Category Archives: Home Tips

Organizing an Overpacked Home

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Is your home overflowing with unnecessary items? Do you feel too overwhelmed to even begin working on your house? Are you tired of not knowing where to put all of your things? If you answered “absolutely” to any of these questions above, know you’re not alone and we would love to help you. Ideally, you will find yourself reorganizing your home at least once a year. Every year we see ourselves buying more miscellaneous items and belongings to fill our homes to their brink. To help you achieve maximum organization and function, we have created a guide for organizing an overpacked home. Let’s take a look! 

How to Organize an Overpacked Home:

Search for Storage. Storing your items is the only way you will get them out of sight and out of mind. Decorative pieces can be left out, but things that do not serve a daily purpose should be stored away.

Clean out Your Cabinets, Closets, and Drawers. You can find a lot of unnecessary items tucked away in your cupboards. A best practice in organizing is clearing out your built-in storage containers before adding more items. After you have cleaned out your available storage, take advantage of these spaces that are provided by your house. You can then begin to put things back into your drawers and closets.

Buy Storage Containers. There is an array of home furnishing items that add style while providing storage to your home. Pieces that optimize storage and style are:

  • Bookcases
  • Benches
  • Baskets/Bins
  • Coffee Tables
  • Desks
  • Dressers
  • Vanities

Organize in Style. Organizing your home does not necessarily mean marking each item with a label and placing it into a clear container. Organizing your home can allow you to add more to spaces than you previously had. Things to consider:

  • Home offices hold a lot of storage potential. Having an office in your house will also help keep your home organized. You really only need a desk to make a space your home office. Once you have a desk, consider everything you have the potential to store in it:
      • Mail and letters
      • Notebooks
      • Office supplies (pens, pencils, paper, scissors, tape, etc.)
      • Books
      • Computer/Laptop
  • Pets tend to have a lot of their own belongings. Make a section in your home designated for their items. You can install a shelf or a cabinet to hold all their belongings. Storing the items up high is mutually beneficial; it guarantees your pet cannot get into something they should not, and you can decorate the piece to your liking.
  • Pet items can easily be stored in places like the garage or basement to help you maximize the use of your high-traffic areas.
  • Kids’ toys can be everywhere sometimes. Chests/bins are a stylish piece of furniture that can store your little one’s toys and activities.

Ultimately, the key to organization is cleaning. You must clean out your home before you can begin to organize it. Now is the perfect time to get started on cleaning out your house. Keep in mind, you do not need to throw everything away! Let us know how your organizing project turn out!

Building a Home Gym on a Budget

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We are living through an uncertain time where the coronavirus pandemic has closed many businesses temporarily to prevent the spread of the virus. In a society where social distancing and home quarantine is becoming the norm, it can be very challenging to reach some of your fitness goals. In fact, many gym-goers have no had to create their own personal at-home workouts to help stay proactive and healthy during these challenging times. If the gym has been part of your structured lifestyle, you probably have been brainstorming ways to stay healthy at home. This factor is why many homeowners have decided to create their own home gyms. However, it will not take long for you to realize that creating your dream home gym is not always very budget-friendly. This factor is where proper planning comes into play. If you are planning on building a home gym, here is everything you need to consider:

Budget

The one variable that can be the most limiting is your budget. It is essential to create a realistic budget before tackling this project. As you explore the realm of home gym equipment, you can start to gather an idea of what the prices are for gym equipment. Going into any project without a plan can wreak havoc on your wallet, so before you buy, start to round up some prices of what you may want. You also want to consider, not everyone loves training at home. Gyms will eventually reopen. Do not blow your budget on something you may only facilitate for a month and never again use.

Space

Once you have determined your budget, you can begin to purchase your equipment. While equipment may fit your budget, it may not fit your home. Gym equipment can be bulky and need extra space to keep safety at the forefront. Maybe some equipment dimensions fit your space; however, do you have adequate space to perform exercises safely and properly in those dimensions as well? This factor is why it is good to consider multi-purpose equipment. Your home may not fit a squat rack, bench, and cable machine. Yet, Power Racks or other options can have multiple functions. Likewise, it may not be practical to invest in a whole dumbbell set. This is great for commercial gyms yet not always ideal for home gyms. You may want to go a more practical route and buy adjustable dumbbells or a couple of different pairs you will use.

Personal Goals

Lastly, determine your personal goals. Home gyms can take a little creativity. What did you do when you went to the gym? Consider your workouts. If you did Pilates or yoga, do not invest in a powerlifting home gym. Likewise, if you prefer free weights, do not invest in machines you will never use. This can be a big mistake! It may be wise to buy just enough to get started. Decide if you like the setup and can workout at home. After a week, you may decide the environment is too challenging for you, or you need to invest more. These tactics can help save you money.

Home gyms are great to have, whether gyms are closed or not! This investment is a great way to convert an unused garage or basement to a more facilitated room in your home. Remember to stick to your budget and consider your space. These are tactics that will help you buy once and enjoy reaching your personal goals.

Hidden Storage Ideas for Your Home

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Whether you are looking to hide expensive belongings or just clean up your environment, hidden storage compartments are great to incorporate into your home furniture. Plus, there are hundreds of hidden storage furniture options available today. So do not keep your valuables out in the open any longer, here are five great ways to hide your valuables in your home:

Mirrors and Pictures

Mirrors and pictures are sleek, low profile storage options to use. You can invest in mirrors and pictures that open with storage behind them. You can even go a step further and put a safe in the wall with a picture over it. Hidden cabinets installed behind the mirrors is a way to keep a cleaner bathroom as well to store your daily hygiene care.

Coffee Table

There are so many clever storage coffee table ideas to put into your home. The key to proper hidden storage is hiding your stuff in plain sight! A coffee table with secret compartments not easily seen is excellent for tucking away valuables or even money. Smart designs can make drawers only open while clicking hidden buttons. Find the design that best suits what you are trying to conceal.

Concealed Locker Columns

A modernized trick can be investing in a false support column with hidden storage. There are many different interpretations of this clever design. You can do it during the construction of your home or add a false column later. These hidden wall compartments may look ordinary to the untrained eye but are perfect for hidden your loved belongings.

Floating Shelf

A floating shelf with hidden storage is a great way to protect smaller belongings. This minimalist design can also be used to tuck away unwanted cords or cover outlets. Investing in floating shelves is a great trick to hide away a plethora of small trinkets and gadgets without being noticed by everyone.

Headboard

You may want to keep your valuables near you while you sleep. Having a hidden storage headboard is perfect for helping to hide valuable items. This system will allow you to sleep with ease, knowing you have your important items nearby. Plus, headboard hidden storage can be a fun, easy do-it-yourself project or something you purchase for the perfect design.

Hidden storage compartments are great to help you hide all your valuables. Integrating these tricks into your home is a great way to also free up clutter. So, protect your belongings today by investing in hidden storage compartments.

Creating a Designated Sick Room for Cold & Flu Season

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Being sick can be a total drag on your daily routines. It not only affects us physically, but it can be emotionally disheartening as well. Fortunately, we can take some precautions to avoid illness; however, sometimes the inevitable catches up with us and bed-bounds us for weeks. Besides exercise, nutrition, and health habits, we can take other defenses to prepare us for these miserable times. If you have a spare room in your home, consider creating your very own sick room. You can stock this room with some medicines and other elements to help make your sick experience a little better. Here are some essentials to consider adding to your sick room to help speed up recovery and comfort during this time of need.

Bedroom Essentials

This bedroom should be more focused on functionality than design. All white sheets would be ideal so you can bleach them after each use of the room. You should have tissues readily available and a nearby trashcan with a lid. You may even want to include a bin in case someone gets sick and needs to vomit. Other additions to consider adding to the room would be a humidifier. Moist air can keep bacteria in it longer and keep the airborne virus alive longer. You may also want to have facemasks and hand sanitizer readily available. These can be worn by the “caregiver” who enters the room to help whoever is sick in the room. Do not forget to add standard bedroom essentials like a clock and nightstands as well. This room should provide superior comfort to help aid whoever is in the room ill.

Bathroom Essentials

Ideally, it would be best if you could have a sick room bathroom attached to the room. This bathroom can be used by the sick person in your household during this time. Stock this bathroom with a thermometer, trashcan with lid and garbage bag, and some common over-the-counter medicines. Make sure these medicines are out of reach of children and pets. Also, include cotton balls, rubbing alcohol, latex gloves, and measuring units to dose medicine. Generic medicine you may want to include would be Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, or some Electrolyte solutions like Pedialyte or other brands. Remember to stay hydrated while sick. You may also want to have a unisex robe and slippers on hand.

It can be hard to want to drink or eat when under the weather, but it can help pass the illness. Being sick is no fun, so get plenty of rest to help you recover. By preparing a sick room, you can be better prepared for the tough times before they happen.

Ideas to Declutter Your Home

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How often do you walk past items that are stacked in a corner or piled up on a table? If you are like most people with busy lifestyles, it is almost a given. We get so busy with work, school, children, and home life that we start to ignore those messy spots and even program ourselves to walk past them.

Fortunately, winter is the perfect time to declutter and purge unneeded household items. Just by decluttering one room per week or month, you will be surprised at how much better you feel and how nice and tidy the house looks! Our easy tips and tricks are listed below for creating a better work/home balancing act just by decluttering. Let’s take a look!

The Bathroom

Start in the bathroom using a 40-gallon heavy-duty yard bag and begin cleaning underneath your cabinets and inside of your drawers. You will want to remove all old and unused bottles as well as expired beauty and bath products. Of course, with expired medicines, remove or mark out the identifying information. For the eco-friendly person, simply drain the remaining contents of plastic bottles and containers, rinse with water, and place it in your recycle bin. Just be sure to safety dispose of all old medicines.

The Kitchen

Next, head to the kitchen. We know the kitchen will take some extra time, especially if you declutter well. Begin in the fridge and check all the bottled and packaged items’ expiration dates on the labels. Next, move on to the freezer and do the same thing. Again, use a large yard bag or take the time for the environment and recycle the bottles and plastic containers, etc.

The Home Office

The unwanted paper around the house like junk mail, advertising flyers, old homework, and expired newspapers should be removed next. Again, place in a large yard bag or recycling bin, but make sure you use a shredder for anything that has personal confidential information.

The Playroom

Old, broken toys and sports equipment are always a given and should be discarded for safety purposes. Many of these items are large and take up a lot of room. Also, many of these are covered in dirt, and other things we do not want to think about that will most definitely contain bacteria. If there are items that are still in good shape, donate them, sell at a consignment store, or sell them online.

As always, please let us know how your task turned out, and please share your thoughts and ideas below in the comment section. Happy decluttering!

Iconic Uses for Essential Oils in Your Home

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Essential oils are great for making your home smell great; however, there are many other valuable uses for them around your home. In fact, essentials oils can be used in many diverse ways. Finding a variety of methods to use around your home will not only liven up your environment but keep your home smelling fresh. If you are exploring the world of essential oils, here are some neat tricks to consider using around your home:

Cleaning and Natural Disinfectant

If you are looking for an all-natural cleaning agent, you can create your own. Simply mix some water with vinegar. Vinegar is a great natural cleaning product; however, it can leave an unpleasant scent. You can spruce up the fragrance by adding some essential oils. Do 1/3 of your mixture as vinegar and the remaining with water. Drop in some of your favorite essential oil scents to help create a better smell. Some essential oils can also serve as an excellent disinfectant as well. Try lemon and other citrus scents for a refreshing, clean smell.

Prolong Fruit and Vegetable Lifespan

Having fresh fruit and vegetables in your home can be a healthy, quick snack option. Unfortunately, these products can go bad rather quickly. To help prolong the life of your produce, you can use lemon oil. Saturate your fruit in water in a bowl and add some lemon oil. Allow this to sit for several hours. Once you strain your bowl, you can put your fruit away in the refrigerator. Your fruit and vegetable shelf life will be exponentially longer after using this handy trick.

Laundry Freshener

Essential oils just smell all-around amazing. This use can be a great trick to incorporate in your own laundry routine. Just make sure the essential oil of your choice is not too aggressive for your clothes. You can add several drops into your load to help soak in these unique fragrances.

What are some tricks that you use with your essential oils? Have you done any of these tricks? Let us know some of your favorite essential oil uses below in the comment section, and for more great tips and tricks, make sure to subscribe.

Salt vs Chlorine Hot Tubs

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There are many attributes that can make a house feel like home. From the interior to the exterior of your property, every spot has a chance to become more tailored to your needs. Your home should have areas that can allow you to escape from the world and relax and rejuvenate. One great way to accomplish this is with a hot tub! If you are searching the market for a hot tub, there are typically two kinds of systems: chlorine and salt. Both have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Let us explore both options to help you decide which is best for you.

Chlorine

When it comes to hot tubs, you have two leading solutions for sanitation consisting of either salt or chlorine. Traditionally, chlorine was used as a chemical to help sterilize and neutralize bacteria in the water. Both systems require standard upkeep to allow the systems to be working properly. Chlorine is a powerful chemical that is great at killing bacteria. However, the downfall to this chemical is a strong odor as well as it can agitate sensitive skin.

Salt

Saltwater seems to be the new buzz on the market. This more natural approach is less aggressive on your skin. While it still takes upkeep to have the right concentration, the simple upkeep can be less time-consuming. You will also not need to drain your hot tub as often for maintenance. Some of these benefits alone have made many homeowners switch to salt. Yet a downside is saltwater pools can traditionally be more expensive as an initial investment.

Which Is Best for You?

Both hot tub systems come with their own pros and cons. While chlorine may be a harsher chemical to soak long in, the initial investment is much less expensive. Chlorine tubs will also use less electricity while being fixture friendly. The choice comes down to personal preference.

Many people have preferences on which they like best. What do you think about each hot tub system? Have you owned either? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and remember to subscribe!

Painting Exterior Stucco

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Southwestern-styled homes will traditionally use stucco as a decorative siding and finish to homes. Stucco is a fine plaster coated onto walls wet, which dries with a very grainy texture. This plaster handles great against the desert heat and looks great as well. However, these extreme climates can really wear down and fade the paint on the walls over time. If your paint is beginning to fade, it may be time to repaint the exterior of your home. With stucco being so texture, it can propose several dilemmas. To help, here are some of the best ways to paint stucco:

Prep

Before you are going to start painting, you will need to prep the surface. For the exterior of your home, you will just want to remove all the outdoor dust and dirt that has accumulated on your home. This step can easily be done by spraying your house down with a hose. Let it air dry completely before you begin to paint. Tape off or tarp any areas you do not want the paint to get.

Roller

For stucco, there are generally two main ways of painting. A roller is less effective but generally foolproof. When you get your paint, let the supplier know you will be rolling the paint. This paint will be sold much thicker and can be applied with a roller. You will still need to use a brush for harder areas like corners and edges.

Spray

A more effective technique but takes practice and equipment is spraying the paint onto the stucco. With such an aggressive texture, this will allow you not to have to go over the same spot multiple times, as the roller may. Simply add the paint and spray it directly onto your home. You can keep the spray gun very close to the house because bleeding paint is uncommon with this high of texture.

Stucco is excellent but will need to be repainted after many years of sun exposure. Make sure you can complete the task before starting it. If this seems too far out of your expertise, you may want to consider hiring a professional. For more tips and tricks on home improvement, make sure to subscribe.

The Three Things to Look for While House Hunting

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When house hunting, it can feel like there are endless options. Focusing on the wrong areas can make the search an even more daunting and burdensome task. To properly search for your next home, there are only three things you need to be considering. With these in mind, your search becomes a little easier. Here are the three things you must look for while house shopping:

Ignore the Theme

It is easy to get caught up in the little things. Make sure the reason you are not selecting a home is because of variables that are unable to be changed. Not architecturally speaking, but the theme of the house was created by the previous homeowner. Do not put a home at the top of your list because it has your favorite color painted walls, or you love the Rustic themed living room. These are all variables you can create in any home. It is easy to be blinded by a well-designed atmosphere and start imagining yourself in it. Try to take a few steps back and analyze the home for what it is at the root, not what they have done to the design.

Location

Location matters! Make sure you love the location. Visit the property during different hours. This is a constant factor that you cannot change once you move into the home. For instance, how easy is it to access your driveway? Is the neighborhood safe? How is the school system in the community? How does this home feel during rush hours in traffic or at different times of the day? Is it quiet or noisy? These are just several of the thousands of questions that should be running through your head. Pay attention to the noises at the property while you are visiting. These can all be things that you cannot see when looking at the property online.

Layout

Does the home’s layout work for you? This is another factor that you cannot easily change. Even if you are considering adding onto the property, make sure that city restrictions and zoning allow that possibility. Bedrooms, bathrooms, location of the washer and dryer, parking, and many other factors need to be considered when looking at properties.

With these three factors in mind, you will be able to scan through properties much quicker and zero in your search. Remember, location and layout are constants and try not to get caught up in the homes’ other aesthetic features because most of them can be changed.

Pros and Cons of Incandescent Lights

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The lights you put into your house can have an effect on your perceived environment. Incandescent bulbs are one of the most traditional and timeless light bulb options to use in your home. However, there have been many advancements in lighting options. Having uniformed bulbs in your home can be substantial. Loading mixed bulbs into a light fixture can look disheveled and out of place. If you are using incandescent bulbs or are considering it, here is everything you need to know:

Pros:

Cost

If you are looking for a conventional and affordable light bulb, this is it. Incandescent bulbs are some of the most affordable bulbs on the market. They have been around forever and are massed produced to be the most common lighting in homes today.

Natural Feel to Light

These bulbs are great for general-purpose lighting. They mimic natural light with a more warm and yellow hue to them. They can be great to add to rooms that have no window exposure because they have a more natural feel even when the sun sets.

Timeless

When you think of traditional light bulbs, this is the image that most likely comes to mind. These light bulbs are timeless and for a good reason. These timeless bulbs are very good at illuminating homes as well as giving a clean natural look to the light.

Cons:

Not Efficient with Energy

While they are very common, they are far from being the most efficient. These light bulbs can use a lot of energy and raise your electricity bill. Remember to keep these lights off when you are not using them.

Halogen Bulbs Can Be Very Hot

Halogen bulbs are a type of incandescent. Halogen bulbs are filled with halogen gas. This gas keeps the filaments in the bulb from burning down. However, this feature allows the bulbs to burn much hotter. You need to be cognitive of this heat for extended periods of time. Placing any combustible or flammable materials near these bulbs can quickly lead to a fire.

All in all, these light bulbs will always be a great selection. Know that they are not the most efficient and can burn hot. Plus, there are many other great bulbs available on the market. It is all about choosing what works best for your environment, lifestyle, and home.