Sep
8
Four toys worth having kids for.
Filed Under bookcases | Comments Off
Paul Banas asked:
So, okay, be honest… when you were little you imagined that one day you would grow up and no one would be always telling you what not to do. You would go to an amusement park all day, you would stay in the pool an extra hour, you would stay at the ball game until the end of the 9th, rather than leaving in the 8th to avoid the crowds. Some day, you would have a big slot car set and a train that ran from room to room, a remote powered boat for the pond, and maybe even a personal helicopter. And then adulthood crept in and for most of us found new people to “suggest” to us that we didn’t really want these things anymore.
But now we have kids! And isn’t that one of the reasons, we had them - so we could get back to all those things we’ve been putting off for all these years? I’m not talking about some sad “glory days” kind of living through them, but refinding the joy of life a kid has. For most of us, there is no fear that we’re going to revert back to some Peter Pan state of denial of adulthood, we mostly just want to re-experience the joy of some of those things we haven’t done or thought of in twenty years.
So, here’s a list of toddler toys, all of which are within your adult grasp:
Pinball machine - They aren’t as expensive as you might think (some are around $1000) and if in good shape, are virtually indestructible and the solid state ones are even easily repairable. For that reason and as a pinball purist, I recommend machines from the ’70s and not the later digital varieties. Multiple player games are better for families and kids. If you live in Northern California, my favorite place is Pinball Revival. Ron and Jim are great guys, the prices are reasonable, and they have a no-questions, 60 day in-home guarantee that renews with each visit. I kept the quarter slot operational so I have some control over how much the machine gets played. All the kids love it and I also get a chance to play from time to time. Slot car set - it’s amazing how even a small set like the battery operated one I bought my three year-old daughter, can get the juices going. Rev up your engines and let it rip, just be careful around those turns. Remote controlled balloon - this is an amazing thing. If you have 9 foot or higher ceiling, you can pilot your balloon all around the house. And, because it’s a balloon and not a plane, the chances of blinding your pet dog or tipping over a priceless vase are zero. Now you’ll just need to paint Goodyear on the side and you’re in business. Trains - Train dreams can come true. If you dreamt of one day having a room or house where trains run freely through the walls and bookcases, you now can live out the fantasy. All it takes is money, space, and the wife that almost none of us have. However, there are smaller sets of trains that are great fun. Scoff at the littlewooden trains from Brio, Imaginarium, and Thomas. While my two year-old has about a hundred word vocabulary, we’ve spent some good hours on the floor putting tracks together and making as long a setup as we can given his finite set of wooden pieces. The key here is to add a Thomas battery powered train. Then you can watch the train move around the track and switches you’ve put together. CAVEAT: there is a dissenting point of view that says you should wait until your child has a fair opportunity to enjoy pushing the trains around by himself before adding the powered element, but I’ll leave that up to your best judgment. These train sets are pretty boring without power. On the other hand, my daughter thought watching a train going around on its own steam was pretty boring. When your kid leaves you alone in a room to play with their toddler toys, it’s time to move on.
Modern Lighting Choices
So, okay, be honest… when you were little you imagined that one day you would grow up and no one would be always telling you what not to do. You would go to an amusement park all day, you would stay in the pool an extra hour, you would stay at the ball game until the end of the 9th, rather than leaving in the 8th to avoid the crowds. Some day, you would have a big slot car set and a train that ran from room to room, a remote powered boat for the pond, and maybe even a personal helicopter. And then adulthood crept in and for most of us found new people to “suggest” to us that we didn’t really want these things anymore.
But now we have kids! And isn’t that one of the reasons, we had them - so we could get back to all those things we’ve been putting off for all these years? I’m not talking about some sad “glory days” kind of living through them, but refinding the joy of life a kid has. For most of us, there is no fear that we’re going to revert back to some Peter Pan state of denial of adulthood, we mostly just want to re-experience the joy of some of those things we haven’t done or thought of in twenty years.
So, here’s a list of toddler toys, all of which are within your adult grasp:
Pinball machine - They aren’t as expensive as you might think (some are around $1000) and if in good shape, are virtually indestructible and the solid state ones are even easily repairable. For that reason and as a pinball purist, I recommend machines from the ’70s and not the later digital varieties. Multiple player games are better for families and kids. If you live in Northern California, my favorite place is Pinball Revival. Ron and Jim are great guys, the prices are reasonable, and they have a no-questions, 60 day in-home guarantee that renews with each visit. I kept the quarter slot operational so I have some control over how much the machine gets played. All the kids love it and I also get a chance to play from time to time. Slot car set - it’s amazing how even a small set like the battery operated one I bought my three year-old daughter, can get the juices going. Rev up your engines and let it rip, just be careful around those turns. Remote controlled balloon - this is an amazing thing. If you have 9 foot or higher ceiling, you can pilot your balloon all around the house. And, because it’s a balloon and not a plane, the chances of blinding your pet dog or tipping over a priceless vase are zero. Now you’ll just need to paint Goodyear on the side and you’re in business. Trains - Train dreams can come true. If you dreamt of one day having a room or house where trains run freely through the walls and bookcases, you now can live out the fantasy. All it takes is money, space, and the wife that almost none of us have. However, there are smaller sets of trains that are great fun. Scoff at the littlewooden trains from Brio, Imaginarium, and Thomas. While my two year-old has about a hundred word vocabulary, we’ve spent some good hours on the floor putting tracks together and making as long a setup as we can given his finite set of wooden pieces. The key here is to add a Thomas battery powered train. Then you can watch the train move around the track and switches you’ve put together. CAVEAT: there is a dissenting point of view that says you should wait until your child has a fair opportunity to enjoy pushing the trains around by himself before adding the powered element, but I’ll leave that up to your best judgment. These train sets are pretty boring without power. On the other hand, my daughter thought watching a train going around on its own steam was pretty boring. When your kid leaves you alone in a room to play with their toddler toys, it’s time to move on.
Modern Lighting Choices
Sep
5
Prepare Your House for Sale
Filed Under bookcases | Comments Off
ram asked:
1. Disassociate Yourself With Your Home.
* Say to yourself, “This is not my home; it is a house — a product to be sold
much like a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf.
* Make the mental decision to “let go” of your emotions and focus on the fact
that soon this house will no longer be yours.
* Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance
warranties to the new owners!
* Say goodbye to every room.
* Don’t look backwards — look toward the future.
2. De-Personalize.
Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can’t see past
personal artifacts, and you don’t want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine
their own photos on the walls, and they can’t do that if yours are there! You don’t want to
make any buyer ask, “I wonder what kind of people live in this home?” You want buyers to
say, “I can see myself living here.”
3. De-Clutter!
People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven’t used it in
over a year, you probably don’t need it.
* If you don’t need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
* Remove all books from bookcases.
* Pack up those knickknacks.
* Clean off everything on kitchen counters.
* Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet
when not in use.
* Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need
to do anyway.
4. Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets.
Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it
sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything
organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This
means:
* Alphabetize spice jars.
* Neatly stack dishes.
* Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.
* Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
* Line up shoes.
5. Rent a Storage Unit.
Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that
block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now
empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear
larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty
of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, “What is
this room used for?”
6. Remove/Replace Favorite Items.
If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you,
remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great
grandmother, take it down. If a buyer never sees it, she won’t want it. Once you tell a
buyer she can’t have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those
items and replace them, if necessary.
7. Make Minor Repairs.
* Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
* Patch holes in walls.
* Fix leaky faucets.
* Fix doors that don’t close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
* Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown
accustomed to purple or pink walls.
(Don’t give buyers any reason to remember your home as “the house with the
orange bathroom.”)
* Replace burned-out light bulbs.
* If you’ve considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!
8. Make the House Sparkle!
* Wash windows inside and out.
* Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
* Clean out cobwebs.
* Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
* Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
* Clean out the refrigerator.
* Vacuum daily.
* Wax floors.
* Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
* Bleach dingy grout.
* Replace worn rugs.
* Hang up fresh towels.
* Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon and bows.
* Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.
9. Scrutinize.
* Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside?
Does the house welcome you?
* Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look
to a buyer.
* Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it
makes sense.
* Make sure window coverings hang level.
* Tune in to the room’s statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and
pizzazz?
* Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You’re almost finished.
10. Check Curb Appeal.
If a buyer won’t get out of her agent’s car because she doesn’t like the exterior of
your home, you’ll never get her inside.
* Keep the sidewalks cleared.
* Mow the lawn.
* Paint faded window trim.
* Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying
emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive.
* Trim your bushes.
* Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.
Kitchen Cookware Sets
1. Disassociate Yourself With Your Home.
* Say to yourself, “This is not my home; it is a house — a product to be sold
much like a box of cereal on the grocery store shelf.
* Make the mental decision to “let go” of your emotions and focus on the fact
that soon this house will no longer be yours.
* Picture yourself handing over the keys and envelopes containing appliance
warranties to the new owners!
* Say goodbye to every room.
* Don’t look backwards — look toward the future.
2. De-Personalize.
Pack up those personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers can’t see past
personal artifacts, and you don’t want them to be distracted. You want buyers to imagine
their own photos on the walls, and they can’t do that if yours are there! You don’t want to
make any buyer ask, “I wonder what kind of people live in this home?” You want buyers to
say, “I can see myself living here.”
3. De-Clutter!
People collect an amazing quantity of junk. Consider this: if you haven’t used it in
over a year, you probably don’t need it.
* If you don’t need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
* Remove all books from bookcases.
* Pack up those knickknacks.
* Clean off everything on kitchen counters.
* Put essential items used daily in a small box that can be stored in a closet
when not in use.
* Think of this process as a head-start on the packing you will eventually need
to do anyway.
4. Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets.
Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. Think of the message it
sends if items fall out! Now imagine what a buyer believes about you if she sees everything
organized. It says you probably take good care of the rest of the house as well. This
means:
* Alphabetize spice jars.
* Neatly stack dishes.
* Turn coffee cup handles facing the same way.
* Hang shirts together, buttoned and facing the same direction.
* Line up shoes.
5. Rent a Storage Unit.
Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that
block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now
empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear
larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty
of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, “What is
this room used for?”
6. Remove/Replace Favorite Items.
If you want to take window coverings, built-in appliances or fixtures with you,
remove them now. If the chandelier in the dining room once belonged to your great
grandmother, take it down. If a buyer never sees it, she won’t want it. Once you tell a
buyer she can’t have an item, she will covet it, and it could blow your deal. Pack those
items and replace them, if necessary.
7. Make Minor Repairs.
* Replace cracked floor or counter tiles.
* Patch holes in walls.
* Fix leaky faucets.
* Fix doors that don’t close properly and kitchen drawers that jam.
* Consider painting your walls neutral colors, especially if you have grown
accustomed to purple or pink walls.
(Don’t give buyers any reason to remember your home as “the house with the
orange bathroom.”)
* Replace burned-out light bulbs.
* If you’ve considered replacing a worn bedspread, do so now!
8. Make the House Sparkle!
* Wash windows inside and out.
* Rent a pressure washer and spray down sidewalks and exterior.
* Clean out cobwebs.
* Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks.
* Polish chrome faucets and mirrors.
* Clean out the refrigerator.
* Vacuum daily.
* Wax floors.
* Dust furniture, ceiling fan blades and light fixtures.
* Bleach dingy grout.
* Replace worn rugs.
* Hang up fresh towels.
* Bathroom towels look great fastened with ribbon and bows.
* Clean and air out any musty smelling areas. Odors are a no-no.
9. Scrutinize.
* Go outside and open your front door. Stand there. Do you want to go inside?
Does the house welcome you?
* Linger in the doorway of every single room and imagine how your house will look
to a buyer.
* Examine carefully how furniture is arranged and move pieces around until it
makes sense.
* Make sure window coverings hang level.
* Tune in to the room’s statement and its emotional pull. Does it have impact and
pizzazz?
* Does it look like nobody lives in this house? You’re almost finished.
10. Check Curb Appeal.
If a buyer won’t get out of her agent’s car because she doesn’t like the exterior of
your home, you’ll never get her inside.
* Keep the sidewalks cleared.
* Mow the lawn.
* Paint faded window trim.
* Plant yellow flowers or group flower pots together. Yellow evokes a buying
emotion. Marigolds are inexpensive.
* Trim your bushes.
* Make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.
Kitchen Cookware Sets
