The Moving Purge

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There’s nothing like moving to make you realize just how many possessions you have. Though packing up and relocating is a great time to go through your home and reevaluate if you really need that coconut monkey that your great-aunt brought you back from Hawaii, many movers have a tough time parting with their trinkets.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when facing the idea of trying to separate your possessions, but there’s no need to get stressed. Apartmentguide.com has some great ideas concerning the best way to evaluate what you really need, and want, to keep with you during your move. Keep reading for a quick guide to get you started on your moving purge.

Stuff: it’s how you identify with home

There’s a rather complex psychological reason why we go through life collecting possessions and then arranging them carefully in our homes. As Julie Beck describes inThe Atlantic, the objects we collect and display are powerful symbols of who we are and where we’ve been in our lives.

That collection of seashells you cherish? They’re not just decor; they’re memories from the wonderful family vacation you took to the Oregon Coast. The miniature Empire State Building that’s sitting on your mantle? It’s a reminder of the early years of your professional life that you spent trying to “make it” in New York City.

According to Beck, Western culture values moving around a lot. We perceive from a young age that we’re always supposed to be striving to move to a newer, better and bigger home. And as a result, we may not form a deep attachment to our actual homes, but we do become attached to the objects we carry with us as we “trade up.”

What do we do when all of this baggage makes moving seem daunting? Understanding our personal attachments with possessions may well be the key.

Move with respect for your memories

Given that the objects we possess mean so much to us, it’s not hard to see why the process of packing up and moving can be psychologically difficult for so many people.

Only you can determine the time you’ll need to prepare yourself for the transition. These tips, however, might help you break down the moving process into segments so it doesn’t seem quite so hard. Every journey — even moving — begins with a first step.

1. Start now. The minute you know you’re moving, do something to kick off your move — anything as long as you take that one first step. Whether it’s calling around to get moving quotes or decluttering your apartment, you’ve got to make yourself start the process sooner, rather than later, so you don’t leave everything for the last minute. This will also aid the emotional process of moving.
   
2. Gently “edit” yourself. A move gives you the chance to determine which of your things are truly most meaningful. Don’t move the stuff you don’t need! Give yourself plenty of time to toss broken and old items, and donate usable items to charity before you move. You’ll feel good that you’ve cleared the clutter and helped others in the process.
   
3. Get the right moving supplies. You’ll feel prepared if you’ve got all the tools you need to pack your valuables for safe passage. Before you start, make sure you have everything you need: boxes, tape, labels, bubble wrap and any special protective materials for electronics, antiques and breakables.

When you choose to live in a place, you both alter that place with your presence and are altered, as well. The special things you bring with you when you move help keep your past home living experiences alive.

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Don't Let Your Pumpkin Turn Into Squash

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Halloween is almost here and that means it’s time to begin decorating! Whether you celebrate the holiday by hosting a party with friends or have decided to simply hand out candy to trick-or-treaters this year, there is no simpler way to make your apartment look festive than by carving a pumpkin. Unfortunately though, regardless of the design you choose, and where you decide to place your pumpkin, eventually the shape of your artwork will begin to deteriorate.

Though a decomposing pumpkin is an inevitability, there are a multitude of ways to keep your carved pumpkins from looking too scary too quickly. This article from botanicalinterests.com offers some great ideas to keep your jack-o-lanterns looking fresh after they’ve been sitting out for a few days. Keep reading to find out what they have to say:

Carved pumpkins look their best one to two days after carving, and rarely look good after seven days. So if you want your carved pumpkins to stay fresh until Halloween night, don't carve them until at least October 24th.

Before carving, wash your hands well with warm soap and water or a disinfecting hand sanitizer, and make sure your carving tools are clean to avoid transferring bacteria to the pumpkin. You may also want to wipe the outside of the pumpkin down with bleach before making the first cut.

Once carved, you can keep your pumpkin perky for up to a week by wiping the inside and cut areas with bleach, spraying with a household cleaning spray that includes bleach, or spraying with one of the pumpkin sprays available in craft or party stores. Then give those areas a thin coating of petroleum jelly.

Carved pumpkins decline the fastest in warm weather. Keep them out of direct sunlight and move them into a garage, cool basement, or a refrigerator when temperatures exceed 70°F. If your climate is humid or it is rainy, you should dry off and refrigerate your carved pumpkins at night. Freezing temperatures also speed decay, so move them to a protected location when temperatures outside are below freezing.

If a pumpkin starts to shrivel or gets a little mold prematurely, you can soak it for a couple of hours in a bucket of water to revive it, and add 2 teaspoons of bleach for every gallon of water, for disinfecting purposes.

If you are lighting up a pumpkin for more than one night, use a battery-operated candle or small flashlight inside instead of a candle. This will prevent soot and heat damage that could shorten the pumpkin's lifespan.

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The Best Movies To Have On At Your Next Party

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When entertaining a large group at your house, it always a good idea to have a common activity for everyone to do. Rather than reach for the board games to try to engage your guests, often it’s nice to have a suggested activity that they can choose to participate in, or to leave in lieu of conversations with other guests. Playing a movie is the perfect way to ensure that all of your guests are entertained without forcing anyone into an awkward situation

It can be difficult to pick a movie that everyone at your gathering will enjoy. Because everyone has different tastes and favorite genres of film that they’re interested in, they may not all like the same movies. This article from apartmenttherapy.com offers a few great suggestions that everyone at your party is sure to enjoy. Keep reading to find out what they had to say:

The Wall (1982)

Synopsis: A troubled rock star descends into madness in the midst of his physical and social isolation from everyone.

Why it's great: The soundtrack, obviously. Based on Pink Floyd's 1979 album of the same name, the film features very little dialogue and is mainly driven by the music.

Airplane! (1980)

Synopsis: An airplane crew takes ill. Surely the only person capable of landing the plane is an ex-pilot afraid to fly. But don't call him Shirley.

Why it's great: A hilarious classic and everyone knows it. As a parody of more serious disaster films, Airplane! moves quickly through slapstick comedy and absurd one-liners that even first-time watchers have heard.

Fight Club (1999)

Synopsis: An insomniac office worker looking for a way to change his life crosses paths with a devil-may-care soap maker and they form an underground fight club that evolves into something much, much more.

Why it's great: It's visually stunning, and thoughtfully so. The narrator's scenes without Tyler Durden are bland, while scenes with Tyler are almost unpleasantly vivid.

A Hard Day's Night (1964)

Synopsis: A 'typical' day in the life of the Beatles, including many of their famous songs.

Why it's great: The Beatles. Need I say more? Filmed at the height of Beatlemania, this black-and-white film combines cheeky British humor with The Beatles' music to create a "comic Fantasia."

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966)

Synopsis: A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery.

Why it's great: The classic western of all westerns. This Italian Spaghetti Western features sweeping western landscapes, Civil War battle scenes, and one of film's most famous scores.

Moulin Rouge (2001)

Synopsis: A poet falls for a beautiful courtesan whom a jealous duke covets in this stylish musical, with music drawn from familiar 20th century sources.

Why it's great: The cover songs. The best of modern pop music is drawn back and restyled for a 19th century Parisian nightclub.

Animal House (1978)

Synopsis: Time: 1962. Place: college. Dean Vernon Wormer is determined to expel the entire Delta Tau Chi fraternity, but those troublemakers have other plans for him.

Why it's great: The laughs and party atmosphere. Spun off from National Lampoon magazine, it's one of the best comedies ever made and easy for anyone to follow.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Synopsis: A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school, despite of what the principal thinks of that.

Why it's great: The sights. It's like taking a tour of Chicago—viewing Seurat at The Art Institute of Chicago, scoping out the observation deck of the Sears Tower, catching a ball at Wrigley Field—all from your living room.

Blade Runner (1982)

Synopsis: Deckard, a blade runner, has to track down and terminate 4 replicants who hijacked a ship in space and have returned to Earth seeking their maker.

Why it's great: The dystopian science fiction scenes, even though the film is set in not-so-far-away 2019 in Los Angeles.

Across the Universe (2007)

Synopsis: The music of the Beatles and the Vietnam War form the backdrop for the romance between an upper-class American girl and a poor Liverpudlian artist.

Why it's great: It's kind of like a really great, 2-hour-long music video. Covers of The Beatles' best songs are set against stunning imagery.

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Rearrange Your Furniture To Live Greener

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Cooler weather during the winter months can have an adverse effect on your energy bill. Before you reach to crank up the thermostat there are a various techniques you employ to keep yourself warmer during the winter without relying on your heater.

By being conscious of the drafty areas of your house and where your heaters are located, you can strategize your way into a lower heating bill this fall and winter. This article from apartmentguide.com will walk you through some of the more unusual steps you can take to lower your energy bill and decrease your enviornmental footprint. Keep reading to learn more:

Do the Electric Slide

No, we’re not talking about the world-famous dance move. We’re talking about the energy you can save by keeping the heat generated by electric appliances inside your home. Much of the heat that is produced by computers, televisions, stereos and lamps can be lost to the outside if these appliances are placed next to a window or an exterior wall. So make the best use of that extra heat by hanging your LCD TV on an interior wall away from a window and make sure to move your computer, stereo and lamps away from exterior walls to conserve energy.

Last Draft

You may think it’s a good idea to place chairs, sofas and loveseats next to windows and doors to take advantage of the view, but this plan can backfire during the winter, as guests sitting next to a window will likely feel a cold draft. This means that you may turn the thermostat up higher than necessary to overcompensate for those cold spots, when the rest of the apartment is heated to a comfortable temperature. So arrange seating away from windows and doors during the winter to stay warmer while avoiding turning the thermostat up.

Clear Up Ducts and Vents

Be mindful of where you place a couch, bed, chair or other large furniture and make sure it’s not over a heating vent. The furniture will absorb some of the heat while slowing the flow of heat to the room or blocking it completely, making the heater work harder to compensate for the lost heat, a mistake you’ll pay for on your power bill. Even a misplaced rug can cause the heater to run sluggishly. The same applies for return air ducts, which are often located high up on a wall. Make sure not to cover up the return air duct with a bookcase or a painting.

Shut Up

While the health and well-being benefits of natural light and solar heat can’t be disputed, it’s actually better to keep blinds drawn and curtains shut on cold, dreary winter days. Doing so will help keep some of the heat inside your apartment, meaning you’ll have to run the heater less.

Double Duty Décor

You’d be surprised which household items have insulation value, however minimal. Hanging a large quilt or tapestry on your wall can help save energy, especially if it is on an exterior wall. Tall bookcases filled with books or magazines, if placed against an outside wall, can keep heat inside your home while preventing the cold from creeping in. Even large picture frames can slow the transmission of heat through exterior walls, so beef up your décor sense during the winter and you’ll see dramatic energy savings.

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How To De-Clutter Your Closet For Fall (Or Anytime)

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Throughout the year our closets find ways to fill up. We find new clothes and shoes that we have to have, we have older pieces that we can’t seem to let go and we use our closets as a catch-all for things we can’t seem to fit anywhere else. After awhile all these items pile up and create a mess that it’s impossible to sift through.

No matter how full your closet has gotten over the last few months, cleaning it out doesn’t have to be a nightmare. This article from storagefront.com walks us through some simple tips to clean out the items you don’t want and to keep everything else organized. Keep reading to learn some of these simple tricks:

Before you do anything: set aside seasonal pieces

A few years ago, I committed to purge my closet of half of my clothes. It was May. Naturally, it was much easier for me to part with coats, boots, sweaters, and scarves than with typical summer wear. I was immensely proud of myself – for about four months.

There are certain articles of clothing and pairs of shoes that are definitely seasonal, even if you enjoy the occasional light cardigan in the summer. Before you can consider selling, donating, or gifting your unwanted apparel, set aside anything that weather wouldn’t want you wearing for the next several months.

Where can you put seasonal items when you don’t have a basement or garage? One option is to box them up and set them somewhere in the closet, all while making sure your method is tidy. Another possibility is to store them in a climate-controlled storage unit. A 5x5 space is often compared to a walk-in closet, and you can easily search for nearby, affordable units. Whatever you decide to do, keep the clothes safely tucked away for a few months until you can revisit them with better judgment.

Recruit a buddy
How many times have you decided to get organized, only to find yourself suddenly labeling everything as having sentimental value? After you’ve safely stored your out-of-season clothes, bring a friend over while you clean out your closet.

Even if you and your friend don’t wear the exact same size, chances are that she could fit into plenty of your tops and maybe even some shoes. Whip up your friend’s favorite lunch, pop in a movie, and make an afternoon of your project.

The trick here is to get your friend on board with your goals. Let her know how many things you’re looking to get rid of or what standard you’ll be using to decide each item’s fate. She can help you out by keeping you accountable to your goals. What’s in it for her? She gets to keep anything she likes from your “sell/donate/gift” piles.

Use the “six month” box
Peter Walsh of Extreme Clutter suggests a nifty hanger trick to help you realize which of your clothes do nothing more than collect dust. My “six month” box follows a similar premise, but provides an immediate pay-off of a more spacious closet. Consider which one you like better – or come up with an experiment of your own!

This box (or, more ideally, plastic storage bin) is different from your out-of-season box. It’s the designated spot for clothes that you’re on the fence about. While your friend helps you decide which clothes you don’t want to keep, you’ll run into pieces that you just don’t want to part with. You may be telling yourself that you’ll fit back into that skinny pair of jeans someday, or that you’ll love that top once you sew the button back on. Whatever your hesitation may be, set the item aside in your six month box.

What follows is simple. Say that you’re getting ready one day and you can’t find that floral ¾-sleeve top that you’re suddenly in the mood to wear. Go grab it from your six month box. After you’ve worn it and washed it, put the top back in your closet as normal. Follow this process for six months; if something comes out of the box, it can stay out of the box. At the end of six months, you’ll see which clothes you didn’t think about, chose not to wear, or simply forgot about when out of sight.

In my experience, I’ve never felt remorse for anything left in that box after several months. Periodically I’ll grab something from it, see something else I like, but never come back to actually wear it. When I come back to that box after six months, I’m always more than ready and willing to part with what’s in it.

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Making Your Furniture Work In A New Space

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Moving from home to home can be a challenge. Boxing up all your possessions and moving them from one place of residence to another is a hassle-no one wants to pack up everything just to unpack it all again somewhere else. And moving your furniture can create obstacles all its own. As if being big, bulky and hard to move weren't enough, it can be a headache trying to make your furniture work in a new room. Often times, many frustrated movers choose to scrap many pieces of their old furniture and start from the beginning. Though this option may be appealing, it can be a costly decision to make.

It is important to remember when moving that every space is different and just because your old furniture worked in your former residence, doesn't mean that it will work in your new one. There’s no need to worry, though, this article from apartmenttherapy.com offers some practical solutions to solve your furniture woes. Read on for a few tips to make your old couch fit in your new space.

1. Alter It.

Furniture that looks and feels wrong in a space can often be made to look and feel right, or at least a lot closer to it. Painting and re-upholstery are just the tip of the iceberg here; consider carpentry and creative solutions to change the actual size, structure and use of your pieces.

A too-small dining table can have a new, lower base added and become a grand coffee table. The top of an old table can be put on new legs or vice versa. Bookcases can have doors added or doors removed, or be placed on their side to become sideboards. Even upholstered items can be changed; consider removing the back of a too-structured sofa to create a chaise, or removing the arms of a chair so that it will fit in a smaller space.

2. Mix It Up.

Often we see our furniture in room sets, simply because that's how we've always used it. The sofa belongs in the living room, that armoire in the bedroom, those chairs in the hallway. Removing your blinders and mixing it up can go a long way to making your things look at home, but in a fresh way.

So maybe your chest of drawers doesn't fit in the new bedroom — could it work in the dining room to store plates and accessories? How about the old TV cabinet — maybe it could be a linen closet in the upstairs hall. Use some still-beautiful-but-superfluous dining chairs as bedside tables in the spare bedroom, or mount the old full-length mirror horizontally in the front hall.

3. Upgrade the Important Stuff.

Sure, you might be attached to your old furniture, but those sore-thumb pieces are always going to bother you, especially if they're big, conspicuous items. Sometimes it's best to say goodbye to a few key pieces and replace as necessary.

If you upgrade where it counts — say, a new sofa or dining table, some lighting — you'll probably find that other items bother you less, and might even start to look at home next to their new neighbors. The key is to overhaul slowly, one piece at a time; that way you won't go overboard and can monitor the evolution of your new home.

Do you move often? Have you struggled with the old-into-new issue? How have you made old furniture work in a new way?

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7 Gadgets That Belong In Your Kitchen

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Love it or hate it, cooking is an instrumental part of daily life around the home and in an apartment. Whether making dinner for yourself or preparing lunch for a get-together, your kitchen utensils can make or break your cooking abilities and your dining options.

A lot of us keep our kitchen utensils to a bare minimum: pots and pans, some glasses and plates, a decent set of silverware, and some butcher knives. Sometimes, though, just having the bare minimum number of utensils and gadgets can limit your cooking options. So, if you're looking to update your kitchen's gadgets and tools, this blog post is for you! Keep reading to check out renters.apartments.com's article about the best gadgets and tools to have in your kitchen:

Zesters/Graters

A good zester and grater is essential for anyone who wants to make their favorite from scratch recipes, or top things off with some freshly grated cheese. Recipes that call for lemon or lime zest usually ask for a few teaspoons or tablespoons at the most, and finding “zest” in a grocery store can be difficult and overpriced. Shredded cheese is easy enough to find, but you might not want all your cheese shredded or you may want a bit of freshly grated parmesan on top of your favorite Italian dish or salad. Graters can also grate chocolate that makes a perfect topper from your homemade pie, specialty drink, or even an ice cream sundae.

Garlic Press

Fresh garlic shows up in almost as many recipes as regular salt. It’s delicious and good for you, but it can be hard to handle. If you have a garlic press, it’s much easier. Trying to mice garlic with a knife can be cumbersome, and you can wind up with larger chunks of garlic in your recipes. With a garlic press you tuck your garlic clove inside and press. Out comes minced garlic you can scoop into your recipe and the rinse the garlic press clean.

Salad Spinner

With a busy life, having a good salad with your meal can seem like a chore. This leads many people to buy prebagged salads and pay about twice as much or more than putting their ingredients in a salad spinner in order to get the same or better salads.

Manual Chopper

You might have a larger electric food processor, but when you just want to chop a few nuts or even crush crackers taking out a big appliance can be cumbersome. Using a knife and cutting board often won’t give you the finely chopped texture you may want. With a manual chopper your food is contained in a small bowl while you chop.

Apple Corer

Apples are one of the most celebrated health foods, but it can be messy to eat them with the core in tact. You can also wind up missing some of your delicious apple. If you have kids, you have to worry about seeds and the choking hazard they bring. Cutting up an apple with a knife can lead to waste. An apple corer makes things simpler. Simply press the corer over the middle of the apple an get those perfect slices everyone loves.

Can Opener
More and more canned food have pop tops, but they are not yet universal. It’s a good thing there are a wide variety of can openers. The latest designs are easy to grip and some are designed to lift the whole can top off, rather than cutting into the can and leaving sharp edges. Many people are particular about their can opener, so be sure to hold a few different kinds in your hand and see which feels right to you.

Potato Masher
A potato masher may not seem fancy enough to be included among the best kitchen gadgets, but it is a very handy tool. To many people “mashed” potatoes are really whipped potatoes and once you give up the potato texture something is lost. With a potato masher, you get a mostly smooth texture while getting the occasional little piece of potatoes for the homemade feel. Potato mashers can also efficiently mash other soft foods, such as ripe bananas for banana bread, hard boiled eggs for egg salad, or avocados for fresh guacamole.

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