Re-Store: Hidden Treasure

Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. Like a home improvement store on a mission.

I know you have heard of the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, it’s a place that has been popping up in towns all over the US lately. I remember loving Habitat for Humanity since high school when they built a house down the street from me for a family that couldn’t afford one. I dreamed of being able to volunteer and give back to the community and thought “That’s a great idea. Getting volunteers to help build homes, un-used items from old buildings (mixed with some new items) to make a new home for someone that can appreciate it.” And now there’s a store you can shop at to buy things to fix up YOUR house at a lower cost, items that were pulled out of places being remodeled, torn down, and or upgraded.

Habitat home in Birmingham, Alabama.

According to the site: “ReStore resale outlets accept donated goods which are sold to the general public at a fraction of the retail price. The proceeds help local Habitat affiliates fund the construction of Habitat homes within their communities.” I can get behind that. They also promote re-cycling old use-able goods, being environmentally and socially responsible.

Trust me, there's a treasure in there. Look at that pedestal sink! Click on image for link to it's home.

I visited the Green Bay Re-Store yesterday and was amazed by all they had, and wanted to take it all home and find a place to put it all. Then I remembered I live in an apartment, and can’t use the cabinets, trim and tile. But I know a few home owners that can, and took mental pictures of all of the goodies in the store.

I know all this image proves is that gold is out of style... but imagine painting one of these a great shade of dark bronze, and making a new shade for it. Amazing!

Here’s some things I didn’t know they had:

• joist hangers
• switch plate covers
• light fixtures
• trim and molding
• bay windows
• tile, and grout- $5 for a 5 gallon bucket
• vintage bathroom vanities
• bar sinks with gold swan neck faucets
• exit signs (a ton)
• scraps of wood and laminate floors (great for repairing)
• sheets of vinyl flooring
• musical organ. (sadly it was sold)
• desks and file drawers from an old city building

So much trim and lumber!

The list goes on and on. I would HIGHLY recommend checking out your local Re-Store if you are a home owner, maybe you’ll get motivated to do an old home project when you see how little money you are spending. I would even suggest volunteering some time on a day you have off. You might meet some cool people.

What does “Practical Enrichment” Mean?

I’ve been thinking of starting my own home organization business lately, (with the push of my current boss,) and I’ve been throwing tons of terms, words, and phrases around to try to come up with a name. After much, much painful deliberation, (remember, i’m a perfectionist), I’ve decided to use the name of my blog and have come up with Practical Enrichment- Organization and Design Services. I’ll do anything from organizing your house, or just a room, getting things boxed in the basement and garage, helping you choose a fresh paint color for your home office, put toys in bins at day care centers, and arrange office furniture to create a more functional space. I’ll help you sort what stays, and what goes. I can even take your items to the donation center. I’ve been doing it for friends and family for years. I’m passionate about keeping a place neat, to lessen anxiety and stress at home, and help daily productivity. It will be something I start part time, and when (yes WHEN) I become successful, I will go full time.

I’ve thought long and hard about what “Practical Enrichment” means to me. It is the way I live my life, living practically, logically, with less clutter, and with “a place for everything, and everything in it’s place”. I like to “enrich” my life simply, spending less money on things that could easily cost twice as much, and not be materialistic. I shop at thrift stores, for clothes I can make my own, and for little design items. I buy organic and local, when I can get away with it. I like to help the planet, when and where I can. I recycle, and try not to use un-nessesary amounts of packaging and (when I remember) bring my own shopping bags to stores. I use recycled items to make crafts, wrap presents, and design my house, and try to reduce my carbon footprint. I shut off the water when I brush my teeth. I water the plant with leftover glasses and bottles of water lying around. So I thought that Practical Enrichment was the perfect name for a home organization business. It is, after all, what I stand for. Being neat, organized, and living practically, and enriching life simply, while being chic and elegant. I’ll let you all know when the business is up and running, and how you can find me.

My tagline? “Your things, only better.”

Just think, your pantry could look like this! Happy organizing!

Guest Post: Preparing Your Home Prior to Move

After having planned to move to a new place, you start making preparations for the move. Relocation is a big project, as it is associated with a lot of moving fears. Though you take all necessary precautions to make sure that none of your possessions gets damaged in transit, you seldom think of preparing your new home before you actually move into it.

There are some obvious reasons behind that. Your new home might be at a distant place within your country or you might be moving overseas. It is really difficult to inspect and improve the condition of your new abode, if you are arriving from a far off place. Though, you can always request the landlord or the previous owner to make sure that end of tenancy cleaning is arranged weeks ahead of your moving date.

On the other hand, if your new home is located in your area or in the same city, it becomes easier for you to prepare it for moving, well ahead of moving date. Moving is a cumbersome task, and it can become all the more tiring, if you do not prepare your new home. Checking the property ahead of time and making the changes you want will help you reduce moving stress. Here are a few thing that you must take care of while preparing your new home:

Inspection of the property

No matter, whether you are going to rent a home or are buying one, you must conduct an inspection to make sure that it is ready to be used. If there are damages, deal with them before you actually move into it.

1. Interior: As far as the interior of the home is concerned you may face defects like, dripping faucets, light bulbs that are not working and dirty window panes. You can also hire professional cleaners to clean the chimney or dirty roof. Inspect the roof for any broken shingle and check the bathrooms for fixing plumbing leaks. Similarly squeaking doors can be greased before you actually start using them.

2. Exterior: See if the house needs to be painted. If you have a garden, mow the lawn and clear debris like loose branches. If the shingles need to be replaced, do it before hand. Clean the garage before you start using it. You can always hire handyman if you do not have enough time to do these cleaning jobs.

Contact utility providers:

How does it feel to move in a home without electricity and power supply. It will make you feel more tired. Call the different utility providers ahead of time. You must apply for other connections like internet and telephone well in advance.

Make a design plan of your new home to decide what furniture item should be placed in which corner. Measure the space to avoid confusion when you actually arrive with your bag and baggage.

by Adam Williams. Aussie Handyman Service is based out of the UK.

Contact Adam here. 

Guest Post: Top Ways to Strengthen Your Basement From Outside Forces by Kyle O’Brien

Many basements, especially finished ones, can sometimes be open to insect invasions of the cricket, spider and rodent kind should they be hamstrung in a few vital points of the home.  Home improvement can sometimes be a matter of having the right defenses against pesky insects and/or sealants around the exterior of your home.

Rather than trying to have your exterminator on speed dial, there are many ways to ready your basement, both simple and a bit more stretched out.  Below are four great methods to gain the upper hand:

1.  Traps of the Inventive Nature

If your home hasn’t had the luxury of being greeted by al lovely bunch of crickets known as the Camel Cricket (or Cave Cricket),  then consider yourself lucky.  These wonderfully annoying creatures love to nest in damp, dark and cool basements, breed rather too quickly, are blind and can jump extremely quickly (usually towards approaching homeowners), and love to eat wool or cotton.  They usually will make their home underneath bushels of leaves pressed up against the house, and will try and retreat inside homes as the weather dips.  Once they get inside around the basement, it’s best to get at them quickly before they spawn ridiculous numbers of babies.

You can contain them in a number of ways, but the best one is by setting glue traps along the edges of your basement wall.  These crickets love to eat glue-based products and will naturally scurry along the floor near your basement wall.  And if you can’t purchase a bundle of them from a hardware store, you can always get creative with medium-sized wood slabs and a roll of duct tape.  Just wrap the wood with duct tape facing outward, place them around the edges and watch the crickets jump on board in a matter of days.  Tear off the duct tape strips, apply fresh ones and get ready for round two.

2.  Inspect the Outside of Your Home

Giving the exterior of your home a once-over can help in locating possible cracks and entry points for water and critters.  Make sure the siding is up to par around window sills and doorways and if need be, caulk and plug up any holes.  Invest in weather strips for the air drafts under your basement doorway, a trick that helps block out rodents and insects while helping to insulate your home even more.  And if your basement leads up to your garage, inspect any possible openings that may lead down.  This one’s especially true for cables and other wires that flow towards any electronics in your basement.  If you can’t completely seal the holes, just do your best to make it as tiny as possible via old rags stuffed inside.

3.  Invest in a Dehumidifier

Water leaks are one of the many common snags for basements.  And water is a great attractor for insects such as the aforementioned camel crickets.  Remedy that problem with a dehumidifier to collect the moisture and hopefully repel insects elsewhere.  Dehumidifiers also work to rid the basement of mildew and bacteria growth, giving your basement some added freshness for you and your family to enjoy.

4.  Cleaning Up Around The House

One of the easiest ways to repel insects from your home is simple:  staying on top of house cleaning.  This means vacuuming up loose dirt, food crumbs, syrup-based spills and so on.  I sometimes forget to check back to the basement, because hey, not everyone spends most of their time there.  But when food piles up, the scent trail lingers for insects and rodents to pick up.  Since cleaning up around the house is considered a constant home improvement, it would be wise to follow up and make every area of your home, including your basement, shiny from beginning to end.

Outside of incidents such as hidden foundation smudges and general human error (i.e., leaving the basement door open), there are a variety of ways to make sure your basement is up to par and ready to keep insects out for the foreseeable future.  In the end, patching up your basement and keeping out Cave crickets can be a match made in home renovation heaven. 

Written by Kyle O’Brien

kobrien@adcuda.com

Say Goodbye to your Boring Backyard

So, after spending too many days sick on the sofa, watching hours of Yard Crashers, I thought to myself, what if I was stuck with one of these backyards? And I didn’t run into a design angel at the hardware store to save me from the boring patch of grass I called a backyard? I found some fun and frugal ways to spice up your backyard, and make it the envy of the neighborhood.

Look familiar? A blank canvas of backyards.

First, think of your blank space like a livingroom, but outside. What do you want to take place? Backyard Camping? Play area for kids? Parties with tons of good food and beer, and a spot for the grill? Establish an idea for the space, and go from there. Everyone will be different on where they want to place items in the backyard.

Add a Deck: Who doesn’t want a firm little platform in their backyard to put their table and chairs, umbrella stand, and create a place to lay out and get some sun while having a margarita. (Hey. It’s my dream deck after all.) Using composite materials can create a wood look, and won’t rot or be eaten by termites. You can also lay pavers or pour a concrete deck as well, if your door is at ground level.

(Photo courtesy of Yard Crashers, on the DIY network.) This stone patio is easy to do and only takes a day.

This may seem simple, but a deck turns a backyard from a plain grassy patch to an outdoor room. Don’t forget to landscape. Image credit to Pinterest.

Lights: There are many ways you can light up a backyard. You can use clear Christmas lights, hung from trees or fences, and tucked in bushes to will  illuminate your yard and make it a cozy night spot to entertain guests. Solar lights are another way to save money on electricity, and guide guests through the back yard.

Check out this Real Simple article on ways to creatively light up your back yard.

Candles: Not only will citronella candles keep bugs at bay, but they are a great way to add warmth to any space. You can place them in inexpensive jelly jars, put glass votives in paper bags, or just set out tea lights on tables, and voila, instant ambiance. Afraid of fire? Get the battery operated candles. You can set them on a timer to go off after 6 or 8 hours so the battery doesn’t die.

These candles in jelly jars hung from the tree are gorgeous.

These mason jars have dried beans in them to hold up the candles.

These votive candles placed in white paper bags are a great way to greet guests.

Tiki Torches: No these just aren’t for college frat parties and luaus. These torches keep away bugs while setting  perimeter for the party too.

Fire Pit: Fire pits are easy to make, are a great place to roast s’mores while hanging out. You can stay up late telling secrets, warm toasty hands, and cook food on a stick. What’s not to love? Just make sure you are far enough from the house, bushes, and trees so it’s not a fire hazard.

This is a perfect fire pit for s’mores, stories, and friends.

Games: Think of fun, easy ways to entertain guests. A badminton net, bocce balls, ring toss, and horseshoe poles are easy to bring out, and put away.

Photo credit to Bellevue Landscaping.

Grill Space: Pavers are cheap, and a great way to create a little space for your grill. You will only need enough to create almost a “rug” for your grill, and you will have a neat little place to easily roll your portable cooking station out to.

This shows patio pavers under a grill, and into a little sitting area. Perfect for any meal of the day.

Landscaping: Whatever you do, don’t forget to add plants! Plants will make your backyard come alive. Add some flowers, bushes, trees, and you can turn a desolate space into a gorgeous, lush haven. Using pavers or simple plastic edging you can create a border to fill with mulch, stones, or little rocks. And flowers are a great way to add color. Ask your local garden center expert what’s best for your climate and yard. It doesn’t hurt to take pictures of your yard to show them, they can lend some great advice!

Garden: Why not consider planting some fruits, veggies, and herbs? Fresh food that’s ready to go will always taste better than something that is sprayed with pesticides and besides, less expensive food is always a good thing.

This photo is also a finished product of a Yard Crashers episode!

Ta Da! You went from a boring back yard to an awesome hangout spot in no time, and with little money. Aren’t you glad? Happy Outdoor Living!