Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Shopping Local Foods - New Year's Japan Travel Day 8

       My husband and I traveled Japan during New Year's holidays. As I mentioned in my previous entry, we finally arrived at his parents' home in Fukuoka on January 2. After we enjoyed talking with his parents, we organized our old belonging which were in his parents' closets. We left too many stuffs in closets in their home when we moved to the U.S. from Japan many years ago.

       Next morning, we walked to the nearest local shopping and onsen facility. It's similar to Japanese roadside station, which is called michinoeki (道の駅). They are selling locally grown vegetables, Yame green tea, local pickles, bento boxes and so on. They also have onsen (hot springs) and a restaurant which serves local foods and beer. It only took us 7 minutes or so from his parents' home by walk. My mother-in-law often goes there to enjoy the onsen. When I lived in Japan, I also enjoyed the onsen there a few times. (I remembered that they had Yame green tea onsen at that time. I soaked in real natural green tea, but I'm not sure if they still have Yame green tea bath because Yame green tea leaves are too expensive.)
Yuzu Kosho
          I found that they were selling local yuzu kosho there. Yuzu kosho (ゆずこしょう, 柚子胡椒) is a spicy Japanese condiment made from yuzu zest, pepper and salt. My younger brother introduced yuzu kosho to me years ago, and I really loved it. That's why I decided to purchase one.
       They say that the yellow yuzu kosho is the spiciest one. Red one is perfect for Japanese nabe and gyoza, and green one is perfect for sashimi. I purchased this green yuzu kosho which was made by local people. It was 410 yen.
Green Yuzu Kosho

       My husband purchased some ohagi, which is traditional Japanese dessert (Japanese sweet rice coated with sweetened red bean paste.). We purchased cups of fresh brewed coffee from a vending machine and enjoyed them at a rest area.


       We also purchased one curry pan (カレーパン) and one an pan (あんぱん) there. While we were walking back to his parents' home, we had them. ;)


 
      This was the curry pan, a deep fried bun which has curry paste in it.

       An pan is a bun which has sweetened red bean paste in it. These tasted so good. :)



       We also went to a discount store and a supermarket nearby his parents home. I'll write about it next time



      These are my entries you might like.
2 Popular Japanese Onsen Bath Salt Products

Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Bath Salt Brands

What Is Yunohana? - Yunohana vs Onsen Bath Salt 


Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mug - Japan

What He Got at Haneda Airport, Tokyo International Airport - Japan Haul

Bic Camera at Haneda Airport Tax Free Service

Starbucks Japan Tumbler - Tokyo Haneda Airport Special Edition

What I Ate at Haneda Airport Domestic Terminal

13 Best Japanese Products I Purchased on Amazon Japan! - Beauty, Kitchen and Stationery Items  

13 Muji Products I Purchased in Japan - Muji Haul 

What You Should Take to Japan - Japan Travel Tips
 
3 Best Facial Sheet Masks Loved in Japan This Year

7 Best Japanese Beauty Products Hall of Fame 

Top 5 Life-Changing Japanese Beauty Products  

10 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon Japan, You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan



     My entries related to Tokyo can be seen here

     My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.
 

     My entries related to Japan can be seen here.

     My entries related to beauty can be seen here.

     My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.

     You can find my beauty entries by categories from here.



Friday, August 24, 2018

A Huge Box of Tabinoyado - New Year's Japan Travel Day 7

Tabinoyado

            My husband and I traveled Japan during New Year's holidays. As I mentioned in my previous entry, after shopping at the highway service area in Fukuoka, we finally arrived at his parents' home. My mother-in-law told us, "Welcome back! We had received a package from Amazon several days ago. What is in it? It's pretty heavy."  I had ordered this huge box of Tabinoyado (旅の宿), a popular Japanese onsen bath salt brand, in order to share them with her. You can check out my previous entry, 2 Popular Japanese Onsen Bath Salt Products, for more information about Tabinoyado. 
 

Tabinoyado (regular boxes)
              While regular size Tabinoyado has 13 packs of bath salt in each box like the photo above, the largest box I had ordered contained 94 packs of bath salt! That's why it was very heavy! If you are looking for the best Japanese bath salt, I recommend you to try Tabinoyado, which includes specific hot spring agents. You can purchase regular Tabinoyado bath salt at most drugstores in Japan, but it's not easy to find this largest box of Tabinoyado. I think that you can find this one at Costco in Japan during winter (or you can also order it from Amazon.). By the way, Costco membership card is valid at any Costco warehouse worldwide. With your Costco membership, you can enjoy shopping at Costco in Japan just like you do in your country. Just keep in mind that Japanese Costco only accepts MasterCard credit cards and cash. (Costco in the U.S. accepts Visa credit cards and cash.)
Tabinoyado
       I like the cozy pictures on the package. As I mentioned in my previous entry, the interesting pictures on the packages were drawn by Yasuhiko Kida (木田安彦), a woodblock artist from Kyoto. Yasuhiko visited each Japanese hot spring and made these unique prints for Tabinoyado.
Tabinoyado

Tabinoyado

Tabinoyado

Tabinoyado

       This largest Tabinoyado box had 11 kinds of onsen bath salt! :)  I took 22 packs from the box and gave the rest of them to my parents-in-law. ;) She told me that my father-in-law really loves Tabinoyado. :)
Tabinoyado

      After we enjoyed talking with his parents, we organized our old belonging which were in his parents' closets. We left too many stuffs in closets in their home when we moved to the U.S. from Japan many years ago.  Next day, we continued to organize our belonging, went to shopping and visited my parents home. I will write about it next time. :)
 


      These are my entries you might like.
2 Popular Japanese Onsen Bath Salt Products

Top 5 Most Popular Japanese Bath Salt Brands

What Is Yunohana? - Yunohana vs Onsen Bath Salt 


Starbucks You Are Here Collection Mug - Japan

What He Got at Haneda Airport, Tokyo International Airport - Japan Haul

Bic Camera at Haneda Airport Tax Free Service

Starbucks Japan Tumbler - Tokyo Haneda Airport Special Edition

What I Ate at Haneda Airport Domestic Terminal

13 Best Japanese Products I Purchased on Amazon Japan! - Beauty, Kitchen and Stationery Items  

13 Muji Products I Purchased in Japan - Muji Haul 

What You Should Take to Japan - Japan Travel Tips
 
3 Best Facial Sheet Masks Loved in Japan This Year

7 Best Japanese Beauty Products Hall of Fame 

Top 5 Life-Changing Japanese Beauty Products  

10 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon Japan, You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan



     My entries related to Tokyo can be seen here

     My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.
 

     My entries related to Japan can be seen here.

     My entries related to beauty can be seen here.

     My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.

     You can find my beauty entries by categories from here.




Wednesday, August 22, 2018

How to Cook Goya Chanpuru, Stir-fried Bitter Melon with Eggs

       Last weekend, I cooked this goya chanpuru, champuru, for dinner. Goya chanpuru (ゴーヤ チャンプルー) is stir-fried bitter melon with eggs and is a popular Japanese summer dish originates from Okinawa prefecture (沖縄県), the southernmost prefecture of Japan.  

What is goya?
       Bitter melon is called goya (ゴーヤ) or nigauri (ニガウリ) in Japan. As its name, it tastes bitter indeed. My grandmother used to cook goya chanpuru in summer because goya is summer vegetable, but when I was a child, I didn't really like its bitter taste. However, as I grew older, it became one of my favorite Japanese dishes. It's so delicious! ;) Why does goya taste bitter? It's because goya has momordicin, which has so many health benefits such as improving liver function, managing blood sugar level and blood pressure. It is also rich in vitamins, iron and calcium.   Did you know that it's very hot and humidity in summer in Japan? Summer heat makes you tired and causes a loss of appetite. That's why people in Japan want to eat nutritious foods to maintain their health during hot days. You can eat delicious goya champuru to stay healthy in summer. ;)







Varieties of Bitter Melon
     You can use any varieties of bitter melon to cook goya chanpuru.

Japanese Bitter Melons
Japanese Bitter Melons, Goya
      Japanese bitter melons are 20-50cm (7 to 19 inches) long and is dark green with a bumpy surface. It's very hard to find Japanese ones in the U.S., but if you are in Japan, you can find ones at most supermarkets in summer. By the way, some people in Japan grow Japanese bitter melon to make  natural blind (It's called goya green curtain) in their balcony (or right next to their house or building). The outdoor balcony shade made from natural goya leaves reduces heat during hot summer, and you can harvest plenty of goya from your goya green curtain. ;)




Indian Bitter Melons
Indian Bitter Melons
     Indian variety looks similar to Japanese one but is much shorter. Indian bitter melons are 6-10cm (2.5 to 4 inches) long.



Chinese Bitter Melons
Chinese Bitter Melons
     Chinese variety didn't look like a bitter melon to me at first. Chinese better melons are lighter green and have smooth warty surface. They are 20-30cm (8 to 12 inches) long. When I first had Chinese one, I was surprised that it tasted very similar to Japanese bitter melon. In the U.S., you can find Chinese bitter melons at most Asian supermarkets. That's why I usually use Chinese ones to make goya chanpuru.  



How to Cook Goya Chanpuru

Ingredients (Four Servings)
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
1/2 Pound of Pork (I used thinly sliced pork, but you can use any pork.)
2 Bitter Melons (Sliced)
3 Tablespoon of Miso Paste
3 Tablespoon of Ground Sesame Seeds (Optional)

3 Tablespoon of Mirin
1/2 Teaspoon of Sugar

1 Teaspoon of Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Hondashi

3 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil (for step two)
3 Eggs (Beaten)






1. Heat sesame oil and pork in pan over high heat. Stir-fry meat until it is thoroughly cooked. Then, add bitter melons. Stir-fry them for 5 minutes.





2. Turn off the heat. Add mixture of  miso, sesame seeds, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, hondashi and sesame oil. Stir them thoroughly.






3. Heat them over medium heat. Add beaten egg and stir it in. 





4. Serve and enjoy!



       These are also my entries you might like.
■How to Cook Miso Soup

■How to Cook Wafu Hoi-Ko-Ro - Stir-Fried Pork and Vegetable with Red Miso Sauce

■How to Make Warabimochi with Microwave Oven

■How to Cook Easy Teriyaki Chicken

■How to Make Japanese Deep Fried Chicken, Kara-Age

■How to Make Nitamago, Japanese Ramen Eggs

■How to Cook Naporitan, Japanese Pasta Dish

■How to Cook Japanese Curry

■What I Bought at Japanese Supermarkets

■Top 10 Products You Should Buy at Japanese Supermarkets (for Beginners!)

■Don Quijote (Donki) Haul - What He Got in Japan

■8 Interesting Japanese Kitchen Gadgets!

■Top 10 Most Popular Japanese Foods 


    My entries related to cooking can be seen here.

    My entries related to my favorite recipes can be seen here.

    My entries related to foods my husband cooked can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japanese instant ramen can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japanese noodles can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.
 

    My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan can be seen here


    ★You can find my recipe entries through my Pinterest.


Tuesday, August 14, 2018

5 Best-Selling Products from Kanebo KATE Tokyo, Popular and Affordable Japanese Makeup Products

Kanebo KATE Makeup Products

      Last month, I read an article in 2018 August issue of Biteki (美的), Japanese beauty magazine. The article shares the best-selling KATE makeup products. If you are an avid Japanese beauty lover, you have probably tried some KATE products already. KATE is an affordable makeup brand of Kanebo Cosmetics, which is one of the largest cosmetic companies in Japan. KATE have many excellent makeup products you should try. Today, I'm going to share five best-selling Kate makeup products with you. You can easily find Kate products at most drugstores in Japan, so if you are planning on visiting Japan, you should check these excellent ones there. :) 



1.  Kanebo KATE Double Line Expert LB-1 (ケイト ダブルライン エキスパート LB-1)
KATE Double Liner Expert LB-1
850 yen
Can be purchased at many drugstores in Japan

      KATE Double Liner Expert is incredibly popular eyeliner in Japan! KATE was selling their super popular Double Line Faker (It's previous version of this product.) for many years, and they just released this Double Liner Expert in February this year. According to Biteki magazine, 230,000 of this eyeliner were sold in three months! 

       As I mentioned in my previous entry, 3 Best Japanese Eyeliners, it's actually a breakthrough eyeliner, and it has been mentioned by many Japanese beauty bloggers and Japanese beauty magazines. Kanebo Kate is selling many kinds of eyeliners, but this eyeliner is very different from regular eyeliners. As you can see the photo below, this liquid eyeliner is very subtle brown.
KATE Double Liner Expert LB-1
     This is an eyeliner to make fake shadow to get beautiful double eyelid look. Just add a little line at end of your eyelid crease to look longer. Then, apply on lower eyelid and blend with your finger. It makes your eyes bigger but very natural.
KATE Double Liner Expert LB-1

KATE Double Liner Expert LB-1


KATE Double Liner Expert LB-1








2. Kanebo KATE Super Sharp Liner EX BK-1 (ケイト スーパーシャープ ライナー EX BK-1)

KATE Super Sharp Liner EX BK-1
1,100 yen
Can be purchased at many drugstores in Japan

       Kate Super Sharp Liner EX is also their best selling eyeliner. According to Biteki magazine, over 18 millions of this eyeliner have been sold since it was first released in 2005! This eyeliner won the best eyeliner award in Japan last year.
KATE Super Sharp Liner EX BK-1
      Kate Super Sharp Liner EX was created by KATE and Pentel, one of the largest Japanese stationery companies. Many people review that the tip of this eyeliner is well made and it's incredibly easy to apply. It's slightly lighter than typical black eyeliner, and it's perfect for natural look. There are Black (BK-1), Dark Brown (BR-1) and Bitter Brown (BR-2) you can choose from.
KATE Super Sharp Liner EX BK-1









3. Kabebo KATE Smoky Round Eyes OR-1 (ケイト スモーキーラウンドアイズ OR-1)
KATE Smoky Round Eyes OR-1
1,200 yen
Can be purchased at many drugstores in Japan

        KATE Smoky Round Eyes is their new natural shimmer eyeshadow palette. According to Biteki magazine, 650,000 of this eyeshadow were sold in just three months!
KATE Smoky Round Eyes OR-1
 
      They have six kinds of eyeshadow palettes you can choose from. It's very easy to get a beautiful bigger eyes look with one palette. The most popular one is OR-1, Energetic Bright Orange.
KATE Smoky Round Eyes
OR-1 Energetic Bright Orange
RD-1 Elegant Red
PK-1 Feminine Pink
BR-1 Stylish Dark Brown
GN-1 Chic Deep Khaki
BU-1 Mode Dark Navy






4. Kanebo KATE Designing Eyebrow 3D EX-4 (ケイト  デザイニング アイブロウ3D EX-4)
KATE Designing Eyebrow 3D EX-4
1,100 yen
Can be purchased at many drugstores in Japan

      KATE Designing Eyebrow is their popular eyebrow powder. According to Biteki magazine, over 17 millions of this eyebrow powder have been sold since it was released in 2001!  KATE Designing Eyebrow is also popular in Asian countries. 
KATE Designing Eyebrow 3D EX-4
       As I mentioned in my previous entry, 5 Best Japanese Eyebrow Makeup Products, one of the reasons why Japanese women love this product is that it can be used to contour nose. For eyebrows, blend the darkest color and the second darkest color. The lightest color is for nose contouring. Some people also use it as eye shadow. They have EX 4 Light Brown and EX 5 Brown, you can choose from. The most popular one in Japan is EX 4 Light Brown. Some people review that even if you have black hair, EX 4 Light Brown is good on you. As I mentioned in my previous entry, 14 Best Japanese Beauty Products I Purchased in Japan - Drugstore, Discount Store, Daiso and Loft Haul, I also purchased this EX 4 Light Brown and really really love it, and is one of the best Japanese beauty products I've purchased in Japan! It's perfect with my dark brown Asian hair.  
KATE Designing Eyebrow 3D EX-4





 5. Kanebo KATE Color Lip Tint Matte BE-2  (ケイト  カラーセンサー  リップティントN  BE-2)

KATE Color Lip Tint Matte BE-2
1,100 yen
Can be purchased at many drugstores in Japan

         KATE Color Lip Tint Matte is their new matte gloss. According to Biteki magazine, 420,000 of this matte gloss were sold in just two months!
KATE Color Lip Tint Matte
PK-2  Soft Pink → Coral Pink
BE-2  Sheer Beige → Pink Beige
RD-3  Deep Red → Bright Red

       The gloss reacts moisture of your lips, so the color of gloss transforms your own color on your lips.  Kate Color Lip Tint Matte has three kinds of colors you can choose from. The most popular color is BE-2, Sheer Beige (Pink Beige).

       Kate Color Lip Tint has two textures, Oil and Matte. The Oil one is glossy gloss, and Matte one is matte gloss. Some people review that the Matte one is perfect for natural day look, and the glossy Oil one is perfect for night look. :)
Kate Color Lip Tint
        These are Kate Color Lip Tint Oil, and they have four colors you can choose from. ;) 
Kate Color Lip Tint Oil
RS-1  Light Rose → Deep Rose
RD-1  Soft Red → Bright Red
RD-2  Sheer Red → Vivid Red
BK-1  Clear Black → Clear Red








      These are my entries you might like.
5 Best Japanese Eyebrow Makeup Products

3 Best Japanese Eyeliners 

Top 3 Best Heroine Make Products - Japanese Makeups  

Top 3 Best Japanese Double Eyelid Glue/Tape Products 

Top 3 Affordable Japanese Eyeshadows

Top 3 High-Ends Japanese Eyeshadows

Top 3 Most Popular Japanese Eyelash Curlers

7 Best Japanese Beauty Products Hall of Fame  

5 Best Japanese Facial Lotion (Toner), Kesyou-sui

4 Best Japanese Anti-Aging Creams And Serums 

3 Best Japanese Nyueki, Japanese Facial Lotion 


Top 7 Japanese Facial Sheet Masks That Rescue Your Dry Skin  
 
3 Best New Facial Sheet Masks in Japan 

7 Most Popular Japanese Facial Cleansing Wipes for Removing Makeup 
 

10 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon Japan, You Can Also Purchase Them at Drugstores in Japan

The Best Japanese Shampoo And Conditioner Won Beauty Awards in Japan - Kao Asience Meguri



     My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.
 

     My entries related to Japan can be seen here.

     My entries related to beauty can be seen here.

     My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.

     You can find my beauty entries by categories from here.


 



Thursday, August 9, 2018

How To Cook Easy & Healthy Pizza in Microwave Oven

      I made the healthy pizza (without pizza dough and pizza sauce) last month for my first time, and I really loved it. It's super easy to make and very delicious! I made it from a recipe of the 2018 August 2nd Issue of Orange Page (オレンジページ), Japanese cooking magazine. I've sometimes read it since I was a teen. ;) I really love Orange Page magazine because they have a ton of delicious recipes in every issue and very inexpensive (390 yen per issue). If you live in Japan and would like to learn cooking, I really recommend you to try this magazine. You can find Orange Page magazine at most bookstores and convenience stores in Japan. I think that reading a Japanese cooking book is probably one of the best ways to learn Japanese language and Japanese food culture for you. :)
Orange Page Magazine
      Anyway, I'm going to share how to cook easy and healthy microwaved pizza with you. I used a recipe from Orange Page magazine but changed the amount of its ingredients because I live in the U.S. (You know American green bell peppers are extremely large!)



Ingredients (2 Servings)
1 Green Bell Pepper (Sliced)
Nip of Salt and Black Pepper
1/2 Cup of Shredded Cheese
1 Tomato (Diced)


1. Put sliced bell peppers on the plate. Sprinkle salt and black pepper. Cover it with plastic wrap. Microwave it for 2 minutes.




2. Remove plastic wrap. Add shredded cheese and tomatoes. Microwave it without plastic wrap for 1 minute.





3. Enjoy!






       These are my entries you might like.
■ How to Cook Wafu Hoi-Ko-Ro - Stir-Fried Pork and Vegetable with Red Miso Sauce

■What I Bought at Japanese Supermarkets

■Top 10 Products You Should Buy at Japanese Supermarkets (for Beginners!)

■Don Quijote (Donki) Haul - What He Got in Japan

■8 Interesting Japanese Kitchen Gadgets!

■My Top 10 Favorite Japanese Snacks

■My Top 10 Favorite Japanese Sweets

■Top 10 Most Popular Japanese Foods 

■My Top 15 Must Eat Foods in Japan - My Favorite Japanese Foods

■How to Make Japanese Deep Fried Chicken, Kara-Age

■How to Cook Japanese Curry

■How to Cook Miso Soup

■How to Cook Japanese White Cream Stew

■How to Cook Soboro Don, Japanese Scrambled Meat And Egg Bowl



    My entries related to cooking can be seen here.

    My entries related to my favorite recipes can be seen here.

    My entries related to foods my husband cooked can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japanese instant ramen can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japanese noodles can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan Haul can be seen here.
 

    My entries related to Best Japanese Beauty Products can be seen here.

    My entries related to Japan can be seen here.




Thursday, August 2, 2018

Before and After Home Office - 5 Home Office Updates!

        My husband and I have been working on our home renovation. As I mentioned in my previous entry, we replaced old wall-to-wall carpet with new laminate flooring in our master bedroom, which is our home office now. Then, we continued to renovate our home office last month. These are the before and after photos of our home office. :)

              Today, I'm going to share with you five our home office renovation projects (and some walk-in closet updates) we did after installing laminate flooring last month. :)
Early July 2018




5 Home Office Updates!


1. Adding a Ceiling Light
     In this room, there wasn't any ceiling light fixture originally. In Japan, every room has a ceiling light, however, in the U.S., some houses don't have any ceiling light in a living room and bedrooms. My previous apartments which were built in 2008 and 2012 didn't have ones indeed. I guess that people in the U.S. love table lamps and floor lamps for those rooms. I told my husband that I wanted an overhead light in this room because it's a home office. At first, we were thinking about hiring an electrician, but he finally decided to do it himself. He also purchased this book, Black + Decker Advanced Home Wiring 5th Edition, to understand wiring. He told me that this book was very helpful.
Black + Decker Advanced Home Wiring 5th Edition

     He made some holes in walls and ceiling. Then, he wired for a new ceiling light.



     We purchased this flush mount light, Utilitech 19-in W White LED Flush Mount Light.
Utilitech 19-in W White LED Flush Mount Light
     Because this room would be our home office, we chose the 4000k, bright white, for lighting color temperature.
Utilitech 19-in W White LED Flush Mount Light




     This light is perfect for our home office!
Utilitech 19-in W White LED Flush Mount Light


      Then, he repaired the holes in drywalls. I cannot believe that there were holes in the walls and ceiling. He did a great job! ;)












2. Painting on Walls and Doors
Lowe's
       When he cut the holes in the walls for ceiling light installation, he kept a piece of drywall as sample of our home office wall, so it helped to find the right paint. When we went to Lowe's, we brought the piece of the drywall, and Lowe's staff created a matching paint color for us. :) We purchased this Valspar Signature Flat Latex Interior Paint for the walls.
Valspar Signature Flat Latex Interior Paint

     For the doors, we used this semi-gloss paint, Olympic One Tintable Semi-gloss Latex Enamel Interior Paint and Primer in One. This was the leftover paint of our master bathroom renovation. ;)
Olympic One Tintable Semi-gloss Latex Enamel Interior Paint and Primer in One (Gypsum OL133 N32)
       Fresh coat of paint helped the room so fresh and clean!





3. Replacing Old Door Knobs with New Door Levers

■Privacy Door Lever
       As I mentioned in my previous entry, Before and After Door Hardware - From Door Knob to Door Lever, we purchased Gate House privacy door lever for this room.
Gate House Privacy Door Lever


■Dummy Door Lever for the Closet Door
     For the walk-in closet door, we purchased this Kwikset Dummy Door Lever.
Kwikset Dummy Door Lever
     After removing the old door knob, I decided to install the new door lever. :)

Kwikset Dummy Door Lever

     I used this Hitachi codeless drill to make holes for screws.
Hitachi Codeless Drill

     Then, I installed it.

Kwikset Dummy Door Lever

       I did it!
Closet Door









4. Adding New Furniture
      We purchased some furniture at our local IKEA. At that time, IKEA was offering a rare $25 off a $150 + in-store coupon, so we could save some money. ;)  (Once in a while, they give away rare coupons on their official website.) We purchased BRIMNES Bookcase, LINNMON tables and ALEX Drawer units. Then, we assembled them.







5. Replacing Old Vertical Blind with New Horizontal Blind
      This room had old the vertical blind originally. I didn't like that slats of vertical blinds clatter against each other in a breeze, and they were too old, so we decided to remove it. 

    I enjoyed looking at a large palm tree from this window without any blind for several days. ;) 

      There are many styles of window covering. We chose blinds rather than shades or curtains because blinds have slats for adjustable light control. We finally decided to install new horizontal blind. We ordered this white blind, Home Decorator Collection Faux Wood Blind, from Home Depot.








Final Look!


       I put two table lamps with 4100k light bulbs for task lighting. I purchased these lamps, J Hunt Home Table Lamps, at our local Costco last year. The lamp features touch control turn it on and off.  

      The white magazine files and storage boxes are also from IKEA. They are FJALLA products and very affordable. ;) 
     The white artificial flowers, the white ceramic vase and the white stone pen holder are from T.J. Maxx. 








and Walk-in Closet Updates...
     We also installed new laminate flooring in this small walk-in closet and painted white on the walls.



■Ceiling Light
      He replaced the old ceiling light fixture, which had incandescent light bulbs, with new LED one, Progress Lighting Mini Flushmount LED.
Progress Lighting Mini Flushmount LED
  

Progress Lighting Mini Flushmount LED


    It looked similar to recessed downlight, but it's actually flush mount ligtht. He told me that it was very easy to install unlike recessed light installation. ;)
Progress Lighting Mini Flushmount LED


Progress Lighting Mini Flushmount LED


■Blind
Walk-in Closet (Before)
            The window of this walk-in closet also had vertical blind originally. To me, it looked odd to have a vertical blind for this tiny window. That's why we removed it. ;)
Walk-in Closet

       Then, we installed the new horizontal blind just like we did it for our home office window.
Walk-in Closet Window





      We finally finished our home office and walk-in closet renovation! We also finished our master bathroom renovation last month. I'll write about it next time. :)



     These are my entries you might like.
We Finally Installed Laminate Flooring in Our Master Bedroom!

It's Been A Year! - We've Done 17 Our Home Renovation Projects

New Bathroom Sink, Faucet, Toilet, Towel Bar and Paint - Bathroom Renovation 

Before and After Wet Bar Renovation - Install Backsplash Tiles, Replace Outlet, Paint Cabinets and Decor

Before and After Master Bathroom - New Shower Handles, Tub Spout And Shower Heads

Shower Tile and Bathtub Paints 

Before and After Door Hardware - From Door Knob to Door Lever

Before & After Painting All Cabinets

How to Install New Outlet Cover Plate - Hubbell Taymac Revive Decorator Wall Plate Review

How to Install A Spring Door Stop

Before and After Kitchen Flooring - Easy and Affordable Peel-And-Stick Vinyl Flooring! 

Built-in Trash Cans - Before and After


      My entries related to home renovations can be seen here.

      My entries related to flooring renovations can be seen here.