Flat update - 2!

One week before the planned date to move in and there are still a lot to arrange for the new flat! So to make sure that all is taken cared of I wrote a list of the things that need to be done in order for the flat to be habitable in priority order.

1. Since it was cleaned thoroughly by a cleaning service it was time for us to start moving things in. The first thing that absolutely needs to go in there are cleaning materials so as to keep it clean. So a broom, a mop, detergents etc... Remember it is easier to maintain an already cleaned house than to let things pile up.

2. Wash! In my parent's house I have gathered all the bathroom and kitchen towels and the bed sheets that I bought to take with me and we are washing them so as to take them clean to the new flat. This will save me time and I will be one step closer to moving in!

3. Take at the flat all the plates, platters, pots, utensils and kitchen items that you will be using and wash them. This is third on the list since I will have the cleaning materials AND the kitchen towels to dry them already there.

4. Moving the furniture in. Having chosen the furniture and the place they will go I have arranged a day when they will be moved in and assembled. Just make sure that they fit through the doors and stairs and that you don't need a fork lift. Additionally I have already taken a few items that need to be hanged from the walls so that they will take care of that as well.

5. Take all the extra devices / items you bought like a tv or a pedal bin.

6. Finally after all of these a final sweep and mop.

7. Last but not least is to take the clothes in. It is not necessary to leave it for the end. It is a good idea to begin right after the cleaning to take clothes starting from the ones you least need like winter or summer clothes depending on the season.

8. After all that is done there is one final thing to be done on the last day before you move in. Food shopping! Take basic and key things that you usually eat like rice and pasta that you can store for a period of time. More details in another article! :)

It's hard work but the more you get done before the easier it will be after you move in!

Healthy Low Fat Chicken salad

As the holidays come to an end another series of events is about to take place. A series of weddings from friends and family (notably my elder brother) approaches and I felt that it was time to start eating healthy to look my best for these events. So in light of the weddings the next few recipes I will be posting will be healthy and light! The total calories for this recipe are only 270 but the taste is that of a full fat meal! Just follow my instructions:

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast

1 Onion

4 Cherry tomatoes (optional)

Salt / pepper

Lettuce - about 6-7 leaves or more if you like

20 gr Mustard

40 gr Hellmann's Lighter than Light Mayonaise

How to:

1. Salt and pepper the chicken according to your liking. Take a piece of  aluminium foil and place the chicken breast. Peel the onion and cut the tomatoes in half and add  them on top. Close the foil and bake for 1 hour in 200 Celsius degrees.

2. Once baked remove from the oven, cut the chicken in stripes and allow for it to cool down.

3. Cut the lettuce leaves, add the chicken, tomatoes and onion and mix well. In a small bowl mix the mayo and mustard and add it to the salad. Serve and enjoy!

PS: If you really want to feel that you are not deprived of anything drink a coke zero or a sprite zero with the meal. You won't even know that you are on a diet!

Office desk with bookcase hutch

A very close friend of ours wanted a desk with a bookcase to put in a spare room. Being a 3D designer himself and a lover of industrial design he and George came up with a design combining a bookcase with a pull-out desk that not only can fit his many books and car models but also saves space with the desk being stored inside the bookcase.

So one fine day after planning and measuring the wall, George  ordered the material and constructed it. They went for OSB chipboard. Osb stands for Oriented Strand Board and is chipboard covered in wood flakes. Although it looks rough and unfinished it is anything but and is mostly used for industrial style. Additionally it is ideal for outdoor constructions like prefabricated store units. Just make sure that you buy the waterproof one.

Here is the plan they made with the right proportions for those of you with a similar sized wall.

After a long day of constructing and carrying (and 2 sandwiches provided by my friend's wife) this was the final result:

As you can see from the photo the desk has wheels so it can be easily moved around in case he has a customer and needs it in the middle of the room. Plus every inch of space is used as it even has storage space under the desk.

A perfect desk for a 3D designer!

If you too are interested in creating your own unique desk/bookcase you can contact us by e-mail. The design plans with a 3D image cost only 10 euro. If you live in Cyprus we can also give you a price for constructing one in the materials of your choice!

Flat update!

Almost there! It took a lot of effort to coordinate the jobs that needed to be done in our new apartment. Unfortunately the previous tenant left us with many problems to deal with. After writing all the jobs that needed to be done we numbered them so as to know which ones needed to be done first.

Firstly we went to the water and electricity companies to pay and get the contracts done. This was essential to be done first of all so as to get the electrician and the plumber next. They made sure that all was in working order and fixed / changed what was not. Additionally we gave the electrician our ceiling lamps to install them in all the rooms and bought led lamps to use.

Following that we asked George's dad who is a carpenter to change our doors in the kitchen, which were in a terrible condition, add a cabinet under the sink in the bathroom and fix a few shelves in the wardrobes.

Following that we brought a painter to treat some of the walls which were destroyed from humidity and paint the walls around the dining table area which were deep purple. Even though it was a very nice color it made the already small area look even smaller and darker. We therefore opted for a light grey color which made a huge difference. Here is a small preview of the area before:

And after:

Notice how much lighter the place looks? More pics will come soon when we start moving in :)

Finally what REALLY needs to be done before everything else is a good scrubbing and cleaning of pretty much everything. Since there are a lot of things that need to be cleaned I contacted a company that specializes in cleaning. I did this for two reasons: First of all, the place and especially the oven are too filthy for me to even go near them. Secondly, they have the right cleaning tools to do that. And a quick advice: I agreed with them that they will be paid once they are finished and I inspect everything and find them satisfactory. To do that I plan to take my mother with me who notices all the details ;)

That's all for now! In the meantime we are waiting for our vacation to start to recharge our batteries for the moving!

Lemon soda (aka Gkazoza) - Homemade and super easy! (3 ingredients!)

The other day, as we were returning from a trip to the mountains, George and I felt that we had once again eaten too much! Once we got home we realized that we didn't have any soda so I resorted to making one on the spot! It was so easy and refreshing that it made me wonder why we bother to buy them in the first place instead of just making them at home. It's cheap, easy and saves you trips to the market and space in the cabinets.

Ingredients:

Lemon squash (if you don't have any here's how to make some)
Cold Water
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

How to:

1. Take a glass and add some lemon squash. You don't need to use much as the baking soda will make it even sweeter. Add cold water. Leave about 1/5 of the glass empty.

2. Add the baking soda and stir fast for 5-6 seconds (you will see bubbles forming).

3. Enjoy!