In today’s buyer’s market, Home Staging is often done when you sell your home. Staging a home can command a much higher selling price. A home staging professional can be hired to tour your home and direct you to make the changes that will increase your home’s marketability. Make sure the stager you hire is accredited.

Spring is here and that’s when you’ll start to see all the “For Sale” signs going up around the neighborhood.  Everybody wants to get the kids settled into a new home before the start of the next school year.  My daughter and charming son-in-law had their house on the market for 7 months last year, but decided to take it off, stay where they are and do some home remodeling, and are considering adding vinyl siding and a new deck.

Staging a home is not redecorating it, or improving it by adding replacement windows. Redecorating a home focuses on the seller and their personality. Staging focuses on the buyer. It provides the current home owner with the knowledge to rearrange the furnishings, pictures, accessories, etc. in the best possible manner to enhance the rooms function, appearance and balance.

The seller of a home has a strong emotional attachment and often times lacks the objectivity to know what’s best to enhance their homes looks.

In the high-end market, real estate agents will often hire a stager as part of the selling package because they may be uncomfortable disclosing to the seller that their home needs work and avoid upsetting them.

The main purpose of the staging professional is to help the buyer see themselves and their belongings fit into the home they are viewing. They do this by rearranging the home to appeal to a broad base of purchasers. Stagers can be expensive, so if you want to go it alone please follow the tips below.

The first and most important consideration to prepare your home for sale is to declutter. Clutter shouldn’t be present anywhere in your home. Go through each room and remove any clutter you see.  Hold a ffamily swap yard sale! Organize toys in decorative boxes that are hidden away in a storage room.  You can always take them out again when you don’t have any booked showings (or send them to grandmom’s house temporarily). Bookcases should be tidy and attractively interspersed with a few decorative curios. Closets should be cleaned out so that only clothes are visible. Remove storage at top and bottom of closets. Out-of-season clothing can be placed in storage.You have to move anyway and you’ll have less to pack when you do move!

Usually the foyer will provide the buyer with the first impression. It should be clean, uncluttered, bright and inviting. If any rooms are dull brighten them up with higher wattage bulbs in lamps. Remove any personal photos from all rooms if possible and replace with prints. The buyer will want to envision the home as “theirs.”

A fresh coat of paint is mandatory. Paint your home in a neutral color (white or beige is recommended).  You can add a splash of color by using pillows,  accessories, pillows, candles or throw rugs.

Bathrooms should be sparkling! Counters should be clear with no personal items visible. Tub tile grout should be clean and shower curtains or glass shower doors should be free of mildew. Hang fluffy, colorful towels on the towel rods.

Kitchens must be spotless. Remove all precious kiddie drawings, notes, magnets, etc. off the front of the refrigerator. Keep counter space clean and clear of all items. Clean out under sinks and organize your pantry. Paint outdated cupboards with a neutral color and put new inexpensive modern knobs on doors for a fresh look. Dishes on the floor for pet food should be eliminated during a showing.

Highlight your most attractive piece of furniture by placing on the wall you see when you enter a room if possible. Tuck away Cd’s, videos, etc. Hang pictures at eye level. Group accessories in odd numbers.  Place a flower arrangement or mantle clock above the fireplace.

Clean those garages, front and backyards.  Placing a potted flower pot on the doorstep or planting flowers in bloom or shrubs in the yard for a welcoming effect will improve curb appeal.  Prune any shrubs you may already have. Don’t leave bikes or toys around the yard. If you have a pool, clean it. The lawn should be cut and watered to give the home a well cared for look. A coat of paint on the outside of the house may also be in order.

If you can afford a stager it is well worth the money. If not, just make sure you clean and unclutter! A spring cleaning will definitely pay off.
© 2010 C. Matthews

Time Tracker Mini Visual Timer – Manage Time in the Classroom or at Home Review is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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Get The Most Out of Life

Some days it just seems as if life is spiraling out of control.  One would think that now that my kids are launched and on their own, life would settle into a nice routine.  However, it happens to have become more complicated!

I’m still juggling work; the house; shopping; cleaning; social obligations and, of course – babysitting the grandchildren.  Somewhere in between all of that, I like to try to fit in a little “me time.” If you’re in such a position, I’m certain you know what’s the first thing to skip.

When I was participating in an online weight watching program, one of the nice features was that there were check-mark boxes to make sure that I was fulfilling certain nutritional guidelines.

I recently had the opportunity to review a new product from Daysteps for women who are responsible for multiple responsibilities and priorities.

The Daysteps Personal Lifestyle Planner is unlike any other you may have used, and was developed by three women who spent 12 months creating it – Kelly Wagner; Cecilia George and Bobette Kyle, along with their graphic designer, Laura Thake.

The planner is different because it encompasses many key aspect of your life and is designed to motivate you to become the person you want to be; to feel calm and capable about carrying out your daily activities and reaching your intentions.

Unique features include:

• Monthly priorities

• Nutrition, water, sleep, and fitness trackers

• ‘Clear Your Head’ pages

• ‘Fill Your Heart‘ sections – which help to bring inspiration and balance into your life.

The planner also helps you to identify life priorities most important to you while remaining focused on the journey toward fulfillment: one step at a time, one day at a time.

There are three editions being launched -  all eco-friendly, green and printed on recycled paper: Full Year 2010 retails for $34.95; January-June 2010 is $18.95; and July-December 2010 is $18.95.

Daysteps also has an inspirational blog to guide you along.

For More Information visit: Daysteps

Moomette’s Magnificents  is hosting a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of a 2010 Daysteps Personal Lifestyle Planner.

Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Main Rule:   (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND

b) Visit Daysteps and leave a comment about another fact not mentioned in this post and why you’d like to win this product.

This contest will run until October 22, 2009 at 11:00 pm. EDT

For Additional Entries, check out my Contest Entry Rules.

Time Tracker Mini Visual Timer – Manage Time in the Classroom or at Home Review is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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Manage Your Team or Group Online

We’re heading into the home stretch of August, which is bittersweet to me.

Both of my daughters participated in sports such as soccer, lacrosse, and cross-country from the time they were in elementary school, and all through high school and college.

Each August during high school, their sports teams held “captains practice” week.  It is the unofficial start of the Fall sports season. One year we vacationed at the Connecticut shore, which was in commuting distance of their high school.  We’d pack them up from a day at the beach and drive our oldest daughter to “captain’s practice,” then back down to the shore.

I often overhear many of my co-workers speak of how they actively coach or participate in the coordination of their children’s sports activities.

If you’re such a parent, you might be interested in TeamSnap – The simplest, easiest way to manage your team or group online.

Growing at a rate of 10% a month, TeamSnap continues to add features that increase the site’s value and usefulness to team coaches, managers, participants and parents.

Highlight features include:

• Manage game and schedule events

• Track fees and payments

• Track individual and team stats

New features this fall, which will include Seasons (ability to archive and access past media and data), customizable Photobooks, and a fun affiliate program where anyone can refer TeamSnap to earn cash.

Time Tracker Mini Visual Timer – Manage Time in the Classroom or at Home Review is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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BlogHer10

Recently I participated in a contest sponsored by Cozi to win a $100 Scholarship for 15 Women Not Going to BlogHer09.

I had to submit a post, along with my Top 10 Reasons I Am Excited to Stay Home with My Family this Coming Weekend.  The 15 posts with the most comments would win.

Thanks to all my wonderful readers, Twitter followers, Facebook Fans, Friends and MomDot forum friends who rose to the occasion, I was one of the Winners!  I am so excited!  I really appreciate all the kind comments that you all left for me!

Although I’ve been to many conferences throughout my career, I’ve never been to a blog conference before and am really excited that BlogHer10 will be held in New York City.

Thanks to Cozi, I’ve already started my “fund” and will be hoping I can obtain more Sponsors to help send me to the Big Apple next year.

Cozi is a Free web service that will help you to manage your family calender and more.  I’ll be letting you all know a little bit more about Cozi in future posts, but wanted to thank everybody for getting me off the ground!

Time Tracker Mini Visual Timer – Manage Time in the Classroom or at Home Review is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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Personal and Family Grid Organizer

You would think that although my kids are grown, I no longer have to keep track of dance lessons, lacrosse or soccer games, cross-country meets and other school activities.

As chief mom (and grandmom!) around here, there’s still plenty of organizing to do.

I make notes of what days I have to pick up the grandkids from daycare; what day grandmom’s on-call to babysit when the kids go out on those Saturday night date nights; birthdays, anniversaries – you know how it goes!

Sometimes I even manage to fit in some personal time for hair appointments, manicures & pedicures!

Now that I blog , I still have to keep up with all the product review and contest giveaway schedules.

While there are pros and cons to digital organizers, in previous posts here I’ve dicussed under my work-at-home section of this blog the benefits of returning to good old-fashioned pen and paper as a means of keeping myself organized.

I’ve recently had the opportunity to review Busy Body Book planners and organizers which contain a weekly GRID format to make  managing your time is a breeze!

The most efficient solution to every Mom’s scheduling chaos! Each family member, with their own personal column, can plan and track their activities while they organize and coordinate with one another “side by side.”

This organizer certainly would have come in handy when I was taking the girls to visit colleges during their junior year of high school!

Features that I like include:

• 2 Monthly Planners

• Months-at-a-glance -An overview to help plan ahead for the holidays, vacations, or special events.

• Key contact pages -2 Pages for your emergency contact information, doctors, coaches, babysitters…

• Removable shopping lists – Perforated pages for creating handy grocery or gift lists.

• 2 Pockets – Inside front & back covers provide a deep pocket to hold important papers, receipts, coupons…

• Bookmark – Easily flip to the current week with this unique bookmark that grabs the spiral.

• Notes – A full page each week for notes, to do’s, lists, or alerts. Plenty of notes pages in back of BBB too to record and keep important information.

Plus there’s a sturdy, clear plastic cover to keep it all protected!

Whether your kids are going Back-to-School or you homeschool, or you’re trying to organize and simplify your busy Work-at-Home Mom business, see how this organizer can help you save your sanity!

For More Information Visit: Busy Body Book

Moomette’s Magnificents is hosting a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of a Busy Body Book Personal and Family Grid Organizer.

Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Main Rule:   (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND

b) Visit Busy Body Book and leave a comment about another fact that wasn’t mentioned in this post and why you’d like to win this contest.

This contest will run until August 6, 2009 at 11:00 pm. EDT

For Additional Entries, check out my Contest Entry Rules.

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Here’s a Quick Way To Manage Your Business and Family Time Easily With Planners and Calendars

Our family has a long history of entrepreneurship. My in-laws were self employed and my husband is also.  Not only do I blog, I’m also the unofficial office manger for his business, so we’re always visting our favorite office supply store to pick up supplies.

Visiting the office supply store is akin to a trip to the candy store for me.  I enjoy looking at the latest technology gizmos and gadgets to stay on top of our game, whether it’s for the home office or personal time management. My husband is the technophobe so I’m the one who gets all giddy. He’s so unlike his late brother who we called “professor gadget” who had to have the latest electronic wonder of the moment.  My husband is of the school of thought that sometimes tried and true methods work the best and you don’t have to keep ahead of the curve or spend tons of money or be confused by technology.

People who work at home can take pride in the fact that not only are they entrepreneurs building a business that they are proud of, but are also saving money by doing so.  Of course, certain specific equipment and technology is needed to help them accomplish that end result.  Sometimes I feel I am over-scheduled.  I have a Palm Pilot PDA, my iPhone and I use Google Calendar.  On one of my most recent trips to the office supply store I visited the calendar and planner isle.  I was back to that old school of thought and am now using pen and paper as well as a leather-bound Franklin Covey Day Planner.

Manage Your Time With Calendars

If you haven’t seen the new calendars lately, you should check them out!  They’re unlike the flimsy pocket ones that are freebies from your insurance agent, or like the ones your mom carried in her purse.  Today’s calendars have taken on new and exciting functionality and purposes.

Several calendars that I can recommend that are functional and appealing to the eye are Mom’s Plan-It and Mom’s Family Calendar by Sandra Boynton.  You can record every family member’s schedule using pens and stickers.  The family calendar enables you to record each family member’s activity for the month by their name.

If your kitchen is the central gathering place for the family, hang a calendar in an accessible spot for everyone to enter their weekly schedule.  Family calendars can help you to coordinate both business commitments and family life.  Delegate the duty of entering the information to whomever is the most responsible family member.  As a WAHM you can even enter the days and hours you will be working on the family calendar to try to get some productive work time scheduled.

Manage Your Time With Planners

Planners can also be used in conjunction with a desk calendar.  When broken down by hours, planners work better for business.  The time slots that were listed on your family calendar can be broken down into micro project commitments in a planner.  You’re never without your schedule as a planner is very portable.

Franklin Covey offers a line of planners for a variety of needs.  There’s so many planners on the market today – choose yours carefully so you don’t end up with features you don’t need.  Look for ones that include:

• Removable pages

• Sections for notepads or notes

• Address Book

• Places to hold business cards

• Tabs for easy look-up

• Vinyl pouches for messages, bills, etc.

Staying on top of your daily work while keeping your business straight isn’t an easy task and needn’t be expensive.  Even if calendars and planners are considered so yesterday by our techno-savy kids, they get the job done and less expensively.

My motto – whatever floats your boat.

Time Tracker Mini Visual Timer – Manage Time in the Classroom or at Home Review is a post from: Moomettes Magnificents

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