If your budget is tight after you just moved or you just want to redecorate a bit, here is a few good ideas to liven up your walls without painting:

How To Decorate Blank Walls on the Cheap

If you just moved into a place and blew your budget and are now left with bare windows, here are some ideas to block out the sun and nosy pedestrians.

Window Coverings on a Budget

Carpal tunnel syndrome is possibly the most common nerve disorder experienced today. It affects 4 – 10 million Americans and is usually very treatable. Middle-aged to older individuals are more likely to develop the syndrome than younger persons, and females three times more frequently than males.

Carpal tunnel syndrome disables a key nerve, resulting in symptoms ranging from mild occasional numbness to hand weakness, loss of feeling and loss of hand function. The main symptom is numbness of the fingers. Given this widespread familiarity, people often attribute any discomfort or pain in the hand or wrist to carpal tunnel syndrome. However, there are many other conditions which can cause similar complaints. It is important to know the difference.

• Carpal tunnel syndrome may interfere with hand strength and sensation, and cause a decrease in hand function.
• Other conditions, such as arthritis, tendonitis and other nerve involvement, need to be ruled out before diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Physicians can diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome by history of the symptoms, physical examination and electrical testing, and in some cases by use of ultrasound or MRI.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome can be treated effectively with medications, splinting, steroid injections in the wrist and/or surgery.

EXERCISES

Here are some great ideas for your old dishes: Don’t throw away that shattered plate!

After a long day of sitting in front of a computer all day I feel as if I should go to a yoga class and stretch out. From my neck to my toes everything feel stiff . My legs always felt the worst. So as a solution to this I simply take the waste paper basket place it under my desk and prop one leg at a time on it and gently lean forward. Here is a link that has 12 simple tips for stretching exercises at your desk.

Stretching Exercises at Your Desk

How will you move your stuff?

You’ll might need to hire some moving help, but before you do, you should determine what type of move is right for you.  It can save you money and time.

Figuring out the best way move is not too difficult, but it requires knowing the basics:

The Four Types of Moves

1. Full-service move – In a full-service move, a moving company will load your stuff into the truck, do the driving, and then unload it at your new home. They might also offer additional services, such as packing and temporary storage. You can usually choose among flat rates, by-the-pound rates and hourly. No matter the type of rate, this is typically the most expensive option.
2. You-pack service – Hiring a You-Pack service still involves hiring movers, but you’re the one who does the loading and unloading. The moving company will deliver a storage container to your house, which you load.  Then the moving company transports it to your new place.
3. Truck rental – If you can load your own stuff and drive a truck, then renting a moving truck (and recruiting a few friends) might be the right choice for your move. Renting a moving truck is much cheaper than a full-service move, but don’t forget to consider the cost of gas when estimating the total price.
4. Do it yourself – in the do-it-yourself move, you pack, load and transport everything by yourself, whether in your own car or in a friend’s pick-up truck.

The right move for you

So which is the way to go? Here are some things to consider before making your decision:

• How much time do you have? If you simply don’t have time to spend on loading up a truck and doing your own driving, then the decision is easy: you need full-service movers.

• Is it worth your time? If you’re thinking about going with self-service or a truck rental, don’t forget to consider the value of your own time and effort. If you make more money per hour than a moving service would cost, you might as well work.

• Can you move your stuff without help? Professional movers have the tools, trucks and muscle to move just about anything safety and efficiently.  You, on the other hand, might not.

• How much money can you spend on moving?  If you have $100 on hand, you might have to force a do-it-yourself move no matter what your ideal situation would be.  Conversely, if you have $10,000 to spend, you can probably safely make any choice.  Use our moving cost calculator to get a better idea of how much a move would cost you.

• Where are you moving? Moving across town takes a lot less effort and affords you a lot more flexibility than moving across the country.

In making your decision, consider the pros and cons of your moving options thoroughly.  Also, take a look at our moving tips.  Once you’ve evaluated your options, make a choice.  There’s still a lot to be done.

What’s the best tape for moving boxes??

Your four options: shipping tape, masking tape, duct tape, or filament tape.

Shipping tape is a thin-but-sturdy tape that is either clear or brown. It is cheap, easy to use, and strong enough to seal boxes. It is also water-resistant and very sticky. It is your BEST option for the average moving box.

Masking tape is a light brown tape that has the feel of paper. It is very easy to rip and wet. It is also very easy to use – though sticky, it is easy to peel and place, and it can be written on. Due to its weakness, masking tape is better for labeling boxes, not sealing them.

Duct tape is the water buffalo of tapes. It is sturdier than a tree and stickier than Velcro dipped in glue. It is often grey, and it is reinforced with cloth or plastic, making it difficult to work with but extremely resilient. Duct tape is best for reinforcing very heavy boxes or for securing items in place.

Filament tape – This tape is similar to shipping tape, except is it reinforced with an inner, plastic lining, making it very difficult to rip and cut. Like duct tape, it is good for heavy boxes.

Avoid Scotch tape 🙂