Making the Best Father’s Day for Dad

It’s that time of year again! Time to celebrate dad for all that he does for you and your family. This year, make Father’s Day truly special for your dad by celebrating with him the way he wants to celebrate! If your dad loves spending time with his family, spend the whole day with him! If your dad prefers his peace and quiet, plan some events he can do on his own and then come together for a wonderful meal with the whole family! Most Dad’s do not say what they want for Father’s Day, so think about who your dad is and plan this Father’s Day around him! Here are some tips on how to make this Father’s day the best one yet!

Start the Day Off Right

This year instead of just getting your dad a gift, try spending the day doing what he wants to do! If your Dad usually makes breakfast for the family, start off with making brunch for him. If you are married with young kids, help your kids make breakfast for their Dad. Father’s will appreciate the sentiment, even if you are not a good cook!

Do Something Your Dad Will Love

We all know dad’s are typically the ones to do all the handiwork around the house and yard. This Father’s Day, help your dad out by completing the chores he typically has to do. Get outside and mow the lawn and weed the garden. He will love it! Have him make a list of chores he wants to get done around the house, and you and your family can spend the day trying to complete the list. If yard work really isn’t your thing, hire someone to help complete the list! One year my siblings and I pitched in for someone to come in and do basic clean up of the yard while we spent the day out together. It was the best gift ever! Everyone was happy! To this day my dad still tells us it was one of the best gifts we have gotten him! It frees up time for you to spend with your family. Can’t afford to hire someone? Work with your family to complete the tasks yourself! He will appreciate any help you can give him.

 

If you and your family don’t want to spend the day doing work, which I don’t blame you, do something fun that your dad will love! If your dad is into sports, get him tickets to a baseball game. If he is an outdoorsy person, go on a hike with him or go to the beach for the afternoon! If your dad is a tech nerd, get him the perfect new gadget and then spend the day helping him set it up! Or you can even take him to a tech store to play and buy his favorite find! Our dad loves going fishing, so one year we woke up early and went out to his boat and cleaned it from top to bottom, and then went out as a family. He loved the surprise and we loved the time on the lake together. My point is, think of what your dad/husband loves to do and then plan something your family can do together to make his favorite activity that much more special!

 

Finish Off the Day Together

As the day winds down, try out your dad’s favorite hobby and grill up a meal he will truly love! If you don’t know how to grill, ask your dad for help! He will love to show you and it is a great bonding experience! If your dad really isn’t into grilling, go out to dinner as a family to his favorite restaurant and treat him. Don’t forget to make a special card! If you purchased a typical Father’s Day card, make it unique by writing a personal message to your dad about how much you appreciate him and love him. If store-bought cards are not your thing, a handcrafted card is a wonderful gift that your Father will truly appreciate!

Enjoy this special day with your Dad!

Do More and Spend Less This Summer

Summertime means an increase in activities for you and the whole family! While most people assume that more activities equals more money, the summertime is actually the perfect time to decrease spending. This summer, instead of indulging on expensive trips and activities for you and your family, check out our advice on how to spend less and still get the most out of summer!

Enjoy the Outdoors

Summer is the perfect time to get out and enjoy the outdoors! After this winter’s crazy weather now is the perfect time to enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Go for hikes, hang out on the porch, read a book outside, have a picnic at your local park; the possibilities are pretty much endless! Summer means beach weather! Check your local beaches to see if there is an admittance fee before you go. Some places might have discounts that you and your family can capitalize on!

Capitalize on Free Community Events

Summertime is also peak time for free community events. Keep an eye out in your local paper or check out your local library for upcoming free events. Summertime means plenty of free concerts, plays, lectures, and outdoor movies. If your town seems to be lacking in free activities, check surrounding towns and nearby cities for events that you and your family might enjoy.

Borrow from Your Local Library

While you are checking out your local library for upcoming events, be sure to utilize everything the library has to offer! Libraries are an excellent free resource that often go unnoticed. This summer instead of buying books, movies, or music, borrow them from the library! If you have a particular title in mind and your library does not own it, most libraries can order it for you from a different library or buy it for their own collection. If you are planning a movie night for your kids or you and your friends, your library can be a great resource for all movies. Some libraries even let your borrow technology. Make more movie night even cooler by renting out a projector and doing an outdoor movie night!

Simplify and Streamline

One great way to reduce spending is by adopting the lifestyle of living frugally. Start by decluttering your home and paring back to only the essentials. Gather all the excess stuff throughout your house and throw a tag sale. Summertime is the perfect time to have a tag sale! With everyone out and about, you get a lot more traffic for tag sales during the summer than any other time of the year. If you do not have enough stuff to sell, try gathering your neighbors together and organize a larger tag sale for the whole street!

Make Your Own

Another great way to reduce costs this summer is to try to make and grow your own food. My family and I have a large vegetable garden that provides us with all of our fresh produce for a majority of the year. Even if you cannot grow vegetables on a large scale, a small container garden of herbs and vegetables can really go a long way. If you don’t really have a green thumb, try making your own bread and jams, even if it saves just a few dollars per shopping trip, it is a fun craft to try and hey, you might even make it a new hobby.

Use What You Have and Swap For What You Don’t

When most people try to reduce spending, they aim to go a whole month without buying. While some people possess the discipline to handle such an enormous task, smaller changes to reduce spending overall can help too. Instead of not spending at all this summer, which is pretty much impossible, try implementing the policy of using what you have before buying new. Before your go food shopping, try to make something out what you have in your pantry. Aim to only pick up necessary fresh ingredients. Try to repurpose or reuse older items throughout your house. For example, use an old t-shirt as a cleaning rag or reuse old food containers as flower pots. Once you start using up what you have you will begin to truly appreciate all that you own. If you find yourself needing something that you don’t have, see if you can swap will a neighbor before you run to the store! If you need a tool for a project? Ask your neighbor to borrow theirs! If you have a vegetable garden at your home, talk with a neighbor or friend about trading some of your harvest for their fresh flowers to decorate your home this season. This is an easy way to reduce spending and get to know your neighbors!

Have A Party!

Reducing spending, does not mean you can’t entertain your family and friends! When hosting this summer, instead of providing the entire meal, provide just the main dish and then ask your guests to bring a side dish or drink. This reduces costs for everyone and still allows you to enjoy everyone’s company.

 

If you plan on reducing spending this summer try staying motivated by asking friends and family for advice on how they cut their spending. Check out a book from your local library or read articles on living frugally. Track your spending from week to week and see if you can beat your own record or have a friend do it with you so you can share tips! And don’t forget to start enjoying the simple pleasures in life. Finding a good book, listening to your favorite music, having a bonfire with your family, or even having a friend over for coffee is a great way to enjoy the summer at no cost to you!

Tips for Putting Your Home on The Market

Spring and Summertime are the peak seasons for home sales. While some people simply put their home on the market as is, simple changes to your home can make a huge difference. If you are planning on putting your home on the market or updating your home for a future sale, check out our advice on how to fix up your space to sell your home faster and for the price you want.

Make a List of Repairs

Whether you are planning on putting your home on the market now or in the future it is important to start off the process by making a list of repairs. Walk around the interior and exterior of your home and take note of any repairs that need to be made. When making this list it is important to distinguish the big changes from the little ones. If you are selling your home in the near future you want to start with the small repairs first. Certain repair costs for bigger repairs will not be made up for in the sale so it is better to save those to discuss with a real estate agent. It is important to also be realistic about the time it will take to complete these repairs. You do not want to make a list of repairs a month before your house is supposed to be placed on the market. Make your list in advance and give yourself a month or two to complete all minor repairs. Any major repairs can take longer so take this into consideration before you think about putting your house on the market.

Who to Hire

Some people think they can prepare and put their house on the market all on their own. While this is possible, it is substantially easier to hire pros that can help you through the process. One of the most crucial people to hire is a real estate agent. A real estate agent can guide you through the legal jargon that comes with selling a home and can advise you on any changes or updates that you need to make to your home in order for it to sell. Your real estate agent can determine whether those big changes are even necessary to sell your home. There are plenty of real estate agents out there so make sure to shop around before settling on one.  A real estate agent should have good knowledge of your market and give you a reasonable bid on your house. You do not want a real estate agent that will promise you a price just to get your business. A good real estate agent will not be able to tell you the hard truths when it comes to this housing market. Once you have chosen a real estate agent, they can typically advise you on who to hire going forward. A handyman is usually a good person to consider hiring to fix all the small repairs that you cannot do on your own. If you aren’t sure how to complete a repair be sure to call a professional. If you have any broken light fixtures, outlets, or doorbells, call in an electrician. The week your house goes on the market be sure to look into hiring a cleaning service and landscaper. If you are worried about how everything will look for the open house, consider using a home stager as well. Most home stagers can provide you with stylish furniture pieces that will help your house to show better. Consult your real estate agent before you hire anyone! They might have their own recommendations on the best pros in your area.

Start With the Outside

The exterior is the first thing any potential buyer will see upon arriving. Be sure that the exterior of your home is freshened up before it goes on the market. Consider washing the exterior of your house, especially if it has built of dirt and grime over the years. Next, check the driveway and any pathways for damage. You do not want a pothole or a broken step reducing the value of your home or even costing you a sale. Make sure your front door looks nice for any potential buyers. Clean off your steps and consider adding a potted plant or two to make your entryway more inviting.

Remove Clutter and Organize

Once you have completed the exterior of your home, begin working on the interior. Once your have chosen a real estate agent, they can generally point out changes that need to be made or help to set up your space to show to potential buyers. For example, if your home has a tendency to transfer noise easily, your real estate agent might suggest installing a rug and noise reduction rug pad to reduce foot traffic noise. No buyer wants a house where you can hear a pin drop from another floor so small changes like these are easy to make and will help your house show better. A non-slip rug pad will also help with all the foot traffic throughout your house, and keep your house looking nice throughout open houses. Besides the repairs, it is important to remove clutter from your home. You do not want to show a disorganized home to potential buyers, they will not see the potential in the space, they will just see what you have done with it. Make sure to hide your clutter before you put your house on the market. Keep in mind that people will be opening your closets, so don’t overstuff them. Crowded closets and drawers gives off the impression that your house does not have enough storage. Consider renting a storage unit to store excess furniture and accessories.

Selling your home can be extremely stressful. Instead of stressing yourself out over your home sale, take your time to map out changes that need to be made, hire the right people, and organize your life. By doing so, you will make the entire process substantially easier and potentially make more in the end.

DURA-GRIP In New Color

We are very proud to announce an improved version of our extremely effective DURA-GRIP furniture gripper pad. DURA-GRIP is now available in a tan color that is very compatible with most furniture legs and many floor finishes. Unlike the previous color of light purple, this new tan color compliments more floors, making it even more of an effective furniture pad.

We have been manufacturing and offering DURA-GRIP since 2012 and it has been found to be one of the most effective pads for use under all types of furniture to prevent sliding and movement. It is also a great floor protector pad, preventing common floor scratches and dents from furniture. In its first two years of production, DURA-GRIP was made with a light purple color rubber – while extremely useful, it has been found to distract from floor and furniture finishes that are commonly a shade of brown. Ideally, a DURA-GRIP pad will be the exact size of the furniture leg so that it cannot be seen. This is not always possible, so when it does protrude beyond the furniture leg, the purple color can be seen against the furniture and floor. In its new tan color, DURA-GRIP can now be slightly bigger than the furniture and not cause any significant clash between it and the floor or furniture.

“We asked hundreds of customers to choose between various potential colors for our DURA-GRIP pad in order for us to decide on a color”, states Luis of Rug Pad Corner. ‘The majority of customers admitted that while the purple pad performed beyond expectations, it was not the ideal color – Most customers chose the tan color.” Since many consumers today are changing their floors to hardwood, most of these floors are very compatible with any shade of brown or tan. For this reason, the new DURA-GRIP tan gripper pad seems like a natural fit. And since brown is a traditional furniture color, DURA-GRIP now blends with more types of furniture. The result of our new tan colored DURA-GRIP pad means more flexibility with more furniture and floor uses.

DURA-GRIP is made in our warehouse in Connecticut and it is a result of a dense fiber center between two layers of natural textured rubber. Unlike any other furniture gripper pad, DURA-GRIP works without being taped or attached to the furniture – so there is no mess or sticky residue to furniture or floor. The textured rubber naturally adheres to and holds all furniture and to all floors. Since there are no adhesives added to the rubber, the pad is safe for all floor surfaces. We make it in a variety of sizes in both round and square shapes, making it available for all furniture sizes. DURA-GRIP successfully stops all furniture from moving and sliding, to include sectionals, chairs, sofas, recliners, beds, tables and any furniture that is meant to stay in place.

Shop our DURA-GRIP furniture gripper pads now.