Safety Tips When Moving
Moving is hard work, and for most of us hiring a moving crew is probably out of the question. Sure we could get a few of our friends together and hope they’ll be happy to heavy furniture in various shapes and sizes up and down six flights of stairs, but the truth is they’d probably rather not. Plus, then what happens when your couch gets stuck and you have no real equipment or know-how to get it down to the moving van? Exactly. Not good.
So before you start loading everything you own into random boxes, let’s go over a few things that will keep you from injuring yourself in the process.
1.) Don’t overpack. Not because your boxes might explode later (that’s just annoying), but because you need to keep your boxes from weighing a million pounds. You should aim for each box weighing under 50 pounds. You should be able to lift each box without much strain. Think about it; when you’re moving upwards of 30 boxes in a day, the less weight you have to pick up each time you bend over is going to be very beneficial in the long run.
2.) Use the right equipment. Got something that is just too heavy to move? Use a dolly! Or straps! These things do not cost much money to rent and can save you invaluable time and stress in the moving process. This also helps move lighter items in multiples, saving even more time. Wouldn’t you rather make the process easier and move faster? Of course you would.
3.) Plan ahead. The route you take to the truck is more important than you think. Instead of walking all the way through your place, out the front door and down to the truck, what if you could just hand stuff out your back window to your friend in the alley? By planning ahead, you might be surprised how much work you can save yourself.
4.) Wear the right clothing and footwear. Not only will you be bending over a lot, you’ll also be climbing into truck beds and squishing yourself into tiny spaces. Your clothes should be comfortable, but it’s also important that they’re relatively form fitting. You don’t want your shirt getting snagged going through a doorway with your hands full. Plus, having a 40 lb box fall on your toes when you’re wearing nothing but sandals certainly isn’t going to feel very good.
5.) Know when you’re outmatched. There are some things you just aren’t going to be able to move on your own (or things that you really, really shouldn’t attempt to move on your own). If you’ve got a piano sitting in your living room, you need to call a professional. Not only could you risk injuring yourself, but you also risk damaging your property, and what’s the point in moving a bunch of damaged property to a new location?
And don’t forget; for dorm safety items (like pepper spray, safes and personal alarms), check out our store at www.secureoncampus.com, and for dorm decorations (like dorm lighting, fun drinking games, and wall decals) check out our store at www.thegoodlifeoncampus.com!
3 Home Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Home Safe While You’re Away
There are countless times during the year when you might have to leave your home for an extended period of time. Perhaps you’re heading home to help out with a family issue, you need to head out of town for a job interview or maybe you just got lucky and happen to be going on an epic (and probably very well deserved) vacation. Regardless of the reason, if you don’t have roommates (or your roommates are also taking a leave of absence at the same time), there are a few home maintenance tasks you need to take care of before you walk out the door.
1.) Take care of perishable foods. There aren’t many worse things than arriving home after a couple weeks only to walk into a kitchen filled with rotting, diseased food. Not only will your house reek, but you’ll also be attracting various pests, such as mice, cockroaches and fruit flies. So before you take off, make sure your perishable foods are kept to a minimum. Clean out everything in the refrigerator and make sure no fresh fruit or vegetables are left out on the counter. No need to throw it all out; you can have a house-sitter take whatever they would like or have a dinner party the night before you go. On the menu: anything that won’t make it until you return home.
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2.) Minimize your energy use. If you’re not going to be home there’s no point in running energy to half the things you own. Unplug everything that isn’t necessary for your home’s maintenance while you’re away. Alarm clocks, lamps, blow dryers, exercise equipment, and make sure all the lights are off in rooms you won’t be using. Even if something is switched off, there is still energy running to it until it’s unplugged. Along with cutting down on your energy bill, unplugging everything will also help prevent electrical fires in your absence.
Keep any safety lights on, however. You’ll want any motion activated lights to be up and running. If you have any alarms or security cameras of course you should keep them plugged in.
3.) Set your heat to the right temp. If you’ve taken care of the perishable food and have no plants or animals to worry about, you won’t necessarily need to worry about keeping it cool. However, if you let it cool down too much, you could be in a world of hurt. Even though the summer months are known for warmer weather, you’ll want to make sure your thermostat is set to at least 60 degrees to prevent frozen pipes of any kind.
And don’t forget; for dorm safety items (like pepper spray, safes and personal alarms), check out our store at www.secureoncampus.com, and for dorm decorations (like dorm lighting, fun drinking games, and wall decals) check out our store at www.thegoodlifeoncampus.com!
When people from school want to know how my job hunt has been going since graduation
I’m like:
The Secret Storage Space You’re Forgetting About
Storage? For a safety blog?
One of the biggest safety concerns is whether or not you can store your stuff in a private place. If you were to ask 1,000 people that lived in a small space what their #1 wish would be, the vast majority of them would probably tell you they would like more storage. And in college, more storage becomes more important than ever. You’re slowly growing a collection of your own things, but you also probably have endless boxes of childhood knick-knacks sitting at your parents’ house as well. And let’s face it, between your nosy roommates and snooping RAs, it can be tough to find a bit of privacy in your own room. However, after you’ve already packed your closets as full as they can get an crowded every junk drawer in your home, you start looking for other options. So where’s the one place you can hide your stuff without someone else finding it?
The stairs.
Sound crazy? Probably. Of all the places in the home you’d like to keep clear of clutter, the stairway is probably priority #1. But we’re talking about a sneakier version of storage than just stacking things along your stairway. We’re talking about reinventing the idea of storage and applying it to a wasted space in your home. Read on.
1.) As individual drawers. It doesn’t take much to turn each step into a drawer, and you’ll never even notice the change. When all the drawers are closed your staircase will look exactly as before, plus it gives you the chance to do something with one of the most awkward spaces I your house.
2.) As shelves. There is no need for the sides of your stairway to be a blank wall or empty space. Adding some edges or shelves will give you space to put some of your smaller items. Just make sure the shelves and items are arranged in a uniform way to prevent the look of extra clutter.
3.) Reconfigure storage bins as stairs. Pretty much anything can work as a stairway if it gradually raises in elevation, one step at a time. So don’t limit yourself to the traditional look. Creating steps out of wooden storage crates can provide an interesting look and still get the job done.
4.) Slide-under storage units. There are plenty of storage units that come with wheels on the bottom. Simply order a couple of units measuring the same width as your staircase but varying in height and store them underneath your stairway. You’ll have all your things organized and easily accessible.
5.) Lift tops. Much like the drawer idea, turning the top of each step into a lift-able lid will also provide you with plenty of extra storage space. And no one will ever know, except for the face that the rest of your house will be incredibly less cluttered since a great deal of your belongings have been moved to their new secret storage area.
And don’t forget; for dorm safety items (like pepper spray, safes and personal alarms), check out our store at www.secureoncampus.com, and for dorm decorations (like dorm lighting, fun drinking games, and wall decals) check out our store at www.thegoodlifeoncampus.com!
Thoughts?
Because, why not?
Why not welcome summer with our Get Wet Poster. Yes, pun intended ;).
To all our lovely fans, we love you!!
Friday nights for normal college people.
Friday nights for me..
Because it’s funny. We’ll leave it up to you to determine the accuracy ;).
Good luck to all of you in the upcoming weeks!
Forgotten Questions for Screening Potential Roommates
So it looks like you need a roommate. Maybe you like the idea of paying less in rent and utilities every month or maybe you’re just sick of making funny jokes every night and having no one around to laugh at them. Either way, you’ve started searching for a roommate. Luckily, you’ve probably found a few potentials.
However, even though you’ll probably ask them the basic questions (do you have pets, are you a smoker, etc.), there are a few additional questions you need to ask before you truly decide to live with this person.
1.) Do you use any drugs? Asking “Are you a smoker?” covers the basics, but it’s leaving out quite a bit of other things. Marijuana is technically a drug, and even if you’re cool with it, if your roommate admits to using it that means they’re going to be keeping some of it in your house. Marijuana is still very illegal in many states, which means if it’s in your house you are also at risk.
2.) Are you okay with my pet? You might be okay with their pet hamster, but will they be okay with your 16 pound cat that has a tendency for ripping lids off of cages? Just as they have to be forthcoming, you have to be forthcoming as well. Otherwise you could have some serious issues on move-in day.
3.) Why did you leave your last residence? This question is essential. Of course you are going to do a background check with every applicant (you are, right?), so this question will not only let the explain themselves if something unsavory were to come up, but it will also prove whether they are honest or not in the first place. And don’t let them get away with a vague, “Oh I don’t know, I just had to leave.” You have every right to know the details. Plus, you need to be aware of badmouthing; this is just like a job interview, and badmouthing previous employers is never a good sign.
4.) What are your other expenses? This might sound nosy, but the question is absolutely necessary. Your rent may be quite low for the area, but if they’re paying thousands of dollars off in student loans and credit card debt, your measly $300 a month might be the one thing they plan on skimping on every month.
5.) How do you like to spend your free time? This should give you an idea of what kind of noise/activity level you’re going to be dealing with. If they say they love to cuddle up with a good book and a cup of tea on their days off, that’s much different than the roommate that says they like to “have a good time” on the weekends.
And don’t forget; for dorm safety items (like pepper spray, safes and personal alarms), check out our store at www.secureoncampus.com, and for dorm decorations (like dorm lighting, fun drinking games, and wall decals) check out our store at www.thegoodlifeoncampus.com!
Help me spread the word!
Reblog for 3 reasons: 1.) You get a new follower, 2.) This is a good deal for anyone who’s planning a wedding, and 3.) Everyone should travel. Help a girl out.
Speaking of final exams…
Introducing our Chemistry Textbook with Hidden Flask. Finals are coming up; you know you need this.
Would you be able to put this to good use in a couple weeks?
Renovation Ideas for Renters
If you’re a renter, it can be tough to be constantly bombarded with unique and interesting home renovation ideas all while thinking to yourself I’m a renter, I can’t renovate. Well we hear you, loud and clear, so we’ve gathered together a few renovation ideas you can do without permanently changing your home. It’s a win-win; you make your place that much better and it’s all reversible by the time you have to move out.
1.) Add free standing storage. Just because you don’t have enough storage doesn’t mean you have to live that way. Get creative with your storage options. There are many places where you can purchase custom designed storage units that are easy to disassemble and take with you when you move out. This will allow you to take advantage of every square inch of space in your current apartment.
2.) Use dividers. Adding dividers to your place will help you create privacy where you need it as well as separate your home into rooms. Many people choose studios and open concept rentals because they come with cheaper rent (no bedrooms) and seem much less cramped. However, after a while people start wishing they had a little more privacy. A divider gives you the feeling of a one bedroom apartment without the cost.
3.) Take advantage of temporary “wallpaper.” Not all landlords are cool with painting or adding wallpaper to your residence, but that doesn’t include wall decals. Nevermind the large, obnoxious look that wall decals used to give, it’s the 21st century! There is an incredible selection of beautiful wall decals for a very affordable price. Whether you’re looking for something clean and sophisticated (like a subtle striped pattern) or something that makes a statement (like a bold colored, ornately detailed option), there are plenty of possibilities to fit what you’re looking for.
4.) Add an area rug. Two of the biggest complaints made my renters are about dingy carpet that the landlord refuses to remove, and people complaining about them and the amount of noise they make. Area rugs help solve both these issues. They cover up nasty carpet that you’d rather just forget about, and they help insulate your apartment from letting out sound to others. That means you can have friends over without having to worry someone calling your landlord over a heated poker game or about the giant stain in the middle of the living room.
5.) Updated hardware. Can’t stand your shower head? Replace it! You can very easily put the old shower head back on when you move out. The same goes for other hardware items, like kitchen and bathroom faucets. If all it takes is a screwdriver and a few minutes to make your life much easier, by all means, go for it!
