DIY * Ikea Hack

Book Shelf with a Twist!

Pic courtesy of Iron + Twine

It's amazing the ideas one can come up with when they are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Michele and Brian of Iron + Twine purchased three Expedit Shelving units from Ikea for their organizational needs. However, when they assembled it, the three units did not fit the space they had, which we all know can drive anyone up the wall. So, by putting their thinking caps on, they came up with a really cool Ikea Hack. It was meant to be a temporary fix but after two years, its safe to say, they've got a hit.

Click here for the steps.

Design * Buy

The Mitsubishi Electric L4 Grande Refrigerator 

My reflection in the
L4 Grande Stainless Steel

A few weeks ago I attended what would be my first ever bloggers event at the Melco Sales Malaysia (Mitsubishi Electric) Showroom for the launch and preview of their L4 Grande Refrigerator. I wasn't too sure what to expect but let’s just say that I was pleasantly surprised. And I’m not just talking about the delicious spread they had prepared for tea (yum!), they pretty much got me hooked and obsessed on a fridge, sneaky people!

But that being said, anyone seeing this refrigerator and kind of messing around with it like I did (hoping nobody noticed the ‘this is Naomi’s fridge’ signage I carved into the back) will fall in love with it instantly.

You see, when I first heard that the L4 Grande was from Mitsubishi, I was a little confused. I thought Mitsubishi was purely in the automobile industry. And yeah, you can shake your head at me for that, my darling husband did. But what I do know is that Mitsubishi is a reliable brand with a good design philosophy and functionality. So needless to say, I was very excited to see what they had come up with.

The sleek stainless steel L4 Grande

As I entered the event hall, there stood a refrigerator, black as night, sleek and modern (it also comes in stainless steel). They didn't have to say much then are there, I was immediately taken in. But we were given the opportunity to experience it first-hand (queue the signage!) which turned out to be very useful. I learnt quite a great deal.

What particularly stood out for me, especially with three mouths to feed at home was its functionality. And get this, the L4 Grande has this thing that actually stimulates photosynthesis! They call it the vitamin factory which acts on chlorophyll in vegetables. This means that the spinach you bought a day ago will be crisper and fresher a lot longer than if it was in any other refrigerator. Pretty awesome I might say! And ahem ahem, it’s the only fridge that does this.

Another very cool aspect of the L4 Grande is its energy efficiency. It automatically lowers the energy consumption during non-peak hours and it does this by memorizing the household usage pattern. So at night, when no one is opening the fridge, you can rest assured that energy is not being wasted. This also means that you won’t be spending as much on electricity, certainly a huge selling point for me.

A lot of room for a lot of food

But there are a lot of other things that were pretty impressive as well. The size, although big, is well designed to fit in all your favourite foods and drinks. It gives us the opportunity to utilize the space well, stacking foods is no longer necessary, and you can adjust the height levels of the door shelves. 

They pretty much compartmentalized everything to its own area which is known as the utility room. Set at 3-6C (brrr!) you can store fresh meats and dairy products and also canned and bottle beverages. On a hot day, you don’t have to wait long for your drink to become cold. Perfect for the tropics!

I have to say that for the price tag which is quite reasonable, the L4 Grande got a lot to offer. Mitsubishi Electric has shown that they can crossover successfully into the world of home electrical products. The design, form and function of the L4 Grande is outstanding, and for the modern family, it is certainly a perfect fit.

So if you guys have the time, do head on over to its show room and check out this sexy beast of a fridge. I’ve been telling Lars our old fridge hasn’t been working well and we need a new one. He doesn’t know I’m kind of fibbing. But, fingers crossed, when I bring him to check out the L4 Grande, he’ll give me the go ahead to get it! Here’s just hoping he doesn't read this little snippet before we go!

For more information on the Mitsubishi Electric L4 Grande Electrical Refrigerator , do head on over to the Melco Sales Malaysia (Mitsubishi Electric) Showroom at:

Lot 11, Jalan 219, 46860, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
(Located next to the AVON building along Federal Highway)

Home * Care

Green Cleaning a Smelly Fridge

It's been a while since I updated my blog or even written anything on home care but as you can imagine, being a mom to two small children is exhausting!

Anyway, recently I went on a little holiday to Langkawi with the family. Usually when I leave, I get my brother to check in on the house once in a while, but this time I forgot. I blame my mommy brain. So when we arrived back at home, after an exhausting flight back with two cranky kids, I opened the front door to a house smelling or putrid rotten food. I forgot to throw the potatoes out before I left and guess what, there was no electricity. Which meant the contents of my refrigerator was pretty much alive again, in the most disturbing, grossest of ways.

Baking Soda 

So as we cleaned and cleaned everything up, a light bulb went off in my head. I needed to use something to help get rid of the smell and it had to be 'green.' So after a bit of research, I discovered three things to rid my stinky fridge off its disgusting smell. Vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and charcoal.

For vinegar, dilute a tablespoon of it with a glug of warm water. Bicarb? Simply spread it out on a dish and leave it in the freezer, and charcoal, put it in a bag, and also leave it in the fridge. To make sure it works properly, turn the fridge off. After a day, the smell should be gone! Now, my fridge smells normal again. Of course, the memory of what I had to clean out is still fresh but I guess only time can heal that (lol!).

So, for more tips and tricks on cleaning the green way, check this website out and you should be on your way to a fresher home!

Special * New Year

It's 2013!

Hi everyone! I'm a little behind on the New Year wishes (apologies!) but I do hope all of you had a great night and start to 2013. Lars and I stayed in, we both as you can see in the picture above are two pretty exhausted parents. I think I went to bed at 12.30am which by my standards is late. With a baby nowadays, I like to hit the sack by 11pm latest. 

So, it's 2013. My blogging as i'm sure you have noticed has been few and far between. I'm hoping i'll be able to blog more again soon, but for the meantime, i'll be focusing most of my attention on the kids till Aiden's a bit bigger and able to sleep better. I am looking forward to that day! But otherwise, the kids are great and i'm a happy mommy. 

Speaking of which, I best be getting back to the children now. I think Aiden just woke up and Lucas is asking for his lunch. It's a new year and life keeps going on naturally. No rest for the weary as my mom says! 

xx

Naomi 

DIY * Modern Christmas Tree

Modern Wooden Christmas Tree

From http://www.curbly.com

While I tend to gravitate towards more traditional Christmas decorations, I wouldn't pass up this modern wooden Christmas tree decoration. I probably would add more color though. and maybe even some glitter, but this is a great tree template for doing all sorts of fun festive patterns!

Click here for the steps.  

P/S If you don't know where to get balsa wood or craft stuff in general, check out Art Friend in Gardens Midvalley. 

Design * Buy

Wallpaper I Love

If you've followed my blog from the beginning  you'll know that there are two things I love most in design. Interesting lighting and patterns. Today, I will bring you 5 stunning patterned wallpapers from around the globe. It does cost a pretty penny but once you have one of these babies up on your feature wall, that hole in your pocket wont hurt so much.

Sketch Wallpaper from Urban Outfitters

I've always admired the stuff that Urban Outfitters churn out but when I saw this lovely honeycomb wallpaper from them, I actually fell in love with this cool hipster store! The sketched octagon shaped patterns in different colours will add a modern chic appeal to any room. Definitely stylish.

Special * Musings

Back in the groove, thanks to Maybank2u!

Motherhood

Ever since I became a mother of a toddler and a baby, I barely have had much time to do anything in the line of work and home care. Really, even nipping out to the supermarket is quite a task on its own. But I've learnt a few tricks to make my day and life a lot smoother, and one of them is online banking.

A few weeks ago, I was going through one of those insane days where my husband was outstation for work, and I had a crying baby and a cheeky toddler running circles around me. It was stressful. So to distract the toddler, I turned on the television so he could watch his favourite cartoons. Now, with relief in sight, you cannot imagine my sorrow when the TV screen came up blank! I completely forgot to pay the bills!

There lying on my messy office desk, next to a cold cup of coffee that I had barely time to sip, were a pile of bills that I was supposed to have paid weeks earlier. Time has not been on my side; actually time doesn't exist for a mother who works from home. Anyway, I knew at this point that I had to get my act together because the thought of living in the dark and no internet was enough to drive me crazy. And so I finally signed up for online banking, and the minute I did, I never looked back.

My life has changed a lot since then, I don’t have to worry about driving out to the post office to pay bills with the kids because it is much easier to simply go online and clickity clack, my phone bill is paid! Maybank2u has given me the gift that keeps on giving, constant relief.

The added bonus is the ability to keep track of my expenditure. My frazzled mind never remembers how much money I spend so it’s pretty awesome to be able to see where, when and how much at my Maybank2u online account, in the comfort of my own home… in my comfy pajamas. It is a peace of mind, what more can I ask for?! 

P/S They have this awesome contest going on right now, its called Maybank2u Be A Star. You can win up to 5k and an Asus Nexus 7 Tablet. I just entered it so i'm hoping to win, fingers and toes crossed! Do check it out!