So I moved recently! Still in Philly but in a different part of the city (which I’m OBSESSED with). My roomie Danielle and I have been there a little over a month (crazy–time is going so quickly!) & it’s finally starting to feel settled/like “home.” If you’re anything like me, a move or big change always motivates me to purge things I don’t need anymore & buy pretty new things (Okay maybe I’m using moving as an excuse to splurge at Target, don’t @ me). It also made me reflect on things that I really liked about my old apartment & find things that could have worked better. I’ve gotten some really cool apartment/home decor things recently that I’ve been loooooving so I figured I’d share! Disclosure: you don’t have to move to re-do your space ;) 

Fun-Size Diffuser

I’ve been wanting a diffuser for a while (some of my friends have them & rave about them). For those of you not familiar with diffusers, basically they’re small air humidifiers that use water + essential oils to purify the air and add a nice scent. Most of them don’t use heat (just mist) and turn off automatically so it’s worry-free. They’re also super soothing–it’s basically your personal aromatherapy. Anyways, I finally got around to buying one and I LOVE it. I did a lot of research but ended up getting this one from Amazon because it was 1. affordable and 2. small/neutral to fit any space. I also like that it has two settings: constant flow of mist or intermittent steam for 6 hours (5 seconds of mist, 3 seconds off). It’s also so easy to use–just fill it up with water to the max fill line, add 3-5 drops of essential oils & plug in. That’s it. It also turns off automatically once the water is gone. Currently I’ve been using lavender at night to sleep and energizing orange in the morning (you can get a “starter pack” essential oils here). If you’re looking for an eco-friendly, cheap & soothing way to make your space (bedroom, office, even car!) smell good, 10/10 recommend.

A great alternative to Cable: Chromecast

Yo, cable is EXPENSIVE. And for someone who never, ever watches TV shows live (exception: Villanova basketball games), it’s kind of worthless to spend upwards of $100/month on a cable package. Additionally, wifi is included in our rent (#blessed) so not trying to deal with Comcast at all if I can help it. That’s why Danielle and I opted for Chromecast. First of all, it’s $35. Second of all, it’s super easy to install (plug it into your TV’s USB port, download the app & connect to wifi). Once it’s installed, using your phone apps or computer, you can “cast” whatever you want to the screen, including Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, YouTube, whatever you pull up in Chrome web browser, etc. AND anyone connected to the wifi can connect to Chromecast. So if I’m watching Netflix and Danielle wants to show me a song, I can easily disconnect & she can connect to her Spotify. It’s a great alternative if you mainly rely on streaming services for entertainment & don’t mind going to a bar/friend’s house to watch live sporting events (again read: Villanova basketball).

Affordable Wall Hangings

In our living room, we have a lot of wall space (which is good and bad). Good because we have a lot of room for creative decorating, bad because a lot of white space definitely has to be filled (bare walls = cold/feels like a hospital). Luckily, there are a bunch of bloggers/websites that have free~ downloadable/printable wall art! Big shout out to The Cottage Market for these ADORABLE state prints (we did three–Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey to represent our home states/current state!) I had three black frames already and I think printing these in color were like $2 total aka the cheapest way to decorate a wall.

Related: How to solve common apartment problems. 

An Instagram-Worthy Wall (For Cheap)

Also in our living room, we have a HUGE white wall that Danielle appropriately deemed the “Instagram Wall” (I used to have one in my old apartment–remember the gold dots?) However, we were struggling with how to decorate it/make it photo-worthy (for cheap lol) We finally had an epiphany moment when we were in the craft store and saw those cute “Cheers” banners you usually see for bridal showers/bdays. We thought it would be cool if we could create customizable banners for any occasion. So we looked on Amazon and bought this “banner kit” complete with gold letters, numbers & twine (and hello, it’s $14). Best part is, we can put up any phrase we want (“Let’s Get Lit” was for our housewarming LOL). Super easy, super fun, super Instagrammable. 

The Cutest Tote

Okay this isn’t *technically* an apartment thing but it’s sorta related. (Side note: big shout out to my mentor/friend Dana for knowing me well enough to buy me a champagne themed tote bag ;)) Living in the city, I walk a lot & usually need a tote to carry groceries/random things. This one is the perfect size & obviously super cute. Dana got this for me in Disney/Epcot, but can find similar champagne-inspired totes here, here & here.

What are your favorite apartment things? Would you guys be interested in an apartment tour blog post? Let me know in the comments! &.