I like to work.  In fact, I work a lot.  Sometimes it’s work I get paid for, sometimes it’s work I just enjoy doing for a hobby, and other times it’s work I do on a volunteer basis.  The bottom line is, I always have something going on.  And I like it that way.

But being so busy has its own challenges.  Especially when I head home.  Where do I work?  How do I keep things organized?  How do I keep track of what I am supposed to be doing?  Sure it can be nice to have a home office.  But if you’re there, you know there are distractions – TV, cleaning, and the like.  Plus if you have kids, you can’t always guarantee they are going to stay out of your office.  Do you really want your 5 year old to “improve” your newest report for work with Dora the Explorer stickers?

Because of all this, I’ve been thinking about having a separate room or office.  What got me started on this was seeing a shed on a house that was wired for electricity.  I figured a little bit of renovation and I’d have a perfect place to work.  So since then I’ve been looking for better solutions.  Which led me to this house with it’s small studio / room / office / shed.  (OK, so I don’t really know what to call it.)  But something like this would give me all the benefits of working from home (convenience, relaxed atmosphere, ability to concentrate) with a lot less of the “at home distractions.”

That’s what I would use this space for, how about you?

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

We’ve shown a few Neat Features involving wine.  These are great solutions for storing your wine.  But how many of us only store wine?  Usually, we get around to drinking it.  So does that mean the Neat Features need to stop?

Of course not!

You can put those wine corks to good use, by creating a bath mat. 

How durable is this bathmat?  Well that’s a good question.  I’m not convinced it will be a long-lasting solution.  However I could be wrong.  You can follow Monica Ewing’s (Caftynest.com) Twitter feed to find out.  She’s promised to test the bath mat for a few weeks.

Another potential problem is mold and mildew.  (Just remember to seal the bath mat and keep an eye on it.)

Even if the mat doesn’t hold up long-term, it’s still a great solution for a guest bathroom.  This bath mat adds personality, has some attitude, and creates a guest bathroom that’s worth using.  (Which are the same three things that I said make something a neat feature.) 

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

It’s funny how your perception changes.  I’ve seen pictures of painted walls before.  But until I wrote a few weeks ago about “what kid wouldn’t want to sleep and play in this room?” I never really paid attention.  But now, of course, I realize that they are everywhere!  It seems that I can’t help but turn around and see a kids room with playfully painted walls (say that three times fast!).

Take, for instance, this great image of a frog playing.

This particular image is in a Cape Cod house.  Now Cape Cod’s tend to feel a little on the small side.  Add the fact that the room itself is only 12x10, and you have a recipe for claustrophobia.  But with the image, and the added sense of depth, it makes the room feel much larger. 

I’m starting to wonder if my parents didn’t hold out on me when I was a kid!

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

Power cords are the scourge of modern living.  But they are a necessary evil.  We need electricity for our computers, our TV’s, our appliances, and a thousand other things.  And if you’re anything like me, it seems like every time I go to plug something in, there is never a convenient wall socket.  So we can't completely eliminate power cords or we'll be forever reaching behind the couch to plug things in.  So what do we do?  Well the way I see it we have three choices when it comes to cords.

1.  The Man Behind the Curtain – We simply declare “there are no cords here, please ignore them.”  Sure you know they are laying out in the open, your guests know they are laying out in the open.  But we all just agree to ignore them.  Hey it worked for the Wizard of Oz!

2.  Twist & Shout – Here we break out twist ties, measured cables, and cable management devices.  We just work very hard to organize and maintain our cables. 

3.  Get Creative – While this approach isn’t for everyone, being creative with our cabling can blend the first two strategies.  By making the wiring part of your decoration, it can become a Neat Feature all by itself!

Now personally, I don’t want a lot of little birds hanging out on my walls.  But I have to admit, it’s a lot better than having a power cord laying on the floor!  Because let's face it, when you tell people not to look behind the curtain... that's the first place they look.

Some Neat Features appeal to all of us.  Others, though, are just for a select few.  That’s where this Neat Feature falls.  If you like country living, with nature and small woodland creatures hopping about your back yard, then you’re going to want to look somewhere else.  But I grew up in a small, rural town, and woodland creatures aren’t all they are cracked up to be.  I like city life.  And I like to do city stuff.
 
But even I like to get outside every now and again.  Especially when I’m hanging out with some friends or looking to entertain at home. 

The problem has always been lighting at night.  Living in the city means I can’t light a fire.  And giant flood lights take all the charm out of sitting outside.  So what to do?  Well using this simple modification to an existing desk may have solved my problems. 

By adding some LED lights you can create a unique atmosphere.  It’s the Goldilocks Effect, not too bright, not too dark.  And, if you get bored of the color, you can always change it. 

Sure this isn’t for everyone, but for people looking to spice up their outside areas, this might be just the trick. 

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