The Simpsons have become an American Institution.  They’ve been on TV longer than an entire generation of school students have been alive (think about that for a minute!)  Phrases like “D’oh” have seeped into general conversation.  And we all know the famous hometown of the Simpsons, Springfield.

But for a time, you had a chance to live like the Simpsons.

In fact, you had a chance to live in a perfect replication of their house.  Pepsi teamed up with The Simpsons and KB Homes to create a contest back in 1998 to win The Simpsons home.  This wasn’t just a house that looked like the Simpsons home.  It was a house that was constructed right down to the smallest details, including crooked pictures.

Usually at Neat Features we look at some aspect of a house – something you can even add to your own home.  But this time I want to just marvel at creativity, innovation, or marketing genius.  Who knows.

All I can say though, is I am amazed by the detail in this house.  Although as much as I’ve liked the Simpsons over the years, I’m not sure I’d want to actually live like the Simpsons. 

(images from the great Simpsons site: The Simpsons Folder)

I’ve talked about this home before, in “Living in a Fairy Tale”, but I find myself coming back to it.  Perhaps it’s because it’s been incredibly hot outside and I like the nice cool, shade look of the guest house.  Or maybe it’s because I’ve been in a terrible creative slump and find the idea of working in a secluded wooded area inspiring and restful.  But whatever the reason, I find myself drawn to this guest house.

If you’ve been reading Neat Features for any length of time, you know that besides DIY projects I love office spaces.  My secret desire (which isn’t very secret because I keep writing about it) is to own a house with a separate guest home to work.  I would have the best of both worlds – the ability to write from home, but also the psychological separation of work and home.

Plus, seriously, how can you look at that guest house and not want to write the next Great American Novel? 

If you were living here, what would you use this guest house for?

Do you have a Neat Feature of your own?  Consider submitting it, and we may post it.

I’m a reasonably educated guy.  I have multiple degrees in psychology.  I’ve had a successful career.  I don’t believe in magic or fairies.  I don’t think there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  All of this holds true until I am confronted by one thing: the magic eraser.

I have no idea how this thing works.  Maybe it’s some kind of scientific process involving black holes and space time continuums.  Maybe Merlin made the first one for King Arthur.  Who knows!

Why am I talking about the Magic Eraser on Neat Features?  Because I’ve been in the midst of a month long move and this week has been dedicated to cleaning my old apartment (isn’t it ironic that when you leave an apartment it’s probably cleaner than when you lived in it?)

A lot of the cleaning involved the normal wear and tear on doors, floors and walls.  I wasn’t sure how I was going to clean all of that.  Especially when I realized my cleaning supplies consisted of my toothbrush, a bottle of soap scum remover and a few paper towels.  And I planned on using my toothbrush later. 

That’s when I saw I had bought a box of magic erasers years ago and never used them.  I reached into the box with a shrug, thinking, “what can it hurt?”  Within seconds no matter what the dirt or grime it was gone!  It even worked on the old stove burners that I had long ago given up on cleaning.  I mean if I had only known, I wouldn’t have spent hours soaking them in chemicals, water, and soap!

I am not easily impressed.  Especially when it comes to cleaning products.  But I am blown away by how well magic erasers work.

I don’t know how you do it Mr. Magic Eraser, but in my book you are a true Neat Feature!

One of the things I love about Neat Features is that for something to be a Neat Feature it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.  It can actually be just a handful of dollars.  Take, for instance a few DIY projects that involve your walls.

1.  Cleverly Hiding Power Cords

2.  Covering Cracks with Details

Both of those projects only cost a few dollars and can make a world of difference in how people see your house.  Sure I wouldn’t exactly suggest those methods if you’re trying to sell your house, but if you live in an apartment?  Or if you don’t have time or money to do a full repair?  Then they become great solutions.

Neat Features aren’t’ any particular product.  It’s a mindset.

So what in your house do you consider a neat feature?

Do you have a Neat Feature of your own?  Consider submitting it, and we may post it.

If there’s two things I love in this world it’s ice cream and electricity.  So why not combine them!  “How?” you ask.  Well the fine folks at Mixko Boutique figured out a way.

Compact Fluorescent lights can save you significant amounts of money over time, but most of us see them as a bit on the ugly side.  They don’t fit into our lamps, and when they do, they look just a little bit odd.  That’s what’s so great about this design.  It takes the “ugly” of the typical CF light bulb and turns it into a Neat Feature.  That’s brilliant design.

While these are a bit pricy, and only sold in England at the moment, if you want some you’d better act fast because they are almost sold out.

Now if only they’ll get around to making that taco shaped CFL...

Color is one of those funny things.  Too much and we wonder if you’re starved for attention.  Too little and we wonder if you’re kind of boring.  It’s definitely the Goldilocks Effect (not too hot, not too cold). 

Of course that’s also why it’s so difficult to use color effectively.  Striking that balance is a challenge. 

Take this house for instance.  In a room that’s a very neutral “brown” there’s a hint of color through an orange chair, a couple of orange pillows and a few flowers.  Notice how the orange isn’t overwhelming?  It’s just enough to accent the room, not enough to make us think you need to be the center of attention. 

If you look at the rest of the house, you’ll notice that orange is a color that’s picked up in a few of the rooms.  Again it’s not dominant in any one room, but it’s a nice, subtle theme.

Do you have a Neat Feature of your own?  Consider submitting it, and we may post it.

If you own a home, you have cracks in your walls.  Cracks are a part of life.  No matter how well we take care of our homes, we can’t prevent  the foundation from settling and cracks developing.  In an ideal world we would be able to patch up these cracks.

But what if you can’t?  With unemployment being so high, what if you don’t have the money to fix the cracks in your walls?  Or what if your mother in law is on her way over, and the last thing you want to hear is about needing to repair your walls?

Then these TakeBreak Wall Decals may be your solution.

By using stickers, you can turn your unsightly cracks into work of art.  Well that’s the idea anyway.  Does it work?  You’ll have to be the judge of that for yourself!

Do you have a Neat Feature of your own?  Consider submitting it, and we may post it.

Today’s Neat Features post seems to come just in the nick of time for me.  Just last week I came across two large boxes of 3.5 floppy discs.  (Because back in my day when we were walking up hill both ways to school, we took our homework on floppy discs, and we liked it that way!)  Since I found those floppy discs, I’ve been wondering what I should do with them.  Sure I can’t use them anymore.  I’m not even sure I have a working floppy drive.  But it still seems like a shame to throw them away (yes I realize they are useless).

Fortunately some clever people over at Instructables may have solved my problem.  They’ve created a tutorial on how to reuse old floppies and turn them into pencil holders.

One of the things we talk about here on Neat Features is that Neat Features can be very complex or very simple.  It’s not the size or expense that matters.  It’s whether something has personality and attitude.  Does it make you want to live there.  Those are the three characteristics that make up a neat feature.

And you don’t get much smaller than floppy discs.

Do you have a Neat Feature of your own?  Consider submitting it, and we may post it.  Image courtesy Liefehacker Tip Testers photo pool by user vokabre

It’s hard to believe sometimes.  But our lifestyles are radically different then they were even five years ago.  Just a mere five years ago most people had only a single computer in their home.  Maybe, if they had saved up, they had a laptop instead of a desktop.  Now, it’s not uncommon for people to have several laptops, a media server, a desktop computer for video games, a few iPod’s along with a couple of smart phones.

To further add to this change, Apple has spawned an entirely new type of computing device: the iPad.

While this has been great for our lifestyles and leisure, it’s been a challenge to power all of these devices.  If you look at an old house it’s not uncommon to find only one or two electrical sockets in any given room.  Why?  Because 50 years ago (and certainly a hundred years ago) you only had to worry about a few electrical devices.  Maybe a few lights or a TV and phone.  But these days, all of our entertainment devices need plugged in.

That’s where the U-socket comes in to play.  If you like gadgets, or have someone in your family who does, you know that there’s always a constant search for wall plugs.  No matter how many USB ports your computer has, it’s either not enough or inconveniently located.

So what if instead of walking to a bed room or office to charge your iPhone you walk over to a wall socket and plug it in just like you would any other device.

Do you have a Neat Feature of your own?  Consider submitting it, and we may post it.

I live in the city.  It’s where I want to live.  In fact the closer I live to downtown Cincinnati the happier I am.  There’s something about urban life that appeals to me.  But at the same time, I sometimes miss living in the country.  Usually it’s in the spring or fall, when the weather is changing and it’s not that brutal combination of 90 degrees and 90% humidity!

I miss being able to sit outside in a yard and enjoy a nice day.  But there’s more to living in a house than just having a yard.  Homes remind us of where we’ve been and where we’re going.  That’s part of the appeal.  For me country living also reminds me of my childhood.  I loved reading stories like the Chronicles of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings.  There’s always been something magical about forests and gardens.  Well at least when you’re outside of the city limits.

That’s why when I see a house surrounded by trees and forests, I’m drawn in.  It’s as if you walk into another time.  Things feel easier, simpler, and less hectic.  I can almost see C.S. Lewis sitting on the steps weaving a tale of children exploring a magical land.

City living is awesome.  I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  But there are times when a magical fairy tale house like this really appeals to me.  What about you?  Are you ready for a fairy tale adventure?  Or are you happy in the concrete jungle?

Do you have a Neat Feature of your own?  Consider submitting it, and we may post it.