May15

The Little Black Book Of Contacts Every Homeowner Should Have

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The Little Black Book Of Contacts Every Homeowner Should Have

When you own your own home, you’re always going to have different roles and responsibilities that you need to stick to. It’s not like renting where you have a landlord to take care of things for you. When things go wrong, you need to know who to call. And not only that, but when you’re renovating or you need some help, it’s good to know what experts and specialists to turn to.

As much as you may think that you can just look for someone at the time or when you need them, in a rushed situation, you may choose the wrong company or person. This is why it’s handy for you to have a list of contacts that you can call when you need the help. Let’s take a look at some you may want to gather:

Handyman:

The first kind of person that you might want to think about getting is a handyman! Do you often have work that needs doing around the home? Do you struggle to do some tasks yourself, like hanging pictures, painting, or repairing things? Then, having a handyman that is skilled at odd jobs is what you need. So do your research and find the best person. Simply entering handyman near me in Screven or whatever city you reside in on a search engine will give you a list of local professionals in your area. It’s also a good idea to ask friends and family for recommendations too!

Gardener:

Next up, you may need to get yourself a gardener. We all know that aiming to take care of your own garden is pretty much a full-time job. And, when you’re busy, you won’t always have the time to mow the lawn or cut hedges. Bringing in a gardener to help you is also a good move when you have no green thumbs!

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Unsplash Image

Tradesmen:

As a step on from that, it’s important for you to know the best tradesmen to have on hand, too. When things go wrong, you’ll want to make sure that you have a list of people that you can call. Here, you’ll want to know the best plumbers, electricians, builders, and any other specialists that you may need.

Housekeeper:

At the same time, if you have a large house and you struggle to get all of the work done, maybe you need a housekeeper or a cleaner to come and help you for an hour or two a week? There’s no shame in that – just make sure you do your research and find someone you like and who you can trust.

Dog Walker:

And, finally, if you have a dog and you work full-time, then having a dog walker might be what you need. Even if you don’t have a full-time job but you have a super busy schedule, finding a great dog walker can feel like such a treat. Then you have one less job to do yourself. Not only that, but you may even want to look for a dog sitter too – or a two in one walker and sitter for when you’re away for the day or a vacation.

Knowing who to call when you need work done is important, so gather recommendations and reviews and assemble your own little black book today!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

May15

Lil Red’s Art Gallery: Favorites Edition

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Lil Red’s Art Gallery: Favorites Edition

Hi everyone! So, when my grandma sold her funeral home in Cleveland and opted to live closer to family (like mine) in Akron, obviously, a lot of the furniture and decor couldn’t come with. So, when my grandma downsized, she brought only her favorites. One of which included a painting of a girl looking forlorn while wearing a huge sun hat and holding a bouquet of flowers displayed in an ornate gold frame.

I can recall one of my cousins wondering out loud why, out of all of the gorgeous art work in the funeral home, this picture was chosen. And, sadly, I never asked this question for myself. However, it is now hanging in my family home. The painting of the little boy holding a bunch of flowers seen below reminds me of the picture that my grandma apparently loved a lot so I consider it my version of that!

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My mom commented on my little boy blue giving off serious Little Prince vibes and I can definitely see it! I don’t know what it is about this picture but, as soon as I saw it, I fell in love. It’s such a sweet image to me and it makes me happy to think of the little girl or boy he’s going to give his flowers to. Or, maybe, he’s about to run into his mom’s arms and surprise her with it. It just makes me smile and I hope to some day hang up my grandma’s painting side by side with it.

And, of course, the Asian inspired embroidered cloth was a must, too. The colors, the subject, the craftsmanship – WOOF, I love this picture so much. The bamboo style frame is a nice touch and my only hope is that the words on there are something really random like “swimming pool” or “blow torch” and no one will know any better. But, if you do have any idea of what those characters are, let a Lil Red know!

If you could only bring a few things from your belongings to a new place, what would you take? Which of your belongings holds a lot of significance to you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May14

“Bouncing Back” After A Personal Difficulty

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“Bouncing Back” After A Personal Difficulty

Suffering any setback in life can result in an influx of negative emotion. While it’s easy to say that you need a positive mindset in which to cope with these issues, it’s never that straightforward in practice. Regardless of what’s happened in life, be it a personal tragedy or a string of bad luck, there appear to be a few constants that can help us keep on:

Resilience (A Skill You Can Improve On):

Throughout personal difficulties, it can feel far easier for you to bury your head in the sand. People will tell you that you need to keep going on, as life does inevitably go on. The one thing we can learn through these difficult aspects in life is some form of coping strategy. But, when resilience is brought up, it can feel like it’s a thing that either we have or we don’t. And, depending on our reaction to the problem, it can highlight what level our resilience is really at. But resilience is one of those great skills in life that we can fine tune. The way we do it is by going through difficult circumstances and, gradually, as our comfort zone increases, we develop tolerance to these situations.

Self-Care Is Important:

When we suffer a setback, a personal problem, or we’re going through a really horrible time, we can neglect self-care. But, in even the most basic of ways, self-care can do wonders for ourselves. Fueling ourselves with the right foods and staying away from toxic friendships are two things that help to nurture our body and our mind. You know what is good for you because you will either feel good or you will feel bad. But what we struggle with these days is actually tuning into this and using the knowledge to help turn the situation around.

…So Is Getting Help When Necessary:

Help is one of those things that we can either feel too proud to ask for or we think it’s a sign that we are weak. Getting help comes in many different forms. Sometimes it’s professional ones, which makes life easier after a common problem like a house fire, where services like SERVPRO help with the cleanup of a property. Help is something that can make life easier. If you’ve done all of the hard work and you need a bit of help getting back on your feet, either through professional help or by just leaning on someone a little bit more than usual, why shouldn’t you?

Regardless of the difficulty, there’s an abundance of services to help people in their hour of need. And when it becomes too much, it’s these people that we will turn to. You only have to look at organizations like The Samaritans to see that there are people out there that can’t turn to their loved ones for help, but need an impartial listener, either to vent or for someone to actually help before things get out of hand.

Tragedy Can Bring Joy:

What’s interesting to note during tragic circumstances, especially when it comes to the death of a family member, is that there is a diverse range of emotions on display. Sometimes you see the grieving partner that’s completely catatonic, but you’ll also see the other side, where there’s so much humor on display, that from an outsider looking in, it can be very perplexing! Gallows humor is one of those interesting things because it’s a wonderful coping mechanism for those people who have had pent up emotions relating to negativity for so long. When you see family members get together for a funeral, and they haven’t seen each other for a long time, it can almost seem like a reunion. And the difficult circumstances we go through in life have little glimmers of joy that we may feel on occasion are the things that will carry us through the tough times.

You always hear about someone who listened to an album ad nauseam because it helps them. And in terms of therapy, laughter is one of the greatest. And this is underselling it somewhat. Laughter is a fantastic reliever of stress. But when you get a bunch of people together in the same room that is going through a terrible time, it’s amazing how much joy and laughter can come out. And, it doesn’t detract from the situation but, rather, it adds to the emotions experienced. So turn on your favorite comedy or chat with your funniest friend and enjoy the laughter.

Difficult situations in life make us realize who we really are and what is really important. While it’s never a good thing to endure at the time, through the darkness, light can come through.

Featured Image By: PxHere

May14

Things To Do After The Attic Renovation

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Things To Do After The Attic Renovation

Attic renovations are now one of the most common. Whether you intend to use your attic as a bedroom or a place to chill out, chances are that you’ll go down all the usual routes, including contracting builders and seeking permissions. You’ll also need to ensure the flooring can support this change and that you have proper insulation. Within a few weeks, though, you could have a seemingly functional room in your hands.

Sadly, many home owners do renovations for attics only to find that they never spend any time there. That can lead to a lot of wasted time and effort, not to mention wasting a fair amount of cash. And, more often than not, neglect here is down to the fact that we give up on our renovations too soon. Instead of expecting a space you love straight after renovation, then, consider the following crucial steps you should take after your attic conversion.

Take care of your roofing:

First, consider roofing. Failure to do so could leave your conversion cold and damp in no time. Metal roofing could even increase noise levels. If you can’t seem to settle, then, seek a roof inspection. If your clanging metal roof is keeping you up or keeping you cold at night, consider options for ensuring that metal roofs and high winds don’t cause any more problems. And, of course, make sure there are no leaks which stand to waste the money you spent on your renovation in the first place. The faster you act on getting a Roofing Installation expert in, the quicker your renovation can, at last, become the living space you desire.

Remember that the roofing and flooring are the most important parts of your attic transformation. While it is always a great thing to be able to cut costs with DIY, these are tasks to leave to the professionals to ensure everyone’s safety once the renovation is complete. Start by searching online, getting recommendations from friends, or checking out this Aurora roofing company in Colorado if you’re in the area for optimum success.

Flooring:

A renovated attic should feel cozy and like a space you want to spend time in so rough flooring has got to go. You could consider installing carpet or you might want to take a more stylish approach. Sanding down the floors with a professional team can leave a sleek finish. Then, you can enhance the room with plush, luxurious area rugs to add texture and color. To find a team that specializes in sanding, simply enter a search for “Floor Sanding Manchester” (or your local area). This will tie your newly renovated attic together from floor to ceiling.

Find ways to add light:

Once your renovation is complete, you might find that your attic space is pretty dark. No one likes to spend time in a dark room so this alone could leave you unsatisfied. Make sure it doesn’t by considering ways to add more light afterwards. Painting with bright colors is always a good bet, as are mirrors and well-placed lights. When you install these after your attic renovation, it will be a part of the house that you enjoy at last.

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https://www.pinterest.com/pin/777785798121645027/

Think about keeping it fresh:

Even after completing roof repairs, you may notice your conversion getting stuffy and damp. In many ways, this is impossible to avoid here. But, there is action you can take. A shop bought dehumidifier is a sure way to keep that air fresh, for instance. Even installing a ceiling fan could bring that breath of fresh air you need to make the room more pleasant to use.

Whatever you do, don’t give up on your attic renovation the moment it’s complete. As you can see, this is an ongoing addition which can take adjustments to get right. You just have to keep going until it becomes as much a part of your home as any other room!

Featured Image By: Flickr

May14

How To Avoid Running Related Injuries

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How To Avoid Running Related Injuries

From warding off depression to getting you in cardiovascular shape, exercise is amazing. Aside from the myriad of health reasons a sport like running gives you, it also offers you some much-needed alone time. Great for your mental and physical health, exercise in general is vital for improving our health and well being. But, there are times when we can expose ourselves to injury and in this blog we take a look at how runners can keep themselves safer and injury-free:

Common running injuries:

From runner’s knee to plantar fasciitis, runners can find themselves facing a host of injuries and there are several key steps that they can take to help prevent them, starting with the right shoes. Sure, you just want to throw on a pair of trainers and head out the door, but it’s essential to make sure you’re wearing the right shoes. Everyone’s a bit different and if you have a tendency to walk with a slight rolling in of the foot or a slight rolling out, then you need to have shoes that support your style.

The best thing you can do is get a gait analysis done by a professional at a running store. They’ll assess your individual style and advise you on a shoe that will support you best. So many of the more common aches and pains can be addressed with something as simple as the right footwear.

Get a check up:

Whether you’re a regular runner or you mix it up a bit, make sure that you get any aches and pains addressed. Find a sports therapy practitioner that can see you regularly and advise you on how to stay injury free.

Complement your sport:

Finally, no matter what you do for cardiovascular activity, find some complementary exercises that will support your body. Think about improving your core strength with planking or some leg weight exercises that are going to strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees to support them better. Stretch it out with some yoga or go for a swim for weightless, low impact exercise.

Give yourself some variety for greater efficiency and think about your body as a whole. When it comes to looking great, first you have to feel great, so allow exercise to give you a mental as well as a physical lift. Find some time to stretch and breathe deeply, whether you just carve out a few minutes of your day for a moment of calmness or whether you go for a more structured approach like mindfulness or meditation.

Your body and mind are unique, so stay in great shape mentally and physically and look after yourself.

Featured Image By: Pixabay

May14

Lil Red’s Art Gallery: Floral Galore Edition

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Lil Red’s Art Gallery: Floral Galore Edition

Hello hello! During the initial process of getting everything squared away for my apartment, I was a nervous wreck. But, the more I shopped, the more excited I felt about my big move. Retail therapy at its finest! I had the most fun shopping for my larger pieces of furniture and it felt good to check all of the big purchases off of my list. The extra stuff like things from the wall art seen below to hand soap were just the cherry on top of the moving sundae!

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Now, normally I am not a huge floral girl when it comes to wall art. But, the pictures above spoke to me for some reason and for eight dollars total at Goodwill, I figured “why not?”. Since we established that my decor style is apparently funeral home chic, these pictures will fit right in! I love the lace on the rose picture and the more ornate frame on the smaller one. I feel like someone loved these pictures a lot or maybe they belonged to one of their loved ones and I like feeling like I’ve given both of them a beautiful new home to be showcased in. :*)

Are you a floral decor fan or nah? What is your favorite thing to shop for when it comes to home goods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May13

How To Prepare For The Sale Of Your Home

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How To Prepare For The Sale Of Your Home

Selling your house is an exciting time, but it can also be quite stressful with all of the things you need to plan for and take care of – especially if you’ve never done it before. To make the process easier on you, in this post we’re going to share with you some of our top tips on how to prepare for selling your house:

Pick a good estate agent:

The very first step when it comes to selling your house is to ensure that you have a good estate agent who will be there to make the process as easy as possible and help you with any questions you have or any issues that arise throughout. Although there’s no foolproof system for finding an estate agent who does a good job and who you can trust, a good way to go about it is by asking for recommendations from friends and family who have sold or bought through a specific agent and then contacting them. Another option is by doing a search online in your local area, for example, for an agent with good reviews and see what you can come up with. At the end of the day, you are going to want to Sell your Houston area house fast (or your local area). An excellent estate agent will understand that and do their best to move you along onto your next adventure in a timely manner.

Carry out repairs:

Once you’re starting to prepare the house to get ready to sell and conduct viewings, then it’s going to be a good idea to start carrying out the repairs that have been getting put off and that really need done. This will also give a much better impression with the new potential owners, so it’s a good idea from an investment point of view. Whether it’s repairing floors, fixing a leaky pipe, installing a new Tsurumi submersible pump, or even fixing the roof, get these things done before you even start conducting viewings.

Completing necessary repairs can be a time consuming and expensive process. This can be a major hindrance if you would like the selling process to be as speedy as possible. Should this be the case for you, there are other options. Simply enter a search for “We buy Houses North Carolina” (or your local area). From there, you will be able to begin weighing your options as there is a chance you can sell your home as is. Perhaps you will want to carry out repairs that are less expensive to increase your offer. Or, you will accept the cash for houses amount and be on your way to your new place without the worry of major repair bills.

Have your paperwork ready:

Selling a house is a big task that involves a lot of paperwork, so making sure that you have everything ready on this front is very important and will make your life so much easier – especially if you’re looking for a faster sale or need things done in a certain way. You can speak to your bank and estate agent as well as your lawyer about the kinds of paperwork you need in order to get everything organized, but it’s definitely a good idea to do this as early as possible so that everything can run smoothly and you’re not rushing around trying to gather things that you don’t have.

Make sure everything is well presented:

If you want to sell your house, then you want to entice potential buyers and they’re not going to be interested in buying from you if your house is a mess, the garden looks like a jungle, and it looks like nothing has been taken care of since you moved in. Make sure that the place and the surrounding areas are clean, tidy, and free from clutter and, in some cases, it could even help you raise the value of the place a little before you sell it, which is never a bad thing!

Use the tips above to ensure that your sale goes smoothly and happy moving!

Featured Image By: Pexels

May13

Lil Red’s Art Gallery: Ovals, Anyone? Edition

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Lil Red’s Art Gallery: Ovals, Anyone? Edition

Hiii everyone! When wall art shopping for my apartment, I didn’t really have a specific theme in mind for the pieces that I wanted. I more or less just picked what I liked and went with it. Despite all of the artwork not necessarily “going together”, I think that once all of them are hung up it’s going to look super nice. Especially because even if the pictures are all different, the color palette is similar enough on all of them that it will still look like they belong together. I have a vision! Lol.

I went hard at the Goodwill, buying at least ten framed pictures in total, including these cool oval shaped ones below:

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My sister told me that all of the pictures I picked out are old ladyish and, be that as it may, I like them. In fact, a lot of the artwork that I purchased reminds me of the paintings that my grandma had hung up in the amazing funeral home that she operated. So, I guess you can call my taste in décor “funeral home chic”? Lol, regardless, of if the pieces that I bought are dated, I like that classic, vintage feel and I think that once my art wall is complete, it’s going to compliment the furniture in my living room really well. So put that in your pipe and smoke it, sis! 😀

Where do you get inspiration for home décor? Do you have a more modern or classic taste in decorating? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May12

Happy Mother’s Day!!

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Happy Mother’s Day!!

Hello everyone and happy Sunday! I wanted to extend warm Mother’s Day greetings to all of the wonderful moms in the blogosphere and all over the world today. Whether you are a mom to a beautiful baby or a darling dog, you have lost a child, or want to be a mom really badly – today is for you. I hope you have a beautiful day full of love and flowers and are surrounded by things that make you smile. Happy Mother’s Day from lifewithlilred! ❤

May11

Lil Red’s Art Gallery: Van Gogh Edition

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Lil Red’s Art Gallery: Van Gogh Edition

Hi hi! It seems like I end up at a Goodwill at least once a week when I’m working and, I’m so not mad about it, because I have found so much cool apartment stuff from there. You can’t beat the value of secondhand shopping and the thrill of a real life treasure hunt at your local thrift store.

It’s funny, because I’m a pretty major germophobe and, several years ago, I would have preferred that you cut my hands off than look through a store of other people’s old belongings. But, now, I thrift shop like the best of them (As long as I have Purell on deck, of course!) and it’s a small victory but that’s progress, baby.

During my last trip to the thrift, I found a beautiful framed copy of Van Gogh’s sunflower painting for FIVE BUCKS and I was (AND STILL AM!) excited! Take a look:

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Ninety percent of the wall art that I got for my apartment is from the thrift and my only qualm is that they write the prices on the glass of the frame and I have no idea how to get it off! So any suggestions for that would be greatly appreciated. But, I guess that’s a small price to pay for paying a small price for some new decor.

I have always loved this painting and was so happy to have found it. It will make a great centerpiece for the art wall I want to make in my living room so I’m looking forward to getting everything hung up ASAP. Now, if only I can find me a copy of Starry Night at Goodwill next!

What is your favorite painting? Who is your favorite artist? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah