5 Worthwhile Splurges for Your New Home

YAY! Closing day is almost here and there is SO MUCH to do at your new place.

Patience is virtue and if you're anything like me it will be years before you have ALL OF the walls painted the colours you want, pictures on those walls and furniture that makes sense for your new space and your family. You can't boil the ocean- so take your time, let each room inspire you and pin all your ideas so you can come back to them later.

In the meantime here are my picks for some quick wins to make your space more like home, more functional and way cooler.

A Projection Clock:

I've seen these for years (heck I sold them during my retail gig in my late teens at The Telephone Booth).. but I never really appreciated them until a hotel stay at The Sandman where I found it incredibly handy and immediately missed it when I arrived home.

Having the time on your ceiling is pretty cool. And functional. Not having to sit up, twist around and do a "WHAT TIME IS IT?!" saves me so much needless anxiety at night. My personal pick also has a USB slot in the back to plug in your phone. You're welcome.

USB outlets:

These days everything from our phone, tablets, remotes, cameras even some of my kitchen gadgets charge using a USB charger. It's hard enough keeping track of the cords (don't get me started on the proprietary elusive iPhone charges I need to hunt down for the 2 devices we have that need them) but the bricks just go.. missing. My kids hoard them all, presumably they are preparing for the zombie apocalypse by ensuring everything they own is fully charged while mom's cell phone she needs for work is sitting at 5%. In addition to stocking up on lots of extra micro USB cables (I like the Anker ones from Amazon) I've started converting more and more of my outlets to the ones that have USB built right into them. These are actually pretty simple to swap over... I mean my official answer is probably to have a licensed electrician do it- but my unoffical response is to flip the breaker and have some screwdrivers, common sense and maybe a Youtube video as a backup. These aren't all created equal- watch for the output (how fast they will charge and if it will charge your thirsty tablet). Also watch for the size- some of the ones I have picked up were too deep for my electrical boxes. I picked up a two pack from Costco recently and they work well!

Adorable Key Hook

Is there any better feeling than getting a new set of keys for your new pad? How about searching everywhere for them one frantic morning when you still aren't fully unpacked.

A key hook is a simple win that checks both the organization and the decor boxes. A quick search on Pinterest returns so many amazing ideas. What better way to feel at home that hanging your keys on something like one of these:

A Great Garbage Can

There are few things in the home that get as much use and abuse as the garbage can. Life is too short to have something that doesn't do the job, look nice in your space, and have the capacity to keep up. It was my sneaky dog that forced me to splurge on a better garbage can but I can't believe I didn't do so sooner. I'm digging my Costco stainless upright can. But I also drooled over some of the SimpleHuman options. I also really really love the super tall one Costco apparently used to carry (my friend's brother in BC had one- yes I covet other people's waste receptacles.... is that SO strange?). If I had bigger/more cupboard space- I really love the pull out waste centers too. Point is- find something that fits your space and needs and spend a bit more on it.

Central Vac (or a really good canister)

Can we all just agree that a clean home is just so much more calm, inviting, and healthy.

I was a Dyson snob for years but saw the amazing benefits of having central vac built into my home after my arm was twisted into having one installed by Whirlwind Systems here in London and I'm Never. Going. Back.

Nothing beats the power, capacity and convenience of central vac not to mention if you splurge on it now- it actually ads value to your home and you won't need to be buying new units every few years like you would with cheap uprights and canisters- if you really can't retrofit with central vac, invest in a decent canister. Mile, and Panasonic top my list for quality and McHardy Vacuum is a great local place to shop!