What You Need at Home in Case of a Power Outage

Power outages don’t just occur during lightning storms; they can occur for a variety of reasons. Fallen trees, equipment failures, and even extreme heat can cause your power to cut out. Nobody likes getting stuck in the dark without warning, so it's crucial to stay prepared. Since you never know when your electricity may shut off, you need to keep a few essentials on hand. Here's what you need at home in case of a power outage.

A Portable Backup Generator

If you have children, elderly relatives, or people who require medical equipment in your home, it’s crucial that you get your power back as quickly as possible. You should consider investing in a quality portable backup generator that will allow you to keep your lights on even during a power outage. These generators use fuel sources such as gasoline or propane to provide power. As a result, you should keep a considerable amount of fuel around for your generator. If your power is out for a couple of hours, you'll need quite a bit of fuel to keep the lights on.

Candles and Flashlights

If you want to be able to see at least a foot in front of your face, you'll need a light source. Your smartphone will have a flashlight, but using it will quickly diminish your already dying battery. That's why keeping candles and flashlights nearby is a good rule of thumb.

Also, don't forget to keep batteries on hand for your flashlights. Nothing is worse than seeing your flashlight burn out in a power outage with no backup batteries!

Bottled Water

For many areas, water is the next thing to go after the power. It's a good idea to have some extra bottled water at your home just in case your water runs out. Some areas may also be subject to mandatory water boils during power outages. In such instances, you will not only need this bottled water to drink but also bathe and clean dishes or laundry.

Canned Food and Can Opener

When the power goes out, it's a race against the clock for the food in your fridge. If the power stays off for more than a few hours, your food will spoil. Having some canned food on hand at all times is a great way to ensure you can stay fed without needing to use your fridge. Also, don't forget an excellent old-fashioned can opener! Make sure you have one that is manual and not electric.

First Aid Kit

Being in the dark increases your risk of trips and falls. You don't want you or your family members to suffer from a cut or bruise without the proper aid available. That's why you need a first aid kit in emergencies such as these.
As long as you have these essentials, you'll be prepared for power outages no matter when they occur.

Looking for Real Estate? How to Tell Which Houses Are Worth Checking Out

Finding the right home is important for lifestyle comfort as well as budgeting of the mortgage and utilities, insurance, and maintenance. When shopping for a house, there are several important things to keep in mind beyond curb appeal or special features. Check out the following as you start browsing online ads or visiting local properties.

Location

Although you may want to live in a certain area, a real estate agent can explain some of the less-known facts about a neighborhood. Crime statistics, a school's reputation, and local amenities are helpful information that prospective buyers could look for but often don't. A pretty house in an area that is deteriorating could mean that the property will lose value in the near future. If you are looking for a quiet area, find out if a neighborhood of interest attracts families or singles.

Condition

Generally, it is a good idea to get an objective home inspection done for any house you are thinking of buying. You can probably spot major problems yourself, but a professional inspector can find less obvious issues like termites or interior wall mold. Find out about the high-cost aspects of the home, including the roof, electric, plumbing, HVAC, and foundation. While you might be prepared to make some key repairs, you don't want to get in over your head and spend thousands of dollars that you didn't budget for the new home's problems.

Size

Keep the size of home you want in mind while house shopping. Although you might need just a couple of bedrooms now, will that be adequate if your family grows? Do you plan to keep the house for a few years or decades? Similarly, a large house now to accommodate a couple of growing kids could be too big when the teens go off to college or start a career. Some home sizes are adjustable by converting a basement into a temporary bedroom, for example. Make sure the house you buy will fit your needs for the next few years.

Layout

Examine the layout to ensure it will work for your family. If you have an elderly relative staying with you, steep stairs leading to that person's bedroom is probably not a good idea. Safety features like handrails or a walk-in shower can be installed if necessary, but adapting the home's structure significantly could be costly.

Shopping for another house is exciting. But take time to perform due diligence to be sure you get a home that has what you want and need.

3 Tips For Organizing Your Life So Household Chores Never Slip Through The Cracks

When you lead a busy life, it’s easy to let the more mundane things slip through the cracks or get put on the backburner. But in order to live your best life and feel like you can relax and unwind at home, you’re not going to want to let your home get too messy or disarrayed. So to help you find ways to keep up with this part of your life, here are three tips for organizing your life so household chores never slip through the cracks. 

Do Certain Chores On Certain Days

As with most ways of organizing your life, what it really comes down to is creating habits that make it so your organization becomes almost second nature.

One great way to start this, according to Lisa Iannucci, a contributor to Care.com, is to designate certain chores for certain days of the week. For example, you could plan to clean your bathrooms on Wednesday, scrub your floors on Thursday, and do laundry over the weekend. By setting aside a specific day to tackle a specific household chore, you’ll be able to take on these chores in palatable bites rather than feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you have to get done now. 

Create A Buddy System

Another great way to keep yourself from forgetting to do your household chores is to make chores something that gets done with the buddy system.

According to Laura Vanderkam, a contributor to Fast Company, doing your chores with someone else in your household will make it so your chores take a shorter amount of time to complete and will ensure that more than one person is thinking about and being responsible for that chore getting done. This way, if you forget, your buddy can remind you and you can give each other encouragement to buckle down and get your jobs done. 

Find Ways To Afford Help

If despite your best efforts you’re still consistently forgetting to get your household chores done or simply don’t have the time or energy to handle them, Nancy Schimelpfening, a contributor to Very Well Mind, suggests that you find a way to afford help in this area. For some, this might mean hiring someone else to help with the outside chores like landscaping while you take on the inside chores. For others, you may want to hire someone to come in and clean once a week or once a month in case you can’t get to it. So as long as you’re able to organize your budget and find enough excess that you can afford to hire some help, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing so. 

If you’ve been having a hard time keeping up with your household chores, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find a way to get this part of your life in better order. 

Design Elements That Elevate Your Guest Bedroom and Make It a Hotel-Quality Experience

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Hosting family or friends under one roof can seem like a stressful idea, especially when you worry about making your guest space comfortable for other people. Regardless of whether you have a dedicated guest room or an inflatable mattress in the family room, you can make your guests comfortable. However, there are some simple things you can do to create a hotel-quality experience. 

Scents

Choose scented candles, diffuser oils, and sprays that are refreshing and do not overwhelm the room. Fill small mesh bags with scented dried flowers and place them in drawers in the guest room. Arrange candles around the room so that your guests can choose how many to light and how much scent they would prefer. Vanilla, lavender, and chamomile are good choices to create a relaxing atmosphere. Just remember not to add too many scents to a small space. This can have the opposite effect and could even give more sensitive guests headaches.

Bedding

Step up your bedding game. Choose crisp, soft sheets and provide plenty of layers. Provide quilts of various weights in addition to a duvet cover and a light blanket underneath. Quilt weights can be varied from light to heavy depending on the season. Lighter quilts can be used in warmer months and heavier weighted quilts can be provided for colder months. Remember, visit a few mattress stores and make sure you have a comfy option for your guests as no bedding in the world can save an uncomfortable mattress!

Necessities and Decor

Think about things that your guests might have forgotten when packing for their stay. Provide extras like soap, shampoo, and toothbrushes. Throw in some extras such as bath bombs or bath oils and a comfy bathrobe. Choose plush, oversized towels and washcloths. Consider tucking these bonus items into a basket or organizing them on a decorative tray. Faux flowers and small pots of faux green plants provide a hypoallergenic way to bring a touch of color and the outdoors to the room. Finally, choose blackout curtains or shades, and add plenty of easily accessed lighting options around the room.

Water, Tea, Coffee

Give your guests the option to have tea, coffee, and a water carafe in their room similar to what many hotels provide. Create a station on a small table. Provide an assortment of different tea bags, single packets of sugar and creamer, and even single packets of coffee. Finish the spread with a few decent sized mugs and spoons for stirring.

With just a few simple things, you can make your guests feel like they’ve walked into a lavish hotel room. Hosting guests does not have to bring feelings of panic and dread. Your guests will be comfortable and enjoy the serene atmosphere that you have provided.