Categories
Adulting For the Home Life Parenting

8 Signs That It Is The Right Time To Move Your Family

If you’ve been thinking it is time to move your family, there are a few things you’ll need to consider first to ensure that it’s the right choice. After all, moving isn’t an easy feat.

Whether you’re moving around the corner or to a completely different city, it is expensive and takes a lot of planning to get right. Here are the signs to look for that will give you an idea of whether this is the right choice for you and it’s time to book the movers.

Signs That It Is Time to Move

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1. The House Has Started To Feel Too Small

Has the house started to feel tight and cramped? This often happens when you have growing kids or you want to expand your family further. Kids barely take up any room when they’re small, but they soon grow and accumulate things that take up space. If your house has started to feel too small, it could be a good time to look into moving. 

2. You/The Kids Don’t Have Enough Privacy

Privacy is important, whether you’re a parent or the child. Children need privacy too, and they need to feel like they have a space to call their own. If your kids are having to share bedrooms, it is a good time to look at getting a bigger place. This way everybody can have their own space. 

3. You’re Thinking About it More and More 

If you’re even thinking about moving, that’s a sign alone that it’s a good time to move. If you find yourself constantly thinking about it, it could be time to look into what you’d have to do. It could be a good time to start exploring movers, and figuring out how this would affect school, work, and the rest of the family. 

4. There’s Too Much Empty Space

Perhaps your kids have actually flown the nest. This can leave parents with more empty space than they know what to do with and leave them feeling like they are rattling around an empty home. A smaller, more cozy place could be the right choice in this case. 


Infographic Provided by We Buy Houses in Kentucky

5. The Commute is A Killer

Commuting to work can add hours to the working day. If you’re getting fed up with having to be up hours and hours before you start and not getting back until late, perhaps moving closer to your workplace could help.

6. You Want Your Kids To Go To A Better School

You can’t just cherry-pick the best school for your kids – you actually need to live in the vicinity. Some schools offer school-of-choice, but the best schools normally don’t offer that option. If you want to make sure your kids go to a good school, moving might be the only option. 

7. You’re Having To Make Too Many Upgrades

If you’re having to make too many upgrades and do too much DIY to make your home livable, then it’s probably costing you more than it’s worth. Consider if moving could save hassle and money in the long run. 

Finding a home that only requires seasonal maintenance could be life-changing for you. Then, you wouldn’t have to worry about things breaking down or needing to be replaced. You could focus on other things and preparing your home will be easier.

8. People You Care About Live Far Away

Living close to the people you care about can seriously enrich your quality of life. If you don’t see as many of them as you’d like, moving closer could be the best thing for your family. More importantly, it would help if you moved closer to your elderly family members like your parents and grandparents. Nothing brings joyful tears like seeing your kids play and enjoy their grandparent’s company. 

Unfortunately, life can be demanding, making it impossible to travel miles to spend more time with the people you love. However, it’s never too late to remedy this. Moving closer is the best and most practical option.

If you have a sick family member living in a facility like the  Three Oaks Hospice & Palliative Care, it would be best to move nearby for apparent reasons. For one, you’ll be able to spend more time with them and help them live their final moments happily. Secondly, your family, especially your kids, will have a chance to meet and build a relationship with the people you care about.

Although a palliative and hospice center has its benefits like pain management, assisted living, and nursing care, you’d still want to be there for your loved ones. There’s no better time to move close by than when you have a chronically sick loved one that might not live for a long time. This is important not just to your loved ones but to you, too, as it’ll help you know that you were there during their last moments.

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The Right Time To Move Your Family

Whatever the reason, it is important to recognize when it is the right time to move your family. It is a big decision that can’t be taken lightly, so recognizing the signs will help with the transition. If you have moved your family, was it for one of the reasons listed here or something else? Leave a comment and let us know.

Categories
Adulting For the Home Home How To Life

How to Keep Your Home Clean and Free of Unwanted Dirt And Mess

Photo: Unsplash

Have you ever had chaos in your home and did not know where to start? Even if your house looks like a bombed-out landscape, you can clean it in 24 hours by following some simple steps. Plus, these tips will show you how to keep your home clean in the future, too.

Look for Huge Problem Areas

First, you need to look at any significant problems. Identify what they are, such as damp spots, or infestations. It would help if you always were on top of these things, which is why preventative pest control is significant.

These problem areas can hinder your ability to keep your home clean. Plus, if there is moisture or mold, it could cause you to become sick.

Now more than ever, it is important to have a clean home. With COVID-19 taking hold, we need to protect ourselves and our families.

Clean Before Disinfecting

Do not just disinfect. Clean first and then disinfect. Many people who buy disinfectant wipes or sprays, use them on all surfaces. But it is better to clean the area first with soap and sponge or cloth and then apply any disinfectant.

Also, leave the disinfectant on the surfaces for about 30 seconds before wiping it. One of the surfaces that you need to clean and disinfect daily is the kitchen counter.

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In the Kitchen

Remember to clean the areas you touch often. The kitchen is one of the rooms in which we are often and in which we touch many surfaces and objects.

So, in addition to the counter already mentioned, do not forget to clean the kitchen utensils you use, the coffee machine, the knobs on the doors and windows, the power switches and of course the cabinets and their handles. You can clean all these every day with disinfectant or hot soapy water.

Then, you should put your sponges in the washing machine. The things you use to clean other things are often filled with germs. The World Health Council has found that an average of 19.6 billion bacteria lives on kitchen sponges in an average house.

The good news is that it’s easy to get rid of these 19.6 billion bacteria in a straightforward way. You can clean them by merely throwing them in the washing machine, or you can rub them well yourself with warm soapy water.

Another tip is to use microfiber cloths because they are easy and swift to clean. By taking these additional steps, you’ll be preparing your home well! 

Furniture 

If you want to use furniture polish, make sure you read the labels carefully and that it is suitable for the job you want. But know that the polish is not designed to clean but to polish. 

  • Some furniture items can “withstand” water. These can be cleaned with the soap solution mentioned above. Dry the surface quickly to leave no marks.
  • Next, use the furniture polish and wipe according to the instructions.
  • If it is a hydrophilic wood, then you can use liquid soap for parquet.

All-Purpose Cleaners

  • Be careful with all general purpose cleaning products. It is not always safe for every purpose. Be sure to read the labels carefully before buying them and make sure they fit your needs.
  • Do not mix cleaners! Use one at a time and follow the instructions.
  • Consider natural cleaners without chemicals.

Outside the Home

You shouldn’t neglect chores outside the home (garden, yard, deck) as they are necessary to create a more pleasant environment. The rake and broom will prevent the growth of mold after the rain, will reduce the appearance of insects and will improve the overall image of your home. Prune your plants, take care of your garden and wash the patios or decks regularly.

Cleaning the Floors

The vacuum cleaner is by far the most effective way to clean dust, bristles and debris from the floor before mopping. On wooden floors now, the brooms with a special cloth are more effective, which “pulls” the dust thanks to the static electricity and at the same time polishes the wood.

Mopping

Some mop replacements can be very effective, but no better solution has been found for when you have to get rid of the dirt that is stuck:

  • If you have tile, nothing will work more effectively for the dirt that accumulates.
  • Cloth mops are more effective than sponge mops.
  • Use warm water and a good cleanser (reread the instructions)

Washing

  • It is much easier to wash the dishes immediately after using them, as you will not have to rub the dried leftovers for hours.
  • Wet the sponge with hot water, add a little dishwashing liquid, clean each dish on both sides and then rinse well.
  • Avoid filling pots or deep dishes with water and leave them for a long time because on the one hand, they will smell and on the other hand, they can collect flies and all kinds of germs.
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House work and cleaning may seem like an unbearable task. It doesn’t have to be difficult however, especially if you regularly keep up on it. Do you have any other tips for how to keep your home clean?

Categories
Adulting Decor For the Home Home How To

The Best Halloween Decor Must-Haves to Buy Now

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays to decorate for. The Halloween decor is so cute, and there are options for every taste and design idea.

No matter how much I bought the year before, I still find myself adding to my Halloween collection when the season is approaching. Do you find yourself doing this, too, even after promising yourself you wouldn’t? LOL!

I gathered all of my favorite Halloween decor from Amazon and put them into this post for you! Since I can’t buy it all, I’m hoping I can live vicariously through some of you!! In the end, I’ll let you know which pieces I decided to add to my collection this time around!

**This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.**

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Halloween Decor for the Kitchen and Dining Room

Decorating these two rooms can be so much fun! From centerpieces to cute Halloween plates and napkins and adorable runners or tablecloths, the options are endless. Plus, you definitely have to have dish towels for the kitchen and placemats for the dining room.

Halloween Decor for the Living Room and Bedroom

Both the living room and the bedroom should be cozy, so lots of the decor can be interchangeable between the two rooms. Throw pillows, blankets, Halloween wall decor, flowers, and small pieces to go on a shelf are all perfect.

Want to see some cute and easy Halloween crafts for kids?

Check out this post —–> Halloween Crafts for Kids

Halloween Decor for the Bathroom

While the bathroom may seem like a weird place to decorate for Halloween, it is actually one of the most fun! You can choose a creepy bath mat or hand towel or, if you’re feeling super festive, you can even get a Halloween shower curtain. Plus, there are other Halloween decor items that are designed just for the bathroom.

Bloody Bath Mat – Color Changing Sheet Turns Red When Wet – Make Your Own Bleeding Footprints That Disappear White – Sheet, for Shower/Bathroom – Novelty Gag Gift
Color Changing Sheet Turns Red When Wet to Make Bleeding Footprints That Disappear White

Did you know many Halloween candy favorites contain common allergens?

Click to read this post! >> Popular Halloween Candy That Isn’t Safe for Kids With Allergies

Halloween Decor for the Entryway or Outside

You can’t go wrong with a Halloween mat inside of your doorway. Plus, Halloween door hangings are the perfect way to set an immediate tone of festivity for your home.

For the outside of your home, fall-inspired flower pots filled with mums or other fall plants are a must-have. Put in some pumpkins, gourds, hay bales, and corn stalks and it will be a complete look.

If you are going for something creepy, you can include skeletons and other creepy creatures.

Homeschooling or looking to work on math with your child?

Check out this post —- Halloween Math With Free Printable

Halloween Decor for the Office

Since you spend much of your time in the office or at work, you have to decorate there, too! You’ll want to make sure the decor won’t take up much space but still sets an awesome Halloween vibe.

Halloween Decor For Anywhere in Your Home

Looking for things to do with your kids this fall?

Check out these 2 posts!

1. Fall Sensory Play with Dyed Rice (this dyed rice is SO easy to make!)
2. Fall Bucket List With Free Printable

My Picks – Halloween Decorations

I seriously want every Halloween decoration I posted in this blog post. Unfortunately, I could only choose a few! So, after long deliberation, I chose:

1. Hot Cocoa and Scream Candle
2. Skill Decor Vintage Dictionary Art Prints
3. Ravens on Skulls Bookends
4. Beware of Well Just Beware & No Trespassing We’re Tired of Hiding The Bodies Metal Signs
5. Palm Reader Jewelry Stand
6. Skull Makeup Brush Holder, Pen Holder, Office Organizer
7. Crow Skull and Pumpkin Pillow Covers Set of 4
8. Mysterious Oddities Coffin Shelf

Tell Me!

Which ones were your favorites? What is your favorite holiday to decorate for?

Let me know in the comments! I can’t wait to hear from you!

Categories
Adulting For the Home How To Winter

3 Important Tips for Preparing Your Family Home For The Winter

Although it may seem like time is passing by in a blur, winter will soon be here, meaning you have many household chores. Keeping your home safe and cozy during the winter months can be a tiresome task, so you must get started preparing your home before it feels like it’s the right time. Waiting until the time feels right will likely leave you scrambling at the last minute. The kids go back to school, then Halloween happens, and suddenly, it is Thanksgiving, and you wonder how you even got here. We’ve all been there, parents. So how can you start preparing your family home for winter?

Tip for Preparing Your Family Home For Winter

Structural Security

First, let’s get the boring stuff out of the way. Your home can fall prey to frozen pipes, water damage, and drafts during the winter. So, now is the time to take a look over your home’s outer structures.

Are any repairs needed before the cold comes? To keep the place free of cold drafts or worse water damage that requires extensive refurbishments, make sure you undergo any repairs before the winter. Not only will keeping your home maintained help keep the heating bills down, but it will also increase safety and spare you expense down the line.

Preventing water damage in the winter can be done in a few ways. First, check your pipes for any cracks that can leak and cause damage. Second, make sure any flood risks are minimized by installing high-quality drainage in your home’s foundations. Third, say a little prayer to the home maintenance gods for guidance.

Keeping It Cozy

One lovely thing about the winter months is that they give us the opportunity to snuggle up and get cozy. Ensure you are prepared for this by pulling out your old throws and blankets from the attic.

Similarly, one way to cozy up your home for the winter is wintery scented candles. These don’t have to be overpowering or intense but can be subtle mood-setters that light up dark corners of your home in the evenings while giving a gorgeous aroma too.

Maximizing Your Heat When Preparing Your Family Home

Lord knows the heat bills can be off the charts in the winter. If you want to save money this year while also doing your part for the environment, make sure you do everything possible to keep the heat inside your home.

How can you maximize the heat in the winter? Well, it all starts with identifying the weak points – the windows and doors, of course!

Are your windows double-glazed? If not, time to invest. Investing in double-glazed windows will change your life and give you amazing heat-sealing for years to come. In addition, never underestimate the value of high-quality curtains or blinds which are thick enough to block the draft.

No matter what kind of home you live in, there are easy ways to prepare it for the wintertime. Start preparing your home for winter now, and save yourself the headache later in the year.

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Categories
Adulting For the Home Home How To

How to Paint Countertops

With Giani Countertop Paint Kit

Since we moved into our home 7 years ago, we’ve been living with terribly ugly orange countertops. It’s been the thing I hated most about our home, but it’s always gotten put on the back burner for more important things. We’ve read about how to paint countertops but were always a little skeptical.

We weren’t sure how it would turn out. Plus, since we have five kids at home, we needed something easy because we couldn’t have our kitchen out of commission for too long.

We’ve been spending so much time at home during quarantine that curiosity finally got the best of us. I figured that anything was better than the orange countertops we’d been living with.

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Sooo…

Painting our countertops was easier than I thought it would be! It took around a total of four hours to complete over the course of two days. The best part is that it doesn’t look awful! I actually really like it.

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How to Paint Countertops

1. Order the kit

After researching multiple options, we decided to go with the Giani Countertop Paint Kit. This is the one that had the best reviews and outcomes, plus it was easier to use than other options.

The kit contains:

  • A 16-ounce can of primer
  • 6 ounces of mineral colors paint
  • 16 ounces of topcoat
  • A Giani sponge
  • A foam brush
  • A roller handle
  • 2 roller covers
  • A practice board
  • Step-by-step instructions

This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

2. Prep your countertops

Your countertops should be smooth before you being. If there are any chips or uneven edges, you should fill them in. Next, sand your entire countertop lightly to make sure that everything can adhere to it.

3. Roll on the primer

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This part was pretty crazy because we had black countertops for eight hours. That’s when I knew there was no going back.

4. Sponge on the color

Each color kit is different. We used the White Diamond kit, so we first sponged on gray. After the gray dried, we sponged white on top of it. This is the part that took the most time.

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The other color options for when you paint countertops include:

5. Roll on the topcoat

We did two coats of this. It was easy and dried quickly. They do recommend that you avoid putting small appliances on the counter top for three days.

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Final Thoughts On How to Paint Countertops With Giani Countertop Paint Kit

This countertop paint kit was great. I’m mad that I didn’t do it sooner, actually. It was easy enough that anyone can do it, and it looks so good!

Now we need to paint the cabinets!

Have you ever used a countertop paint kit or have you thought about using one? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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Categories
For the Home Home

How To Choose The Best Removalist For Your Relocation

removalist

Image Source: Unsplash

Knowing what to expect from a great removalist company is key to securing the best team to help you. If this is the first time you are hiring a team yourself, you are going to need some guidelines, so you know exactly what to look out for.

If you don’t do your research, you will find that things can start to go wrong quickly. The more you know how to look for a professional and reliable team of removalists, the easier and smoother your move will go.

If you are looking for cheap removalists in Logan like Vic Palmer Removals and Storage, the company surely offers great services. It’s recommended to choose a company that has been operating for several years and has completed a number of moves with varying needs as this means they have plenty of experience.

What Are The Signs Of A Brilliant Removalist?

The more research you do, the more you will be able to see the pros of hiring a certain removalist. When you choose a reliable and professional team, there will be signs to help you tell they are a great choice to go for and here is a list:

Complete selection of services

The company should be comprehensive and have a lot to offer. The best companies out there will cover everything from local to cross-state relocations, great packing materials and knowledge of how to care for fragile items. They will be experienced enough to also offer you explanations you require when you have specific questions around a certain service they provide.

They offer storage facilities

Some of the top removal firms will give you the option to store your belongings in a safe storage location if needed. This extra bonus will also mean you won’t have to look elsewhere and shop around for brand new quotes so will make your job much easier.

They have guarantees in place

You want a removals company who will offer compensation on valuable belongings, so you are covered on all fronts. This is especially the case if you have high ticket valuable items and treasures. You want to ensure they are protected from any damages so you need to find a company with a zero-damage policy so you are fully covered. Another key element you are dealing with a top removalist company is that this cover will be valid locally but also interstate too.

removalist

Image Source: Unsplash

The staff are trained well

Highly trained and experienced staff are invaluable to a seamless move. You will tell some of the top ones from the mediocre by the quality of service they deliver and moving satisfaction quotes on their website. Also, it’s well worth checking out any customer feedback or reviews so you get a good insight into the realistic service they provide.

Categories
Adulting Decor For the Home Gifts

11 of The Best Amazon Finds For the Home Décor Lover

I love home décor and I love adding pieces to my collection whenever possible. While I like seasonal or holiday items, it’s also important to have beautiful pieces throughout my home during the rest of the year, too. These pieces can also be used WITH your seasonal pieces, making them year-round options.

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Cute Home Décor Pieces

1. Small White Vase Set (Ceramic)

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This set of 3 vases is versatile and could really be used in any room of a home or office. It’s a nice addition to other décor items and adds height difference.

2. Golden Black LED Marquee Letter

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This light-up letter would be cute in any room, but I envision it in a bedroom for some reason. It could be hung on the wall or sat on a shelf, and it would be cute either way.

3. Hanging Planter Vase & Geometric Wall Décor

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Succulents are super popular amongst home décor lovers and wall-hanging planters are even better. This set of 2 doesn’t actually come with the succulents, so if you aren’t a plant lover, you could put something else inside. If you do love succulents, you can grab some of those to put in this planter right over here —-> succulents link.

4. Canvas Prints – green plants

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These cute succulent canvas prints are perfect for any room of the house and can match many different décor styles. It comes as a set of 3 and could be used separately or together.

5. Decorative Natural Wood Floating Wall Shelves

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Every décor lover needs decorative shelving to put their other décor on, right? This 3-tiered shelf is perfect because it’s versatile, can be used in any room, and has enough space to hold multiple items on each shelf.

6. Rustic Antique Wooden Window Pane

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I’ve been wanting this wooden window pane to put on my fireplace mantle for soooo long. I love the way they look and how much you can do with it, and it can be worked into any seasonal display you may have, too. My birthday is coming up so I’m hoping to get something like it. (Hint, hint, Christopher).

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7. Bathroom Décor Box, Double Sided

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How fun are these décor boxes for the bathroom?! I’ve been wanting one that says ‘nice butt’ for a while and when I found this double sided one I fell in love. I love changing up my décor every once in a while and what better way than by just turning something around?

8. Rustic Wood Home Sign

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Letters and words are so much fun, and they add a nice change to your other décor. These wooden ‘HOME’ letters can be hung on the wall or put on a shelf, and there are different color options available, too.

9. Flannel Blanket with Pompom Fringe

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Throw blankets are always a safe gift for a home décor lover. I love the color of this one and how it could go with so many different color schemes, and the pom-poms are the cute little embellishment this blanket needed to be perfect.

10. Artificial Eucalyptus Wreath

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Not everyone knows this, but you can do SO much with a wreath. From hanging it alone on a door or window to adding it to a empty decorative window frame (remember #6 on this list?!), this realistic looking wreath would be perfect for a home décor lover to add to their collection.

11. Antique Pewter Basket with Copper Handles

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I have this exact basket, and I literally want 6 more of them. It’s heavy duty, super cute, and can hold anything from toys to throw blankets. There are different sizes and shapes available, too.

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This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.

Final Thoughts on The Best Amazon Finds For the Home Décor Lover

I love home décor and I’m always asking for it for holidays. The only problem with that is that my husband and kids never know what to actually buy me! If you find yourself in that same situation, this guide should give you some options or at least point you in the right direction.

Do you like home décor? If so, what style do you like best and what are your favorite pieces? Tell me about it in the comments!

Categories
Adulting For the Home Gifts Holiday

12 Amazon Prime Day Must-Haves

Amazon Prime Day (AKA: Christmas in July) happens only one time per year, and Amazon offers TONS of amazing deals you can’t find any other time. I love Amazon all year long, but I’m even more fond of it in July. Prime day is on the 15th and 16th of this month, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Since I am an Amazon Affiliate partner, I get early access to Prime Day deals and a sneak peak of the deals to come. It would just be rude if I kept all of this awesome info to myself, so I’m going to share it with you, too!

***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***

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Amazon Prime Membership Perks

There are literally SO MANY benefits for Amazon Prime members, it’s probably impossible to list them all. Just so you can get an idea of some of the best benefits, though, I’ll give it my best to list as many as possible.

  • Free shipping (sometimes same day!!)
  • Awesome deals that aren’t available for non-members
  • Watching movies and TV shows
  • Free games
  • Ad free music

How to Join Amazon Prime

It’s so easy to join Amazon Prime. All you have to do is click the image below, and you’ll be taken straight to the sign-up page. You can do a free trial at first to make sure you love all the awesome features and exclusives that come with it.

You can cancel at any time, so there is no commitment if you sign up. It’s super easy to cancel, too. You won’t have to deal with calling anyone or waiting a certain amount of time, you can simply cancel right on the Amazon website (although I’m certain you won’t want to cancel).

Must-Have Prime Day Deals

  1. Fire TV Stick
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  2. Instant Pot
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  3. Bosch Drill
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  4. Robot Vacuum
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  5. Laptops
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  6. Amazon Echo Dot
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  7. Kindle Paperwhite
    Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon Prime Day, Must Have Electronics, Book Lovers
  8. Phone accessories such as this wireless charger
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  9. Xbox 1
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  10. PlayStation 4
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  11. TVs
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  12. Air Fryer
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Final Thoughts On Amazon Prime Day Must-Haves

There are going to be SO MANY awesome deals on Prime Day, and there are even some offers leading up to the actual even, so the sooner you sign up the better! What items are you hoping to find for a good deal on Prime Day? Tell me about them in the comments!

Other Blog Posts Featuring Amazon Products My Family Loves

Categories
Adulting For the Home Home

5 Home Maintenance Services Every Homeowner Needs to Schedule

Being a homeowner is so exciting. The sense of freedom that comes with owning your own home is pretty amazing, and you may feel like nothing could go wrong. Lots of things can go wrong in your home, however, unless you schedule home maintenance services.

The worst part of being a homeowner? The moment you realize that there’s more to it than you expected.

Home maintenance services protect your home from unwanted and expensive repairs, and they can just improve the look of your home. These services also improve the way certain parts of your home function. While some of the maintenance can be done by you (or your spouse), others will require a professional.

home maintenance services

Home Maintenance Services To Schedule Now

1. HVAC Maintenance

  • Air Conditioner Maintenance

Each spring you should have an HVAC technician come to your home and inspect your air conditioner before using it for the year. They’ll likely clean it (if necessary), and they’ll make sure it’s all running efficiently.

Even if repairs aren’t necessary, an HVAC professional will do the routine maintenance that ensures your unit doesn’t require costly repairs in the near future. This maintenance can also keep your utility bill a little lower, since your unit will be running efficiently.

  • Furnace Maintenance

Likewise, in the fall, you should have an HVAC technician inspect your furnace before the first use. They’ll do the routine maintenance that has all the same perks as for the air conditioning maintenance, but it’ll also help prevent a house fire caused by a glitch in your furnace.

2. Hot Water Heater Maintenance

An HVAC company may be able to do your hot water heater maintenance, as well. Two birds, one stone if you hire a company that can do both your A/C and your hot water heater.

Hot water heater maintenance will ensure that your water won’t unexpectedly run cold at an inconvenient time.

3. Gutters Cleaned

Having your gutters cleaned isn’t just for appearance. There are quite a few reasons to make sure they are regularly cleaned out.

First, it helps get water away from your home so that it doesn’t all settle around your foundation. Next, it prevents trees and weeds from growing out of your gutters, which also protects your home. Another reason is to reduce the number of mosquitoes and other insects that breed in your space.

home maintenance services

4. Power Washing

Your home can become stained and built up with grime and pollutants. Each spring, you should power wash your home to remove all of this. It can prevent your home from becoming permanently stained, reduce the number of allergens found around your home, and it will make your home look better.

This one can be done on your own but, if you don’t like doing this kind of stuff, you can always hire someone to do it.

5. Lawn Maintenance

BOOOOO lawn maintenance. Does anyone else hate mowing the lawn as much as I do? OK, I’ll be honest, I have NEVER mowed my own lawn.

Now, this isn’t out of laziness, I swear. My allergies get SO bad when grass is being cut that I can hardly breathe sometimes. So, when my husband mows the grass, I take a Zyrtec and settle myself inside.

So anyhow, you have to do lawn maintenance for a couple of reasons. Of course, maintaining your lawn just makes your house look pretty on the outside and everyone wants that.

Second, it eliminates pests. Insects and large pests alike love an unkempt yard. You’ll find that your outdoor events are swamped with mosquitoes if you don’t keep up on this maintenance.

This is another maintenance that you can easily do on your own but you can also hire a professional to take care of the job for you. Hiring professional maintenance services for your lawn care can save you time and make sure the job is done well each time.

It’s also worth noting that the property itself isn’t the only thing you can maintain and restore. You can do the same thing with your furniture and other belongings. By using contents restoration services, you can have your furniture looking as good as new. If you’re giving your home some TLC, why not look after the furniture?

Final Thoughts On Home Maintenance Services

A home is one of our biggest investments. It’s also the place where we spend a ton of our time and where we raise our families. You may not think there’s much that needs to be done to keep your home running smoothly and looking good, but there are certain home maintenance services you should schedule ASAP.

Many of these maintenances should only be done by a professional, the others you can likely do yourself, but you could save yourself some time and headache if you just hire a professional for all of it. So, get your home maintenance services scheduled so that you can sit back and relax, knowing your home is taken care of.

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Achievable Goals For The New Year

The New Year is already here, and I just sat down this morning to figure out my New Year’s Resolution. I wanted it to actually be achievable goals for the New Year. It was a tough call because I can honestly say I won’t be going to the gym every day (or even once a week… I have 5 kids LOL), I also won’t ALWAYS eat healthily so I’m not going to restrict myself there, either. Every resolution that I considered just didn’t seem right. 

I instead thought about what areas of my life I wanted to improve in, and things that I wanted to learn about. It seemed that everything I desire fits into two categories:

  • Finances
  • Home improvement
  • Routine
  • Family
achievable goals for the new year

Why This Didn’t Work For Me

Instead of heading into the rest of the year with vague resolutions to improve finances, improve our home, and focus on family, I decided to make a list of how I can accomplish all of those things.

I didn’t go overboard. There are so many more things I could have added to my list, but I wanted to start with an achievable goal. I figure that I will be more likely to follow my goals through when I actually have a goal that seems possible, instead of a vague idea to work toward the goal.

I didn’t want this: Spend more time with family.
Instead, I wanted something specific: Dates with kids weekly.

Then, I even went further into it and wrote:

“Dates with kids weekly. One kid each week, rotating schedule. After 5 weeks of individual kid dates, one big family outing. Then start over.

Not all of my achievable goals for the New Year were that long, either. That was probably the most complicated one. (List of all 10 of my goals for the New Year will be listed at the end of the post).

Later tonight I plan on sitting down and making a concrete schedule of dates with the kids. I may make and print out a calendar of the whole year and write it on there. Then I can put it into a binder so that the kids can always look and see when their next date is.

achievable goals for the new year

Plus, it might be fun to put a memento from the date in the binder afterward. Then, next year on New Year’s Eve we can look back at all of our date memories from the year.

I wanted to figure out a plan to implement each of the things I wanted to achieve. Once I narrowed it all down and wrote out my detailed list, all of the fun ideas came naturally when I began typing up my plans. The “date binder” was one of those that just came as I was planning.

So – back to the achievable goals for the New Year. Instead of just choosing one or two vague ideas of which areas I wanted to improve in, I came up with 10 smaller achievable goals.

10 Achievable Goals For The New Year

achievable goals for the new year
  1. Follow chore/payment chart (blog post about that is coming soon so check back!!)
  2. Start seeing a larger increase in the savings account.
  3. Hire someone to do the yard work. (so serious. we can never keep up and I’m sick of stressing about it.)
  4. FREAKING LAUNDRY. (and yes, this is how I wrote it on my list. I guess this one might be vague but I will be typing a schedule for everyone in the house to follow.)
  5. Dates with kids weekly. One kid each week, rotating schedule. After 5 weeks of individual kid dates, one big family outing. Then start over. (We have 5 kids, hence the 5 weeks. If you have less/more, adjust the number accordingly).
  6. Crunch numbers for vacations for the year before January 14th. Come up with a savings plan and a plan of when to make payments by February 1st.
  7. Post a new blog post 1 time per week.
  8. Make $150 on TextBroker every week.
  9. Lose 40 pounds. 10 pounds every 3 months. First goal: Lose 10 pounds by March 1st.
  10. Buy “clutter baskets” for each person in the home. Put anything they’ve left lying around the house in those baskets and distribute accordingly after school.
achievable goals for the new year

Final Thoughts On Achievable Goals For The New Year

All 10 of these goals are achievable goals for the new year. I won’t have to make a HUGE change in my lifestyle, I’ll just have to plan a little better and look for ways to cut costs while also making more money. Plus, I just need a plan to contain all the freaking clutter that my family accumulates each day.

I never follow through with my New Years Resolutions because I never come up with a list of ways to actually accomplish my goals in life. This time is different.

It may sound crazy to have 10 New Years Resolutions, but if they really are achievable goals for the new year, you can hit your goal sooner and see all the progress you have made. Plus, when you do accomplish one, you can come up with an even bigger goal next time.

Did you set any goals for yourself for the New Year? Tell me about them in the comments!

achievable goals for the new year