Looking for Ways to Organize Your Kid’s Closet? Try These Ideas!

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Jeremy Leake

Organizing is an on going battle. Especially in our kids closets since you have to rely on them to keep their room organized. In order to help you out we found this article with seven smart ways to organize your kid’s closet. We hope it helps!

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From the article:

It???s no secret that a tidy, streamlined closet for your child will keep you from losing your mind???not to mention your kids??? clothes. Think how easy the morning dress-up battle would be if you knew where exactly every sock, T-shirt, and favorite pair of shoes were. Enter Lisa Adams, designer and owner of LA Closet Design, who shares her secrets for an organized and efficient kid???s closet.

Check Off the Essentials
???Ideally, every kid???s closet should have matching kid???s hangers (if you use adult-sized ones, their clothes will just fall off), pull-out belt racks and hooks, shelf dividers, drawer inserts, a hamper, and storage baskets for sporting gear,??? Adams says. You can find all of these organizing tools at any store that features home decor products, like Bed Bath & Beyond, The Container Store, or Target.

Stop Potential Sibling Fights
If siblings have to share a closet, keep the peace by dividing the space. ???I treat it as if two partners were sharing a closet,??? Adams says. ???There needs to be a separation of space even if there ARE some shared spots or items.???

Customize a Small Closet
There are a few tricks to really maximize space in a small closet, like using pull-out shoe shelves that are more compact than a shoe rack or hanging shoe organizers since you can have multiple rows of shoes, but you pull each row out like a drawer. ???If you have a closet with a high ceiling, use it!??? Adams says. Pull-down shelves or rods help optimize the closet???s height, but that doesn???t mean you have to be seven feet tall to access them. These systems normally have pulleys or rods attached that you tug to make the shelves drop down.

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Looking for ways to organize your home? Checkout this article about organization tips that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/closets/kids-closet-organization

Have a Kid that Loves Minions From Despicable Me? Learn How to Makeover Their Room Here!

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Jeremy Leake

Despicable Me is a funny movie. There’s no way to deny that. If your child loves the movie though and would love their bedroom to reflect the movie then you’ve come to the right place. We found this article for you with design ideas. We hope it helps!

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From the article:

If your kids are looking to add a little minion fun to their bedroom decor, then take a look at these ideas that will give them the fun look they are seeking without going completely overboard.

Color Palette
Before you go online and buy every Despicable Me/Minion bed set, night light and other bedroom related decor items it is important to realize that your kids taste is likely to change faster than you can say Bee-Do. By sticking with a color theme you can get the ???minion look??? without overspending. The Minion color palette is easy to follow. To stick with the theme, focus on using shades of blue, yellow, and grey.

Curtains
Unless you want to walk in to your child???s room everyday and be greeted by an huge set of goggles with beady eyes each morning then I suggest going with a fun curtain that can remain in your child???s room long after this minion craze passes.

In addition to the aforementioned decor ideas you can also consider over-sized plush toys, lamp shades and other simple inexpensive items. Decorating your child???s room should be a fun experience, for all parties involved.

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Looking to design a small bedroom? Then checkout this article about small bedroom design ideas that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://blog.coldwellbanker.com/create-ultimate-despicable-minion-themed-kids-room/

Looking for Fast Home Cleaning Tips? Get Them Here!

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Jeremy Leake

Cleaning your home is a never ending process. In order to help you out we found this article with with some time saving cleaning tips. We hope they help!

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From the article:

These easy habits will save you serious elbow grease down the road.

Place a couple of dryer sheets (even used ones work) in the bottom of the trash can to absorb spills and mask odors.

Eradicate hard-water stains in the toilet by pouring in a cup of distilled white vinegar once a month. Let sit overnight, then flush.

Wipe down tile walls and glass doors after showering with a small flexible squeegee to curb soap scum.[/quote]

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Looking to have a clean home? Checkout this article about spring cleaning guide that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/everyday-cleaning-tricks?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter_realsimple

Looking to Eliminate Sugar From Your Family’s Diet? Learn Where it’s Hiding Here!

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Jeremy Leake

Sugar is a tricky substance. It’s in almost everything (don’t believe us go grab a label and check) and it goes by a myriad of names. In order to help you identify foods that you might not think of that contains a lot of sugar we found this article. We hope it helps you identify the sneaky sugar in your family’s lives!

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From the article:

Aside from the occasional birthday cake or candy binge, you might think you’re a healthy eater most of the time. But sugar lurks in more than just the obvious places, like candy bars and cupcakes. In fact some so-called “nutritious” go-tos are actually packed with enough sugar to satisfy a mouth full of sweet tooths (er, sweet teeth?), and then some.

SugarScience, a new initiative from the University of California, San Francisco, along with a long list of partnering health departments across the country, is working to educate consumers about sugar. The information on the site comes from 8,000 research papers and warns against the risks of consuming too much sugar, including liver disease, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes.

When it comes to sugar, less is usually more. The World Health Organization recommends adults consume a max of 25 grams (or six teaspoons) per day. With the average American getting more than 19 teaspoons daily, it’s safe to say that we could stand to cut back a bit. “[The recommended limit] is not very much at all and a hard goal to meet, considering that most of us consume three times as much added sugar as what’s recommended,” says Julie Upton, M.S., R.D., CSSD.

But it’s not always the obvious sugar bombs that add up???here are some sneaky foods to avoid in the grocery aisles.

Yogurt
When it comes to sugar, yogurt can pack a powerful punch. Some kinds even have more sugar than a Twinkie, and low fat and flavored brands, in particular, might contain as much as 29 grams of sugar per serving. That doesn’t necessarily mean we have to kick yogurt out of our diets though. When shopping for it, avoid flavored or low-fat varieties, as those tend to have more sugar than plain yogurt. “Look for brands with no more than 20 grams sugar per single serve container,” says Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., NBC???s Today Show diet expert, and founder of Nourish Snacks. “Or buy plain and doctor it up with fresh chopped fruit.” You can also add a teaspoon of sugar, honey, or maple syrup so that you control the amount of added sweeteners in your yogurt, Bauer says.

Salad
Salad itself may be good for you, as long as it’s stuffed with a variety of veggies, but it’s what you drizzle on top that adds a surplus of sugar. And the seemingly healthy “low-fat” option is often the worst choice, as the fat that gets cut out is often replaced with sugar. So, a two-tablespoon serving of Italian dressing has 2 grams and thousand island and fat-free French have a whopping 6 grams of sugar.

Ketchup
While it’s not necessarily a health food, adding a dash of ketchup to your meal isn’t as harmless as you may think. Just one tablespoon of the condiment contains a teaspoon of sugar. That’s one sixth of your allotted daily amount.

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Looking to promote healthy family habits? Checkout this article about healthy family habits tips that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/healthy-eating/sugar-in-healthy-foods?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter_realsimple

Looking for Summer Outdoor Activities for Your Kids? Get Ideas Here!

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Jeremy Leake

In the summer kids get bored easily and they have the ability to lose knowledge they gained in the previous school year. In order to help you out with both problems we found this article on fun outdoor activities. We hope it helps!

From the article:

Summer break may be only about 10 weeks long, but during that time kids can forget a lot of what they spent the previous nine months working hard to learn. Recent studies have shown that kids can lose up to two months’ worth of reading and math skills over summer vacation — and that means teachers have to spend precious classroom time each fall bringing them up to speed. “Keeping children’s brains challenged throughout the summer is crucial,” says Craig Bach, vice president of education for Goddard Systems, Inc., franchisor of The Goddard School (goddardschool.com), a network of preschools focused on learning through play.

That makes sense, of course, but what parent wants spend time drilling her kids on math facts when there’s outdoor fun to be had? Well, good news: Summer vacation and learning aren’t mutually exclusive.

“Summer is a great time to awaken kids to the love of learning and help them discover that learning can be joyful — even if they think that school itself is not,” says Heather Staker, the author of Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools. “Some education reformers would do away with summer vacation. I take the opposite view: Summer is an important time for informal learning and discovery.”

The following activities are all expert-approved ways to stop the summer slide while having fun outdoors. Each one supports continued learning by creating opportunities for children to be creative, think critically to solve problems, count, read, or categorize or group things and ideas. Try one (or more!) today.

Try something new. “Talk to your children about a new experience they would like to try,” Bach suggests, such as sleeping outside in a tent or fort you make together, trying a new slide at the park, or learning how to do a somersault or cartwheel. “Summer is a wonderful opportunity for children to gain confidence and grow as individuals by trying new things outside of their comfort zones.”

Plan or join a community event planting trees, bushes, flowers, or a garden. “Use this opportunity to study and discuss all the benefits that plants provide for us,” says Staker. “Plan walks around areas in the city to identify the areas that are most in need of these benefits.”

Enrich outdoor adventures with a driving question. “A driving question is an overarching question that will initiate and focus discovery and learning,” Staker says. Examples of good driving questions include “How can we use a camera to persuade citizens to protect the wildlife around our city?” or “What is best route for a walking tour of our town?” Take the learning a step further by encouraging your kids to participate in developing the question, Staker adds. “Or ask kids to imagine they’re in charge of creating a campaign to get kids off devices and into the sunshine. Ask, ‘What parks and local outdoor attractions should we feature in the brochure?'”

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Looking to promote family unity? Checkout this article about how to promote family unity that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.parents.com/fun/activities/outdoor/fun-outdoor-activities-to-beat-summer-brain-drain/?socsrc=pmmtw#

Want to Make Your Living Room Elegant? Try These Ideas!

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Jeremy Leake

Living rooms are the heartbeat of the home. It’s where we actually live and interact as a family. In order to help you spruce up your living room and make it more elegant we found this article with 36 different elegant living room ideas. We hope it gives you the ideas you’re looking for in order to makeover your living room!

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From the article:

Welcome to our gallery featuring pictures of elegant living room designs.

This collection houses rooms that anyone would be proud to douse in superlatives, including luxurious, stately, lush, and grand. With a dizzying array of styles, materials, and colors matched in endless combination, these rooms are set to inspire awe in all who enter.

The only truly recurring motifs are a focus on texture and detail, and a strong visual narrative tying the disparate spaces together.

Some of these rooms share large, open spaces with dining and kitchen areas. Some pack a surprising amount of fine detail into compact spaces. Still others reach for the skies with soaring ceilings, full height windows and marble fireplace surrounds, and elaborate chandeliers.

The more interesting and quirky designs feature a melding of moods: tropical touches on old fashioned luxury, modern structures in natural materials, and bold leaps of color across multiple furniture pieces and wall decoration are but a handful of examples.

We hope you feel as inspired by these rooms as we are.

This room combines classical styling, from wallpaper textures to the camel backed sofa, with modern materials: metallic furniture frames, glossy tabletop, and angular patterned rug over slick marble flooring beneath mirrored ceiling.

Compact living room centered on wood four-piece combination dark wood coffee table. Beige armchairs and grey sofa plus white entertainment cabinetry fill out the look.

Lush cherry wood cabinetry throughout the kitchen area in this shared open space contrast with beige walls and tile flooring, while brown roll arm sofa and dark wood coffee table pair with twin leather ottomans.

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Looking for ideas on how to keep your living room neat? Then checkout this article about ways to keep your living room neat that could be of interest to you.
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Checkout all the ideas here: http://www.homestratosphere.com/elegant-living-rooms/?utm_source=Outbrain

Do You Prefer to Rent Rather Than Buy? Learn the Worst Cities to Live In Here!

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Jeremy Leake

Renting vs. buying is a personal choice. Sometimes renting is the best case scenario for where you are in life. In order to help you out we found this article with the most expensive cities to live in based on the income ratio. We hope it helps you make the right decision for you!

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From the article:

New York City and the surrounding area has seen the most dramatic increase, with rents up 50% over the past five years. However, household income in the area has risen just 8% in that period.

Overall, rents have increased faster than income in all but four of the 70 metro areas, according to a report Monday from the National Association of Realtors.

In some areas, rents may not have gone up astronomically, but income has actually declined, heightening the disparity. It is particularly glaring in Albuquerque, where rents have increased 10% in the past five years. But income in the metro area declined 12% in the period.

It’s a similar story in Providence, RI, Omaha, Tuscon and New Orleans, where income is falling even as rents rise (See full list below).

Nationwide, rents have increased 15% from 2009 to 2014. At the same time, the realtor group estimates that household income has gone up just 11%.

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Interested in what a normal down payment is? Then checkout this article about normal down payment amount that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/16/real_estate/cities-highest-rent/index.html?section=money_realestate

Interested in What a Skinny Skyscraper in New York Will Offer? Find Out Here!

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Jeremy Leake

Living in New York isn’t for everyone. If you are one of the people that do or would like to call New York home then this article is for you. One of the major downsides of New York is the lack of green parks and places to breath. One designer has come up with a way to incorporate a park into the skyscraper. We hope you enjoy learning about this skyscraper as much as we did!

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From the article:

Living next to a park is a treat in New York’s concrete jungle. But how about living under one?

A new superslim residential tower proposed for Midtown Manhattan will have built-in parks and even an outdoor cinema, among other common areas that its designers say will make it like a vertical West Village street.

Slated for 12 East 37th Street, the as-yet-unnamed tower will reach 700 feet???about half the height of New York’s tallest residential high-rise, the Rafael Vi??oly-designed 432 Park Avenue which is set to open later this year. Residents at the 37th Street building will have access to five clusters of common amenities, which will also include a fitness room, an infinity pool and a private yoga studio. “You’re never really four or five floors away from a common space,” says Robert Goodwin, the New York design director at Perkins+Will, the architectural firm responsible for the project.

He was helped by New York City zoning rules, which specify that skinny buildings with small footprints have virtually unlimited height restrictions. By going taller, he could slot 33-foot-high park pockets without reducing the number of apartments the tower could hold. The 65 apartments will range from 400-square-foot studios to 1,800-square-foot floor-throughs while the building itself will be roughly 50 feet wide and 54 feet deep.

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Thinking about buying a home? Then checkout this article about different housing styles that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-25/a-new-york-skinny-skyscraper-will-have-built-in-parks

Love the Idea of Secret Rooms in Homes? Take a Look at These Ideas!

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Jeremy Leake

Hidden and secret rooms can be a lot of fun. They can be used for a variety or reasons. In order to help you decide what kind of secret room you’d like we found this article with ideas. We hope it helps you design your perfect secret room!

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From the article:

If these walls could talk, the secrets they could tell.

Builders are getting requests to create hidden rooms in private homes, to serve as home offices, reading rooms, home theaters, wine cellars, children’s play spaces or security zones.

“People are realizing they’re not just for the movies, anyone can have one,” said Steve Humble, president of Creative Home Engineering in Arizona.

His company designs and creates disguised entryways to hidden spaces — everything from stone walls that open up, armoires with a trap back door, and of course, the bookcase that unveils a concealed room.

Entry into a clandestine spaces can vary, including pulling off the homeowner’s favorite book from a shelf, touching the right spot on a wall, or even having to play the right series of notes on a piano or moving chess pieces in the right order to get a wall to move.

Adding a custom secret room can be pricey, but it can also boost a home’s value when it increases square footage.

A simple bookcase that conceals a hidden room runs around $3,000 to $4,000, while a more shelter-like space could cost $10,000-$15,000, according to luxury home builder Greg Alford of Alford Homes in Texas.

Homes listed and sold that included a secret room from 2010-2014 in 48 markets had a median sale price of $409,400, well above the $235,000 for homes without a clandestine space, according to Redfin.

Wine cellars are also going underground — literally. The ground helps keep the cellars at the right temperatures and humidity levels for wine storage, according to U.K.-based Spiral Cellars.

Hidden spaces can also be used to protect other collectibles like a guitar or gun collection, to keep children’s play spaces out of sight or to create extra space in a smaller home.

Alford recently constructed a 10×15 walk-in gun vault with a hidden touch-open door that held 2,000 guns.

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Looking for kitchen storage ideas? Then checkout this article about kitchen storage ideas that could be of interest to you.
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Look at all the ideas here: http://money.cnn.com/2015/03/20/real_estate/secret-hidden-rooms-homes/index.html?section=money_realestate

Interested in What a Normal Down Payment on a Home is? Find Out Here!

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Jeremy Leake

Buying a home is very stressful. One important thing to consider is a down payment. Wondering how much is enough? We found this article to help you determine just that. We hope it helps!

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From the article:

RealtyTrac?? (www.realtytrac.com), the nation???s leading source for comprehensive housing data, today released its Q1 2015 U.S. Home Purchase Down Payment Report, which shows the average down payment for single family homes, condos and townhomes purchased in the first quarter was 14.8 percent of the purchase price, down from 15.2 percent in the previous quarter and down from 15.5 percent a year ago to the lowest level since Q1 2012.

The report also shows that the average down payment for FHA purchase loans originated in the first quarter was 2.9 percent of the purchase price while the average down payment for conventional loans was 18.4 percent of the purchase price.

The average down payment in dollars was $57,710 in the first quarter, up slightly from $57,618 in the previous quarter and down slightly from $57,992 in the first quarter of 2014. The average down payment in dollars for FHA purchase loans originated in the first quarter was $7,609 while the average down payment for conventional loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was $72,590.

FHA loans as a share of loan originations increased throughout the quarter, from 21 percent in January to 22 percent in February to 25 percent in March.

???Down payment trends in the first quarter indicate that first time homebuyers are finally starting to come out of the woodwork, albeit it gradually,??? said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. ???New low down payment loan programs recently introduced by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, along with the lower insurance premiums for FHA loans that took effect at the end of January are helping, given that first time homebuyers typically aren???t able to pony up large down payments. Also helping tilt the balances toward first time homebuyers in the first quarter is less competition from the large institutional investors that have been buying up starter home inventory as rentals.???

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Looking to buy a new home? Then checkout this article about things to consider before buying a house that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.realtytrac.com/news/home-prices-and-sales/q1-2015-u-s-home-purchase-down-payment-report/