The Garage Sale- Part 2

Some experts suggest you shouldn’t price items in a garage sale but let people offer what they think the items are worth. These experts claim people will often offer more than you would have put on the item. Others say to make sure items are clearly priced. It may be negotiable but it is a starting point. I adhere to this idea. If I went to a garage sale where I had to ask the price of everything I would quickly get fed up and leave. Be prepared to negotiate on price. Those who go to garage sales regularly usually … Continue reading →

Budget Friendly Home Stores

In this economy shopping for your home should be approached with caution. It is easy to spend quite a bit when you purchase things for you home. Aside from a buy nothing policy which isn’t very practical, especially when the roof leaks or your kitchen chair breaks, what can you do? I’ve found that even in a tough economy, there are stores out there that are very budget friendly. They will help you out without breaking a budget. I’m not getting paid by any of these stores for recommending them (It would be nice if I were), so this is … Continue reading →

Hiring a Handyman

Lately we have been contemplating hiring a handyman to help us with some of the many projects around and outside our home. These are projects that are tough to prioritize into our project list for a couple of reasons. They are either of a non-emergency nature, they aren’t enjoyable to do and therefore get put off, they were started but not finished, or they just aren’t on my husband’s list to do, even though I would like to have them done. If you are thinking of hiring a handyman or handywoman to get some of your projects done, you should … Continue reading →

Sachet: Sweet Smelling To Any Home

Sachet has an old and well respected, sweet-smelling past, dating back to the 15th century when the French upper classes lined their trunks containing elaborate garments of silk and velvet that could not be laundered with scented spices and powders. Daily bathing was at the time considered unhealthy, and the sachet as well as perfumes helped to tone down body odor so strong that it would have made any self-respecting herring faint. Many pieces of valuable clothing were often stained in those days as the essential ils inherent in the raw spices eventually leached out. Sachets came in vogue because … Continue reading →

Finding a Professional Painter

Finding a professional painter to assist you with your painting needs is not always as easy as it seems. Depending on your area of the country, there may or may not be a plethora of available labor to help you with your work. There is a dearth of qualified contractors in some towns, while there is an overload in others. Depending on the cit in with you live, you may be facing a difficult task ahead when it comes to finding a good painter. First, ask your neighbors and friends who they have used and who they would recommend. Referrals … Continue reading →

Trash Becomes Treasure

Have you seen the new show “Junk Brothers” on HGTV? I caught it the other night for the first time. These two brothers grab furniture left on the curb with the trash, and take it to their shop for a revamp. They go all out and when they’re done, the items are hardly recognizable. Then, they return the new and improved version to the home where they found it, ring the doorbell, and take off. They watch from the distance as delighted homeowners come out and examine their work. Shows like “Junk Brothers” and “Trash to Treasure” are so cool. … Continue reading →

Resources for Organizing Your Home Office

In previous articles, tips were given for organizing your home office. Today, I’ll offer some resources for finding or making storage units to help you keep things organized, starting with some of the items mentioned in those other articles. Business Card Organizers You can pick up a mini photo album at any dollar store and place business cards between transparent sheets instead of filling the pages with pictures. You can also purchase small files for business cards, or you can pick up a business card organizer that is similar to a photo album but has pages specially designed and fitted … Continue reading →

What Makes Flooring Fail

Every home has several key components in common – they all have walls, ceilings and floors. Everyone knows that not all walls are the same, but few people examine the differences in floors to determine what makes some flooring fail and what makes some flooring succeed. The primary reason why good flooring fails is simple misuse. People do not install the flooring correctly, or they use it in the wrong part of the house, causing undo wear and stress on the floor. Here are some tips to help you avoid the classic pitfalls that many homeowners face when dealing with … Continue reading →

Home Generators: Resources

During a power outage, we soon realize how many items in our home rely on electricity. Many of the things we take for granted on a daily basis don’t work without it, from cordless phones to water pumping systems in some cases. Being without electricity is bad enough, but when it also leaves you without water, it can become a serious problem rather quickly. A home generator can be a life saver in a disaster, literally. It can also make your family more comfortable and help keep you safe during power outages caused by storms, overages during high temperatures that … Continue reading →

Getting Good Deals on Flooring

There are several different ways to get good deals on flooring for your home. You can check with flooring outlet centers or online liquidators, but keep in mind the cost of shipping. If shopping online, which can sometimes be the best choice, simply make sure the company you plan to shop with doesn’t eat up your entire discount in shipping charges. You’ll also hear people rave about how “cheap” carpet and vinyl flooring remnants are but you might be surprised by the prices when you walk into a showroom. Often times, remnants are not exactly cheap. The retailer still needs … Continue reading →