The Benefits of Hanging in Your Hood

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The grass is always greener on the other side, or so they say. And while that very well may be true with some things, it’s certainly not when it comes to your neighborhood. There are a scores of reasons why hanging out in your own hood can be incredibly beneficial to you. However, most people still tend to herd towards the flavor of the month and congregate at the current hot spot. And as a return for their patronage, they often times get slapped with high bar tabs, long treks home (while drunk), or expensive cab rides. But we say “Forget the Fad, Keep it local!”, and this is why:

1. You’ll spend less money.

If you live in a borough, the prices you pay for things like coffee, beer, and food are far less pricey than their counterparts in Manhattan. Take for instance the small coffee that’s $0.75 at my local neighborhood deli as opposed to the $1.25 price tag on a small coffee at the deli by my office. Or even more importantly, commuting home if you’re in no sound mind to take mass transit.  A cab ride 20 miles can easily cost $30, while you could take a local car service (likely costing about a third of that) or walk if you’re already in your neighborhood.

2. You’re supporting local — and usually small — businesses.

Starting a small business is no easy feat. And keeping the momentum going for the next few fate-deciding years isn’t either. With less than half of NYC based small businesses staying open after four years, it’s nice to throw some support under the little guy. Small businesses employ about half of the country’s workers and make up about 99.7% of all U.S. based employer firms.

3. Little or no commute

You can’t put a price on time. And having an extra hour to spend in solitude, or an extra hour hanging out with a friend beats the hell out of an hour commuting. In addition, you’re also making the best of your time spent.  The less time you spend in transit, the more time you’re spending doing things that are of more value to you. Traveling back and forth from work steals enough precious minutes out of the day, and nothing takes the excitement out of a quick meet up like a long, painful hike to get there.

4. Meet neighbors and build a sense of community

Having a network of friends and acquaintances nearby is a great resource. We’ve all had those mornings where you just wanted to meet someone for a leisurely coffee, or have a late last-minute drink without too much planning. Or maybe you just need help changing a light bulb.  Either way, knowing there’s a willing soul or a helping hand right around the block just makes life that less complicated.  Not to mention, it creates a safety network where each person can look after one another.

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Clueless at Christmas? Give Gifts That Really Count.

The scramble for Christmas gifts is officially in effect. Many people will be racking their brains to find the perfect gifts for their family and friends. And, in return, many wallets, fruit scented body lotion sets and other mediocre gifts will be purchased. Unless one of your buddies has hinted at one of the above mentioned gifts, try exploring other options for something a bit more sentimental and personalized. Keep on reading for 4 customized gift ideas.

Old Photos: Do you have an old photo of a family member or friend that’s a bit worn at the edges? Take it to a shop and have it restored for around $25 (or less). Memories like these are truly priceless, and will be remembered for years to come. Having your life-long best bud rip open their present to find a restored photo of the two of you together at summer camp is a far better gift than that generic body spray set from Macy’s. If you have quite a few photos, you can make cheap copies at the drugstore, and create a collage in a large frame for a hodgepodge of memories.

Books: Most people have a favorite book or two. If someone important in your life has an old or tattered paperback copy of their favorite novel, try purchasing him or her a nice hardcover copy, like those with the attached ribbon bookmark and gold leaf edges. Giving something that is not only sentimental, but that will also be frequently used, is the perfect combination.

Bag of Goodies: Try putting together a bunch of small gifts that you know they’ll enjoy. If you know he or she loves a cozy night in watching movies, spring for a goodie bag filled with a couple of DVDs, a blanket, and a box of microwave popcorn. If  your friend is a chronic web surfer, try a novelty USB key with a new mouse or mouse pad. There’s plenty of room for flexibility here, so use your head and keep it creative and useful, but more importantly, thoughtful.

Subscriptions: Maybe your friend is always picking up a magazine or two every month, but hasn’t subscribed to any. Get them a year subscription to their favorite mag. Most magazine subscriptions can be had for under $13 on average, and your friend will have 12 months of magazine bliss without having to go to the newsstand (and will save a lot of money in the process!).

Gift giving time doesn’t have to be about hellish shopping trips and clueless buying sprees. By keeping things simple and focused, your money will go towards a gift that your recipient will not only enjoy, but actually use. And that’s money well spent.

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Brooklyn Flea to Run Indoor Holiday Market

It’s no secret that we here at LifeStyler are thrift store junkies, searching fervently for our next bargain fix. That’s why we sing the praises of the beloved Brooklyn Flea Market. We’ve found many a great item there. So when we heard about the indoor holiday mart across the street, produced by the same guys at the Brooklyn Flea, we were pretty psyched.

The Indoor Mart opens its doors this Sunday, November 30th and runs for the next four weeks. And to make it even more of a no-brainer, it’s located right across the street from the Brooklyn Flea in the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. So, grab your girlfriends and a hot brew, and head over to the Flea and the Holiday Mart to do some shopping if the Black Friday crowds aren’t your thing.

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5 Quick and Easy Thanksgiving-Worthy Recipes

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and with all of the dinner invites and family gatherings, you’ve got to come up with a quick and easy dish to bring over because you can’t show up empty handed. So for those of you who are a bit domestically challenged, like us, we’ve got you covered with some simple and inexpensive Thanksgiving worthy side dishes. Keep on reading for our Top 5 sure-to-please recipes.

1. Cornbread - Never underestimate the necessity of any side dish in the flour family. Cornbread is a simple and scrumptious side that serves as a great companion to most meals. Just empty the cornbread mix into a bowl stir in enough milk to make a thick batter, melted butter (about half a stick) and 1 egg. Pour the mixture into a square baking pan and bake until the top is golden brown and a knife placed into the middle comes out clean.

2. Stuffing - When poultry of any kind is present, there’s always an excuse to have stuffing. Follow the recipe above for cornbread. Once the cornbread is done, break it up into a mixing bowl. Add some chopped and sauteed onions, green peppers and celery. Pour in a can or more if you desire of chicken stock. Be mindful of not making the mixture too soggy. Season with sage and black pepper. Sage can be quite strong, so use sparingly. Mix thoroughly and bake at 350º for 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Cranberry Sauce - Buying a can of the weird cylindrical gelatinous cranberry sauce could very well be the easiest thing to do, but it would be so much more special and delicious if you whipped up a batch of homemade cranberry sauce yourself. All you’ll need is 12 ounces of cranberries (fresh or frozen), 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. Over medium heat bring the sugar and water to a boil in a deep saucepan, add the cranberries, return to boil, reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, and cool at room temperature before refrigerating.

4. Mashed Potatoes - There won’t be a table during the holiday season that isn’t bearing this Thanksgiving staple. Boil a small bag of large white potatoes in salted water. When the potatoes are soft enough to be mashed, drain and add to a mixing bowl. Mash well and add butter and half a can of unsweetened condensed milk. Continue to cream the rest of the potatoes with regular milk until you reach your desired texture.
Tip: Boil a couple of sweet potatoes as well and add to the white potato mixture for a bit of a twist.

5. Instant Banana Pudding - If sides aren’t your thing, try your hands at a dessert. This is an easy, no-bake recipe for any dinner. Mix up a batch of instant banana or vanilla pudding by combining the pudding powder mix and some milk. Slice a bunch of bananas and set them aside. Take some vanilla cookie wafers to line a deep dessert pan. Add thin layer of pudding then a layer of bananas and more pudding (you can use a thicker layer of pudding here). Next add another layer of cookie wafers. Keep alternating layers until you get to the top of the pan. The last layer should be cookie . Add a fluffy layer of whipped cream (preferably not canned) and refrigerate until cookies are soft.

Here’s an estimated grocery list for the above recipes (and it’s under $20!):

1 box of cornbread mix-50 cents
1 bag of cranberries- $2.50
1 can of chicken stock- $1
1box of vanilla wafers- $3-4.50
Bananas- around 40 cents per lb.
1 box of instant pudding- 60 cents
white potatoes- $2.50 per 5lb bag
1 tub of whipped cream- $1.50
Sweet potatoes- 59 cents per lb.

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Organizing on a Budget

With the seasons changing and the weather getting progressively colder, I’ve been trying to pack up my tank tops and make way for my winter coats and boots.  Unfortunately, that’s not as easy a task as it sounds.  To add to the misery, it can also be a hugely expensive project to undertake — buying up all those plastic storage bins and wire shelving units. But since organization is a key component in being productive and efficient, we decided to focus in on how to organize your cabinets/closet/office on a budget, and maybe even make a wad of quick cash in the process. Check out our simple 5-Step Plan below.

Step 1. Purge

The first and most important step is also the one that pack rats, like myelf, hate doing.  This is simply based on the fact that you never know when you may need that [insert useless item] and inevitably you think it will be the day after you throw it out. Forget this thinking and use the six month rule: If you have not worn, used, or even picked up this item in the past six months, you probably don’t need it. Make a pile in the middle of the room and throw in everything that fits into this category (You’ll sort it all out later).

Step 2. The Sell/Donate Pile

Nothing takes the away the sting of getting rid of useless items like some cash in hand. I’m a huge believer in the “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” motto. That’s mainly because I’m usually on the receiving end of the aforementioned “trash”.

Sort through the items in your pile (see above).  Divide these items into piles that you can either sell or donate, the ones that don’t fit the criteria get trashed.  The items can decide to sell can be easily listed on Amazon (you don’t even have to upload a photo if it’s a common item — you can use a pre-loaded stock photo) or you can go the Craigslist route and try to get someone to pick them up rather than having to ship them out.

Step 3. Re-group

This step is where the bulk of the actual organizing comes in.  The main goal here is to sort items by use (ie shoes with shoes, coats with coats, etc.).  The next step is to take all of the items that are not currently being used for the current season and store them in airtight plastic boxes like the ones shown here on sale at Space Savers for $4.99.  These can easily be labeled and stacked in the top of your closet for future seasons.

Once those items are out of the way, divide clothes by type (shirts, skirts, dresses, pants) and hang according to group.  This will make things a whole lot smoother when you’re running late and looking for a specific item.

Step 4. Box and Label

A common mistake made here is purchasing organizational and storage items from a designated “organizational store” like The Container Store. These places have ridiculous mark-ups and are a huge money waste. Find the nearest dollar store or discount department store to buy your storage boxes or go online.  Space Savers, Wal-Mart, Target - even Ikea, on occasion have good deals to choose from.

If closest width is an issue, go with a few cheap tiered hangers for tops and pants.  You can also look into cheap shelving to help organize and store shoes and other items that don’t need to be hung.

Step 5. Rinse and Repeat

This is simply a re-do every three months to keep things in check. It’s pointless to do a major re-organization just to have it back to the way it was two months later.  Repeating the process every three months is absolutely necessary if you want to keep everything in check.  I usually dedicate the first Sunday in each season to cleaning out and re-organizing my closet and my kitchen cabinets.  This way any disorganization and mess never gets too out of control, and the above steps take a shorter amount of time to finish.

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