Guides & Tips - The Brothers Bloom

Home-Selling Checklist: 5 Things to Do Before Selling Your House

If you are looking to move, you may feel a sense of dread entering your psyche. Booking movers, selling your house, buying a new house, relocating your family, and more can make moving to a new place feel overwhelming. Whether you are making a local move or moving from Greensboro to Fort Lauderdale, here are five key tips to keep in mind that will make the process of selling your house and moving much easier.

1. Declutter and deep clean your home

The first thing you should do before you even think about selling your house is to do a big declutter and deep clean of your home. Donate, sell, or toss anything you won’t need in your new home so that things go smoothly on your moving day and you don’t need to move items you don’t even care about. This will also be a lesson to you when you purchase new things: you will be thinking about your next move and how smoothly it would go without excess furniture, clothes, and electronics.

2. Decide how you’re going to sell

The next step you’ll want to take is to decide on how you will sell your home. You could do it the traditional way and hire a real estate agent, who will spend time trying to find the perfect buyers who will present a fair cash offer. Or, if you just want to sell your home fast, you could find home buyers who offer you a reasonable price to buy your home quickly. In North Carolina, property owners who search “buy my house Greensboro” would find Simply Sold Property. This company that buys homes in North Carolina and the surrounding area for fair and quick cash sums. This fast and simple approach is a great choice for families or individuals who are relocating or making a significant life change. Leave the trials of selling your home to the professionals and focus on your future.

3. De-personalize your home

Next, you will want to put yourself in the shoes of home buyers. Think about how personal your current home is and how you will make it more neutral, so it is attractive to people aiming to make it their own. That could mean repainting the interior and exterior in simple, neutral colors, fixing handles and doors that you’ve grown accustomed to, and opting for white kitchen and bathroom backsplashes instead of custom ones. You will need to make your house look like it could be anybody’s house because that’s how it will sell fast.

4. Figure out your next move

When you’ve sold your house or are close, make sure you find a reputable moving company to do your long-distance move or local move. Hiring movers can be a pain, but finding the perfect professional movers that have years of experience in the moving industry will make your life much easier when moving day comes along. Finding the best fort lauderdale movers to move your things safely from Greensboro to Fort Lauderdale will save you time, physical exertion, and money, as they have expertise in packing and moving breakable items you may otherwise need to replace. Hire a trustworthy moving company like Solomon and Sons so that, when moving day comes, you can relax knowing your stuff is in good hands.

5. Have a plan for moving day

To cut down on the stress of selling your house and moving to a new place, make sure you have a good plan for the day of the move. Think about the time frame in which you are moving, and pack a backpack with seasonally appropriate clothes and toiletries for an overnight stay if your clothes get packed away. Additionally, plan to unpack your bedding and mattress first so that you can ensure you get to sleep in your own bed in your new home.

Most Common Kitchen Injuries and How to Avoid Them

Kitchens are where culinary magic happens, but they are also where accidents and injuries happen. Amateur and professional chefs alike need to practice kitchen-safety to prevent avoidable injuries. Taking precautions, using proper technique, and being aware can reduce common kitchen injuries.

Cuts

Knives and other sharp objects are everywhere in the kitchen. Not knowing how to handle knives with respect or how to maintain them properly leads to a common kitchen injury, cuts. To avoid cuts in the kitchen, start by keeping your knives sharp. Dull knives are prone to slipping when being used, so keep them properly sharpened for more accurate cuts and better control.

Always cut on a cutting board secured with rubber grips or a damp towel underneath to keep it in place. Keep knives organized in a visible place and use extra caution when washing them, as soap and water make them slippery and difficult to handle. When working with blades like mandolines and slicers wear cut resistant gloves for extra protection.

Burns

Burns are another dangerous and common kitchen injury that range in severity. Most burns are minor, but there are instances where an injury results in third-degree burns that require serious medical attention. Never handle hot objects without using oven mitts or gloves, and use the proper utensils to flip or turn food on the grill or stovetop.

Keep pot and pan handles turned inward on the stove to avoid bumping their hot contents onto the floor or you. Reduce the amount of exposed skin that can be burned by wearing long sleeves or a chef coat, long pants, and enclosed shoes. Always stand back from a hot pot or pan when removing the lid to avoid steam burns.

Accidents are bound to happen in an active restaurant kitchen. Dealing with a personal injury claim while seeking medical treatment for a severe burn is not a desirable experience. Ken Davis and Zackeree S. Kelin are personal injury lawyers in New Mexico who take an aggressive trial approach when representing clients in personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases. Davis Kelin Law Firm has years of experience defending injured people and winning the highest monetary compensation possible to cover medical care and damages.

Hot Pepper Burns

Thermal burns are common in the kitchen, but hot pepper burns do happen and they can be just as painful. When working with hot peppers like jalapenos and chilis, it’s important to prevent getting it on your skin. Wearing gloves when handling hot peppers will keep skin from coming into direct contact with pepper juices that cause a burning sensation.

Hot pepper juices can splash onto the face, which can be prevented by wearing eye protection. Never touch your eyes when handling peppers as residual juices on your hands can cause severe pain and irritation. Seriously hot peppers, like ghost peppers, can emit particles that when inhaled cause discomfort and serious injury. It’s a smart idea to consider wearing a mask if working with these kinds of peppers.

Falls

A fall can result in minor bruises or cuts or it can result in a major injury like broken bones or head trauma. Kitchen appliances like coolers and storage areas can leave water on the floor, so always be mindful to keep these areas dry and lay rubber mats where slips could happen.

Kitchen appliances need to be maintained to keep them functioning properly. Excessive water found around a refrigerator, dishwasher, or the sink is a sign that it’s time to call an appliance repair service. Honolulu Appliance Repair Pro is a family-owned company providing dishwasher, washer, freezer, and refrigerator repair in Honolulu. The appliance repair company prioritizes same-day servicing and employs experienced appliance repair technicians capable of repairing appliances from major brands like GE, Jenn-Air, and Whirlpool.

When working in a commercial kitchen, it’s imperative to wear non-slip shoes. They provide an extra grip on hazardous floors and help counteract wetness. Knowing how to prevent common kitchen injuries will make spending time in the kitchen more enjoyable.

6 Ways to Transform an Old House Into a Home

Whether an old house is simply more affordable than a new one, or it is just more exciting to fix up, there are plenty of homeowners looking to transform their properties into the home of their dreams. Learning how to do a great job with a fixer-upper can be quite difficult, though, especially if you don’t have years of experience renovating houses. If you have an old house that needs to be remodeled to transform it into your vision, here are six ways to transform an old house into a home.

From a House to a Home

1. Clear Out Debris and Pests

There is a major difference between an old home and one that has been abandoned or neglected for a number of years. In either situation, the best way to get started is to focus on clearing out debris and dealing with pest problems, such as insects like cockroaches and earwigs and larger pests like rodents. Clearing out your house of any trash or dirt can help you get into the right mindset as you prepare for some of the bigger projects that you will be tackling later on.

On the other hand, pests can be a major hassle. You may find yourself dealing with a small but problematic pest infestation that could include the following pests:

Centipedes or millipedes
Mosquitos
Silverfish
Spiders
Cockroaches
Wasps
Bed bugs
Termites
Ants
Fleas
Rodents

If you find yourself with any of the above home pest issues, reach out to a residential pest control company who can successfully clear your house and provide you with the peace of mind you need in your new home.

2. Focus on Improving Worn-Down Areas

While some large renovations may make your list, you may only need to touch up some areas that show signs of wear. Whether this is a certain area of flooring within the house, areas like baseboards or the wood on staircases, or peeling paint and wallpaper, show these sections some love and spruce them up to make them look like the other areas of the house. The extent of these repairs will depend on how much of the old design you want to keep and what you want to change completely. With every improvement you make, your old house will begin to look and feel like a home.

3. Repair or Replace Old Appliances

Appliances are arguably some of the most impactful assets in a house, as changing them out will completely change the look of your kitchen and other areas. For example, if you have the original oven or stove (in good condition) and can find a matching refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher to go with these old appliances, you can easily keep sections of the house as-is. Additionally, you may be able to hire a technician or appliance repair company in your area like Oregon Appliance Repair to help you restore older appliances to working condition.

4. Tackle the Biggest Projects Before Starting on the Small Details

Each room of the house will most likely require your attention; however, long before you begin going from room to room working on them, you should tackle some of the larger projects that may get in the way. For example, taking care of the roofing, replacing the windows, or removing portions of the house will take precedence over smaller projects you may have. Make sure to handle these projects before you begin working on the inside of your home. Just make sure that you take overall aesthetic into consideration when you are redoing these larger areas.

5. Give Your House a Fresh Coat of Paint

A fresh coat of paint brings color and life to whatever wall it is placed on. Unless you need to keep a certain set of wallpaper in a room, look for swatches that would either bring new life to the original color or completely reinvent the room to meet your personal needs. With just a little bit of paint, you can have a whole new room by the next day.

6. Make the Most of Your Space With New Furniture and Decorations

The furniture that you choose to fill your home with sets the tone in each area. For some sections, you may want to redesign a room with a modern look to improve both its style and its functionality. In other rooms, you may want to match the style that was in the original house by filling it with antique furniture and decorations. Take some time to build a vision of what you see for your new house and how you can make that vision possible.

Taking an old house and transforming it into a dream home is no easy feat, but it is possible. If you are looking to renovate your old home, use the six tips above to get started!

Banishing Clutter and Waste

Americans have a lot of “stuff.” Studies have shown that Americans own more things now than ever, and that much of what we own is little more than “junk”—cheap, mass-produced stuff that fills up homes and landfills alike. We’re buying more of that sort of thing, and we’re not getting rid of it as fast as we’re acquiring it.

The American obsession with “stuff” is not good for people, nor is it good for the environment. A home crowded with possessions can be stressful in the best of cases and completely overwhelming in the worst. The “throwaway society” that produces such hoarding is bad for the environment, too, as cheap goods get trashed and replaced without a thought—and then headed off to landfills.

We don’t have to live this way. Here’s how to reduce your waste and clutter.

Going Digital

Living with less has been made quite a bit easier in recent years thanks to the advent of the computer age. Using modern technology, it’s possible to reduce waste and clutter while still enjoying the things we care about.

Few things illustrate this better than digital photography and online digital photo storage systems. With so many of us carrying around high-quality cameras in our pockets (thanks, smartphones!), we’re taking more photos than ever before. But those photos are not all being printed onto photo paper or collected in scrapbooks and photos albums. Those physical (and sometimes wasteful) solutions have been eclipsed by high-tech alternatives. A good digital photo storage device can now do everything that a photo album can and more, including connecting photo collections to secure online storage (in the cloud), which allows photographers to download, share, and move their files simply and securely.

Similarly, digital solutions can help you swap paper books for e-books, CDs for mp3s, and more.

Conscious Consumption and Buying for Life

Extreme minimalists live with next to nothing. Other than what they need in order to survive, these people get rid of everything and avoid acquiring new possessions. That’s impressive, but there’s absolutely no reason to assume that these sorts of extreme minimalists have a monopoly on living with less. Plenty of people have downsized and decluttered without becoming ascetics.

With that in mind, you can certainly continue to buy and use the products in this new and decluttered phase of your life. You should be conscious, though, of how you’re doing so. Buying cheap stuff that wears out or breaks is a poor choice for the environment. Even if you get the broken or worn-out stuff out of your home quickly, the clutter lives on in landfills.

Be more conscious of your consumption. Be more discerning about what goods you buy, as well as about which versions of them end up on your shopping list. Choosing to spend more on solutions that last longer—”buying for life,” as conscious consumers like to say—can be a great way to cut down on waste.

Reusing, Recycling, and Upcycling

Not everything that you buy and use will last you a lifetime, and that’s okay. But just because something has reached the end of its useful life doesn’t mean that it belongs in a landfill. You should always dispose of recyclable materials properly. Recycling is one of the most important things that we can do for our planet, explain experts in used cooking oil collection and recycling.

What’s more, you may find that you don’t have to dispose of certain things at all. Possessions that still have life in them could be re-used or donated to individuals or organizations who will get more out of it. You should also consider “upcycling” certain items. Worn-out goods can get a new lease on life by taking on a different purpose or becoming a part of home decoration.

Be a Little Better Every Day

Building a better lifestyle isn’t about changing your entire life overnight. On the contrary, the process of self-improvement should take a long time—and, ideally, should never stop. Don’t beat yourself up about not eliminating waste and clutter fast. Instead, focus on reachable goals and positivity. If you strive to be a little bit better every day, your little efforts will add up to big long-term changes. That’s good news for you, your lifestyle, and our planet!

How to Find the Best Candidates without the Stress of Searching

When you are running a hospitality business like a hotel, resort, or casino, your staff is the lifeblood of your company. They are the ones that interact with your customers and ensure the customers come back again and again. The staff will either make your business the most successful it can be, or they will ensure customers never come back.

While employees are always crucial to a business, hospitality businesses are unique in that they are entirely dependent on the personalities, proficiency, and hospitality of their entire staff. From the cooks in the kitchen to the maids that clean the rooms and everyone in between, the whole team must be focused on ensuring the customers have the most enjoyable experience.

Even if you have the best staff in the business if you do not have enough people, the quality of your establishment will suffer. The small details will start to get overlooked as the staff is entirely focused on the central portions of their job. For example, if you do not have enough on your cleaning service, the employees you do have may rush through each room to get to every room before the next round of check-ins. While having rooms ready by anticipated check-in times is essential, so is having a perfectly clean room.

Maintaining a large staff that is thoroughly trained and upholding the standards of the facility can be a difficult job for even the most proficient business owners. Fortunately, as a business owner, there are steps you can take to ensure you always have the staff you need to thrive within the hospitality industry.

The first step is to search for hospitality staffing agencies near me to find an agency like A Plus Staffing Solutions that can meet all of your staffing needs. They can set you up with pre-screened and selective employees that are ready to get started and eager to work.

You can use an online service like Golookup to get background information on the selected candidates to ensure they are the quality you are looking to employ. Verifying the work of companies you contract with will give you the confidence needed to step back and let them do what they are most skilled in doing.

Anytime you outsource a service; you may have reservations about a third party doing the job as well as you feel you would do the job. However, your time as a business owner is valuable, and you need to consider the cost of the service compared to the amount of time it would take you to accomplish the same task. While this is true for any job, it is particularly true for hiring because it is a highly time-consuming process. Handling staffing internally will require you to have a human resources department that will oversee monitoring the positions needed, advertising open positions, reviewing resumes and cover letters, arranging and conducting interviews, follow-ups, background checks, and finally, job offers.

Once a candidate is selected, the human resources staff will then have to ensure the new employee is on-boarded efficiently and trained quickly for their new position while also making them feel welcomed and encouraging them to embrace the culture of the environment.

The hiring and onboarding process for new employees will take many hours over many weeks. The larger your staffing needs, the more continuous the process. For medium-sized companies, the best approach is to outsource the hiring and focus on onboarding internally to ensure new employees are trained the way you want them to be trained. You can work with the staffing agency to ensure they understand your business philosophy and what you are looking for in new employees.

3 Maintenance Services Your Business Needs in the Winter

Your business, no matter its size, is similar to your home and automobile in that it requires special maintenance depending on the season of the year. While all the seasons present their own unique challenges, it can be commonly agreed that winter is the season that requires the most preparation and maintenance for many things. People head out to winterize their car tires and get their windows and doors ready to handle heavy drafts of cold air.

Just like this preparation, your business requires certain maintenance services in the winter. To ensure your business’s success, you must invest in this type of upkeep. If you need to know what you need to keep in mind as a business owner this winter, keep reading for three major maintenance services.

Make Sure Your Heat Is Running Properly

The biggest enemy for your business in the wintertime is going to be the cold temperatures. Not only can extreme cold freeze water and damage pipes, but it’s also downright uncomfortable to be in buildings that are not properly heated.

To combat the dropping temps, you’ll need to make sure your HVAC unit is in good working condition before winter hits. Seasonal HVAC problems are all too common and can make your space very uncomfortable for clients, customers, and employees. With the days shortening and outdoor darkness becoming the new norm in the wintertime, your employees and customers will be seeking warm comfortable places to escape the outdoors and provide them a small sense of happiness.

Keeping your filter clean, scheduling regular maintenance visits throughout the year, and making sure your thermostat is working are all great ways to exercise good “HVAC health.”

Get All Your Finicky Machinery Serviced

Just like getting your automobile serviced specifically for winter, you should make sure any heavy or extremely necessary machinery for your business is serviced before and during the winter. Think critically about all the equipment your business uses in its day to day activities, and leave no machine out of a checklist.

Even warehouse equipment that is typically only used inside could be susceptible to winter damage, so it is a good idea to invest in forklift engine maintenance when you can. Similarly, all outdoor equipment, such as mowers and tractors, should be seen by a mechanic to ensure they are winter-ready. Having these types of service checks on your equipment can help you avoid costly repair or replacement in the future.

Brace Yourself For Snow

Another big part of the winter season is the likelihood of snow, extreme wind, and other damaging weather conditions. You will want to go into the season with a plan to make sure you are ready to face these issues. Knowing who you will contact for snow removal or to report a fallen tree due to wind are both practices that are part of this preparedness. Having a heavy snowfall can damage your business property if you leave it too long, as snow builds up and weighs down on sensitive structural points like roofs.

Make sure you also know the number or contact information for the electrical companies in your area so that you can report any fallen power lines in the event of a winter storm or cold snap. You should also make sure that you are using ice melt to remove any slippery ice at your business so as to avoid unseemly accidents for your employees and customers.

Keeping your business clear of dangerous weather effects can make it seem a lot more inviting for clients and customers to visit and to escape the climate.

Popular Careers in Construction

Construction workers are currently in high demand. Infrastructure projects happening coast to coast and the need for more housing are two of the reasons for the growth in this field. There are also opportunities in renewable energy. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects that job opportunities for many construction workers between 2018 and 2028 will increase at rates that exceed the national average job growth rate. Individuals interested in entering this career field will find they have a lot of opportunities to choose from.

Construction Workers

The BLS projects that opportunities for construction workers will increase by 11 percent by the end of 2028. This is a notably higher rate of job growth than the BLS expects for all occupations during the same time period. Construction workers receive training once hired. No prior experience or post-secondary education is required. Their duties involve cleaning the worksite, unloading supplies and materials, digging trenches and operating construction equipment. As of 2018, the BLS reported that the median income for construction workers was over $34,000 per year.

Roofer

Roofing companies train their staff once they hire them, so it’s possible to enter the field without experience. If you’re interested in joining the roofing business, all you have to do is Google “roof repair [insert your city here]” to find the closest roofing company near you. For example, you could search for “ roof repair Raleigh” to find an available roofing position in North Carolina.

The BLS reported median annual incomes of $39,970 for roofers in 2018, which is a little higher than the reported $38,640 median annual income for all occupations. Their duties involve inspecting roofs, identifying the cause of damage to a roof, repairing the damage, or replacing the roof and installing ventilation. Demand for roofers is currently strong, with the BLS reporting a job growth rate of 12 percent by 2028.

Elevator Installers and Repairers

In 2018, the BLS reported elevator installers and repairers earned median annual salaries of $78,780. The BLS also indicated that jobs for these professionals were expected to grow at double the national average job growth rate. Elevator installers and repairers can learn through on-the-job training. They assemble elevators and other types of equipment, such as escalators. They investigate the cause of operational problems with elevators and escalators and perform repairs. Elevator installers and repairers may also provide routine maintenance to prevent elevators and escalators from breaking down.

Hazardous Materials Removal Workers

When dangerous materials need to be cleaned up, hazardous materials removal workers ensure the materials are thoroughly and safely removed. Examples include removing asbestos from an old building or cleaning up spilled chemicals. The BLS expects job opportunities for hazardous materials removal workers to grow by 11 percent from 2018 to 2028. It also reports that the median income for these construction workers was over $42,000 as of 2018. Hazardous Materials Removal Workers can learn once employed, meaning a high school diploma is all that’s required to enter this career field.

Solar Photovoltaic Installers

The demand for natural energy sources has contributed to the job growth for solar photovoltaic installers. These professionals specialize in working with solar panels. They install them and maintain them so that they work properly. The BLS expects jobs for these workers to increase by 63 percent between 2018 and 2028, making it one of the fastest-growing jobs in any field. With a high school diploma, aspiring solar photovoltaic installers can learn the skills needed once employed. The median income for these construction workers was over $42,000 per year as of 2018, per the BLS.

Woodworkers and Carpenters

Working with wood is common in construction. New buildings require individuals who can put up wood frames. There is an ongoing demand for products built from wood, such as the custom millwork in Middletown, PA that customers seek out. These professionals build a range of products based on specific client needs. Carpenters enjoyed annual incomes of more than $46,000 as of 2018, per the BLS, and expected steady job growth of 8 percent between 2018 and 2028. They typically complete an apprenticeship, enabling them to earn a living while learning their trade.

Lucrative Business Ideas to Start in 2020

A new year usually comes with a renewed spirit, new expectations, and new opportunities for growth. And for someone starting a new business, this is a great time to begin—a time when the resolution is still fresh, leaving a burning desire to begin. If you are in this category, then you’re in luck, this article talks about just that.

Before you begin, you have to decide what type of business you wish to start. Some businesses are evergreen and can be adopted at any point, while others are seasonal or outdated. Here is a list of lucrative business ideas that you can start in 2020.

eCommerce

New technologies and progress in internet facilities have made e-commerce easier and more effective than it was before. You can now reach a wider audience, and sell anything from mainstream products to custom and vintage antiques, and even digital products like e-books. When it comes to digital products, you don’t have to store inventory or ship anything, and you only have to create your product once and sit back and watch it make money for you even while you sleep.

You can also sell physical products but skip the hassle of inventory, storage, and even shipping—it’s called dropshipping. Dropshipping has grown massively popular over the past few years because of the many benefits the business model offers over regular e-commerce stores. Once you have suppliers all you need to worry about is marketing and customer support.

Your e-commerce store could also offer services. If you do not offer them yourself you can partner with local stores that do. For example, if you sell phones in your e-commerce store, you could partner with a phone repair service to fix phones in the local area. You can then optimize your site to come up whenever a potential customer Googles “iPhone repair near me.”

Automobile Retail

This may sound like a scary one, but the retail of automobile cars can prove lucrative if you know what you’re doing. The first trick to avoid huge startup costs is to sell used cars. Used cars are more frequently bought than new cars both in the US and several other countries. With used cars, you get to skip all the extra costs and conditions associated with the sales of new cars.

Another great trick of this industry is that you can find businesses that sell cars used cars wholesale at dealer prices (which means lower than usual) to get a steady supply from. Some of the better wholesalers like Auto Auction mall can even help ship a car from USA to Nigeria. That’s how far their reach is. You can be a business in Australia, England, Canada or Nigeria and still access this service.

Virtual Call Center

As long as there are businesses there will be customers who have complaints and who need help. You can cash in on this by starting a virtual call center. All you need is a good laptop, a stable internet connection, a wireless receiver, and call center software. You can handle customer care for businesses, inbound or outbound sales calls, and other customer-related problems.

The call center software you use is important in this line of business as its features could either make your job easier or frustrating. For example, Bright Pattern’s call center software enables you to run an AI call center. They do this by combining the power of artificial intelligence with their cloud services to automate tasks that you would normally have to do, thereby increasing speed and the number of customers you can attend. All this results in higher productivity which means more money in your pocket.

How to Make Your House a Home

From fretting over which color to paint your walls to wondering if you bought the right furniture set, there are a lot of decisions that go into decorating a home. But sometimes, you get so caught up in the big picture that you forget to focus on the smaller details that make a house a home. Here’s how to transform your house into a home that’ll showcase your style, tell a story, and make guests feel welcomed.

Fill Up Empty Walls

A collection of picture frames can leave your space feeling cluttered and disorganized. Instead, opt for high-quality canvas prints. From serene prints of nature to family photos, wall art can be anything and everything you want it to be.

If you’re not sure where to start, try decorating with family photos. Decorating with your favorite pictures of your family will show your guests how much your family means to you while letting your family know that they’re appreciated.

If you have limited space, a canvas art print in a wooden frame can lighten up the room. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something more eye-catching, a bigger canvas print is ideal for preserving your favorite memories. Canvas prints can serve as an eye-catching focal point in your space and make you feel more at home.

Add Warmth

While expensive furniture and a spotless home might seem appealing, they’ll leave your space feeling cold. Instead, opt for comfortable Amish furniture and warm tones. To incorporate warm tones, decorate your space with throw blankets, soft pillows, and plush rugs.

Additionally, add some warm-hued lamps or overhead lighting. Decorating with your favorite lamp can help add a personal touch to your space, and you’ll be able to structure your lighting in a way that works for you. To make your home feel even cozier, light some candles.

Make Guests Feel Welcomed

Nothing makes your house feel like a home more than visits from close friends and family. Make your entryway feel warm and inviting with pictures of friends and family. Decorate with a coat rack, a doormat, and a welcome sign to make guests feel at home in your space. To top it all off, decorate your porch with comfortable patio furniture and lush plants. You’ll feel proud of your space, and your guests will feel welcomed before they even walk through the door.

Create a Lived-In Look

If your space feels cold, you won’t want to spend any time in it. Keeping your home organized and clutter-free is important, but you don’t have to keep everything in storage. Don’t be afraid to showcase your hobbies and knick-knacks around your home. Bring nature inside with some fresh florals, and keep your favorite photos and accessories somewhere you’ll be able to see them every day.

If you’re concerned about clutter, invest in shelves or a bookcase. When transforming your house into a home, storage solutions should be functional, but visually appealing. A well-organized bookcase is a great way to keep clutter at bay, and it’ll allow you to focus less on cleaning and more on displaying your favorite things.

Make Your Space Functional

If you love baking, don’t hide away all of your utensils and appliances. Instead, find creative ways to keep your space tidy while maintaining its functionality. Try filling up a glass jar with utensils or hanging them on your kitchen wall. Your house will never feel like a home if you need to spend hours every day sorting through drawers.

Transforming your house into a home makes spending time in your space much more enjoyable. You’ll feel proud of your space, and inviting guests over will allow you to showcase your style. And if you’re thinking about selling your home yourself, making your house feel like a home can even attract potential buyers.

Tips to Create a Soothing, Safe and Fun Sensory Atmosphere at Home

Millions of children have sensory issues or fall on the autism spectrum. There are many different ways people take in information or process the world around them. Signs can emerge as early as a year old but usually diagnosed around three years old. Your child may begin to miss certain developing marks like making eye contact, repetitive behaviors such as spinning toys (or themselves) or flapping their hands.

You can help your child discover calming and entertaining toys at home that, for example, encourage muscle growth and motor skills. With a little TLC and some DIY, it’s easy to make a variety of great projects and special spaces to relax in. Here are some tips to create a soothing, safe, and fun sensory atmosphere at home.

Sensory processing disorders and autism spectrum disorders have many similarities. Kids with both SPD and ASD may also have a variety of compulsions or hyperactivity, making concentration at school or home difficult. A child with autism can have sensory processing issues too, such as finding specific noises, music, or lights to be disturbing or frightening. They may cover their ears, cry, or even hide until the trigger stops.

Sometimes what people see as tantrums are responses to sensory overloads. Developmental delays can frustrate a child trying to express their feelings or words. This can leave them to express themselves by hitting, crying, or even avoiding those around them. Many children with these disorders have low muscle tone in parts of their bodies or have trouble with gross and fine motor skills. Early intervention programs offer IEPs in a school district. This helps create a personalized program for a child who has one or both of these disorders.

Experts such as autism spectrum disorder specialist, physical, occupational, or speech therapists may even come to your home for additional services. With a team of teachers, doctors, and specialists, kids can greatly benefit from their IEP.

Continuing successful behaviors and rewards at home are important. Games, toys, and sensory safe areas in the home are a great way to teach and work with your child. A light table or box can be created with soft white Christmas lights, wood, and a translucent plastic cover to illuminate see-through magnetic toys, colored pieces of plastic, or even used for artwork. The glow isn’t harsh, lowering the risk of bothering those with light sensitivities.

Directions for DIY lightboxes can be found as well as ones already made on various websites. Chose a corner of your child’s bedroom or a play area filled with their favorite sensory toys, pillows to lay on, calming sensory bottles, and soft lighting. This can also be a place your child can go to when they’re feeling stressed.

Keep loud, flashing toys out of reach if your child becomes anxious from them. Over-stimulation for a child who has sensory issues can be overwhelming. A child can become upset, angry, frustrated, or scared from loud noises and bright lights. Keeping televisions and devices volumes on low or using noise-canceling headphones may also help reduce traumatic episodes.

Sensory toys are incredibly important to encourage the development of gross and fine motor skills. Low muscle tone in the hands, for example, can cause difficulties such as grasping eating implements, buttoning a shirt, trouble zipping a jacket, or tying shoes. Underdevelopment of gross motor skills can affect jumping, kicking a ball, and proper core or trunk support. Kneading toxic-free dough can strengthen fingers and wrists while your child creates their own projects and sculptures. Colorful and edible play dough can be made from an easy to follow recipes for picky eaters. Eating different textures and consistencies of food that require your child to chew more helps strengthen jaw muscles to decrease drooling and speech troubles.

Additional sensory implements are kinetic sand, squishy ooze, and archaeology kits containing hidden toys like dinosaurs that need to be dug up. These are all great ways to find out which sensory toys your child enjoys and encourages muscle development in the fingers.