We all love a good grill-out, but do we ever really consider the dangers of grilling within a housing cooperative community? No need to worry, we've compiled a list of safety tips on how to enjoy your summer barbecue while staying safe. 1. DO NOT GRILL ON PORCHES! A great tip not just for Cedarwood Cooperative, but for any homeowner or renter. Grilling on a porch can be disastrous if a spark hits the building, railings or stored personal items. Specifically at our co-op, the railings can be easily damaged due to their delicate material. Help us keep our homes looking their very best AND stay safe this summer by never, never, never grilling on the porches. 2. KEEP GRILLS AWAY FROM BUILDINGS. This safety warning goes hand-in-hand with the above mentioned tip. Keep grills a minimum of 10 feet away from buildings. There are far too many dangers associated with grilling close to a building including fire damage, damage to utility equipment and damage to your personal property. As a safe rule of thumb, keep grills 10 feet or more away from any buildings. 3. WATCH OUT FOR BRANCHES. There you are setting up your grill, safely 10 feet away from the building and off the porch. You drop in the charcoal, light a match and that fire gets roaring. You walk away to grab your food to grill and when you come back, you notice the tree limb above has caught on fire! Not a good scenario! Before you move your grill to your next grilling location, take a look above your head. Are there are overhanging branches that could become a problem? If so, relocate your grill and then get started. 4. KEEP GRILLS CLEAN. Always remove old grease and old charcoal from your grill before starting to cook. Leftover grease can catch fire, not to mention taint the flavor of your barbecue masterpiece! As a standard precaution, use a wire brush to clean off the grates and dump out old charcoal before firing up the grill. 5. MAKE SURE THOSE COALS ARE COLD BEFORE DUMPING! This one is self-explanatory but often overlooked. There is no need to rush to clean your grill, as mentioned above, so wait until those coals are completely cold before disposing of them properly. You would not want to be the cause of a garbage can fire because you rushed to dump them out...now would you?! 6. NEVER USE GASOLINE! It goes without saying that gasoline is a bad choice for lighting any kind of fire, but especially a grill fire. Only use charcoal lighter fluid to start your grill, never gasoline. Using gasoline could create a serious "BOOM" you and your neighbor were not expecting. Take fire safety serious and NEVER use gasoline to start your grill. You wouldn't want to have to call the fire department now would you? 7. DO NOT LEAVE THE GRILL UNATTENDED. We know how it goes...you safely moved the grill 10 feet away from the building, off the porch, away from overhanging tree limbs, started it with the proper fluid and now you're ready to cook. Oops...you left all the food inside along with your cooking utensils. You just have to run inside to grab everything quick and you'll be right back out. BAD IDEA! Be sure to bring everything you need outside BEFORE you begin your fire. Another option is to invite some friends over to enjoy your grilling grub and ask one of them to stay near the grill while you step away. However you do it, make sure your grill is attended at all times. You would not want to held responsible for a child walking by and getting hurt or a spark igniting a fire nearby. Avoid the possibility altogether and be prepared before you even start. 8. TOSS OUT YOUR OLD GRILL. Grills with rust patches, holes or broken legs are a danger to use, not to mention an eye-sore for your neighbors and management. While living here at Cedarwood, we strongly recommend trashing grills that look like trash (pardon the boldness). Rust, holes and broken parts can release unwanted burning charcoal to the ground which is a safety hazard. They are also unsightly and unstable. Has your grill taken a turn for the worst? Time to buy a new one! ...money saving tip...wait until barbecue season is over to buy a new grill. Barbecue grills are greatly reduced around August/September as companies prepare to put away summer stock items. Take advantage of these discounts and get your next grill in the fall. 9. DO NOT GRILL IN COMMON AREAS. This tip is primarily for our Cedarwood Housing Cooperative members but is a good tip for anyone renting in the Park Forest Illinois area. Do not grill in the common areas which includes the sidewalks, parking lots, streets and open lawn areas. Keep all grilling materials in your private co-op area and all will be well with neighbors and management. There you have it members and newcomers! All the grilling safety tips you can shake a stick at. Follow the above precautions and be well on your way to barbecue mastery! Now, who's up for some steaks on the grill? My co-op or yours? :) #grilling #grillingsafety #barbecueatcoop #cooperativesummergrilling

We all produce it, we all dread taking it out and we certainly all can't stand it when we have to clean up behind a critter who has gotten into it. And at our Cedarwood Housing Cooperative, there are plenty of raccoons and squirrels ready to take on the garbage challenge. That's why we've compiled a list on "Garbage Disposal Etiquette" to help ease the pain of dealing with trash and to keep our Cedarwood members in compliance with the grounds policies. 1. Properly secure your trash bins. If your garbage can has handles on the sides and a lid, use a bungee cord to hook one handle to the other by resting the cord on top of the lid. If your can has no handles and a flip top lid, try placing a large flat brick or stone on top of the closed lid to make it too heavy for the critters to get in. If you have a metal can and are handy with some power tools, drill holes and attach a flip latch lock to opposite sides of the can. Install the other portion of the lock on the lid and snap it into place every time you take out the trash. If you have a couple hundred bucks laying around, you can also buy a "bear-proof" garbage can that requires a multiple finger opening trick plus some that lock with a key, others that use a combination lock. 2. Do not dispose of food before trash day. The way I see it, you can easily do this one of two ways, and please comment below if you have another way. First off, save an old plastic ice-cream bucket and keep it in your freezer. Anytime you have food kitchen scraps, toss them into the bucket and into the freezer. The day of trash pick-up, empty it into your main garbage bag and set out for the trash man. Second, the morning of trash day, go through your refrigerator and pull out any old leftovers and food that has expired. Toss in your main garbage bag and set out for the trash man. These two methods will keep your garbage from becoming your neighborhood squirrel's next meal and YOUR next mess! 3. Periodically wash out your garbage can. If your trash can has ever been raided and you failed to rinse it out immediately, I believe you know what I'm talking about. The horrid smell! If left too long, maggots will most definitely find their way into your can. Prevent this whole mess from happening by washing out your trash can periodically or whenever a critter makes its way into your trash. I personally like a bucket of hot water with bleach and dish soap, but if you have another method, feel free to share below. 4. Do not fill cans to the point of overflowing. Enough said. Recycle bins All this work on your home's garbage cans; we can't fail to warn you about your recycling bin. Proper disposing etiquette is important for recycling bins as well. Again, at our housing cooperative in Park Forest IL, we have plenty of raccoons and squirrels just waiting for us to slip up. With the beautiful forest preserve as our back yard, it is to be expected, however, we can seriously prevent it as a co-op if we work together. 1. Bundle recyclables and secure them. Placing loose items in your co-op recycling bin is prohibited because loose papers, bottles and cardboard can and do go flying as soon as you set it out on the curb. Place all recyclables in a bag, properly secured and set the bag inside of the recycling bin. 2. Clean out Recycle Bins. Just as we highly recommended washing out your park forest cooperative trash bin, we also strongly encourage you to wash out your recycle bin. The big problem here is bees and small critters/rodents. If a soda bottle was placed in the bin unsecured, and some liquid spilled out, watch out, the bees are coming! Just a small drop of sugary liquid can attract a ton of bees eager to get more. If you notice a spill clean it up right away to avoid an infestation and periodically wash the bin out to keep it clean. Members Only: Here's the serious get-down about the trash situation... Absolutely no household garbage is allowed in the court pickup area. A $25 fine will be automatically issued on the first offense for any garbage/refuse/yard-waste/pet-defecation-products. No warnings are issued. Fines double for subsequent violations. Violations are cumulative. Repairs to concrete and railings will be charged to members. Please, actively work on garbage etiquette whenever disposing of anything from your home. Do what needs to be done to keep our Cedarwood Coop looking its best. Avoid getting any fines by following the above recommendations for proper garbage etiquette. Thank you for your cooperation.

Don't me wrong, our housing co-ops are very large considering comparable units in the Park Forest, IL area. In fact, our 2 bedrooms, topping the charts at around 1500 square feet are very impressive in size, especially at a very modest fee of $450 or less per month in maintenance fees. But depending on where you are moving from or how much "stuff" you end up accruing over the life of your residency here, rooms can tend to get smaller and smaller as they fill up. Below, we've compiled a few ways that you can enhance your space to make it seem much larger than it really is. 1. Use multipurpose furniture to perform double duty. The perfect example is a coffee table with storage underneath or inside. A chest (typically found at the foot of a bed) actually makes for a great coffee table. It provides storage inside for extra blankets and pillows that might otherwise be clogging up closet space. A coffee table with a shelf underneath can showcase some of your favorite nick-knacks without using table tops space, making your room appear less cluttered and more open. Or choose a table on rollers to move from one area to another instead of having multiple tables in the same room. This frees up floor space and allows one table to perform double duty. 2. Go vertical! Install a book shelf near the ceiling to draw the eye upwards, making the room seem taller. This also allows you to get rid of one piece of furniture (a free-standing bookshelf) that takes up floor space causing a space to look smaller than it really is. 3. Hang plants vertically. Ok, ok, so the picture below actually makes the room feel cluttered if you ask me, but the concept is there. Moving plants from table tops to the ceiling or walls creates the illusion of more space. It draws the eye upwards, keeps the furniture looking less crowded and gives a pop of color naturally. Plants also give off oxygen which can purify the air, giving your space a fresh, crisp breath of fresh air. 4. Paint light colors on the walls and ceilings. Install light colored flooring (per management approval). Having light colored walls, ceilings and floors creates the illusion of a room being more open and airy. The eye tends to drift to a window instead of getting caught up on a dark wall making the room seem small. If bright white isn't your thing, try light grey, light blue or cream. Having light, neutral colors also allows you to play around with pops of colors in your furniture and accessories. Read more about pops of color to enhance your living space here. 5. Use furniture that creates the look of more space. Clear tables allow the light to shine through making a small space look more spacious and bright. Choosing a couch or chair with exposed legs allows you to see the floor beneath making the room seem more airy and bigger versus a couch that sits flat on the floor. Pick a table with one simple leg to keep the area open. You wouldn't think such a small change makes a big difference, but it truly does. 6. Place mirrors opposite of windows. Not only does this little trick increase the amount of light that shines in by reflection, it also gives the room depth and character. Try placing a mirror in the dining room of your housing cooperative and watch how it appears to extend the wall. Or place multiple mirrors next to each other to create a stunning piece of wall art that adds dimension, flair and depth to the room. 7. Choose minimalist, modern furniture. A simple, sleek chair provides the same purpose as a bulky lounge chair but takes up much less space. The clean lines it provides can make your room seem larger simply by taking up less visual space. Reduce the size of your dining room table. If you have an extendable table with extra leafs and more chairs than you use daily, store the extra chairs in your basement and bring out only when needed. Or just replace your old table that worked for grandma's huge house, but may not work now for you and your smaller space. 8. And finally, get rid of stuff. We all are victims to the impulse purchase of that cute little xxxx that caught our attention while walking by it at the store, but do we really need it? Cedarwood Housing Cooperative has a yearly community yard sale that creates a great opportunity to sell some extra things that are just collecting dust around the home. Use this time to spring clean your home and remove unnecessary clutter to free up space. Make a little extra cash and meet some of your neighbors while doing it. It's great fun. There you have it. Many ways that you can enlarge your space by making simple changes. Maybe you choose one, maybe you work on all, but whatever you do have fun. Remember any major repairs or remodels must be approved by management before hand. Always call the office just to check in and make sure. Then, have fun and send us some pictures! We love seeing what creative things our members have done to their cooperatives.

Not surprisingly, Nature has developed, over billions of years of practice, a way to reuse literally everything it produces. The feces from a bear helps to fertilize a berry bush. Fish poop helps grow marine plants which helps feed water-dwelling animals. A dead tree falls to the ground to become food for the plethora of bacteria, worms and insects living in the soil. The worms produce nutrient rich soil from their excrement which helps support almost every living plant on Earth. It truly is a beautiful thing when you think about it. Nature produces no waste. Humans on the other hand, are producing an astronomical and steadily increasing amount of waste per year and this is why we should care about recycling. In 2013, Americans produced approximately 254 million tons of trash, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Of that, only 34.3% was recycled, approximately 87 million tons. On the bright side, this number increased quite a bit since 1985 when only 10.1% was being recycled. (see chart below) (citation) Considering the environmental and economic impact recycling has, it's a wonder why more of us aren't doing it. (image courtesy of the EPA website) One example of a successful recycling "loop" so to speak is the aluminum can, as explained by Waste Management. "Americans currently discard about 2.7 million tons of aluminum each year...On average, Americans drink one beverage from an aluminum can every day. But we recycle just over 49% of the cans we use. Since the cans are 100% recyclable, we could drastically reduce the energy needed to produce brand new cans simply by recycling our empties. An aluminum can is able to be returned to the shelf, as a new can, as quickly as 60 days after it's put into your recycling container. Coast-to-coast, there are about 10,000 locations that buy aluminum, making it easy for Americans to redeem their used beverage cans for cash. In fact, recycling aluminum cans is a $1 billion/year industry in this country. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours." How cool is that...from pop cans! There are many ways that waste can be recycled or reused to extend the materials life and to reduce the rate to which the landfill fills up. I recently watched a video that highlighted the movement towards using shredded plastic, as an alternative to oil, to pave roadways. Remarkably, India has been utilizing this technology for over 15 years and has laid over 21,000 miles of plastic road thus far with very little sign of wear and tear even years later. “The plastic tar roads have not developed any potholes, rutting, raveling or edge flaw, even though these roads are more than four years of age,” observed an early performance report by India’s Central Pollution Control Board. We all have a social responsibility to do our part in reducing our waste consumption, finding ways to reuse items instead of discarding them and recycling. The beautiful thing is that by taking part in a global effort to reduce environmental pollution and waste, we create a lasting, positive effect for our future generations. When we work together to keep our original Mother clean, we ensure that our children's children's children can enjoy her. Reduce, reuse, recycle, it's all up to you! Here at Cedarwood Housing Cooperative, we offer complimentary recycling service so our members have the opportunity to do their part. A recycling bin is provided for every co-op home and we encourage our member-owners to use them. Recycling is conveniently picked up once per week just outside of the home and costs the members nothing extra (our low maintenance fees cover all trash/recycling services). With that said, some of us might not know how or what we can recycle. Fortunately for us, the Village of Park Forest has provided us with a great outline on what we can and cannot recycle on their website. Click here to find out what you can recycle now! To find ways to reuse old household items, read this article by One Green Planet.

Container gardening can be a very rewarding adventure if done correctly. Care and patience are required when developing your container gardening strategy just as an in-ground garden would. Some considerations when planting above ground are drainage, food, sunshine and compatibility. With the following tips, you too can create a stunning outdoor space without having to dig up your yard. Container Gardening Tips 1. Make sure your container has drainage or create some! Choosing the right container for the job can be so much fun. Don't limit yourself to store-bought pots or containers meant for plants. Think outside the box and brighten up your housing cooperative through the use of unique containers. Everything you can think of, just about, can make a great container for a plant. Think coffee cans, watering cans, laundry baskets, coffee mugs, soda bottles, metal pails and more. The options are endless! But, when you find the right container for the job, make sure you drill, poke or cut many drainage holes in the bottom. If your pot doesn't have enough holes to let out the extra water, your roots will likely rot and your plant can die. 2. Feed your plant. Plants in containers only have access to what you provide them. Therefore, if you do not feed them regularly, they will suffer. There are many options for plant feeding including organic fertilizer, liquid fertilizer, slow release fertilizer, bone meal, fish meal, coffee grounds, egg shells and more. If you are growing vegetables, I recommend choosing an organic liquid fertilizer or mixing half potting soil with half compost and feeding throughout the season. If you're growing flowers, make sure you get a fertilizer meant for feeding flower blooms. 3. Choose the right sun/shade location. Though pots are easier to move around than a garden, once filled with dirt, those pots can get very heavy. Choose your plants ideal location before you add dirt to save your back from all that heavy lifting. And though some recommend filling the bottom of a large pot with filler such as packing peanuts, rocks or wood chips, others do not recommend it as fillers can make retaining water difficult. Stick with a good blend of potting soil and compost and fill to the top to give your container the best head start. 4. Create visual contrast. Get creative with your pots. You don't have to settle with just one flower or plant per pot. Combining different heights, colors or textures with two or more plants in one pot are a great way to add contrast and color. If growing edible plants, combine for cooking! Plant tomato with basil and garlic. The garlic bulb will develop under the dirt, the tomatoes will bloom high above the dirt and the basil will stay mid level. This provides three variances in height, color and taste for a fun, festive container that will make for a tasty harvest at season's end. 5. Don't forget the fruit! Strawberries grow great in containers, in fact, they love growing out of the side of containers so they can hang. Line a laundry basket that has plenty of big holes (a cheap, flimsy one works perfect) with a burlap sack. Cut holes through the sack to match up with the holes in the laundry basket. Now fill with half potting soil mixed with half compost and plant the strawberry plants sideways into the side holes of the basket. Next, plant a blueberry plant on the top of the basket and wha-la, a fruit salad in a container. 6. Water regularly. Don't forget about your containers...ever... Plants in pots need extra watering by you as they are not able to soak up water from the earth as other plants can. Depending on where your containers are located, they may not even get the benefit of a good drink when it rains. If the pot is small enough to move temporarily when it rains, put it out under the sky to soak up rain water, then move it back to its permanent location after the rain. Remember it's best to water first thing in the morning or late at night when the sun is close to going down. This prevents burning of the leaves after being exposed to moisture and helps retain more water by preventing evaporation during very hot times. 7. Give them lots of love. It has been PROVEN that plants that receive loving kindness grow at a faster rate and harvest more successfully than plants who do not. In fact, one study done on the effects of negative talk to plants showed that plants exposed to negative thinking or talking, such as telling the plants they are ugly and stupid (literally this study did this) died after just a few weeks of all that bad talk. Another way to show love to your plants is to place decorative items throughout the outdoor space. Plants love mingling so give them a cute statute or two to keep them company, sing to them from time to time and don't forget to smile throughout your garden work. They will appreciate it all summer long and you will appreciate it come harvest time. The above tips and tricks should provide you with a great foundation to get started. Whether you have a green thumb or a black one, following the above recommendations should help you develop and maintain a beautiful container garden to enhance your housing cooperative space. Place containers on your porch, in your front garden bed, along your walkways or next to your door. Have fun and get creative. Have you done any interesting plant combinations in pots here at Cedarwood? Share below!

Have you ever driven past a home with just the right pops of color in the just the right places, clean lines and what seems like perfect edging? If your eyes were drawn to that home among many other so-so maintained homes along the same block, what you were experiencing is the positive effects of curb appeal. The smallest changes can make a huge impact when it comes to the exterior look of your home, even when nestled among rows of homes in a housing cooperative like Cedarwood. Drive down Dogwood or Cedar Street and take a look at the wide variety of ways people choose to enhance the front of their homes. The wonderful thing is that it doesn't take a huge financial commitment or a significant amount of time to make these changes that can make a big difference. Some may require management approval, such as a front door replacement, but because our management is also invested in the overall improvement of our housing cooperative, they're usually quite accommodating. Easy Ways to Enhance Curbside Appeal 1. Plant Flowers or Foliage. This simple, cheap solution can add tons of face value to your home and just so happens to be my personal favorite option. Not only do you get to boost the look of your home but you also get to play in the dirt and come-on, when has that ever been a bad thing! Think outside the box...plant a flower box, a front garden, an herb garden, potted plants lining the entryway, etc... 2. Camouflage Your Air Conditioner. This isn't typically a front of the home kind of enhancement but hey, back door guests are the best...or so they say. By camouflaging your air conditioner with a small white fence, a few tall potted plants or some yard ornaments, you can easily improve the backdoor entry experience as well. ( image courtesy of http://www.listotic.com ) 3. Have New Windows Installed. While this one is actually a costly one, the co-op has a great repayment plan for new window installs. This change can make a huge difference in the overall look and feel of your home both front and back with just a moderate increase to your monthly maintenance fees. It also makes a nice bright impression on the interior of your home as well. I can't tell you how many people have chosen to get their windows replaced and called the office after it was complete to express their appreciation. The co-op is currently accepting names for the window replacement program. Call for details. 4. Freshen Up Old Mulch. This simple, inexpensive trick will really bring about some fresh color to your front space. Try adding a bag or two or ten to your existing flower bed or create a new flower bed and add the ground cover. Choose the red gorilla hair variety for a bold statement or uncolored for that natural look. 5. Create Intriguing Pathways. This great example of an intriguing pathway is from one of our very own members here at Cedarwood. This member-owner created tons of curb appeal by alternating color and contrast throughout the front yard. As you can see, varying the height, color and texture of plants can make a bold and beautiful statement. 6. Use Geometric Patterns to Create Interest. This member created a fun, whimsical front yard by removing the sod and adding stone squares in a checkerboard design. While this look can require a bit more maintenance, it can also get your home noticed which is especially important if you are trying to attract buyers (note the flags...used for an open house, not as a yard decoration.. :) ) 7. Add Furniture for Function and Flair. Many local garden centers have a nice variety of compact outdoor furniture intended for patios and porches. This member found the perfect set that really contrasts against the brick for an amazing pop of color. Combined with some well-positioned foliage and you've got yourself a show stopper! So there you have it, some ideas to get you started but please don't stop there! We've been around a long time and seen a lot of different front yard designs at our housing cooperative, but no two yards are ever the same. When those creative juices get to flowing, anything is possible. If you have done something to enhance your coop's curb appeal, please send us your pictures!

If your tired at looking at the same old thing in your home, don't paint...accessorize! We know how easily home owners can get bored with their furniture, paint color or layout. But instead of wasting cash on new furniture or spending hours prepping and painting your home, we've compiled a few design suggestions to help you freshen up your space without a major financial or time commitment. 1. USE POPS OF COLOR INSTEAD OF BRIGHT PAINT In our experience, bright wall colors, such as red or yellow, are typically in style for 3 years or less. When you tire of seeing such bold colors in your home or they go out of style, it takes a TON of primer, paint and energy to tone them down a bit. Plus, if you live in a housing cooperative like ours, and choose to sell your home, bright colors can not only deter buyers, but can require you to have to paint on your way out. Instead, choose a neutral paint color from the beginning and focus your attention on small pops of color throughout the rooms using accessories such as rugs, curtains, pillows, pictures or blankets. A bright red set of pillows on a tan colored couch with cream colored walls will bring your eyes right to the pop of color. Add a Southwest-themed throw blanket and your room will be glowing in color. And when you get tired of seeing those red pillows, donate them and grab a fresh new color to give your room a totally new look. By choosing room accents instead of paint to add pops of color to your space, you can easily switch up your bright, bold style without breaking the bank or committing to a design concept long term. 2. REARRANGE YOUR FURNITURE This is such as easy fix to give your whole home a new feel. Even if you only rearrange your living room or dining room, the small (or sometimes huge) difference can be just the change you need to keep from going stir crazy! Experts recommend doing it once in the spring and once in the fall to align yourself with the changing of the seasons. This can also be a great time to do some deep cleaning and de-cluttering. Might-as-well, you've already moved the couch, now wash the baseboards and windows and clean out that end table drawer you've been meaning to do for months now. Spend just one weekend working on doing this and you are sure to come home feeling refreshed and renewed in the same old space. 3. BUY NEW CURTAINS While buying new curtains can be more of an expense that buying a throw pillow, the results are even more dramatic. You may be surprised at what a large difference new curtains or blinds can make on the overall feel and look of your home, especially in the winter time when curtains are closed more often then in the summer time. Choose a soft sheer curtain or find a funky bright pattern or buy a crisp white set of curtains and watch as the room transforms. To really enhance your space, learn about how color can effect your mood and choose a color based on how you want to feel coming home. 4. BUY HOUSE PLANTS Even a small pop of green can improve the look and feel of a home quickly. House plants are an inexpensive way to give your house a natural, earthy vibe without breaking the bank. Get a few and place them throughout your home to add a pop of green in what might have been a boring corner of your home. In addition to adding color to your space, plants also improve the air quality by providing much needed oxygen and help eliminate airborne toxins. Most are fairly easy to maintain, needing only weekly watering, yearly fertilizing and the occasional pruning. Using the recommendations above can really help you enhance your home's interior without spending too much time or money on improvements. It truly is the little things that can be done to spruce up your house and give your place a whole new feel. If you have any ideas on cheap, easy ways to add pops of color, a fresh new look or a new feel to a home, please, comment below!

Have you been in the market for an apartment? Or maybe you've already explored some home ownership options. Have you thought about becoming a member of a housing cooperative? Let's discuss the many benefits of becoming a private home owner below... First off, owning your own home is a great way to develop wealth. As time goes on, most properties increase in value. This financial gain can be a welcomed nest egg for the future or an opportunity to leave something behind for family. Home ownership provides a sense of financial security. When renting a property, the owner can choose to raise the rents to whatever amount he/she chooses. If you are not able to afford the rent increase, you may be forced to relocate. If you have to relocate, you may experience even more financial hardship due to the requirement of additional security deposits, first months rent and moving costs. Owning your own home provides the freedom of expression. While renting, most owners do not allow alterations to the home of even the simplest kind such as painting, nail holes or custom drapery. When you own your own private property, you can choose to alter your dwelling any way you wish. While a part of a housing cooperative, you may be required to report modifications to your home that could affect the structure or function of the home, but this simply ensures that all homes are structurally sound for future generations to come. Owning versus renting also provides more privacy. While renting an apartment, have you ever come home only to find a notice on your door or kitchen counter stating that management entered for this reason or that. I don't know about you, but I prefer choosing who my house guests are in advance. Of course the upside is that in a rental, maintenance has the ability to enter your home in an emergency to prevent additional damages to the property, but I still like the idea of letting someone in myself personally. And when you own your home, you have the liberty to do so. And don't forget that the interest and property taxes are tax deductible which saves you in the long run. So as you see, owning your own home can provide a wealth of benefits as well as the personal pride we often have in being able to call our private dwelling home. If you have any questions about the benefits specific to owning a home in Cedarwood Housing Cooperative, please contact us today. We are always able and willing to help.

When it comes to bathroom spaces, we've got some great ideas for you. What can we say, our housing cooperative was built in the early 40's when folks just didn't require as much counter space. Maybe they were going for quaint and charming or maybe they didn't buy as much junk as we do now-a-days! Nonetheless, our bathrooms provide a great space to use simple storage tricks like the one's below that can save you from the dreaded....messy bathroom. 8 Bathroom Storage Ideas 1. Hang an old drawer on your wall. See an old dresser left by the curb? Grab one of those drawers and get crafting! Simply apply some contact paper to the bottom of the drawer in a funky color that compliments your bathroom's style and hang for eye level storage with pizzazz! Leave the drawer pulls on for a truly unique look or remove them and give the whole drawer a fresh coat of paint. The possibilities are endless here! (image courtesy of Nesting Place) 2. Small Portable Cabinet. Whether you choose an open shelved unit like the one shown in the image below or an enclosed one, a small, portable cabinet can fit into the crevices of your bathroom, giving you storage right at your fingertips. 3. Replace Mirror with an upper cabinet. While it may seem like a minor change, switching out a flat mirror for a storage vanity above your sink can add a ton of storage you never knew you needed. It's a great way to get toothbrushes, toothpaste and make-up off your sink counter and out of view. Small change, big difference. 4. Use Stick on Organizers Inside Your Vanity. Because you already used our great advice and got an upper vanity cabinet, now expand it's function even more by purchasing these small, stick-on organizers that can easily hold lots of little trinkets. This can free up even more sink/counter space and even eliminate the multitude of storage baskets in your linen closet, leaving space for...you guessed it...your linens. (image courtesy of Plitt Original Design Systems) 5. Replace sink cabinet with a larger one. While this does require an "Alter of Dwelling Form" from the cooperative office, it's still a viable option to expand your storage space. And while you're doing it, treat yourself to a nice upgrade like this bathroom we did right before a new member moved in. A fresh new cabinet with some new bathroom flooring can take your look from shabby to chic quick. And while you may not believe it, a cabinet that's just a few inches wider and deeper can actually have a dramatic effect on storage space. 6. Use a shoe organizer for bathroom supplies. Fill a hanging shoe organizer with bathroom essentials and hang on the back of your door or on your shower curtain. Then, when you take a trip, just unhook, put in your suitcase and go! Portable, handy and saves counter space. (image courtesy of Camping World) 7. Install towel bars down the back of your bathroom door. Self-explanatory and a serious clutter reducer. (Image courtesy of Martha Stewart) 8. And finally, hang a second curtain rod in your shower to hang bath products. Fun and funky, this really is a great space saver. I personally do not like the below the shower head organizers, because they're a pain to clean around. Hanging a second shower rod off to the side of the shower, would solve this problem in a heart beat. Then, I could make all areas of the shower walls sparkle and still have my bath products handy. Bonus! (image courtesy of Good Housekeeping) Whether you choose only one storage trick or incorporate them all, the above bathroom storage ideas can really help you maximize your small bathroom space. Have you done something different for storage in your cooperative? Share with us through social media, email or leave a comment below!

While our co-op kitchens may be a tad small, they also provide enough space for the average family to do what they need to in their own kitchen. With that said, there are some excellent ideas on how to maximize a smaller kitchen space to stay organized and clutter free. Here are some of our favorites here at Cedarwood: 1. Install hanging baskets above your kitchen counter for small jar items or spices. This can double your storage and keep your counter clear for preparing food. Read more at No.29 Design. Now if you can find those exact same baskets, let me know because I want to do this in the next housing cooperative we convert. 2. Maximize your kitchen cabinet space by using pegboard inside your cabinet doors if possible. This idea was featured by the Food Network Channel and can work if you have the right type of cabinets. Check with your local handyman or cooperative office to see if your cabinets could be easily modified to accommodate this space saving idea! 3. Instructables offers this great idea for small kitchen spaces. By using magnetic baskets on your fridge, you eliminate the need for cabinet spice storage and also bring everyday items to eye level. This idea is great for any housing cooperative member and doesn't require any permanent holes which can help with your overall resale value. Plus, if you change your mind down the road, it's a simple tear down. Now that you have a few ideas on how to maximize the space in your co-op kitchen, I would love to see pictures on how you do it. Also, have you designed ways to maximize your co-op kitchen space? If so, leave us a comment and send us a picture. We would love to add your picture to our blog to show others.