October 2019 - Page 2 of 2

Organize Your Attic, Save Space!

Do you feel like you need a whole separate house just for storing your clothing, hobby items and seasonal decoration and tools? Well, unless you’re a huge movie star, you can’t simply buy a house next door for your storage needs, but what you can do is remodel your attic and free up a whole new world of storage space! If that sounds like something you can do, here are a few practical ideas that will help you organize your attic and save a ton of space around your home.

Boost insulation

First things first, you want your things to be safe while you store them in your attic. While they tend to be less moist than basements, you still need to do some work in order to keep your possessions dry and protected from the elements. Summers tend to be boiling and winters freezing in the attic without insulation, so if you want to store some more expensive things, you’ll need to keep this in mind. Luckily, you can always call a professional to insulate your attic and ensure the safety and coziness of your things. And if you decide to remodel the space in the future and turn it into a bedroom or home office, you’ll have much less work to do.

Install hooks and rods

Once you’ve protected your items, it’s time to start organizing your possessions. If you want to use your vertical space and those tricky nooks and crannies, you can choose to install various hangers and hooks. These are perfect for storing off-season clothing. If you grab some garment bags for protection, you can basically use your attic as an extension of your closet! Install these rods long the trusses or slant of your ceiling and you’re ready to store all your clothing. Most clothing rods come with brackets and screws, so all you need to do is mount it to the wall and make it level.

Add shelves

While you can just ditch various boxes inside and call it a day, it’s best to make the most out of your attic by installing something to keep your space well-organized. Install some practical storage solutions like shelves and fill them with various boxes and containers. These shelves keep your things visible and organized and you can use all your vertical space by allowing you to stack everything. This way you can grab something from the bottom without having to unstack boxes and boxes of stuff. These shelves are suitable for holding shelf bins for smaller items as well, so you can use them in your garage, art studio or home office.

Invest in plastic containers

Once you have your shelves, you’ll need some sturdy plastic containers with lids to keep your items safe and cozy. These containers are great investments because they have so many uses and they last practically forever. They can also protect your things from moisture, bugs, mice, dust and temperature differences. Just make sure to keep your containers well-labeled. You can either grab stickers and write what’s inside the container or color-code your boxes (red for holiday decoration, white for clothing, green for garden tools and so on). If you choose the color system, you’ll need to do some memorizing, but after a while, you’ll know where to look instantly and save a lot of time.

Make it accessible

The harder it is to access your attic, the fewer things you’ll store there—that’s a fact. If you have horrible stairs and dark passages to your attic, you’ll only want to store things you use twice a year. If you want to make the best use of your attic, you won’t do that if you create any barriers towards accessing your space. You’ll need the energy to pick up things and especially to return them in their place. In order to remove some of the barriers, make sure to install sturdy stairs and provide them with practical handrails. Plenty of lighting will also help, both for accessibility and locating your stuff. This way, you’ll be able to pick up and return things easily and avoid leaving clutter in your house. If this is something that requires a team effort, it’s best to hire professionals for removals to pickup storage belongings from your attic. This is to ensure not only your items’ safety but also yours. After all, you don’t want to be taken out by a broken back from too much heavy lifting, do you?

Once you fully secure, organize and equip your attic, you’ll free up so much space in your home that you won’t ever think about moving or renting expensive external spaces!

Make Your Own She Shed

We all know what man caves are—peaceful spots where guys can gather, relax, enjoy action movies, play video games and grab a few beers away from kids and wives. We will not tackle the problematic nature of man caves, but just ask this one question: “Who allowed men to monopolize that”? Most women would love some alone-time or girl time with friends to relax, recuperate and spend time on their hobbies. So, women, forget about man caves and get on board with she sheds! Want to know more about this new thing just for girls? Here’s how you can design your own she shed and make your man super jealous.

Dedicate a spot to your shed

While man caves usually take over the basement or car garage, she sheds are all about the natural environment. If you have a large garden, you won’t have any trouble finding a nice secluded spot for your shed—just look for a spot that’s surrounded with trees, grassy plants and vines. The greenery will give you a gorgeous view and allow you to enjoy your space both when you’re inside and outside. You can also bring nature inside, with your decoration, but if you find a good spot surrounded by plants, you’ll achieve that coveted fairy tale vibe!

Make a list of priorities

Before you even start thinking about your shed and the décor, you need to make a list of priorities. If you’re planning to spend your time in the she shed reading, watching movies with your girlfriends of DIY, you’ll definitely need electricity. If you want to use it for morning yoga and evening meditation, you’ll need good noise insulation and plenty of natural light. Think about how you’re planning to use your space and make a good list of things your shed must contain. This way, you’ll get to choose the right size and shape for your shed.

Build your shed

You can renovate your unused garage or do some work on a utility shed. Remember that your space doesn’t have to be super huge, especially if you want to use it for relaxation and solo you-time. If you don’t have a space to claim, you can check the internet to find a perfect shed for you and your needs. Today you can find all sorts of sizes and styles of sheds, so find something that will give you enough space for your activities and provide you with comfort. Most new sheds are very easy to erect and customize, so you’ll not have any problems with this step.

Start decorating

Once you have the space ready, you can start the fun part, decorating! This step allows you to be as creative as you want and add touches of coziness, practicality and personality. Start with repainting the space and giving it that homey feel that will inspires you to work and motivates you to relax and unwind. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on new furniture and decoration, you can hit yard sales and thrift shops and find amazing items with plenty of character.

Boost comfort

She sheds are all about comfort, so consider this: get an L-shaped sofa and cover it with fluffy soft pillows and make space for a bean bag or two to accommodate your all friends. If your space is tiny, you can go very tropical and choose to install a hammock. Cozy blankets and warm rugs are a must, especially if you’re aiming for a very chic, Boho vibe. Put a small central table near, so you can always have your cocktails and remote at arm’s length. How does Netflix and nap sound to you?

Give it personality

Your she shed needs to reflect your personality, so give it some style. If you’re outdoorsy, build a little patio and some outdoor furniture for catching the sun. If you love gardening, fill the space with your fave plants and flora-inspired decoration. No matter what you choose, you’ll certainly find some accessories that will complement that space.

Don’t neglect safety

Finish off with a few safety features. Add a smoke detector, ensure your wiring is safe and your roof is in top shape. After all, your she shed should be a place of relaxation and comfort—you don’t want to find yourself worrying about the security of your things and your visitors.

Once you’re done with design and decoration, it’s time to enjoy your private piece of heaven. Who says men should have all the fun? You deserve to relax and unwind from time to time, no matter if you’re an aspiring businesswoman or a stay-at-home mom.

Everything You Need to Know When Choosing Your Dancewear

There are different types of dancing, and for each of them, there is a different set of clothes and equipment that you need to have. Of course, some of those might be the same garments, but they should differ in some way. In ballroom dancing, for example, wearing compression shorts is not acceptable, as you should have a dress that will go nicely with the types of dances you perform. On the other hand, if you are practicing jazz ballet, compression shorts might be a good idea. Be as it may, you can never buy dancewear easily. You have to think about many different factors, and if this is your first time buying clothes for dancing, take a look at the most important tips:

Do you need a leotard?

Also depending on the type of dance, you are practicing, you might need a leotard. This is a very popular piece of clothing for dancers, and not only for the dancing lessons, as it can be used and matched outside as well. However, before you opt for buying one, it would be best to check with your instructor what kind of leotard you need. Some dances will require you to have completely different dancing clothes.

Dancing shoes are important

The most important thing you need to pay attention to, however, are the dancing shoes. Just like in any other sport, the comfort of your feet is your number 1 concern. When trying them on, it is important to have exactly the same type of socks you would wear during your lessons or competitions. This is how you will make sure that they fit perfectly. Opt for high-quality dance shoes that will make your feet comfortable and not give you any problems. Do not play around with this and try to save money on your dancing shoes as you might end up with blisters and injuries which can affect your future as a dancer.

Dresses, pants or tights?

What is the piece of clothing that you wear for your dancing classes? As already mentioned, there are different ways in which you can approach your lesson and different dances and clothes that you can wear. If you opt for ballroom dancing, or you prefer to be a girly girl while dancing, you can opt for dresses that will give you the ability to move freely. Other options include dancing pants or even better tights. The latter is also a great way to have freedom of movement, and it will also give you the ability to see your movements in the mirror in front of you. A great way to evaluate your movements and fix what needs to be fixed.

T-shirts and shorts

Of course, you can also opt for tees and shorts if they are something that will make you more comfortable while working out. After all, your comfort is the first thing you need to worry about. If you do not want to use any other activewear and see the movements clearly, you can work out in your tees and shorts. Compression shorts would be best in this case as not only will they give you a better perspective of your range of movements, but they will also prevent injuries.

Leg warmers

Apart from the regular pieces of clothing that every dancer should have in his or her wardrobe, there are others, let’s say, accessories that can also prove themselves very useful. For example, leg warmers add just a dash of fun and color to the whole look. Yes, they might be helpful as they will keep your legs, feet and your joints warmed up and thus you will be able to easily make certain moves without warming up every once in a while. In the same way, there are also hand warmers that you can also use, but these are not that important for a dancer.

It is never easy to buy equipment and clothes for the sport that you are training or learning. First of all, all this equipment can be expensive, so many turns to cheaper options, which is a huge mistake. The price might not always be justified, but it definitely means something, and you should always look for high-quality pieces, not only because they will last longer but because they can be helpful to your safety.