Linen Closet Refresh

We tackled another closet!   After the success of our Guest Room Closet and our Primary Closet, we were inspired to work on another one.

We only have one linen closet and it does a lot of jobs for us.  It holds our luggage, travel supplies, cleaning supplies, paper products, laundry basket and linens..among other things. We had been wanting to paint it but never got around to it until today!  It had a musty-potpourri type smell that we could never get rid of but we knew paint would do the trick.

Here's the "BEFORE".  One exciting thing that came out of this update was finding out that we had an extra shelf on the bottom (where the paper towel is). It had been flipped up against the back wall (where the previous wooden rod had hung--see guest room closet).  I never realized there was a shelf and when Mr. Click flipped it down to show me, I was shocked (and thrilled)!

The guest room held all of the linen closet contents during the makeover.

We removed all of the shelves and cleaned out the closet.

Starting with the paint...

The shelves had to be cleaned and then painted.

Starting to look better with a fresh coat of paint.

The shelves are back in!

The next day I added peel and stick wall paper from Dollar Tree.

I reorganized the closet and added some labels to keep us organized.

Ta da.... The finished closet!  It feels so clean, fresh and organized. All it took was some paint and wall paper.   I've been tweaking it to make it even more efficient for us.  I love that it's not packed and there is breathing room on the shelves.

 For a mini makeover, it's had a big impact.  

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NYC For a Night and Moving Adventures

 It was a whirlwind couple of weekends moving City Girl #2 into her new place. I also squeezed in a night in the Big Apple while Mr. Click was there for a conference.

We took many trips between the two apartments.

We discovered a new coffee shop and it helped fuel our days.

We took a break for lunch and had some yummy tacos, guac and a spicy margarita.

Mr. Click had a conference in NYC and I came up for one of the nights. I got to see both of the girls. I navigated the subways by myself which felt like a major accomplishment.  I explored the French department store Printemps. It was so gorgeous.

I would love to have a drink at Red Room Bar sometime. Super fancy!

I met City Girl #1 for coffee at Maman in FiDi.   It was the prettiest cafe. She had plans that night so she couldn't meet me for dinner.

After she went back to work, I explored a bit and checked out the NY Stock Exchange.

Trinity Church

I only had a few hours before meeting up with CG #2 so I headed her way and to do some shopping in Union Square. I spent most of my time at Muji (one of my favorite stores!)  We had a lovely dinner at Osteria Figa.

I found my way back to the hotel.  (This was walking through Times Square to get there).

Mr. Click met me back at the hotel and we had a glass of wine at the bar. 

The view from the room.

That weekend we were back in Brooklyn for more moving. She is now settled in her new place and loves it!

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{Recipe} Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Balls & Bars

I tried this recipe two ways and tweaked it a bit to my liking.  They are an easy no-bake treat with a protein kick.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, melted

1/4 cup honey (I used maple syrup)

1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I use Orgain)

1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

1 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp coconut oil

flakey salt 

To make the balls

• Stir together peanut butter and maple syrup until smooth
• Add protein powder, crispy cereal, chocolate chips & pinch of salt
• Stir together and form into balls

• Chill for at least 15 minutes in freezer
• Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in microwave

• Dip the balls in melted chocolate, sprinkle with flakey salt and chill for 30 minutes to set.

I had issues with the balls holding together--maybe because I used maple syrup instead of honey. Dipping things in chocolate is always a hassle for me so the next time I made them, I tried the bar method.  Much easier and I used less chocolate for the top!

I also omitted the mini chocolate chips this time. I didn't think they needed them. I also used Agave in The Raw instead of maple syrup.

Pressed mixture into a parchment lined pan.

Melted 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (instead of 1 cup) and spread mixture melted chocolate onto the peanut butter layer.

A quick sprinkle of flakey salt and into the fridge to set.

They easily cut into bars or bite sized pieces.   They keep well in an air tight container in the fridge.

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{Shopping} Dollar Store Favorites

Here are some of the items from Dollar Tree that I'm still buying and using.

I'm a fan of the Toni brand lipstick and blush.  I've tried a few different shades of lipstick and have liked them all. I have a pink blush that has lasted a LONG time. I use a few tiny dots on my cheeks and blend them in.

I buy these pet waste bags for scooping out Willow's litter box and for my grand kitties.

This is new to me and I bought it for City Girl #2.   It's hypochlorous acid for cleaning and sanitizing.  It's a natural, anti microbial agent produced by our own immune systems to fight infections.    It's safe around kids and pets.  I'll follow up with her to see how it's been working.

I was excited to find these clear drinking cups with lids. I think they'll be great for iced coffees out by the pool this summer.

We don't buy paper napkins for daily use but DT has a good selection of them for parties and holidays.  I saw some really cute summer themed napkins. 

They could also be used for my Easy Dollar Tree Decor plate project to work with any occasion.

I like the McCormick line of kitchen tools.

I'm a fan of their fabric bins as well, seen here (striped bin) in our new closet system).

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Closet Makeover #2- Primary Bedroom

 We were inspired to do our own closet after finishing the one in the guest room.

I had already started to empty it out when I thought to take a "before" photo. Just picture full rods of  hanging clothing.

Our closet is basically identical to the one in the guest room. Taking down the interior fittings was a pain.

We were left with so many holes and not quite sure why.

Looking much better after spackling, sanding and painting by Mr. Click.

I started opening the many boxes from Ikea and carrying up the pieces.

We were more experienced this time so we knew what we were doing with the initial side piece and suspension rail.

First one in!

Second side in !

Here's where we changed our plans. We were originally going to add two custom cut hanging bars to the right of the second unit but we decided to add another shelving unit instead. We found a Billy bookcase that would fit the narrow space so we headed back to Ikea to buy it --and a few more pieces for the closet units.  

I also placed an online order for organizers to be used in both closets.

Our design changed slightly from what we originally planned.  Mr Click's hanging clothes are on the left. Mine are in the middle.   I was able to fold a lot of my clothes so I only needed one bar (my long things are in the guest room closet).  The extra shelving unit gave us a lot more space.  

We each have a drawer which is so nice for getting ready.    We've cleared out three drawers from our dresser with this new closet system.  It's much more efficient.  I love being able to see everything at once.

We've been using it for about a month now and we both really love it. We took the doors off of this one too and don't miss them.  

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