Radiators: An Exciting Prospect?

In today’s fast paced world of interior design, radiators are now (maybe surprisingly) the must-have essential in any home. Gone are the days of standard, run-of-the-mill items which were meant purely for practical purposes, as in their place are stunning centerpieces which not only provide warmth and heat, but look absolutely beautiful too.

These previously innocuous, rather cumbersome objects have been given a complete overhaul, and do not need to be hidden from view by unattractive radiator coverings. The era of the traditional radiator-typically an underperforming, clunky piece of metal, is now over. Designs have naturally advanced into more stylish, modern creations, and this began initially with the introduction of towel warmers in the bathroom.

Once homeowners start upgrading one room, they then think of ways in which to improve other areas of their property. And this is why there are so many different styles and shades to choose from when it comes to contemporary radiators. Plain, uninspiring single panels have been substituted by slim, lightweight multi-panels. Finishes such as brushed chrome, mirror and matt colored metals introduced consumer interest, and radiators experienced a massive resurgence.

Perhaps the most notable of all are mock-Victorian style radiators, as they contrast particularly well in all types of settings. From industrial-inspired rooms to minimalist town center apartments, any kind of property will benefit from the inclusion of these highly desirable household items. The radiators of today come in such a variety of shapes and colors, so there is plenty to choose from if you are searching for something which perfectly complements the décor of your living quarters.

Horizontal radiators will comfortably fit into more tricky spaces, whilst vertical radiators make the most of small rooms beyond the bathroom or kitchen. Modern radiators can now be the central focal point of any lounge, living room or dining area. Neutral walls contrast perfectly with brighter colored radiators (especially greens and blues). If your walls are painted in more striking hues, then maybe understated cream or beige tones would be more suitable.

When it comes to buying the perfect radiator, you want to avoid a clash of colors and styles. For example, if you favor traditional, rustic pieces then sleek, metallic vertical radiators would not go with anything, and stand out like a sore thumb. However, vertical radiators are ideal for smaller flats or mid-terraced properties, as they are inexpensive and take up very little space.

In order to find the perfect centerpiece for your home, it is important to do a little research before settling on the right supplier. You need to procure a radiator from an established and reputable retailer in order to guarantee 100% satisfaction. At Designer Radiators Direct there is a widespread and varied choice of top of the range radiators for you to consider, entirely at your leisure.

When it comes to functional, aesthetically appealing electric radiators, then no other competitor comes close. And, if you need to make any adjustments and modifications to an item then all bespoke requests will be taken into consideration. Due to the fact that there are so many products on offer, it is certain that even the most discerning homeowner will find something which catches their eye.

Every radiator is thoroughly checked and tested out before installation by a team of fully skilled, qualified professionals who have years of expertise in the trade. So, if you want to save both time and money and cut down on heating costs considerably then investing in sleek, uber-stylish electric radiators is the way forward.

And who wouldn’t want to get straight out of the bath on a chilly winter’s day and snuggle in a cozy, pillow-soft towel, ready and waiting for you to wrap up warm and toasty?

The Minimalist Guide To Managing A Vacation Rental

When it comes to choosing accommodations for your family vacation destination, you don’t have to be restricted to choosing between different types of hotel or motels. Now you have more choices, like short term house rentals, apartment rentals, AirBnB, or RVs.

You also have plenty of alternative choices when it comes to family activities other than going to the beach or a theme park. You could, for example, explore a cave, visit a state park, enjoy boating, go on day hikes, or take road trips.

Deciding Where to Stay

Assuming you’ve decided where to go and what to do, your main quest will be to find the perfect place to stay.

If you’re looking for an apartment, villa, house, or condominium a website like Your Rent can help you do a search by city.

If you’re looking for extra rooms, complete homes, or unique accommodations like castles, then check out Airbnb. This is an option if you’re planning an overseas vacation.

And if you’re planning on traveling by RV, then get a directory that shows you the best campgrounds.

When deciding where to stay, it’s advisable to start your search as early as possible.

Steps to Take when Renting

Once you’ve found a place to rent, here are 6 steps to make sure everything goes smoothly:

1. Don’t skim over the contract.

It’s tempting to skim over the contract and not read it properly. After all, you’ll probably be relieved to have found a nice place to stay. However, before you turn your attention to having fun, it’s important to read the whole document.

Besides the schedule of payment, you are also agreeing to take on certain liabilities. For instance, if the landlord believes the rental has not been properly cleaned, you may have to pay for extra cleaning costs. You also have to be clear who is responsible for paying for things like propane, housekeeping, cable, telephone, Internet, and utilities.

If you have to pay for utilities, you should get a good estimate of what it will come to as it might be more than you’d pay back home. Air conditioning, for instance, might run high in the summer months.

So, besides covering the down payment and the rent, be sure you have enough to pay for everything else you are liable for.

Finally, get a clear idea about the rules on subleasing, having pets, amenities, and furnishings.

2. Use an attorney.

If, for one reason or another, you don’t have a good feeling about the contract, then it might be worth spending a couple of hundred dollars to get an attorney to review it for you. There may, for example, be some ambiguous clauses that the landlord fails to explain clearly. Ideally, get a lawyer you know and trust who has real estate experience. This step will help you decide whether you should sign the contract or look for another place. The contract might be standard and fair, after all. Alternatively, you don’t want to be held liable for more than your fair share of costs.

What do you do if the attorney things that the contract is not fair? While, of course, you can always walk away, another option is to renegotiate the contract. The landlord might be willing to reduce excessive costs or waive restrictive conditions rather than have you walk away.

3. Understand the conditions of the deposit.

Be sure that you have enough in your budget to cover your security deposit before you commit to renting. Sometimes the deposit may be higher than you might expect for a down payment because the landlord has had some inconsiderate renters in the past and had to pay for cleaning and repair. Also, be absolutely clear what conditions have to be met before you can get your full deposit back. If you’re not clear about these conditions, then the landlord can always make ambiguous claims that you did not leave the place in a good condition when you left and refuse to return your deposit.

4. Understand housekeeping policies.

Different properties have different rules about housekeeping. You may have to do the cleaning yourself; the cleaner might come in when you’re there; or the cleaner may only come on the last day before you leave. Cleaning services might be part of the rental service or you might be asked to pay the bills. So understand the housekeeping policies, and don’t assume that they are the same as the last place you rented on your previous vacation rental.

5. Do a walk through before and after renting.

Walk through the premises with the landlord before and after renting out the property. Take photographs of any existing damages when you do your first walk through so that you are not stuck paying for a problem a previous renter created. By doing the two walkthroughs with the landlord, you will both be aware of the property conditions.

6. Get contact numbers.

You may have an emergency when you’re vacationing, so be sure to get the landlord’s number. In case of an emergency, like a plumbing problem, an electric shortage, or a burglary, you will have someone to call to take care of it right away.

Renting a vacation home, apartment, villa, or condominium is often a fairly straightforward process, and armed with these 6 steps, you’ll be able to forestall any potential problems.

Lazy Days on Your Lawn

What is the first thing someone notices driving down your street? Is it your home, or is it your lawn, or both? Most would suggest it is both, and if you have a beautiful well-kept home and your lawn has been neglected it only takes away from the beauty of the landscape.

There is considerable effort required by a homeowner to have the landscape that draws the attention of passerby’s. More importantly, you want your home to be inviting not only to guests but for your family. If you have children, they no doubt love to spend time outside and a well-kept lawn is safer for them.

Let’s assume you have well-kept grass now, and if you don’t it won’t take you long to find a landscaping company who will be happy to assist you in getting the yard healthy. Once your yard is bristling green it is imperative to keep it watered well, and nobody likes to drag around a garden hose.

When a corporation as large as Chase utilizes a sprinkler installation company it behooves the homeowner looking for the same services to investigate. Be sure to check that the company is bonded and insured and employs master plumbers.

With your yard now well-kept and properly watered with your professionally installed sprinkler system, why not consider more shade for those hot summer days. Many homeowners do not recognize the savings that can come to your utilities with properly planted trees and shrubs to provide natural shade.

Trees and shrubs provide so much more for your home then savings on utilities. The aesthetic value of your home will increase immensely, not just for the homeowner and family but also for the neighbors.

Perhaps you may be relocated for work and must sell the house; with the sprinkler system installed and the trees and shrubs planted properly your property value will be higher than a poorly manicured lawn with no natural cover.

Do you enjoy taking something that your significant other said to throw away and creating with it? How about a piece of furniture? An old cooler? Or, what about that tree stump from when the storm rolled in and toppled the 100-year-old tree? What good could that stump possibly bring us?

New creations and so much more for your home landscape! This is another area where you can set your home apart from the norm. By browsing through the ideas of other creative enthusiasts you can turn your possible throwaways into new furniture or decorations.

Are you still pondering what in the world could someone do with a tree stump? Of course you are, I did too! A stump can turn into a table that sits between two pieces of lawn furniture!

Relaxing outdoors on your lawn on a beautiful evening as the sun sets with a cool breeze rustling through your trees and shrubs is so relaxing. There is no reason for you to shortchange yourself and your family on the experiences available by having a well-kept landscape.

Author’s Bio

Curt Price

Title: Super-Connector at OutreachMama

Curt is a super-connector with OutreachMama and Youth Noise NJ who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses his efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.

 

Jay Franco And Sons Spider-Man Collection Review And Giveaway

Jay Franco And Sons Spider-Man Collection Review And Giveaway

I recently got the chance to review Jay Franco & Sons Spider-Man Collection which includes a Spider-Man Pillow Buddy, Spider-Man Hooded Beach Poncho, and a Spider-Man ZippySack.  Especially if your kiddo loves spider-man. You do not want to miss out on these amazing Spider-Man goodies – so don’t forget to enter to win your very own.

Our Spider-Man Pillow Buddy goes everywhere with us – in the car, on long walks outside, and to bed every night. My son loves his pillow buddy and plays with him non-stop. I love the size, look, and the fact that the Spider-Man Pillow Buddy is very easy for children of all ages to hold onto. Plus, he is super squishable.

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The Spider-Man Hooded Beach Poncho makes bath times easy and enjoyable for those who weren’t always a fan of bathtimes. They will be now. The Spider-Man Hooded Beach Poncho is best for young kids, perhaps 5 and younger, because of the size. The Poncho is easy, soft, and fun to wear. You can not beat this bright hooded poncho that will last your children years of use whether at home or the beach.

My son loved the ZippySack. The ZippySack fit just like a fitted sheet does, and it’s fleece material was soft and warm for him all night long. It was so nice to go into his room the next morning and see his sheets still snuggly on the bed.  ZippySack stayed in place all night. The ZippySack is so easy to open and to make the bed later. If you ever wanted your kids to ENJOY making their bed – you need a zippysack.

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You will love these products for your kids as much as I have for my son. RaffleCopter is an easy way for you to enter to win these amazing Spider-Man products.

Click here to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure- This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. For more information, please see “I Disclose”. https://havesippywilltravel.com/i-disclose

Smarter home with a smarter phone service Ooma #HelloOomaSavings #ooma

Smart homes are all the rage right now.  Having your lights connected to your thermostat, microwave and coffee maker can make you house run a little smoother and futuristic.  With a few knobs and pulleys, breakfast can be made using a skateboard a chicken some eggs and a rubber glove.  Kidding!

But in all seriousness smart houses are getting more and more complex and more interesting.  Today we looked at the home phone plan known as Ooma.  Ooma works in a unique way, you but the unit itself, $99.99.  Then after words all you have to pay is a one time phone number port fee and monthly taxes and fess and such adding up to less then $10 in most areas, even less then $5 in others.

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In our house we use a Voice over IP phone line which is similar to Ooma but ends up costing quite a bit more then it, $40-$45 per month compared to Oooma’s $7.

This ends up saving us ,pre then $400 per year.  This adds up quickly and is a nice to actually have some money tucked away.

Ooma can also interface with your smart home devices including Amazon Echo, Nest, Phillip Hue and LIFX smart light bulbs, and others, making your home safer and more convenient than before. Some exampled of what Ooma can do with your smart home are:
Receive a call when smoke or carbon monoxide is detected with the option to connect to local emergency services.
Initiate a call or check messages with Amazon Echo’s Alexa voice assistant.
Automatically turn on call forwarding when you leave home.
Get incoming calls and voicemail notifications on an Apple Watch or Android Wear Watch.
Get alerted of incoming phone call or voicemails visually with lights and know if it’s someone you know (Green) vs. someone you don’t (Red).

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What most surprised us is the quality of the phone calls and the service provided to a bare minimum of charges.  For simply taxes and fees you can receive:

Free U.S. Calling: Only pay taxes and fees, no long-term contract required.
#1 rated home phone service for five years in a row by leading consumer research publication
Superior voice quality and reliability
Caller ID and call-waiting
Free Ooma-to-Ooma calling anywhere in world
30-day money-back guarantee and extendable 1-year warranty with live customer support
911 Calling and Text Alerts
Free Mobile App
15 minute, easy set-up
One-time $39.99 transfer fee to keep home phone number or choose your own number in most any available area code for free
My Ooma online portal: Play messages, check call logs and control preferences online, from anywhere

There is also a Premiere service which better help with smart home integration as well as some more nifty bells and whistles, costing $9.99/month.
Block telemarketers and other unwanted calls with personal, community and expanded blacklists
Free calling to Canada
Instant Second Line
Voicemail-to-email forwarding
Ring your home and mobile simultaneously
Call forwarding
Anonymous call blocking
Enhanced caller ID
Smart Home integrations (except Amazon Echo, which is part of Basic service)

6 Mandatory Guidelines When Storing a Mattress

You spend a lot of your time with your mattress, so when it’s time to move or go on a long trip, it’s important that you take the necessary steps to store it properly. Some people think it doesn’t matter how they transport or store their mattresses, but if you don’t take the proper care, you could end up warping or damaging it, rendering it unusable. Here are six mandatory guidelines when storing any mattress.

1. Store in a Cool, Dry Place

A temperature-controlled storage unit is the ideal place to store a mattress if you are moving, going on a trip, or simply not using the mattress anymore at this time. Damp places can cause odors to soak into the materials and damage the mattress surface. Keep it dry and cool.

2. Cover It Up

Before you move your mattress at all, clean it thoroughly with an upholstery cleaner or baking soda (just sprinkle it on, let it sit for an hour, then vacuum it up). After it is cleaned, be sure to cover it by stretching plastic over it or using sheets. Avoid storing your mattress simply as it is. Covering it up will keep out bugs, critters, and dust.

3. Stand the Mattress Up for the Short Term

If you are only storing your mattress temporarily, stand it up. This helps it to retain its shape. Storing it flat on hard ground could cause it to lose its shape thanks to the effects of gravity. Storing it up on its side is ideal.

4. Lay It Flat for the Long Term

If you will be storing the mattress for a long time, then it may be fine to store it flat—but only if you plan on setting up everything. This alleviates much of the damage and gravity effects the mattress is likely to experience in the long term. Ideally, store the mattress up on its side. If you have the space to set up your whole bed frame, then it may be okay to lay it flat on that.

5. Keep Everything Off of Your Mattress

Do not put anything on your mattress while it is in storage. This will damage it over time, and you will be left with a warped, wonky sleeping area. The only thing that should be on your mattress in storage is the protective cover.

6. Transport It Properly

Move your mattress from place to place in a covered moving truck. Transporting it on top of a car, van, or SUV is likely to lead to a warped form, damage, and strange odors. As long as you follow these six essential steps when it comes time to store your mattress, you should be able to keep it in great shape until you’re ready to use it again.

Stylish Bathroom Design Ideas For Your Home

When you have guests over, what do you think they judge the most? I’ll give you a hint, it should be the cleanest place in the house. If you guessed the kitchen, you’re incorrect. The kitchen is typically one of the dirtiest places in the house because here we just tend to let things slide. There might be a few crumbs on the floor, we’ll pick them up eventually or dirty dishes in the sink. Hey, I’m getting around to cleaning them! No, the answer is the bathroom. For some reason, don’t ask me why, when you have a guest over one of the first things they will do is ask where the bathroom is. Don’t be naive, they aren’t looking to use it, they’re looking to judge. That is why, girls and boys you want your bathroom to be absolutely stunning.

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Clean It Up

Start by giving your bathroom a good clean. I know you probably clean it regularly, or at least I hope you do but you’re not doing this for hygiene reasons. It’s the best way to get close and personal with the room and find out what needs improving. For instance, you might find that the caulk around your shower has started to wear away and it needs replacing. This is quite easy to do. Just add a touch of adhesive to a cloth, wiping away the old stuff and then wash the space. Wait for that to dry before you replace it with new caulk.  Also, an extra tip is to use a scented cleaner so that your bathroom smells terrific. So, now you’ve got your hands dirty and had a close look around, what needs improving?

The Color?

Are you still happy with the color of your bathroom? If not, you’re going to have to ask yourself why. You may want your room to look more modern in which case you are looking to paint it a dark color with contrasting whites and creams in places.

But remember, if you change the walls you are going to have to change to the floors too. Perhaps even all your furniture depending on how drastic the change was. If you want to save on costs, choose a color that matches your fixtures otherwise you are looking at a lot of work ahead.

Then again, you might want to update the fixtures in your room, like the shower. I for one, know that my bathroom upstairs could certainly do with a modern upgrade. For those of you considering this decision, check out some of the great shower designs that might fit in your bathroom perfectly. You don’t have to replace the whole unit. You can just make smaller improvements such as installing a new frosted glass, door. That would look rather wonderful.

Small Adjustments

Speaking of small improvements there are lots of little things you can do to improve the space. I mentioned other options rather than replace fixtures completely. So instead of upgrading your bath and sink, just get new taps and faucets. The modern design will make your bath and sink look new again and certainly fool some fussy guests.

Are You Cleaning Cluelessly? Win a Honeywell Air Purifier

Have you ever wondered if you could do more in your home cleaning routine?  Each home has different needs when it comes to maintenance. However, whether you’re a pet owner or the family chef, allergens and odors can be present in all homes. Having an air purifier in the home is one way to reduce those annoying allergens and smelly odors. So, which air purifier is best for your home?

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The makers of Honeywell air purifiers invite you to take their ‘Are You Cleaning Cluelessly?’ quiz to find out which Honeywell air purifier you need to improve your home’s indoor air quality. By taking this short quiz, not only will you finally found out the ideal air purifier for your home but you will also be entered to become one of three grand prize winners.
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