
A resource for those seeking information on organizing and transforming spaces.
Guest Post - A Room by Room Packing Guide for Your Upcoming Move
While moving can be a joyous time in your life, packing up all your belongings definitely doesn’t elicit feelings of joy or fun. Let’s face it: boxing up your entire life and organizing all your possessions sounds incredibly overwhelming. You could always hire a packing service if you’re unwilling to deal with the task.
But:
Don’t fret, we’ve got all the tips and tricks you need to make the packing process a seamless one. Before you even begin, create a list that prioritizes which rooms you want to start packing up first and which rooms you’ll want to unpack as soon as you arrive at your new place. Typical high-priority rooms include the kitchen, your master bedroom, and the kid’s bedrooms (if applicable).
To help you pack up your belongings as efficiently as possible, here’s a room-by-room packing guide that’ll take the stress out of the equation.
While moving can be a joyous time in your life, packing up all your belongings definitely doesn’t elicit feelings of joy or fun. Let’s face it: boxing up your entire life and organizing all your possessions sounds incredibly overwhelming. You could always hire a packing service if you’re unwilling to deal with the task.
But:
Don’t fret, we’ve got all the tips and tricks you need to make the packing process a seamless one.
Before you even begin, create a list that prioritizes which rooms you want to start packing up first and which rooms you’ll want to unpack as soon as you arrive at your new place. Typical high-priority rooms include the kitchen, your master bedroom, and the kid’s bedrooms (if applicable).
To help you pack up your belongings as efficiently as possible, here’s a room-by-room packing guide that’ll take the stress out of the equation.
Packing Up Your Kitchen
This kitchen is one of the more challenging rooms to tackle as it’s chock-full of fragile items, bulky appliances, and oddly shaped utensils. So, why not get the hardest room out of the way first?
To get started:
Separate all perishable and non-perishable food.
Since you can’t transport things like milk or ice cream during your move, you’ll either need to toss these items in the trash or donate them to a local charity (if unopened).
Pack your glassware and china by wrapping each plate or cup with bubble wrap, newspaper, or blankets. The extra padding is crucial for avoiding unwanted breakage during their moving process.
When packing pots and pans, stack them inside one another - this is an effective way to maximize the available space within your box.
To pack your cutlery, use a rubber band (or similar item) to tie items together - i.e. all spoons in one group, all forks in another, and so on.
Lastly, tackle your appliances. Begin with your smaller appliances, such as your blender or microwave and work your way up to the larger, more difficult ones, like your fridge or stove. Assembling and disassembling larger appliances can be tricky.
To avoid damage, you may want to consider having your moving company take care of these items as they are the experts.
Packing Up Your Living Room
The family room is a place where laughter, memories, and life milestones take place. There’s a strong chance it holds a special place in your heart, so treat it with extra care.
Begin with your electronics. Carefully unplug things like your TV, stereo equipment, etc. and wrap all cords with a rubber band before placing them inside their respective containers.
Using their original boxes is highly recommended, but if you tossed them, no worries. Don’t forget to mark any boxes holding your electronics as “fragile.”
Start disassembling your larger items, like your furniture. Remove cushions and use plastic wrap as a way to protect your upholstery from dust, dirt, and moisture. Be sure to empty cabinets, like your entertainment center or bookshelves and carefully pack those items away in a box labeled, “living room.”
Lastly, tackle smaller memorabilia, like photos, toys, games, etc.
*Pro Tip: If you have valuable artwork in your living room, you may want to let your moving company handle packing these items. You wouldn’t want to risk accidentally damaging your precious belongings by attempting to make it a DIY project.
Packing Up Your Bedrooms
If you live in a multi-bedroom home, chances are you’re not too thrilled about having to pack up each one. However, if you take it one room at a time, you’ll be surprised how quickly you complete the task.
Tackle your clothing first.
You can either use wardrobe boxes and keep your clothes on hangers (incredibly useful for unpacking) or fold your garments and group them based on season and/or clothing type - i.e. summer vs. winter; sweaters vs. t-shirts, etc.
For your bed and mattress, remove all pillows, bed sheets, and blankets first. When removing your mattress, place it in a special bag made especially for this item.
Be sure to empty drawers and disassemble any furniture items, such as your bedside table or a shelving unit
Packing Up Your Bathrooms
Believe it or not, this will be your easiest room to tackle.
Address open bottles first. Properly seal the lid and either place in a plastic bag or use aluminum foil before placing it into your packing container. This will help catch any unwanted leaks from seeping into other items.
Once complete:
You’ll want to organize your medications. Check the labels for any expired or outdated medicine - this way you can toss these items instead of packing them.
Remaining items, like your toothbrush, toothpaste, and other toiletries can be placed inside your overnight bag in lieu of a brown box. This will allow you to easily access the items you need as soon as you arrive at your new home.
Packing is hard but working room-by-room will help make the entire process a piece of cake. Don’t forget, you can always enlist the help of friends and family members and have a little fun with it. Hopefully, this makes your move as stress-free as possible.
Author Bio: Adrian Brito, on Behalf of North Dallas Moving and Storage
Guest Post - Create a Family Tech Strategy
Technology can be wonderful, busy and a little too consuming at times. This is especially true when it comes to tech use and your kids. Here are some tips from Super Cleaning Service Louisville for creating a tech strategy for your family.
Technology can be wonderful, busy and a little too consuming at times. This is especially true when it comes to tech use and your kids. Here are some tips from Super Cleaning Service Louisville for creating a tech strategy for your family.
Set limits
Setting clear limits is a way to ensure that all family members have the same expectations. Discuss these limits and guidelines with your family, and work towards enforcing those limits- together.
Set up a family charging station
A family charging station can be a simple way to keep track of devices, ensuring everything is where it’s supposed to be, and at the appropriate times. Consider investing in a docking station, or another similar system where there are enough cables for every device your family owns. This can be a great way to quickly check to see if all members of the family are abiding by your agreed upon limits.
Keep it organized!
Organization and planning are two keys to long term success with establishing healthy tech habits- from an early age. If you aren’t sure how to organize these items or even where to begin, consider working with a team. There are many house cleaning businesses which can point you in the direction of professional organizers.
Reward healthy habits
Healthy choices take work! Collaborate with your family to understand the consequences and rewards regarding the tech limits that you have, including how these limits might change over time. This could look like an extra 30 minutes on a tablet when homework is finished and beds are made. Simple consequences and rewards are great learning tools. The most important part of any strategy, is to make it your own!
Guest Post - 5 Ways to Create a Safe and Organized Living Environment
Keeping our homes clean and tidy may not be everyone’s top priority. This is especially true for those of us who have trouble finding time to clean due to our hectic work schedules.
However, our health is largely affected by the environment in which we live. Therefore, it pays to learn a couple of tricks for keeping our homes safe and secure, especially if we’ve got children. Let’s take a look at five safety tips that will help us ensure a comfortable and secure home for ourselves and our families.
Keeping our homes clean and tidy may not be everyone’s top priority. This is especially true for those of us who have trouble finding time to clean due to our hectic work schedules.
However, our health is largely affected by the environment in which we live. Therefore, it pays to learn a couple of tricks for keeping our homes safe and secure, especially if we’ve got children. Let’s take a look at five safety tips that will help us ensure a comfortable and secure home for ourselves and our families.
Declutter your living space
Cluttered home translates to a hectic mind, and decluttering is the first step towards a clean and organized living environment. Start by tackling areas like attics and basements – they tend to be the most cluttered ones, often serving as dumping grounds for items we no longer need or use. What’s more, these areas often serve as places where rodents and various insects nest. Keeping your attic and basement clean and clear of clutter will keep these uninvited ‘guests’ at bay and result in a neat and organized home.
Inspect your home for potential hazards
Other than keeping your home tidy, you also want to make sure it’s safe. Start by inspecting your home for potential hazards. If you have children, be sure to block any electrical outlets and use bumpers on sharp corners to protect your little ones from getting hurt. You also want to prevent furniture from getting tipped over, so be sure to attach bulkier pieces to the wall. Smoke detectors should be installed on each floor and tested each month (batteries should be replaced annually). Finally, install motion detectors and surveillance cameras to keep your home protected at all times. Be sure to avoid sharing any information about your location on social media when you’re away for longer periods of time.
Make sure your property is protected
Other than protecting your home from safety hazards such as fire, floor, invasion, and electrical hazards, you also want to make sure that your home is covered for any damages. Getting your property insured is one of the most important safety precautions you can make to secure your belongings and provide financial protection for your home. Of course, there is a wide range of home insurance quotes offered, and you want to find the one that works best for you. Therefore, be sure to take some time to learn what each of them covers. Additional coverage ensures greater protection, so keep that in mind when choosing a homeowners insurance policy.
Clean the bathroom and kitchen on a regular basis
Aside from attics and basements, another two areas that are prone to pests are the kitchen and bathroom. Food scraps and spills attract various types of pests such as rodents, cockroaches, and ants, and the same goes for moist and moldy areas.
To keep your kitchen and bathroom safe from pests and mold, make sure that they’re cleaned on a regular basis. Remember to put away any leftovers after the meal and be sure to cover the trash as well. Tackle any leaks so that the pests don’t have access to water, and make sure that there are no cracks in the walls they can use to get in.
Carefully store chemicals, cleaning products, and medicines
Keeping your home clean and pest-free is crucial, but where and how you store your cleaning products and chemicals also matters. Make sure that you use cleaning products that are safe, and follow the guidelines for disposing of such products in a proper way (especially pest-control products). Store them in a place where your kids can’t reach them, and make sure your pets don’t come into contact with your household cleaning products or ingest them because they can be quite dangerous. Medications can also present a safety hazard to kids, so be sure to keep them out of their reach. It’s best to get medicines with childproof safety caps and store them in your medicine cabinet.
Even though it may not look like it at first glance, our homes are full of hidden safety hazards. A safe home is a healthy home, so be sure to follow the guide above to eliminate potential dangers and create a safe and secure living environment you and your family can enjoy.
Author Bio: Lana Hawkins is a young architect and a home décor blogger on Smooth Decorator. She enjoys writing about interior decoration and landscaping. Lana is interested in sustainability and green building, and that's where she gets most of her inspiration from.
4 Steps to Decluttering Your Finances
With the end of the year coming up, you may be considering making some New Year's resolutions. One of the most common goals people make is to save more money. But before you make that a resolution, you should take some time to declutter your finances.
With the end of the year coming up, you may be considering making some New Year's resolutions. One of the most common goals people make is to save more money. But before you make that a resolution, you should take some time to declutter your finances.
Review Your Budget
The first step to cleaning up your finances should be to review your monthly budget. You want to make sure it is up to date and not missing any items like subscription services or additional income. Check to see if any areas have spending leaks. Are you spending a lot of money on take-out food or clothing? This is the perfect time to figure out where you can cut back! You can also start using an online tool, like Schwab MoneyWise, to track your monthly budget. It will alert you on your spending habits and encourage you to save a few more dollars each month.
Organize Your Bank Accounts
Now that you have your budget squared away, it's time to look at your account balances. If you have your money spread out over many banks, consider consolidating into one. This can simplify the organization of your finances by seeing all of your accounts under one roof. You can even shop around and look for a better banking option that offers perks like no hidden fees or early paycheck deposits. That way you can spend less money on service fees and more money on holiday shopping.
At the same time, take a look at your savings accounts and figure out how you want to organize them. Think about establishing a separate emergency fund and sinking fund. If you're going to start saving up for a new TV or computer, you can stash away money into the sinking fund instead of stealing from the emergency fund. This ensures that when you do have an actual emergency, you will have enough saved up to cover it.
Switch to Paperless Billing Statements
Another fantastic way to cut down on clutter is to enroll in paperless billing statements. Not only is this eco-friendly, but it also helps you cut down on the amount of paper floating around your home, and it allows you to keep your statements organized digitally. Plus, some providers offer a discount for choosing paperless billing. While you're there, set up automatic payments too, so that you don't forget to pay any bills.
Cash in on Credit Card Rewards
If you have any credit cards that reward you with gift cards, travel miles, or discounts, cash them in now! The holiday season is the perfect time to convert those rewards into gifts for friends and family. Plus, you can use the leftover balances to pay off your credit card bill. The less money you spend on those things, the more money you can save for your New Year's resolution!