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People move for all sorts of reasons, and while some moves can boast exciting opportunities, even a move under the best circumstances can be unbearably stressful. Transitioning to a new home can be hard on the furry members of your household, as well. Thankfully, there are measures you can put in place to make your next move as smooth as possible for your pets.

Board Your Pet on Moving Day
Ideally, you will not keep your pet around on moving day. The chaos can be stressful for your pet and you likely wont give your pet the attention it will want or need. Movers can also let out your pet unintentionally. Avoid this by boarding your pet or asking a trusted friend or family member to pet sit.

Keep an Essentials Box
Just as you should keep essentials with you during a move so that you have vital items, if your moving truck is lost or delayed, it can be helpful to create the same essentials box for your pet. Include any prescriptions, favorite toys, familiar items and their bed.

Make it Familiar
You may not be able to explain to Fido why you left your old house, but you can make their new home feel familiar right away. Set up a small area with your pets toys, food and bed. Keep daily rituals as similar as possible. Particularly for outdoor cats, allow them to get acclimated to a bedroom or smaller space before letting them rule the roost.

Fill Out the Paperwork
Moving comes with a lot of paperwork, but dont forget to add your pets files to the mix. Update their tags or microchip information to the new address and phone number and request that your previous vet transfer records to a local clinic.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Summer sun means summer fun, but it also means increased cooling costs. If you are looking forward to backyard BBQs and dips in the pool, but are hoping to avoid paying an astronomic cooling bill, these tips can help.

Shut Out the Heat
Keep your cooling costs down by shutting out the heat. Its not enough to simply keep doors and windows closed, if your windows let in those sunny summer rays, your house will end up a greenhouse in no time. Ensure that your house doesnt heat up too much by installing thermal blackout curtains on windows. Keep them closed during the hottest parts of the day to keep your home from getting too toasty.

Use Your Ceiling Fan
Depending on the season, your fan can help you retain the heat or keep your room cool. If you havent flipped your fans switch for summer, its time. Ceiling fans can work wonders in a room by circulating the air and making it feel cooler without turning to your costly A/C for help.

Since ceiling fans use far less energy than A/C systems do, they can be used both in place of and in conjunction with your A/C to decrease the need to lower the temperature while keeping it comfortable.

Save it For Later
Heat generating activities will obviously increase your homes overall temperature. To keep your cooling costs in check, save those tasks for after it gets dark or begins to cool off in the evenings. Or, forgo those tasks altogether and find alternatives. For instance, instead of cooking on the stove, use the microwave, a grill or slow cooker, and instead of using the dryer, consider letting your clothes air-dry outdoors.

Optimize Your Cooling Systems
No matter what tips and tricks you have up your sleeve, you will need to still utilize your cooling systems on truly hot days. Keep costs low by preventing damage. Change filters regularly and set a cooling schedule. Allow your home to rest at a higher temperature when youre away and slowly cool it in anticipation of your arrival home. This eliminates the temptation to set your temperature unreasonably low when you come home to ensure that your A/C works hard enough to suddenly cool the house.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Here are a few tips to make sure youre getting the most out of your homes lighting.

Assess the Space

Lighting needs vary from room to room, so its important to consider how you use each space.

Types of Lighting

There are three types of lighting: ambient, accent and task.

Ambient lighting is the foundation and provides basic illumination.

Accent lighting spotlights different details.

Task lighting is purely functional for where you need extra light.

Create Depth

Mixing different light sources will create a sense of depth throughout each room.

Smart Systems

From the touch of your phone, you can have control over all the lights in your home.

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If youre planning to renovate your home, choosing the right contractor is critical. You have probably been advised to seek word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family members. While those can certainly be helpful, you shouldnt rely on them exclusively.

The Contractor May Not Have Experience Relevant to Your Project
Your friend or family member may point you toward a qualified contractor, but that company is not necessarily the right one for your project. Its important to consider what the contractor did for the person who made the recommendation. Hiring someone who does not have much experience with the type of work you want to have done could be a mistake, even if that contractor did a stellar job with someone elses project and received a glowing recommendation.

For example, your friend may have been thrilled after having the kitchen remodeled by a company that renovates kitchens all the time. If you want someone to build you a new deck, however, that company may not be the right choice if it has only built a handful of decks for other customers.

You Might Have Issues With Subcontractors
General contractors often hire subcontractors, such as plumbers and electricians, to complete parts of a project. Some contractors run a tight ship and keep a close eye on their subcontractors to make sure their work meets high standards, but others dont. Ask a contractor you are considering if subcontractors would handle some of the work. If so, ask who the subcontractors would be, how the contractor would oversee their work and how complaints would be handled.

You Might Prefer a Different Communication Style
Ask about the contractors method and frequency of communication. Maybe the contractor your friend hired responded to emails at the end of the day and that was fine with your friend, but you prefer to communicate via text and want the contractor to respond quickly if you have a question or concern. Make sure the contractors communication style would work for you.

Research Contractors Before Making a Decision
Always get bids from at least a few contractors. Invite each of them to your home to see its current condition firsthand and to discuss the changes you want to make. That will allow them to give you detailed estimates based on specific details, not assumptions, so you can compare apples to apples.

Ask for each contractors license and insurance information and request the same information for any subcontractors that might work on the renovation project. Verify the information with your state and local governments. Also ask about the background check process for subcontractors.

Check each contractors online reviews and request references from recent clients. Focus on comments from people who had projects done that were similar to what you want. If you come across multiple comments about issues such as dishonesty, poor quality of work, lack of responsiveness or unwillingness to address complaints, think twice before hiring that contractor.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

A headboard in your bedroom can act as an accent piece or make a statement. Unfortunately, headboards can get pricey, especially when they are upholstered. Instead of spending a big chunk of change, take on this simple DIY project and create your own upholstered headboard. Heres everything you need to make a custom DIY headboard.

Supplies:

Scissors
Plywood
Upholstery Foam
Batting
Spray Glue
Staple Gun
Fabric

Preparation:

Before you start creating your new headboard, make sure to cut your plywood to the width of your bed and your preferred height. Roll out your upholstery foam and cut to size to fit across your plywood, measured in height from the top of your mattress to the top of the headboard.

Step 1: Lay down your pre-cut plywood. Roll out your pre-cut foam and use spray glue to secure it to the wood.

Step 2: Lay batting on the floor and flip over your foam-covered plywood. The batting will be used to further secure the foam to the wood and offer more cushion underneath your fabric. Tightly pull the batting over the edges of the plywood and use your staple gun to hold it in place. Trim off any excess batting around edges.

Step 3: Flip your plywood, now with upholstery foam and batting securely attached, back over. Lay the fabric across the board, lining up the edges to your liking. Flip the headboard back over with the fabric now facing the floor. Secure with pins or clips if necessary. Just like the batting, pull the fabric taut over the batting and, using your staple gun, staple the fabric into place. Trim off the excess fabric from the back.

All thats left is to mount your headboard. Now, you can enjoy your stylish and custom bedroom space!

Published with permission from RISMedia.