Most of us have heard of spring cleaning, but what about winter organizing? Extensive home cleaning or reorganization doesn’t have to take place only once per year. If you tackle the project twice yearly, it will make it all that much easier when you do tackle it. The more often you take stock of what you have and what would be best for you to do with it, the less time it will take to get your house in order when it’s needed.
Add to Your Storage Collection
You can truly never have too many storage solutions. We often have more than has to be stored away during winter because of all the time we spend indoors. Books, magazines, movies, video games and piles of warm clothing tend to accumulate during the colder months. Storage doesn’t have to mean unsightly plastic containers in every corner of your house. There are many solutions for storage that can be used as furniture or room accents, so that your items can actually be stored in plain sight. For items that you keep under the bed, in the closets or in the garage rafters -- plastic bins with lids that secure tightly are your best options.
Put Rainy Days to Good Use
When fall and winter roll around, there is usually more to clean and organize because of all the time spent outdoors over the summer. Between camping trips, visits to the pool and out of town vacations, it’s hard to find time for major home reorganization. If you live in a warm climate, the heat and humidity also makes a good case against any hard work. Therefore, when the cool weather comes in, it’s suddenly a great time to get the house in order. On those rainy days when you can’t find anything to do, spend a couple hours going from room to room, putting things back in their place and setting things aside to get rid of. This brings us to the next item.
Donate Instead of Saving for a Garage Sale
You could set aside all the items you no longer need, making a storage space for them and keeping them until late spring or early summer when you have time for a garage sale. However, you are only going to take up more room in your home and garage. You may also increase the chances that you end up hanging onto the item in the end, since it will be sticking around where family members can bring them back out into “existence”. Consider gathering all these items and taking them to a local thrift shop where the proceeds are donated to a charity group such as the poor or elderly. They will be out of your home (for good) and better yet, will go to a good cause.
During times of economic struggle, it can be tough to manage a tight budget. Utilities are one area of the budget that most of us have very little wiggle room…. or so you think. While you can’t completely discontinue your water, electric or garbage service, there are a few ways you can trim the budget. We all know that installing energy efficient light bulbs and investing in newer energy efficient appliances are great ways to save money and the planet at the same time. But what if you’ve taken those steps and still need to save a few bucks?
Set a Timer and/or Limits
When it comes to watering your lawn, this may sound like a no-brainer. However, consider the energy and money you will save if you limit your microwave use, the length of time in the shower, or the amount of television you watch each day. Avoid unnecessary use of appliances by wearing clothes more than once before washing if possible, or doing full loads of laundry instead of several smaller loads. Keep computers turned off at night and unplug unused appliances and electrical equipment. If you use a lot of electrical equipment, the cost just to keep them plugged in can add up quite quickly. Turn off your printer and the radio that you leave running while you sleep, and you would be surprised how the pennies saved will add up.
Do Things the Old Fashioned Way
One family recently cut out use of the microwave and dishwasher for a full month and noticed a dramatic drop in their utility bill. If you can, try cooking the traditional way, washing dishes the old fashioned way, and drying clothes as they did before dryers were invented. Obviously this isn’t ideal for everyone, but if you are on an extremely tight utility budget, you may need to make these tough choices. This might include making cuts that you would have never previously considered. When money is tight however, we learn what is truly necessary in this world.
Evaluate Your Usage and Make Cuts
The best way to lower your utility bills is to diligently study your statements for a few months. You can usually identify areas where you can greatly cut back. For instance, perhaps you go over a recommended electric usage each month, and that “extra” is charged at triple the normal rate. Striving to stay inside the recommended usage can save a considerable amount each month. You may decide to turn down the hot water heater or adjust the thermostat. Though cable and internet are considered necessities by some people, they are extras that you can live without if you needed to. Consider what you really can live without and make the necessary cuts.
With the cold weather season upon us, home across the nation are beginning to turn off the air conditioner and swamp coolers and turn on the furnaces and stoking the fires. Many homeowners don’t stop to think about the safety of heating their home during these cold months, but there is much to consider. Young children are especially at risk if adults carelessly bring unsafe heating equipment into the home, or fail to properly teach their children the safety of being around heat and flame.
Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector
Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer because its fumes often go undetected until they build up to deadly levels. Entire families have become victims while sleeping at night. The fumes cause tiredness, and then unconsciousness. About the only way to escape its deadly effect is to install a carbon monoxide detector. It will pick up levels that are far below toxic so that you are aware of any leaks long before you start to feel the effects, at which point you are probably going to be unaware anything is happening. You may not think that carbon monoxide poisoning can happen to you, but it is as highly recommended as a smoke alarm. Why risk your life?
Use Space and Floor Heaters Carefully
Electric central air, propane and other gas heating can be so expensive. Many homeowners tackle this problem by turning off the thermostat and plugging in a space heater. Some people are still using heaters that have long been banned or deemed unsafe by various safety agencies. Each year, too many babies and young children are seriously burned or even killed by space and floor heaters. Some irresponsible parents even bring outdoor barbecues or other heating elements indoors in order to facilitate cheap winter heating. Do not risk your children’s lives by trying to save a buck or two. If you use indoor space heating, be sure to check that the unit is rated for indoor use, and keep it in a location away from the reach of young kids.
Fireplace Safety Precautions
Traditional wood fireplaces can be an inexpensive source of heat, especially for small to mid-size homes. One cord of wood at under a couple hundred dollars can last an entire winter, and considering that many people get their wood for free by cutting it down themselves, this type of heating can be very affordable. However, fireplaces can be dangerous to keep going, even if a woodstove is installed. Be sure to teach your children fire safety and caution them against the heat of a woodstove. For open flames, be sure to keep a safety gate or guard up to prevent small children from reaching or falling into the fire. Children do not need to learn what hot vs. cold is by getting literally burned.
When it comes to decorating your home, whether for the first time or the tenth, you may come short when it comes to ideas. Before you go spend money on an interior designer for tips and hints, do your own research and make note of the ideas that will work for your living areas. It is both possible and practical to get ideas for decorating from people you know, websites you trust and television shows you enjoy. Making a living room look like a million bucks doesn’t need to cost a million bucks.
The following are a few tips to get you started when decorating your living room.
Choosing Your Colors
The common homeowner may have trouble figuring out how to choose colors for their new decorating project. However, there is a very simple trick that even professional interior designers use when it comes to choosing a color palate. Simply take an existing piece of furniture, or perhaps a new piece that you will be buying, and choose colors from it. For instance, your multi-colored sofa, that beautiful new framed wall print or that glass blown bowl sitting on your coffee table might hold the answer. Choose neutral colors for walls and carpet, and bright, bold colors for accents as not to be too overpowering.
Furniture Arrangement
Many rooms in a home necessitate the furniture arrangement to be a certain way. If you’re lucky, you have several options when it comes to arranging the seating in your living room. If you have a fireplace, you can place a sofa and recliner on a wall beside it, or even several feet directly in front of it. If your room is large enough, it’s a bold look to place two sofas facing each other, with a focal point on the wall (such as the fireplace) between the length of them. Arrange seating evenly throughout the room and be sure to use furniture that is neither too large nor too small in proportion to the room itself. In addition, using too many and too few pieces of furniture can throw a room’s look off.
Inexpensive Wall Decor
Many homeowners spent countless choosing floor coverings, decorative accents and furniture arrangements -- only to forget the most noticeable part of the room -- the walls! The good news is that after spending money on your decorating project, you can still afford to cover those walls with beautiful hangings. Look for prints at a local poster or art shop and frame them yourself for less money. Consider using eye catching designs from used calendars and framing them. Some walls may only need one or two framed items, especially if you’ve already accented that wall with a color other than the other walls in the room. Framed family portraits are also a good wall covering choice.
Painting the walls of a room are a great way to bring a new look into a drab living environment. For very little money, an entire look can be created with a few gallons of paint. However, if you have ever stepped foot into a paint store, you know the color choices are endless. Without even considering the color options, there are many paint finishes to choose from, from flat to glossy.
Depending on what room of the house you’re painting, how often the room will be used, and whether you have lots of tiny little hands around your house, you might prefer a satin paint over a matte finish. Though one finish may look better than another on sample, take into consideration how often you will need to wash the paint surfaces.
Matte - Paint with a flat, dull appearance is referred to as having a matte finish. Paint of this type won’t reflect light, so it is perfect for touching up blemished wall areas. However, it can also scratch easily. Therefore it is not recommended for walls that will need thorough or frequent scrubbing.
Eggshell - With a very small hint of gloss, eggshell paint finish is similar to the texture on an egg, hence its name. Perfect for rooms that will need cleaning, but with less vigor or frequency. This finish tends to give walls an upscale feeling, making it perfect for guest powder rooms or adult library retreats.
Satin - This interior wall paint finish has slightly more gloss than eggshell, and is most often used for doors, trim, window sills and kitchen cabinets. It can be used for walls as well, but doesn’t stand up to scrubbing as much as semi-gloss paint. It’s the prefect choice for an elegant looking baby’s room or the formal dining room.
Semi-Gloss - Perhaps the most popular interior paint choice, semi-gloss paint stands up well to washing. It is a good choice for bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms. The gloss of this finish allows for easy wiping of the spills or crayons markings that kids leave behind. However, it tends to show blemishes more easily when walls are not properly prepped.
Glossy - Interior walls pained in gloss or high gloss are very rare, though more homeowners are choosing it to paint a special room, or accent small areas of a room -- such as kitchen cabinets. Gloss finishes are easy to wipe off, though the paint itself will make all imperfections stand out. Surface prep is therefore very important.
Choosing paint for your next remodeling or decorating project can be a daunting task, but knowing a bit about what is available before you go by is the best way to prepare yourself. If you do your homework and know what you need, your only worry will be picking the perfect color to go with the room’s furnishings.
Many families do not think about what they would do during a home emergency until a devastating event happens to someone we know and love. Unfortunately this is not the best way to learn what not to do. While it is easy to learn from others’ mistakes, why take the chance that it is your mistake others will learn from? Be prepared for a fire, flood or other natural disaster which may turn a regular day into a nightmare. Walk away alive and you will see just how important taking the time to plan really is.
Valuables and Important Documents
It’s most important to have a plan for irreplaceable valuables and important documents. Items such as family heirlooms, expensive jewelry, birth and death certificates and family memorabilia should have a special place in the home. If you keep these items near each other in a specific location, it will be easier to locate and evacuate them in case of an emergency that leaves you time to gather belongings. Remember that no life is worth any material thing, and your life should never be risked to re-enter a dangerous home in search of such belongings. Though some things can never be replaced, nothing is worth the loss of life, even if it means having to leave animal friends behind.
Escape Route and Exits
Emergency planning is so important that police and fire personnel begin visiting schools to teach children as young as kindergarten how to practice safety. Older children are often asked to speak with their parents and draw out a detailed emergency evacuation plan in case of fire of other incident. It is so important to sit down as a family and come up with an evacuation plan, with escape routes and alternate exits. If children’s bedrooms are located on the second story, the children should be taught how to open the windows and remove the screens. A safety rope ladder is important to keep in each upstairs bedroom, in the case the window is the only available exit route.
Who to Call and Where to Meet
A part of every emergency plan should include notes on who to call once the emergency situation has been identified. For instance, should children take the time to call 911 if there is a fire? These are things that should be discussed ahead of time so that children do not get confused in the event of an evacuation. It is often safer to leave the home and make phone calls from a neighbor’s home, though children may not think of that. It is also important to choose a place off the property for each family member to meet. This way each family member can leave the home on their own, feeling secure and sure of where to find the others.
he holiday season without thought to our daily needs. This easily and quickly leads to stress that can completely ruin the holiday spirit. Thankfully there are ways to avoid the holiday stress meltdown that accompanies too much money spent, not enough time to shop and rude customers flooding the malls. If you are looking to get through this Christmas without the huge headache of what to buy, where to go and when to be there, use the following simple tips for staying calm and collected.
This New Year’s, you are going to be refreshed, instead of simply ready for it to all be over.
Make a List, and Yes -- Check it Twice
What’s the first thing you instinctively do when you need to get organized? That’s right - make a list! Taking the time to sit and make a thorough list will help you get through the holiday. Use a spiral notebook and make note of all you will need to keep track of, and cross it off as it gets done. Writing things down as you think of them will keep you from forgetting until the very last minute, which is typically what leads to stress.
A few ideas include:
• The people you need to buy gifts for • The parties you get invited to • The stores you need to visit for gift buying • When you will get and decorate your tree
Calendar and Budget Your Time
Be sure to keep good track of your time. It’s easy to say you will do your gift shopping on a certain date without looking at the calendar. During the holiday season, days fill up with activities quickly and they can easily be forgotten. Think of the parties at work and get-together with friends and family. Don’t forget time to address and write out holiday cards, as well as some time to take the yearly family portrait. Try not to schedule yourself to thin. You may think it all sounds like fun at the time, but when you become stressed and overloaded, you will begin to regret some of the commitments you made.
Hire a “Mother’s Helper”
If you have children at home who are old enough to help around the house with chores, they would probably love to help you get ready for the holidays. Allow them to put labels on Christmas cards, punch out the sugar cookies, or put tape on the packages as you wrap them. If you don’t have anyone around who can help you, consider spending a few dollars on a mother’s helper. Junior high or high school students who are home on holiday break would likely be happy to help you run errands or help with chores around the house so you can get your holiday planning in order.
With the economy in the slumps and consumers leery to spend their hard earned money, it’s hard to imagine a very merry Christmas. However, it’s still possible to spread the joy that comes with gift giving when you use a few tips to get your through the holidays while on a tight budget. Even the most frugal college student can afford something small for his or her parents if certain guidelines are made - and kept.
Here are a few ideas for staying in budget this holiday season.
Whittle Down the Shopping List
Often out of guilt or a feeling of necessity, we buy endlessly each year for the people we know. Brothers, sisters, cousin, aunts and uncles and even distant relatives end up with a gift because you’re afraid they’ll feel left out. This year, try limiting who you purchase for. Together with your entire family, decide to have a “Secret Santa” gift exchange, where each person draws another name and buys only for that person. Or decide to only buy for each others’ children and leave the adults out of it. Chances are, everyone else is on just as tight of a budget and will be happy to try something new.
Stick to a Monetary Guideline
Although you may have cut the list of people you are shopping for, you should still limit what you buy for those people. Having only two people to buy for will not save you money if you spend a $100 on each. Give yourself a budget for each person and be sure to stick to it. For adults, you will find that $40 will go far, while you can find good buys for children in the $25 range. Some inexpensive ideas for adults and children include books, board games, movies, magazine subscriptions or music. Resist the urge to go over budget. The gift recipient will be please to receive anything, and will not be thinking about how much your gift cost you.
Bake Instead of Buying
One popular alternative to gift giving is backing homemade gifts instead. Nobody complains about receiving a tin full of Christmas cookies and fudge. Buy a few empty decorative tins, some wax or parchment paper, and some colored cellophane wrapping with ribbon. You can find these items everywhere during the holidays. Though the cost of all the treat ingredients may seem high, consider how many tins of goodies you can make for less than half the price of buying gifts. Making cookies and bars and fudge is also something the entire family can get involved with. Children will love helping out, and you can truly say your gift is given from the heart, from all of you.
Austin’s exciting and colorful night life is one of its major attractions for tourists and residents alike. But after the clubs, concerts, or bar-hopping, the age-old question always arises of where to eat after midnight when most traditional restaurants have called it quits for the night. While Austin is not “the city that never sleeps,” it’s still possible to find great food when you’re dining late, no matter where the evening’s entertainment winds up.
For breakfast anytime, day or night, the Kerbey Lane Café offers a variety of Mexican-influenced choices. Eggs, bacon, and omelets top the menu, joining more traditional diner fare like burgers and sandwiches. Health-conscious night owls will enjoy the wide range of salads, while the popular fajita platters are available in beef, chicken, or Portobello mushroom varieties and are the perfect choice after an evening of live music and cold brews. An extensive dessert menu adds the finishing touch to the meal.
The Dog & Duck Pub offers classic English and Irish pub fare, including shepherd’s pie and Scotch eggs; fish and chips and onion rings are especially recommended at this Austin establishment. Open until 2 a.m. with a limited menu, be prepared to share your space with a variety of dogs and their owners. As its name suggests, the Dog & Duck is dog-friendly, so it’s best to watch out for the water dishes on the pub floor, especially after a long night of drinking.
Katz’s Deli is open 24 hours and serves up traditional New York delicatessen fare, from bagels and lox to a wide array of sandwiches and salads. Dinner selections include the half-pound beef bacon-wrapped sirloin filet, freshly grilled salmon, and a variety of knockwurst and sausages with sauerkraut. Corned beef and cabbage with boiled potato will appeal to the Irish in the crowd, while potato pancakes are always a favorite among the deli’s diverse offerings.
For late-night barbecue, Sam’s Bar-B-Que offers the full range of smoky goodness. From brisket and ribs to sausage and mutton, Sam’s serves it up hot and spicy until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, 2 a.m. on Sunday night and weeknights. Sam’s signature Salsa Chicken is a revelation, while his Carolina Pulled Pork is smoked for 16 hours over an oak wood fire and then spiced for that authentic flavor. Baby back ribs are slow-marinated for a rich burst of flavor, and then slow cooked over a low oak flame. Garlic bread accompanies all orders, and sides include potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw and chili beans.
Serving Asian food until 2 a.m. every day except Sunday, 888 Vietnamese Restaurant serves up authentic Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai food in a skillful blend of classic and contemporary flavor profiles. Along with the traditional spring rolls and pho, 888 offers a number of vegan-friendly menu items and chef specials. American-influenced Chinese dishes like General Tso’s chicken are excellent but predictable, but the wide variety of Thai curries steals the show.
After a night out enjoying the multitude of cultural and entertainment options Austin has to offer, visitors will be glad to know that a number of local restaurants are available to serve the late-night crowd. Austin is certain to have something to satisfy every taste, be it for entertainment or for dining options, even after midnight.
Going through a home improvement project is often an exciting time for homeowners. Many people want to have their dream homes but cannot afford them at the time they are ready to buy a house. They instead purchase a fixer upper, and decide later to renovate and improve the structure. Deciding to undertake a home improvement means moving closer to that dream home, and you may decide to commemorate the experience by recording the event in a scrapbook.
If you are interested in creating a scrapbook to record your home improvement project, consider following the steps outlined below.
Take Pictures Before, After and During the Project
The decision to scrapbook an event needs to be made well before the event even takes place. Though it is possible to put together after the fact, making a memory book of your home improvement would not be the same without before and after pictures of your home. Throughout the project, be sure to take photographs of the rooms in which you are working. If you are doing a kitchen remodel, remember to take shots at each stage of the improvement. Keep in mind what your final product will look like when taking pictures. If you want to create a scrapbook page about your new maple cabinets and granite countertop, you will want ample photos of the demolition and replacement.
Purchase Appropriate Scrapbook Supplies
Once the home improvement project is complete and all your pictures are taken, go through them to get an idea of how you want your scrapbook to look. Grouping photos together by page idea (e.g. bathroom, kitchen, counters, etc.) will help you know which scrapbook supplies you should shop for. You will need a 12x12 quality album that will allow you to add extra pages, should the included amount be insufficient. Papers of the same size should be chosen by coordinating colors in the paper to colors in the photos. There are a variety of stickers and other paper adornments that you can choose from that will greatly enhance your scrapbook pages. Colored fine tip pens made especially for scrapbooking will help you record memories alongside the photographs.
Assemble the Scrapbook
There is no right or wrong way to put a scrapbook together; it all comes down to personal preference and your individual creativity. Many people use scrapbooking tape to secure the paper directly onto the pages, then arranging their cropped photographs on top. Adorning the page with “extras” such as stickers and cutouts comes next. Most people leave lettering and writing on their pages as a last step. Be sure to write a rough draft on a piece of paper first, since you will want to use permanent pen directly on your pages.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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