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Enjoy Small Space Living With Three Simple Steps

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Many individuals, couples and families these days are finding themselves in smaller homes and apartments. With poor organization, oversized furniture and too much clutter, a small space can easily feel even smaller. Taking any of these three steps will simplify your home and help your small space feel organized, controlled and even more spacious.

Master the Clutter

An essential element to a simplified and well-organized home lies within your ability to de-clutter. There is no need to hang onto items “just in case” or because your Great Aunt Martha gifted something to you. If you don’t need it, get rid of it.

Take a look through cupboards and drawers, and as you come across excess silverware, Tupperware with no lids, cookbooks you never use and clothes you don’t wear, ask yourself these two questions:

Is it one of five things I would save if my house caught fire?
Have I used it in the last year?

If you can’t answer “yes” to at least one of these questions with various items in your home, then you can consider them merely space filler. Get rid of them. It may hurt at first, but you’ll feel much better in the long run.

You have likely heard the saying, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Everything in your home needs a place to “live” whether it’s your car keys, mail, the kid’s crayons and artwork or extra toilet paper. If everything does not have a place to live, it is more likely to get left out and lost among the piles that inevitably build up on counters and coffee tables creating confusion and added stress.

As you de-clutter, avoid the temptation to multitask. Focus on one space at a time and see the de-cluttering and organizing through to completion.

Furniture for Small Spaces

When it comes to living in a small space, the right furniture can play a huge role in the effectiveness and comfort of your home. As you de-clutter cabinets and drawers, you may also realize that a couch or bean bag chair have to go to make room for something else.

The key to making a small space feel larger is having the right furniture. If you shop around the internet, you will find several companies that sell amazing multi-functional furniture that will maximize every inch of any small space with ceiling mounted beds, collapsible tables and chairs, or all-in-one furnishings such as a kitchen table that transforms into a computer desk in the morning and a bed at night.

Simplify Your Home with Apps

When designing your small space, consider adding current technology to simplify your living quarters. For starters, a truly user-friendly home automation system allows you to control features from a touchscreen module placed in your home as well as remotely from any internet source such as your smart phone or office computer.

Electronic locks ensure that your home can easily be locked up at the touch of a button. You can also unlock your house just as easily to let a friend in while you aren’t home.

Additionally, some home automation systems allow you to turn simple home appliances off or on. This can come in quite handy on the mornings you forget to turn off the coffee pot, television or curling iron as you run out the door to work.

Another great feature you can find with home automation is the capability to turn lights on or off as well as the thermostat up or down from anywhere whether you are at the office, on vacation in Barbados or watching a movie on your couch.

As you bring in more multi-functional furniture, eliminate the clutter and take advantage of the latest in home automation technology, you will find your home feeling larger and smarter so that you can enjoy more of what life has to offer.

About the Author: Lindsey Patterson is a freelance writer who specializes in technology and home automation. For more information on home security systems check out Vivint reviews.





How To Effectively Remove Your Carpet Stain

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Getting a persistent stain out of your carpet can be tough. It seems like you only do more damage, like spreading the mess, when you try to get it out yourself. You wonder how your neighbors and friends have such well-kept carpet. Perhaps they know something you don’t: Stains are unique. Because different stains have different components, they all need to be treated differently. Therefore, doing your “stain homework” ahead of time can really help you get those evil stains out of your carpet before they do major damage.

Here are a few common carpet stains and effective ways to get them out.

Water-Soluble Stains

Many of the stains we have to contend with are water-soluble stains. These include most drinks, mud, and latex paint. If you encounter such a stain, try making up a solution of white vinegar and water. Use ¼ teaspoon of the vinegar and fill the rest of the bottle up with water. If you don’t have white vinegar, you can also use non-bleach detergent if you have some on hand. Then simply blot the stained area, being careful not to ruin the carpet fibers or spread the stain by rubbing it. You may need to repeat the process a few times, but with a little persistence, you should be able to completely remove the stain.

Special Water-Soluble Stains Such As Coffee and Vomit

Some water-based stains need a bit of a different treatment. These include coffee, vomit, and mustard. To deal with these messes, try mixing one tablespoon of ammonia with one cup of water. Blot the area. If that doesn’t quite work, you can also try chlorine bleach mixed with water. However, make sure you know what kind of carpet you have before trying these treatments, as some react poorly to them. For example, if you have wool or wool-blend carpet, don’t use the ammonia approach. And only try the bleach approach if you have solution-dyed carpet. If you are unsure what kind you have, research online or call your carpet retailer.

Fat, Oil, and Wax

If you happen to have a stain caused by fat, oil, or wax, you may be at a loss for what to do. But don’t panic. It just takes a slightly different approach than you may be expecting. Place a paper towel over the stained area and iron with a warm (not hot!) iron. The substance should stick to the paper towel and be lifted out of the carpet, leaving your carpet mess-free.

Gum

A unique approach can also be taken with gum. To remove it from your carpet, you can do a few things: First, try freezing the spot with an ice cube. Then shatter the gum into pieces using a hammer and vacuum it up. If this doesn’t work for you, try using peanut butter. Massage it into the gum, wait for a few minutes, then scrape it up with a butter knife or putty knife. If you use this approach, you’ll obviously have to remove the peanut butter stain (just blot with dishwashing detergent or white vinegar.)

About the Author: David Glenn is a freelance writer who is currently involved with carpet cleaning in Anaheim, California. He specializes in DIY home improvement techniques and interior design consulting.

5 Tips To Automate Your Home

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  1. Install in steps – There are so many awesome features out there that will make your home more comfortable, more secure and more intelligent, but if you try to implement them all at once it could be overwhelming. I talk to people all the time that have installed a ton of things at once and while I rarely hear complaints, I often discover that they aren’t using certain awesome features because they didn’t realize they had them. Their new, automated house could do so many things and so many of the features got lost in the background. Installing an automation system bit by bit will allow families that are living on a strict budget to improve their home as well.
  2. Involve your computer – Many automation systems can be programmed to work with the personal computer you already own. Operating your home through your computer is beneficial because many people are more ‘at home’ on the computer and therefore more willing to explore and use the features an automation system can bring. An added benefit of connecting your system to your computer is that it can monitor your home while you are asleep or even initiate certain functions while you are not at home. Useful home automation software can be purchased for around $50 at Walmart or Bestbuy.
  3. Use modules – A module is simply a piece of hardware that can receive a signal from your remote and then execute a function. Use modules to link previously unconnected electronics in your house into your home automation system. For example, a lamp that you’d like to be able to turn off or on while watching t.v. can be controlled via remote if it is plugged into a lamp module. Modules can be bought for around $10 a piece.
  4. Think of your home categorically – If you just got a bunch of new home automation equipment or if you are thinking of installing a lot of new equipment you might be feeling a little overwhelmed. In tip #1 I explained that this feeling can be alleviated if the installation is taken in steps. Another helpful tip is to put the different aspects of home automation into categories. For example lighting should be one category and temperature control should be another. This can be helpful as you are installing or if you simply want to make better use of the features that you already have. Pick one category that is most important to you and then use the tips that have already been given to tweak the equipment to your desired specifications. This is easiest to do if the system is linked to your computer.
  5. Decide how you wish to control your system – many people get installed with a new system without giving a second thought to how they will control and monitor it all. Luckily the technology of the latest systems are so advanced that they need very little monitoring but you will want to make sure the system is working exactly how you want it to. Choose if you want to receive house updates on your smartphone, through email or on through your newly installed computer program. This will assure that your new ‘smart house’ doesn’t become an annoying pest.

David Glenn- is an expert in home improvement, he frequently writes about home security and automation. For more info check out Vivint home automation systems.

4 Custom Things Worth Buying For Your Pet

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For many people, their pet is like another family member. They love them like a family member. They feed them well, they spend time with them. They provide love, support, encouragement, and entertainment for each other.

But there is one big different between our pets and our other family members. And no, I’m not talking about their furry faces, or even their doggy breath. I’m talking about the amount of money we are willing to spend on them. We absolutely love our pets. And we’re happy to spend the money that we need to on them. We want what’s best for our family, and we want the best for our pets. But when we are able to, we don’t mind seeking out opportunities to save money on things for our pets.

So where do we draw the line? When is it okay to save money on things for our furry friends, and when is it better to spend a little bit more and get those custom things for our pets?

In most cases I don’t feel that customized items are necessary for pets. They don’t know if their doggy dish says their name on it, and they don’t care if their kitty color has their favorite color rhinestone. But in some cases it really is worth it to spend a bit more to get customized, higher quality items for our pets.

Here are 4 customized items worth buying for your pet:

1. Custom Pet Enclosures

If you are only going to purchase one customized item for your pet I would go with a custom pet enclosure. A baby gate just isn’t going to work here! If you have a very basic shaped backyard, you can purchase high quality premade pet enclosures and those should work just fine for you. But if you have an irregular shaped yard, you should definitely look into a custom pet enclosure. These enclosures are surprisingly affordable, and they can be customized to fit the size and shape that you need for your specific yard or house.

2. Customized Pet Training

Yes, your dog can absolutely learn to sit, lay down, heel, etc through your typical run of the mill pet training. But customized pet training is exactly what it sounds like: customized. So, your trainer will alter the training plan and schedule according to your and your pet’s needs. So if Spot needs a bit more time to learn how to heel, then you and your trainer can take that extra time to make sure he gets it. Or if your dog is ahead of the game on learning to roll over, you can skip that portion. Either way, you are not paying for training your pet doesn’t need, and you are not having to rush through portions that he may need some extra help with. You and your pet get completely tailored training.

3. Custom Pet Portraits

If you really are one of those people that view your pet as a true member of the family, then why not capture their full personality and beauty with custom pet portraits? It’s not like you can bring in your cat into Sears portrait studio. But just like with any other member of your family, you want to remember the different stages of their life, and you want to have high quality pictures of them to remember them by. So, you can hire a photographer that specializes in pet photography. They will be accustomed to working with animals, and they will be able to get great shots of that extra member of your family (with other members of your family also if you like) that you will cherish for years.

4. Custom Bedding

This one is simple. You want a comfortable bed, and so does your pet. So first and foremost, make sure to get a good, sturdy, comfy bed for your animal. You may not want to go all-out and completely customize your pet’s bed with their name on it, but you do want to buy a “customized” bed to fit your pet’s needs. Make sure you are getting the right size for your pet. You can also customize the color of it to match the rest of your home.

Nicole is a writer for Spot On Pet Enclosures. They provide custom pet enclosures and fences.

Update Your Decor For Spring

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Officially, spring started on Wednesday, March 20th. However, many of our minds are likely already filled with thoughts of upcoming warm weather activities at home and on the road. While spring is a good time to hit the road with your family for a few days, it is also a good time to take care of those projects around your home that may have been put on the shelf during the cold winter weather. One of those may even include updating the décor of your home. Below are some of the main areas you may want to consider when thinking of changing the look of a single room or your entire home.

Wall Treatments

Perhaps one of the easiest and most cost effective ways, to change the look of a space is by adding a new coat of paint to it. If your walls are currently the egg shell white that most of us see as a blank canvas, grab your supplies and get to work. However, if there is currently color on the wall, make sure you get a primer that will cover the color prior to you applying the new look.  Keep in mind if you have a feature like vaulted ceilings it may be best call in a professional to handle the height and specific challenges of those ceilings.

Flooring Treatments

Updating the look of your floors may cost a significant amount depending on the size of the area you are looking to change. Prior to shopping for new flooring consider the type that will compliment your desired outcome the most and work best for the use of the room. For example, if you are redoing your living room and have young children, you may want to consider carpeting to limit the risk of any possible injuries. Once you decide on the type of flooring, measure the space to determine how much it will cost.

Window Treatments

Another fun way to update your décor is by changing out the window treatments. For example, you may want to consider comfortex cellular shades. This type of treatment has a honeycomb cell construction and is good for rooms that need extra insulation.

Changing the décor of your space can be a fun and exciting way to start the spring. Do a little planning prior to shopping to determine exactly what you need and most of all enjoy the new look!

Heather B is always looking for the next thing to do on her house. She enjoys sharing ideas for home improvement with others.

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