Expanding Your Family? Start Preparing Your Home Now & Save Time

Photo credit: digsdigs.com

So, your family is expanding. Perhaps you are having a baby or have adult children who are moving back home or even elderly parents that need to move in. Things are about to change and it’s a good idea to prepare your home for the new arrival/s ahead of time. While you might need more space to house an expanded family, very often it’s not practical or economical to consider moving house but there are some steps that will help create more space and save time and stress later.

Where to Put Them?

The first decision you will need to make is where you will put your new arrival/s. If you have a spare room then obviously you can turn this into a nursery or a bedroom. This is the easiest option, but if you do not have a spare room you will need to think a little more laterally. While a baby can be put in your room or even in a small corner of another room, adult family will be harder to manage. You may need to consider converting your garage into a bedroom or splitting a larger room with the help of screens or curtains to create a private space.

Furniture

Your family will need, at the bare minimum, a bed and somewhere to keep their clothing. Your choice of design will depend on the amount of room you have. For ideas and also measurements and other specifications, check online at http://www.superamart.com.au/. A bit of research now will a save you lots of stress later.

It is helpful to provide somewhere for your new arrival/s to place their smaller bits and pieces. A dresser top, some shelving or a small table will suffice. The reason this is so important is that it will help keep some order in your home and make your new house member feel like they belong. Try and utilise something you already have to save money.

Linen

Providing the person with their own bed linen and towels will make them feel welcome and cared for. Supply a few nice fresh towels, a face washer, hand towel and for a nice touch, add some pretty soaps and personal care products. If you don’t have adequate linen you will need to purchase it. Again, it is better to do this ahead of time than be rushing around at the last minute. Your new arrival/s will also feel more welcomed if you are prepared for them.

Let them Personalise their Space

It is really important to allow your family member to personalise their space. Be a bit flexible here. Take down any existing paintings on the walls in their space so they are free to put up pictures to their own taste. Clear off your ornaments from surfaces in their space so they will have room to place their own precious bits and pieces. Giving someone space to put a little bit of themselves will make them feel very much at home and welcomed.

Review - Dezign with a Z Wall Decal: Eiffel Tower Paris

I have a big fascination with anything French and of course, I love Paris! It is one of my favorite places to visit. The moment we set foot in Paris, my family and I knew that it was the perfect place to be.

So, I didn't let the opportunity pass when I got presented this beautiful Eiffel Tower wall decal with the word Paris. It is the perfect decal for our entry hallway because we have a part of the hallway that has nothing on it, just a bare cream colored wall that can benefit with a little sprucing!

This pretty wall decal came from Dezign with a Z company who specializes in vinyl wall arts decals based on the creative designs of their young designers who are from Europe and the USA. It has offices in the US, France and Russia. Aside from the many beautiful and creative artworks of the young and talented designers of Dezign with a Z, they also accept your own artwork which they will convert into pretty wall decals for you to install.

My vinyl wall art decal is the lovely Eiffel Tower (22" x 22") with the word Paris. I got it from their catalogue (worth $38) and this is just one of the many, pretty designs they carry in the site.


What I like:

A lot! First of all, I love the design! I love how light it is and the texture is smooth like a matte paint on a wall only this vinyl wall art decal is more posh looking and really up with the times!

The freebies! Yes, aside from the main wall decal I got for free, Dezign with a Z even added 2 large butterflies I can install later on and the package comes with a squeegee applicator to help flatten out the vinyl decal and remove unwanted bubbles when you install it on your wall.

Easy to install. The package comes with an illustration of how to install the vinyl wall art which is easy to follow. However, this is a big wall decal so I had to ask my husband's help to set it up against the wall.

The price! It is pegged at $38 and I think that is reasonable considering the quality of the product and the design. I have seen other wall decal from other sites and they charge more than $38 for a smaller size and design.

The packaging is airtight so it won't get wet while in transit.

It was shipped free via FedEx by Dezign with a Z! Thank you for that!

The site offers shipping worldwide.

What I don't like:

Nothing! I love this vinyl wall art decal so much!


Suggested Retail Price: US$38 for this 22" x 22" wall decal


Packaging:

I received the product inside a thick cardboard canister. The vinyl wall art was also packed in an airtight plastic bag with the applicator, instruction and extra 2 butterflies.


Materials:

High quality vinyl and comes in various colors


My recommendation:

A big yes especially if you are considering to refurbish and redecorate at home or even in your office with a budget to follow. This is the fastest way to spice up that bare wall and add pizzazz to your home or office.


You may find more information about the company here:

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I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Cozy Foams For The Seats

I am not particularly keen on chairs with no cushion like the wooden ones. I prefer to sit in a soft cushion. The cushion can be of any material as long as there is something soft and cozy on the sitting area.

I want to update the foams in our dining chairs as they are worn out and do not give the coziness I desire. I have checked around and found some foams but I prefer the cushions from foambymail. They are thick and durable.

The last thing I want is to sit on a foam that flattens out.

Outdated Bathroom

I'm on vacation but I'm thinking of our bathroom back home. You might wonder why because it's really odd that I'm thinking of something remotely related to vacation when I should be enjoying. Oh, don't get me wrong. I am having so much fun here and I wish to stay here longer, if only possible.

The reason why I am thinking of our bathroom in Dubai is that, I saw some beautiful bath accessories while roaming in the mall the other day. I can't help but daydream about incorporating the designs and even the modern fixtures in our master bath. I certainly don't want to see any plunger nor mops every where for the bath floor. I just want a modern, slick and very clean bathroom.

TV Mount and Holes

I am very finicky when it comes to drilling holes in the wall. I don't like ruining a good painted wall and if there's a mistake somewhere, those putty pudding only highlights the plastered hole.

My hubby is the opposite. He would hammer a nail right through a wall or even drill without using a level.  Oftentimes, the object being put on the wall is lopsided, too low or too high or not centered. And because of that, we had to repaint the living room area.

Not all of that is his doing. Some are contributed by our relatives who live with us too. I just had enough of the drilling of holes without properly measuring and assessing the area. So, when we bought a flat screen TV recently, I urged my husband to consider purchasing a tv stand with mount so we didn't have to drill holes again. Unfortunately, my plead was not taken into consideration because my hubby is a practical man. "Why buy?" he would say "when we can use the existing one at home." He is right. I cannot argue with the man. Therefore, if that is the case, I suggested we should ask the delivery man to do the installation as well as the TV came with a free wall mount. I asked if they also do installation and drilling. Your guess is good as mine. They did the whole work and I am happy to say that our wall was spared from unnecessary hole drilling. The TV is placed perfectly where we wanted it to be, right on the center.

Too Bright

I always fancy bright rooms but living in a high-rise condominium in a mostly desert-filled country with almost 365 days of sunshine then expect your living room to be so bright. Actually, too bright is the right term to use.

I am considering a darker shade of curtain and heavier textile to combat the extreme sunlight. I can also update the curtain rods and cover them with custom valances to add beauty and pizazz in the room.

I am a person who loves natural sunlight but not in extreme doses! I feel that our big sliding door can be installed with a slightly darker tint than what the glasses have now. It just gets too hot and bright that you have to literally wear shades inside the house.

Being Practical At Home Improvements

I have a very tight quarter in the house. Since we are not permanent residents of Dubai, my husband and I are quite adamant to spend on furniture and other fixtures at home. Our pragmatic approach to home and interior decoration is to buy only the essential and affordable. Oftentimes, this kind of principle overlooks aesthetic results. We just end up what ever is practical to put at home.

There are times when my husband and I would not agree on something like buying new metal cabinets to install in the balcony area. The cabinets will be used a portable storage of our trinkets and tools which we use occasionally but is mandatory to have at home. Instead of buying cabinets, we end up buying storage boxes which we can stack.

The sofa is another issue we have to tackle. I planned to purchase an L-shaped modular sitting furniture to update our living room last year. My husband was against the idea because it was not sensible since we still have a sofa. Few months later, we ended up buying a sofa-bed to accommodate visitors who want to spend the night. The beautification aspect of my desire to buy is always outweighed by the practicality of having to actually buy and replace something that is still useful at home.

Home improvement is something we have to sacrifice here in the Middle East because we are transient borders in this country. My husband is right in believing and enforcing his principle of spending our hard-earned money to our dream house than spending unnecessarily here where we will just end up selling them. To that, I definitely agree!

Wobbly Cabinet and Loose Casters

We have a small cabinet which can be used for storing books and other small knick-knacks at home. The only problem I have with this cabinet is that the two casters with wheels loosened so it is a bit wobbly. I am scared to put heavy books because it might topple. Although it is not a high cabinet, it can still injure someone like our little Millie.

Disposing the cabinet is not an option because it is very usable and in good condition. The only problem is the base where the wheels are. I am sure it can be fixed.

It's a good thing that we live near Dubai Festival City where the Ace Hardware Depot is located. We can drive there after lunch and replace the busted caster wheels of the cabinet. I have seen some there the last time my hubby and I went to check some other materials for home improvement. I just hope they are not expensive.

Maintenance Woes

Three years in this flat and so many fixtures to update! Our kitchen counter is slowly getting out of alignment with the wall. The cupboards' hinges are loose. The faucets are dripping. The wall paint chips and even the door chimes do not chime!

I just changed the dripping shower head two months ago and in the other bathroom too. I asked the maintenance personnel to fix the wiring of the other room because the chandelier would not switch on even if the electrical system was working.

So far, none has been done. I may end up calling an electrician to fix the wiring at my own expense. The maintenance is bad and I hope the rents go down further so we can move out next year to a new building with better facilities and maintenance service.

On Rugs and Dull Floors

When you come in a house, do you normally check out the area or first look on the floor and see if it is clean, shiny and have a "wow" factor? Well, I am one of those who normally look down when I wipe my feet on the rugs and give an ocular inspection on the floor I am stepping at. It is a weird habit but I get to see and admire a lot of people's home by doing this. It also gives me an idea on what to put on my dream home when the time comes.

I have seen floors made of marble, granite, terracotta, vinyl, wood and wall-to-wall carpet. Some are nicely covered with area rugs. Others are white as a cloud and glossy. And others have intricate tile work that will leave you in awe.  

Our flat's floor are covered with 12x12 sq. ft. yellowish tiles.  I wanted something glossy but I had to settle with what was available when we scouted for a flat.  I thought when we first moved in the building that it was plain and simple. My opinion of the floor has turned to ho-hum. In short, I am bored with it. Our contract does not allow us to alter any original component of the flat except for paint improvement and other fixtures. That is also to our advantage because we do not have to spend a fortune updating the floor when there are other means of brightening a dull floor. I keep imagining my friends' houses with nice glossy floors. I just admire them!

So, to solve my slight problem whenever I look on our floor, my husband bought some cheap rugs to spruce up the place. He covered the living room with a slightly shaggy area rug to make it more homey, inviting and cozy. It improved the look of the flat and gave more definition to the place. He also bought some house plants to put in the corner of the dining place to give a little life and color on the area and the floor. I bought a small colorful mat and placed it on the hallway's main door to add pizazz on our simple floor.

Now that my slight problem is solved, I can let out a sigh of relief and be grateful to my husband's genius ideas and practicality.

And Then There Was Light

I am so bored with our ceiling lights. They are hanging lights which look more of a mini chandelier. I think they are so outdated.

I love contemporary stuff in my living room. However, my husband is the practical one who keeps telling me not to buy expensive items for the flat where we are currently staying at because the place is not ours.

I always remind him that we can take whatever we bought back in the Philippines. I can always rent for a big container if I have too.

I just feel like the lights are so old-fashioned. I want hanging spotlights just like the hanging lamps I saw in the mall last week. They are sleek and uses energy-saving bulbs. I will have to convince my husband though since we are updating the living room; maybe we can also include the lights.

Leaking, Chipping and Broken

It seems like this building is falling apart in terms of bathroom and kitchen fixtures are concerned. We moved here 3 years ago and it was a brand new building. Now, it looks like it has been around for ages! The pipes are leaking, the cabinet doors creaking and almost falling off the hinges and the floor tiles are chipping.

I think a trip to the nearest hardware is in the offing as I need to change some faucets. The building owner used a very generic and cheap faucet. I will switch to something better like Grohe.

Warm and Cozy Log Furniture

It is not common where I live to own log furniture due to extreme weather here in the Middle East. I love the feel of log furniture because they exude that warmness and coziness in a home. I can imagine sitting on one and enjoying the winter atmosphere while sipping hot cocoa. What a nice thought!

I have asked my hubby if we could scout for a rest house when we retire somewhere cold. or at least manageable. I am sure that the log furniture I normally see in magazines and the web will really look good in a cold climate.

Window and Door Safety

My best friend who now resides in Florida has had her share of ferocious typhoons passing Florida since she moved there. She used to live in a small apartment where the windows were not as safe as she would describe them. She has seen water seeping through the old windows and what was worse was the absence of Florida shutters to further protect them from any untoward incident when the inclement weather would not calm. Since they were renting out the place for some time already, they just decided to have their own home built according to their preference and one that would meet their high standard on quality and safety.

One company that caught their rigid screening was Ocean View Windows and Doors. This company has variety of products and services to offer. The products range from impact windows, custom glass etching, retraceable screens and remote controlled ones, interior doors, door and window casements, hurricane shutters florida, and store-front windows. Not only that they carry high quality products which all meet the strict building code of Florida, they also have services to offer for both residential and commercial properties. The list of their services offered is appealing to home-builders and those who are planning to have some home improvements or renovations without compromising safety and quality. This company values their clients and provides excellent customer service, installation, and sales and marketing with great professionalism.

My best friend and her husband are quite impressed with the portfolio of Ocean View Windows and Doors. You rarely get the chance to come across a company with high quality products to offer with par excellence service.