If you're thinking about getting a spring cleaning plan together, then you're not alone. For many Americans, this is the perfect time to start getting your home ready for the warmer months ahead while packing up all of the items and clutter that has accumulated over the previous winter months. In today's blog, we're going to look at some ways in which you can start decluttering your home and get ahead of the game so that when it is time to do some spring cleaning, you?re not overwhelmed and feeling lost. If you have any tips or suggestions, we?d love to hear them! Please write to us in the comments or on social. Start With Seasonal Items The holidays are (mercifully) behind us and it?s time to really put them to bed by getting all of the holiday decorations, nicknacks, and other seasonal items out of the way and into their own space. If you have some big plastic storage bins, usually available at big box stores, then start by packing up all of your winter oriented belongings and packing them away until next year. Once you finally transition your home out of ?winter/holiday mode? then you will be able to welcome spring and warmer temperatures with open arms! This includes things like rotating out your winter wardrobe for your warm weather wear. Packing up coats, hats, gloves and all of your snow gear into one place that is out of the way and is ready to go for next winter. Storing winter decorations and even rotating out your winter cookware like large roasting pans and serving dishes used for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Adopt a "One In, One Out" Rule As you continue to prep for spring cleaning, one thing you can do to lessen the workload is to adopt a "One In, One Out" rule. This rule is quite simple, yet effective. It means that if you want to bring in something new into the house that is meant to be a semi-permanent item like a new piece of furniture or gardening equipment, then you should get rid of an item of equal or lesser size. That way your house stays at an equilibrium rather than in a constant state of increasing clutter that can be overwhelming. Utilize ?Decluttering Sprints? In the business world, a popular organizational strategy is to tackle large projects by breaking them up into bite-sized chunks of dedicated work called ?sprints?. This can be applied to your home as well! Set aside just 15 or 20 minutes at a time, maybe two or three times a week, and just clean and organize like mad for that short time period and then stop as soon as the timer is up. If you can do that consistently for a month, then you will be shocked at just how clean and organized your home will be without you having to lose whole weekends or evenings to long cleaning marathons. Try it and see if you can keep your home decluttered with just a few short sprints a week. Conclusion We hope that this article about celebrating decluttering for February was useful to you. If you want to make a purchase, schedule one of our window covering experts for a FREE estimate and more information by calling the office at 208-888-1056. If you have any questions about purchasing some awesome exterior solar shades or commercial blind or window covering work, or any other window covering related issue, we would love to hear from you. Contact us today to get started .
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There is never a better time to start giving back to the community than now. Obviously, there are benefits to the community at large when you volunteer, but there are incredible benefits that happen to you, the volunteer, when you give your time, expertise, and money to those in need. In today's article, we?re going to cover some new, exciting, and maybe even outside of the box ways in which you can start giving back to your community in 2025 and beyond! Micro-Volunteering: Making an Impact in Small, Manageable Ways That?s right! Volunteering doesn?t have to be a huge hassle these days. With the help of technology, you can break up your volunteer work into ?micro? doses so that you can fit them into your busy schedule more easily at a pace that works for you. This is a fantastic way to start the habit of volunteering quickly and easily that will then (hopefully) springboard into more elaborate forms of volunteering. Here are some examples of micro-volunteering: Translating documents for nonprofits into English or other languages Starting a virtual mentorship Reading books to children online Providing your input for plans or small businesses online Help the visually impaired navigate the web with Be My Eyes Many more out there! Turning Everyday Purchases into Acts of Kindness Another great way to always be giving back is to actively be choosing products and other expenditures that give back to the community as part of the purchase. For example, Zappos shoes donate to children in need with every shoe purchase. Choosing to buy from them over getting the cheapest pair of shoes at your local big box store can make a real difference in someone?s life. Also, whenever you are asked at the register at the grocery store or gas station or fast food lane about giving a dollar or so to charity, choose YES! Every dollar counts and you can make a difference without even changing up your daily routine. Be Part Of A ?Kindness Chain? and Pay-It-Forward Movements Have you ever had the chance to help a stranger pay for gas or carry their groceries to their car? Those are great moments that you can help your community right in front of you. They are more common than you may think! Next time you are out running errands or are out to dinner, look at those around you who may be in their own time of need and offer to help. You never know what might come of every interaction! You could help a stranger get to a job interview or a family put a hot meal on the table. All because you were paying attention to the needs of those around you in your everyday life. Conclusion We hope that this article about volunteering in 2025 and beyond was useful to you. If you want to make a purchase, schedule one of our window covering experts for a FREE estimate and more information by calling the office at 208-888-1056. If you have any questions about purchasing some awesome exterior solar shades or commercial blind or window covering work, or any other window covering related issue, we would love to hear from you. Contact us today to get started .
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Theodor Seuss Geisel aka Dr. Seuss and his many lovely books are part of a lasting legacy for a reason. Despite their childish and playful trappings, there is real wisdom to be had within those colorful pages. In today's article, we're going to explore one of the great quotes attributed to this wild and wacky yet sentimental man. If you have a favorite Seuss quote or want to share a story of a childhood memory you have involving one of his books, we?d love to hear it! Give us a shout out on social or contact us today. The Quote In Question: ?Don?t Cry Because It?s Over. Smile Because It Happened.? What does this quote mean to you? In general, it is about perspective and how changing the way you feel about something can be as easy as approaching it from a new or different angle. Have you ever had a situation that you improved by changing your perspective? In a world in which the only true constant is change, it helps to have this bit of wisdom in your back pocket. Things in our lives are changing quickly every day, which include relationships, careers, milestones, among many others. Learning how to appreciate what was is much better than mourning its end. Choosing Gratitude Over Regret As things come and go in our lives, we have a choice on how to remember them. Do we want to spend time and energy regretting what has passed, or do we want to feel joy for what we have experienced? While it seems like an easy choice on paper, you would be surprised at just how often people like to sit down in their own regret and embrace it, making themselves more miserable, when you could have changed that regret to gratitude and happiness. Instead of focusing on what?s gone, reflect on the joy and lessons the experience brought. This Quote Applies To Good Things And Bad Things Equally, Which Has Its Own Power A lot of the power within this quote comes from the fact that a gratitude mindset helps you appreciate the good things that have happened, but can also help you weather any storm that comes your way. Here?s a good way to look at it: all things in life are temporary, including hard times and struggles. Knowing this and focusing on this can help you really break through the proverbial clouds of despair you may be feeling in the moment. Yes, happy things come and go, but so do bad things, which is something in and of itself to be happy about! Conclusion We hope that this article about the wisdom of Dr. Seuss was useful to you. If you want to make a purchase, schedule one of our window covering experts for a FREE estimate and more information by calling the office at 208-888-1056. If you have any questions about purchasing some awesome exterior solar shades or commercial blind or window covering work, or any other window covering related issue, we would love to hear from you. Contact us today to get started .
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Black History Month is a fantastic celebration of the tremendous contributions that Black Americans have made to our country. It's one thing to appreciate and honor this month in the abstract, but it is another thing entirely to actually take action and spend some real time celebrating it with friends and family or even strangers. After all, it is all about spreading the word and promoting fellowship for everyone. In today?s blog, we?re going to cover some fun and interesting ways that you can actually celebrate this month in a significant way. If you have your own ideas or traditions for celebrating this month, we would love to hear them! Please share them over social or in the comments below. Option 1: Learning Together Exploring Black history is something that you can do pretty easily these days and all you will need is access to the internet or your local library. One fun thing to do is to research some books by Black historical figures or famous authors and read them together with friends or family and discuss the themes and historical significance of the texts. There are also many Black made films and educational documentaries about Black history or the history of the U.S. in general. You can pop some popcorn and make your favorite treats and all watch together then have a discussion afterwards. Option 2: Getting Out There Watching movies and reading books is a great way, if not the best way, to learn and understand Black history month, however it may not be the most exciting. Our next suggestion is to get outdoors and explore your local community together. Search for local museums or art galleries that have Black history exhibits or even just showcases by Black artists. While you?re out on the town, look up or ask around about local businesses that are Black owned and make sure to frequent them as much as you can. Option 3: Cook A Meal Together One of the best ways to learn about a culture and to explore their history is through their food. Look up some historical recipes created by African natives or by African Americans, especially dishes that have historical significance. Together, you can share the stories behind popular soul food dishes and learn about their cultural roots. Encourage your friends and family to explore foods outside of their comfort zone while also getting a deeper meaning of the context behind the foods. Through food, you can reinforce what you learn in the history books and museums to make everything come together in one delicious celebration of our nation?s rich history. Conclusion We hope that this article about celebrating Black History Month was useful to you. If you want to make a purchase, schedule one of our window covering experts for a FREE estimate and more information by calling the office at 208-888-1056. If you have any questions about purchasing some awesome exterior solar shades or commercial blind or window covering work, or any other window covering related issue, we would love to hear from you. Contact us today to get started .
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When it comes to making New Year's resolutions, we typically think of ones that have to do with our body, mind, or career. Rarely do we resolve to make improvements to our home, or more specifically, our window treatments. This year, we can all resolve to help keep our home looking better while keeping your blinds and shades in tip top condition. Here are some resolutions that you can add to your slate that will have your home looking better all year long. Schedule Regular Cleaning and Maintenance Into Your Calendar We live our lives by our (often too busy) calendars, yet we rarely schedule blocks of time to dedicate toward home cleaning and maintenance tasks. Keeping your home today is important enough to make room in our schedules for it! Try putting a few reminders each month to do the following: Dust blinds twice a month (should take about 10 minutes tops for the average home) Deep clean window treatments once a month. Wood and plastic blinds can be deep cleaned a little less often, but cloth and fabric type coverings should be cleaned monthly. (estimated time is about 30 minutes for a spot clean and scrub of any dirty areas) Cord upkeep. Check each covering to ensure that any cords are not getting tangled, or broken, or frayed. As always, keep your cords high up out of the reach of children! (timeframe is about 2 to 5 minutes) All in all, it shouldn?t take more than an hour each month to keep your blinds and shades in mint condition Regularly Inspect Your Coverings For Small Issues On another day, set aside some time to do a thorough inspection of your window coverings. You may want to invest in a small flashlight and magnifying glass if you don?t already have them on hand. Regular inspection helps to ensure that your window coverings are operating safely and securely, saving you time and stress by preventing future catastrophic failures or accidents! Carefully inspect any mechanisms surrounding your blinds and shades, especially if they are motorized. Ensure that all chains, pull cords, and other systems are aligned correctly and functioning without added friction Use a small wrench or screwdriver, tighten any loose mounting hardware or internal systems. Over time, these screws and nuts can come loose which can lead to an accidental fall or other similar failure Think Blind Appeal For Your Home Improvements Ready to upgrade your window treatments for the new year? If you?re thinking of replacing worn blinds or exploring energy-efficient options, Blind Appeal has a wide selection for your home or office (we do commercial window treatments as well). Contact us today for a consultation or come on by our new showroom and check out our beautiful, high-quality window coverings in person. Conclusion We hope that this article window covering upkeep resolutions was useful to you. If you want to make a purchase, schedule one of our window covering experts for a FREE estimate and more information by calling the office at 208-888-1056. If you have any questions about purchasing some awesome exterior solar shades or commercial blind or window covering work, or any other window covering related issue, we would love to hear from you. Contact us today to get started .
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People like to complain about the winter time in Idaho, but we think that they do it out of habit rather than out of genuine dislike for the season. That's because anyone who has lived here for a year or more knows that Idaho's (and especially Boise's) winters are some of the most charming and breathtaking in the entire world. Our location at the foot of an iconic and beautiful mountain range that is capped with white peaks while surrounded by thousands of trees (we are The City Of Trees afterall!), many of which are evergreen, is one of the best places in the world to celebrate Christmas and by extension, winter. In today?s article, we?re going to give you a family friendly guide to some of the best things that you can do in and around Boise during the winter season. Ski Or Snowboard At Bogus Basin! If we live at the foot of one of the nation?s top powder destinations, then it would be a shame to not enjoy it at least once or twice a year, especially after a fresh dusting. Bogus Basin ski resort is really family friendly and the mountain has several beginner friendly runs and other free resources to help shepherd new skiers and snowboarders into the sport. Whether its your first time on the slopes or your middle name is ?Black Diamond,? Bogus has everything you?ll need for a fun outing. Explore The Idaho Botanical Garden If racing down a giant hill at 60 miles per hour isn?t your cup of tea, fear not because we have another fantastic activity that you and the family can enjoy. Head on out toward the Old Penitentiary and stop on over at the Botanical Garden, especially after nightfall. While The Botanical Garden is mostly and correctly seen as a summer destination, it may be even more magical in the winter when they decorate every plant with lights. They offer free cookies and visits from Santa (check their schedule!) among other spectacular sights. Get Cozy Indoors At The Boise Art Museum If you?d like to plan an adventure that has you staying indoors, then The Boise Art Museum is a great choice. BAM offers a wide array of rotating and seasonal art displays from artists all over the country and the world. Make sure to try one of their classes on art making and history. They go all out for each First Thursday event and be sure to check out their Family Day every Saturday from noon to 3pm. Conclusion We hope that this article about the best winter time activities was useful to you. If you want to make a purchase, schedule one of our window covering experts for a FREE estimate and more information by calling the office at 208-888-1056. If you have any questions about purchasing some awesome exterior solar shades or commercial blind or window covering work, or any other window covering related issue, we would love to hear from you. Contact us today to get started .
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We are officially deep into the holiday season, and the New Year is just round the corner, so now is the perfect time to start thinking about how you are going to tackle next year. There's an old saying that goes "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail." In today's article, we're going to be covering some ways in which you can, right now, start planning out and preparing for your year next year so that you can hit the ground running in January and make your next year the best year ever! Reflect On The Past Year?s Achievements If we?re going to make waves in the year ahead, we need to look back at what we have done this year and use that as a foundation for how to go above and beyond that in the next year. Get a notebook or computer document and sketch out some personal, professional, and family related milestones from the past year. Once you have those together, then you can sort through your challenges faced in the past year and turn how you defeated those obstacles into lessons learned. Set Clear Goals For The Year Ahead The SMART framework of goal-setting is a fantastic place to start, but use whatever system you are most comfortable with. SMART stands for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. If your goals fall in line with those guidelines, then you are doing it right! Our advice is to start with three goals in each area of life you want to propel forward and go from there. Here are some areas you can set goals around: Health and wellness Personal fitness Home/Lawn/Garden Skills (work related) Hobbies Personal skills Financial Familial Romantic Relationship Work or business Education Start Small in December Once you have your list of goals set and you are ready to take them on, then there is no time like the present to do so. Start with small changes in December that you can use to build healthy habits in January. Did you set a goal around keeping your home cleaner or more organized? Then start by decluttering a room or two, or even start smaller by decluttering a junk drawer or single closet. By starting with these small, bite-sized tasks, you can build a head of steam to tackle larger tasks in the coming months. Studies have shown that performing a task habitually for just two weeks can cement that into a long-term habit or part of your life. If you can stick with something for just 14 days, then you can build it into a permanent part of your life with ease. So, think of December as the runway to January in which you start the year taking flight at full speed! Good luck out there. Conclusion We hope that this article about preparing for the New Year was useful to you. If you want to make a purchase, schedule one of our window covering experts for a FREE estimate and more information by calling the office at 208-888-1056. If you have any questions about purchasing some awesome exterior solar shades or commercial blind or window covering work, or any other window covering related issue, we would love to hear from you. Contact us today to get started .
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December is a time for celebration and thoughtful reflection for all of us in these United States. We wanted to help spread a little holiday cheer with an article that helps people from all faiths learn a little more about the three major holidays that take place each December. Since the holiday season is also an excellent time to make and eat various delicious foods, we have included the different traditional food dishes that are emblematic of each religious holiday. Maybe you could try one or all of the dishes this year? Either way, good food and family is definitely something to celebrate! Christmas. December 25th Christmas has its origins in both Christian (hence the name) and pagan traditions that were popular at the time. It is a celebration of the birth of the religion?s lord and savior, Jesus Christ blended with pagan practices like the yule log, bringing a tree indoors and decorating it, and taking place during a time that was typically celebrated by the pagans: the winter solstice which takes place around the 21st of December each year. Traditional foods include Large roasts like beef, turkey, ham, or goose Fall and winter specific side dishes and produce like yams, potatoes, nuts, cranberries, apples, and figs Fan favorite dish: cookies, pies, fruitcakes, yule logs Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights. Dates Vary By Year. Hanukkah is known as The Festival Of Lights and takes place at the end of each year, typically starting in late November or even mid to late December. It is observed over a period of eight nights and is marked by the lighting of celebratory candles in a specialized candle holder called a menorah. It is typically celebrated by people of the Jewish faith to commemorate the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of the oil lasting eight days. Traditional foods include Latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), symbolizing the miracle of oil. Large baked briskets and other hearty dishes that can feed large gatherings. Kwanzaa: Honoring African Heritage and Unity. December 26th Through January 1st. Kwanzaa was established in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga to celebrate African-American culture and values. It is a celebration of family and loved ones in the affirmation of the seven guiding principles known as Nguzo Saba. They are the core tenants of the week-long celebration. Traditional foods include Soul food staples like collard greens, black-eyed peas, candied yams, buttermilk biscuits, spoonbread and fried chicken. More traditional African foods are also served as a reminder of their ancestral heritage, which include jollof rice, plantains, Accras: Caribbean fritters, Feijoada (a stew of black beans, pork, and vegetables over rice), and more! Conclusion We hope that this article about the holiday season and its delicious foods was useful to you. If you want to make a purchase, schedule one of our window covering experts for a FREE estimate and more information by calling the office at 208-888-1056. If you have any questions about purchasing some awesome exterior solar shades or commercial blind or window covering work, or any other window covering related issue, we would love to hear from you. Contact us today to get started .
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