Quick and Dirty Tips to Keep Your Home Tidy and Organized

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We’ve all been there on a sunny Saturday, faced with cleaning a messy house and having an opportunity to do fun things instead on a bright day.  Even if we choose to go out and have fun, sometimes knowing what’s facing us when we get back home can put a little tarnish on what should be a carefree moment.

There are a few quick tips that can keep the house in check if practiced throughout the week.  When practiced regularly, these small actions add up to a tidy house, and a place where you’d be happy to have friends stop by on a moment’s notice... Read the rest

Be Prepared for Emergencies

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That ice storm in February hit many of us by surprise, and with widespread power outages across the Portland metro region (including The Move Makers office in Lake Oswego), the idea of being prepared for the next emergency event is top of mind for us.  

We’ve compiled a short list of comprehensive websites that list the most important things to have on hand in advance should an emergency take place.  Since these are website links, it may be a good idea to print out the pertinent information and keep on hand in a handy file folder in case you lose power... Read the rest

Selling Your Home – Simple Steps for a Big Impact

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You’ve found the perfect home, so now the pressure is on to sell the one you’re living in.  You know you have work to do to get it ready, but where do you begin?  The outside, for first impressions, or the inside, where the potential buyer needs to see how they’ll live in your current space?

Make a List. Before taking on any one project, take a long, objective look at your home, at those small things that you’ve ignored over the years, like the mismatched switch plates, the creaky bathroom cabinet, the dented wall by the back door.  Making a list is a simple task and as each item is addressed and corrected, you know you’re on your way to showing your home in its best light... Read the rest

How do you want to live in your space?

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If you’re thinking about moving this year, or considering a refresh of your current space, one of the first things to think about is: how do I want to live in this space?  We take for granted that at least some of our furniture will work in our new space, no matter where that may be.  But it might be a good idea to look around and really SEE your furniture, and whether it’s functioning well for you. Are you looking for less upkeep?  Is mobility a factor?  Scaling furniture to your room can take some practice and knowing what to keep and not keep depends on the life you want to lead in the space... Read the rest

Just How Long Do Your Pantry Staples Last?

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Baking season is upon us, and if you haven’t baked any cookies since the last holiday season, chances are some of your baking supplies are ebbing on the edge of expiration.  Right now may be a good time to get out the step ladder and dig deep into your pantry to purge any old supplies from your shelves and purchase fresh ones. Your cookies may come out a little nicer, too!

According to HGTV, home to many televised and online cooking shows, here are a few general rules for common baking staples, and how long they last at their best performance:

Vanilla and other extracts – these last indefinitely as long as they are sealed well

Baking soda – as long as it is sealed, it lasts indefinitely

Baking powder – up to one year

Sugar – indefinitely if kept in an airtight container – sugar has the added benefit of not allowing bacteria to take hold

Salt – the same as sugar – never get it wet!.. Read the rest

Gratitude In Trying Times- A Look Back at our Blessings

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2020 will go down in the books as one of the more challenging, strange and seemingly endless years in recent history.  The stress of illness, politics, and economic downturn for many can make it difficult to reflect on what we are truly grateful for.  But self-reflection and gratitude can be a healthy way of dealing with the present and help keep a focus on the future, with the hope of good things to come.

Our Move Makers team kept busy through the pandemic, and for that, we are most grateful.  Adapting and working with our community partners and individual home owners has been challenging but we took it in stride and kept going. .. Read the rest

They’ve Got Your Number- Robocallers and How to Avoid Them

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If you own a phone, you’ve received an unwanted call from a telemarketer, or spam robocall trying to sell you a product.  You may have noticed that many of the calls are from phone numbers that seem to come from your own area or one of your phone contacts, with a familiar area code. This is a practice begun a few years ago called spoofing: that’s highjacking a local number to give the impression the call is local and perhaps from someone you know. 

But don’t be fooled – technology has advanced in this area often to the detriment of the innocent consumer who can get inundated with these calls multiple times a day... Read the rest

Find Joy in Editing Your Holiday Decor

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Last year, one of our Move Makers team members realized that the holiday decorations she’d collected over the years were taking up more time and space than she wanted. What was once a fun activity had become a chore, due to the sheer volume of decorations she had accumulated. Dragging those boxes and totes out of storage was becoming exhausting.  

Those of us who have been in our homes for many years can face the same challenges.  Do I need to put out ALL of my decorations each year?  Will it still feel like Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas if I don’t?.. Read the rest

Holding On: Why it’s So Hard to Let Go of Stuff

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One of the most daunting things about moving is dealing with our stuff. We surround ourselves with things that represent “home” to us: keepsakes, papers, books, dishes.  Sorting through them in order to let some of it go is much harder for some than others, and can be such a seemingly impossible task that some of us simply stop the process altogether.

What makes us hold onto things we no longer want or need, even if keeping them is a roadblock to moving forward?

The main reason we hold on to things is comfort – being surrounded by things we love can provide a sense of well being and groundedness... Read the rest

Do This, Not That When Preparing for A Move

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Moving is one of life’s occurrences that can be time-consuming, expensive and stressful.  But there are few practices to consider that can ease the pain of moving as well as the expense.  Here is a look at things NOT to do, and things to DO instead:

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DON’T wait until the last minute to get ready to move.  The longer you wait, the more stumbling blocks you may encounter, like running out of time, not enough boxes, no place to dispose of your items, and moving companies that are too busy to help you.

DO make a plan before you move.  Planning out an overall timeline to prepare all of the components of moving (including sorting, organizing, packing, and arranging for help), goes a long way in making move day go more smoothly.

.. Read the rest