The Road To Homeownership... Not Easy... Not for Me Anyway...

A few years ago I never thought I'd actually be a homeowner. I used to toss and turn sometimes at night and wonder when my big break would come, when my other half would finally have an acceptable credit score in order to get financing... when, when, when....

And with each attempt, came another setback.

The first set back happened in 2007. This set back however was probably the best one we ever had, as it took place. 2007 was when banks were literally giving loans to dogs. We encountered out very first predatory lender, and being so young an naive, we almost fell for the 8% interest rate, and the $230,000 asking price on a home that was so grossly overpriced in compassion to 2013's pricing. It was a sellers market, and the predators were everywhere.

Like a wounded bloody fish, the shark of course circled... that was until he asked us for $15,000 for a deposit. $15,000 in which we did not have.

So that ended that, and thankfully things ended the way they did. Had I taken on that loan, I would have been like the thousands of others in foreclosure just a few years later.

The next set back came in 2010, when we finally had a good amount of money saved amongst ourselves.

The big kicker here though was that even though we financially could afford to purchase, and home prices were way down in comparison to what it was during the heat wave in the market that took place in 2007.

Everything looked kosher, all was fantastic. We found a house, we had a big stack of money saved up, and enough left over to make any home repairs as necessary. But the set back this time was not a lack of funds, it was bad credit.

The lender literally told us we were over qualified for the loan, but due to my other halfs poor decisions in the past, and unpaid debts, his score was too low to be given a loan.

Fast forward to 2012. He pays off all of his debts, and figures he is in the clear.

Only when we went to get a loan this third time, he was told he had no credit now due to lacking revolving accounts. I couldn't get the loan on my own due to my yearly income not meeting the quota they were looking for.

Now by this time, he was ready to give up and go out and rent something. I however knew how close he was to becoming a homeowner, and I refused to give up... no matter how long we waited for this dream....what was one more year to establish credit?

He applied to 4 credit card companies, and out of the 4, only 1 allowed him a max credit limit of $200. Hey, it was a start, considering the fact that the other 3 wanted nothing to do with him, and the letters poured in about why they decided to not issue him credit. Capital One, as much as I hated them issued him the ticket he needed to start establishing a credit score, since at this point he had none!

A few months later his $200 limit was increased to a staggering $1,500. He was then able to take out another credit line with Target, and oddly enough the letters from the credit lenders who previously declined him, suddenly wanted his business.

I figured this would be the time to start looking at homes again. But not before attempting a 4th time to get a pre-approval for a loan on a home. I definitely did not want to find ANOTHER dream home, only to be told by a lender that it was tough titty, and I walk away feeling shitty.

So skip on down to Chase bank, and wallah, 20 minutes later I am finally told after a 4th attempt, and 6 years under my belt of waiting and wishing.. that we can finally get a loan.

Hence the title of my blog... This Old Home.

The very first house we looked at was a little out of our budget, but for the hell of it, I figured why not... it is now a buyers market in my area, and maybe, just maybe- I could low ball.

From the outside I looked up at the beautiful stained glass window on the second level of this massive colonial, and already could see myself there, cleaning it up, bringing it back to life.

It would never be mine though....
Not ever.

The yard looked like it had not been touched in years. Debris from Sandy still remained all over the yard, but I could see myself there. Picking up the garbage, mowing the lawn... taking out the garbage...

It could never be mine though.

Not ever.

Inside, I was surprised at how clean it was kept. Granted the carpets could be replaced, and the popcorn ceilings and walls needed a total sanding. Slap it with new paint, renovate a little here and there, but other than that the home did not demand much. Just some TLC. The home was built in 1968, and used to be a small one level 2 bedroom Ranch.

On the first level we had a kitchen, a living room, a full bathroom, and 2 very impressively sized bedrooms.

The kitchen was old, as if it had not been re-done since it was originally built in 1968. Of of the kitchen a small dining area sat, which house a sliding door that met up with a sprawling deck.

The living room was nice, but the popcorn walls and ceilings made you want to gag.

The second level of the home was a 2004 addition, so cosmetically it needed far less work than the original structure on the lower level. The carpets were newer, but stained badly. On this level, you could clearly see that the home was being set up to be used as a mother/daughter.

On this level we had 3 massive bedrooms, a beautiful tiled bathroom, and another massive living room area, with a small nook for a kitchen set up, and lastly a small room with washer and dry hook ups. The thing that sold me however was the second story balcony deck that sat in the living area. It overlooked the back yard, and this suicide rail as I like to call it became my obsession. I wanted this home. I wanted it badly, but sighed in the back of my mind. I k new it was a dream, not obtainable. Not by me anyway.

I was beyond impressed. The size... the massive size was all I ever wanted, and more than I ever needed.

It would never be mine though. Not ever.

It did not end there though, a stairwell in the first floor led to the basement, which was also finished. Another full sized bathroom which demanded help was hidden in the corner, a large living area, and another empty room which could be used as a 3rd...yes a 3rd living room. 

After deciding that I wanted this home, but couldn't have it... we ventured on to look at 4 more homes that day. I was already in love with the first home though, and we both decided to just give it a try and put an offer in on it to see if the owner would bite. If not, no loss... we were used to loss anyway. It would hurt for a few moments, and we would carry on and continue our search.

The home was listed at $185,000. I did not want to go over a $150,000 even though we were qualified to go up to $250,000. I wanted to be smart, pay low, and be able to afford to eat at the end of the day. Basically I needed to somehow get this home for $35,000 less than what they were asking.

I knew the home had sat on the market for 3 years. I work as an agent and have access to public records, so I was able to see that the home originally listed for $249,999 back in 2010. I knew the market, and knew with some renovations, this home could be brought back to that price range... just not the way she sat at the present time.

That same year the home had a few price reductions, and a few more- until 3 years later she sat at $185,000.

I went for it. The following day, I called the listing agent and submitted a verbal offer of $140,000, which is almost laughable. I was told that the home already had an offer in that was accepted,  but the deal was so shaky. My heart sank. Normally first accepted offers make a home a done deal, but sometimes the deal will die- and at that point all I could do was pray that the deal would die.

The next day, I was informed by the agent that the owner would close the deal at $155,000.

I smiled... told him I had to think about it, and that I would call him back.

That evening we went into the home one more time to make our final decision. We fell in love a little harder at this point.

I called the agent within 5 minutes of my second showing, and agreed on the $155,000 price.

As if the house wanted me... the deal that was still pending on the home died the very same day that I placed my $140,000 offer, literally hours after I made my first call to place an offer. Had that deal not died that very same day, the owner likely would have never counter offered.

It died because the person who was purchasing it, could not get a mortgage commitment. I felt bad for them for 1.2 seconds...., but I had been there, and done that... knew how it felt... but knew you walked away defeated... and in the end you were still alive, so all was well in the universe.


So.... nah, nah, nah, nah... poo....poo... yeah let me gloat for once.

WOW! WE GOT AN ACCEPTED OFFER OF $155,000!!!!

Now on to the fun stuff.

Lawyer!!! I needed one, so I used the same attorney I have used for years when people in my business request one. The same one I was going to be using myself, 6 years ago....

Everything at first was going fast... too fast for me to even fathom. Was this home I never thought I could have about to be mine?

----------

Yes... but of course Chase caused a lot of hiccups.

We had a heat wave run rampant throughout town for about a week. My appraisal was scheduled, and low and behold during the heat wave, the entire basement decided to spore out with mold. And I mean everywhere.

The bank now requested a mold remediation just 20 days before we were due to close. 1 $500 test later it revealed the mold was bad, and needed to be professionally cleaned. $4000, and a $2000 split between us and the owner... which still aggravates me because it should have been the sellers total bill- not mine!

So now that the remediation is done, we now wait for the bank to tell us if a new test will be required. They waited 2 weeks to tell us no... but they want a new survey. Event though the owner HAD one, Chase is requesting a certified new one, even though the title closer did not need it?!

We have 7 days now till our commitment expires, and 12 days till out 4.5% interest rate lock expires! Sooo... I now have to pay an additional $800 for an expedited survey! Uhg!!!

So... while I do that, and get it all done in 3 days to make the cut, Chase Bank once again takes forever to let me know a closing day, and low and behold the commitment expires as well as the interest lock.

Then to top that off, days before we were supposed to close, Chase discovers (2 weeks later) that the neighbors fence is encroaching on my land. I now must get a letter from the neighbors stating that they are aware of this.

What a nightmare. The seller was able to get this ridiculous letter... which was beyond ridiculous because I did not plan on moving the fence anyway, nor did I care. At this point I just wanted my F'in house!

In the end, they closing date happened 3 months later instead of 30 days as most conventional loan closings take. Word to the wise... steer clear of Chase bank when getting a home loan... so clear!

My offer in July that was accepted finally closed on October 3rd, and I have been enjoying home-ownership, and the nightmares that come along with it since. Haha!

So here it was, the big day... the massive home....the home I never ever thought I would own finally became mine. Finally. 

Life lesson... I refused to give up. As many restless nights as I may have had in the past... I refused to keep trying... and finally I found my diamond... or maybe she found me. Whatever the case... there is no pride greater than this. I earned this... I worked my ass off for this. Years of patience... and an I WILL do this attitude got me to where I needed to be. Finally.

At any rate, the very same day we signed to close, I went straight to work, not wasting any time! I am such a busybody!

That is me, sanding the heck out of the ugly popcorn walls!

 My little niece came over a few days later and begged to try our the sander. I should probably review that sander sometime soon!

How to Create a Peaceful Sanctuary in Your Bathroom

I cannot get enough of baths - not just ordinary baths where you toss in some cheap liquid bubbles and watch them go flat in seconds - I'm talking a full blown peaceful bath that when you emerge from the water you will feel completely cleansed of the mind, the soul, and of course your body.

Creating a peaceful atmosphere in the bathroom does not mean you have to tear up the bathroom and completely renovate it. You can create a peaceful ambiance in the bathroom especially for bath time, that way you don't have to go messing up floors, walls, or colors.

When I think of peace, I think of dewy colors such as lilac, and baby blue. Whenever I am looking to put my mind at ease, I will place a light colored blue light into the bathrooms wall fixture. It takes about 10 seconds, and once on will give off a nice cooling and peaceful blue hue to the room. It also allows my eyes to rest easier, where bright light would just be annoying.

If you don't have a blue light on hand, then leave the lights off, and light 5 to 6 candles for a relaxing dim lighting in the room.

Before flicking off the lights though, you are going to want some peaceful essentials. Lavender scented bathing products always put my mind at ease, as does a light fragrance of rose mint. Mint for some awakens the senses, but if the mint scent has a very light floral tough to it, it actually puts me in a very relaxed state of mind.

Bath salts, and soaps you use can also alter your mood, which will create a very relaxing aura in the entire room. Cooling salts, or lilac scented salts always do the trick for me.

Lush's Bubble Bars will do wonders for those of you whom would like to soak in silky smooth clouds of bubbles. I highly recommend Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds bubble bar for a nice relaxing, long lasting, bubble bath.

Another must have is an eye pillow. Once in your tub, place the eye pillow lightly dampened over your eyes. I will sometimes place actual slices of cucumbers on my eyes before adding the pillow. This does wonders for a nice soothing fix to puffy eyes. Yes, even your eyes get to relax.

If you really, really want to go the extra mile for the ultimate relaxing bathroom sanctuary, then I would suggest getting yourself a sound machine. Most sound machines have 5-10 different peaceful sounds for you to listen to in the background. Ocean waves breaking at the shore, with the bellowing of a seagull can really amp up your relaxation session, not only while bathing, but while using the bathroom in general.

For me the bathroom is the most important room in the house. I love my bathroom, and constantly look for new elements to create a relaxing mood. Beach themed bathrooms with light colors are sure to relax not only you, but your guests as well. A simple replica of the ocean on a sound machine is sure to impress the senses, and those who actually use your bathroom.

You want your bathroom to be comfortable, and inviting, yet relaxing and soothing.

While not bathing, you want your bathroom to give off a relaxing vibe, by not only surrounding it in a relaxing theme, but also by the scents that dwell within. For my ultimate relaxing pleasure, I like to plug in Bath & Body Works Wall Flowers in the lime and coconut scent. This tropical scent is smooth, misty, and puts you in such a warm and calm mood. With the relaxing beach theme, the tropical fragrance adds to the feel of being on a tropical beach. It's relaxing, it's calm, and it's a sanctuary.

Perfect Interior Trim Paint Colors for Small Rooms

Many of us are already well aware that you have to be very careful when choosing colors of paint for smaller rooms. If you use dark colors, you could end up tuning that small room into a room that looks micro sized. Although it is nothing more than a mere illusion to the eye, making a room look tiny when it already is small is just not a wise choice, especially if you are looking to sell the home in the near future.

So what is one to do if they do not like plain white walls?
 
Personally I can relate, although white is the more obvious choice, you can actually use color on the walls that are very, very light, yet not too light, or too dark as to where it would shrink the appearance of the room.

Very light colored mint walls look fantastic when paired with white trim. You could even make the trim a darker green, but do not go too dark. You want the trim to stick out only slightly, not pop out causing the trim to be the first thing that catches the eye.

For little girls rooms, you could paint walls a very nice light colored pink, as seen here. For trim the obvious choice would be white. It's girly, it's cute, and it will not cause the room to look smaller than it is.

For boys room, the same would apply. You could use a very, very light blue color, and pair it up with a bright white trim, or even a mellow creamy yellow would work, especially for baby boys rooms.

For smaller rooms, you really want to avoid dark reds, browns, greens and blues. Although some of these bold colors may appear gorgeous in the store samples, on smaller room walls, it will simply look too compacted, and tight.

One must always remember that if the room is small, then go light. Trim can be darker, but not too dark. For a fool proof look, go white on trim.

The same thing applies for half panels in smaller rooms. Half panels are very flattering in any room, at just about any size, but for those of you with smaller rooms, you really want light colored paneling, and your best color option would be white, as seen here.
 
Now if you have a smaller room, and you do want to paint the walls all white, then you can color the trim just about any color you want; again though you want to avoid dark, dark colors. Browns however look really flattering if you are looking for a nice earthy look in the room.

For paneling, you can go with half wood panels for a very beautiful, and glamorous finish to the room.

Beautiful Interior Paint Combinations

When one thinks of painting the interior of their home, they always tend to lean toward boring and safe colors, such as white, or very, very light browns and tans. Bold colors like deep red or blue have primarily been ignored for years, due to the fact that people think that bold colors on the walls would overtake the room, or make the room look smaller. This is true for tiny rooms, but for larger rooms such as dens, master bedrooms, dining rooms, or living rooms, bold colors can be used. In fact, they look stunning.
One bold color that is always appealing is moss green. You can pair this with either white trim, or brown trim. If thin trim is not your ideal, you can pair green walls up with wood paneling, and the results are spectacular. Take a look at some lovely examples here.

Deep rich colors of red have also been taking major notice lately. Red walls when paired with deep mahogany colored panels make a dull room look like an elegant room fit for a Noble king. Just look at how elegant this bathroom looks with rich blood red colored walls.

Dark blue walls when paired with white paneling or white trim are also very trendy, and bring a nice calming cool vibe to the room. Look at the example in this photo, it goes to show that bold colored blues when paired with tan colors are also very, very, flattering to the room.

Brown colored walls when paired with dark trim or dark brown wood paneling is another eye catching look you can add to just about any room. It gives the room a very warm, and inviting natural look.

Wallpaper is another nice way to add a stunning and unique element to a wall, and looks best when placed in a dining room. There are so many different patterns to choose from. You can go plain with a subtle floral look, or you can go bold with unique swirls, colors, and patterns. To complete the look add paneling.

Here is a fine example of what one can do with wallpaper. As you can see, wallpaper is not just for Grandma's house any more.

The next step is figuring out what carpet colors would look best when paired with these bold wall colors.

Plain wood looks best no matter what color choice you have made. With a throw rug placed in the middle of the room, that matches up slightly with the walls, will really pull a room together and make it look cozy.

For blue walls you can go with light gray carpeting, light blue carpeting, or all wood floors.

With reds, brown colored carpeting, with a slight mix of red to it will match the walls, and pull the room together, as seen here. You could also pair red walls with a beautiful Persian rug for a very elegant finish to the room. This looks especially inviting and rich in dining rooms.

Basically, when you are looking to re-paint the interior of your home, do not fear going bold. Bold colors can sometimes really make a room stand out, it can also create a mood, and the effect lasts as long as you keep the paint up on the walls!

Have fun with it, but do avoid going tacky by painting every room a bold, scream out loud color. I have seen quite a few homes that made some really horrid choices in coloring due to the fact that every room had a near neon colored wall. You want your colors to flow gently between one another, not crash and collide.

How to Brighten Up Dark Basement Rooms

The plus side of the home I live in is that it is large, roomy, and comfortable. The down side is that my bedroom resides in the basement. The basement is finished, and it came out looking fabulous.

However, it is still a basement, and the windows that surround the basement are only half the size of normal bedroom windows, so naturally the rooms were originally dark, scary, and uninviting.

A few quick fixes made the rooms appear as if the windows were full sized windows, and a lot of it had to do with colors, fabric choices in curtains, and of course lighting. Basically you are creating the illusion that the rooms are just as regular as the rooms upstairs. If you are able to do that, most won't even realize they are entering a basement.

First you will want to choose colors that are bright for carpets, and curtains. Choose light colored grays or blues for carpeting, and choose airy light colors for window curtains.

My room in particular has a very light colored gray carpet. The walls are paneled, but not in the standard deep colored panel that most have. I went with very light gray and white paneling. It not only brightened up the room, but it also allowed it to appear larger than it really was.

For the window curtains, I chose a sheer light blue.

Lighting was what really brought the room into full bloom though. I purchased fixture that allowed me to add 4, 3 foot long light tubes. The tubes really added to the brightness of the room, which was usually very dull and dark. The large tube lights however made it very bright, but not to the point where things were blinding. (See example of light tube here)

You will want to add tube lights to every room in the basement to really add to the effect that the room is a room, and not a 'room in a basement'.

Adding wall light fixtures will also add some brightening flair to any room in the basement. However in order to really brighten the room, you are going to need tube lights. You can use other fixtures as well, but tube lights in my opinion are a must.

Light colored walls are also necessary. If you color walls a dark color, expect the room to not only look darker, but it will also make the look seem tighter and smaller than what it really is. To give the illusion of more room, paint walls white, or paint them in very, very light colors.

Some rooms that are finished in our basement do not have windows at all, so we really had to take extra care when adding colors and lighting to the room. The room initially was small, so we painted the walls white, and added white paneling. On the ceiling we placed a 4 bulb light tube fixture which really, really lit the room up. It keeps us from seeking out a window for when we go into the room, and makes it look larger than what it is.

The largest bedroom in the basement has the same 4 tube light fixture attached to the ceiling for a lot of light, but due to the rooms very large size the light is not too bright, and gives the room a very relaxing feel due to the light. What really makes this room fantastic though is the way we designed it.

When adding walls to the basement, we cut a large 4ftX3ft hole right in the middle of the wall where we later on added a gigantic fish tank. My turtle now resides there and the flat look always catches the eyes of guests. A very small nook for the filter, and storage of food was also installed in the wall. It keeps the messy stuff hidden, only displaying the beautiful tank which is seen through both sides of the wall. An example can be seen here. The wall however has to have a little bit of depth to it in order to pull it off. However the look is extremely beautiful, and can be done yourself. You don't have to be a millionaire; but you can look like one!

The soft blue lighting the tank gives off will also light up the room. So it's a win-win.
 
All in all, the best advice I could give for darker rooms in the basement is to light it up with light colors and strong lighting.

How to Spruce Up Old Furniture

I like collecting antique furniture, however, there are times when I come across pieces of furniture that appear to be in some dire need of a little TLC.

Now when it comes to antique pieces there is not much you can really do to the piece if you plan on keeping it to re-sell for a profit. However, if you like the piece, and plan on just keeping it in your own home, there are quite a few things you could do to it to bring it back to life, or at least make it suitable to place in your home.

For those of you looking to restore antique furniture for a profit, I recommend you have it professionally done, to ensure that you don't deplete it of its value.

One of my most recent projects included sprucing up an old rocking chair I picked up at an antique shop. The chair was stripped of all of it's original finish, and what was left was a dead wood frame, and a beat up fabric seat.

Finishing the chair was pretty simple. All I really needed to do was a few things to bring the chair back to life.

I could either keep the dull color as it was by adding a clear varnish, or I could stain it with a stain.
I recommend a stain if the wood looks run down. This chair in particular had a near gray/white appearance to it, so I figured a deeper stain would bring it back to life.

After cleaning off the chair of dust and particles, I simply went ahead and stained the wood a nice dark color. Immediately while applying you can see how the stain brings the wood to life, giving it new color, and new life.

The following day wipe down the chair of any fallen dust or particles, and simply add a coat of clear varnish to it. This will give the chair a protective layer, and will add a nice sheer shine to it.

If you are crafty with a sewing machine, you can literately make your own fabric seat for the chair. You can stuff the fabric with as much, or as little cotton as you would like. Using crushed velvet on older antique pieces really look elegant and rich.

If you are not a do-it-yourselfer, than you could always buy a cushion to pair up with the newly finished chair.

Sprucing up couches can also easily be done by adding new slip covers. You can literately change the entire look of your living room with slip covers, and it will cost a heck of a lot less than buying a brand new living room set.

Slip covers, as seen here are a very lovely option. They come in a nice choice of covers, and they will fit many different shaped couches and chairs.

Here you can purchase custom fit slip covers for a sure fit, in more varieties of color as well. If your couch is looking a little rusty, than spruce it up with slip covers instead of piling out a whole heap of money on a new set.

Sprucing up the look of rooms overall can be done by adding wall panels, or trim for naked walls.
Sprucing up a shabby looking bathroom can be done by removing those old nasty vinyl shower doors, and replacing them with glass doors. Glass doors are beautiful, they are more private, and frankly I find them to be safer.

Beautiful glass and mirror shower doors are a pain i the butt to install, but they are not as expensive as one would imagine. A little man hours, and around $400 or less, and you have yourself an entirely brand new looking bathroom. Home depot is where we purchased ours.

Sometimes we don't need to spend a whole lot of money on fixing up run down things, sometimes a little TLC can turn an old shabby thing into something that looks brand new. If you can't fix it, turn it into something else.

5 Simple and Cheap Ways to Beautify Your Home This Fall

Fall is hands down my all time favorite time of the year. The smell of the leaves, the crisp fresh quality to the newly born air, and the fact that some of my favorite holidays take place during the season.

Most I know will only decorate their home during the Christmas holiday, but my family changes the interior and the exterior to match with each passing season, and these changes are easily done with a few decorations that we managed to collect over the years.

During the fall months we clear every counter and add festive bits such as small pumpkin, colored dried corn stalks, and festive plaques with fall harvest quotes on them.

The kitchen is especially the main focus of the changes, seeing that it is our largest room, and the room that we have parties and holiday events in.

We like to mix the apple and pumpkin theme up during the fall, as the two mesh really well together and create an adorable fall festive look. Simple touches like cookie jars in the shape of apples or pumpkins, candles the give off fall scents like candy corn, pumpkin or apples is always burning. The scent adds to the appeal.

We also tack up fake fall colored leaf vines to hallway doors.

We do no stop just there though, because we also add to the fall theme by decorating the outside of the home with fall themed object such as scarecrow. We will also poke fake fall flowers into empty flower buckets that once held summer flowers. We don't have to throw out the buckets, and we can use them year after year, all through the seasons.

You can find fall themes outdoor touches at Michael's Craft Store, or AC Moore Craft Store. They always carry a large supply of outdoor decorations.

The best time to go into these craft stores are actually after the season has come to an end, that way you can scoop up some really beautiful decorations for half off; in some cases 75% off.

5 simple and easy ways to beautify the home during the fall months include:
1. Adding a fall festive theme to rooms in the home

2. Tacking up fake dried leaves to open hallway doors

3. Adding a fall related scent to each room such as pumpkin, apple, or cinnamon. Candles in particular will give off the best scent, and they manage to create a warm crisp atmosphere.

4. Adding fall objects to the yard such as wheelbarrows, scarecrows, or fake fall flower bunches to empty plant holders

5. Keeping an close eye on sales at craft stores after the season is over

Tips on How to Organize Your Pantry

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a pantry, and those who actually have one most likely have a relatively small and narrow one.

Our home in particular came with a built in door pantry, but like Ii said, the pantry is very small, and very narrow. It fits canned goods in it easily, but we really use it to squeeze in just about everything that does not have to go in main cabinets or the refrigerator.

Keeping the pantry organized is what allows us to add more items into it, rather than opening up the cabinet and having boxes of cereal or containers of spaghetti landing on our heads.

The first is to keep larger canned goods at the very bottom of the bracket. If your pantry goes down to the floors level, pile large cans at the very bottom. Having a huge can of peaches or pickles land on your, or your child's head could be very dangerous. So keep the heavy stuff at the bottom.

If you have room, pile smaller canned goods on top of the larger canned goods. If not, place them on the next shelf above them.

Other larger unopened containers of pickles, and so forth should also be kept very close to the floor level, or the bottom shelf if there is room. Heavier items not only pose a danger for falling on you, but they could also cause shelving to actually dip, which in the long run will call for replacement.

Cereal, and boxes of macaroni can go at the very top of the pantry for easy storage. Placing them side by side, will allow for more room.

I highly recommend placing macaroni, and cereal in air tight containers to keep out moths and other creepy bugs. Doing so will also keep foods fresher for far longer.

If space in an issue, and you buy snacks that come sealed in individual packages, you can remove each item from the box, and sit them in the pantry on a rack that you can hang on the door, like the one you see here. Do not place jars, or other heavy items on this rack though. If you pull the door open too hard, they could cause heavy cans to land on your toes, which could actually call for stitches depending on where and how it landed.

It is all basically a simple rule to remember; heavy stuff at the bottom shelves or the floor, and lighter boxes on the top shelves.

Teach Your Child How to Organize His or Her Closet

Let's face it, cleaning up the house is not a fun task. Most adults have full time jobs, and some of us work 2 jobs. For those of you with full time jobs, and children in the home, getting them to pitch in can sometimes be difficult. However a method my mother consistently used on me as a child is a method I actually still use today, and pass on to children in the family.

Making clean up, and organizing fun actually will do you a world of wonders. Plus it is one less thing you have to clean up.

Most kids already know how to pick up after themselves by the time they are 4. Their rooms may look pretty clean, but look under the bed, or the dreaded closet and it's usually a whole other story. A story of messes and mayhem.

My niece in particular keeps a neat and tidy room, however her cleaning method includes piling things up to the ceiling in her closet, and hiding garbage under her bed for when she is told to clean up.

Organizing her closet is like a nightmare, and after opening it up and realizing why, it all made sense. Her closet only consists of a hanger bar, and a floor. There were no shelves for organizing, no cubbies for placing items such as arts and crafts. Instead what we had was a pile of everything, all rolled into one huge mess. So badly that I doubt she would even look for something in there if she wanted to.

Organization boxes, and a simple shoe rack could have made a huge difference.

You can buy simple closet organizers at Walmart or Target, which keep children from piling things on the floor in the closet. Organizing shelves make it easier for children to neatly place their things in. You can even label shelves and cubbies to make it easier for them to remember where things go.

Plastic containers like these, can be used to place toys in quickly. Smaller containers can hold lose crayons and markers.

Purchasing a simple weekly clothing organizer like here, make organizing a lot of fun, and not so much a task. This organizer uses days of the week in order for the child to pick their outfits for the week.
To keep a child on top of keeping things organized in a closet, they are going to need organizers. You cannot expect them to keep things tidy and neat if all they have to work with is a hanger bar. You need cubbies, shelves, racks, and plastic containers in order to keep things neat.

You can buy things separately, or you can buy all out full closet organizer's such as these. Keep things fun by adding a reward system to keeping the room, and the closet neat. My mom would room check every single day, and on the wall there was a calendar where she would place a star sticker every time the room was neat. If we had 5 or more stickers by the end of the week, we got a reward in the form of a toy, a game, or whatever my brother and I could agree on. Reward systems always worked in my family, and they should work in yours too.

Clear the Clutter in Your Home

I come from a family of hoarders. We like to save everything, and our preferences and tastes change nearly every year, so the clutter tends to add up pretty quickly.

In the past, on one end table in our home we may have a Halloween decoration still laying out in the winter months. Or a snow globe that managed to sit on a windowsill for far too long.

De-cluttering the home can be done by simply labeling boxes according to seasons, and placing things that you have lying around that do not fit with the season. Doing this not only will clear a lot of clutter, but it also makes decorating according to the seasons a lot more easy, and a lot funner.

Another thing that I personally do every time I clean up messes in the house is stopping and asking myself whenever I pick something up that has been lying around for a long time;'do I need this?'
 
Usually the answer is no. If I cannot find a reason, a good reason, to keep the object I will ask other relatives in my family if they want it. That way I don't have to throw it out, and I know they will use it.
If no one wants it, I toss it into a large plastic bin and label it with the words Yard Sale. If I have no need for it, and no one else wants it, I figure I could at least make a few dollars off of it at the end of the year. Usually whatever does not sell at our yearly yard sales, I will donate it to local community charities.

Another way to keep clutter out of your house is to stop yourself every time you lay something down on a table, or counter. If you recently removed the clutter from the counter, old habits usually resurface. So while you enjoy the cluster free environment for a short amount of time, it is not long before it builds up again.

Instead of just lying something down on a counter or table top, put it where it would actually belongs. Most clutter in people's homes are simply objects that were placed down where they did not go, and sheer laziness caused it to remain there for way too long.

I personally have a bad habit of doing this. I usually will buy something, place it down on the table, and tell myself I will use it later, or put it away later. I realize now, that telling myself 'I will do it later' is basically a lie. Instead of doing it later, 'do it now'. It will save you hours of clean up time down the line. It's a habit you will have to get comfortable doing, but over time with force, it does work.

Clearing clutter in the home is not a difficult task at all, but keeping the home clutter free is.

Like I said, if you keep certain items in boxes and only bring them out on the appropriate holiday, it will clear the clutter, and will allow you to keep things you want, without having to throw them out.

 Forcing yourself to place things where they really belong also helps keep the home free of future clutter.

Hanging Christmas Lights in Hard to Reach, High Places Has Never Been Easier!

Decorating the home with Christmas lights is one of my favorite things to do around this time of year. Last year however it took us approximately 8 hours of decorating.

We go wild; we go nuts; we are the neighborhood Chevy Chase.

This year though, we discovered one simple tool that literately saved us hours of time, and not to mention this tool made hanging lights in high places a heck of a lot safer!

Gone are the days of having to tug a huge ladder along with us. Gone are the days where we had to worry about falling off of the ladder, and gone are the days of drawing straws to determine who was going to be the person who had to climb the ladder to hang the lights in high places.

The simple tool you ask?
 
It's called a No Ladder Light Hanging System, and it can be easily located in the Christmas lights and decorations isle at your local Home Depot. The price may have you wary ($19.99), but trust me, you will be glad you spent the money on this one.

It's a tool I wish I would have discovered years ago!

It comes packaged with a pole that can be extended up to 11 feet. It has a small hook attachment that allows you to pop on the plastic gutter clips. After you have the clips in place on your gutter, you then run the Christmas lights through a groove located on the pole, and you raise it up, and place the lights onto the gutter hooks. An entire roof can have lights rigged up in less than 10 minutes. A job that normally would take an hour.

Everything worked simply, efficiently and quickly! I was seriously amazed at how much time this simple little tool saved us. The best thing about it was that not once did we have to bring out the ladder.
Adding lights into very high trees we could not reach before was now done simply, easily, and in less than a few minutes.

While we watched our neighbor across the street struggle with a large ladder, we quickly rigged up lights in half the time, allowing us more time to decorate even more areas in our yard than we normally would.

If you have not set up your Christmas lights yet, than I suggest you go out and get one of these kits immediately!

But what if I don't have a gutter? Why do I need this kit?
 
If you do not have a gutter, and have no use for a kit that contains gutter clips, than you can use a painters pole that had an extend-able arm to rig lights up in high trees.

You can find simple painters poles at Home Depot for half the price of this kit. You will want to make sure you attach a paint roller piece to the pole though in order to drape the lights over as you raise them up into the high branches of your trees.

Have fun, and Happy Holidays!!!

The Benefits of Installing an Under Sink Water Filter

Bottled water in the long run can cost your family a lot of money, and if you actually add it up at the end of the year, bottled water could cost you hundreds of dollars.

If you were to buy an under sink water filtration system it would of saved you a ton of money at the end of the year; not only that, you'd be keeping the planet cleaner and greener. Most people use the excuse that tap water is dirty, or that it does not taste right. People actually look at you funny if you drink water straight from the tap these days.

Recently, thanks to the included digital reader that came with Zero Water, I discovered that bottled water is not much cleaner than your tap water. So you can throw the bottled water is cleaner than tap theory out the window. That bottled water that you are drinking consistently is just as healthy as that tap water you refuse to drink.

At any rate, no one wants dirty water. Everyone wants healthy, clean water, and to achieve such water you have to have a filter. You can buy a pitcher filter like Zero Water and store it in your fridge, or you can buy an under sink water filtration system.

Don't panic, it only sounds expensive. I'm sure the reason most avoid an under sink water filter is that they think it's out of their league as far as costs go, but there are many under sink water filters that you can easily attach to your sink, and the cost is very fair.

You can buy a Culligan for as low as $60.00. The system comes with a reminder of when to change the filter.

As wonderful as the Zero Water Filter has been (you can read review here), it does require a bit of shelf space in order to store it. A benefit of installing an under sink filter is that it won't take up any space at all.

Other obvious benefits are of course not having to throw out bottles and bottles of water. Besides that, after testing bottled water, it's quite clear that it's not as purified as one would imagine.

An under the sink filter will clear your water of 99% of all contamination.

The reasons for choosing an under the sink filter are obvious. It takes up no space, there are no plastic bottles to waste, earth stays greener, and your water is cleaner. Mostly, buying a filter saves you money, which is what all of us could use more of.

Tips on Installing a New Bathtub Drain

When installing a new bathtub in your bathroom you will also have to install a new bathtub drain, the idea alone of having to do it yourself is aggravating sometimes, and most folks simply hire a plumber to do the job. The reality though is that you can save yourself a lot of money if you just did it yourself.

Most hardware stores sell bathtub drain kits that you can use to replace an old drain.

Most kits come with everything needed in order to install it correctly.

Step by step instructions are also always included. You can find such kits ranging from $20.00 to $200+.

Installing the drain is relatively simple; however before you install it, you have to make sure your bathtub is already installed and in place. You cannot attach a drain without first having the tub where it is supposed to be. That's really common sense though.

-For those of you looking to replace old bathtub drains due to leaking, or consistent clogging and flooding, you can do the exact same thing as those installing a new bathtub. You will first have to unscrew your old mechanism and remove it from the tub.

-You will then want to go out and find a bathtub drain kit. Do your best to find a kit that matches your old drain set up. The best way to go about this would be to bring your old one with you when you go to the hardware store. This will make it a lot easier when you need a match.

-Once you have your kit, install it in the same manner that you took it apart. You can also follow the directions inside of the new kit. That's honestly your best option.

If you are having problems with the drain lever not going up to drain the water, you could always remove that, and install a simple rubber plug. Rubber plugs are not as flattering as standard drain plugs, but they do the job, and most of them cost less than $2.00.

If it is a clog that is keeping the drain top up, you could always try to clear the clog with a long metal hook, or a coat hanger.

Installing a new bathtub drain is not as large as a hassle as many assume. Calling a plumber will of course be the easiest option, but it certainly is not your cheapest option.

For drain kits you can check online by using your favorite search engine and looking up drain kits.

Tips on Installing a Towel Bar in Your Bathroom

We've got two towel bars in our bathroom and two towel rings. The first bit of advice I'd like to offer you would be to completely avoid those ridiculous suction cup towel bars; they don't work, and if you accidentally grab on to one for leverage when getting in or out of your shower, you could really hurt yourself if it lost its suction.

With that said, the next thing you want to do is determine the length of the towel bar. Do you have a small bathroom or a large one?

Pick a towel bar that will look proper in your bathroom. Recently I was in a friend's smaller bathroom that had a towel bar that ran across the entire wall. It looked stupid, and really if you are not going to practice your ballet with the bar, then don't install one that's too long.

Your next thing when installing a towel bar is to base it off of your wall. Towel bars are a lot easier to install in a standard wall, but some people have tiled walls. When purchasing a towel bar think about the trouble involved depending on your wall type.

If you have tiles, do you want to drill into them and risk cracking one, or would you rather apply one using a silicone caulk. Safer than suction cups, but not guaranteed to stay on the wall forever. If you have tiled walls, then use the silicone caulk to install the towel bar. You really want to avoid cutting tiles if you don't need to.

For those with regular walls, one problem many face is finding the wall stud. When installing the towel bar you really want to make sure each end is even with your wall studs. This sometimes can be an impossible task, especially if you have a smaller bathroom.

If you cannot find two studs, then you can always install one end of the towel bar to a wall stud, and install the other end of the bar using a wall anchor. You want a lot of support for wet towels so the towel bar does not fall down. The stud and wall anchor should provide plenty of support to heavier, wet towels.

Basically when installing a towel bar, find your wall studs before going out to buy the bar. After you find the studs, determine what type of towel bar you want, and install it depending on your wall type as discussed above.

Another personal tip of mine would be to steer clear of plastic towel bars with metal rods inside of them. Our last one broke with the weight of the towel. The metal bar stood intact, but we had to remove it due to the broken plastic.

Installing a Light Dimmer Switch? Here Are Some Tips to Help You Out

So you've decided you want to install a light dimmer switch in your home, and you are a little lost on what you should be doing exactly.

The plus side is that all light switch dimmers come with included instructions. You should always follow the included instructions in order to get the dimmer to work properly. However I wanted to mention a few tips that you should follow, that you can do no matter what type of dimmer you decided to choose. There are different types of switches to choose from, but all of them are basically installed in a very similar fashion.

The switch you choose is all up to you, and your preferences. You can choose from slide switch dimmers, dial dimmers, touch pad dimmers, or combo switches which allow you to install both dimmers and regular lighting.

My first tip however is choosing the right type of room to place your dimmer in. Smaller rooms such as offices, dens, or dining rooms are appropriate places for dimmers. Larger rooms would require more lighting fixtures in order to keep the room from looking too dark for when you wanted to dim down the lights a bit.

One mistake I see done very often in many homes, are dimmer switches placed in very large rooms. Even when the dimmer switch is set to its highest and brightest setting, the room is still too dark at times.

Tip:
 
If you don't have many fixtures in the room, and you still want to add dimmer lights to the room I would suggest purchasing the combo dimmer/light switch, or adding a tall standing lamp to the room for added light.

Safety First!
 
Once you've decided what room you'd like your dimmers in, you of course need to turn off the power in that room. You do this by turning off the breaker in your circuit box. You want to make sure all electric is turned off before prying at wires behind the switch you will be removing in order to install the light dimmer.

Next you go up to the room that you will be installing the dimmer. You will need to use a screw driver to remove the old switch plate from the wall. You will also need to unscrew any wires attached to the light switch.

From here you will need to follow the included directions that came with the light dimmer that you have purchased.

Once you have everything in its proper place, you simply return to your circuit box, and turn the power back on in the room. The next step is the easy one, simply return back to the dimmer switch and test it out to make sure it is in working order.

Keeping Ants Out of Your Home: Easiest, Safest and Cheapest Solutions

Last year it was like we were at war with ants. Normally ants don't bother me, and I never stomped on one; in fact if outside if I ever happen to come across ants busy at work, sometimes I would stop and watch them. They're quite the busy little workers.

However last year instead of working in their usual domain, they somehow set up camp in my home. One ant here and there never bothered me, but this time around it seemed as if we had a whole colony, and when I saw a few this weekend, I knew it was time to start ant proofing my home, especially when my sister told me that she had ants again in full bloom, just like last spring and summer.

First and foremost, those stupid little plastic any bait traps did nothing. In fact, the ants in our home did not even seem phased by them.

I knew in order to keep the ants out of my home, I was going to have to start with the outside of our home. Find means to keeping them out of the house, by stopping them before they even decided to slip under a crack.

I knew I did not want to spray any harsh chemicals in my yard. We have dogs, and we certainly don't want them getting sick because of chemical spraying. I knew that sealing cracks would keep them free from the home. Most ants tend to come up from our basement, and I knew that we had to seal of our cellar doors with some foam insulation. There were way too many cracks and openings in the rusty outdoor cellar door, and I had a good feeling that sealing up these cracks would keep the ant population under control.

Window sills and larger screen doors or window screens are other ways ants find an easy way in. It's pretty hard to not open a window during hotter months to let cool air in, but if you do, you can line your windowsill with either pepper, or bay leaves. Ants hate them and won't bother going near them. It's a nice, safe and effective way to keep ants from crawling in through open windows or doors.

If you already have a mini invasion going on inside your home, steer clear of plastic bait traps, they are not very effective and it won't keep them away. I found that making sure counters and floors were clear of crumbs, there was no longer a food supply for them, and this will hopefully cause them to either perish, or move out!

Keeping your home free of ants is not at all that difficult if you are just willing to spend a bit of time finding the source to their invasion. Likely it's a crack in a cellar door, or an opening wide enough for them to squeeze through. So check around your home, and try and seal off this opening.

Also, like I mentioned, if you plan on leaving windows open, buy a few potted bay leave plants, or line your window sills with pepper. The main reason ants come back season after season is because your home provided a good source of food for them, so make sure your house is free of crumbs from food.
These are the easiest, safest and cheapest methods to keeping your home ant free.

Top 5 Ways to Beat the Summer Heat Without Leaving Home

Summer is approaching rapidly, we have already had days that brushed the near 90s. With beaches and parks consistently going up in price, how does one beat the summer heat without having to spend a bunch of money for a day trip to a water park, or beach?

The first thing you can purchase to beat the summer heat is a metal frame pool. These pools will keep you home, and for the price, you will save more money during the summer on buying this pool, than you would going to the beach every weekend. The pools vary in size, shape, and are introduced at a very low price. I picked mine up last year, at the end of the season for $189 for a 15 foot round metal frame pool. Target, and other superstores sell these same pools, and they can be picked up for around the same price, possibly a bit higher, due to the season approaching.

If you do not have that sort of money on hand for a metal frame pool, you could always pick up a fun sprinkler for the kids. There are a ton of different fun sprinkler's you can buy for children, and they all hook right up to the hose. A favorite amongst children is the sprinkler head octopus, which will flail its arms around while shooting water from its tentacles.

The easiest solution to cooling off without having to get wet would be to buy a fan, or install an air conditioner right in your home. A fan is the cheaper solution of the two, but if you are really looking to beat the heat, buy an air conditioner for your room, or whichever room you spend most of your time in.

Keep simple cheap ice pops on hand. You do not have to spend big money on the ice cream man, nor do you have to pack up the whole family to go out for ice cream on a hot summer day. Ice pops can be bought in bulk, so stick a few in the freezer and have them readily available on hot summer days. You will be surprised at how quickly an ice pop can cool you off.

If you have an unfinished basement, think about converting it into livable space. A finished basement will always be cool, and its a great spot to hang out in order to beat the summer heat, without having to run a fan or air conditioning unit.

The fastest way to beat the summer heat, would be to shower the moment you begin to feel really hot and muggy. A cool shower will instantly cool you off, and will keep you cool for quite a few hours after showering. If you do not want to shower fully, then wet your hair. Wetting your hair will also instantly cool you down.

Tips on Keeping Your Home and Yard Mosquito Free This Summer

Nothing spoils outdoor summer fun quite like mosquitoes can. You're having a BBQ, and all of your guests are complaining about being bit by mosquitoes, or 'eaten alive'. Some withstand it, and others leave early. In these cases when mosquito's are out in pods of thousands it's pretty hard to deter them, and even the best bug spray seems to miss the mark.

There are other things you can do however in order to keep your yard as free from mosquitoes as possible.

If you are planning on having a late night summer BBQ, you will want to go around the yard and place a bunch of citronella candles out to let burn long before the guests even arrive.

ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent Lanterns can also keep you guests, and yourself free from mosquito bites. This nifty device keeps an area 15X15 feet clear of the suckers. ThermaCELL can be bought in more forms than just a lantern, so next time you are out and about, and need to pick up bug spray, try one of these lanterns instead. They have nothing but glowing ratings.

Mosquito Repelling Bracelet's can also be picked up to give to children who will be running around the yard, outside of the 15 foot barrier.

Solar powered mosquito guards are also something you may want to consider. These are convenient because you can leave them outdoors, and they will begin to work as soon as the sun starts going down. They let off the ultrasonic sounds of male mosquito's, which repel female mosquitoes, since they are the ones to bite.

Insect repellent can also be used as back up. Combine this, with one of the above mosquito repellents, and you should be safe from the blood suckers for the rest of the night.

Other natural ways to eliminate mosquitoes from your yard would be to plant certain plants that mosquitoes despise. You can plant them all around your home, or sporadically throughout your yard.
Such plants and herbs include rosemary, catnip, marigolds, and horsemint. While outdoors, if you pick a few leaves, crush them up and rub it on your skin or keep the crushed leaves around you, it can help repel mosquitoes.

To nip the population down, always look through your yard for any places that may store water, such as buckets. Dump all water from buckets, and keep water in bird baths clean at all times. If you eliminate the source, the mosquitoes are less likely to be in your yard.

For your home, in the hotter summer months, you do not want to leave your windows open. Always leave the screen down, otherwise mosquitoes will fly right into your home. Do not leave doors open either.

How to Attract Butterflies to Your Yard

Everyone loves butterflies; they are the beautiful and colorful insects that have managed to catch our eyes since childhood.

Having butterflies fly through the yard, especially during summer months is relatively common; however if you want to attract them to your yard for a longer period of time, rather than have butterflies go through your yard in a fast fly by, there are a few things that you can add to your yard that will actually attract them, and they will stay for longer periods of time.

Different types of flowers attract butterflies, but the top flowers you can use to really attract a lot of butterflies is a butterfly bush. This provides butterflies a source of food, making your garden seem all the more appetizing to the flying work of art.

Other plants that you can plant are sunflowers, clover, violets, wisteria, willow trees, apple trees, etc. These types of flowers and trees attract them because while some of the flowers and trees are a source of food for adult butterflies, the trees will provide spots for caterpillar's to feed and hatch. If you have caterpillar's in your yard, and a good source of plants and trees for the butterflies to feed, they will stay a lot longer than usual, and the more catipillars in your yard, the more butterflies you will eventually see.

Adding other simple extras will also attract even more butterflies. Butterflies like sun, so planting your plants in direct sunlight help keep them around. Butterflies also drink water, so making a small puddle nearby your butterfly garden will also attract more and more of them to your yard.

To keep butterflies present, always avoid using any type of pesticide. This will not only kill butterflies, but it will also kill any caterpillar's that will soon become butterflies.

-Other plants and trees to consider planting (or allowing to grow wildly)
 
Dogbane, poplar, milkweed, dandelion, goldenrod, hyacinth, butterfly bushes and wild roses.

Every area in the world contains different species of butterflies, so in order to attract butterflies that are common in your area, you can google common butterflies, and then your state. You will come up with the names of what types of butterflies can be found in your area, making purchasing plants and trees easier.

Guide to Hanging Photo Frames on Walls

My mother has absolutely no sense of proper photo frame placements, and her odd collection of photos and frames is the inspiration behind this piece. Granted I love her, I just think my fellow readers would enjoy learning from her mistakes.

Living Room
 
In her living room on the wall you can find around 10 photo frames on the walls spread around the room. This is relatively normal, and yes I'd recommend it. However in this living room none of the frames match. She's got white bulky wood frames, black modern sleek high glossed finished frames, and oddball hand carved non-finished wooden frames, with a few tacky shaped frames to go with it.
It's a frame disaster, but to top it off, inside of the frames are random, and I mean very random photographs. Photographs including photos of when she modeled as a child, photos of Halloween or Christmas pasts, none of which really belong up on a wall year round.

So what kind of photos should you place in a living room?
Simple ones including your immediate family, and family in general. Leave themed photos such as Christmas photos of your family in front of your tree, away until the actual holiday is nearby.

You can switch up your photos as the year goes on, as stated above. When a holiday is about to arise, switch out some photos with photos of that season.

One important rule to hanging Christmas photos is to remember which of your family members will be present if you plan on hosting a Christmas party at your home. I cannot count how many years I have gone over to my Aunts house to see every single other family member hanging on a wall, or nicely placed in a frame- every other family member besides myself. It's not only offending, it's mean. Try not discounting someone, even if by accident, try finding a photo that includes all of your relatives in one shot.

Do not hang photographs of yourself in a bathing suit, or odd black and white model like photos of yourself in your living room either. Those types of photos can go in your bedroom for you to enjoy.
In the bedroom you can hang or place on counters odd shaped frames, but they don't belong in a living room or a kitchen.

For the bathroom, you do not really need to hang any photo frames. You can however hang up regular pictures of scenery or something of the nature that will go with the theme you have in your bathroom. Just remember that hot water will create steam and will likely ruin the photograph anyway, so it's best to just leave it alone in general.