How to Turn Your Home into a Restaurant

A new trend is popping up in New York City, Tel Aviv and around the globe. This new trend is to start a restaurant out of your home. This may sound crazy at first, and a direct assault to health code laws, but there may just be something to it. If Airbnb can give strangers a chance to stay the night on each other’s couches, why can’t people meet up for a meal in someone’s living room? That’s what the makers of Cookapp and Feastly must have thought.

 

Restaurant Apps

Cookapp and Feastly work basically the same way, only in different locations. Cookapp is only in New York, Feastly was created in Tel Aviv, but has expanded through Europe and recently entered the New York market. These apps work similarly to Airbnb. Hungry patrons can peruse the apps for people serving meals in their home. They make a reservation and voila! Someone has a working restaurant out of their home.

If you are passionate about cooking, this may be something you can do. Whether you have equipment for restaurants or know how to work the basics really well, you may be able to create a delicious restaurant experience in your own kitchen.

To avoid health code violations, Cookapp and Feastly meals are technically “free,” but a “suggested donation” is listed next to the meal posting. Cooks must submit to a home visit and background check before they begin their restaurant. If approved, they can begin serving gourmet meals to customers.

 

Traditional Restaurants

You can also go the traditional route. If zoning and health code laws allow, you could convert your home into a restaurant. Set up a few tables in your living room, advertise with a sign our front and start cooking!

Starting a restaurant isn’t as easy as all that, obviously. Your home will need a little bit of renovation to be eatery ready. Here are some things you can start to think about.

-Do you love to cook that much? Sure, it’s fun when it is you and four friends, but what about when it’s room full of impatient strangers? If that still sounds fun, then great! If not, you may need to reconsider.

-Will you need help? Cooking, serving, and hosting are all full time jobs in other restaurants. You probably can’t do them all, so you need to find someone to help you.

-Do you have the right equipment? Depending on how big your dining room is going to be, you may need larger cooking equipment for restaurants. You’ll also need the tables, chairs, dinnerware, and silverware. This is all stuff you will need to purchase upfront before you even begin making money. This page is good resource to find out more about restaurant equipments.

-How will you advertise? You need to create a Facebook page at least, and preferably an Instagram and Twitter as well to begin advertising. You can also take out ads in the local newspaper or magazine. After a few test runs, contact the food section of your local paper to come review your restaurant. This is always great publicity!

 

Starting your own restaurant easy, but with the right tools and attitude, it can definitely be worth it. Have fun!

 

5 Inexpensive Ways Women Can Update Their Wardrobes

Every woman has had those moments when she looks into her closet and thinks that she has nothing new to wear. Women especially begin to think this as the holidays approach. They want to have new outfits to impress their family and friends whom they have not seen in a while, instead of wearing the same outfits they did last year. For these and many other reasons, women often feel like they need to create a new style and spend a lot of money revamping their wardrobe.

However, most women do not have the ability to buy an entire new wardrobe every few months to keep them feeling stylish and trendy. Many women have to work on a strict budget with their fashion and can only afford to do a little bit of shopping each year. These women need to find other ways to update their wardrobes when they feel themselves getting bored with what they are wearing. It may seem impossible, but there are a lot of budget-friendly ways women can update their wardrobes and feel like they have a new style to show off. Here are five inexpensive ways women can update their wardrobes.

Clean out the closet and sell old items

There’s no better time to clean out the closet and get rid of those items that are just taking up space. Women can get rid of their old items and even get some extra shopping cash for them. There are a lot of thrift stores that will give women money for their gently used clothing and accessories. This is a great way for women to not only create more space in their closet, but for them to also get some extra money to invest in new wardrobe items. If women are unable to sell their gently used items, they can consider maybe trading them with a friend who also has old items she does not wear anymore.

Try out online shopping

Online shopping can be a great way for women to get the new, trendy items that they want at much lower prices. Women can find not only more selection online to ensure that they are getting the exact items they want in the right size, but they can take advantage of online-only sales and coupons to save even more money. Women can even buy bras online to create the perfect base to any wardrobe. These savings can make a big difference in the amount of items any woman can afford on a tight budget.

Invest in some tailoring

Tailoring is a great way for women to make their clothes look like new again. From simple alterations like hemming or fixing a small tear, these little changes can make a big difference in the way clothes fit and how they look. Women can make all of their old clothes fit and look better with simple, inexpensive alterations. Women can also pull out some of those old clothing items that were never worn because of poor fit and make them fit perfectly with alterations. Good fit is essential for creating a polished look for any occasion.

Revisit thrift stores

Thrift stores may be usually avoided by posh and sophisticated women, but women who want a new style for cheap should maybe give thrift stores another try. There are a lot of different thrift stores that can provide women with the clothing options that they want a much lower prices. This can take some time to sort through all the clothing racks at thrift stores to find those perfect pieces, but the amount of money saved will be well worth the extra effort. Women should search their local area for small thrift stores that focus on quality, gently-used items.

Take some mix-and-match risks

Mixing and matching clothes and accessories can be a really fun and creative way for women to create new looks with their current wardrobe. This is a great, free way for women to give their style and update. Women can try pairing new accessories with a traditional work outfit, or many mixing some unexpected colors, like teal and purple which are really popular for fall and winter, to create a look that is eye-catching and budget-friendly.

Image: http://pixabay.com/en/dress-shop-dresses-clothes-inside-97261/

Tips for Making Space in the Kids’ Room

Cute kids room

It is every parent’s dream to see a spic and span kids’ room; one that is neat, free of clutter and well organized. Alas reality is usually far from this because kids tend not to attach much importance to a clean room and never seem to find the need to clean or put away stuff.

Apart from constantly nagging your child to clean their room and put things away, what can a parent do after all?! A lot as it happens. Use these tips to optimize the available space in your child’s room and to make it easier to stay organized.

Minimize the furniture

Go with the minimum amount of furniture that you need for your child’s room; stick to the basic bed, dresser and study table. This will clear a lot of space for your child to play in their room and will leave you with more options as and when you need to make space for a new child in the family later.

Use smart furniture

If a child’s room is really small, consider getting fold away furniture to the extent possible. Consider a sofa bed that opens out at night and folds away to become a seating option during the day. Stackable chairs or nesting stools and tables may be other good options that can be easily stowed away when not required. Even folding chairs and tables that fold into a wall could be good choices so that your child has enough place to kick out and play.

Utilize the walls

Utilize the walls in your child’s room. Wall mounted shelves can be used to stack books, toys, board games and more. Shoe organizers behind the door, and a clothing organizer in the closet can be other ways to sort items and store them in ways that are easy to locate.

Another useful addition to a child’s room could be a Whiteboard. A white board offers your child a creative outlet and acts as an organizer. It saves you the hassle or having separate items in your child’s bedroom such as a blackboard, perhaps an easel for art work, a soft board for tacking on notes & art work or a desktop organizer. The fact that it mounts neatly and effortlessly on to a wall makes it that much more of a convenient space saver.

Ensure there is plenty of storage

Your child will be more inclined to put things away if there is sufficient amount of storage space in their room. You can create a surprising amount of storage space in your child’s room by using the space under the bed – shoe organizers and boxes can be stowed away there. Drawers under the bed or loft space built into a set of bunk beds can be features to look for. Chests of drawers and cabinets with child friendly motifs and colors, stools with storage space, or conveniently placed book shelves and simple baskets or chests into which kids can quickly and effortlessly put away their things – these are things that will encourage children to keep their room neater and more organized.

 

Author Information:

Sarika Periwal writes about home improvement and decor for blogs online. The right furniture can help keep your child organized. Consider putting up a Whiteyboard in your child’s room. It can simply be pasted on without the need for drilling holes in the wall.

Moving? Pointers to Avoid Stress

Moving to a new place can be quite hectic, to say nothing of stressful. There is the stress of finding out about a new place and adjusting to it; then there is the stress of leaving behind what is familiar to deal with the unfamiliar. Even the logistics of moving – packing up an entire house, transporting all your stuff to a new place and  then setting up house anew – can be as stressful if not more so. Here are some tips to help you reduce at least some of the stress of moving.

Plan in advance

If you’re moving out of one house, have you finalized your new home at the other end? Will your stuff be going from one to another house or do you plan to keep your stuff in storage for a while? If it is to be the latter, where will you and your family stay in the interregnum? And what about the kids’ school? Will they be missing school or is there a solution?

Organize

Pack according to how you will need things to be when you unpack. For instance if your new home is going to be a little smaller than your present one, you should be getting rid of at least some of your stuff. In any case, moving a home is a great time to purge and organize your stuff and to get rid of stuff that you haven’t been using for a while.

Also pack in reverse order of your unpacking – the last things you pack at this end will also be the first things you need at that end, so pack accordingly. For instance your bedding and basic kitchen stuff is going to be needed till the end of your stay in your hold house and this is what you will need first in your new home.  Proper and detailed labeling of cartons and the use of transparent boxes can be invaluable when you’re unpacking – it will save you a lot of time and hassle.

Rope in an expert

One of the things that will relieve the most stress is to rope in a professional. Check out your options from among Chicago moving companies or other movers located in your area. Find someone with a good reputation and sufficient experience in moving. They know how to pack the delicate stuff, they know how to move and stack items so there minimal damage. Speak to them and get a quote to find out if this fits in with your budget.

Stay flexible, stay positive

Know that things can and generally do go wrong. Unforeseen circumstances could mean that you have to start later or earlier than planned or that the move is taking longer than you thought. Budget for this in advance, leave some wiggle room so that you don’t face the added stress when something does go wrong.

And lastly try and enjoy yourself. Think positive. It can be a challenge to set up a new home, but it can also be fun. Call upon your creative self, visualize your new home and get decorating!

 

About the Author:

Sarika Periwal writes to promote better living and family care. Use the services of a professional such as GolansMoving for any kind of relocation in and around Chicago. Experience a smooth transition.

Make a Fresh Start – Self Help Tips for Overcoming Addiction

As any addict knows, an addiction can form a tight grip on an individual’s life – their thoughts, actions, emotions, decisions and relationships can be dictated by that addiction. After that all important first step of acknowledging and admitting an addiction and then doing the hard work to get the right help to achieve sobriety, remaining clean and sober can be a huge challenge as well.

Perhaps the other most important step towards remaining sober and clean after overcoming alcohol or substance addiction would be to opt for a sober community which helps by offering safe housing after a detox treatment. Plus these self help tips can help you make a fresh start to take charge of your life and steer it towards the goals that you set:

Be honest with people close to you

Admit to friends, family and co-workers that you’ve recently recovered and that you plan to stay that way. This way you will receive the understanding and support that you need for your continued recovery. Friends will not pressure you to drink at a party; they’ll understand and get temptation out of your way at office dos and similar situations.

Continue treatment

Get yourself a sponsor who will help you continue with an outpatient treatment program. Get involved in the local chapter of Alcoholic Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous or a similar support group to bolster your recovery.  Helping fellow addicts can also be tremendously rewarding and can help to consolidate your own recovery.

Recognize triggers

Are there certain social situations that tend to trigger addictive behaviors in you? Perhaps there are certain people who trigger this behavior? Life’s problems and stresses can and do trigger addictive behaviors because you have long used your addiction as a means of escape or comfort. You will now have to learn how to avoid those triggers or to manage them effectively if you cannot avoid them altogether.

Learn coping mechanisms

Reduce instances of stress in your life. Learn a relaxing activity, practice meditation or visualization, get into an exercise program or even engage in a new sport, hobby or healthy pastime to reduce stress in your life. When confronted with the inevitable problems of life, develop healthy responses to these stresses; responses that do not involve substance use.

Pick up the phone to speak to a sponsor or a trusted friend or head out for some physical activity. Remind yourself of all the reasons why you took the trouble to recover and get sober, engage in positive thinking and amend your usual habits and behaviors to transform them into healthier ones. You could ride it out, when the urge strikes you – distract yourself by listening to some music or watching a favorite movie, get stuck into some household chores or cleaning or head out and run some errands.

It is important to stay committed to your recovery and to follow through with that commitment. Understand that it is going to be far from easy, but that positive results in future will ultimately outweigh the difficulties you face at present.

 

About the Author

Sarika Periwal writes to promote natural health and fitness. To get help staying sober, visit a facility such as AFreshStartSoberLiving to be around trained professionals. Receive guidance and reclaim your life.

 

More Than Just a Fake Lawn

An artificial lawn has many advantages that add to the beauty of your property while eliminating mowing and other maintenance time and cost.

Granted that synthetic grass and the preparation and installation is expensive, it is also long lasting, trouble free, and will eventually pay for itself. Since you don’t have to water, mow, trim, fertilize, pesticide, kill weeds, or reseed, it is expected to pay for itself in approximately eight years.

Think of the benefits of not taking the time and back-breaking effort and getting sore ears from listening to constant nerve-racking noise from mowers and blowers that are needed for the mowing and other constant chores associated with real grass. The synthetic turf only makes a whispery rustle on occasion.

Artificial grass like that made by Titan Turf looks natural because of the way it is assembled. It also feels natural to bare feet and on your pet’s paws! Plastic is used to create long smooth blades of grass that look like real grass. It is laid down like a carpet over ground that has been properly prepared by putting down and compressing sand and adding a drainage system. The lawn is rolled out in sheets in such a clever manner that it is impossible to see the seams or the darts in the corners. The best artificial grass is comprised of yarn or fibers that are quilted or tufted into a backing to create the normal appearance of an organic lawn plus a material that keeps the grass blades erect.

Regular grass is also a nightmare for both the lawn and the environment, especially if you live in a dry climate where drinkable water by the millions of gallons is dumped into lawns every day. Imagine the conservation of water with synthetic grass and how you will also reduce your carbon footprint.

Hundreds of thousands of gas-powered mowers that cut natural grass, as well as leaf blowers, put 11 times more pollution into the air every hour than a car does.

You can get synthetic lawn that’s summer long or putting-green short or in between. You can choose from dark green or light green and even choose the color of the springy underlayer. There are variegated strands that have some dark and some light to make it look real.

Synthetic turf is also perfect for landscaping around swimming pools with its superior drainage capabilities. Even property developers are looking to turf for lawn solutions these days.

Artificial turf looks like you just put in the world’s most realistic looking pristine sod and have created the most beautiful and colorful lawn. You can let people think you have an extremely green thumb and a silent, invisible mower!

Getting a Little Help Around the Home

Cleaning your home can be a time-consuming process, and with the busy schedules that people juggle today, it is not always feasible to find the time needed to do a good job at keeping a residence clean. Fortunately, there is help available for people who need a house cleaned while also meeting the demands of modern life. Professional cleaners who provide cleaning services can help give your house the attention that it needs when you are unable to.

There are many companies available to choose from when you need residential cleaning performed. Whether you are looking for a one-time cleaning or someone to clean to your home on a regular schedule, the flexible options that these cleaning professionals provide will be sure to satisfy your needs. Many residential cleaning companies also provide customized services that are suited for the nature of your particular residence. If there is something valuable in your residence that you wish not to be touched or only certain rooms that you desire to be cleaned, these cleaning professionals can accommodate you.

The larger cleaning companies are generally licensed, insured and bonded so that you have no need to worry about the possibilities of theft, damage or injury. They also provide all of the cleaning supplies and equipment that are necessary for your residential cleaning job so that you save money on having to stock those products. What your cleaning service will cost will depend on factors such as how much cleaning you are requesting and how often you need service.

With so many cleaning companies to choose from, there is almost certainly one available in your area that will help you achieve your cleaning goals. Contacting a professional cleaning company, such as Urban Outsource (if you live on the Northern Beaches) can be as simple as visiting its website or checking a phone book. Both nationwide cleaning companies and independent cleaning professionals are available, although the services the latter provide and whether they are bonded and insured will vary.

We are all incredibly busy these days and face challenges finding time to do everything that we need to do. Even if you have a busy schedule that makes it difficult to find time to clean your residence, there is a solution available in the form of professional cleaning services. These cleaners will come to where you live and take care of keeping everything clean for you. This means that when you find yourself with some free time, you can spend it comfortably knowing that cleaning your residence is something you won’t have to do.

Inspecting a Home Before You Buy

pretty-cottage

If you think you’ve found your dream house, make sure it does not turn out to be a nightmare. Although it might look beautiful, there could be big defects lurking under the surface ready to take a bite out of your bank account once you move in. Make sure you hire a professional to perform a home inspection so you know what you are buying. Here are 10 key areas pre purchase property inspections should cover.

 

  1. The structure. How sound are the walls, basement foundation, floors and ceilings?
  1. The roof. If it is past its prime, replacing it is a huge expense. Check its condition as well as the gutters and attic.
  1. Exterior surfaces. How are the sides of the house? Is the siding in good shape? If the exterior walls are wood, brick or stone, are they in good condition? How about the drainage away from the house? Also look at the driveway, sidewalks, windows and door.
  1. Landscaping. Look past the pretty potted flowers. How healthy are the trees? Are there overgrown bushes that should be removed?
  1. Garage. If the house has one, make sure electrical outlets and switches work. Is the structure sound?
  1. Electric system. Is it sound? Is the grounding adequate? Is there enough power in key areas so you won’t be constantly blowing a fuse? Make sure all electric switches and outlets work.
  1. Plumbing. What kinds of pipes are used and are they in good condition? Consider toilets, bathtubs, sinks and showers. A handy guide to checking showers is available on the Home First blog.
  1. Heating and cooling systems. Make sure you won’t immediately need a new water heater or furnace. Check air conditioning and chimney.
  1. Appliances. If items such as refrigerators, washing machines and the like are included, make sure they work.
  1. Extras you may consider. If you are concerned about any of these special areas, make sure to get someone skilled in them to check the house for you: radon gas, lead paint, toxic mold and pests.

 

House inspections are one of the most important procedures in real estate sales. Once you have figured out the appropriate price for your budget, the neighborhood you want and the type of housing you desire, make sure to take the time to have potential properties inspected before you buy one. If the inspector finds significant defects, negotiate to have them fixed before you buy or see whether the seller will reduce the price to cove your repair bill. If this doesn’t work, walk away from the property and find one that truly will be your dream home.

Selling Your Home Through Facebook

victorian-home

Selling a house is something that you should not take lightly. The method you choose to sell your house can literally be the difference between getting a great price, getting market value or getting less than your home is actually worth. Fortunately, there are more options available than ever before in terms of ways for people to sell their homes. The days of simply placing a classified ad in the newspaper are gone forever. The Internet is now playing a huge role when it comes to bringing buyers and sellers together in the housing market. Many of these connections have taken place on social media. This article is a great starting point for real estate agents looking to set up their own page, in case you’ve got an agent representing you at the same time and want double exposure. As you might expect, the biggest facilitator has been Facebook, the most popular social network by a wide margin. Facebook is now used by 1.3 billion people around the world, which is roughly half of the people who have Internet access. Let’s take a look at how a person should go about selling their home on Facebook:

 

What information do you put on Facebook?

The following tools can be used as a way of telling people your house is on the market:

  1. You can post a video tour of your house. Make sure your house looks its best when you record the video tour. Also, make sure you include all the important areas of the house.
  1. Post a photo album with a wide variety of photos of your home.
  1. Create a Facebook Note that includes important information about your house.
  1. If you have your house listed on a website featuring homes for sale by their owners, provide a link to this site so interested buyers can get more information about your property.

 

Privacy settings

Be certain that your link, Note, video and album are all set as “public” so all interested people will be able to view them. It is not necessary to make your account public in order to do this. You can also create a Facebook Fan Page for your home listing that you can share with others. You can restrict your personal details and wall posts to only the people you want to see them while you are selling your house. You can then leave your home info open to the public.

 

Should you do it all on Facebook?

While Facebook can be a great tool when selling your home, you should ideally use it in combination with other real estate selling resources. As mentioned earlier, there are sites specifically designed for people selling their own home to post photos and information about their properties. You can also start a website for the sale of your home that you can use in tandem with Facebook.

How to Evaluate Your Home Price Properly

girls-house-style

If you are contemplating put your home on the market, you obviously want to price it right to achieve your desired results as quickly as possible. Your goal as a seller will be to get the most money for your home that you can, while selling it in a reasonable time frame. A house that languishes on the market week after week and month after month can cost you money. When buyers see that a house that has been on the market for a long time, they will assume that it is overpriced or that something is wrong with it. An accurate property valuation is essential for selling your house for top dollar. This page is a good resource for people in Adelaide, to guage how much their house might be worth at a glance.

 

A real-estate appraisal professional is in the business of evaluating houses and determining their fair market values. Here are some of the criteria that real-estate appraisers will evaluate when determining the fair market value of a residential property.

 

Size Matters

The biggest consideration when determining a property valuation is the size of a house and yard. First, an appraiser will measure the square footage of each. Then he will look at the layout of your house and how it fits in with the neighborhood. Typically, most buyers look for three- and four-bedroom houses with at least two bathrooms. But that’s a very general rule. In a big city where apartments are prevalent, a two-bedroom, one-bathroom detached house can be very desirable.  More on the difference between valuation and appraisal here.

 

What Condition is Your House In?

Another very important thing that an appraiser will evaluate is the extent to which your house has been updated. An appraiser will look closely at the condition of plumbing and electrical systems. The presence of old copper pipes or knob-and-tube wiring can have a huge detrimental effect on the price you can expect for your home. The reason is that buyers purchasing a house that has plumbing and electrical systems that are not up to code will need to spend money to upgrade them.

 

What are the Comps?

“Comps” is real-estate lingo for “comparable sales.” An appraiser will call up a list of homes similar in size and condition of your home and located in the same neighborhood that have sold recently. The sale prices of homes similar to yours are indicative of the price that you can expect to sell your home for.

 

Deciding how much to list your home for can be very stressful. If the price is s too, high your house will sit on the market. If the price is too low, it will sell quickly but you’ll sacrifice profit. An appraiser can help you identify the price that’s right.