I love cities, but sometimes they can be a bit lacking in green spaces. That’s one of the reasons I like rooftop gardens. When you can’t plant in the ground, why not plant on your roof? Rooftop gardens can be created using containers, or planted directly on the roof using a waterproof membrane, insulation and a root barrier.

Rooftop gardens have been popular for a long time in Europe, and in recent years they’re also popping up in the U.S.

View toward the east at Extra Space Storage’s rooftop garden in North Bergen, New Jersey

Extra Space Storage’s Rooftop Garden

The Extra Space Storage facility at 8301 River Road in North Bergen, New Jersey contains a rooftop garden featuring several shrubs, grasses and some flowering plants. It’s a nice green space with some great views of New York City!

While the North Bergen storage facility escaped damage from Superstorm Sandy, the rooftop garden didn’t fare as well. The high winds destroyed flowers and bushes, and took away a lot of dirt. But we won’t let this be the end. We’re planning on restoring our rooftop garden!

View of Manhattan at Extra Space Storage’s North Bergen rooftop garden

Advantages of Rooftop Gardens

So, why are more businesses deciding to install rooftop gardens, or green rooftops? There are many good reasons! In addition to the beauty provided by green spaces, the rooftops also offer other advantages. With a rooftop garden, you can:

• Grow local food, such as tomatoes.
• Cut down on storm runoff with a layer of succulents.
• Insulate your building to save energy.
• Reduce temperature of roof surface and surrounding air.
• Help clean the air.

Think about this: The EPA says that on hot days, the surface of a green roof can be cooler than the air temperature, but the surface of a conventional roof is up to 90° F warmer! A cooler roof means lower energy usage. So, rooftop gardens are not only aesthetically appealing, they also make sense from an environmental standpoint.

Would you consider planting a rooftop garden? If so, what plants would you include?

I recently moved into a new apartment that has a kitchen with about half the storage space—and floor space—as my previous one. For days, I was stuck unable to unpack several boxes because I simply had nowhere to store the gear inside.

The kitchen has the distinction of being one of the most heavily used rooms in the house as well as usually one of the smallest. All that kitchen usage requires a lot of equipment. What can you do if your kitchen simply won’t accommodate yours?

Here are a few ideas, all of which I am putting to good use in my own tiny galley. These strategies have allowed me to unpack those boxes and set up a well-organized space for myself.

1. Move things out of the kitchen

If you have extra space in the dining room or whatever room is outside your kitchen door, you can establish some storage outside the kitchen cupboards.

Buffets and sideboards are designed specifically for this purpose, but the options go well beyond such traditional pieces. You can use a bookcase, a bureau, or anything else that works.

Photo Via Home Depot

2. Hang things up

 Hanging things can be the key to making a tiny kitchen workable. First get a wall- or ceiling-mounted pot rack, then get the spices into wall-mounted racks.

You can also hang silverware in receptacles attached to a rail, glasses in an under-cabinet rack, or mugs on hooks. The world is your oyster; Julia Child hung pots, pans, and all manner of other cookware on pegboards covering her kitchen walls.

Photo via Thekitchn.com

3. Stack things wherever possible

Of course stacking your dishes is a no-brainer, but what about other possibilities for stacking? Can you store your flour and sugar in containers that stack?

Can you stack pots or serving dishes in the cupboards in such a way to make use of what vertical space you have? Or even invest in new cookware that stacks particularly well.

Photo via Kingarthurflour.com

4. Make good use of counter space

In a small kitchen, counter space is at a premium. Keep food processors, microwaves, and spice collections on other surfaces if you can.

What you do keep on the counter should be the stuff you use daily and need quickly. In our house that means a toaster, a blender, cutting boards, a bin of utensils, salt and pepper, and olive oil and vinegar.

5. Store food efficiently

Maximize cupboard space by moving food to your own containers. Invest in some uniform, stackable food-storage pieces—preferably square or rectangle—and use them to keep all your dry goods, cereals, crackers, and other groceries that come in bags or boxes.

Photo via Casa.com

What’s your best tip for organizing a small kitchen? What strategy has made the most difference in your house?

There are so many things—some little, some bigger—you can do to enhance your summer enjoyment at your home.

What improvements can you make beyond the obvious things like increasing the time on the Slip ‘n Slide and eating popsicles every day?

Here are some of the best summer-living ideas to get you thinking.

1. Outdoor kitchens. Creating a proper outdoor cooking space complete with built-in grill is becoming increasingly popular. These spaces are usually centered on a patio entertaining space, meaning that everything about your meal, from the cooking to the eating, can be part of a great outdoor evening with friends.
   

   Photo via Lowes

2. Fire pits. Enough said. Who doesn’t love to snuggle around a roaring fire on a summer evening?
   

   Photo via Lowes

3. Paper lanterns. This little decorative touch can give your outdoor space a special something. There are many different kinds of paper lanterns—some of which double as classy lighting—so one of them will surely fit your style.
   

   Photo via Etsy.com/shop/Leonscreativememorie

4. Container gardens. Nothing says summer like blooming things. And you can bring colorful flowers into your space with minimal effort and skill if you plant in containers.
   

   Photo via Hgtv.com

5. Pergolas. These structures that cover an outdoor space and are often grown over with foliage or flowering vines make for some of the most appealing outdoor areas.
   

   Photo via Bhg.com

6. Patio carpets. A carpet for the patio? Why not! Make your outdoor space all the more cozy and inviting with an all-weather rug.
   

   Photo via Bhg.com

7. Wind chimes. Relax to the tinkling of bells as you swing in your hammock. Wind chimes come in all types and sizes, so you can choose the style and sound.
   

   Photo via Amazon

What summer living tips are you employing this season? What do you do to make your outdoor space as appealing and comfortable as possible?

We’re moving, and the new place has a smaller kitchen than I’m used to. We currently store our voluminous spice collection on a little set of bleachers on the counter, but there won’t be room for such indulgences in our new apartment. What to do with all those jars?

A little poking around online told me there are many spice-storage options. The only question is which to choose? For a small place, a wall-mounted model is probably best. These come in a large variety to match your unique style flavor.

Photo via The Container Store

Another option for those who lack counter space is the in-drawer rack. Some of them even expand to fit the drawer perfectly. If you have extra space in the cabinet, you can go for this pull-down in-cabinet rack instead.

Photo via The Container Store

If you’ve got more room in the kitchen, consider keeping your spices on the counter. There are revolving spice racks, rotating spice racks, or two-tiered revolving racks. You can go with a fancy bronzed display, a wall-mounted mango wood rack with cork-stoppered jars, or a bamboo rack with cube jars.

Photo via Crate and Barrel

There are also options for storing just a few spices in a way that can be easily transported or used at the table. This shiny spice box with little spoons is a traditional Indian method of keeping spices. For a more charming look, there’s this wooden spice box with lid or this ten-spice box that looks more like a jewelry box than a kitchen item.

Photo via Williams-Sonoma

For those with a lot of different spices, like me, storage can be very tricky. I will certainly need at least two of the standard wall-mounted racks to accommodate them all. I might do best going with the simplest rack I can find—basically a little wooden shelf—of which I can get as many as I need to hold my entire collection.

Photo via Ikea.com

How do you store your spices? Do you prefer wall-mounted, in-drawer, rotating, or some other type of display? Which spices do you use most?

Shoes are one of those items that tend to defy organization. They are oddly shaped, come in pairs, and can be dirty. Each of those elements complicates matters, resulting in plenty of shoes dumped in the bottom of closets or kicked willy-nilly under the bed.

Keeping shoes straight is made even more difficult by the fact that types vary so much in shape and size—a sandal is about as different from a hiking boot as a baseball cap is from a cowboy hat.

Here are ten ideas for storing your shoes, from the usual to the exotic.

1. Under-the-bed shoe storage is tried and true, but it’s not the most convenient place for shoes you wear often.
   

   Photo via Amazon.com

2. Shoe drawers are more accessible, like this one from IKEA that can hold 12 pairs.
   

   Photo via Ikea

3. Alternately, I adore these vintage inspired rails that are perfect for displaying your fun shoes.
   

   Photo via Apartmenttherapy.com

4. Another classic solution is the closet-door shoe hanger
   
   

   Photo via Amazon

5. If you’re into DIY, make your own funshoe rack from PVC pipes.
   

   Photo via Cookielovesmilk.wordpress.com

6. Alternately, try a shoe armoir for plenty of space and easy access.
   

   Photo via Apartmenttherapy.com

7. Boots present special challenges; a good solution is to hang them.
   

   Photo via Homedesign.marthastewart.com

8. Among the more clever ideas is this cantilever shoe rack from Design Within Reach, or this one made from a shipping pallet.
   

   Photo via Apartmenttherapy.com

9. Even more ingenious, the Shoe Wheel by Rakku looks like a carnival ride for your footwear.
   

   Photo via Rakkudesigns.com

10. And this flip flop hanging DIY is an inexpensive storage method

Photo via Epbot.com

What is your favorite shoe storage solution?

I recently went house-hunting and discovered that it is very difficult to resist the pull of appealing elements that ultimately don’t matter to me that much. Ooh, is that a cedar-lined closet? Did you say the coffee shop is only a two-minute walk? Quickly, I realized I needed a little mental discipline in my search.

Though we’d all love to be able to afford any house we want, the fact of the matter is most of us are priced out of a good chunk of our local markets. Sadly, we can’t all have the mansion on the hill, or even the three-bedroom in the nice neighborhood. Or maybe even anything more than a studio with a hotplate.

When looking for your next domicile—whether to buy or to rent—the trick to finding the best thing you can afford is feeling out a ‘sweet spot’ at which you can get the most value for the rent or mortgage you can afford.

The elements that raise the price of a house—the location, the size, the quality of the interior, the amenities, etc.—each have a large range. Before you start looking in earnest, think carefully about where you realistically can land on each of these scales. The idea is to find the lowest level on each scale at which you’ll be comfortable.

For example, you might absolutely need two bedrooms but care little for granite countertops or central air. On the other hand, you might be willing to squeeze into a small space if you can have a five-burner stove and crown molding. Which is a better fit for you—the junior one-bedroom with no bathtub but easy access to theaters and restaurants or the spacious one-bedroom with a Jacuzzi in the exurbs?

It’s surprising how many people embark on their house-hunting adventures without fully thinking through these questions. The best method of sorting out your thoughts is to make a list of essential elements such as your budget, your required amount of space, amenities you can’t live without, and necessary transportation considerations. But be realistic: these should be the things you absolutely need and can’t compromise on, not the things that you’d like to have.

Take this list—either mentally or on paper—with you as you shop around, so you can remind yourself what you’re actually looking for instead of getting distracted by the appealing bells and whistles the realtor is showing off.

Be brutal; if a place doesn’t fit your description, move on, even if you could totally see yourself there. You surely can see yourself lots of places, after all—including in the mansion on the hill—but the place you should end up is the place that hits your own personal sweet spot.

I found mine after a fairly short search. To get a price and a size that were just right, I had to compromise where I knew I could stand it, so the kitchen’s much smaller and shabbier than I’d like and the location is less convenient than ideal. But both those compromises are things I can live with, making the place a great spot for me to live in.

What are the things you absolutely have to have in a house or apartment? What do you refuse to compromise on? And what things can you let go?

Of course you can always just head to the one closest to your house, but not all storage places are created equal. So before you shove those boxes in the car, you first might want to consider the following questions.

Is location important to you?

If you’re going to be storing things you’ll need frequently, you’ll want to prioritize the facility’s location. That one closest to home might well be the best. But if you’re planning to stick your stuff in the unit and not come back for a year, you can save money by choosing a place in a less convenient spot.

When will you want to access?

Accessibility varies from facility to facility; some will let you come and go all day and night and others have more restrictions.

If you want to visit often and won’t know your schedule, you’ll probably want to pay a bit more for a facility that allows you 24 hour access seven days a week. Other facilities have set hours, and others allow you to set personal access hours to customize the times you want to access the property.

Office hours vary as well, but likely won’t be as important to you as gate access; these are the times you’ll be able to talk to the facility’s staff and buy supplies.

Do you fret about security?

Of course security is a concern at any self-storage facility, so any reputable one will be taking assertive measures on this front. That being said, various facilities have different levels of vigilance, so check that the security situation meets your needs before signing the contract.

Most storage places have security cameras throughout the property, and pretty much all facilities are gated and control access to the units using gate codes. Each user has a different gate code so staff can keep track of who is coming and going and identify any unusual or concerning activity.

If you need a little more stringent control, find a facility with individually alarmed units. While all facilities have alarm systems for the whole property, some offer individual alarms for each unit.

Which amenities do you want?

Self-storage facilities offer a range of amenities to make customers’ lives easier. Consider what level of service you need before choosing a spot to store your gear. Amenities available include covered and/or heated loading bays, sturdy moving carts, climate control, multiple entrance gates, RV storage, Spanish-speaking staff, and others.

Price

Of course price will vary with location, convenience, level of security, and amenities, so keep that in mind as you search for the right place.

Do you want to store your extensive—and expensive—wine collection? In that case, pay a little more for an individually alarmed unit with 24/7 or customized accessibility. Or are you looking for a cheap place to stash your old furniture while you’re abroad for a year? If that’s you, find an inconvenient place with basic security, limited access, and no bells and whistles.

What is important to you in a storage facility? What factors did you consider most the last time you rented one?

What’s in your recycling container? If you have nice glass bottles that once contained soda, syrup or wine, it’s possible you aren’t finished with them yet! You may be surprised at the fun ways you can remake old bottles.

Whether you call it repurposing, reusing, upcycling or recycling, the end result is the same – something new from something used. Upcycle a bottle and you may even save some money, and have fun too! Some of these projects lend themselves to the warmer temperatures we’re about to enjoy, so get ready to dive in.

Yarn-wrapped bottles from Living Unbound

Bottles to Centerpieces 

Your next centerpiece for the table or eye candy for the mantel could be as lovely and simple as yarn-wrapped bottles. With the great selection of yarn colors available today, it’s easy to match your décor! Plus, the materials required for this project are things you likely already have on hand.

Living Unbound details two methods for applying yarn to bottles. When you’re done, the only thing you’ll have to decide is what to put inside your yarn-wrapped bottles.

Bottles to Candleholders

For some quick dinner ambience, simply clean a few bottles and use them as holders for taper candles! If you prefer a safety net to catch the wax, check out the bottelabra, a handy device that converts your bottle into a proper taper holder. One handy thing about this quick project is the small time investment. If you don’t like using your bottles as candleholders, just reuse them for something else!

Bottles to Plant Sitters

You may be thinking about finding a plant sitter to water your beloved house plants while you’re away on summer vacation, but the solution is inside your recycling container. Consider making a bottle plant sitter! Simply fill a glass bottle with marbles. Remember that the more marbles you add, the slower the drip of water. Add water to your marble-filled bottle, and then insert the neck into moist soil. Play around with this before you leave. You may need to adjust the angle of the bottle, or the number of marbles.

With a bottle plant sitter, you can expect to keep your plant hydrated for about a week. As with most things that are new to you, test first to make sure your plants will be watered to your liking. If you have trouble, cheat a little and buy some plant nanny stakes to use with wine bottles.

Bottles to Birdfeeders

Enjoy your patio even more this summer. Try attracting birds with cute DIY birdfeeders made from, yes, glass bottles! If you’re handy with a drill, you can indeed turn a glass bottle into a DIY birdfeeder.

This handsomely picturesque tutorial from Garden Roof Coop explains how to turn wine bottles into stylish bird diners. Check out the photos of the downy woodpecker, the American goldfinch and more darlings taking advantage of the bottle birdfeeders!

Bottles to Garden Edging

Your garden borders will sparkle in the sunlight with your carefully “planted” colorful bottles. Before placing your bottles in the ground, use a bottle cutter to remove the tops. Bottle cutters are available at craft stores and hardware stores. After cutting, place the bottles in the ground, leaving at least three inches of the top of the bottles above the surface. Of course, you’ll want to space them evenly!

Once you get your bottles all in a row, they’ll last a very long time. Unlike wooden garden borders, glass edging is insect-proof! Plus, the bottles will help keep moisture in your beds. The Greenbacks Gal has posted some wonderful photos of colorful bottle edging.

Bottles to Wind Chimes

If you don’t mind drilling a few holes, you can turn two nice, strong wine bottles into a beautiful, melodic wind chime. I’m guessing that wine bottle wind chimes are like snowflakes: No two are alike. Visit Pinterest to see so many lovely variations on the wine bottle wind chime, your head will spin like a cut-up wine bottle in the wind!

For one specific, many-ringed take on this project, visit Middle Sister Wines where you’ll find a complete tutorial for making your very own wine bottle wind chime.

Bottles to Hummingbird Feeders

One simple way to upcycle a glass bottle is to make it into a hummingbird feeder. It’s as easy as cleaning the bottle, filling it with hummingbird nectar, inserting a hummingbird feeder tube, adding wire, and hanging! To maximize your chances of hummingbirds visiting your DIY feeder, select a red bottle for this project.

Strengthen the Reserves

Remember to start reserving your glass bottles. If you don’t have any suitable bottles, ask your favorite restaurant if you can have their empty bottles. Whether you make a feeder for feathered friends or a plant sitter, I hope you’ll start seeing your empty glass bottles in a whole new light!

Have you reused glass bottles? What is your favorite color bottle to upcycle?

Pinterest is a great place to look for gardening tips. I’ve picked out a few useful and appealing boards to offer you gardeners out there some great browsing material to get you ready for the great outdoors.

For Beginners

There are plenty of tips for those just starting out.

• The Learning To Grow page pins practical tips about making raised beds and how to build a rain-harvesting barrel.
• This page for gardening beginners features a lot of good pins on composting, greenhouses, and growing things in containers.
• Try this page for some creative ideas for newbies, including how to plant an indoor lemon tree and how to grow strawberries in rain gutters.

Flower Gardening

Flowers are perfect for Pinterest; these pages are feasts for the eyes.

• It’s hard to get more picturesque than the images on this flower garden page, featuring bicycles, pretty sheds, gates, and benches.
• This pinner focuses on growing flowers in containers, a great option for those without much space.
• This flower garden page is heavy on the landscaping and lighting ideas.

Vegetables Gardening

Grow your own food this summer with the help of these gardening boards.

• This page offers a whole lot of useful gardening pointers on topics like composing, keeping pests at bay, and growing a lot of sweet potatoes.
• Find some practical advice here, like how to build a $50 greenhouse and how to make homemade weed killer.
• Look here to find out how to set up your garden properly using raised beds, potato towers, cucumber trellises, and bean poles.

What are you going to be growing this season? Where you do look for gardening tips and advice?

I’ve decided to allow technology to eliminate some parental nagging duties for me. No, I’m not talking about texting chore reminders. I’m referring to the usage of motion sensors to control indoor lighting. As many parents have probably experienced, kids don’t always remember to turn lights off when they exit a room. Even with frequent reminders, some kids still opt to leave the lights on. That bad habit can waste a lot of energy in rooms that aren’t frequently used.

A solution I’ve adopted in my house is the installation of motion sensors (or occupancy sensors) that take the place of regular light switches. I’ve discussed how motion sensors at Extra Space Storage save us energy and money, but motion sensors are also valuable inside the home, even if you don’t have kids!

Advantages to Motion Sensors in the Home

• No wasted energy. If lights are frequently left on when they’re not needed at your house, then motion sensors may help you save energy and money.

• No reminders required. Motion sensors eliminate the need to remind yourself, kids or spouse to turn the lights off! There are too many other things to remember in daily life. I’m fine with some automated help in the lighting department.

• No artificial lights during the day. Sometimes natural light coming in through windows is all you need. Some motion sensors feature a daylight sensing mode, allowing you to enter a room during a bright day without triggering the lights.

• No feeling around for the switch in the dark. How many times have you had trouble locating a light switch in the dark? If you sometimes have trouble in your own house, also think about how guests may struggle.

• No hands, no problem. Do you ever leave lights on because you know you’ll be coming in with hands full with grocery bags? Or maybe you do the elbow dance to turn your lights on when your hands are full. Motion sensors can certainly make life easier in these cases.

• No sleepless nights. Don’t get out of bed to check whether the basement or laundry room lights are off. If you have motion sensors on those lights, you’ll know they’re off.

If you’re sold on saving energy with indoor motion sensors, you’ll be happy to know that they’re easy to find. Just visit your local hardware store, or order online. If you’re cautious with electrical and have the right tools, you can install indoor motion sensors yourself, but electricians are usually just a call away. Visit DIY or Not for more information on installation of motion sensors.

Have you used indoor motion sensors in your home? Which lights do you typically forget to turn off?