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Our blogger today Ashyia Hill, shares with us how to upgrade your child’s room while keeping costs low. Read more…

Your child’s room starts out as an expression of your own personal tastes, since your baby or toddler isn’t old enough yet to really make choices about his or her room. As your child grows, though, he’ll want to change his room to suit his new interests and tastes. Giving your child some control over his own personal space is a great way to make him feel more comfortable in his room and, possibly, to take better care of it, too.

Choose Color over Themes

Themed rooms are all the rage for most kids. Little girls have princess rooms, and little boys have action figure rooms. The problem is that if you want to carry a theme all the way through, you have to buy everything – new furnishings, bedding, lamps and other accessories, window dressings, border for the walls, etc. It can get really expensive, and your older child isn’t going to want a themed room for long. When planning your child’s next room upgrade, work with color instead and work her own personal interests into the room with framed prints or posters and a few inexpensive accessories she picks out. Paint isn’t all that expensive, so your child can change the paint color every few years. For younger children, it’s a good idea to be part of the paint-choosing process, but older kids can be trusted to pick out their own paint color.

Invest in Sturdy Furniture Basics

As soon as your child outgrows his nursery set of furniture, it will be time to pick out new furniture. It’s really tempting to get fun beds for your little one, invest in some sturdy basics – a dresser or two (depending on the size of the room and the available closet space), a desk, a bed, and a night stand are about all most kids need.  Yes, you’ll end up paying more in the short-term for this basic furniture, but it will also last your child through college.  If you’re on a tight budget, charging good furniture on your credit card can actually be a good option. If you find good credit card deals, the card can give you better financing – and can be better for your credit in the long run – than store financing from a furniture store.

Upcycle, Upcycle, Upcycle

With the eco-friendly and living-on-a-budget movements that are running in society today, upcycling – taking something old and refurbishing it or repurposing it – is really popular. You can find tons of ideas online for upcycling bedroom basics, such as picture frames, lamp shades, and even furniture. Chances are likely that you can take basic accessories that are in your child’s room now and change them to suit the new room rather than replacing them completely. Many blogs specialize in giving readers new ways to upcycle furniture, lighting, and more, so check online for great ideas you can use in your child’s room.

Giving a child a space to call his own becomes increasingly important as your child gets older. Even if two siblings share a room, each sibling should have autonomy to choose aspects of the room, rather that be creating a little private corner that each gets to decorate or choosing individual bedding. As your child changes, so will her needs and expectations for a room. Luckily, you can use these five steps to keep room upgrades for your children within your budget.

http://www.creditdonkey.com/family-tips.html

David Davis is our guest blogger today and owns Davis Audio & Video, an 8 year old Chicago based audio & video company.  He specializes  in residential and commercial audio & video systems; home theaters, surround sound, music throughout the house, media rooms, smart homes, sports bars, board rooms and much more.  The focus of his organization is to make systems for his clients which are  clean and easy to use.

Organizing wires

Who isn’t just a little embarrassed when they look behind the cable box and see an ugly tangle of wires just staring back at them?  And you know it will only get worse when the next piece of electronic equipment comes out – cable box, blu ray, Apple TV, Roku, Xbox, Play station, Wii… I don’t know what is coming out next, but I know something is.  How about when the new wire is invented?  It used to be coax cable, then RCA, then S video, component video now we have HDMI; and we know more and more content streams over the internet, so I know more cables will be added to the mess.

So what do we do?    How do we clean it up so we don’t have to fear the Wire Monster?

Here are a few easy steps can help clean up:

Step 1 – Lets remove any wires that are not connected – Pull them out, even if you have to cut the wire to remove it from the tangle.  Lets be honest, there is no point in saving all the old wire.  I catch myself trying to save a wire, but really it is just sitting there 2 years later when I go to put something else in storage.  So lets cut the unused cables, pull them out of the tangle and THROW THEM OUT.

Step 2 – Make a quick trip to Home Depot where you can find zip ties and Velcro.

Step 3 – I know the wire is way too long, so lets wind up the excess wire – leave some extra and zip tie your bundle, not too tight that it cinches the wire, but tight enough that the excess is controlled.  Power cables are usually the culprits.  Do not bundle power cables with video cables (HDMI, Coax, Cable, Component Video, etc…) this could lead to other problems.   Cut the zip tie tails once the wires are secured.

Use the Velcro to bundle your video cables together.  Be generous when using the Velcro, it is very inexpensive.

These easy steps should make the wire monster much less scary.

To learn more visit…http://www.davisaudio.com/

or

http://colleenmt.hubpages.com/hub/Spring-Cleaning-How-to-Get-Started

For more information or to register visit here.  Hurry, space is limited!

Visit…

http://classes.cambridgenannygroup.com/Organization_for_the_Household_and_Domestic_Employ_p/camb-org.htm

James Toone of Range Hood Store is our guest blogger today gives us some tips on maximizing the kitchen space while keeping it stylish.  The Range Hood Store is a leader in kitchen appliances and offers a wide variety of range hoods. They have years of experience helping customers build their dream kitchens.

Kitchen designers typically start with the placement of the stove. Like the fireplace in a living room, the stove is the focal point of the kitchen. A triangle, drawn from the stove or to the refrigerator to the sink, denotes the major traffic zone of a kitchen. For a well-functioning kitchen, the kitchen triangle should remain unobstructed. The size and scale of the space should determine the number of cabinets. Ample storage won’t mean much if the kitchen feels too cramped to enjoy. Pull out drawers and organizers help make the most out of kitchen cabinets. When space allows, a kitchen island is an ideal storage solution that adds functionality and style to the kitchen too.

Designed For Convenience

An efficient kitchen is usually one that is as easy to clean as it is to use. To create a kitchen that adds convenience to your life, rather than additional chores, avoid high-maintenance materials, surfaces and appliances. Textured, fingerprint-resistant finishes on appliances instead of polished surfaces may be better for households with young children. Glass panels in cabinets can be stylish, but they require more frequent cleaning than solid-door cabinets. Wood counters may make the room feel organic and natural, but need regular maintenance.

Style Matters

With so many materials and products to choose from, it’s easy to lose sight of the kitchen’s overall style. A clear understanding of the decorative style that you find most appealing can help drive purchasing decisions. Some people like kitchens that feel cozy and welcoming. Others prefer a space that feels urban and chic. Getting the atmosphere and mood right helps create a kitchen that you will truly love to inhabit.

Finding room for all the features you want in your kitchen isn’t enough to maximize the space for optimum efficiency. Considering how you actively use the space is important, too. To ensure that have a kitchen that you’ll enjoy over the long term, create a space that works well for you and your family on a day-to-day basis. Naturally, you want your kitchen to be stylish as well, but a kitchen that functions beautifully is a joy forever.

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