DIY Home Project: Attic Room Renovation

So I mentioned that we will be moving to a new neighborhood soon in the beautiful city of Ludwigsburg. We are kind of excited, there are so many things happening all at once. Well, not really many but with the birth of our 2nd child and then moving into a new home almost at the same time is a lot, right?

Anyway, the official move will be in less then two weeks. The house is in order and one can already move in, but there are some renovations that need to be done to make it look better. One that needed the immediate attention is the attic room that is to become our first child's room. It is a large room, with two large roof windows but the wallpaper is yellowed and outdated, and the carpet flooring is so worn out we just had to do replace them before the daughter moves in.

BEFORE: This was how it looked before the house was turned over to us.

So we started off with peeling the wallpaper. It was quite easy since the adhesive has already dried out and we did a mechanical pre-treatment: we rolled the entire wallpapered areas with a spiked roller to loosen the contact between the wall and the wallpaper. When it wouldn't peel off after this, we used a steam wallpaper remover. It was quick and easy and chemical free and we were able to peel off the wallpapers in just a few hours. Then we filled out small holes with putty and smoothened the uneven surfaces with sand paper. To make the new wallpaper adhere better to the walls, we primed the walls first. 

Peeling off the wallpaper was "easy peasy".

Then we went down to the main business of putting on the wallpaper. We had to be careful when pre-cutting the wallpaper on the areas with sloping roof as it could be too short and all. The wallpaper we used is Vlies-Raufaser (wood chip fleece) from Erfurt. After the wallpaper was installed, we painted it over with white wall paint. Since the room's deck is made of wood, painting the walls white would make the room brighter and airier. We are planning to paint the wood deck white later on but that will be another project. :)

The first daughter putting on adhesive on the walls. 

It is her room after all so she has to help. ;)

The carpet floor has a gray color. It was a challenge looking for a good and reasonably priced carpet floor in the hardware shops but luckily, someone recommended a shop that has a good and affordable selection of carpet floorings among others. 

It was a lot of hardwork, most especially for our handyman (I am not yet allowed to carry out heavy work due to my C-section) and I can say he did a really good job considering that he has no prior training to do such work. I still have to make the AFTER photo though. Will update this post once I get down to it. 

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The Emergency Items You Should Always Have on Hand

It's good to be prepared. As our world has seen recently, the unexpected can happen at any time to change life as we know it. While we can't prepare for every event, we can be armed and ready for things like minor medical incidents or power outages, like emergency lighting Rockland County NY. The following are the top things to keep on hand for emergencies.

Weather Radio
According to the Red Cross, one of the top things you should have for emergencies is a hand-crank or solar-powered NOAA weather radio. You can find multi-use radio, some with a flashlight and SOS alarm, on Amazon or at your local retailer.

Flashlight
Don't depend on batteries to last forever. Make sure to get a hand-crank flashlight that will provide light when you need it. With LED bulbs, these retro tools will give a surprising amount of illumination and only require another crank if they start to dim.

Blankets
If you have an emergency during freezing and wet weather, a typical blanket is just going to absorb water and freeze along with everything else. You'll need to get Mylar thermal blankets to reflect body heat not only to keep you dry but to protect you from hypothermia.

First Aid Kit
Of all the preparedness items, this one will probably be the only one that has to be replenished periodically from frequent use. Antiseptic, antibiotic cream, gloves, tape, bandages, OTC pain relievers and medical tools are all staples of a well-stocked first aid kit.

Non-Perishable Food and Water
In the event of an extended power disruption or a natural disaster, you need to be prepared in case you have to shelter in place. Plan for one gallon of water per person per day for a total of two weeks. Good foods to have available are energy bars or meals ready to eat, also known as MREs.

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Reasons to Buy A Horse

Anyone who has ever spent time around a horse knows how wonderful they are. The decision to buy your own horse can be a difficult one. Horses can be very expensive and require a lot of time, attention and money to properly care for. If you are on the fence about whether or not to get a horse for you and your family, below are some reasons why you should consider it. When buying items for your horse, be sure you buy things such as horse show jumps from reputable sellers like the one found at www.olddominionjumps.com.

Keeps You Fit

One great reason to consider buying a horse is that it can help keep you in shape. Anyone who regularly rides a horse can attest that riding can be an excellent physical activity. Aside from riding a horse, the time and energy necessary to care for your horse will keep you physically active as well.

Good For Mental Health

Horses are known to be great stress relievers. Taking a long ride through the woods on your horse can be a great way to forget your worries about work, school and money. Your horse can also make a great friend and therapist. Your horse will listen to anything you have to say without judgment.

Horse Riding Is A Great Social Activity

If you board your horse at a local barn, you will get to meet other horse lovers while there. Your horse can give you a great opportunity to socialize with like-minded individuals. You can make plans to meet up at the barn and ride trails together.

Gain Confidence

Another great benefit of owning a horse is that it can be great for boosting confidence. As you begin to improve your riding skills and bond with your horse, your confidence will get stronger.

A horse can be an expensive investment. However, as you can see, the benefits of owning a horse are vast. The money you spend purchasing and taking care of your horse will be returned tenfold with the love and fun they offer.Reasons To Buy A Horse

Anyone who has ever spent time around a horse knows how wonderful they are. The decision to buy your own horse can be a difficult one. Horses can be very expensive and require a lot of time, attention and money to properly care for. If you are on the fence about whether or not to get a horse for you and your family, below are some reasons why you should consider it. When buying items for your horse, be sure you buy things such as horse show jumps from reputable sellers like the one found at www.olddominionjumps.com.

Keeps You Fit

One great reason to consider buying a horse is that it can help keep you in shape. Anyone who regularly rides a horse can attest that riding can be an excellent physical activity. Aside from riding a horse, the time and energy necessary to care for your horse will keep you physically active as well.

Good For Mental Health

Horses are known to be great stress relievers. Taking a long ride through the woods on your horse can be a great way to forget your worries about work, school and money. Your horse can also make a great friend and therapist. Your horse will listen to anything you have to say without judgment.

Horse Riding Is A Great Social Activity

If you board your horse at a local barn, you will get to meet other horse lovers while there. Your horse can give you a great opportunity to socialize with like-minded individuals. You can make plans to meet up at the barn and ride trails together.

Gain Confidence

Another great benefit of owning a horse is that it can be great for boosting confidence. As you begin to improve your riding skills and bond with your horse, your confidence will get stronger.

A horse can be an expensive investment. However, as you can see, the benefits of owning a horse are vast. The money you spend purchasing and taking care of your horse will be returned tenfold with the love and fun they offer.

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How to Simplify a Move

It has been said that one of the most stressful activities in your life will be a move. There are several ways for you to overcome the stress. By working with moving companies North Jerseymoving companies New Jersey residents are able to enjoy a move considerably more.

Get Help with Packing
You don’t have to do all of the packing on your own. Consider the fact that you need to have everything placed in the boxes by the time moving day arrives. This means emptying cabinets, bookcases, drawers, and everything else in every room of your home. This is an overwhelming prospect.

If you could have professionals come over to pack everything for you, it reduces your stress. You can focus on other aspects of moving without having to worry about setting up boxes, packaging everything properly, and labeling the boxes based on contents.

Work with Professionals
There are a lot of different responsibilities with moving. This includes loading everything onto a truck, driving it to your new home, and then unloading the contents. Working with professional movers will ensure that all of these aspects are taken care of for you. You don’t have to drive a truck and you don’t have to do any heavy lifting. Instead, you can stand by and simply point to where you want everything.

Have Your Vehicles Moved
Especially if you are planning a long-distance move, you may not want to pack your family and any pets into a vehicle and drive hundreds of miles in order to get to your new home. The easier solution may be for you to fly (or even take a train). As for your vehicles, they can be moved by the moving company to save you some added stress.

Moving is as easy or as stressful as you make it out to be. If you want to make it easier, a professional moving company should be called.

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Organize Your Entire Home into Three Simple Categories

Clutter can take over in no time at all. The trick is to clean it up and then stay on top of the stuff that enters your house. De-cluttering can appear to be an overwhelming task, but if you sort your things into three easy to manage categories, tidying up will be quick and painless. The following are the three main categories and what you should place in each one. 

Keep 

This is the pile you will be putting back into your drawer, cupboard, or closet. It should include anything with sentimental value or that you use on a day to day basis. For example, your current clothing, household items, and family photos would go in the keep pile. If you have larger items that you want to keep but don’t have room to store them, you can take advantage of storage units Boston has available such as those at On Demand Storage. 

Donate 

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Clothing you have grown tired of, furniture you just don’t use anymore, and household items that are collecting dust can be put in a donation bin. Once you’re done cleaning, this bin can be taken to your local collection site such as Good Will or the Salvation Army. There are people who will enjoy these items and appreciate finding them at a bargain price.

Trash 

You will be surprised at how much trash you’ve been hanging on to. Throw these items away. Worn out shoes and clothing, broken appliances, and busted furniture are all examples of things that are simply taking up space in your storage areas. Some of your stuff will have you stumped. Think about when you last used it. If it has been over a year, you probably don’t need to keep it. Once you have sorted through all of your belongings and placed them into three distinct piles, you can easily organize every cupboard, drawer, and closet in your home. Keep the systems going by placing a bin in the garage labeled “donation.” Every time a new item comes into the house decide where it goes. Put it away, toss it in the bin, or pitch it before it adds to your in-house clutter.

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