Author Archives: Andrej Zivor

How To Decide What Should Go In Storage When You Move

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There are many reasons why people decide to move, especially to a new city. Whether it’s to downsize, be closer to friends and family, or just move into a more exciting fast-paced lifestyle. Regardless of the reason, you will probably find that you will need some form of short-term storage space to help you transition into your new place. A storage unit is the perfect go-between if you’re trying to downsize, but still are still deciding on what you want to keep and what you want get rid of. Plus, it will give you some extra time to settle in if you’re moving in the midst of a busy season.

However, the question remains what do you put in storage versus what do you move into your new place right away? Well, here are a few tips to help you decide what would be best to put in storage, and what is best to take with you.

Organize your items by season

If you’re moving into a location that experiences all 4 seasons, you won’t need all of your items year-round. For instance if you are moving during the summer months you will not need your winter coat, boots, snow shoes, snowboarding gear, and so on. Vice versa if you’re moving in the winter months you won’t need your summer gear or things like patio furniture which take up a lot of space and are perfect to store as a whole ensemble in a storage unit.

Just keep in mind that if you are packing away a lot of clothes into cardboard boxes, make sure that your storage unit you choose isn’t subject to a lot of humidity or changes in temperature. And only pack away clean clothes. Otherwise you may find some not so savory items waiting for you when you get back.

Hang on to furniture that you might want later on

As you know moving into a new place is a great time to start over and redecorate. However, you may still decide later on that that coffee table you had or sectional, might actually fit very well into some part of your new apartment. Again, just make sure that when you’re storing furniture pieces you store them correctly in order to keep them from getting damaged during this waiting period.

Don’t throw away keepsakes or mementos

Once you start downsizing it’s very easy to get into a mindset where you no longer think you want to keep old photos or mementos. This is a decision you may regret down the road after you’ve been settled for a time. So, avoid unnecessary loss and opt for a high-quality storage unit where water damage or items getting lost, won’t be an issue. One way to better organize your things is by adding shelves into your storage unit. This way you can easily organize your cardboard boxes and keep them off the ground, further ensuring water will not reach them.

Antiques can also go in storage

Let’s be honest. You love your grandmother’s rocking chair because it’s an heirloom and has sentimental value, but it doesn’t actually fit into the decor of your new apartment. So, consider having your antiques professionally packed and take them to your storage unit for safekeeping. Just make sure that your valuable items are covered by insurance, just in case something was to happen. Once again, make sure that you are keeping your items organized, in order to create less of a headache later on when you are trying to unpack the storage unit. Happy moving!

Top 5 Myths About Air Freight Shipping

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When it comes to shipping, weather its for a business or a move, it can be a daunting experience. Do you rent a truck? Use a moving company? Go through a shipping supplies company? Send it by boat? A plane? Superman? Plus, then you have the factor of cost, and we all know it can get expensive. So the, what’s a good choice? How do you make an informed decision on weather or not one-way is better than another? Unfortunately, we can’t tell you what the right answer is, but we can shed light on one particular method and help you make a more informed decision. So, let’s talk about Air Freight Shipping.

Air Freight Shipping isn’t necessarily the most used option, but it is a good one. It tends to be fast, reliable, and safe when trying to ship a more valuable item. However, a few myths have developed over the years, and we’re here to help se the record straight.

Myth #1: Anything Can Be Shipped By Air

This is actually not true. The size of the plane will dictate its weight and size requirement. So, larger items, such as large pieces of furniture may be too big or heavy to ship by air. And then of course you have those items that pose a threat to yourself and others. I.e. gases, flammable products, explosives, toxic and biochemical items, etc.

Myth #2: Valuable Items Should Be Shipped Only By Air

While this myth has some merit, it’s in fact fiction. Yes, shipping supplies or valuable items by air tends to be safer due to high levels of security at airports. However, shipping valuable items comes down to an issue of insurance rather than shipping method. If you chose to ship by air, make sure you go with a company that offers a coverage policy that will insure your item in the rare chance that something were to happen.

Myth #3: The Heavier The Item, The More Expensive it is to Ship

This myth is definitely not true. Yes, on some level this seems to be logical. But, what dispels this myth is the fact that airplanes tend to “cube out” before they “weigh out”. Meaning your lighter, but bigger box can actually be more expensive to ship than your little heavy crate. The takeaway? Make sure when you ship by air you pack your items in the smallest possible package.

Myth #4: Items Shipped By Air Will Not Be Opened

Again, not true. Due to a crack down in airport security, bags and packages will be chosen at random by security to be opened up and inspected. So, how should this play a role in your decision process? If you choose air freight shipping make sure you use a carrier that will provide the proper packaging to ensure your items are replaced safely, were they to be opened.

Myth #5: Air Shipping Is The Only Way To Meet Your Deadline

Once more, this is actually fiction. Yes, air shipping normally does tend to be the fastest way to get your packages where they need to go on time. However, there are factors, such as bad weather, that can shut down an airport and keep your package from leaving. Yes, ground delays can happen as well, but they tend to be shorter in duration than air delays. With that being said, shipping supplies by air is on average the fastest way, but we can’t say it’s the only way for your packages to meet a deadline.

Hopefully this article has shed a little more light for you on the air freight world. This shipping option is just one of several that could help you achieve your shipping goals and needs. The key is to understand the different options so you can best make an informed decision on what’s right for you.

Some Super Simple but Totally Adorable Homemade Storage Suggestions

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I was browsing through Pinterest the other day when I came upon an article that spoke of storage solutions that were not only thrifty but also DIY.  Now, I’m the kind of gal that loves storage, and I love thriftiness, and I love doing it all myself.  Naturally, I clicked on this article, and the first amazing thing that caught my eye was how she called herself a “housie”.

I immediately fell in love with this term.  I am not a “foodie”, but I could definitely call myself a “house”.  The rest of her ideas in this article were just too good to not share:

  • Hands down, my favorite suggestion was using metal baskets and securing them to the wall. You can secure them facing up for a basket, or facing out for shelves.  They can hold anything from outgoing mail to your favorite books.  A truly genius idea.
  • Those little dip containers that you get from your take-out orders? Save them!  Of course you will need to wash them first, but when they are clean you can decorate the lid with a cute piece of paper and then label them with a sharpie and use them to hold little stuff: keys, safety pins, paper clips, small batteries…
  • By now most of us have seen how you can cover and line just about any kind of cardboard boxes and they suddenly become adorable storage cubes.
  • If you aren’t into cardboard boxes you can get plain wooden ones from craft stores, on sale, and then spray paint all one color, but then cover the front of each one with different kinds of patterned fabric or paper.
  • If you are handy with a saw, or have someone in your life that is, take some old boards and use them to make a caddy. If you are using the caddy in your bathroom make the compartments large enough to hold a small mason jar, which makes for easy cleaning.   Use them to store toothbrushes and toothpaste, hair clips, Q-tips…
  • Back to cardboard boxes: cereal boxes apparently make THE best desk organizers and drawer dividers. You can cut them into all sorts of adorable sizes and shapes and glue them all together, or have them separate, or even attach them to the wall or fridge!  This is my second favorite idea, because the Lord knows how many cereal boxes we go through in my house.
  • Finally, print out pictures of the toys that go in each bin and then tape them to the front of the bins so that your kids (and anyone helping pick up!) has no doubt about what goes where.

The Best Way to Ship Your Camping Gear

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You wouldn’t think that camping gear is a popular thing to ship, but it actually is.  It sounds a little counter-intuitive, right?  Sending camping gear on ahead to the campsite?  Turns out that it makes sense for a lot of people to do this.  There are hiking and biking trails that stretch across most of the United States, and no one is going to be able to carry all of their gear for that entire time.

This is when the hikers and bikers send boxes to themselves at certain checkpoints along the way.  Or maybe, quite simply, you want to go camping in the mountains of California but you live in the suburbs of Ohio.  You are obviously going to take a flight to Cali, but you are just as obviously not going to be lugging all that gear along with you.  So you ship it!  Before you start buying random shipping supplies and throwing your camping gear in boxes, read these helpful tips and hints:

Choosing the Best Carrier

Usually airline shipping has incredibly high rates, and you won’t be able to send certain items that you might find crucial for camping (things like matches and hatchets).  Parcel shipping through the regular postal service makes sense for packages weighing less than a hundred pounds, but it starts to get a little complicated when you take into consideration the sizes of things.

Are you shipping a large tent or a camping stove?  Due to size restrictions you’re going to have to send things in separate parcels, which means that you are going to be spending more on shipping supplies, and also that your stuff runs the risk of getting separated.  LTL shipping carriers are generally the best option.  Look for one that specializes in shipping awkward items, that they will ship prohibited items, and that they have a nationwide network.

Preparing Your Gear

When purchasing your shipping supplies, choose heavy duty cardboard boxes, lots of bubble wrap, and heavy duty sealing tape.  Wrap each item in bubble wrap and put them in shipping boxes meant for up to twenty to thirty pounds.  Label each box on the outside with the final destination.  As for restricted items, double check with the carrier as to how they will want those packaged.  If possible, wrap and box all of the large items as well.  You may want to consider putting all of the smaller packages into a large box, or even on a pallet if your carrier is outfitted for that.

 

Homemade Candy Boxes (and the History of Decoupage)

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By a show of hands, how many of us have received a homemade gift and thought it was the worst possible gift ever?  On the other hand, how many of us have ever received a homemade gift and thought it was the greatest gift ever?  The thing is that a homemade gift is basically always the best, and if you think they are terrible than you are probably egotistical and materialistic.  (Just kidding. Not kidding).  This is because a gift doesn’t have to be expensive or even that pertinent to hold value.  Still, if you want to make a homemade gift that will be universally appreciated, I suggest you start handing out handmade candy boxes.

Allow me to explain.

Just about any craft store is going to sell unfinished candy boxes, which you would then buy and decorate and stuff with [preferably] homemade candy.  Or, if you are really gung-ho and not willing to cop out, you can make your own candy boxes using cardstock and templates.

Consider decoupage.  The word “decoupage” is obviously French, therefore you would think that it has French origins.  Well, get this.  Someone out there supposedly uncovered that original decoupage (which was obviously not called by this French word yet) was actually tomb art.  That’s right.  Tomb art.  In Siberia, of all places, they supposedly cut out pieces of felt and used the cutouts to decorate the tombs of their loved ones.  The Chinese caught on, and then the Italians became famous for it.  Don’t ask me where the French word came from all of that.

The point of me providing you with that free history lesson is to show that decoupage is quite artisan and classic, therefore beloved by all.  Thankfully, in our day and age, it is a lot easier to accomplish.  You can literally cut some pictures out of a magazine and Modge Podge them to just about anything.  In this situation it would be your homemade candy boxes.  Then, after your joyful recipient finishes savoring their final bite of homemade confectionary, they can use the decorated box for storing keepsakes, or jewelry.

The thing that I like best about making these is that I can personalize them.  I can theme them based on whomever I’m giving them to, and I can give them to just about everyone I know.  You can even consider lining the inside of the box with satin, or the bottom with a piece of felt.  You can paint the inside for added flare or decoupage a solitary cutout at the bottom, to be a little bit of a surprise when the candy is all gone.