DIY Cinnamon Stick Vase

Posted on December 21, 2017March 15, 2019 by Jeffrey Phillip

12 Days of Neatness Throwback – DIY Cinnamon Stick Vase

If you’ve been following me for the past several years then you are familiar with Christmas being one of my favorite times of the year. You are probably also familiar with the 12 Days of Neatness – my neat little holiday guide for gifts, DIY ideas and recipes. I originally started these neat days back in 2013 and have evolved them over the past 5 years from blog posts to short videos.

Unfortunately, this year I had to press pause on the 12 Days of Neatness because of some other exciting projects I’ve been working on (some of which you’ll be seeing in early 2018 – yay!). I’m so sorry! I’ve been really bummed that I wasn’t able to create a new series for you this year. However, this neat holiday tradition is far from being over. So, until next year, let’s enjoy a little fun from years past! Here’s a throwback to one of my favorites from last year – an easy and beautiful DIY cinnamon stick vase ?. I promise it is sure to be the perfect floral, festive and fragrant addition to your holiday decor! Plus, it’s super easy to throw together last minute and can even be a wonderful host/hostess gift!

I hope you enjoy and that you make one of your very own! If you do, please, take a photo to show me! Simply tag me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and use the hashtags #12NeatDays #JPtips #JPholiday. I’d love to see your beautiful holiday arrangements!

xo
jp.

The 12 Days of Neatness | Holiday Tips & Gift Ideas

Posted on December 1, 2015December 9, 2015 by Jeffrey Phillip

It is December first, which means the holiday season is officially here, and that it is the first day of the 12 Days of Neatness, my own little holiday gift guide.

Since beginning the 12 Days of Neatness in 2013, each year I’ve shared 12 of my favorite product finds from throughout the year that I felt made useful, thoughtful and neat gifts. I posted these neat finds here on my blog, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest (if you haven’t started following me, please do so immediately! What have you been waiting for? 😉 ). This year I decided to take the 12 Days of Neatness to the next level by creating short videos with some helpful holiday tips in addition to those neat gift ideas.

So join me over the next 12 days as I post all of this festive holiday goodness to my Facebook and YouTube channels. Let me know what you think, and feel free to share some of your favorite tips and gift ideas for the holidays, too! I would love to hear from you! Oh, and don’t forget to share all this goodness with everyone you know 😉

The 12th Day of Neatness! – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

Posted on December 13, 2013August 28, 2015 by Jeffrey Phillip

ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

Well, here we are. The 12th Day of Neatness and it’s from one of my most favorite companies around. I’ve been a huge fan of Bluelounge for a long time and am always excited to see what new neat product they’ve put to market. The Sanctuary 4 caught my eye and it easily checks off several boxes on my neat-products-must-have list. Check this puppy out.

The Sanctuary 4 is a home docking station capable of charging several combinations of some of your most used electronic devices all in one go. The dock packs a 4-amp power punch to bring renewed life to 2 iPads, 1 iPad and 2 iPhones or 4 iPhones all at once while simply looking fabulous.

My favorite part: cord clutter is no where to be found! And let me tell you, nothing gets my eyes twitching quite as much as when I see a nest of tangled cords. Whether they’re in your office, your kitchen, your bedroom or your living room – messy cord chaos is usually among the first things I abolish when I start a home organization project. Cord clutter is my archenemy number one and I routinely lean on the folks at Bluelounge for their unbelievably smart, clean and thoughtful approach to eliminating messy cord catastrophes.

The Sanctuary 4 can do just that for your home all with a brilliant, compact and simple docking station that looks as good as it performs. I truly can’t think of a better, more appropriate way to end the 12 Days of Neatness than by encouraging everyone to bid adieu to their own tangled messes and give a quick power punch to those tech devices we love and adore so much.

I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed these 12 Days of Neatness and had as much fun reading them as I have had writing them. I look forward to a bright and exciting 2014 with all new, innovative and, of course, *neat* products and wonderful gift ideas to share with you along the way!

Until then, Happy Holidays and Merry Neatness!

-jp.

The 11th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

Posted on December 11, 2013August 28, 2015 by Jeffrey Phillip

ON THE ELEVENTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

In all the neat gift recommendations over the last couple of weeks, I have yet to bring you something just for the little ones. Well, today is the day! On the eleventh day of neatness, I give you the treat for the most spirited recipients of all. Actually, it’s even a little bit of a two-fer since it’s a gift from LEGO® and a great storage solution from The Container Store.

The famous interlocking LEGO bricks have been around since 1949 and have been entertaining young, creative minds for decades—mine included. The most advanced set we had growing up in the ‘80s was LEGO® Airport, which must be why I feel qualified to scrutinize the layout of JFK terminals…but I digress.

The LEGO Group has consistently pushed the envelope of creativity by developing themed sets throughout the years, even launching several fantasy and sci-fi partnerships with Star Wars™ and the Lord of the Rings™ franchises, among several others. My absolute favorite, however, is the LEGO® Architecture theme they have on the market. They have taken the building and construction of LEGOs to an entirely new level. Now, kids can build everything from their very own Sydney Opera House™ to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater® estate. Kids can even build their very own miniature LEGO New York City, with cityscape themes of the Guggenheim Museum® , the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center® and even the United Nations Headquarters!

And for the extra special creative kid, this summer they released the brand-new, all white LEGO® Architecture Studio that ignites creativity and lets kids decide just what kind of buildings are possible. It’s an incredibly fun, challenging and always classically good time playing with LEGOs.

Now, to keep your living room floor from becoming littered with a thousand pieces of plastic imagination fuel, The Container Store has a fantastic solution ready to go! The fun LEGO® Head and LEGO® Brick storage bins are a great way to keep all those themed sets of LEGO bricks together in one place, plus they look really cool on a toy shelf!

The 10th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

Posted on December 10, 2013August 28, 2015 by Jeffrey Phillip

ON THE TENTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

Today’s neat product comes straight at us from the fabulously chic, organizing gurus at PurseN. With an incredibly sensical approach to carrying jewels on the go, PurseN has captured both style and efficiency (my two favorite things, which you may have picked up) with their Tiara line of jewelry cases. This trendy little tote gets all of your various jewelry essentials safely tucked up in one neat little place. Inspired by the Japanese art of Origami, these cases have separate compartments that unfold to ensure that precious metals don’t entangle themselves, scratch or pull on one another as you jaunt along whatever road you may be traveling. The best part is, these compartments are removable. That means you can customize your case to suit your treasure-toting needs. PurseN has a wide array of jewelry cases and travel cases that make organizing your travel essentials easy, stylish and more than a little fun!

The 9th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

Posted on December 9, 2013August 28, 2015 by Jeffrey Phillip

ON THE NINTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

So you bought a fancy looking pair of sunglasses. Whether you shelled a pretty penny at a designer store or bargained down to an actual penny at a street fair, you may have ended up with an equally fancy carrying case that’s more bulky than its worth. Nowadays, sunglasses are bigger and more audacious than in decades past, so naturally their cases have been designed to match. I can probably guarantee you that if the sunglasses case is hard covered, it probably takes up more than its fair share of real estate in your bag or briefcase.

Fortunately, I’ve got a fun solution to take back your tote and free up some space while still keeping those gorgeous sun-shielders protected. Meet the Flipcase™, an incredibly simple, smart design from Alison Wong at Integral Design based in San Francisco, California. The Flipcase™ goes from sturdy protective case to flattened space saver in seconds. It slides smoothly back in your bag or even in your back pocket. Manufactured using the same quality materials that protect your tablets and other digital devices, this little space-saver is beyond reliable. Flipcase™ is designed to fit 99% of sunglasses on the market, and the microfiber interior makes sure the lenses stay scratch free. It’s simple, fashionable and brilliant…and the kind of stocking stuffer that will barely take up any space!

The 8th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

Posted on December 8, 2013August 28, 2015 by Jeffrey Phillip

ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

I love a kitchen crock. I think they’re useful. I think they are a great fix for those most used or too-long-for-the-drawers kitchen utensils. I think they’re also a wonderful solution if drawer space is limited. The challenge has always remained that before you know it, your slotted spoon has a wooden one shoved through it and the whisk is hugging the tongs. Well, CHEFS® Catalog has come to the rescue with their neat product on this year’s list. Finally a bit of organizational genius! Try as I might to create something like this on my own, nothing beats the real deal. The tall, durable quality stoneware Kitchen Tool Crock comes with a built-in, three-way stoneware divider so you can finally put some order back into your kitchen. Whether you separate by utensil type (wooden, silicone, metal) or utensil purpose (spoons, spatulas, miscellaneous), it’s a very neat-making and visually pleasing solution for any kitchen…and those utensils can finally start behaving themselves.

The 7th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

Posted on December 7, 2013August 28, 2015 by Jeffrey Phillip

THE SEVENTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

If the man in your life has a habit of emptying his pockets all over your house – THIS is the gift for him. Mark & Graham come to the Neat List with their offering—not just a catchall, but a personalized swanky leather catchall. These laser-engraved, monogrammed home bases come in three different sizes, depending on what will ultimately find a home there. Leather walls on all sides ensure valuables stay protected and in the same spot.

DISCLAIMER: While this useful entryway or bedroom dresser ornament can be a good home for pocket necessities, it does come with two simple rules of play in order to make sure it doesn’t become a clutter magnet itself. Rule #1: If he wouldn’t carry it in his suit or pants pockets, it shouldn’t live in the catchall. Rule #2: If you decide to buy it, make sure you check in on it periodically to remove items that may have found their way there that don’t belong. (See Rule #1)

The 6th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

Posted on December 6, 2013August 28, 2015 by Jeffrey Phillip

ON THE SIXTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

Well, we’re already at the halfway mark for the 12 Days of Neatness and I hope that you’re enjoying these incredibly neat products and gift ideas. For today, I couldn’t resist featuring a tool that sits at the very crossroads of neatness and usefulness. I was first introduced to the Hang & Level™ made by Under the Roof Decorating when I received it as a gift one holiday season myself. Since then, this nifty little tool is at my side whenever I need to hang any framed picture of any size. The Hang & Level takes out the frustration out of hanging pictures by assisting you with perfect placement of both the frame and the nail. At the same time, it also helps you achieve perfect alignment vertically and horizontally along your wall or against adjacent pictures. Working with the tool couldn’t be easier. Not only do they have web videos that show you exactly how to use it (you become an expert picture hanger in 2 minutes flat), but they have helpful tips on how to use the Hang & Level for multiple pictures or even creating an impressive photo gallery on your wall.

What’s even better about the Hang & Level is the customer support that Under the Roof Decorating provides for their clientele. They are extremely helpful and ready to assist if you should ever have a question or problem. I’ve used this tool countless times for my clients and several times in my own home. I can’t tell you enough how smart and convenient it is to use – and really how much time you save! They’re sold all over the place – check out their website to find out where you can pick one up this holiday season. They make a fun stocking stuffer and the perfect neat product to have around your home.

The 5th Day of Neatness… – 12 Days of Neat Products for Holiday Giving

Posted on December 5, 2013August 28, 2015 by Jeffrey Phillip

ON THE FIFTH DAY OF NEATNESS…

Who needs five gold rings when you can own the multitasking miracle that makes enjoying a nice glass of vino even more enjoyable?! For that special wine connoisseur or sommelier wannabe in your life (even if it’s you), the neat product for today is the incredibly smart, next generation Corkcicle®.ONE. Wine drinkers from Napa to Naples, and even Oprah herself fell in love with the Corkcicle® last year. But these innovative game-changers didn’t rest on their laurels, no sir. They instead came up with the ultimate hat trick! It is my great and intoxicating pleasure to introduce you to this little bit of “three-in-one” heaven. It’s actually a chiller, an aerator, and a pouring spout. Now you’ll have your wine at the optimal temperature, aerating automatically as it pours out of the perfectly clean spout. The Corkcicle.ONE makes wine serving classy, clean, and oh so deliciously easy.

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