How to Stay Protected Against the Arizona Sun

Posted on by

Arizona days can be incredibly hot, and while outdoor activities are in full force, you may be looking for a little extra protection from the sun. Whether you plan on going to the lake, family picnics or playing sports outside, all too often, we have seen how intense the sun can actually be. When you are exposed to too much heat, your body may experience dehydration, which can lead to heat cramps, exhaustion, and even a sunstroke/heat stroke. So that you and your family are healthy all summer long we have listed some helpful tips for staying protected:

Light Colored Clothing

Depending on how you dress, light colors can really help you stay comfortable when outside in the heat. Think about wearing white or soft neutral/pastel colored clothes made from natural fibers like cotton and linen. Since dark clothing absorbs heat and tight-fitting clothes are not made to let you sweat, you can get overheated during the summer. Your body’s natural cooling system is to sweat and evaporate; therefore, do not wear clothes that will prevent this natural cooling system from doing its thing!

Hats & Sunglasses

Buy a wide-brimmed straw or fabric hat that prevents UV (ultraviolet) rays from getting to your face and neck. Your skin will appreciate this as you age and so will you, compared to people who chose not to cover their face in the sun. Make sure you purchase sunglasses that prevent UV rays from damaging your eyes. Choose sunglasses that block ninety to one hundred percent of UV rays to stay safe.

Lip Balm & Sunscreen

Lip balm protects your lips, which are very thin and sunburn easily. Make sure you purchase a balm that has SPF (sun protection factor) of at least a fifteen. When you are outdoors who wants to ruin the fun by getting a nasty sunburn? No one does, but if you do not purchase a sunscreen with at least a fifteen SPF, you will probably be sitting on the sidelines with that nasty sunburn. If you are swimming or playing sports and sweating, be sure to purchase a waterproof sunscreen.

For children, do not forget to protect the tender areas like the tops of ears, eyelids, nose, shoulders, the head and back of the neck. We would also recommend a lip balm that is for chapped lips with an SPF of at least a fifteen to put under eyebrows and on eyelids to prevent a nasty burn. The chapped lip balm’s thick consistency will prevent the balm from running into the eyes.

Enjoy your summer, and stay healthy!

Tips for Organizing a Kid’s Bedroom

Posted on by

Are you tired of always getting on your kid to clean up their room? A child’s room can quickly become cluttered with clothes, crafts, and toys. If this is an issue that you are currently experiencing, it may be time to start implementing some new organization strategies. A well-organized room will allow kids to locate their favorite toys faster as well as help keep things neat. Here are some tips to help organize your child’s room:

No Longer in Use

If you are still storing those clothes that your child can no longer fit, it is time to find them a new home. Ask your child to help you separate items that they no longer use or can fit, so you can both donate them to other children in need. Children are more likely to part with the toys that they no longer play with when they find out that they will be helping another child in need.

Cute and Practical

Your storage solutions should be fun while being ideal for the needs of your kid. You can try using colorful storage bins with wheels that enable them to be easily moved. In addition, if you are feeling artsy, you can make it a crafts project with the kids to create fun storage options for their toys.

Get Kids Involved

Have your children help you organize their room. Be sure to make it fun by turning it into a game–this will help them develop a more upbeat attitude towards tidying up their room thus motivating them to do so on their own.

Separate “Like” Items

Try storing “like” items together. Help them sort through their clothes and toys so that you can see exactly what they have. Use storage bins, shelves, or crates to place items so that you will be able to keep track of what they have.

Accessibility is Key

When organizing your kid’s room, it is essential that you make everything easily accessible for your child that way, they will be able to find and put away items. If you have small children, consider placing nooks at a convenient height. In addition, you can lower rods in the closet so that they will be able to hang up their own clothes.

How do you stay organized? We would love to hear your personal tips and tricks below in the comment section. Thanks for reading!

Tips and Tricks for Moving Day

Posted on by

Moving can be one of the most significant stress factors in life. It can be overwhelming and very time-consuming. Not only do most people not like change, but the stress of packing everything from one home to the next can be a challenge. You want to pack your precious belongings with care and make sure they get from point “A” to point “B” safely.

Supplies

You will want to break down your house into mini projects to help alleviate the size of the task. A project is always easier when the right material is all at hand before you start. Get boxes or crates which can easily be stacked on top of one another. Additionally, you will need tape, newspaper, bubble wrap, and probably should invest in a two-wheel dolly.

Small to Big

Select one room at a time. Start with all smaller trinkets and items. For fragile object, try wrapping them in newspaper or bubble wrap to reinforce them before packing them in their boxes. Books can be heavy, so always consider the weight of the box before taping it. Try to keep cords with their respective electronics, and if you must remove screws, put them inside a Ziploc and tape them to the furniture piece.

Fragile Items

Depending on the electronic, you may want to bring it up front with you in the moving truck or wrap it in bubble wrap. Place large mirrors between mattresses and wrap them with towels. Disassemble any fragile furniture and wrap glass shelving. Packing a moving truck needs to be handled very strategically. If possible, consider taking televisions and computers in your personal vehicle.

Packing the Truck

Larger items will be your big puzzle pieces. Use your smaller boxes to stabilize everything in the moving truck. Like a giant game of Tetris, you will want to fill in any gaps. Use tie-downs to hold big furniture in place along the walls. You may also need to consider your packing order. What goes in last comes out first. Do not get yourself stuck in a standstill because you packed the truck backward and you need objects from the front of the truck first to continue.

Be Cautious

Drive with caution and avoid large potholes and bumps. It is not a race and accelerating and braking too aggressively can cause objects to shift. You need to be aware of this as well when you get to your destination. Open the truck door with caution because objects may have shifted during your commute. You will also need to have a good understanding of how you pack the truck so while unpacking you do not put pictures and mirrors at risk. Breaking the moving process into smaller increments will save you from over-stressing.

How to Care for Your Home’s Exterior

Posted on by

Your home’s aesthetics goes much deeper than just the interior. Functionality, theme, and exterior all play a role in your homes overall feel. While we spend so much time perfecting the interior of our homes, we must not neglect our home’s curb appeal. Putting a little love and care into your curb appeal shows your neighborhood that you take pride in your home. There are three simple ways to help enhance your home through the exterior. To put your best lawn forward, make sure you include all three:

Seasonal Maintenance

Maintenance is key to your interior’s beauty, and it is no exception to the outside of your home. Your lawn needs to be treated with care. With each season, comes new tasks. Make sure you are keeping up on your lawn, flower beds, and fruit tree maintenance because it is the first step to impressing the neighborhood and enhancing your home’s overall curb appeal.

Make an Entrance

Consider the route people take to enter your home. This is your first impression for guests and visitors. Stand at the street and look at your home. What does it represent? Is the entryway well kept and organized? You want to incorporate functionality into the exterior of your home. Your driveway, sidewalk, and porch should all be easily accessible. Invest some time and money to clean up your entrance way with simple home improvements.

Your Sanctuary

Your home is your sanctuary; treat it as such. Your windows, siding, and roofing should all be maintained. Keep your gutters and windows cleaned, and remember that problems that are left unattended can unravel into bigger issues. Your home’s curb appeal is directly correlated with your home’s exterior health. Be sure to take pride in your home’s appearance with a well-maintained yard.

The care you show to the exterior of your home is recognized. Do not neglect areas out of sight as well. Take pride in your backyard and surrounding areas. You will discover more satisfaction with more work put into your home. This is your kingdom; treat it as such!

Fulton Home’s Air Quality

Posted on by

Fulton Home makes it our responsibility to provide you with the best home and services. There are many features we incorporate into the homes we build. We want our consumers to live a happy and healthy life after purchase. This is one of the reasons we chose to partner with Indoor airPLUS when constructing each home. This system goes beyond the general standards the government regulates on homes. AirPLUS has many quality benefits to help purify your air. For more information, be sure to keep on reading!

Government Regulations

The government created the Clean Air Act in 1970. This federal law was put in place to regulate air emissions from stationary and mobile sources. From automobiles to the construction of homes, a standard has been set that limits air pollutants. When building a house, many air contaminants can make it into HVAC systems and be dangerous to the health of the home buyers; therefore, the government put in the Clean Air Act to help protect the health of individuals and families.

Above and Beyond

Fulton Home does not only believe in meeting these codes but going above and beyond. Our comprehensive health protection includes practices and technology to prove the purest air is in your new home. We use moisture control systems to prevent unwanted molding in the houses, radon-resistant constructs, builders seal to prevent pest from infiltrating your home, and much more.

What to Expect

We have also included premium ENERGY STAR HVAC systems, which will help with the air quality. Reducing the pollutants in your home can prevent you from getting sick. This high-quality HVAC system will also regulate fewer chemicals from making it inside of your home. It is essential to keep proper maintenance on your Indoor airPLUS system in your home.

Have peace of mind with the assurance that your air quality is premium in your new home. While this may not be your first concern, clean air leads to a healthier you and your home. We believe in going above and beyond in everything in our homes to assure you the best. From premium materials to clean air, we got you covered.

Creating a Gender-Neutral Nursery

Posted on by

Did you just receive the wonderful news and now you are an expecting parent? We know this is an exciting time, but we also know this can be a stressful time. You immediately start thinking of a million things to do. Many expecting parents today are choosing the option of creating a gender-neutral nursery while staying away from the traditional blue and pink palettes. This can be a perfect solution for parents waiting to find out the gender of their child at birth. If you are interested in a gender-neutral nursery, we have some suggestions that will steer you in the right direction for creating the perfect nursery. Let’s take a look!

Color Schemes & Themes

Begin by choosing your corresponding color scheme and theme to pull the room together. You do not necessarily have to pick white or beige colored walls, but selecting a neutral wall color allows you to bring in other colors, patterns, and designs wherever you see fit. Think of the walls as a blank canvas, and what you add is the actual art.

Murals & Wall Decals

You do not have to be a talented artist to create a mural that corresponds with your theme. Painter’s tape is a wonderful tool to mark off various shapes, or tape off horizontal, chevron or vertical stripes. Simply paint the taped-off design with coordinating paint colors. If you do not have the time or patience to create and paint a design, research the hundreds of peel and stick decals that are on the market. Choose themed decals like jungle scenes, nature scenes, alphabets, or numbers to liven up the room. Believe us; you will have no problem finding decals to match your theme.

Furniture

If your walls are a neutral color, and your style is traditional, white or off-white is a safe choice for furniture. You can introduce a contrasting color with your mural and decals. If you are more adventurous, choose a darker color for the walls like navy or gray that will contrast with white trim and white furniture.

Accessories

Depending on your theme and color palette, choosing accessories is always the fun part of the project. Accessories including area rugs, lamps/light fixtures, window coverings, bedding, floor pillows, and stuffed animals can be functional yet stylish pieces that add to the overall design. Introducing contrasting colors to the nursery is easily achieved with the accessories you choose.

We hope you all the best and have fun creating the perfect sanctuary for your little one! Please let us know the outcome of this very special project.

How Many Pillows Should I Have on My Bed?

Posted on by

How many pillows are currently on your bed? When it comes to decking the bed out in pillows, there are usually two types of individuals. Some enjoy filling the headboard with an abundance of pillows, and others who use one decorative pillow or none at all. The truth is that not all pillows are just for comfort. In fact, many choose to implement decorative pillows on their bed. After all, we spend as much 3,000 hours annually in our bedrooms. Therefore, you will want to love the space that you are spending so much time. But how many pillows do you actually need on your bed?

Sleeping Pillow

No matter what your style is, one pillow that every bed should have are the sleeping pillows. They are essential for a great night’s sleep. Most of us have at least two sleeping pillows, and if you are a couple, you may have four. Typically sleeping pillows are manufactured in three standard sizes: standard, queen and king. Additionally, you can use pillow protectors to increase the lifespan of your pillows. Sleeping pillows tend to get stained with natural body oils, dust mites, drool, and makeup, so it is important to keep them protected.

Decorative Pillows

Beds in decor magazines tend to look nice because they use decorative pillows. Euro pillows which are generally much longer than sleeping pillows are popular decorative pillows. Euro pillows are both functional and decorative. They support your back when sitting up in bed, and they also protect the headboard. Euro pillows are also ideal if you do not have a headboard. These large sized pillows add a sense of height, depth and draw the eye around the room. One Euro pillow is recommended for a twin size bed, and two for a double or queen bed and three for a king-sized bed.

Accent Pillow

The accent pillows are all about injecting some personality into your bedroom. You can use them as an accessory. If you have bed dressing features a neutral palette, you can use accent pillows to add color and flair to your bedding.

To answer the question previously asked, the amount of pillows you use is based on your style and personality. There is no right or wrong answer for homeowners. It is all about finding what adds to your design while making you comfortable.

The Perfect Father’s Day Gift

Posted on by

Father’s Day is right around the corner on Sunday, June 16, 2019. If you are helping your kids make a gift this year, we have the perfect gift that fathers will adore. The best part is that it is inexpensive and hand-made, two of dad’s favorite adjectives. So this spring, gather the kids and the supplies and let us get started!

Supply List:

  • Wooden Picture Frame
  • Small Sticks (collected from outside)
  • Hot Glue Gun with Glue Sticks
  • White Photo Mat
  • A Family Photo
  • A Fine-Tip Permanent Marker

Step One: Gather the Twigs

Take your kids on a walk through your favorite park or the neighborhood to collect small twigs. You want to make sure that they will be easy enough to break off into smaller pieces. If they are damp, let them sit on top of a paper towel inside of the house for a couple of hours before beginning the project.

Step Two: Snap the Twigs

Gather your kids and all the supplies and head to a cleared off workspace.

  • Pro-Tip: Now is a great time to plug in your hot glue gun so that it is hot and ready for the next step.

Begin designing by either doing a horizontal or vertical placement. You want to begin by placing each twig on the top of the picture frame. Snap each twig off where it covers the frame and does not cover too much of the picture itself.

Step Three: Hot Glue the Twigs onto Your Frame

You will want to place the glue directly on the frame in small lines below each stick. Pick up a stick then run a line of hot glue and place the stick back into its spot. Push the stick down and let the glue harden before you move onto the next twig.

  • Pro-Tip: The step uses an extremely hot tool that can cause burns; therefore, we recommend letting you, the adult, handle this part to avoid any injury.

Step Four: Finishing Touches

Take your white photo mat and measure its size accordingly to your picture frame. Hot glue the corners of your family picture on top of the white photo mat and wait for it to cool. The kids can use a fine-tip permanent marker to write a message to dad on the white photo mat portion. Wait for it to dry and place the photo mat inside of the frame. You will most likely need to secure it in with tape in case it shifts. Place the frame backing on and voila, your gift is ready for dad.

We hope dad loves his gift and wish him a Happy Father’s Day from our family to yours!

Discovering the Perfect Bed Sheets

Posted on by

There are twenty-four hours in the day, and we are recommended to have eight hours of sleep a night. This means we spend almost 1/3 of our lives in our beds. Sleep is vital to ensure good health, proactive days, and positive energy. While mattresses are significant in creating the comfort of your room, they do little to enhance the design. The area where your bed truly balances between comfort and aesthetics is your bedroom sheet set and comforters. Investing in a fancy, colorful comforter may not be the best for your sleep but looks beautiful. Consider adding some of these options to your bed to create a better texture to the bedroom while also enhances your comfort.

Silk

Switching your sheets to silk can be more beneficial than that sleek finish and chill feeling when you slip into bed. Silk sheets have a hypoallergenic property which can help resist dust, mold, and fungus. Silk is safe on the skin and can also help reduce wrinkling. Switching to silk sheets and pillowcases does not necessarily mean cool all night long. Silk sheets are very tightly woven and can trap heat very well throughout the nighttime.

Wool

Another excellent alternative textile to consider is wool. This natural solution is also hypoallergenic and extremely durable. Wool comes from sheep which is used to regulate their body temperature. Wool does a superior job at keeping in the heat at night while you sleep. Unlike down bedding, wool will not shift. This will mean you will have no open spots or less soft points in your comforter.

Bamboo Sheets

Another highly comfortable option is bamboo bedding. This bedding is more breathable, allowing air to pass through it with ease. This can be great for warmer areas or homes that are kept hot. If you overheat at night, consider investing in such bamboo sheets. This hypoallergenic and antibacterial solution is very durable. These make perfect summertime sheets for any home.

Your bedding matters. Decide which bedding is best tailored to your needs. Perhaps, you mix and match pillowcases, sheets, and comforter for a decorative design, or you can change them seasonally or invest in ones you think are best annually. You spend to much time sleeping to not invest in the comfort and looks of your bed.

Landscaping in Arizona

Posted on by

If you are new to the desert or just looking to improve your landscaping, you came to the right place. Arizona landscaping and curb appeal can be very different from other typical climates in the United States. While grass lawns can still work in some parts of Arizona, they can be very high maintenance. While the desert creates some dilemmas, it also opens a new world of possibilities and beautiful features to consider adding to your home. Your landscape encapsulates all the visible features and outdoor aesthetics your home has to offer. Creating your landscape is an art and making this masterpiece will call for a couple of key elements:

Lawn

Where green may be the primary color theme through of other landscapes of the United States, it comes a little less frequently here. Grass may not be the best choice for this climate, but that does not mean you need a blank, dirt yard. Colored gravel with warm burnt tones can really give your yard a pop of color. You can even create beautiful rock beds and patterns/designs with different colored rocks. You may also want to include sand, pebbles, and concrete for their durability and lack of dependence on water.

Plants

This arid region makes most plant life hard to maintain, but also has many dynamic landscaping opportunities to explore. Adding a splash of color can really spruce up your dry yard. Cacti are very common plant life that many Arizonians add to increase curb appeal. Try including other drought-tolerant plants like red yuccas, roses, or honey mesquite trees. These plants are tolerable to some of the dust, soil, and heat of the desert. You can also add some great fruit trees like lemons, grapefruits, oranges, and more in this climate. Palm trees can add height to your lawn or adding large cacti as well. Just be sure to create a diverse landscape with a mix plant life of all sizes, shapes, and colors while allowing them to complement one another, not work against each other.

Focal Point

Add an element to your curb appeal to help make your home “pop.” Water is scarce out here, but some fountains are beautiful and can be real eye-catchers. If you want something more subtle, try making a tree or a cactus your homes focal point. You can add a rock path to a bench or side patio or even add a half wall in front of your home for other focal points. Just try finding elements that complement your home and work with the land.

Arizona is very different than other landscaping in the United States. Discovering and exploring different avenues to decorate your yard can be fun. Try to add some color and a variation of different plant height. Not all of Arizona has the same climate. What may work for a town an hour away may not work where you live. Explore the neighborhood and gather ideas. They say that copying is the greatest form of flattery. Just remember to add some of your own original touches to tailor it to you and your style.