Got a splattered or smelly microwave? Clean in it 5 minutes flat with almost no elbow grease:

1. Heat a cup of water for 3 minutes in the microwave
2. Let it sit and steam up the microwave for 1 minute to soften all the stuck-ons
3. Take 1 minute to wipe it out. Easy!

Got smells too? Add a lemon slice or lemon juice to the water before you heat it to freshen things up.

Timesaver tip: Common sense will tell you to wipe up immediately after a mess has been made before it can get stuck on. But if that just isn’t gonna happen, wipe the microwave out after you heat any liquid (coffee, tea, soup, etc.) since the steam will still do the trick.

Scummy showers are no fun for anyone — not to bathe in and certainly not to clean. And if you have tile, glass, or fiberglass, you can spend hours cleaning grout or getting the grime out of those tiny crannies in the shower or tub floor. It’s not only time-consuming, but the harsh chemicals on the market to clean tubs and showers can cause you more harm than good.

So try my 2 favorite products — I cleaned my shower ONE TIME and it’s still sparkling one month later! What a time-saver!

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser: For just over $1 a sponge (and they're reusable), you can use one to scrub the shower one time. It pills the scum away -- just wipe the surface until it feels smooth to the touch. Depending on how bad your shower is, this might take 5-15 minutes. If you have a stand up shower stall, it's easier to do if you scrub the shower while you're in it with the water running so all the grime goes right now the drain. I used to wipe mine clean after each shower in about 30 seconds, but I don't even have to do that anymore thanks to the next product....

Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner: Purchase the starter kit, insert the batteries, drop in the cleaning solution, and hang from your showerhead or a suction hook mounted on your shower wall. After you shower, press the button and it'll give you 15 seconds before it sprays, so you have time to quickly towel off and step out. The spray head pivots 360 degrees AND up and down, so it gets high, medium, and low areas of the shower. If you opt not to clean your shower first, this product will melt goo build up in about 2 weeks on its own. Either way, you'll have a sparkling shower with absolutely no effort. (Walmart is the cheapest price I've seen for $12.95)

And in the {edited} words of Scarlett O’Hara, “With God as my witness, I shall never {clean showers} again!”

I’m a big fan of earthy colors, and here are some of my favorite colors and some general tips when picking just the right shade…

My favorite taupes: Laura Ashley “Taupe 3″ at Lowe’s, “Cafe Au Lait” from Restoration Hardware.

My other favorite Taupes: Seaside Retreat’s “Beachnut” at Lowe’s, Laura Ashley “Stone 2″ at Lowe’s, Ralph Lauren’s “Wave of Grain” at Home Depot, and for a darker shade, “Cappucino” from Restoration Hardware.

My favorite greenish-bluish-gray: Seaside Retreat’s “Silver Sea” at Lowe’s. I love this color — it’s more green during the day, and more blue at night. Great for a spa bathroom, or soothing bedroom color, or home office. Another more icy-blue alternative (if you’re doing the blue/chocolate brown thing) is “Palladium Blue” by Benjamin Moore.

My favorite “zen greenish-gray”: Seaside Retreat’s “Stonecastle” at Lowe’s looks like a gray on the swatch, and will shock you that you just painted a room dark gray while it’s wet on the wall. However, once it dries, it’s the most perfect zen grayish stone green color and is a perfect “green neutral” for a Master bedroom, or a spa bathroom. Want a darker tone? Try “Rope” by Ralph Lauren at Home Depot.

My favorite red: Laura Ashley “Russet 5″ at Lowe’s- very dramatic, very nice red. Takes 3 coats (like any red) but gets lots of wows! Great in a country style or very modern home.

My favorite yellow: For a real yellow that’s definitely yellow but soft enough to live with and nothing like an obnoxious stoplight, I like “Crane Cottage Yellow” from the National Trust Historic Paint Colors line at Lowe’s.

My favorite neutral yellow: National Trust Historic Paint color “Belle Grove Buff” at Lowe’s.

My favorite “french” blue: Seaside Retreat’s “Seaside Villa” at Lowe’s for a blue that’s bold without being a harsh or “Carolina” blue.

My favorite off-white: Seaside Retreat’s “Magnolia Spray” at Lowe’s. It’s got a touch of pink to it, but looks fantastic with espresso dark woods, white trim, and neutral flooring. If you like a more yellowish off-white, I like Ralph Lauren’s “Sail Cloth”.

Which brand of paint do I like? You may notice most of my paint recommendations come from Lowe’s or Walmart and not Home Depot. Not a slam at Home Depot, but I can’t stand the Behr brand paint they carry. It’s too thin so it takes too many coats for my “let’s get this done” nature. I love Lowe’s Valspar paint, and I also love the Walmart Colorplace brand. It’s rumored to actually be generic Sherman Williams at 1/3rd the price — so at $12/gallon, everyone can afford to spruce up the place! My only issue with the Colorplace paint is that their latex paints get a bit “latexy” so if you’re using painter’s tape, pull it off when the paint is about 75% dry, so it doesn’t ruin the clean edge.

Painting tips for picking the right shade:

• Always paint color samples on your wall instead of holding up fan decks or paper swatches. Color can vary greatly depending on what color’s underneath it, whether or not you’re priming, the wall texture, etc. And what looks like the perfect taupe on a 2 inch swatch can be a grayish-green when it coats a whole wall.
• Paint samples on multiple walls. What looked good on a side wall may not look so great when it’s on your focal wall. You want the main focal wall to be the perfect shade when you’re trying paints out. It’s amazing how the same color can appear completely different (too dark, too light, too yellow, too green) depending on the room’s natural light and furniture placement. This tip is especially important in paints with a grayish base (taupes, grays, some greens & blues).
• Look at your sample in both daylight and at nighttime. It may look great during the day but too dreary at night. If that’s the case, use my next (and favorite) tip:
• Try a percentage of the pigmentation. For example, if you like a color in the can but think it dries too dark on the wall, ask for a paint sample of the original color at 75% pigmentation. It’ll have more white in it so when it dries it’s a little lighter. I like this better than the old rule of “if you like a color, go up 2 shade on the swatch card.”

Happy painting!

The fireplace. The focal point of the room. Supposedly.

If your fireplace doesn’t spark your interest or isn’t the first thing you notice when you walk in the room, here are some tips for staging it.

But remember that redesign is different from home selling. Redesign is customizing the look to fit your personal style, and staging for home selling is neutralizing your style altogether. Either way, here are some tips they share:

• First, clear the clutter off the mantle and remove furniture, plants, toys, papers, and general clutter from in front of the fireplace. Start with a blank slate.
• Next, if you have a wood burning fireplace, clean it! Scoop out all ashes ,and if you have dirty brick, use soap & warm water to scrub it (and possibly a wire brush if it’s really dirty).
• Does the wall the fireplace is on draw your eye immediately? If not, think about painting the wall 2 shades darker than your existing wall color, or a contrasting tone on the color wheel. You can also pull a favorite color from accessories like pillows which will tie the whole room together when you’re done. Usually a quart of paint will be plenty for at least 2 coats with some left over for touch ups later. If you have exposed brick and it’s dating the room, paint it! Light, creamy, earthy tones are hot right now and will make the room feel larger.
• If you have a brass fireplace grate, your room will automatically look dated. Disconnect it, and for a $5 can of black heat-resistant spray paint used for grills, you’ll have a more modern look.
• Does your mantle fit the scale of the fireplace? If not bulk it up with some 2×4s or some decorative trim. Paint it to match the existing trim in your room.
• Next step is to choose one large item to place over the mantle, usually some cool artwork or a mirror. In general, I love mirrors, but when they’re hung over a fireplace, they’re really too high to reflect the room and end up showing off a white ceiling or boring ceiling fan, which is not good. If you do use a mirror, try something in a round or oval shape to offset the squareness of the fireplace. If using artwork, fit the scale of the wall. In most cases, a 24×36 will work nicely.
• Now accessorize. If you like symmetry, get 2 of the same decoration to place on the each end of the mantle, or use decorations with a similar size or color. If you like asymmetry, keep balance in mind. Your accessories don’t have to be matchy-matchy, but they should balance visually. So mix a large, light colored item with a small dark object on one side (or a collection of mid-toned items like similar colored pottery), and a single large dark item on the other.
• Family photos. Here’s where the redesign vs. home staging differs. If you’re selling the home, eliminate all family photos. People want to picture their own family in the space, not yours. If you’re just redesigning, feel free to use photos, but paint the frames to be the same color so it’s soothing to the eye and less distracting. All black or all metal look very modern.
• Use a plant or small lamp to give your mantle some life. Greenery & light energize a space. If using candles, be sure they’re lit for an open house.
• Now that your fireplace is gorgeous, it’s time to make sure people see it when they walk in. Treat the fireplace as if it’s another piece of furniture in your home and arrange existing seating around it. If you think of the fireplace as part of a wall, you’ll be more likely to cover it up. If you have a corner fireplace, try angling the sofa perpendicular to it and lining up a coffee table like a runway leading to it.
• For an open house, be sure the fireplace is lit! It draws the eye, and conveys a coziness that will make everyone want to snuggle up. The only time this is a bad idea is when it’s over 80 degrees outside, or no one will be in the home for several hours after it’s shown.

I’d love to see some pictures of your rooms and hear your design tips!