Guest Post - How to Prepare Your Home for Inclement Weather

All kinds of challenges come with owning a home, and preparing for bad weather is one of them. Being ready for whatever’s to come can be one of the most important things you can do, both for your family and your house. Here’s how you can prepare your home for inclement weather, both inside and out.

1. Have Salt on Hand

Using salt to coat your driveways and walkways can ensure nothing freezes over and causes people to slip. Keep a bag in your garage or shed at all times so you don’t have to worry about running out and restocking.

2. Pull Out Your Snowblower

There are plenty of places that get several feet of snow at a time. Whether you’re expecting mere inches or a total coating, pulling the snowblower out and having easy access can make cleaning things off a much easier endeavor.

3. Disconnect Your Garage Door Opener

If you have people coming and going by way of the garage, it’s important to make sure the doors can withstand the elements. Disconnecting the opener from the garage door can ensure it doesn’t get opened during the storm accidentally.

4. Clean Your Gutters

Ensuring your gutters are cleaned out before a storm hits can make things much less likely to freeze or get stuck. Usually, it’s best to do this early in the season if possible. Each fall and spring, climb up there and remove all the leaves and debris that has accumulated since the last cleaning.

Prepping Your Home for a Storm

Storms can sometimes be scary. If you’re adequately prepared for the inclement weather ahead, you’ll have a much easier time cozying up and waiting for it to pass. You can ride the storm out with the peace of mind that you’ve taken every precaution needed to stay safe.

Author bio: Rose Morrison is the managing editor of Renovated, where she offers advice on home renovation, maintenance, and organization.

How to Get Your Garage Door Repaired in No Time Flat

Having a garage is a massive convenience, allowing you to keep your car safe and dry while giving you plenty of storage space. The only problem is that garage doors have an annoying habit of breaking. A busted garage door can be seriously frustrating. Suddenly, something as simple as leaving your house becomes a lengthy ordeal. Rather than dealing with this annoyance for months on end, you should have the problem resolved once and for all. Here’s how to get your garage door fixed in no time.

Determine What the Issue Is

The entire repair process will be easier if you know exactly what the problem is. Sometimes the motor powering the door burns out, while the door itself can also come off its tracks. Take a careful look at the door and surrounding fixtures until you’ve determined the source of the problem. You can then use this information to get accurate quotes and let mechanics know exactly what it is they’ll be dealing with.

Research Local Mechanics

Once you know what the problem is, it’s time to find someone who can fix it. The internet is a great tool for finding local specialists in garage door repair. Look for a contractor or company with years of experience and lots of good reviews. After finding someone who seems to fit the bill, give them a call to inquire about prices and availability. Feel free to call multiple mechanics to make sure you’re getting a good deal.

Make an Appointment

When you feel you’ve found a mechanic you can trust, it’s time to make an appointment. You should be able to find somebody who is available within the next few days. While a broken garage door is hardly a matter of life and death, it is still relatively urgent.

Meet the Mechanic at the Door

If at all possible, try to be home at the time of your appointment. That way, you can speak directly with the mechanic. A face-to-face encounter will allow the mechanic to explain the problem in detail and give you some advice about avoiding similar issues down the road. You’ll also be able to build a lasting relationship with the mechanic that could prove handy in the future.

A broken garage door is frustrating to say the least, so you shouldn’t let the problem remain unresolved. Just by taking the simple steps outlined above, you can get your garage door back in working order.

Interview - Hangio

Professional Organizers deal with clothes and closets on a daily basis. We encourage clients to recycle their wire hangers and opt for durable hangers that clothes will actually stay put on. Of course, we are always interested in new products. Hangio caught our eye on the NAPO website. Instead of using traditional hard plastic or wood, Hangio hangers are made from moldable foam that can be configured in six ways to adapt to each garment. The hangers are a bit more pricey than traditional hangers (29.99 - 32.99 for a 3 pack) but well worth it when you think of your clothes not having bumps in all the wrong places.

We reached out to Ayodele Aigbe the CEO and founder of Hangio for information on her bendable hanger. She was more than happy to speak with us and we wish Ayo all the best as she moves forward with these promising hangers!

What inspired you to develop Hangio?

My freshman year of college, I remember vividly walking into my closet to bring out my favorite sweater. As I took off the sweater from the hanger, I noticed that it had shoulder bumps on each end. I was flustered and searched Google for options on how to remove the shoulder bumps. I tried many things from putting hot water on each end and drying it to ironing out the shoulder. None of it worked! I was curious to see if anyone had gone through the same thing. As such, I began asking more of my friends and people on campus if they had similar issues via a survey and I found a common narrative- the traditional hanger design did not work well. The current design gave way to stretching, slippage, shoulder bumps, and wrinkling. Further, I knew it was a problem worth solving when I saw that these problems created a negative social impact on people. Inspired by the idea to create better hangers came Hangio

What makes them unique?

The world's 1st premium bendable hanger that alleviates the issues of shoulder bumps, clothes slippage, and collar stretching has arrived. Hangio Hangers are unique in their quality and design aesthetic.

Will they save any space in the closet?

Hangio Hangers #1 goal is to maintain clothes in our client's closet. Our Hangers are larger than others (i.e. plastic or felt) which enables the hanger to have a bendable design to accomplish its goal. As such, we recommend reserving a "special space" in our client's closets for where they can put their special/delicate garments on Hangio Hangers.

Where are the hangers made?

Hangio hangers are made in the USA.

What is the best way for someone to purchase the hangers? Is it all online or in stores?

All of our hangers can be purchased on our website at www.shophangio.com.

Best Ways To Display Your Dishes

In many homes, dishes are stored away in cabinets, taken out only when needed for meals or special holidays. But this is truly a missed opportunity. Whether you’ve run out of conventional storage space or you’re looking for unique ways to decorate, it’s never a bad idea to consider creative ways to store your dishware collection. This article will introduce you to some of the best ways to display your dishes.

Store Dishes on Open Shelving

If you have open shelving in your kitchen, dining room, or another room in your home, this could be the perfect location to decoratively store your dishware. Displaying dishes on open shelving is both functional and visually appealing, as you can both stack and stand dishes upright on the shelves. Try using a variety of types of dishes and create a nuanced display by standing the prettiest dishes against the wall on the back of the shelf and stacking the others in front.

Mount Them on the Wall

Beautifully designed plates make for gorgeous wall décor. To decorate a blank wall in your home, choose some of your seldom used dishes to hang. This is one of the most timeless, traditional ways to display dishes, so don’t be afraid to give it a try. You can buy inexpensive plate hangers at your local craft or hardware store.

Use a Classic Hutch

If you don’t have one already, consider purchasing a sideboard and hutch to display your dish collection. A hutch is a classic way to display your dishes and some models, like those with glass doors, can give your prized china collection some extra protection. A sideboard gives your hutch a place to sit and provides storage for other dishware in its drawers and cabinets. Even if you don’t have enough floor space for both a sideboard and hutch, you can buy a hutch separately to mount on your wall.

Try a Plate Rack

A plate rack is another classic way to store and display your plates. Plate racks can either be freestanding or built into a cabinet or shelf on your wall. These storage units store your plates securely, yet keep them orderly and visible, unlike plates stored in closed cabinets. Some plate racks even have places to hang cups or stack other dishes beneath them.

Trying out one of these best ways to display your dishes will spice up your home visually and allow you to admire your dish collection rather than simply storing it. Don’t hide your dishes—display them so that they can be appreciated, even when they’re not being used at mealtime.