A Clean Commode Is A Happy Commode

(Image courtesy of Kim)

Even in the biggest bathrooms, space can be an issue. There always seems to be a wealth of half-empty shampoo bottles, toothbrushes, hair care products and other essentials hanging around-if you’re not careful things can get tight very quickly.

Though we each have our own particular essentials in every commode, that doesn’t mean that the space can’t be stylish, controlled and organized. These tips courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com will be sure to have your bathroom looking more spacious in no time!

1. Keep only the products you use daily in a small bathroom

What hair and makeup products do you actually need to get ready each morning? Which do you actually use when you shower? If you're lacking in lots of bathroom storage, remove everything you only use occasionally — special hair products, medicine, first aid — and consider finding another spot in your home to keep it. (Yes, if you have a small bathroom you probably have a small home, but maybe there's a titch more storage somewhere else!)

2. Create and disguise new storage

If you absolutely can't get rid of all of the items, assess your storage situation and see where additional or hidden storage can be installed. If you've got under counter storage, maximize it. These under sink storageideas can easily be applied for bathroom storage. Over the door solutions work, but use sparingly since they don't really hide the clutter well. Install small or narrow cabinets with doors in tight spots for a custom, hidden storage look.

3. Collect, corral & beautify

Trays are an old organizing trick that's always in style; use them to turn a pile of unsightly hair and make-up products into something resembling decent. Baskets and boxes work great on open shelves and tucked uniformly on ledges and in corners. In fact you could make your own today! Want to take it up a notch? Transfer beauty products into new or DIY (and labeled) bottles and containers that are all uniform and nicer to look at so your bathroom counter doesn't look like a drug store.

4. One in, two out rule

For every new lipstick you bring into your bathroom, toss or give to a friend two shades that don't work and you'll never wear. Same applies to shampoo, conditioner or whatever products are causing clutter piles in your bathroom.

5. Pick up and put away daily

This is more chore reminder than actual organizing tip, but some people still need to hear it! You can't let even one bottle stay where it's not supposed to be in a small bathroom — it'll look cluttered instantly. Figure out the decluttering and storage methods that work for you, and then stick with it daily until you create a habit.

May is National Bike Month in Berkeley

With the weather starting to improve, spending time outdoors becomes a priority. And whether you're a seasoned bicyclist or haven't pedaled on two wheels since childhood, we invite you to bust out your bike and enjoy the fresh, spring air.

After all, May is National Bike Month, and there are a bunch of ways you can use two wheels to get stuff done, or just to enjoy some low-impact exercise. Cycling can be a great activity between friends, family, or roommates. It's great exercise and can reduce stress. It can also save you money on gas or public transportation, if you live close enough to work that you can bike.

And, of course, biking has no carbon footprint, so it's good for the environment!

If you're interested in participating in National Bike Month, browse this searchable map, which will point you toward local bike shops, cycling groups, events, and more! If you're feeling particularly ambitious, try organizing a local cycling event. Here's a guide for planning an event, if you so please.

There's also Bike to Work Week, from May 12 to May 16, culminating with Bike to Work Day on Friday:

One of the league's sponsored activities is Bike to Work Week. Culminating in Bike to Work Day on Friday, people are encouraged to leave their fuel-burning vehicles in the driveway and enjoy the warming weather on a bicycle to and from work instead, if possible.

According to the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the share of Americans commuting by bike has grown by 47 percent since 2000, according to the league's website. Additionally, more than half of the U.S. lives within 5 miles of their workplace.

Established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling — and encourage more folks to giving biking a try. It's sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists and celebrated in communities from coast to coast. 

In 2013, more than 30,000 riders logged almost 19 million miles in the second year of the online competition. In 2014, the group is aiming for 50,000 riders to pedal more than 30 million miles between May 1 and September 30.

Click here for more information on National Bike Month, on Berkeley Patch!

Netflix Addicts Beware

(Image courtesy of Brian Cantoni)

Spring is here and that it’s the perfect time to...binge-watch Netflix on the weekends! Just because the days are getting warmer and longer doesn’t mean that you need to immediately run outside, there are tv shows you need to catch up on!

Just in case you’ve forgotten about all the great tv you missed, we’ve got you covered. This list, courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com, lists all the best shows that you can start watching on Netflix right now. All that’s left to do is sit back, relax and enjoy. Don’t worry, you can soak up the sunlight after you’ve had your fill.

1. House of Cards
Two Seasons

Ruthless, cunning Congressman Francis Underwood will stop at nothing to conquer the halls of power in Washington D.C. His secret weapon: his gorgeous, ambitious, and equally conniving wife Claire.

2. The Walking Dead
Three Seasons

In the wake of a zombie apocalypse, survivors hold on to the hope of humanity by banding together to wage a fight for their own survival.

3. Scandal
Two Seasons

A team of Washington, D.C., lawyers makes scandals disappear, handling government crises while coping with problems of their own.

4. Breaking Bad
Five Seasons

A high school chemistry teacher dying of cancer teams with a former student to manufacture and sell crystal meth to secure his family's future.

5. Top of the Lake
Seven Episode Mini Series

When pregnant, 12-year-old Tui tries to kill herself in a freezing New Zealand lake, Detective Robin Griffin has plenty of questions for the girl.

6. Twin Peaks
Two Seasons

"Who killed Laura Palmer?" is the question on everyone's lips in a secretive small town, but as an eccentric FBI agent learns, the answer isn't easy.

7. Orange is the New Black
One Season, New Season begins June 6

Piper Chapman’s wild past comes back to haunt her, resulting in her arrest and detention in a federal penitentiary. To pay her debt to society, Piper trades her comfortable New York life for an orange prison jumpsuit and finds unexpected conflict and camaraderie amidst an eccentric group of inmates.

8. American Horror Story
Two Seasons

Exploring humankind's unsettling capacity for evil, this darkly twisted drama plays upon the power of supernatural fears and everyday horrors.

9. Mad Men
Five Seasons

Set in 1960s New York City, this series takes a peek inside an ad agency during an era when the cutthroat business had a glamorous lure.

10. Hemlock Grove
One Season

The mangled body of a teenage girl is discovered outside a rusted Pennsylvania steel town, where every resident harbors a dark secret. Suspicions and accusations mount as a manhunt for the killer intensifies, even as evidence mounts that the suspect is not a man at all.