Battling the Paper Pile-Up

Bills. Coupons. Notes. Cards. Flyers. Junk. It all piles up quickly, and you add to it daily. That endless pile of paper cluttering up your counter space. It’s time to do something about it! Here are some tips to keep the paper mountain to a minimum—but remember, consistency is key with any organization tactic. Pick what works for you and stick to it daily.

Photo Cred: Andrew Mellen

1.     Sign up for online bill pay and email statements. You’d be surprised how much clutter you’ll eliminate with this. You’ll be nicer to the environment, too!

2.     Create one large communal calendar for the family on a wall in your home. Log doctor appointments, birthdays, homework due dates, sports events, and business trips on the calendar. Once you’ve logged it – toss the corresponding piece of paper.  Here’s a chalkboard calendar design you can try: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/396950154629188510/.

3.     If you really have a lot of mail and paperwork to keep track of, consider investing in a filing cabinet. Create two folders for each month or each quarter labeled: TO DO and PAID. Toss the TO DO items once they’re moved to PAID and do this each month or quarter. It would also be a great place to file receipts, bank statements, taxes, insurance paperwork, etc. If you’re keeping important documents in your filing cabinet, label a folder PERSONAL, and make sure you have a lock on the cabinet to keep these items safe.

4.     If a filing cabinet isn’t your style, make paper organization a design tactic in your office. Use magazine holders or decorative boxes to store paperwork and turn available shelf space into functional organization.

5.     Magazines, newspapers and catalogs can really take up a lot of space. Once you receive one, go through it and pull out the things you’ll actually try (recipes, crafts, workouts, etc.) and file them away in labeled binders. Recycle what’s left!

6.     Coupons are like magazines; they pile up and gather dust. Pick up a wallet sized coupon organizer and keep it in your car. Have sections for your favorite retailers and when you get new coupons, filter them in and rotate the expired ones out.

If filing massive amounts of paperwork makes you want to cringe, try tackling the job when you’re watching TV or a movie. It’s easy to get mindless tasks done when you’re not swamped with other important things to do. Do you have other tips to share? Drop them in the comments!

Feng Shui Tips

You’ve heard about Feng Shui, but is it legitimate? We think so – and in honor of Valentine’s Day (which is today, guys) we’ve assembled this list of our favorite Feng Shui tips to attract love and money (we can all use a little more of both, right?).

To ensure supportive communication, it’s best to put at least the front legs of all furniture on a rug as opposed to around the rug. Also – try to keep some furniture away from the walls.

According to many Feng Shui consultants, your kitchen is directly tied to your ability to attract (and maintain) money, so tidy up and remove clutter. Keep your refrigerator and storage spaces full, organized, and full of fresh items. Even more specific, to attract more money, keep that oven clean. Most importantly—make sure every burner is working and is used equally.

When picking theme colors for your interior designs, keep moods in mind. Red is considered a very powerful color, purple and green a key colors for attracting prosperity. If you love a color, paint a wall in that shade or add some toss pillows, but if you don’t, the color will work against you.

Dining room tables are traditionally square or rectangular in shape, but if you want to attract love (or create more of it), it’s best to pick a round shape. Arrange the table so everyone can see each other without stretching their neck. It’s also a good idea to set out chairs for every member of the family, even if not all members are present for each meal, because it’s a reminder of the completeness of your family.

Having a lot of space in your master bedroom is often a desire, however, as the most important room in your home for attracting love, it’s best to keep things cozy. Opt for a queen over a king, and close off adjoining rooms (offices, bathrooms, patios, gyms, etc.). When spaces get larger, people tend to gravitate away from each other, which can impact partners emotionally.

If you’re single and you tend to create your bedroom space just with yourself in mind (one accent chair, one nightstand, etc.), think about creating space for a partner. Leave one dresser drawer empty, or some space in your closet free from your items. Leave room for chance, love and opportunity.

Do you have some Feng Shui tips that you live by? Share them in the comments below. Keep Feng Shui in mind when designing your new Faber Home – and work with our consultants to design the perfect space in your home.

Last Minute Valentine's Day Decorations

You don’t want to be that house on the block that never decorates for holidays (and you probably also don’t want to be the “over the top” house, either). Valentine’s Day is just days away – so here are some quick DIY decorations sure to add some dazzle to your home.

Garland. Grab some doilies (the bigger the better) from the craft box, ribbon and a red Sharpie. Fold the doilies in half and use double sided tape to adhere them to a long ribbon. If you’re feeling particularly fancy, grab some red craft paper and a paper punch to cut out small hearts, or simply draw red hearts on the doilies. Bam – simple, cute and quick!

Cupcakes. Cupcakes are not only delicious, but they’re also decorative. Whip up your favorite flavor (we recommend red velvet or strawberry, to keep with the Valentine’s theme of course), and stick in little labels like “be mine,” “love” and “Valentine.” It’s a new take on the candy heart treat we’ve all enjoyed for years. When you’re done, display them on a tiered stand or carrier.

Wall art. This one might require a trip to the craft store, but if you keep extra cardboard and fun paper handy, that’s all you’ll need. Pick festive words like “Love”, “Sweet” or “Heart” and cut those letters out of the cardboard. Grab your favorite decorative paper and apply to the letters. Hang them on the walls, put them in window sills, or place them on shelves.

Mason jars. Most of us have these handy around the house already, so grab your favorite Valentine’s candies, like the conversation hearts, M&Ms, peeps, etc. and fill the jars to the brim. Gather your jars and set them on top of a mirror or decorative platter and you have one yummy centerpiece.

Candles. Spice up your candlesticks and glass candle jars for Valentine’s Day. Wrap jars in red or pink yarn for a simple color pop, or affix cut out hearts.

Simple and fun! Which decorations will you try?

New Kitchen Color Schemes

Whether it’s time for a kitchen overhaul or you’re in the process of designing your new kitchen with Faber Homes, there are so many options to choose from. We’ve pulled a list of popular color schemes from the DIY Network to help get the brainstorming going.

Reclaimed wood with ruby-red metal. In this design, you’re combining a farmhouse wooded look with industrial metals. Pick a mixed-tone oak wood floor and pair it with stainless steel countertops or backsplashes. The contrast can be built into other areas of the kitchen space as well – consider a large refurbished wood kitchen table with red metal chairs and red metal table accents.

Grey-blue cabinetry is gaining popularity everywhere as a new color to consider over traditional woods, or even white or black. This design technique opens up a new color wheel of options for your new kitchen. Toss up stainless steel hardware and bold backsplash tiles for a completely new look.

Photo Cred: arkesia.com

If you’re a fan of modern but still want to keep it simple, stick with a white, black and stainless steel base and add a vibrant pop of a single color like tangerine, yellow, or lime green.  Pick out one wall to paint that color, find matching seats, light fixtures or dinnerware to pull the same color in and your modern kitchen will come to life. You can even find some quartz countertops in these vibrant, fun colors.

Red. It’s welcoming, warm, and lively all at the same time. Paint your walls red, pick out dark wood or grey cabinetry and either stainless steel countertops or opt for a light woodblock look. It’s country mixed with modern, and will have you inspired to add a little more spice to your meals.

Our last suggestion is a color blend you may normally find in a bedroom or bathroom. Purples like lavender or lilac make for a soothing palette perfect for romantic meals or tea parties with friends or children. Pick a very light grey-purple color for your walls, and pair dark wood cabinets with crystal, glass, and creams for your new kitchen.

Which color scheme will you choose?

Cold Weather Maintenance

If you’re a first time homeowner, you’re probably not aware of all the little responsibilities that go along with winter maintenance of your home. Even for a long-time homeowner, the list always seems to grow. Here’s a quick snapshot of the top 10 things we recommend you do this winter.

1. Test smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors. You never know when a big storm is going to hit, and the last thing you need is to run out of batteries for these necessities.
2. Check your driveway. Small cracks can turn into big ones with snow, ice and changes in temperature. Fill cracks before the next big storm if you can. 
3.  Change out furnace filters. You might think filters do the most work during the warmer months when windows are open, but they’re still working hard in the winter.
4. While you’re down inspecting that furnace filter, take a look and see if it’s time to have a professional out to clean out the furnace and air ducts.
5. Clean out your gutters. Leaves, debris, birds nests, wasp nests. It all piles up in your gutters and can really cause a problem when winter comes. Backups can cause melting snow to freeze and weigh down gutters, which can then end up on the ground.
6. Clear out drains. Winter is a great time to clean out drains because if, for whatever reason, pipes freeze, you definitely want them to be clear of debris. Send ½ cup Baking Soda followed by ½ cup vinegar down each drain, wait 15 minutes and then pour boiling water down.
7. Here’s one even a long-time homeowner probably isn’t doing: cleaning out refrigerator coils. Pull out your fridge and vacuum around the coils as best you can. This will save you some money on energy costs, and prolong the life of your fridge.
8. Our skin tends to get very dry in the winter. Don’t forget to add salt (and stock up on it if you can) to your water softener. Your skin will love you.
9. If the ground is still malleable enough, check and make sure the grading in your yard is favorable for drainage. Snow can pile up and make the situation worse, so fix it while you can.
10. Save your outdoor pipes from bursting and remove those hoses. You can also buy winter guards for each spigot to ensure pipe safety.

Do you have any other tips for winter home maintenance? Share them in the comments!

Kitchen Organization

It’s easy to have your kitchen cabinets get out of control. Each week you’re probably going grocery shopping and adding more to the mix, then the husband goes looking for something (or the kids do), and your organization method has gone out the window. Fool-proof that cabinet with some of these tips.

Grab and go sacks are a lot easier when you prepare them in advance. This way, you have less little hands grabbing handfuls of pretzels, fruit snacks, or crackers. Find see-through baskets with handles and organize smaller items like snacks, dinner sides, pasta and sauces. Label the containers if you’re able, so there will be no excuses (less excuses?) for lack of organization.

Photo Cred: tidymoms.net

Many organizers often forget about useable space on the pantry door. Utilize that space to store canned goods, soda and more. You’ll be surprised how much extra room you’ll have in the pantry, and how much easier it will be to take inventory of what canned goods you have on hand.

Boxes upon boxes of pasta, candies, and baking goods. It seems the supply never ends, until you go to make something for dinner and realize you’ve run out. Use glass containers to store and display dried goods and keep track of what you have and what you need to buy on your next grocery run.

You can easily double your cabinet space by investing in hanging, attachable under-the-shelf racks. Store dinnerware, smaller boxes, napkins, or even utensils.

Pots and pans and their corresponding lids never fit well in any cabinet it seems. Invest in lid organizers that either sit in the bottom of a cabinet space or attach to the inside of the cabinet door. Save even more space by finding unique ways to hang pots and pans, such as above a large window or from an island light fixture.

Use small curtain rods to hang bottles of cleaning supplies below the sink. You’ll save room for other items, and have a better idea of what supplies you have and what you need to buy the next time you’re out.

New Tools for 2015

Cutting through the clutter at Home Depot and Lowes can be a tough task. There are so many tools and gadgets that make the job “easier” but it’s hard to know for sure what you’re getting.

2014 was a great year for product development so we’ve pulled together a list of tools and gadgets we think will help make your life easier, at a reasonable price.

Dewalt Inspection Camera. This lifesaver runs around $300 and is perfect for wiring jobs and plumbing work, as the scope gives you a visual into your wall or tubes.

PermaFlow No Mess Plunger. For about $20, put an end to squirting who-knows-what when your toilet backs up. This accordion-like sanitary bag fits around your toilet seat and creates a suction when you lift the lid, pulling whatever is stuck, out, without spraying you with… well you get it.

Lenox Hole Saw. Starting at $7, now you can efficiently cut wood and metal holes for all those projects at home. It also has a handy material release that will keep you from digging out remnants and possibly injuring yourself.

Craftsman Right-Angle Impact Driver. It’s tough getting into those tight corners. For about $80, this lightweight driver will drill holes or affix screws into tight spots, and with a mini lamp on the end, you won’t miss your mark. The battery charger is super fast, too. Within three minutes, you’ll have a 25% charge. Fully charged, you can affix 300 screws.

Grip Rite Framing Nailer. At $240, this framing nail gun is a brand new lightweight yet durable tool that will help your DIY family achieve expert precision for your next job.

Have you found any other tools you’d recommend? List them in the comments!