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Typically, heavy duty cleaning and organizing is done once a year. When spring rolls around it is nice to open the windows in your house and clean up after hibernating all winter. But why wait until spring to thoroughly clean your home? Follow these tips to help tidy up your home in a few easy steps.

Tackle one area at a time: You will be able to get more done, more effectively by focusing on one room/area at a time. If you try to multitask during cleaning then it actually takes you longer to get your chores done. Also, try starting with the more difficult areas to clean such as the bathroom or kitchen, and then move to easier areas. Getting the more difficult rooms done in the beginning allows you to save some energy for the rest of the home.

Get Rid of Stuff: Getting rid of items that just take up space in your home can make you feel better and can even earn a little money. Again, work on one room at a time. Start two piles in each room: a sell/donate pile for items that are in good shape and a trash pile for items that are in poor condition. Don’t be afraid to get rid of stuff! Chances are that if you have not used it in the past year, you will not miss it when it is gone. This is especially true for clothing, kids toys, kitchen accessories and old books. You will be amazed at the new space that you will have once you get rid of the old and unused.

Deep clean: After you have sorted, purged and organized it is time to clean. Again, tackle one room at a time. This is the perfect time to do those biannual cleaning chores such as cleaning the carpets and washing the inside of kitchen cabinets and drawers. Once those chores are done, you can move to daily/weekly tasks such as dusting and vacuuming.

Other helpful tips:
Sort your paper documents such as bill stubs, medical documentation, etc. Shred any unnecessary documents and neatly file away important documents in a filing cabinet or other storage container.

For out of control craft supplies, separate supplies into logical piles. Since I scrapbook and make hand made greeting cards, my piles were paper, rubber stamps, and miscellaneous craft tools. Consolidate into an easily accessible storage container such as a toolbox on wheels. Many craft stores sell craft storage containers that are perfect for keeping your items organized.
Sort through bathroom cabinets and get rid of any expired medicines, make up, and other toiletries. Using expired items can make you sick!

Keep a purge mentality all year long. This will make your job much easier when the time comes to clean and organize again.
After you have finished, kick up your feet and enjoy your freshly clean home.

Amanda is a writer for The Craft Cafe http://www.thecraftcafe.com Find card making, scrapbooking, free printable projects, recipes and more at The Craft Cafe http://www.thecraftcafe.com

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Home decorating on a budget is the ultimate adventure in decorating. It requires a little bit of planning, creativity, and patience. If you are like me, sometimes you wish you could be a genie and wiggle your nose and **poof** it’s done. However, that takes away from all the fun! Follow these tips and you’ll have a home that looks like a page out of your favorite magazine!

*Visit Furniture Showrooms

Make notes of styles of furniture you like. Also, take note of colors and fabrics that create a “warm” feeling inside of you. By visiting showrooms you can get an idea of the new trends and styles.

*Browse Through Decorating Magazines

Magazines are a source of inspirational ideas. Create a scrapbook of magazine clippings and refer to your book when shopping for your home.

*Shop Second-Hand Stores

One person’s trash is another person’s treasure can never be so true. One place to look is the classifieds in your local newspaper. I have found great deals on furniture in thrift stores and auctions. Don’t worry if an item is not in the best of shape. A coat of paint will work wonders for some furniture. Slipcovers can update an old couch or chair.

*Color! Color! Color!

To create a dramatic, inexpensive change to your home, paint the walls a new color or buy new curtains. Keep in mind the moods that colors can create.

*Create Your Own Art

For me, one of the best parts of decorating is creating my own original works of art to hang on the walls. It could be as simple as collecting leaves when they have turned colors and creating a picture collage. A nice frame makes any work of art look classy. Take a drawing, photography or painting class at your local community college. Gain inspiration by browsing through art books at your local library or bookstore. If you’re into black and white photos, but do not want to pay the high price for this type of art, buy a book or calendar of your favorite photographer and frame the pictures.

*Shop Discount Stores

Thank God for discount stores! This place will save you a ton of money on accessories. You will find little treasures such as candle holders, candles, potpourri, and knick knacks for very little money. Who will ever know?

*Be Patient!

Take your time and shop during sales. Decorating should be fun. Remember, Rome was not built in a day!

About The Author

Maria Palma is a writer, painter, jewelry designer, interior decorator, and real estate consultant based in San Diego, California. She received her degree in Psychology from California State University, Chico, but realized that she wanted to pursue her artistic passions. She has two websites: Salon de Maria (http://www.salondemaria.info), which showcases her art, and Home Solutions (http://www.homesolutionssandiego.com), a resource for real estate and home decorating in the San Diego area.

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In many homes and most offices, blinds are commonly used to give shade and privacy to the place. Unlike curtains, the amount of light that can be let in can be controlled if you have installed blinds on your windows.

Many people feel that the problem with having blinds is the installation. It may be true. But these people neglect the fact that there are also other things that have to be considered before purchasing blinds, not only the color and the size are important when choosing blinds for one’s home or office windows.

Here is some information.

* Style

Blinds can come in different styles, the most popular of which is the Venetian blinds. Decide on what style you wanted depending on the functionality and design of your windows.

Roller Shades - these are made specially treated opaque or vinyl fabric that is wrapped around a dowel, which employs a spring or a beaded cord system to roll the fabric up or down. This is good if you want to have complete privacy and to protect the furniture from fading. The ends can be straight or shaped, and trimmings or contrasting braid can be added as design.

Roman Shades - these blinds have a cord woven thru the fabric that allows you to raise or lower the shade in an accordion pattern.

Venetian Blinds - or horizontal blinds, have horizontal panels, made of wood or aluminum, which can be adjusted to change the level of sunlight that can be allowed in the room. These are available in different widths ranging from 16 mm to 50 mm.

Pleated Shades - these function similarly with Venetian blinds and have flat horizontal fabric panels. To let light enter from the top of the windows, you can have those that have “top-down” design.

Vertical Blinds - have vertical panels that can be adjusted to control the amount of light that enters. It can also be pulled to one side or both sides of the window to allow total natural illumination. Different types of fabric may be used in sizes from 89mm to 127mm.

Honeycomb Shades - are also known as cellular shades. These shades, thru layers of fabric capable of filtering light, can let light in and keep the heat or cold outside, thus giving the room insulation to save on your energy bills.

Woven Wood Shades - These are usually made of bamboo, and blocks direct sunlight from coming into the room but allow some natural light to come in.

Mini Blinds - are also known as macro, micro or aluminum blinds. These have one-inch or two-inch slats to adjust the amount of light that enters the room.

Shutters - these have parallel slats, or louvers, which can be adjusted to change the level of privacy.

* Measuring and Installing the Blinds

The blinds should be unobstructed that when it is fully extended, it can still hang freely.

For accurate measurements, it is recommended that you use a steel ruler.

* Cutting the Blinds

Cutting the Blinds is necessary to make the blinds fit the size of the windows. Before cutting the blinds, measure the desired width from one edge of the bracket to the other. The size of the winding mechanism should be deducted first before cutting the lath, the tube and the fabric to the correct size.

To cut the tube, a mini hacksaw can be used, while for the fabric, it is recommended that you use a cutting knife or a sharp pair of scissors.

* Cost

Apart from the cost of the blinds itself, also consider the cost for delivery. Delivery costs can add a lot to your purchase so make sure you know the details before placing an order.

For more great blinds information and resources check out:

http://www.qualityblinds.info

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