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5 Ways to Make Your Home More ‘Green’ and Save Money

March 8, 2018 by Samantha Leave a Comment

The crazy weather and horrid hurricanes and storms plaguing the entire planet are more than enough proof of the climate change. Scientists have yet to determine whether we are past the point of no return. However, one thing is perfectly clear now and it’s that reducing the carbon footprint of your home is essential. It’s the contribution everyone can make into the fight for preserving our planet’s health. It’s also a wise way of saving a bit of money, as making your house more energy-efficient will cut down your bills. To make your home more ‘green’ you’ll need to replace some appliances with a solar installation companies and do some minor but effective changes to the décor.

5 Steps to an Energy-Efficient Home Everyone Can Afford

Forget about your clothes dryer

There are energy-efficient variations of all important house appliances. You can check the Energy Star website to choose the best devices for your home. You’ll be able to find clothes driers there. However, the truth is that this particular appliance is never worth the energy it uses. Regardless of how little of it the device consumes.

A washing machine with a high RPM (rotation per minute) rate can ensure your clothes come out nearly dry. Therefore, unless you are living in a place where air-drying is a complete impossibility, using a dryer is always a waste of money as well as a major addition to the carbon footprint of your home. Note that it’s also not good for the majority of fabrics.

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Filed Under: environment, home Tagged With: check in, for the home, go green, money

Qualities to Look for in the Best electrician

February 20, 2018 by Samantha Leave a Comment

There is a lot to think about when you need to hire an electrician. You need to think about your budget, the work that needs done, whether you need to the work done now or whether you want to wait, and so on. Added to this is the extra burden that not everybody who labels themselves as an electrician is qualified to do so, which can leave you in a worse position than you started out from. These people take the money and word-of-mouth recommendations which should by rights go to an actual electrician.

Certification

A qualified electrician will be able to show his certification if you ask for it. Aside from being able to ask him or her to specifically show you certificates which say that they are proficient in the skills you need, they are usually legally required to show such certification on their websites or promotional material. The certificates show that governing bodies have seen fit to say that the person you have engaged for your electricity work is actually capable of the job.

Price

The old adage that you get what you pay for is still very true when it comes to industries that involve electricians. If someone is asking an amount of money in payment for their work which seems too good to be true, assume that it is. Prices vary within the electricians – this is why you should get quotes from at least three different people before making a decision on what to do – but in general the prices should be reasonable for the work you actually need done. This can mean that it is a bit higher than you might otherwise have thought.
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Filed Under: home Tagged With: check in, for the home, home

Decorating Your Outdoors for the Holidays

December 4, 2017 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Getting ready for the holidays? These decorations are super fast and easy to put up- as someone who isn’t the tallest person in the world, I can appreciate non-strand-light holiday lights, LOL.

Say goodbye to tangled Christmas lights and giant inflatables that deflate into a messy heap on your front lawn. These two Christmas décor/lighting products for the home that are a snap to install and low-maintenance.

Star Shower Window Wonderland is a projector that transforms your windows into animated holiday displays. Place the projector near any window, hang the included screen, and choose from six included holiday movies to play with the touch of a button. Turn dreary windows on dark wintery nights into colorful, entertaining exhibits in minutes. This product is also great for apartment-dwellers. (Video: https://tinyurl.com/ybvsqe2n.)

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Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, holidays, home Tagged With: decorations, for the home, holiday gift guide, holidays

How to Avoid the Creepiest Spring Pests with Natural Pest Repellant

April 6, 2017 by Samantha Leave a Comment

Spring is finally here! By now you may have started to see the first signs of winter coming to an end such as warmer weather, flowers blooming and even the return of a few unwanted guests that have been hiding away all winter long. Spring brings out the pests, which makes the beginning of this season the perfect time to prevent an infestation before it begins, and doing so doesn’t have to mean exposing your household to dangerous toxins. Fortunately, Stay Away® by EarthKind® offers natural pest repellants that are both safe and effective.

If you are afraid of spiders, here’s a creepy thought- during the spring is when the spider population multiplies! Spiders mate in the fall and their baby eggs hatch in the spring. To prevent spiders and their babies from infesting your home, Kari Warberg Block, pest prevention expert and founder of EarthKind® , recommends the following:

Use a spray made of half a cup of water, half a cup of vinegar, two tablespoons of liquid dish soap and 20 drops of thyme oil. The scented mixture has been used to prevent them from attaching their silk to sprayed surfaces.
Invest in a natural spider repellent, like Stay Away® Spiders. Made with Citronella, Lemongrass and Rosemary, Stay Away® Spiders disrupts a spider’s sophisticated senses, keeping them out of treated areas with a scent pleasant to people, but offensive to the insects that spiders eat. No food, no spiders! Use one pouch anywhere webs or spiders are noticed, such as basements, closets and attics, increasing the number of pouches until desired results are obtained.

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Filed Under: home, natural Tagged With: for the home, natural

Sharks and Ninjas to Help You Clean Up Your 2017

January 4, 2017 by Samantha 2 Comments

Now that the holidays are done and gone, what do you do with all the leftovers? Cleaning up after the festivities can be quite a project. Here are some of our favorite finds to clean up our acts in 2017.

Everyone has been in and out of your home for months now. The floors are a mess, and you could really use a deep cleaning. From winter mud and snow and salt to all the random foods prep and holiday wrapping and decorations, there is just more mess then usual. The Shark Rocket Complete is beast of a vacuum, with two powered brush rolls to make sure all the debris is picked up. It’s good for hard floors or carpets, as well. The soft roll and gets into things by grabbing large, small, or stuck on items off hard flooring while grabbing large particles and piles on carpets. The second brush roll has a bristle head, which on hard flooring accelerates large, small, and stuck on particles into the vacuum while on carpet deep cleans and pulls stuck on and small particles into the vacuum. These two brush rolls working together make short work of just about any dry mess you can think of as well as regular vacuuming around the house. It really gets in there, and you can tell the difference. About $200 on http://direct.sharkclean.com

For those sealed hard floor messes which a vacuum isn’t built for, check out the Shark Genius Steam Pocket Mop System. This mop system is built to deep clean your floors using steam as the main agitator. The steam releases most messes and spills with minimal effort through the pad, lifting away the mess without you every having to touch it. The stem can also be delivered directly to the floor with the Steam Blaster, which was created for stuck on or greasy messes, where steam is applied directly to the mess and can be wiped away with the pad secondarily. The pad itself grabs 99.9% of common household bacteria (according to the manufacturer). The best part is the amazing clean you get- the second best is the hands off approach to cleaning it gives you. The pad detaches right into the laundry without ever having to get your hands dirty with a simple button push. That’s the third best part- no more pads to buy. About $120 on http://direct.sharkclean.com
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Filed Under: home, review Tagged With: cleaning, food, food prep, for the home, newspaper cross post, [email protected]

The 8 Things You Need to Design an Amazing Bathroom

September 16, 2016 by Samantha Leave a Comment

If you’re thinking about redecorating your bathroom (or starting from scratch and designing the best bathroom you can imagine), you’ll want to take a look at the 8 tips below to start. Designing a bathroom can be a daunting task, but with the right ideas, wherewithal and resolve, you can design an amazing room with moderate effort.

Geometric shapes

Geometry is a great design element because it plays tricks on our eyes and creates optical illusions that we can use to our favor. For example, designing a white bathroom with an overlapping square pattern that starts on the floor and moves up the walls can promote continuity in the room and create the effect of receding walls. In addition to having a very “Alice in Wonderland” feel, it creates an illusion that makes a small bathroom appear larger than it is.

Rethink the sink

The sink is probably the most-used feature of any bathroom. The one you choose doesn’t have to be run-of-the-mill or standard or boring. There are plenty of vintage sinks available at local garage sales or secondhand hardware shops that you can refinish or even repurpose for your unique bathroom. You can get commercial sinks or even repurpose an old metal wash tub to get an earthy rustic vibe.

Go elegant

The bathroom is not always the most glamorous of rooms but that doesn’t mean it can’t be. You can add elements of class, glamour, style and elegance to any bathroom by adding a few significant accent pieces. For example, adding an oversized mirror or one with very ornate framing can add a Victorian-esque flavor to the room. An added benefit is that a large mirror can also make a small bathroom appear larger.
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Filed Under: home Tagged With: check in, decorating, for the home

Orkin Bed Bug Home Prevention Prize Pack Giveaway

March 6, 2014 by Samantha 46 Comments

Disclosure- I have received nothing for this post. All information was provided by the sponsor. Have Sippy Will Travel is not responsible for the prize or shipping thereof.

Bed bugs have come back strong over the last decade, keeping more and more people from sleeping tight. Now is the time to take control with a smart action plan – before the bed bugs bite.

Bed bugs reproduce quickly, so it’s critical to detect and treat an infestation early. Take the “Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite” QUIZ and download the “5 Must-Know Facts” PDF for a few tips on how to spot a budding bed bug problem.
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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: bed bugs, beds, for the home, giveaway

Win Beyond Bedding Set

September 4, 2013 by Samantha 2 Comments

My son has a Beyond Bedding set in his bedroom, and he loves it. The cute forest animals are right up his ally, and it is very soft and snuggly for a little kiddo. We will soon be reviewing the Abby Lane set, which looks really interesting. My husband isn’t super keen on the pink- but our room is pained pink ( I know- I didn’t pick it- I keep telling him to paint it!) and we needed something to match it.
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