Monthly Archives: September 2018

The Quest For Great and Low-Cost Computer Desks

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Cheap computer desks are easy to come by – you just have to be a little creative and willing to do some hunting. So, if you’re looking for an affordable workstation, keep reading for a few great hints and tips on where you can find innovative and creative desks on the cheap.

Hardware Tool Tables

Shop and tool tables make a fantastic computer desk substitute. They’re durable, inexpensive, ready to work and even have a unique, industrial design. To increase your makeshift desk’s longevity, throw on a few coats of protective varnish to prevent rings or spills from staining the wood surface.

Build on your workshop style and put up a workman’s peg board over your desk. You can then use it to hang your whiteboard or work and computer supplies like network drives, hubs, and other computer peripherals and accessories.

The Build it Yourself Desk

You will be able to make your own desk easily and simply. Using a basic pattern for a table or a specific desk plan, you can construct your DIY computer desks with a single sheet of plywood and for well under $50.

Try the website Free Woodworking Plans (freeww.com) for links to a number of free carpentry and woodworking plans that you can use.

If you don’t own a power saw or are uncomfortable doing your own cutting, you can often have your wood cut for you free of charge at your local hardware store. That means you’ll only be dealing with the final construction and finishing of the desk. Keep in mind though that most hardware stores, to ensure employee safety, limit their cuts to pieces that are at least 12 inches long.

The Recycled Desk

Who says a desk has to be a desk and a table has to be a table? Get creative with your work surfaces and transform a vintage 1950s table into a cool desk or a classic antique flea market find into a traditional office work surface. And yes, you can even buy a used desk and benefit from it too.

To score some great finds of old desks or tables, keep your eye on local garage sales. While consignment stores, charity shops, and flea markets may have good finds, they often don’t have the great deals you can pick up at garage sales.

Options at Ikea So, it may not be as fun as building your own desk or digging through garbage for a gem, but Ikea offers a huge selection of cheap computer desks. While their desks aren’t made from the finest materials or to the highest standards, they are affordable and capable of filling a short term need.

The 3 Most Significant Ways to Increase Your Home’s Décor

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One of the beautiful things about interior design is that there is a wide spectrum of styles, meaning there’s something for everyone. While there are lots of interior design options out there, it’s common to simply fall back on whatever you have gathered over the years, with no clear direction in terms of design. Even though you may dream about a beautifully designed, picture-perfect decor, you just haven’t made it happen. While it is common to get stuck in this rut, there are easy ways to go about getting the home decor of your dreams. Three of the most significant ways to increase your home’s decor include layering your lighting, incorporating natural materials, and taking the time to declutter your space. 

Layer Lighting

Unless you follow design trends and concepts, you may not have heard of layering lighting before. But don’t let that scare you. Layering lighting simply means using multiple sources of lighting in a space. The most common method of layering lighting is to use three layers: 

  • Overall Lighting. This is the main light source in a room. Common fixtures for overall lighting include recessed lighting, chandeliers, ceiling fan lights, or other sources of overhead lighting.  
  • Task Lighting. This is focused lighting that provides focused light to make certain tasks easier. Task lighting tends to be a light source that is directed towards a specific area within the room, such as the counter, desktop, etc. and is important for tasks such as applying makeup, cooking, and so on.
  • Accent Lighting. This type of lighting is more ambient in nature. It gives that extra bit of glow to enhance your design and provide low-level lighting. Common sources of accent lighting include cove lighting, in-cabinet lighting, or toe-kick lighting. 

Each of these types of lighting can be used individually or can be used in combination with one another. For instance, accent lighting and task lighting can be used together to create a workspace that is free from shadows. However, to achieve the best results, use the same color temperature for all forms of lighting. 

Natural Materials

Using natural materials in home decor is a growing trend and for good reason. For starters, natural materials are often found in highly stylized interior design. Simply incorporating natural materials into your own home decor can enhance its overall style. Plus, the good news is that natural materials tend to stay in style, unlike other trends that have been seen in interior design and home decor. In addition to all of this, natural materials are known to be long-lasting and durable compared to others on the market. Take natural stone countertops as an example.

Natural stone countertops, like the options from Marble, have been a growing interior design trend for the last decade or so. There are many natural stones available such as marble, quartz, quartzite, travertine, and granite, each with their own benefits and lending a distinct look to your kitchen or bathroom. These stones do tend to be more expensive than other options such as laminate tile. For instance, granite countertops cost around $40-$60 per square foot. This means that homeowners spend about $2,000-$4,500 on installation and materials when they choose a granite countertop. (For perspective, it costs about $795-$1,620 to have laminate countertops installed). However, unlike laminate countertops that last about 10-20 years and go out of style quickly, granite countertops lend a classic style and can last up to 100+ years if properly maintained. 

Declutter

Clutter is your enemy. It is dragging down your home decor and likely causing you unknown (or perhaps known) stress, trouble finding things, and a general feeling of overwhelm. This is why the growing design trend towards minimalism is so refreshing. Increasing your home’s decor through decluttering doesn’t mean you have to throw everything away or even fully embrace the idea of minimalism. It simply means consider the things that you have and get rid of what you don’t need. 

Chances are you are like most other people and you’ve been hanging on to things that you know no longer serve you. Give yourself permission to finally move on and get rid of it. When it comes to your home decor specifically, it can get a little confusing as to what the right balance is. Truthfully, there is no right or wrong answer. It is solely how your space makes you feel. But it’s always a good idea to make sure you have a home for everything you own. To declutter your home decor, go room by room. Take some time and assemble all of your decor items and go through them one by one. If you are sick of seeing something or if it just doesn’t appeal to you anymore set it aside for donation. Then slowly add things back one at a time, evaluating your space each time before you find a home for something else. 

If that seems overwhelming, simply start by removing one thing from your shelf and give the remaining decor more ‘breathing room.’ When you remove extra decor you create a space that feels airier and light. You certainly don’t have to use all of your existing decor. If you aren’t ready to part with your decor, simply move it out of that space. Then you can circulate as you see fit. But if you can’t see using it again (even if you repurpose it or refresh it with a fresh coat of paint) get rid of it.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

Oftentimes when we consider increasing our home decor, it can get overwhelming. When we feel overwhelmed we often don’t act and things remain as they are. To prevent this only tackle one room at a time. This can help the project feel more manageable and helps you take that first step. Once you take the first step you will find yourself on your way towards having the home decor you’ve always dreamed about.

New to Real Estate Investing? Find a Mentor

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When I got started in Real Estate Investing, I had no money, bad credit, and no knowledge of investing or even rudimentary building construction.I couldn’t for the life of me have told you the difference between an asphalt shingle and asbestos siding.

Sound like a great starting point?  I was 27 years old, and devoid of any resources and even so much as a clue where to begin.

So what did I do?  I took inventory of what I did have- some spare time, motivation, and energy, found a mentor that had the knowledge and experience I needed, and offered to trade resource for resource- I’ll give my time to do any work you want for free, you teach me how you are able to buy and sell 10-15 houses per month.

Bargain struck.  I came to learn that you really did not need money (at least not your own) or credit to buy and sell houses.  What you needed was specialized knowledge, confidence, and a willingness to take action on a large scale.  Without the help of my mentor, it would have taken me years at minimum to piece things together on my own, and being perfectly honest, it probably would not have happened.

I can give you no better illustration of the power of mentorship than the story of Earl Shoaff.

Earl dropped out of school after the 8th grade.  He went on to become a success in network marketing.  It’s likely you’ve heard of the young man whom he “sponsored”, and eventually became a life mentor to.

This young man has since become an author, award-winning speaker who has shared the podium with the likes of Zig Ziglar and Donald Trump, and until his recent death (and arguably still) holds  the title of “America’s Foremost Business Philosopher”.  I am talking, of course; about Jim Rohn. But read on, intrepid reader, the story of the power of mentorship does not end here.

One of Jim Rohn’s salespeople was a tall, energetic, and awkward 18 year old young man.  This young man went on to become Jim’s top salesperson, and Mr. Rohn “took him under his wing” and mentored him, much as Mr. Shoaff had done for himself years ago.  

This student let no grass grow beneath his feet.  He was a millionaire, living in an actual “castle”, by the age of 24.  He has trained Olympic and professional athletes on how to run their brains for maximum effectiveness, helped the United States Army to improve its training programs, and is acknowledged as THE expert in his field by such giants as Ken Blanchard, who wrote the introduction to his internationally bestselling book, Unlimited Power, which he authored at the ripe old age of 26.  Most of you have figured out that I’m referring to Anthony Robbins.

In the cases of Jim Rohn, Anthony Robins, and myself (albeit to a far humbler degree), the first step from “ground zero” was seeking out a mentor who had walked the path previously, with outstanding results.

Lou Gimbutis, owner of Property Solutions, LLC, where We Buy Houses, We Buy Mobile Homes, and We Stop Foreclosure, has been buying and selling houses full-time since 2004, first in Michigan, then after moving to NC in 2007.  He serves as Director of Education for the Metrolina Real Estate Investor’s Association.

indoor air quality

How To Control Moth Infestation Of Your Clothes

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Moth infestations on your clothes can be daunting. They will ruin your best clothes and you will be forced to spend a lot of money buying new ones. Well, you need to know how to identify the infestation and prevent it from happening again.

Signs Of Moth Infestations On Your Clothes 

Here are some of the things to check for when looking for clothes moth infestation. 

• Are your furs shedding excessively?

• Do your fabrics or clothes have small crusty accumulations? They will usually be the same color as your clothes. 

• Are there moths flying or crawling away from your clothes when you remove them from the storage area?

How To Control Moth Infestation On Your Clothes 

Now that you know how to identify the presence of moths on your clothes, you need to know how to control the infestation. Here’s what you need to know. 

• Use Moth Traps – Go to your local store and buy moth traps then place them in your chest of drawers, walk-in closet or underneath the bed. You can kill the adult moths without leaving the smell on your fabric. 

• Shake Your Clothes Vigorously – If there are any active moth larvae on your clothes, you can dislodge them by shaking your clothes vigorously. You can vacuum your floor once you are done. 

• Laundering – If there are any moths or their larvae lingering on your clothes, you need to launder them. Make sure you put the clothes in the laundry machine using high heat to kill the moths and the larvae effortlessly. 

• Freezing – If you have any clothes that can’t be washed, you should put them in a plastic bag and put them in the freeze. The extreme cold will kill the eggs, moths and the larvae.

• Clean The Storage Areas – You need to vacuum your storage areas frequently to remove any moth infestations. 

If you do all these but the most infestation still persists, you need to call an exterminator immediately!