Today I brought home a 2nd dog to my one bedroom condo. They are both rather small dogs, so I'm considering they take up about the same size as one big dog. A lady at work is going through a divorce and had to find new homes for 2 of her 3 dogs. Bonnie and Clyde are welsh pembroke corgis. Bonnie found a home first, so I took in Clyde. I find his name kind of awkward rolling off the tongue. He doesn't seem to answer to the name anyhow, so I'm calling him Sly short for Sylvester.

My family has had quite a few dogs, but recently we've been naming them "S" names. So it just fits. Sheena, Sebastian, Sophie, and now Sylvester.

Sebastian didn't get socialized much so he's a super anxious dog. I didn't want to make the same mistake with Sophie. She's got into two scuffles with two different dogs at the Condominium, so I thought getting her a playmate would get her used to the idea that the world doesn't revolve around her. Everyone is kind of skeptical of my decision, but I figured I'd at least try.

I researched how to introduce a new dog into the home, and how to take dominant dogs down a notch. So far it's been a success. We had Sly and Sophie meet at Teague park, a neutral area. They are still getting acquainted. If it turns out to be too much trouble taking care of two dogs, I've got the info on Sly from his breeder and can sell him or find him a good forever home.

One good thing has already come from it. Since Sophie saw Sly drink out of the water dish, she's actually been drinking from it today! She usually forgoes the water dish for the toilet.

I haven't been able to get them to sit close enough for a group shot, but here is one of me and Sly.

Last year I bought an upstairs one bedroom, 1 bathroom condo with quaint little landscaping and lots of parking. My windows give me a great view of the towering pine trees with unlimited growth room. But unlike the trees, I have limited space. Over the past year I have figured out some great tricks to make such a small space livable.
 
Here are some tips to make the most of every nook and cranny in your home, no matter how small.
 
Windows: Use floor to ceiling curtains. This will make the windows appear larger. During daylight hours pull back the blinds to let in as much natural light as possible. Bringing the outdoor scenery inside by opening the windows will let your sight travel rather than constrict your view to four walls.
 
Finding hidden space: Beds can be lifted to the highest height that is still accessbile. Bed risers can be found at Walmart. short oblong containers can fit underneath the bed. Use this for off-season clothes storage.
 
I store things like board games underneath my couches. Other things you might consider storing underneath the couches are things you don't use every day but might need accessble, like craft supplies, hand weights, or even old magazines or books you can't part with. Shallow boxes can be used to hold these things. Just slide the box out whenever you need something, and slide it back in when you're finished. To make the box more attractive in case it can be seen under the couch, I cover it in contact paper that is designed to line kitchen drawers.
 
Closets are a great storage asset if used right. It's become popular to line shelves with decorative storage boxes and tubs.I look for ones with handles to make taking things off high shelves easier.
 
To organize all the brooms, mops, swiffers and the like, there is a great gadget that has hooks and tension clips. I have it hung in my hall closet, but it would also work in the free space next to a refrigerator.
Another storage space commonly overlooked are doors! I've got something hanging on several of my doors, especially the inside of my closet doors. Instead of cluttering up the cabinet under the sinks with cleaning supplies, hang a shoe organizer on the door. This makes all your cleaning supplies visible and accessble.  If you have children or pets in your house, you may want to intall hook locks or some other baby-proofing to the door.
 
A closet door is a great place for a fold-down ironing board. On the adjacent wall simply hang a dock for your iron and spray bottles. Although the hooks are designed to hang a full-sized ironing board up, I use them for an easy place to hang a cloth laundry bag and measuring tape.
  And for all those delicates and days you want to save your energy bill by skipping the dryer, hanging one of these extendable multi-line laundry hanger in the bathtub is so convenient. This particular iron station is at Walmart.


Speaking of closets, you might consider doubling your clothes space by installing a second rod beneath the normal rod. Tension rods can be found at Lowe's.If you're unsure of how stable the rod might be, simply drill a small 1"x4" block underneath each end of the rod for extra support.For high shelves, store off season decorations and clothing, deflated air mattresses, wrapping paper, etc.
 
For suitcases, back packs, and all other bags you aren't using today, place them inside each other, and store out of the way in a closet or under a bed.
 
Remember, when looking for storage,  look wall to wall and floor to ceiling. Use stackable containers wherever possible, especially in the pantry and kitchen cabinets. Lazy susans are not just for dinner tables. I use them in my pantry and underneath my kitchen sink for quick access to everything on the shelf or in the cupboard.

A small step stool is invaluable for the person who likes to store things at all heights in the hosue. My favorite is the EZ Folds 12" Folding Step Stool that folds almost flat. It can be found at Bed Bath and Beyond and is super sturdy.

 
You might also consider a stemware rack. Since my cubboard space is limited, I've taken all my stemware and display it in my kitchen on the hanging stemware rack. I also have my coffee mugs hanging over the sink. You might also consider hanging your kitchen knives on a magnetic strip, as well as your serving utensils, ladels, and spatulas. Ikea is a great place to find these. Another great find is a collection of wire baskets with magnetic backing that can attach to the refrigerator to hold things like chip clips, bills, spare keys, coasters, or vitamins.


And for my newest favorite addition to my home: a very handy and space-saving vacuum cleaner. If you live on a small space and it is hard to move your furniture to vacuum on a regular basis, consider buying a canister vacuum. The wand easily fits under beds, couches, tables, and chairs (that is, if you aren't using that space for storage). It is light enough to vacuum your curtains, mattresses, upholstery, and air vents. I even use it to vacuum the tops of my hanging pictures and paintings. A regular vacuum cleaner only reached a small percentage of my condo. This powerful little vacuum was only $100 at Best Buy!



Try to de-clutter your space every season. Donate, donate, donate anything you haven't used the last six months or year. Chances are, if you haven't used it this year, you won't use it next year.