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4 Smart Tips For An Organized And Stress-Free Move

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There is no question about it, moving can be a very stressful and frustrating challenge. If you and your family have recently decided to move out of your current residence and into a new house, you will need to pack your whole life and bring it into your new home. Every routine, habit, and every piece of memorabilia will be tossed into a huge, cluttered moving van and will have to be reassembled and re-organized at the other end. Just thinking about it can cause headaches. Thankfully, you can get organized and reduce stress when moving day comes.

There are plenty of ways to make your move easier and more efficient. Read on if you want to learn a few smart tips for an organized and stress-free move.

Make A List

Before you start packing your entire life into boxes and containers, you need to write everything down. You need to create a simple record keeping system. In doing so, you will know what you need to pack and where things should go. As a tip, you can create a printed list of numbers with spaces where you can write down the contents of each box, then place a number on each box you pack. You will also need a notebook where you will list down the contents of each container.

Keeping a list or an inventory of your belongings will help you sort out and organize your things. This will also make it easier for you to find what you are looking for without digging through boxes. In addition, it helps you keep track of what you have packed and ensure that everything is still in place when you unpack.

Sort Out Your Belongings

While you prepare your list, you must also sort out your belongings. You must consider which items you can throw out, donate, or store. If you have valuables and possessions which you cannot part with but they will only add clutter to your new home, you can store them in a secured storage facility.

There are reputable companies offering storage units at reasonable rates. These storage units have different features which includes security, temperature control, and resistance to certain elements. It is best to avail the services offered by storage facilities if you have items which you need to store safely and securely.

Get The Necessary Supplies

You will also need supplies, such as boxes, marking pens, bubble wraps, plain newsprints, and packing tape. When it comes to purchasing boxes, you need to get different sizes for different item categories. You can buy boxes from a moving company or you can get them for free from your local grocery. As a tip, you need to have 10 extra boxes which you can use for last minute items, such as bedding and clothes. You will also need to buy strong packing tape to secure the boxes. Use plain newsprints or bubble wrap to protect fragile and breakable items.

Pack Your Belongings Wisely

Once you have your supplies ready, take your time to pack. Packing wisely will help reduce the risks of breaking things, and bringing items that should be thrown out or donated. Here are a few packing tips you need to remember:

  • Use the right box size: You need to know that bigger boxes are for light items, such as pillows, linens, and clothes. Smaller boxes are for heavy and fragile items, such as books, plates, and glasses. Placing heavier items in smaller boxes will make them easier to move around and have a lower risk of breaking.
  • Pack the boxes until it is full: Do not leave any empty spaces inside the box. It is best to fill the spaces with clothing, towels, or newsprints if necessary. If the box is loosely packed or is unbalanced, it will only be vulnerable to breaking or damage.
  • Place lighter items on top while heavy items go at the bottom: If you are loading your boxes onto the moving van or if you are placing the boxes in a storage unit, you need to place heavier boxes first and place them toward the front of the truck.
  • Pack by category: When packing, it is best to keep similar items together. For instance, kitchen utensils and cooking equipments must be packed together, while bedding, linens, and pillows must also be packed in another box. As a tip, avoid mixing items from various rooms in the same box. In doing so, you will have an easier time packing and finding items.
  • Label each container: You must label each boxes with its room designation. You must also put a description of what’s inside. As a tip, you can color-code the boxes and when it is time to move, mark each room with a designated color. In doing so, the movers can bring the boxes into the room with the same color label.
  • Secure the boxes with durable packing tape: You need to use durable and sturdy packing tape to secure the boxes. You can tape the bottom and top seams, then make a couple of wraps around the top and bottom edges of the boxes. Concentrate in areas where there is more stress.
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This guest post is written by Kris Bennette. She is a blogger for home improvement websites where she offers packing and moving tips for her readers. She advises her readers to visit https://www.usstoragecenters.com/self-storage/california/la-crescenta/zip-9 if they are interested in getting a storage unit.

15 Foods To Avoid While Pregnant

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There are a many myths associated with pregnancy. It can be hard to sort the fact from the fiction, but there are some foods doctors recommend you avoid while pregnant.


Seafood
Seafood

 

1. Seafood With High Mercury Levels: This includes shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel. 12 ounces or less of tuna a week is safe.

2. Certain Freshly Caught Fish: Check with your local Environmental Protection Agency office to determine if there are local pollutants contaminating the water supplies you get any local fish from.

3. Raw Fish: Always avoid raw fish when you are pregnant. No matter how much of a sushi buff you are, you’ll need to say no to dragon rolls and try a nice California roll for a bit.

4. Deli Meat: Legally delis must follow health codes, but cross contamination between raw meats and your order is still possible.

5. Undercooked Or Raw Meat And Poultry: Pregnant women can be especially susceptible to food poisoning and other bacterial infections, so stay away from refrigerated pâtés and potentially undercooked meats.

6. Undercooked Eggs: Salmonella is a concern for both you and your baby. The good news is that there are super tasty cookie dough recipes out there that don’t require any eggs for your times of need.

7. Smoked Meats: Should be avoided for the same reason. Cross contamination or poorly processed meats are a concern.

8. Unpasteurized Food: This is going to be a painful section for some. Cheese can still be your friend, but you’ll want to stay away from blue cheese, brie, feta, and Mexican cheeses unless they’re clearly labeled as pasteurized.

9. Unpasteurized Drinks: Fruit juices are the most common manifestation of this. Fresh squeezed juice is fine but some store bought brands shouldn’t be drunk. The same applies to fresh milk.

10. Unwashed Fruits And Vegetables: If you aren’t sure of their cleanliness rewash them. Fruits and vegetables can have bacterial growth if they are overripe; cut out the bad spots prior to eating. Also be aware of potential chemicals. You are much less sensitive to pesticides than your baby.

11. Raw Sprouts: These can also contain bacteria. Steam or boil any sprout you wish to eat.

12. An Excess Of Vitamin A: This can be tricky as relatively small quantities of meat can contain large amounts. Your daily recommended level is 2,565 international units, or IU. Liver is especially high in this vitamin, so eat only very small portions.

13. Heavily Caffeinated Drinks: Caffeine has the same effect on your child it does on you. If you can’t give it up entirely, about 200 milligrams a day is safe.

14. Herbal Teas, Even Those Marked For Pregnancy: Some herbs haven’t been extensively tested, particularly not concerning their long-term effect on pregnancy. Unless your doctor recommends a specific blend it’s best to not experiment.

15. Alcohol: Alcohol should be avoided in all forms. No amount of alcohol has been proven to be safe during pregnancy.

Being pregnant can seems like a massive lifestyle shift. Just remember to stay positive and keep a basic idea of the foods to avoid in mind, and nutritionally you’ll be fine!

Alicia Lane has worked for a maternity clothing store for the past 4 years. She recommends checking out this article to learn more about compression clothing and its medical benefits.

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Get The Professional Chef Look In Your Kitchen!

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If you love cooking and are always whipping up recipes designed by your favorite chefs, or concoctions of your own design, then chances are you have high standards when it comes to your kitchen at home. Whether it is having the very best in knives and other cooking tools, the freshest ingredients or the latest and best gadgets, cooking enthusiasts relish the chance to fit out their kitchens with the best in professional quality gear. But, when it comes to the layout of the kitchen itself, you may find yourself working with something that is a little more cluttered and homely than your Michelin starred heroes might have to use. If you are a serious cook in your own home and are thinking about remodeling your kitchen, why not take some kitchen design ideas from the professionals and get that pristine, efficient top chef look?

Maximum Room to Work

In a professional kitchen, one of the most vital concerns is keeping everything extremely clean and avoiding cross contamination. While in your own kitchen you will usually not be preparing as diverse a menu on a given day as a restaurant, cross contamination between different types of food and raw and cooked food is still an issue, so one thing to make sure of is that you have plenty of work space. Don’t waste counter space on things that are purely decorative or which can go somewhere else, like wine racks or bread bins, and give yourself as much room to work with when it comes to cutting, mixing and preparing as your kitchen can afford you.

Counter Tops

When it comes to counter tops and other work surfaces, in a professional kitchen stainless steel is normally used because it is very easy to keep clean and is resilient and long lasting. If you want this look in your own home then go for it, however most people prefer the more domestic look or granite or marble. These can take a bit more work to clean, however they do look good and also offer a strong surface to work on – just make sure you are always using clean cutting boards rather than putting food directly on the counter.

A stainless steel sink is always the best sort to have in a kitchen, however, and even if you use a dishwasher for the main washing up work, it is good to have a large one where you can quickly rinse off knives and other tools between uses for the same meal. A large sink is also a good place to defrost things and do various other food prep tasks, and will also give your kitchen more of the professional look you want.

Storing Equipment

Storing all your pots and pans in cupboards is the obvious way to keep the kitchen looking tidy, but you can create a cool ‘chef’ look by having some of your most used things out in the open, hanging on hooks over your oven for pots and pans or standing, ready to be used in a nice knife block for some of your other utensils. This not only makes the kitchen look like it belongs to a serious cook, but also makes it easier for you to grab the things you need as you prepare food.

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Richard Maxwell works for AB Restaurant Equipment, a restaurant supply store. He enjoys interacting with people and helping them out with his useful tips and suggestions.

Walk-In Shower Enclosures Versus Wet Rooms

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Shower enclosures are becoming more typical in new construction and remodeling projects, replacing the old fashioned wet room. Remodeling a bathroom suite to include one can add cost to a project, so it is important to consider the actual advantages of an enclosure over a wet room. Surprisingly, one of the things to look most closely at when making your choice is not design or cost, but the age of the persons in your household.

Is There An Advantage To A Wet Room?

Wet rooms were the standard for so long the natural question is to look at whether there was an advantage to having one in the house. The answer is both yes, and no. A wet room can sometimes be ideal in houses with small children. It can make the bathing process easier on the parent because it opens up the area available. While this may seem a significant advantage, children only need help bathing for a few years and householders use their bathrooms for decades. The sacrifice in space that is required to have a wet room quickly undoes its momentary advantage of allowing more room to chase slippery toddlers.

What Are The Advantages Of A Walk-In Enclosure?

Walk-In shower enclosures have several advantages to them that quickly reveal them to be a better choice than a wet room. While wet rooms make it easier for parents to supervise their young children whilst bathing, using a walk-in can also make the process more controllable. For youth and adults, a walk-in shower can save significant time in the bathing and maintenance process. With an enclosure, there is only the shower screen to wipe down rather than a large space. Also, the privacy accorded to the bather allows for others to use the bathroom suite, which can be helpful in houses with teens. One thing that is not often mentioned is that a walk-in enclosure is easier for elders to use. There is less a chance of slip and fall injury as wet tile is limited and there is no climbing in and out of a bath. Lastly, walk-in shower enclosures can save space when designing or re-designing a bathroom suite in a home.

Things To Look For In A Shower Enclosure

To make sure you get the best for your budget, there are things you should look for when shopping shower enclosures. A movable shower head, one on a braided hose, can be best as it allows the shower to accommodate persons of all heights. There are also other styles and designs of shower heads available that you may want to consider such as soft, large heads and massaging styles. The wet pans of the enclosure are another important consideration. They should have an easy means of draining and not be plugged or stopped in any way. The height of the wet pan is also important, especially in homes with older residents. Also, consider the enclosure itself and what it is made of. Glass can be expensive and very heavy. Acrylic screens have become the new norm for enclosures. Acrylic is lighter, cheaper and easy to clean.

Louisa Jenkins is a Grimsby-based blogger. She regularly produces advice pieces on bathrooms, guiding people on which shower enclosures to buy, the flooring they should install and so on.

Spring Tips For Cleaning Your Basement Like A Pro

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If you are like most homeowners, you probably have a lot of clutter in your basement. Spring always brings about a sense of renewal which can motivate you into cleaning out your overloaded basement. If the job seems to overwhelming to tackle, there are some helpful tips that will get your basement organized in no time.

Learn to Let Go

The basement often becomes the catchall place for everything you no longer use, but can’t seem to throw out. You should bring down several large trash bags and some cardboard boxes to sort your items into bags you can discard and boxes you can sell or donate. If you have items you don’t use that are in good condition, selling them or donating them will make you feel better about letting them go.

Create Organizational Spaces

You might have a lot of items stored in your basement that you do use on occasion. Creating areas to properly store these items will not only free up space in your basement it will make your items easier to find when you want them. Both large and small objects can be placed in plastic containers so they can be set on shelves. Shelving units can be purchased for very little money and come in styles made of rust resistant metal for use in basement areas. Plastic storage containers with lids are easy to stack and make create storage bins for out of season clothing.

Scrub Away the Dirt

One reason you might put off cleaning your basement could be due to the amount of dirt and cobwebs that accumulate there. Once you have the items you want to discard, donate or sell out of the basement you can start cleaning some of the areas. A broom is a good tool for getting rid of cobwebs that can form along the ceiling beams and in the corners of the basement.

You can also sweep the concrete to pick up all of the dust that often accumulates over time. You can also use a shop vac if you have one on hand. This type of vacuum can pick up some of the debris often found on basement floors such as discarded screws, sawdust or leaves. If your concrete floor has stains, you can sprinkle some kitty litter over them to help absorb the oils.

Watch Out for Mold

Basements are notorious for being breeding grounds for black mold. This is because they are damp and dark spaces which can be ideal for the growth of mold. If your basement is prone to flooding, you want to pay particular attention to mold growing on walls, floors or even on items stored there. Any items that have mold growing on them should be discarded immediately.

If the concrete floor or walls in your basement have black areas on them, you can use bleach to clean and kill the mold. Take precautions to never touch the mold by wearing rubber gloves. You can use a sponge or sponge mop to distribute the bleach over the affected area. To reduce the risk of mold in humid areas, you can place a humidifier in your basement to collect the water from the air.

Once your basement has been cleaned and organized, you will find it is a better environment to be in. You might even choose to add some flooring and turn it the space into a home office, gym or craft area.

Ben S. is often blogging about home improvement. here he shared with us his recent tips about how to clean the basement, which he did in April this year.

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