Author: Family Fun

Assisting Others Through Apparel

Post author By Family Fun
Post date January 6, 2015
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The number of people helping families in need by donating clothing is on the rise! In 2013, individuals gave roughly $2406 billion (70%) to charity, a 4.2% increase from the previous year. 16% of donations in 2013 were given by the education center, and 5% was received from corporate giving.
But what are the benefits of giving charitable clothing donations, instead of saving time by throwing out the things you no longer use?

Donating clothes is good for the environment. Almost 5% of total garbage in landfills consists of clothing or household textiles made of fabrics like cotton, polyester, nylon, and rayon. 5% may not seem like that much, but when you consider that 90% of textile waste is perfectly recyclable, you will wonder why more people aren’t sending their lightly used clothing to people in need. In 2006, used-clothing purchases kept 2.5 billion pounds of fabric out of landfills!

Charitable donations are often tax deductible, so if you spent a lot of money on certain clothing but never wear it, you may save some money on your taxes by sending said clothing to an organization who will distribute it to families in need. To be sure that the charity will get the most use out of your donation, make sure you are donating working items. There should be no rips or stains, and all the necessary pieces should be included. Make sure you wash your clothing before it is donated, too.

Charitable clothing donations are convenient to give! Aside from the obvious benefit of cleaning out closets, dressers, and storage bins, it is easy to give to people in need. Many charities have a donation pick up service, so if you have a large amount to give, you don’t have to worry about stuffing everything into your car. With donation pick up, you put in almost the same amount of effort as throwing things away, but instead you are helping people!

The best benefit of giving charitable clothing donations is that warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you help other people. Helping others is a great way to boost your mood, and you will find that you might even like to make it a regular activity. Read more.

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So You Want to Decorate Your Loft Apartments

Post author By Family Fun
Post date December 29, 2014
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As much as you love your parents, living with them as a millennial seems worse then when you were a child. Even though Mom still does laundry and packed your lunch, you were finally able to save enough — despite crushing student loan debt — to rent a loft in the city. You’re excited to get all settled in until you realize the mismatched furniture, rainbow lamps, and classic rock posters you collected throughout college look even worse next to the polished, sophistic interior of your new space. Yikes.

Like many other tenants who choose to rent a loft, this is a common dilemma. In fact, lofts for rent can be tricky to decorate. This is due to large, open spaces. While many tenants feel the lack of defined and designated rooms lends a sense of openness, it can seem understandably intimidating to some.

However, a loft apartment can be quite easy, fun, and simple to decorate once you consider the basics: theme, color, pattern, and texture.

Sure, mismatched college furniture may seem out of place in chic city loft apartments, however, that doesn’t mean mismatched furniture is always verboten. In fact, combining furniture from different styles, periods, and colors can add character. It all depends on the choosing the right kind of pieces. This is where theme comes into play. Perhaps you find yourself drawn to a particular style of furniture or color. Have fun finding inspiration.

Color can also be used to create a cohesive look. An accent wall provides a center of interest, while adding a brightly colored furniture piece or accents, such as a throw, can provide just the right amount of contrast. Color can also be used to “break up” the space, providing invisible “boundaries” which separate the areas, creating rooms. In this instance, using large area and accent rugs are great for centering an area.

Considering using a monochromatic color scheme when choosing your rugs for a subtle look, or experiment with different patterns and colors for a bolder look. This is also a good time to experiment with texture. For example, a Persian or Oriental style rug can be used to center the ground the dining area, while shag or fluffy accent rug — using the same colors from the dining area rug — can be placed in living area. Pulling similar colors from the the rug in the dining area creates a clean look, while the mismatched textures add character.

The best loft apartments are ones that show character. If you choose to rent a loft, you don’t have to be a professional interior designer or decorator to create an enviable look. Simply have fun exploring your own aesthetics, and express that in your design. Reference links.

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Which Charity Organizations Should You Donate Clothing to This Holiday Season?

Post author By Family Fun
Post date December 22, 2014
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The holiday season is almost here, and although it will end before you know it, the winter will continue for a couple more months after that. In many parts of the United States, that means cold weather, which spells trouble for those who don’t have proper shelter or clothing.

While monetary donations to homeless shelters and other charity organizations that aid in housing are a great idea, there is another type of donation you can give that will help the less fortunate during the winter: gently used clothing donations. Clothing donations serve several purposes. They can be used to clothe the needy, be sold in thrift stores to collect proceeds to benefit the disadvantaged, and be recycled to preserve the planet.

If you would like to give clothing this holiday season, but you’re not sure where to start, here are three types of charity organizations that will appreciate what you have to give:

Military and Veterans Charities
Today there are millions of active and retired military members and their families who could use help, especially around the holidays. In addition to clothing donations, many of these charities also look for donations of new toys as gifts for the holidays. Find out if there are any military and veteran charities in your area, especially those that help out wounded and disabled veterans.

Family and Children’s Charities
It’s an unfortunate fact that many families are unable to afford what they need for the holidays. Giving clothing donations, especially for children in need, is a great way to help these families. Most needed during the winter are items such as coats, hats, scarves, mittens and gloves, and boots, plus warmer garments like sweaters and sweatshirts, so be sure to give those if you have them.

Green Charities
Finally, many charities today will use whatever they can get to ensure that nothing heads to the landfill. Many green charities will give away as much as they can before deciding to sell their clothing in thrift stores or recycle it. As much as 20% of clothing donated gets sold in secondhand shops, and virtually all clothing donations can be either salvaged or recycled.

Above all, make sure to look into local charity organizations first. There’s a good chance that there are people right in your area who need help, and donating to a local cause is a great way to help out. Do you have suggestions for donating or questions about giving? Leave a comment below.

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Three Ways to Avoid Losing Money on Your Rental Property

Post author By Family Fun
Post date December 18, 2014
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Investing in rental property is a great way to access a steady flow of income and profit from a common societal need for shelter. However, while managing rental property can be lucrative if done correctly, a simple mistake can often cost a landlord a lot of money. Because of this, many property owners choose to hire rental property management companies, which employ experienced rental property managers to provide a variety of property management services. This can include making simple upgrades to improve a building’s efficiency, screening tenants or even helping with taxes. But whether you plan to hire rental property management companies or not, there are a number of things every landlord should know to help cut costs and avoid expensive mistakes. Read on to learn how you can avoid some common and costly property management problems.

Screen Your Tenants
As previously mentioned, rental property management companies can perform this service for you. But even if you are managing your own property, you should not skip this step. Make sure you verify the information they provide on their application, run a background and credit check, and review their references. Many landlords have been deceived by potential tenants who never paid rent, ruined their properties, or caused other problems; the best way to avoid this frustrating and expensive process is to prevent bad tenants from moving into your units in the first place.

Advertise Carefully
If you have a vacancy, you might feel tempted to pull out all the stops to compete with other landlords in your area and begin making a profit as soon as possible. But before you take out ads in your local newspaper or pay for an expensive listing service, consider how modern renters search for information. In most cases, a free online service or a sign in the front yard is enough to attract attention, especially given the low vacancy rates across the United States. Instead, make sure you respond quickly and professionally to the queries you receive and let your property speak for itself.

Document Everything
Once you have a tenant, make sure you spell out every rule, regulation and responsibility that both party has in the lease agreement. Then, review them with the tenant before they move in. From that point on, if there are any problems with rent, bad behavior or otherwise, make sure you document the exchange you have with the tenant. This will help prevent disputes and also help support your case in the event that any appear.

Rental property is a great way to generate income, especially due to the prevalent need for housing across the United States. However, if you make some fairly simple mistakes, you can place yourself at risk of losing money as well. By following the steps above, you will be able to avoid three common predicaments and better handle your investment. More.

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The Dos And Don’ts Of Donating To Charity

Post author By Family Fun
Post date December 18, 2014
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Every year, 70% of Americans give to charity — whether it’s donating canned goods to the local food bank or dropping off gently used charitable clothing donations. The New Year is just around the corner, so it is important for U.S. men and women to take care of any last-minute donations, especially if they want to write them off on this year’s taxes. Here are a few dos and don’ts for making charitable donations.

Don’t: Throw Away Gently Used Items

U.S. households throw away 68 pounds of clothing per year — and unnecessarily, too. Gently used or like-new clothing can easily go to families in need. Before tossing old clothes, consider who might need them instead. Keep in mind that there are shortages of some items in particular. Charities always need baby clothes and clothes for toddlers and young children. Similarly, winter-appropriate clothing, like hats, gloves, winter boots, and scarves, are always a welcome contribution.

Don’t: Donate Without Doing Your Research

There are some items that charities for one reason or another (usually legal) just cannot accept. Pull up a charity websites prior to donating or call ahead to find out what is appropriate to donate and what’s not. Most charities cannot accept bowling bowls, carpets or carpeting, exercise equipment, recalled cribs (cribs with drop-down sides), damaged furniture, or cleaning products and supplies. Certain items, such as clothing, baby bags, shoes, sheets, towels, quality furniture, books, dishes, DVDs, lamps, printers, and more, are always necessary.

Food Don’ts: Don’t Donate Baked Goods And Foods In Glass Containers

Finally, if you are donating to a food bank or a charity that accepts food items, keep in mind that some foods and beverages are better than others. Most charities cannot accept perishable foods, home baked goods, or foods in glass containers, such as pasta sauce in glass jars. (There are comparable sauces in cans or plastic jars, however.) Rice, beans, macaroni and cheese, pasta, and hearty soups and stews are always great options when donating.

There are some rules of thumb for giving charitable clothing donations, household items, and food items. Help those in need and save yourself some time by donating the very best items whenever possible.

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Queens Apartment Building Accused of Erecting ‘Poor Fence’ for Lower-Income Tenants

Post author By Family Fun
Post date December 15, 2014
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First c came the Poor Door, a separate entrance for lower-income residents, and now it’s been taken a step further with the Poor Porch.

The New City Borough of Queens, known for its affordable yet beautiful apartment buildings — compared to Brooklyn, which has recently been dubbed the most expensive place to live in the U.S. — has garnered national attention after owners of a new luxury apartment tower have been accused of fencing off the terraces of lower-income tenants.

Erin McFadzen purposefully chose her rent-stabilized corner luxury apartment rental unit because its wrap-around terrace. However, upon moving in, half of it was barricaded by what she calls a “Jurassic Park” style fence (minus the electric charge of course).

The unsightly, 6-foot-high wire fence obstructs the once scenic view McFadzen had in her $2,186-per-month apartment on the sixth floor.

When asked why such beautiful apartment buildings would mar their appearance with such severe fences, the developers claimed they were for window washing purposes, an explanation that didn’t make sense to tenants considering only rent-stabilized apartments were fenced off.

Gentrification has been an going problem in the nation’s metropolitan areas, making it exceedingly difficult to rent a loft at an affordable rate. Once considered New York’s most affordable areas and as refuge to Manhattan’s sky-high rental rates, Brooklyn and Queens’ residents have struggled to find lofts and apartments that are within their price rage. Ger more information on this topic here.

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4 Tips for Buying a Mattress

Post author By Family Fun
Post date December 12, 2014
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Everyone needs a comfortable mattress to have a good night’s sleep. If you aren’t happy with your mattress, go to a local bedding store to try out a few mattresses. When you need advice mattress buying, you can talk to the salespeople about the best mattresses and which ones are best sellers. This can be a good starting point.

All mattress brands that are popular are generally carried by the individual mattress stores in your area. Finding an amazing mattress will likely require trying out several different brands to find good models. Don’t be too shy to lay on the mattresses and get a real feel for them. This can help you to see what will be most comfortable for you when it’s bedtime.

Today’s mattresses are made from a number of materials that are engineered to create comfort. If you want an all memory foam mattress, there are mattresses constructed this way. There are also hybrid mattresses that use both coils and memory foam. There are also adjustable mattresses that use an air pump to create more support for the body. Some mattresses are the coil type without memory foam. Knowing a little about mattress materials can help you to choose.

One of the most important features of anyone’s bedroom is the bed, because it can affect whether you sleep well or not, which in turn can affect your mood during the day and your overall productivity. A good night’s sleep can be hard to get with traditional mattresses, but the good news is that the mattress industry has come a long way and today there are advanced systems that facilitate the perfect night of sleep for anyone and everyone. The American Sleep Foundation reported than two out of three Americans have problems getting refreshing, adequate sleep that renews them to begin another day.

If you’re frustrated with all of the trouble you’ve been having sleeping and feel like you’re about to give up, there is still hope. Lots of modern bed designs, coupled with the best pillows and the perfect mattress, can help you get a great sleep. The hardest part is knowing which mattress to purchase because there are so many options. If you like having lots of room to move around, a dual king adjustable bed might work. If you’re looking into beds for your kids, consider a twin adjustable bed. Regardless of why you need a new bed, keep reading to learn about some modern advancements that are meant to aid in getting better sleep.

1. A slight incline on a bed is beneficial

2. Some adjustable beds have added options for comfort

3. Adjustable beds may provide relief from back pain

4. A new bed is worth the investment

What kind of bed do you have, and are you satisfied with the quality of sleep you’re getting? Do you have any thoughts on ways to get a good night sleep if you’re not ready to invest in a dual king adjustable bed? If you are sleeping well, what are some tips you have for others who seem to have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep? If you have any thoughts, advice, or questions, please share your experience by leaving a comment below.

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Two Things To Think About When Donating To Charity

Post author By Family Fun
Post date December 11, 2014
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Christmas is just around the corner, and a fair share of Americans spread some holiday cheer by helping families in need. Charitable donations are more than welcome at this time of year. Here are a few pointers to make donating clothing to charity (and other items, too!) good for you, good for charities, and good for people in need.

Write It Off On Your Taxes

Good news — you can write off clothing donations on your taxes. For that matter, you can write off just about any item that you may donate to local charities. There are a few things to keep in mind, however. “Donations must be made by the end of the tax year for which you want to claim the deduction. If you put a check dated Dec. 31 in the mail by that day, you’re OK,” Bankrate.com advises. Similarly, all donated items must be picked up or dropped off before Jan. 1. Additionally, in order to write off items on your taxes, you must have written documentation. Charities will give you receipts with a valuation of your items, but you will have to request this particular service. Finally, do the work! Seventy percent of U.S. men and women donate to charities annually — and a much smaller percentage enjoy the related tax benefits.

Some Guidelines On Donating Clothes

Donating clothing to charity is one of the very best things you can do — for several reasons. First, the average American will produce four-and-a-half pounds of garbage in one day; donating clothing helps reduce waste, while also giving new people the chance to enjoy gently used items. While all clothing items are useful and welcome, consider donating less popular items, like prom dresses and suits, to keep all clothing items affordable for everyone.

You only have a few weeks left to donate items and write them off for the 2014 tax year. Make sure to get a receipt or written documentation of your donations, and donate all kinds of clothing items, including rare ones, to truly make a difference.

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Three Signs You May Need Replacement Remotes for Your Electronic Devices

Post author By Family Fun
Post date December 5, 2014
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Remote controls: there’s almost nothing as convenient as these devices. They help us power and use our TVs, DVD and Blu-Ray players, cable and satellite boxes, stereos, and other electronics. In fact, some devices today can only be used with a remote — a stark contrast from the early days of remote technology when TVs still worked without one. (This was the case when Zenith released its “Lazy Bones” controller in 1950.)

If your remote breaks, gets lost, or is somehow no longer being made, you may think your TV or peripherals will no longer work without a remote. However, there is another option: you can order a replacement remote for your electronics. Replacement remotes can either be the original remote as made by the manufacturer or a custom built remote control that will work just the same. If you are wondering whether or not you need a new remote control, here are some signs that you could benefit from these replacements:

The remote has been damaged.

The remote got lost.

Your device is no longer being manufactured.

Why not buy a universal remote, you may wonder? Some people like to buy a universal remote instead and program them with universal remote codes found online. However, these remotes often do not perform the functions that their devices are meant to perform, and they may be unable to access certain features of a device. Replacement remotes can provide the correct functions, so users won’t lose out on all of their devices’ capabilities. These remotes can work in a pinch, but only a true device or TV remote replacement can restore functionality to your TV.

Have more questions about buying replacement remotes or getting one? Leave a comment below. For more information, read this website.

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How to Avoid Losing Remote Controls

Post author By Family Fun
Post date December 3, 2014
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Back when television remote controls were attached to TVs with a wire, no one had to worry about losing their TV remote controls or having to shop for replacement remotes. Of course, the wire model gave way to the more convenient wireless remote starting with the Flashmatic in 1955, but that ushered in a new era of problems.

The average American home contains 2.24 television sets, and over 50% of American families have four or more devices that require remotes to operate. We’re more reliant on Blu-ray, DVD and television remote controls than ever, but they’re only getting easier to lose.

So how can you avoid losing your remotes?

There are a few tricks you can try until you find something that works for you. The simplest solution is to have a single place where remotes are placed after being used. But not everyone in the family will remember to put the remotes back, and it’s not unheard of to walk into another room holding a remote and forget.

If you need a little extra reinforcement, try using color-coded electrical tape to designate spots for each remote, or invest in a small coffee-table organizer. Some places sell pouches for remotes that you can sling over the arm of your couch. Even being a little more conscious about where your television remote controls are can help.

You can also go old school and attach your remote to a piece of string or wire. Just having it attached to something like an end table or a couch can make it much easier to find. Strips of velcro work too, since your remotes will be less likely to be knocked under something or into a garbage can.

You can also stock up on replacement remote controls identical to the remotes you already own. That way when you lose a remote you can just whip out your TV remote codes and program a new remote.

Losing remotes doesn’t have to be a part of life. Try creative solutions to keep your remotes on hand at all times! Find more.