’s Home Heist (appearance courtesy of Penguin Books)

* Carson Arthur, host of HGTV’s Green Force

* Scott McGillivray, host of HGTV’s Income Property

* Cheryl Torrenueva, host of HGTV’s Home Heist and Restaurant Makeover

* Corbin Tomaszeski, appearing on HGTV’s Restaurant Makeover

* Igor Shamraychuk, appearing on HGTV’s Restaurant Makeover

Show Date & Hours

Friday, February 20th
11 am to 9pm

Saturday, February 21st
10am to 9pm

Sunday, February 22nd
10am to 6pm

Monday, February 23rd to Friday, February 27th
11 am to 9pm

Saturday, February 28th
10am to 9pm

Sunday, March 1st
10am to 6pm

Admission

Adults: $15.00 (at the door)
Adults: $12.00 (online)
Seniors (65+): $11.00
Seniors: $8.00 (online)
Youth 13 – 17 years: $11.00
Youth 13 – 17 years: $8.00 (online)
Children 12 and under: FREE

* Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. Buy online and save (use promo code:RENOVATION) !

Show Venue & Location

The Direct Energy Centre,
Exhibition Place,
100 Princes’ Blvd.
Toronto ON
416-263-3000

Website:

www.NationalHomeShow.com

If you haven’t already, check out our sister site: The Home Interior Guide (http://www.homeinteriorguide.com), which has recently gotten it’s own makeover. Not just a pretty new face, it’s the whole package – a fabulous resource for interior design and decor.  The listings directory is the place to go to find professionals services for interior decorating or home staging, and to locate unique art galleries or home furnishings stores for that special touch.

Find articles that guide you through DIY projects and get updated on the latest trends in home decor. Pose a design question in our Ask the Experts section, and get feedback from an unlimited number of professionals. Check out Hidden Gems our spotlight on those “in the know” places that offer the one-of-a-kind finds that will help make your home the envy (or inspiration) of all your friends.

Are you in the design or decor profession? Create an account with the Home Interior Guide for great features that include: creating a photo gallery of your portfolio (just like our glamourous Makeover of the Month Feature), posting responses to the Ask the Experts section, uploading your own articles or videos, and more!

There’s plenty to explore at the Home Interior Guide.  Visit us today and let us help make your dream space a reality.

While visiting the U.K. a few weeks ago, I was struck by two things: the sheer amount of people on every street corner—something like 12 million in London alone—and the number of cyclists. While hardly reaching Dutch levels, Londoners are increasingly mounting bikes in effort to curb traveling time and costs, reduce carbon emissions and, of course, work off the seemingly endless pints and fish and chips.

But here’s the rub: if you live in a big city, chances are you’re working with limited storage space, so simply locking up your bike in a shed isn’t an option, and leaving it locked to a fence makes it vulnerable to rust and theft. So what are the options for indoor storage—options that don’t clash too much with the décor? After all, city living is meant to be a mix of style and substance.

Luckily, there are more options these days than the simple-but-ugly large S-hook mounted into the ceiling. The Art of Storage is one of many retailers now selling innovative storage units, including designs specifically made for interiors, both freestanding and attached to a wall.

Longtime cycling retailer Delta also offers cool storage solutions, including this one with a built-in shelf for bike accessories.

Those with a DIY sensibility can build their own system, made as pretty or utilitarian as you wish. The beauty of these systems is that they don’t have to be confined to bike usage — tuck away seasonal clothes, perhaps some luggage, or make your own book storage system.

It’s official: I’ve entered my Carlsberg years. it seems like only yesterday conversations with friends revolved around derelict landlords, overdue philosophy papers and who did what at weekend house parties. But these, as it turns out, were minor stresses compared to thirty-something worries over marriage, new homes and—the crux of the matter—home renovations.

Renovating a home is a rite of passage most of us go through, the lucky ones at least, and yet few things in life create such high stress as figuring out what projects to set in motion, how to pay for it, and whether or not to hire a contractor. It can be overwhelming to say the least, especially since most of us have never encountered anything of this sort before, which often results in nothing getting done. Sad but true, this is the new wing-night chat.

Not surprisingly, the web is full of blogs created by newlyweds with renovation on the brain, whether they’re greening their lives or trying to turn an old home new, complete with his and her shopping trips. But for every keen couple there’s a flipside—those who barely made it and those that broke down, thanks, no doubt, to the fantasy world of home renos depicted on TV.

Rather than planting a few platitudes on how to manage stress (count to 10, breathe deeply…as if this ever works), let me leave you with one tidbit of real reno advice: plan ahead. Like everything else in life, remodelling is all about deciding on a plan of attack and executing it.

Project derailment (and that other D-word) is avoidable with preparation, so before saying “I do” to that bathroom fix-up, make sure you’re both in tune.

In a follow-up to Jay’s previous post, I was incredibly excited to hear the announcement today that Sony Canada is trying to divert 100% of its products from landfills by offering customers various options for disposal. According to their press release, you can do it one of three ways: drop your “end of life” (a fantastic term that calls to mind a yellow ’80s-style Walkman grinding out the final notes of a Hall & Oates cassette) products at a pre-approved recycling centre; bring them to a Sony Style store; or mail them in to the company.

Probably the best part about this is that the offer extends to any Sony product, so that old-school TV that you’ve kept for years in the hopes that it’ll be of use again someday can finally stop taking up space in the basement. Now it’s just a question of where to recycle all of those cassettes …

Every spring my street puts on a block-long yard sale. It’s a day-long event and often the entire neighbourhood can be found sitting outside in raincoats, shivering as we sell $2 books and household junk. I’ve found some great stuff walking through the driveways—computer speakers, a ratchet set—and yet, for every useful item, there are dozens of broken, seemingly useless objects being sold. Who wants a computer hinged with a “Doesn’t Work—$10” sign? Believe me, I’ve seen this.

Now I say “seemingly useless” because while these broken items might not sell to Joe Consumer, they are sometimes useful to non-profit organizations and other community-minded groups. So rather than simply throwing out old stuff, or wasting away an entire day for a $40 profit at your garage sale, consider donating your stuff. Now that it’s all organized, this should be easy enough to arrange. Here are a few options.

Building Materials

Depending on where you live, there are likely dozens of resell stores and drop-off centres for used—but still useful—building materials such as windows, doors, paint, tools, you name it. Habitat For Humanity, for example, sells donated materials through their ReStores and uses the proceeds to fund Habitat projects, while at the same time reducing the amount of waste sent to the landfills. If you’re looking for a ReStore near you, you can find options in Canada, as well as the U.S.

Computers and electronics

There’s nothing worse than seeing an old computer monitor sitting on the curb getting soaked by the rain. As PCs have dropped in price, many of us are upgrading our clunky desktops with tiny laptops. In fact, some municipalities have made it illegal to throw away computer parts without paying for a disposal fee. So while you won’t get much for a massive monitor, you can still donate it to a school, shelter or retailer that will fix it up and sell the “renovated” machine at a discount, often donating part of the funds to charity.

Computers With Causes takes your computer and gives you a tax receipt, just like you’d get with any registered charity. Computer Hope offers a similar service, as does ReBoot Canada.

Furniture and Household items

Almost every community has a Goodwill or Salvation Army drop-off centre for used couches, chairs, carpeting, dishes and toys—things that wouldn’t necessarily sell in your neighbourhood yard sale but would be useful to less-fortunate or simply frugal people (hello, students). We’ve got the links at the top, but you know your own Sally Ann.

For a more comprehensive list of donation spots near you, for every purpose, visit CharityVillage (Canada) and the Household Goods Donation Program in the U.S.

Last week I talked about portable tool organizers, a topic that’s dear to my heart now that I’ve begun my springtime cleanup. Having a mess of screws, glues, tape and tools tangled together inside my front-hall closet was causing me to curse. Now that I’ve got that under control, it’s time to tackle the rest of the house.

If you’ve ever worked in a professional kitchen, or even watched shows on The Food Network, you know the French term “mise en place,” which means, loosely, “put in place” or “prepared and ready to use.” The term is equally applicable to every room in the house, but especially shared areas. Is there anything more annoying than looking for something—scissors, bike tire pump, the remote—and discovering it’s nowhere to be found?

Luckily, the web is full of home organizing tips, although like exercise and dieting sites, most offer “the easy way” rather than giving effective, realistic tips. There are some gems though:

Organized Home is like an online magazine dedicated exclusively to getting your home in order. While it may drift into women’s magazine clichés (“Many hands make light work! Reward the team with dinner at a pizza parlor!”), it does contain some great ideas for cutting clutter and getting kids motivated to help clean.

Organization can become a personal religion for some—that’s why some of us dust and vacuum when we’re feeling anxious—and it follows that those who are passionate about keeping clean become tidying evangelists. Blogger Tracy runs a site dedicated to her passion: tips and techniques for an efficient, well-organized house. Tips to Organize Life includes room-by-room plans for keeping clutter at bay, and runs the gamut from a step-by-step checklist for the bathroom to creating a schedule for your home office.

OnlineOrganizing.com has a very cool tool in its clickable house; click on a room and up pops a list of organization tips and ideas. The site also features a clickable office, 15-minute quick fixes and checklists used by professional organizers.

Most often, the obstacle to getting organized is knowing when to let go of useless clutter and collections and how to keep regular, everyday items in their mise en place. General rule: if it’s something you use regularly, keep it in an easily accessible spot; if it’s something you use infrequently, put it away and take note of where it’s hidden so the next time you need that tire pump ASAP, you won’t need to tear apart the garage to find it. Now if I could only find where I put that note …