Do areas of your home desperately need updating? This week I plan to reveal tips on how to spruce up your space without going broke with a few simple updates.

First up, the bathroom. Not just a place to shower and shave, it should calm and be a place of retreat, your very own home spa. How do you create a beautiful space on a budget?

1. Clean + remove everything. Give your bathroom a good thorough cleaning. Remove EVERYTHING that can be moved out of the room, slide on those rubber gloves, and go to work! Clean everything, gut the drawers and cabinets, open the windows to allow in fresh air, and put on your favorite tunes. Once the bathroom sparkles, give it a long hard critique. I'm sure you haven't seen your bathroom 'naked' since the day you moved in. This is the best way to figure out exactly what needs updating. Write a list, most important items first, and determine your budget. Now you can get started with making your updates.



2. Hate your floor? Peel-and-stick linoleum tiles are the easiest (and cheapest) way to cover up ugly floors. Top with a bath rug or if you have some spare cash to splurge, go for a 100% teak bathmat for that spa feel (plus it's a good 'green' choice).



3. Outdated bathroom sink faucet? Set aside $100 or so and buy a new one, you'll be surprised at how much of a difference a stylish faucet can make! Bloggers Gareth & Teresa Embrey wrote a handy how-to replace a facet in case you're interested...



4. Boring mirror? Why not swap it out for a new one or add a frame to an existing one? You can find MDF or wood and cut a 2-3" wide wood frame, paint it or stain it (I love lacquered mirrors personally), and attach it directly to the wall or the mirror itself. If you have a medicine cabinet you can find a new one that looks great for under $100 at most large home stores or IKEA.



5. Cabinetry need help? What don't you like about yours? If it's color, paint can do wonders. If they lack detail, try installing panel mouldings, I suggest 2" in from the edges but it's your call. A more expensive solution, but still less costly than replacing the entire sink unit, is to remove only the doors and buy new ones to give the entire unit a new look. If you like the doors as is, find some hardware and make a few updates. Nickel, ceramic, whatever your taste.



6. Light fixtures a bit 1985ish? Unless you are 12 years old or Miss Piggy, you may want to replace those round 'dressing room' lights over your mirror (or anything that is rusty, crusty, or just plain ugly). There are so many affordable, attractive options out there, some as low as $50. Check your local Home Depot or Lowe's. You can swap out overhead light fixtures in a snap too, stores like West Elm carry some pretty nice ones for those who have expensive taste without a budget to match. Flush mount lights and double sconces are pretty hot choices right now.



7. Paint the walls A new color on the walls works wonders. Add drama with chocolate, brighten things up with grassy green, think of a look you're going for, a mood you want to create, and find a color that accomplishes the look and feel you want it to.



8. Accessorize! A stack of fluffy new towels (that all match - without torn edges or holes!), a shower curtain, new shower curtain rings, a new trash bin, new hardware or some floating shelves -- any or all of these things can really give your bathroom a fresh new look so go for it. OR you can alter what you currently have. Add trim to your towels or a border along the edge of your shower curtain. Paint your existing trash bin. Buy and frame postcards, greeting cards, gift wrap, prints from artists, etc. A little art and some floating shelves that are styled nicely can make a big difference.



9. Dirty drawers? Clean beneath your sink and clean out all of the drawers replacing only what you use regularly, store what you use only once in a while (deep treatment conditioners, wax, hair color) in either your linen closet or under your sink in a clear container (so you won't forget it's there). Line your drawers with wallpaper scraps from your last project, scrapbook paper, fabric, contact paper, or gift wrap to add some color and pattern and to protect the drawers.



10. Organize! You'll be surprised to know that a good deep cleaning following by a very strict afternoon of organizing (I mean strict, don't allow yourself to keep what you don't use) can make a major impact on how your bathroom looks, functions, and feels. No need to store your cleaning supplies in plain view. Those go beneath the sink in a plastic container (in case they leak). Toilet paper rolls should be stored out of sight as well as hair products, boxed soaps, tampons, and anything else that clutters up the bathroom or lets guests know a little too much about you. Hide reading materials beneath the sink (please!). Stack towels neatly, arrange with folded rounded sides facing outwards.

Have you updated your bathroom on a budget lately? What did you do?

(image from west elm)

I don't know about you but our local stores were mobbed this weekend! Everyone was optimistically carting out everything from rakes and garden hoses to storage bins and cleaning supplies with a mission in view - clean and organize! With so many participating in the annual Spring Cleaning, and with Erin's informative posts on how-to get started, I thought I'd cover a few cleaning supplies that I use around the house that are not only effective, but are pretty nice to look at and in most cases, eco-friendly.

Above: Products by Method.

I decided a little over a year ago to take an honest look at my cleaning products and try to make better choices for not only my health but also for the environment. While the products I use aren't all eco-friendly, most of them are which is a huge accomplishment because I was chemically dependent -- addicted to all those chemical-loaded overly-scented cleaners because I didn't realize that good green choices existed. When I started discovering more of them at the stores I frequent, I realized most aren't any more expensive than their chemical-loaded shelf mates and they worked just as good and even smelled better -- more natural and refreshing. Another huge perk, especially for those who think/care about product packaging, many of the green products I'm finding lately are packaged really well and in some cases the logos are pleasing, the colors nice, and the graphics and simple yet pretty. No bold neon orange or obnoxious exploding graphics. It's okay to want to use products that are both safe and pretty. Makes cleaning less of a chore when your products look great, smell great, and do the job.

Above: Products by Caldrea.

What's in my cleaning caddy?

• An old favorite passed down from my mom for wood floors and cabinetry is Murphy Oil Soap.


• For wood furniture, I splurge on Caldrea furniture cream in lavender pine scent because it's a-maz-ing from scent to the gorgeous job it does on my teak and cherry. You have to look into Caldrea because although they are priced a little higher than your average cleaning products, they are biodegradable, use plant-derived ingredients and essential oils, and are not tested on animals. Their citrus mint yling ylang countertop cleanser is heaven and works wonders, not to mention how attractive their packaging is.


• I swear by Method foam hand soap, in fact the entire line of Method products are quite good and available at your local Target.


• O-Cel-O sponges are another must-have and just launched a new collection called Expressions for the design savvy crowd flaunting modern graphical prints.


• For dish soap, Seventh Generation lavender floral and mint is my pick, and for clothing I use their laundry detergent.

Most of my weekly stops like Target and the organic section in my local grocery store carries everything I need so shopping green doesn't require me to go out of my way to some special health food store. I can even purchase everything I use online. Talk about convenient!

Above: New "Expressions" collection from O-Cel-O available at Target.

So what do you use? Have you considered looking for more products that are better for the environment? Any tips on good eco-friendly products?

(images from caldrea, o-cello for target, and method)