Hurricane Preparedness Tips #1

“Hurricane hazards come in many forms: storm surge, high winds, tornadoes, and flooding. This means it is important for your family to have a plan that includes all of these hazards”

http://www.wunderground.com/blog/Patrap/comment.html?entrynum=116&tstamp=200805

As June 1st approaches we are heading into the official 2008 Hurricane season and the time of year to review our hurricane preparedness. Living in Florida and having been through the numerous storms of 2004, I guess I can officially say that I’ve learned a few important things. Since no one knows what type of season it is going to be, there are things that you should do to prepare now so that you are ready at any time. Hurricane preparedness is not just for hurricanes. These things are simple and should be done in order to be ready for any type of emergency.

Photos and Videos
Take photos of your home, both interior and exterior including photos of valuables. It is also a good idea to take a video of your home from room to room with narrating to point out special things or features. Keep these and all photos or memorabilia in a plastic, waterproof container. These will be needed in case of an insurance claim.

Important Documents
Place all important documents such as insurance papers, titles, deeds, diplomas, bank papers, birth certificates, social security papers, tax papers, auto documents, marriage or divorce papers, etc. all in a plastic, waterproof container. Include important telephone numbers and addresses. Some of these papers can be difficult to replace.

Supplies
Always have available batteries, flashlights, battery operated radio or television, non-perishable food, bottled water, manual can opener, cooler, first aid kit, candles, fire extinguisher. Some of these items can always be kept together in one place for easy access.

Always on a daily basis keep a supply of necessary over the counter and prescription medications in one easily accessible area.

If you have young children, make sure you keep a supply of diapers, baby wipes, baby food and formula. Keep boards games, coloring books, crayons, puzzles in one place for easy access.

If you have pets, make sure to always keep a supply of food and meds.

This is a general list of things that we can do to prepare in advance for any type of emergency. There may be more things that you have to add to this list. More important is strategically placing these items in an area, such as a hall closet, that is easy to get to. If they are all in one place, it will eliminate the need to be searching all over the house for something that is necessary. Since the hurricanes of 2004, we use a closet near our entry way for these items. They are packed in boxes and on the floor. In case of an emergency, everything is right there where we can just grab it and run. Of course I can’t keep everything on this list in the closet (food and meds just won’t do) but I’ve learned to become much more organized and keep these items together (one shelf just for meds) so that with a scoop of the hand, they are all in a bag.

Part of hurricane preparedness is becoming more organized so that you are prepared for all emergencies. Now is a good time to take a look at your plan of action in case something happens. Being always ready for hurricane season or any emergency is something everyone should do and reevaluate every year.

If you prepare for hurricanes or other emergencies, please let us know. Do you have your own plan to follow?

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Bathrooms are the one room of the house that not only has a tendency to become cluttered but also boring in a short period of time. I have found that the best time to spruce up the looks of the bathroom is when I am cleaning out the cabinets and de-cluttering. For a small amount of money, you can easily change the bathroom. Keep reading for bathroom ideas for a new look.

The Aquasana AQ4100 Shower Filter/ W extra head

• De-Clutter

The first thing you need to do is clean everything out. Bathroom cabinets tend to become over stuffed with all types of items. The body cream you didn’t like, the latest and greatest razor that cut your legs, the shampoo that made your hair flat. This is probably something a lot of us do. We store these things and then never use them. So it’s time to get rid of it and give yourself more storage space for the next round of never-to-use products.

• Remove All Accessories

Once you have de-cluttered, it is time to remove everything from the bathroom. Give yourself a blank slate to work with. This includes, towels and shower curtains and any other accessories placed around.

• Paint

Nothing perks a room up like giving it a new color. I am a great fan of paint. The most inexpensive decorating item around. Go ahead and paint the bathroom any color that you want. It can be soft or bold. This is a great place to try out sponge painting. Make your own statement or create your own mood. Here’s a link to my post about creative painting:

http://her-home-blog.com/2008/04/creative-interior-painting/

• Now Clean

After the painting is done, it is time to give the place a good cleaning. Scrub the shower, the bathtub, the toilet, the sink and the floors. Don’t forget the light fixture and bathroom fan when cleaning. The bathroom will look sparkle like it is new and will smell great too.

• Time To Accessorize

Here comes the fun part. Use items you already have that match your new color or buy inexpensive items within your budget to accessorize. Most of us already have different colored towels and face clothes. Go ahead and use them. Instead of buying expensive vanity items, use baskets. They will go with any color that you have chosen to paint your bathroom. Use clear glass accessories that you can use again with any color you decide to change to in the future.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleytheartist2002/

• Hardware

If you haven’t blown the budget on accessories, go ahead and get new hardware. A newer modern towel rack, toilet paper holder and cabinet door knobs will add detail to your new look. You can also purchase a can of spray paint and paint your old hardware to match your new color.

• Lighting

If the light fixture is old, you can opt for purchasing a new one or just change the covering. Sometimes just giving the light fixture a good cleaning will do the trick and make it shine like new. Placing some scented candles in the bathroom will give it a softer look and add a fragrant smell.

It doesn’t take much to redesign and give a bathroom a new look. Most of it is your time and energy. In the end, it is really enjoyable to see what you have done without breaking your budget. By doing it this way, you can change it often to go with the most recent trends in colors.

Do you have other easy bathroom ideas? Go ahead and share them with everyone.

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6 Ceramic Cabinet Knobs

Having clean windows is one of those things I love to have but I don’t necessarily like to do. Since I have lived in different areas, I have also found that the amount of times you need to clean your windows varies. Since moving to the Southeast along the coast, I’ve notice that the windows get dirty faster. Maybe it’s the wind or maybe it’s the salt and sand in the air. Whatever it is, I find myself cleaning the windows quite a few times a year. By doing it so much, I have discovered some tips for cleaning windows that will make it easier each time you
do it.

Outside

Whether you are using a commercial window cleaner or a homemade natural cleaner, use a lint free cloth. If you don’t have any available, try using newspapers. They are lint free and actually work quite well to clean windows. You may want to wear rubber or latex gloves when using newspaper to keep your hands from turning black from the ink.

The best time to check for problems is when you are cleaning your windows. If you see that the caulking or sealant is cracking or pulling away, now is the time to repair it. Having sealed windows will help keep your fuel bill down.

Newer windows are framed with vinyl while older windows are framed with metal. Some are made of wood. I have older windows framed with black metal that tends to get worn. When I clean the windows, I keep a black paint pen with me so that I can touch up the frames as I’m going along. This keeps the windows always looking new. You can do this for any type of window.

Since you have to remove the screens when cleaning the windows, it is perfect time to wash them. Use your hose and a soft brush to remove dust and dirt buildup. If a screen is really weather beaten, replace it. You can pick these supplies up at your local home improvement store. Repair kits are also available for small tears.

Indoors

Remove any shades or blinds at least twice a year and clean them. Find a place in the yard, maybe on the fence, to hang them. I usually hose them down, scrub them with a brush and then hose them down again. Then just leave them in the sun to dry. This really gets them clean and looking new again.

If you are not changing drapes or curtains when you are washing the interior windows, then vacuum them to remove any dust. While the vacuum is handy, use it to clean the window tracks. Again, you should look for any worn caulking or sealant and repair it at this time.
Clean any window sills or ledges.

By doing a few extra things each time your clean your windows, you’ll be saving time and money in the future by keeping them in good condition. Replacing windows is not only a big job but also a big expense.

Try some of these ideas out and see if it gets easier each time you do a window cleaning. Let me know if it has helped you.

Just last week, I was browsing around our local super home improvement store when I stopped to look at the kitchens that were on display. It caught my eye that the counter tops were no longer granite which is what I had gotten used to seeing in every store and every ad. So I decided to ask a sales person about the current counter top trend. I could not believe that the trend for the modern kitchen was now solid surface counter tops again. What is a homeowner to do!? Styles are constantly changing.

Today’s modern kitchen is all about open wide space. The kitchen has now become a part of the family room and the living room. In some places, it is called a great room. If you have an older kitchen that is cut off from the rest of the rooms, you can remedy this by taking down a connecting wall. It gives the appearance of a much larger room and no longer cuts off the activity of the kitchen. I once owned a home that had a separation wall between the kitchen and living room. The previous owner cut out a portion of the wall creating a large window opening to the living room. This worked great since it opened up the spaces but kept the living room noise out of the kitchen.

Another trend happening today is color. Appliances are being made in different colors while kitchen walls are being painted bright and bold. Even kitchen cabinets are now available in colors for a modern look.

Flat panel televisions are finding their way onto kitchen walls today. Refrigerators are being made with LCD TV’s on the door since 2005. High tech televisions in the kitchen are definitely part of today’s trend.

Some kitchen cabinets are looking more like furniture. Decorative moldings and raised feet on cabinets are the latest choices for remodeling a kitchen.

The one sink kitchen is gone. Any kitchen that has an island is now equipped with an additional sink similar to a wet bar.

I found out when looking around that a lot of today’s trends for the modern kitchen are actually a blast from the past. The bright colors, the decorative moldings and the raised feet have all been around already. They’re just back in style again. So don’t get rid of that granite counter top. It is sure to be tomorrow’s trend.

I think next week I will check out what’s new in small appliances. I wonder if bread makers and pasta machines are on their way back.

If you have seen any new trends out there for the kitchen, let us know so we can keep up to date with what’s going on. Maybe the things we have packed away are in style again.