Despite the fact that we’ll be moving in less than two months, our garden is taking on a life of its own. It’s been really dry and warm here the last few days, so we’ve been really thankfully to have so much rainwater stored up. The first couple of barrels are already starting to dry up, but I’m sure there will be more rain eventually.

Mackenzie is getting rather antsy to start picking her own produce again, but it’s still going to be a little while before she’s pulling carrots or picking strawberries. I did let her pull up a carrot last week and it was barely bigger than a pencil, but apparently it still tasted delicious anyway.

At least the strawberries are much closer to be finished! In fact, the first of them are getting the slightest big of red tinge to them already. I don’t know who’s more excited really! Even though I doubt I’ll actually get to taste any of them because Mack will probably eat them all first.

The seedlings I planted have almost all perked up again. But I do wish they’d grow a bit faster. It feels like they’re doing almost nothing at all.

Even the raspberry plants I snagged out of a field are showing some life. I wasn’t sure at all that they would survive after the winter, but they’re definitely coming along. The plan was to move them out of this bed eventually and into the big garden, but in the fall, someone else will be deciding what to do with them instead.

We lost two of the 10 tomato plants that I saved. I have no idea what happened to those two, but we were gone one week, came back and they’d been dug up. I put them back in the ground, but apparently they didn’t appreciate being out of the ground for almost 3 days.  I’m sure that there will still be plenty of tomatoes with only 8 plants anyway.

I can’t remember if I mentioned these already or not, but we finally got all the flowers in the ground too. Watering every day is definitely a priority now with all of these planted.

Since we’re trying to get all of our extra excess stuff packed up in boxes already, we also finally put our wine into bottles and corked them. That also meant that we could get rid of the rest of the empty wine bottles we had standing around. We’re just going to have to drink more wine if we intend to bottle anything else in the future. But I’m sure that won’t be high on our to do list when we first get to Berlin. We ended up with 26 bottles of red wine from our own grape vine. LOVE it!

And we also had enough champagne vinegar to fill 22 bottles. I’ve got to finally sit down one day and write out the recipe for this. It’s really simple and it’s a great way to use up all those random champagne, sekts and proseccos that we get as gifts, but that just don’t take so great on their own (or give you a major headache in the morning). We also were able to fill 2 bottle of homemade apple cider vinegar from our own apples.

So we’ll be taking some really nice, tasty reminders of the farm with us. And we’ve even been playing with the idea of finding a supplier for apples and creating Berlin’s first apple wine label (or so I’m guessing). But we’ll have to see if that actually becomes anything. For now, we have a bunch of our to drink still when the mood strikes!

Want to join in the garden fun and link to your own blog or images online? You can share about anything related to gardening, old or new posts, from recipes to harvesting to grow reports to DIY projects or inspiration.

Here’s how this works:

PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES, especially if you have never linked up before!

That’s it! Share your garden with us by linking up below!

Over the past 11 years, I have seen a lot of things come and go on the Internet, from programming scripts to website layouts to technology changes. Although there are many things that have gotten more complex and harder to comprehend, learning online is one of those things that has thankfully gotten easier and easier as time passes.

SEO for blogs and optimizing your blog posts to use strong keywords in the title, tags and text of posts is something that may seem daunting at first. But I assure you that nothing is further from the truth. In just a few minutes and with a free keyword tool, you can easily get a better understanding of just what words you should be using in your post title, tags and even the post itself to help it attract more attention via search engines.

This isn’t a step you need to take every time you write a new post, especially if it’s just a personal subject or something along those lines. But if you’re writing about a hot topic, any kind of how to, a product review or something which you think would get a lot of traffic, it’s worth those few minutes to find out what keywords people are actually using when they search.

Watch this SEO for blogs screencast I created to get you started:

SEO for Blogs Breakdown

Using the Google Adwords Keyword Tool (which only requires you to have a free Google account), you are able to access Google’s traffic reports to determine the potential amount of traffic a blog post might receive if it’s well optimized. Just pull up the website and then type in a few words which relate to the topic of your post.

Google will spit back a bunch of related search terms and all you need to do now is select the best one for your post.

In summary, you’re looking for keywords with:

1. Highest Global Monthly Search numbers possible AND “Low” Competition

If two keywords have the same results, look at the CPC number and take the higher one.

You want to focus on only ONE keyword per post.

How to Use the Keywords

You want to use the keywords you select naturally in your post and title. You don’t want your readers to start realizing that you’re intentionally trying to write for search engines — and it just doesn’t flow well on the A weighting of 2% is plenty, which means that the keyword phrase you are using shows up two percent of the time versus all the other words in your post.

Another way to increase the SEO juice of your blog post is to name your pictures in the post to include the keyword you’re targeting at the beginning, as well as put it in the Alt tag when you import photos.

There are lots of SEO plugins for WordPress and I currently use the All in One SEO Pack because I think it’s easy to use, it’s versatile and so far it’s bringing great results.

By the way, I am using a self-hosted WordPress blog here at NOH, but the searching for keywords process works virtually the same for any blog or website, regardless of the platform. I think the benefits of switching to a self-hosted blog are many, but it can also be a challenge if you’ve never done much web programming work of your own. But that’s a post for another day!

What do YOU want to learn about blogging and working from home? What are your questions about SEO for blogs, running a blog, etc? 

Eleven years ago, when we moved to Germany, we bought our first vacuum cleaner together. It was a hard working machine that never seemed to want to die. It’s called a Vampyr, and apparently they are just are hard to kill as the ones we all love to read about and watch on TV.

Needless to say, after we got Ayla, we really started to put it through its paces. Dog fur can be lethal to vacuum cleaners, and with all the dirt she brings in on her paws, vacuuming is a daily requirement. It turned out that while vacuum cleaners themselves are often built to last for what seems like forever, the telescoping arms and the floor sweeper thingy just didn’t match up in quality. It’s understandable since they get put up and down all the time, as well as constantly are being drug across the floor.

Once those two parts started to wear our, I began looking for replacement parts. I figured they must exist somewhere (because people couldn’t possible just toss their vacuum because a few of the parts weren’t working perfectly anymore) but I got no where. We went to department stores that sold our vacuum and asked the sales people, I looked everywhere online and I only stopped short of calling the company to ask personally — because I had no idea what I was even looking for auf Deutsch (sometimes the language barrier really puts up big walls) — but I think I might have sent an email request which never got an answer. None of them had a solution for us.

Despite all those hurdles, I never gave up hope that we’d one day get the replacement parts we needed to keep our old machine going. Eventually we just decided to buy a second vacuum which was identical to the first one and use the parts we needed to get the old one back into working order. So after putting our old vacuum through its paces daily for about 5 years, the old vacuum just refused to turn on one day and gave up the good fight. Lucky for us, we already had a backup machine handy. And the arm and floor attachment were still new enough to keep going.

This solution worked really well for the last six years (in addition to a bit of black duct tape on the floor attachment) but now that we’re moving, I was thinking that it would be really nice to have a fully functional vacuum again that isn’t held together with tape. My duct tape is wearing thin, the telescoping arm collapses on my fingers at times and I just can’t get under things with the floor attachment being in the state it’s in.

So I hopped on google and started trying to figure out what these sort of replacement parts might be called, put in ersatzteile to get started and found exactly what I was looking for on amazon. In minutes. Go figure. So for less than 1/4 of the price of a new vacuum, we are going to have a vacuum which is going to be practically new to us. I cannot wait! I think I might even hold back the replacement parts until we’re ready to move so they will be new and fresh once we get to Berlin.

Once we’ve settled into our new place, we might one day splurge and get one of the newer hand held vacuum cleaners. Dyson makes some really awesome ones — and even has a special full size vacuum to combat pet hair. Our AEG has managed to hold up pretty well against it, but there are just some rugs that we had to throw away because the cat fur doesn’t come off without an hour of vacuuming — and I definitely don’t have time for that insanity every week!

We used to have a rechargeable hand-held vacuum when I was a kid, but these days, we’ve just been going with the dust pan and little hand broom method instead. I think that partially has to do with the fact that there were about 15 of them around our farm when we moved in. And the fact that most of our messes seem to require something much larger to get the job done well. It’s astounding that one dog can bring in a beach-worth of sand after just one short afternoon walk…

What are you doing in your life & home to make it more beautiful & useful? Link up at Pancakes & French Fries.

Hello Friends!

It’s been a few chaotic weeks since you last heard from me…and I have to admit that it’s been a bit stressful around here for me.

For starters, I’m not 100% certain what is going on in our house, but there are boxes everywhere and I’m pretty sure that none of my stuff has yet been packed — so I fear they may be leaving me behind. I’ve been staying extra close to everyone (especially if they are putting on shoes or carrying keys) and making sure they remember I’m present. But if worse comes to worse, I guess I’ll just go live with the neighbors across the street. At least I know they love me lots and there is another dog for me to play with. Plus they totally give in to my sad face which means I get lots of extra treats and food!

I did overhear Dad and Mackenzie bargaining about me the other day — or at least I think that’s what I heard. Dad was trying to get Mack to throw something away in that big orange box which is blocking so much of my fabulous laying space in the courtyard (but does provide some nice shade in the recent hot weather) — Mom says it’s called a “trash container” but whatever. So the two of them were haggling about this grungy old mattress that Mack had laying around, and he told her she could keep the mattress or me. Thankfully, she chose me! Which supposedly has secured my position on the truck — but my mind is not yet completely at ease.

After all this, I’m pretty certain that we must be moving somewhere but I don’t have a clue what that is all about. I have heard things mentioned about “the big city” and I have to admit that I do enjoy being around lots of people and strutting my stuff. I’m an expert kiss giver to random passers-by. And mom not only called the mobile groomer to come attack me (thankfully she left my floof alone this time), but she also now has a lead on what is supposedly the world’s best brush for grooming Newfies. We’ll just have to see about that!

Since I’ve gone off the radar a lot lately (and probably will again with all this commotion), don’t worry about whether I’ve sat down and started writing a will or anything like that. I’m perfectly fine (we all are, really) and are very excited about all that is happening here. In fact, I’m so excited just about the thought of getting to spend even more time around people and exploring new places by train, that I need to go take a nap.

She's so lady like...

Sloppy Newfie kisses to you & I hope the summer-like weather has set in where you are too!

If you’ve never seen a 3-year-old taking over your iPad and showing you how to actually navigate through the apps better than you do, then you are missing out. I think that in some ways, the iPad was developed to be the most easy to operate computer-like object on the planet — and it totally succeeded. Mackenzie has been borrowing Stefan’s iPad since the day he got it. And it only took her a few days until she was zipping through different games, videos and apps — sometimes even better than we do.

Now to be fair, she was playing with my iPhone for several months before we got the iPad, so she had a bit of a head start. But the games on the new iPad versus the old iPhone 3 are just way, way cooler.

Because we’re going to be traveling a bit more between here and Berlin over the next few months, and because we’ll likely be taking more trips on the train in general once we get there, the iPad is a great tool to help keep Mack occupied while we are doing other things. Like looking at apartments. Or trying to unwind after seeing 20 of them in one day.

So here’s our short lists of apps we love that are fun to play with Mack or that she just loves taking control of. Many of them are free, but if they are not, I’ve noted the current price as well.

1. GarageBand

You’re going to want the headphones for this one. GarageBand is a super cool app that allows you to create your own music, using a variety of instruments (from concert piano to blues guitar to electro drums and much more). And the coolest part is, you don’t need to have any musical skills at all to make something that sounds good thanks to “smart” instruments. The app costs $4.99, but it’s worth every penny. You can also hook up your own instruments and record tracks in GarageBand, then add to them with the other instruments, and even put in a voice track if you want.

2. YouTube

This isn’t anything super special, but Mack has spent many hours navigating through YouTube videos on our computers, the iPad & the iPhone. Thankfully she rarely ends up on things we wouldn’t want her watching but does somehow manage to find her way through the same bouncing castle, baking and Japanese toy commercials over and over again, regardless of where she starts.

The YouTube app has a history tab, you can search through all the videos (just like online), you can sign in and see a list of your favorites and so on. As you might expect, you will need an Internet connection for this app to work. And if you’re in public, you’ll want headphones as well.

3. Paper Toss 2

This game is fun for people of all ages. It takes the challenge of tossing wadded up pieces of paper into a trashcan to a whole new level — especially when you start using watermelons, tomatoes and footballs. Mack loves it when you hit the co-workers in the cubicle with fruit because the guy looks at you a shrugs while shaking his head. It’s enough to send her into hysterical giggles, in fact.

4. Touch Hockey 2

This is basically the iPad version of air hockey (which we’re big fans of in this house) and although you have to upgrade to do a lot of things, the free version will keep her amused for a little while. And she doesn’t seem to mind at all that she only scores on herself, not for herself.

5. Noteshelf

Far more than just a basic note taking app, Noteshelf is a great way to write down your thoughts on the iPad without doing a bunch of typing. It’s got handwriting recognition so you can draw or jot down information quickly, then have it ready to go in your iPad later on. For kids it’s great because they can doodle with their finger, put little stickers on the page, use lots of different colors and pen types — and if you pay for them, you can even use different paper backgrounds or add sticker sets. The app is $5.99 but it’s toted to be the best handwriting app out there — so it’s something you definitely should check out.

6. Angry Birds

Warning: Do NOT allow yourself to start playing this game. It is wildy addictive. The link above is for the HD paid version ($2.99 on the iPad) but there are also lots of free versions of Angry Birds too. Although Mackenzie usually shoots the birds backwards (which makes us parents go a bit nutty), she likes the little birds and the animations so she’ll play it for a while even though she doesn’t get anywhere.

7. Films/music from iTunes

When it comes to iTunes & iPads, you have a few options if you want to put music or video on your device. Unfortunately, it is not always easy and unless you buy something directly in your iTunes account via the iPad, there’s a chance that you won’t be able to get it onto your device without a bunch of hassle. You can however put .avi videos and other files onto your iPad (just use Windows Explorer with your iPad plugged in so it recognizes it as a drive) and life is happy again.

8. Bubble Blast 2

This is another game which will challenge the thinking skills of adults but kids just like watching the animated bubble creatures pop. Again, Mack is no where near understanding the strategy behind the game, but she enjoys it anyway.

9. Cut the Rope

On the first couple of levels of this game, Mackenzie totally rocks. Unfortunately, getting further than that is a problem. But one day (probably sooner rather than later) she’ll be schooling us I’m sure. There’s a free version and a paid version ($1.99), with the latter having way more levels and additional quests to take on. The little creature you feed is really cute, which I think is what draws Mack in every time.

10. Singing Fingers

I came across this app a few months ago and we’ve only played with it a little, but it’s one of those fun apps that really doesn’t need a lot of skill to use or play. This one is a little more tricky for pre-schoolers to get when it comes to recording yourself to create the sounds. But there are quite a few pre-done patterns that they can play with also which makes it more fun. Mack loves the pre-recorded stuff. I do wish they’d work on the audio quality, though, because it could be even more fun if you heard the sounds back clearly, not garbled.

So there you have it. Ten fun iPad apps for preschoolers to buy you some time and make long trips more fun!

Be sure to check out more top ten fun over at Many Little Blessings.

Beth asked us to capture “life” this week — and I have to say ours has been a bit on the crazy side lately.

Although a bit blurry, this picture has been the epitome of what we’ve been up to lately. We declutter and pack things up, and Mackenzie finds a way to keep herself occupied. She happened to find a cache of her baby stuff in the attic while we were up there working and she made herself right at home. She’s the best.

So far, our moving process is going along really well. Now we’ve just got to figure out where we’ll be moving to in Berlin. Unfortunately, that trip won’t be for another week or two. We still have about 8 weeks until we plan on moving, so we’re starting to cut things close — but there are lots of apartments in Berlin that we’ve seen and liked online so we shouldn’t have much trouble finding a place.

And in the meantime, the boxes are just going to keep piling up. We’ve got close to half of our stuff packed and sorted so far. This week, there will be lots more stuff put onto Freecycle, we’ll hopefully finally start writing some ebay listings and we’ll keep cleaning things out.

I’d forgotten how great life could be with a huge trash container in the courtyard. No it’s not pretty but it sure is handy to be able to throw stuff away whenever we life, regardless of the size.

There are plenty of great moving companies out there choose from that can help you pack up all your worldly possessions, hit the road, and set up shop in any number of different places across the country. But the one thing that we gardeners often lament having to leave behind is our precious garden.

Have you every considered the idea that you may be able to bring your garden with you, though? If you hadn’t, perhaps it’s time that you do. If you’ve got a move coming up in the near future, consider these time-sensitive tips that could help you bring your garden, or at least parts of it, to the new home with you.

Weeks Before the Move: Consult a plant book, florist, or other expert to find out how long a particular plant can survive after being uprooted. Once you’ve got your answer, prune plants to facilitate packing.

One Week or Less Before the Move: Uproot your plants accordingly when it’s appropriate. Place them in a black plastic bag with a bug/pest strip, or a conventional flea collar or bug powder. Close the bag and place in a cool area. This will kill any potential pests on the plant or in the uprooted soil.

The Day Before the Move: Put all your plants in cardboard boxes. Using dampened newspaper or packing paper is a good way to hold them in place inside the boxes and to cushion the leaves. By placing a layer of damp paper towel on top of each plant, you also ensure that the plant remains moist throughout the move. If taking the entire plant isn’t a viable option, taking cuttings may be a suitable substitute for regrowth.

Moving Day: If you’ve decided to go with a moving company, it would be wise not to pack the plants with all the other furniture and belongings. Label the boxes with “DO NOT LOAD” in bold, so they aren’t mistaken for items to be loaded with all the rest. Close the boxes and use a knife or something to puncture holes in the tops to allow the plants to breath. Load them into your own personal vehicle if possible to avoid damage.

During the Move: If you’re moving during the hot summer months, try to park in a nice shady area whenever stopping. Conversely, in the colder months, park in a nice sunny spot whenever possible.

Arrival: As soon as you arrive, the plants should be unpacked. Avoid breaking any stems by removing the plants from the bottom of the box as opposed to the top; removing them from the top can induce stress on the weaker parts of the plant as they’re weighed down by the heavier roots. Do not expose the plants to much sunlight immediately upon removal. After being in the dark for so long, it’s important to give them a gradually increased dose of light so as not to shock them.

Post Move: Learn as much as you can about the soil around your new home and act accordingly. It may be necessary to import different types of soil, or to take other similar measures before the replanting process.

As with any gardening endeavor, it’s wise to do as much research as possible before attempting to transport any plants. In some scenarios, crossing state lines with certain plants may even have legal considerations that you need to look into. Regardless, doing the research and adjusting accordingly is the best way to avoid the pain of having to leave an entire garden behind. Enjoy your new home, and your old garden all at once.

Want to join in the garden fun and link to your own blog or images online? You can share about anything related to gardening, old or new posts, from recipes to harvesting to grow reports to DIY projects or inspiration.

Here’s how this works:

PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES, especially if you have never linked up before!

That’s it! Share your garden with us by linking up below!

Expatriates or expats are people who move from their native country to a different country. They are usually professionals who are sent by their employers to work abroad. They enjoy many benefits and undergo a stringent selection procedure.

Some expats take their families along with them, even though it is difficult to accommodate families in the vacillating expat lifestyles. The family situation and their adjustment is one of the most crucial factors that determine the success of an expat assignment. If the expat family is willing to adjust, they enjoy a number of professional and non-professional benefits. Some of the following benefits may motivate expats to take their families along with them:

Luxury
Expatriates are expensive employees and they are endowed with a good income. They are also bestowed with a number of additional allowances. Many expat families enjoy generous allowances such as relocation, cost of living, medical, educational and housing allowances in addition to the Foreign Service Premium. The Foreign Service Premium is a small percentage of the expat’s base salary. Some companies also offer Hardship Allowances to the expat families when they have been sent to a country with poor living conditions.

Tax Reimbursement
The amounts of the tax payable may vary for different countries. If expats have to pay more taxes than they previously paid, they are usually offered a reimbursement. The company they work for pays their taxes, so that expats do not have to pay more tax. This gives expats an exciting benefit of evading the problem of paying high taxes. The money saved by reimbursement of taxes can be utilized for different family requirements.

Tourism
Usually most of the people enjoy visiting new countries and witnessing their cultures and tourist attractions. Many expat families enjoy free trips to foreign countries. The companies take up the financial responsibility of the families of the expatriates and even sponsor some of their recreational activities.

Benefits To The Children
Expat families enjoy the benefit of learning about different cultures and beliefs of different countries. They have greater knowledge of different countries and the kids of such families grow up to learn different languages. These kids acquire professional skills that may bode well for their career. They usually get the best educational facilities from all places, that are mostly sponsored by the company the expats work for.

Professional Opportunities To Other Family Members
When an expatriate relocates with the family, the other family members get excellent career opportunities. They may utilize their talents and become DJ’s, singers, dancers, musicians, writers or even models. Expats in such professions attract more popularity because they come from a different country. Most expats with good communication skills can also work as translators or teachers. These work experiences may add to their curriculum Vitae and help them earn some money in a non-native country.

As you can see, expat families enjoy can enjoy a lot of financial benefits if they are on a foreign assignment. The stress of relocation can also be evaded by hiring a company like London Removals. Expatriates should make the most of these benefits and make everything work to their advantage. This could be helpful in creating a secure future for the family and even increase career prospects for themselves.

These alluring benefits for expat families are however, just a faint compensation for the hardships that these families have to face. Most of these expat overseas expeditions fail due to family adjustment problems. Expatriates must consider all the above mentioned pros and cons while relocating to a different country.

About the Author

Priyanka is a writer primarily focusing on moving and relocation related topics. She loves her family and has a big friend circle. She loves writing articles on a wide range of topics like traveling, relocation, shipping, technology, and trekking. She loves blogging as it helps her in voicing her opinions about the things that she is interested in.

With the house being on the market a little over week, things are looking very promising here that we will sell it before we leave for Berlin. And I have to say, that will be a HUGE weight off of our minds. In fact, once we actually know where we’re moving to (which should be decided in the coming month) we might even be able to sleep well again at night. Lately we’ve realized that once we sell the house, we’ll be freed up a lot more physically and emotionally (because we’re getting rid of so many possessions) but also financially — which is an incredible feeling.

When you look at the statistics about Americans and credit card debt, it’s a bit alarming. On average, each person with a credit card owes nearly $16,000 to the credit card companies. The total U.S. revolving debt (98 percent of which is made up of credit card debt) was $801 billion, as of December 2011. And as of December 2011,  the total U.S. consumer debt was $2.5 trillion. These are not figures which should be taken lightly by anyone.

Thankfully, a decline has started in the number of people who use their credit cards and how much they put on them, probably because they realized the interest rates are eating them alive. But there are few other countries in the world where people willingly take on huge amounts of debt just so they can “keep up with the Jones’” or have the newest gadgets and gizmos.

Living Within Your Means

While I know it’s fun to have the biggest and best of everything, IMO it’s a whole lot more impressive to me when I meet someone who is living completely debt free and still has everything in life they could ever need or want. Because really, when you eliminate your debt, you free up a lot more disposable income. And so if you then want to have something new, you look at the money you have in the bank and you buy it if you can actually afford it. If you don’t have all the money, you do something really radical — you save money each month until you do have it. Or you sell something; it might be your own belongings or your services or knowledge or even just yourself — to get a promotion or a new contract for your company, I mean — not putting yourself on the street!

Living within your means does not mean you have to live in a van down by the river, but it does mean that you actually think about what you are spending, probably set a budget for yourself and don’t let yourself splurge every time you leave the house. If you’re not happy with the amount of money you are bringing in, you don’t leverage yourself and take on debt. You go out and make things happen so that your income is higher and you can therefore buy the things you want.

If you’re thinking about tackling your own debt, you don’t have to make a huge action like selling a house to get started. There’s so much simple debt advice available that if you’ve got debt, you should really be looking for ways to get it paid off however you can. You’re not doing yourself any favors by staying in bondage to the big banks — and trust me, they really do want you to pay 24% interest (or more, God forbid) for the rest of your life!

As you may have read, we were recently in Berlin and we stayed in a gorgeous hotel. We spent nearly 3 days in the hotel, so I got to know our room pretty well. And there were some design elements that were so smart, regardless of whether you’re in a big house or a tiny apartment, that I had to  share them with you today! The room was way more modern than our own house, but there’s no reason one can’t borrow a lot of these concepts and adapt them to the space you actually have.

1. Built in closet by the door — This is so simple yet practical. The closet area is essentially totally hidden and they took an otherwise useless space and made it really fantastic. In your home, you might put shoes in the shelves instead — or make other modifications to suit your needs.

2. Lights inside the closets — There were lights inside many of the closets in this room, including the one above. They usually came on automatically when you opened the closet door. It’s such a smart and efficient way to light up your closet, without having to worry about using extra electricity because you forgot to turn off the lights.

3. Practical built-in closets — It goes without saying that this closet is just gorgeous, but it had a lot of practical space in it too. Lots of shelving and places to hang clothes. Seriously one of the largest closets I’ve ever had in a hotel room and great because when you roll the door closed, you don’t see anything inside anymore.

4. Lamps at the back of the closet — The lamps at the ends of the closets I really loved. They’re much more practical for looking at yourself in the mirror than the overhead lights that always make you look a bit gaunt and as if you barely slept last night. Plus, they added a huge floor-to-ceiling mirror at the back of the closet, so you get more light reflecting back into the closet space.

5. More closet storage — Across from the big closet was another slightly smaller one with space for knick knacks on the top (or a place to charge your phones, iPad, etc if you have a plug nearby) and more shelves underneath. This would be another good space for shoes (if you double up on the shelves) or for things like t-shirts or shorts that can be folded up small.

6. Motion sensor by the front door — When you walked into the room, certain lights would automatically come on, like the one in the entry area. We have a great motion sensor in our mudroom, a space we pass through often with tons of stuff in our hands, and it’s so fantastic. But I think putting one in an entry way for when you get home at night would be super practical.

7. Recessed shower head — This is so, so smart. If your ceilings aren’t super high, this is a great way to create a really nice rain shower effect without having a shower head hanging from nowhere (if you can knock a hole through the ceiling to recess it) — and the lower ceiling in the shower keeps your heat in.

8. Shower stall design – While we’re on the shower, I just love the design in general. The lit, recessed space for a few bottles of shower stuff is so classy stylish. And they used a big floor to ceiling frosted glass panel and door to seal it off from the rest of the bathroom. It was a very comfortable shower space and most of the water stayed where it was supposed to!

9. Dimmer switches — I think dimmer switches are one of those things that are totally underused, much like motion sensors. Having bright lights is necessary at certain times, but other times, it’s nice to just be able to turn down the lights a bit and blend out the harshness of the day.

 10. Ceiling spots to draw attention to room elements — Another thing I really liked in this room (but didn’t manage to photograph) was the use of recessing ceiling lights to highlight things in the room. In the bathrooms, it might have been the sink. In the living room, a vase on a shelf. And so on. It’s simple to do, and still lends lots of light to the rest of the space around it, but can really highlight a few key areas of the room that you love as well without adding extra lights.

And of course, once you’ve got all that in place, all your need is something stylish to sit on. If you’re making your office into an oasis, you can pick some great pieces at a place like City Office Furniture.

If you’re looking for more ideas that will make your apartment or home feel like you’re living in a hotel, check out this article from BHG.

When you visit hotels, are you checking them out for smart ideas to add to your own home as well?