Megablab Home Improvement

Posts Tagged ‘Clothes’

Motivation is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to renovating. I’m sure everyone would prefer to be at the beach, rather than scraping floors, sanding and painting your um-teenth wall.

No matter how motivated you can be, motivation is not constant and consistent. It comes and goes, and comes and goes again. If you’re on Struggle Street, that your motivation will eventually come back. It just depends if you have time to wait or if you can handle living with that unfinished job. In the meantime, here are some ideas that have helped me stay motivated:

1. Get cracking

It’s like going to the gym-once you’re out the door and 5 minutes into your workout it’s fine. Or ripping off a bandaid-pull it off fast and it really hurts, but then it’s over and done with. Throw your reno clothes on and just try not to think about it. You might surprise yourself.

2. Take a trip down memory lane

Grab a beer or glass of wine and browse through your before, during and after photos. You’ll see how much you’ve already achieved-it’s a great feeling. And it will make you want to get stuck into creating more ‘after’ photos.

3. Remember that it’s not forever

The more you get done now the sooner you will finish. It won’t always be like this.

4. Mix it up

I’m by no means suggesting that you start many different jobs at once, but if there is a task that is really getting you down, mix it up a little. Have a go at finishing off another job that’s already on the go just for some variety. Some jobs become mundane and having a break from it for a few hours can make all the difference.

5. Baby steps-break each job into smaller, more manageable chunks

Some jobs are just plain overwhelming. Whether its one huge job or a what-feels-like a million little jobs, break it down into manageable chunks. You could do it by area (e.g. the hallway or the laundry) or by type (e.g. all of the plastering or painting)… whatever works for you. It will make it feel more achievable and easier to recognise progress.

We had to scrape glue off and sand every square inch of our concrete slab before putting floors down. It was like prepping walls for paint, but on your hands and knees, on cold concrete in winter, times 80 square metres. Yep. My husband and I originally started at opposite ends of the house working to meet in the middle. But it became way too overwhelming. Every hour that passed by it felt like we hadn’t even made a dent. Later on, we tried working together to do a room (or section of a room) at a time. We got there twice as fast working together, and each time we finished a section there was a sense of relief that we had made it to another milestone.

6. Find inspiration

Visit a display home, look at magazines, check out photos online. Anything that makes you think “I can’t wait until my place looks like that!”

7. Establish (realistic) goals

And make them exciting. Leading up to Christmas and our birthdays is always a very productive time. We’ll say, by my birthday, I would like to complete the patio so that we can have a party. Or, by Christmas, I want to finish the floors so that we can put our lounge back together and put a Christmas tree up. This way, it gives you something to look forward to other than just getting that work done.

8. Celebrate your successes

It’s important to celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. It doesn’t have to be a party-it could be a few beers on your new garage slab. Or a roast dinner in your newly-renovated dining room. It makes the journey a lot more enjoyable.

9. Reward yourself

Creating a reward for yourself when you reach a milestone is a great motivating tool. It doesn’t have to cost money-it could be a month off from renovating, a day watching TV or lazing by the pool, or a massage. Decide on your reward in advance so that you have something exciting to look forward to.

Furniture and home wares make great rewards. After your hard work getting the house looking great, tired non-matching furniture and accessories just don’t do it justice. But don’t buy furniture until that room is finished. You don’t want to be painting over a new couch, for example.

10. Get help

Get some of your family and friends over for a working bee, followed by an afternoon BBQ. It’s amazing how much you can get done and how good you will feel afterwards. Plus, you’ll get some much-needed social time.

11. Take time out for fun

All work and no play is no good for anyone. Don’t forget to make time for fun and to catch up with friends and family. If you are constantly working there isn’t anything much to look forward to. Make plans and stick to them. Just make sure you allow enough time to get the paint off you before you head out;-)

12. Make a to-do list

Seeing items ticked off is a great feeling. If you’re having trouble getting moving, start with the easy jobs on your list and tick them off. It will give you a sense of achievement and help you keep going.

13. Don’t give up

Whatever you do, don’t give up. Even if you aren’t feeling any motivation today, or you haven’t been ticking many things off the list lately, don’t give up. You WILL get there.

14. Focus on the end result

Think about how great it’s going to look when you are finished. This is your light at the end of the tunnel. It might not look so great right now, and you might be sick of working, but you won’t regret it once it’s done.

15. Stay positive

Don’t underestimate the power of positive thinking. Swap “This is too hard!” and replace it with “I can do this! If [person you know] can do it, so can I!” It might sound a bit lame but it really does work.

Hang in there!

Louise Excell
Communications professional by day, renovator by night
http://renobrickroad.blogspot.com/

Organizing does not come easy to most people, leave alone organizing to do lists. However, getting organized with your to do list can help you get things done on time, quicker and leave you feeling more fulfilled once the task is completed. On the other hand, an unorganized to do list will make you feel like you are constantly chasing deadlines with your stress level touching an all-time high. In order to prevent this, you need to categorize the action in your to do list just like mothers categorize the clothes for laundry. This is your first step towards getting organized with your chores and errands. Read the rest of this entry »

Laundry is something we all must do, but most of us don’t really like doing, laundry duty, or laundry day is something most of us prefer to avoid whenever we can. You will be surprised to learn that laundry is one of the main causes of disorder and mess around the house, laundry that is not taken care of can sometimes be a burden on all family members.

How many times did you want to explain to one of your family members that the laundry does not end its life when simply inserted into the laundry basket, and how many times you simply asked that the used clothes be properly places in the laundry basket?. There is one big secret on laundry management and that is keeping it tidy and in order all the time, and using as many things as you possibly can to help you do that.

A wicker laundry basket is one of the classical and simplest things you can get, it looks great, and it is easy to move around from place to place. A wicker laundry basket is what most people use to hold their laundry until it is done and than they use it again when they need to put order in the laundry itself. Read the rest of this entry »

When you are going out of town backpacking in such a short period, let’s say on the long weekend, perhaps you want to look for alternative between your big backpack and your small fancy bags. Suitcase is a big no no since this is a backpack trip. Perhaps you feel like carrying your big backpack here and there might be heavy for your shoulder, and makes some inflexible move. You also want to look for things to carry on your clothes with style and flexibility.

Posylane.com comes with the laundry bag that is fancy, in moderate size, to serve both of your needs of flexibility and style. The laundry bag comes in 16 different designs, where you can personalize it by embroidering your name across it. The bag comes in moderate size for long weekend backpack with 22.5” x 31” sizes and shoulder strap. Read the rest of this entry »

Decorating the important rooms in your house is very much needed, once you moved or owned your new home; bedroom and kitchen are included into these important rooms. In decorating these two rooms, you need to purchase what so called wardrobe doors and kitchen doors. And in finding the best and suitable doors for these two rooms, Doors Sincerely is the one and only shop you need to purchase. What are being offered by this doors shop, anyway?

As previously mentioned, this doors shop is providing with wardrobe doors and kitchen doors, with various designs, colors, materials, and prices as well. Wardrobe Doors are doors you should install on your bedroom’s wardrobe, and the Doors Sincerely offers various attractive design, which will match with your bedroom. In short, besides protecting your clothes, these doors also build your bedroom’s positive atmosphere as well. Read the rest of this entry »

A dining room chair screen is an affordable decorative item that can serve you change the scrutinize of your dining room in minutes. The modern-day covers near in all sorts of colours and fabrics, allowing anyone to achieve the true scrutinize and feel that they want to have in their dining room. In this article, we will discuss two of the most distinguished materials broken-down in the making of these products, and how to choose the one that would fit you best.

The two most well-liked materials stale for dining room covers are cotton and polyester. Each of these fabrics has its advantages and drawbacks, and each one requires different care. Read the rest of this entry »

Decorative home accessories might be the fun allotment of the room for you. This is where you really procure to trace off your personality and bring in color. Plus, it’s very inexpensive, so even if you don’t have a colossal obtain budget you can unexcited add a few accepted items to your room.

It takes a small bit of planning to add decorative home accessories to a room. Otherwise, your room will extinguish up looking cluttered or messy. You want to bag obvious that your region has an overall develop to it. Read the rest of this entry »