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Guest Blogger # 9, Entry # 1, December 22, 2011

Today’s guest blogger Sarah Oxley gives us a little DIY article on how to repair Venetian blinds on your own and save money.

Sometimes blinds need repairing but do you really want to waste your money on calling a professional or buying new ones? It’s so easy to do yourself, especially with this handy guide.

Materials:

Replacement slats

Replacement lift cords

A window-sized work surface, i.e. large table

Ladder tape or ladder string

Scissors or utility knife. If working with wooden Venetian blinds then you will need a wood saw.

Lower the blind. Unclip the blind from the brackets and carefully remove. Place the blind on your working surface.

Remove end caps and the cover of the bottom rail. This exposes the ends of the lift cord and knots or clips securing it. If the blind’s ladders are being replaced then disconnect them now. If not, just disconnect the ends of the lift cords.

Replacing Slats: Pull the lift cords through the slats until you can remove the damaged slats carefully out of the ladders. Feed the replacement slats onto the ladders, before feeding the cord back through them. Reattach the lift cords to the bottom rail by tying or clipping them into place.

Replacing Lift Cords: Pull cords up to the head box. There are two pulleys at head box, pull the cords out of these pulleys, and feed the new cord into the head box. Pull one end of lift cord through the first pulley, then slowly feed the other through the second pulley. Feed the cords through the slats and secure them to the bottom rail.

Replacing Ladders: Position the new ladders near your blind. They act as a framework. Slide the pull cords out of the slats, and then slide the slats out of the old ladders and into your new ones. After removing the old ladders from the head box, attach the new ones to the tilt tube head box and bottom rail. Feed the lift cords through the slats and ty or clip them to the bottom rail.

Reinstall end caps and rail covers, and hang up the blind.

Guest Blogger # 8, Entry # 1, November 6, 2011

In this blog, lifestyle writer who shows us in this article how we can enhance the look and decor of our homes with some really effective tips  “Maria Mathers  finds wood watches for men and wooden watches for women intriguing this winter.”

10 Tips to Improve Your Home’s Interior

Not only can renovating your home be fun, but the ending results are something you can be proud of. Below is a list comprised of 10 tips to improve the interior of your home.

1. Recoat Front Door – The front door is the first thing anyone sees when they reach your home. Would a lusterless varnish in a neutral hue enhance your home and make it more unique than your neighbors’?
2. Renovate – If you are coating a kitchenette or restroom, the paint has to be appropriate for high moisture surroundings. If the chief coat doesn’t create the wanted appearance you may want to put on an additional coat.
3. Scrub Restroom – The first technique is using an old toothbrush and a patented cleaner to attack the grout. If the cleanser has anti-mold abilities it will help to breakdown the mildew and aid to keep it from resurfacing. Apply an upper coat of new grout and the restroom will appear fresh.
4. Wood floor – Inserting timber flooring enhances a vastly desired appearance to a room and is likewise an inordinate surface to have. Many floors basically snap together. Adhere to the maker’s directions to place the floor.
5. Wallpaper – Inserting a feature wall can enhance a very contemporary characteristic to any chamber and enliven your interior. Selecting a high-class denser paper will permit you to create an excellent result and a basic raised paper is a simpler selection than one needing corresponding designs. Be sure to abide by the maker’s directions when selecting adhesive.
6. Shelving –Shelves can be either bought ready-made or you can buy the supplies and make a shelf that will fit accurately. It is undeniably worth spending extra cash to get suitable eminent fixtures. When adding your shelf recall fastening it to the brackets to add additional firmness.
7. Coving –Coving is obtainable in several diverse supplies and prices. Polystyrene is the most inexpensive and simplest to install but requires more painting. It can be spoiled readily. The best class coving is prepared from plaster and needs less painting. It may likewise be bought in numerous realistic era flairs.
8. Internal Door – New homes are frequently tailored with mediocre – value internal doors. Enhancing the doors advances the look. Beautify the new door if it entails painting.
9. De-clutter –An untidy home seems tinier. Be practical about this project . Once one room is completed it will encourage you onto completion!
10. Hire a Handyman – If you have a listing of tasks you want to get done but don’t know how to do them, hire a handyman. Once there, confirm your entire list is completed.
    Now, sit back and enjoy your home!

Guest Blogger # 7, Entry # 1, October 27, 2011

Our guest blogger today is Margot McClelland who is a writer on the subjects of homes and lifestyles and she talks about managing clutter, tips on sorting through our belongings and solutions on keeping what we really don’t want to part with by providing some great self-storage resources.

Dealing with Your Clutter and Cheap Self Storage

If you are a U.S. consumer, you are probably coping with the clutter pandemic that has taken over most households. After filling up all your available space and every corner of your house with stuff, you may find yourself in a chaotic living situation. No matter what you do, despite many trips to Goodwill and thrift stores, there still may be too much stuff left behind. It may seem like there is no solution other than renting storage space. Unless you plan on living in a messy house, it is best to start looking at cheap storage to store some of your things away from your home.

If you can’t avoid renting a storage unit, you’d better do some research and get yourself the best deal there is. You first need to try to get rid of as much as possible before you store your things. Just retain what’s valuable to you, whether in monetary or sentimental terms. Recycle, donate, or throw away what you don’t really want or need. Then, determine what you need to look for in terms of adequacy of size, security, location, and additional services. Figure out how long you will need to use the unit and how big or small it should be.

There are several facilities that offer different rates, promotions, and discounts. If you are already aware of your needs, you can search for information about different self storage facilities provided by online aggregators like SelfStorage.com and SpareFoot. On these websites, you can filter search results by location, available unit sizes, corresponding rates, and promotions. If you narrow your search in accordance with your list of needs, comparing prices and other related considerations is less complicated.

Think about what size unit you’re going to need. Most small units are priced lower. However, larger, more expensive units may come with additional perks like free use of a moving truck. Many small units also offer discounted rates or freebies with extended lease contracts. Unfortunately, short-term lease contracts are less likely to be offered at discounted rates. You can think about paying a little extra for amenities like climate control, if you have valuable possessions that require it. Otherwise, don’t pay more for something you don’t need. There are also other features you might find beneficial such as sound safety measures, availability of moving truck, and the ability to drive up to units. Be sure to only pay for what you absolutely need.

Self storage will certainly bring back order to your cluttered house. It allows you to hold on to the things you don’t want to part with as well. Just exercise good judgment as you sort out your things, and remember to take the time to find the best deal!

Guest Blogger # 6, Entry # 1, October 21, 2011
  Our guest blogger today is Norma Zeiger,owner of Entwine Interiors and explains why organizing and designing go together. It is essentially the blending of decor and functionality she says in her article. To learn more about Norma and services offered by Entwine,click here.

Do you have a room in your house which is not used at all or not used for its intended purpose?  Are you constantly wondering, “Why don’t we sit in here or what is its function?”  As an interior designer, I’ve heard this line many times.  Usually the problem is not the room itself, but the stuff in it.  There may be too much stuff, uncomfortable furniture or inadequate lighting.

My role as an interior designer is not only to make spaces more beautiful but to make them more functional.  Spaces can not function for you if they are cluttered and/or the furniture is not arranged in a way that is usable and finally if it is not inviting and attractive.  My goal is to create cozy, modern homes.  What I mean by modern is streamlined, uncluttered and up to date.  Cozy means comfortable and inviting.  Your home is your sanctuary where you eat, hang out, do work, spend time with family and friends. A recent client of mine wondered why she didn’t want to cook more often even though she had a spacious kitchen.  Her kitchen was being used as a display place for her kids art work and counter space was piled high with school books and homework.  While a total renovation is not always needed, this kitchen was gutted and redesigned into a functional kitchen with a display wall and desk for homework.

So think about a room in your home that is underutilized.  First clear out the clutter and get rid of items you are not using.  Next think about what you’d ideally like to be doing in this room.  Look at your furniture—is it comfortable, is it too big and how is it arranged.   Hiring an expert can help you avoid mistake purchases and save you time pondering, procrastinating or rearranging furniture.  An interior designer will measure and draw your room in order to determine the best arrangement and scale of the furniture.  Once the furniture arrangement is determined it will be time to make the place attractive and comfortable.  Color, accessories and lighting will enhance the room to make it the inviting place you want to be in.

With proper uncluttering, furniture arrangement and accessorizing, your underused room can become the best spot in the house!

BEFORE                                   AFTER

Guest Blogger # 5, Entry # 1, October 17, 2011

Our newest guest blogger is Jennifer Morehead, an internet entrepreneur.  Her company, Lockboxer, is a revolutionized home inventory solution that helps people price out their stuff (like a phone or TV) in order to sell, donate, or make that home inventory.

What do you think about when you hear the words ‘home inventory’? Maybe you’re thinking back to a conversation you had with your insurance agent. Perhaps a friend mentioned it to you because they went through a catastrophic event and wanted to be sure you were protected. When I think about a home inventory, I think about all the benefits I get from making sure everything is organized and that I have a running total of the value of my family’s stuff.

I have this weird way of categorizing anything that crosses my path and needs money: is it an investment or an expense? Most items count as an expense (especially, sigh, my Rock & Republic jeans). With an expense, you pay money for it once and you get the experience of using it or wearing it but basically the dollar amount goes down after you use it. An investment will usually appreciate.

As I’ve gotten older, the shelf life on a lot of my expenses like clothes, purses, coats, and other items has gotten longer. But now that we have young kids, we’ve entered a phase where all of their stuff has a really short shelf life. Now we’re needing new clothes and toys and needing to get rid of the old stuff every 6 months.

In my ideal world I would run my home like a Gap or Zara store. Zara is famous for getting fresh inventory every 6 weeks and we know that the Gap is constantly letting us know we need skinny jeans, then boyfriend jeans, then boot-cut jeans, and then we’re back to skinny jeans (usually within a calendar year).

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could run your home like a retail store? You could have new, fresh items sprinkled throughout your home’s décor while efficiently getting older inventory out the door. You could easily keep track of your expenses and your investment pieces.

We’re aiming to help people create that type of efficiency with their stuff on Lockboxer. The Lockboxer tool starts with the price and helps people add as much detail as they want to their home inventory. Then they can sell, donate, or make that wish list for something new.

Here is to new organization techniques from knowing about the contents in your own home. Afterall, considering that the home itself is a family’s biggest investment and that the contents within it are usually worth 70% of the value of the home, the contents are something worth keeping track of! Enjoy knowing more about your things using Lockboxer. Please visit our website  to learn more at www.lockboxer.com.

Guest Blogger # 4, Entry # 1, October 13, 2011

In this blog, Luxe Life  owner, Lisa Ackerman tells us how to identify which items to donate and resale and simultaneously make some money,especially in today’s times when household budgets are tight. to learn more about Luxe Life read here….

With many Americans both downsizing and tightening their household budgets, the resale and recycling of products like clothing and home furnishings has become a growing trend – both online and through consignment resale shops. But deciding what to keep, what to donate and what to throw away can be a daunting task. While cleaning out your space,   remember these tips for item resale:

Resale prices are driven by labels – When looking to resell used items, the best prices usually come from products with well-established designers or makers. For fashion and home goods, high-end names like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Lalique and Baker Furniture always grab buyer’s interest. If your items don’t have a luxury label, be sure that the condition is good and that you give as much information as possible to the potential buyer. For online sales, sometimes creating batches or “lots” of similar items can persuade a buyer to spend the money for shipping and increase your chance of a sale.

Vintage doesn’t always mean classic – Just because something is old, doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily timeless. Fashion trends recycle, but matching your timing with the current style du jour can be difficult. The best selling items are usually classic basics by well-known designers.

Does your item have a story? – The more information you have on background of a product, the better. When was the item purchased? Where? If you did not make the initial purchase, who did?  Information and photos are essential with online sales, where a buyer cannot actually see or touch the product. And once you provide information, you must…

Be able to back-up your claims – Authenticity is one of the key factors in getting the best price for your recycled items. Buyers want to be sure that the item they’re purchasing is really what you claim it to be. Receipts can be great proof of original sale and high-end labels often include authenticity certificates with their products. Also, remember that eBay and other online marketplaces have serious fines associated with counterfeit and fraudulent product sales.  If you’re working with an auction house or resale company, most will only take items that have proof of authenticity.

Keep your pricing expectations reasonable – Remember that the second you walked out of a store with a purchased product, the value decreased significantly. With the rare exception of certain collectibles and vintage items, most used resale products will only sell for around 10% – 20% of retail value. Also, the people shopping for resale items are usually looking for a deal, so even items with the original store tags still attached will usually not have an equivalent resale value.

You can always ask for help – If you’re still stuck on how to estimate a product’s value, or if you just don’t have the time to put in all the effort, there are many companies with services to help you research, authenticate and sell your items. Appraisers often charge a one-time fee per item, while consignment companies usually take a percentage of the item’s sale.

Guest Blogger # 3, Entry # 1,  September 29, 2011

Elizabeth Retton from  DVD Copycat, shows you  how to store and keep your precious memories alive!

If you asked a random stranger what is most important in life, he or she would likely cite family as number one.  Most people find that the close bonds of family provide their main source of joy and fulfillment in life.  So you’d think they would do everything possible to preserve their precious family memories for future generations.  And yet, most people do very little to ensure that photos, videos, and heirlooms are safeguarded for their children, grandchildren, and so on.  Although almost all of these items will degrade over time, there are very few people who take the steps necessary to protect and preserve them properly.  However, it doesn’t take much to keep these memories alive for generations to come.  Here are a few ways to do so.

1. Digitize photos and video.  Old photos will fade, yellow, or suffer other damage over time, and analog videos (those on 16mm film or video tape) have a very limited shelf life when they aren’t properly stored in a climate-controlled environment (which most home movies aren’t).  But you can easily make them last indefinitely by digitizing them.  For photos all you have to do is scan them into your computer (and create a backup copy on disc).  Videos will be harder to manage on your own, but there are many transfer services that can do the job for you.
2. Write a family history.  You no doubt have stories that your parents or grandparents tell that you love to hear over and over again (like the time your great-grandfather disappeared into the Amazon jungle and came out with the oil rights to tribal lands and the shrunken head of an enemy tribe as a gift).  The problem with stories that are passed on orally is that the details may change over time.  If you want to make sure these stories maintain their integrity for future generations you should definitely write them down.  Or better yet, interview the source (older relatives) for first-hand accounts to chronicle.
3. Take it to the cloud.  If you’re sick and tired of making copies but you want to make sure that every member of the family has access to documents, photos, and videos, then think about joining a cloud service that will allow you to share with other members.  There are many such services popping up on the web and they offer a secure place to store your files, as well as the ability to share them with everyone in your family (without having to make any more copies).
4. Preserve heirlooms.  Photos and videos may have sentimental value, but heirlooms like jewelry, art, and furnishings may come with monetary value, as well.  In order to ensure that these items are just as valuable (or even more so) when you hand them down, take them to specialists that can clean, repair, and preserve them properly.
5. Make a plan for disasters.  Part of safeguarding family memories is ensuring that they are protected from the unexpected, such as home intruders (thieves) and natural disasters (flooding, fire, etc.).  With large items like furniture, the best you can do is insure them.  It won’t compensate you for the emotional loss, but at least you’ll get the monetary value.  As for smaller valuables, they could be kept in safety deposit boxes if you’re really worried about losing them.  And when it comes to photos and the like, having everything stored on a portable hard drive is the way to go.  You don’t want to face an evacuation situation carrying loads of photo albums because you didn’t take the time to go digital.  More information available here……

Guest Blogger # 2, Entry # 1,  August 27, 2011

Paul Kaufmann at Shred Spot writes about about how to securely dispose off important papers and files and recommends time saving solutions in our latest guest blog.

What do you do with all of those old files, receipts and other important papers sitting around your office or home?  They take up needed space but you don’t want to throw them out since we’ve all heard the stories of people rummaging through garbage cans and dumpsters looking for personal information to steal.  You could buy a personal paper shredder but do you know how long it will take to shred all of your papers at 3-10 pages a minute?  Hours or even days!  What about those staples, paper clips and binder clips?  Gotta remove them too!  Even if you have it running smoothly, it will overheat and need to cool down before you can finish your shredding.  Ok, so after hours of frustrating work you now have bags of shredded paper (remember how many times you emptied that little personal shredder?).  What will you do with that?  Putting bags of shredded paper in your garbage just tells the thieves which bags to steal.

Looking for a better solution?  Use a commercial paper shredding and recycling company.  There are companies that provide drop-off and pickup service and they usually have much smaller minimums or none at all in comparison with the on-site shredding companies.  These companies charge by the pound or the box and can shred hundreds or thousands of pounds per hour.  Another advantage is that the shredders they use are very powerful and can tear through staples, paper clips and binder clips as well as cd’s, credit cards and floppy discs with no problem, so you don’t have to waste time cleaning up all of your papers. Learn more…

Guest Blogger # 1, Entry # 1,  August 24, 2011

If you are looking to install your own spa or hot tub in the comfort of your own home, here are some tips from our guest blogger Amrita Chakraborty on how to do so safely, while maximizing storage.

Does the idea of relaxing in a hot tub entice you? A refreshing soak in your own spa can be a fascinating experience. Installing an enclosure for your spa or hot bath can be a good idea for a number of reasons. Let’s discuss these in details.

Safety and protection – Just installing a spa won’t do! You need to keep it protected from the harsh elements of weather like the rain and the snow. This is when spa enclosures can prove to be advantageous. If you keep it locked, it can also prevent any accidents.

Style and comfort – These enclosures come in a variety of designs and are sure to enhance the style quotient of your home. All you need to do is choose one that complements the home décor. These also offer you privacy and comfort.

Storage – If you choose an enclosure that features additional space you can utilize it to store things as well. All your spa cleaning tools and equipments can be kept inside. You can also opt for hot tub enclosures that have space for setting up a waiting area, a cabinet for towels and bathing accessories, and so on.

Look for the details when you are out shopping for such enclosures. The features of the enclosure, the space available, the size, the materials used and many such factors determine whether it would be suitable or not.  The elegant enclosures are perfect for any home. Available in unique designs and fashioned from pine, cedar or vinyl, these enclosures offer the perfect blend of elegance and utility.

Install these and enjoy an evening soak in your personal spa to relax and unwind all by yourself. Or you can invite all your friends for a small party complete with a rejuvenating soak in the spa and refreshing drinks to complement the experience. The options are endless; all you need is a little bit of creativity and some tips from Home Decorating Guides blog!