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How to Stage Children's Rooms

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/kidsroomwrug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/kidsroomwrug.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Can we talk about staging children’s bedrooms? I recently received an email from Sarah asking for advice in this department. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I wrote about <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/04/got-kids-got-home-for-sale-heres-seven.html" target="_blank">staging when you have children</a> on this blog<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> and </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html#." target="_blank">home staging eBook</a>, but I want to emphasize some points about staging kids’ bedrooms. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When your home is for sale and you have children living there, you’re forced to walk a delicate balance between maintaining a consistent home environment for your little ones and keeping the home irresistibly show-ready for a variety of demographic buyers. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Gee, talk about a challenge! </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t hate me for asking for the impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I’m a mom and grandmother and I know what little people need, and how their spaces can look. Yeah, disaster areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, please remember, I’m offering advice, I'm  not casting rules in stone. Your family comes first … and usually the budget a close second. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Home staging and parenting share a common denominator: We do the best we can and that is good enough!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">What I Told Sarah </span></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Your home has just so much square footage. Every buyer wants space. The more usable space your home appears to have, the more valuable it looks to a buyer. Your goal, just as in every other room, is to make as many buyers as practical envision themselves comfortably, effortlessly living in your home and using every available square foot. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You know where I’m going with this. Make your rooms look roomy and generic. Not dull, not boring … just not so specific in function or decor that buyers write off the space. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Here are my best tips for staging children's rooms, based on the most common mistakes parents make when selling a home where kids live.  </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/twinbeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/twinbeds.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Help your children keep their room tidy by temporarily minimizing belongings </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">and providing places to stash stuff. Photo: Sawyer Berson via Decorpad.</span></i>  </td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Ditch Little Mermaid and Friends.</b> Ditto sports teams, pirates, cowboys, and rainbows. Don’t create a themed room. This isn't your chance to have fun. It's your chance to get a  good price for your home. Don't alienate any buyers. Instead, make the room look as much like a bedroom anyone would be comfortable staying in. Ask yourself, “Would this function as a guest room, the way it looks now?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Cancel Handwriting on the Wall.</b> Don’t paint murals on the walls or ceilings. Whether it’s a professionally hand-painted masterpiece or a wallpaper border, what are the chances Mr. House-Hunter will love it as much as your children and you do? Why risk souring a potential purchaser who wants move-in ready without any painting or paper-stripping on his part? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the same reason, I also discourage chalkboard walls</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Skip Customized Cabinetry.</b> Don’t create built-ins that limit the use of the floor’s square footage the way bunk beds, cubbies, and custom play areas like cars or castles would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A trundle bed, sleeper sofa, or convertible day bed is a good alternative if you need to sleep two. Once again, we do the best we can, given our lifestyle and budget. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I realize you're not going to rip out built-in shelving and play tables, and that's rational. But if you've just spent $200 on two sets of Disney bedspreads, blankets, and sheets, you could pack them away for now and replace them with bedding that doesn't shout, "Look at Me!"  </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A realtor once told me that bunk beds were a sign to buyers that the home was short of space. Food for thought.  <b></b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Eliminate Girly or Oh, Boy!</b> Don’t decorate exclusively to one gender. Not all pink ruffles but not all camo either. You’ve staged your other rooms to appeal to the masses so repeat the formula here. Go with a wall color that flows with the rest of your home. Make it easy for the buyer to envision this room as an office, craft room, or a bedroom for anyone regardless of gender or age. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/bluetwinbeds-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/bluetwinbeds-1.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I like to think that making a room look </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">grown-up will encourage grown-up behavior</span></i>.<br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">Photo: Phillip House NYC via Decorpad.</span></i> </td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You almost have to think politically correct!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Consider Safety First.</b> Creeps are everywhere. Don’t announce your children’s names on signs, pillows, and toys. I cringe when I see children wearing clothing or carrying backpacks with their name for all to read, making it easy for a c<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">hild predator to use the "I know you" trick.  </span>Never forget that strangers will be touring your home. They know where you live. Don't give them your children's names.   </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>DeClutter. Again.</b> Not knowing how long your home will be on the market complicates the issue of where to store toys, books, sports equipment, mementos, awards, and other childhood paraphernalia. You can usually<a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/10/where-to-stash-un-sexy-stuff-in-staged.html" target="_blank"> find storage areas in your home </a>where you can rotate out some cartons of toys and clothing. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It‘s impossible for very young children to understand why toys and clothes need to be put away regularly. Storage like low chests and large, lidded baskets will look attractive and make daily pickups go more smoothly.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Your outdoors areas should be as tidy as the indoor areas. That means no collection of old wagons and strollers, no play equipment that doesn't get used but is still stored in the garage or attic. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A playroom is a playroom and can be staged as one, as long as it can be visualized as having another function -- game room, family room or bonus room. Never give up a bedroom. Bedrooms translate as money. If your playroom is a bedroom, make sure there is a bed in there.        <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Marketing Your Home</span></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Look for what families need that overlaps with what everyone needs – things like plenty of storage space, comfortable congregating areas, areas for privacy, and easy home maintenance features. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emphasize these qualities with your staging and in your listing. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Are there special features in your town or neighborhood that make it attractive to families? Attractions like exceptional schools, parks, hiking trails, swimming pools, summer programs, museums, and sports programs can be listed on your sales literature. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/crib.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/crib.jpg" width="502" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">There's plenty of hidden storage in this nursery.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">And the quilt and butterflies are a better </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">decorating option than paint or wallpaper because </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">they are easily removable. This photo and top photo:</span></i> <i><span style="font-size: small;">Domino</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course, if you decide that the target market for your home is families, you might decide to <a href="http://www.thekimsixfix.com/2011/05/house-staging-101-girls-bedrooms.html" target="_blank">stage your child’s room the way blogger Kim Six did</a>. She made some smart decisions that balanced her family’s lifestyle with the demands of staging to sell.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Incidentally, I never recommend deciding who your target market is because I think it minimizes chances you will appeal to those outside your market. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Whichever way you decide to go, contain as best you can children’s essentials to limited areas where they make staging-sense. By this I mean no bins of toy boats and rubber ducks in the bath, no gallery wall of finger-painted works of art in the kitchen, and no parade of strollers, wagons and scooters in the front entryway. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s just temporary. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">      </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you look at the <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/barbstagedhomes/staged-kids-rooms/" target="_blank">Pinterest Board for children’s rooms</a> that Barb Schwartz, home staging’s pioneer, created, it shows everything I am telling you <b><i>not</i></b> to do. Yes, I said that!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/barbstagedhomes/staged-kids-rooms/"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’d be curious to hear comments from readers what their opinions and problems are regarding staging kids’ rooms. Since I’ve permanently turned off my blog’s comments section to thwart hackers and spammers, you can comment on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/100832113324140/?fref=nf" target="_blank">home staging Facebook group page</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span></div>

How to Stage Children's Rooms

Can we talk about staging children’s bedrooms? I recently received an email from Sarah asking for advice in this department. I wrote about...

2:00 AM

How Scents are Messing with Your Health

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-P1080113_zps19eb8cf7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-P1080113_zps19eb8cf7.jpg" width="490" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Do you know what's in your home fragrances?<br />It's fun, frugal, and healthier to make your own. Try a scented spray, <br />a lime<a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/11/want-some-holiday-scents-make-citrus.html" target="_blank"> pomander</a>, your own diffuser, and my citrus and salt potpourri. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If your home is for sale, it better smell good! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve blogged about how important it is to eliminate smells from <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-to-do-with-your-pet-when-your-home.html" target="_blank">pets</a>, <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/07/mildews-deal-breaker-for-home-buyers.html" target="_blank">mold</a>, or cooking. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sanitation and ventilation usually take care of these problems. But most of us like to add another fragrance, whether it's an air freshener, a room atomizer, or scented candles. Department stores develop their own signature fragrances to get you in the mood for buying, so why not you?    </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The problem is almost all these manufactured scents create health problems. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 8.35pt;">Artificially scented products like the ones I mentioned, as well as soaps, laundry detergents, spray cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, pesticides, preservatives, plastics, and a  host of other ordinary items, contain what’s called endocrine disruptors.<br /><br />An endocrine disruptor is a naturally occurring or man-made chemical that either acts like or blocks the hormones of your internal endocrine system. These false hormones are called xenoestrogens and the list of conditions they create is long: early puberty, lessened female fertility, endometriosis, cancer, and other disturbances to your nervous system, immune system and reproductive system. </div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 8.35pt;">You can see why it’s important to know where you’ll run across these pretender hormones. They can enter our bodies through our skin, the air we breath, and the foods we eat.<br /><br />You may already know about these ingredients and their effects on the body. If so, please help me spread the word. Rather than fostering paranoia, let’s all look for ways to rid our lives of these toxic chemicals. It’s important.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s especially important if you are a woman. And even more so if you are pregnant or could become pregnant. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-EndocrineDisruptors_zpsbb982a62.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-EndocrineDisruptors_zpsbb982a62.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">On the left -- some of the cleaners that contain <span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">xenoestrogens. Yes, even Mrs. Meyer's <br />stuff contains artificial fragrances. On the right are harmless,economical<br /> substitutes that do the same work -- baking soda, vinegar, microfiber<br />cloths and essential oils (not to be confused with fragrance oils).    </span></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Here’s How to Start</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li><b>Read labels.</b> Check for fragrance ingredients. Manufacturers are not required to list all chemical additives by name. The only acceptable fragrance should be “essential oil.”</li><li><b>Avoid plastics.</b> Store and cook food in glass or stainless. Avoid non-stick cookware. Microwave in glass or ceramic. Use a fabric instead of a plastic shower curtain. Don't handle new plastic products that have a strong chemical aroma. </li><li><b>Don't touch.</b> Don’t handle the thermal receipt a store gives you. Instead, ask the cashier to place it in your shopping bag. Wash your hands after handling one. </li><li><b>Skip the canned goods.</b> Buy fresh or frozen foods so you can limit exposure to BPA in can linings. Favor organic foods.</li><li><b>Filter water.</b> It’s better than drinking spring water that’s been stored in plastic bottles. </li><li><b>Go natural.</b> Use natural insecticides. Purchase unscented bath, beauty, laundry and cleaning products. Do it yourself. Make your own air fresheners and cleaners.     </li></ul><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-EndocrineDisruptors_zps240da487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-EndocrineDisruptors_zps240da487.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">No one loves a deliciously scented soap more than I do. Check those labels. <br />You'll find that almost all supermarket soaps are not really soaps, <br />but "beauty bars" or "deodorant bars," whatever that is!<br />If you buy locally produced soaps,  you'll fare much better. <br />Yardley soaps and Dr. Bronners are good.<br />You can also create your own bath scrubs and skin care products. <br />I wash my face once a week with a teaspoon of sugar for an exfoliant.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Easy Formulas </span></b><br /><b><br /></b>Yes, you can create home remedies to replace the nasty but necessary home care products you count on. Read labels of "green products," and if you still don't like what you see, turn to DIY.    </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Natural air freshener</b>: Cut orange in half. Scoop out pulp (the part you would eat), and reserve the pulp and the remaining half orange for another use. Rub inside of empty orange half with 2 teaspoons salt. Place in pretty bowl and set where it will scent the room. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Natural oil diffuser:</b> Combine 3 parts mineral oil, 2 parts vodka or gin, and 1 part essential oil of your choice. Pour into container with narrow neck (the neck reduces evaporation). Insert reeds and invert the reeds every few days. Use the same formula minus the mineral oil to make an air freshener spray.  </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">It's not true that natural essential oils won't bother chemically sensitive people -- people who might be coming to view your home on the market. To be safe, keep the scents in your home on the light side, never overwhelming.       </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-EndocrineDisruptors_zps031a1bd7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-EndocrineDisruptors_zps031a1bd7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Fabric softener sheets and liquids are prime offenders. So are the aerosols that claim to <br />"freshen the air." Below I've given you websites that will hook you up to<br />directions for making heavenly and user-friendly aroma sources, including sprays and <br />diffusers.  I love the "candles" that operate on batteries. <br />They don' t have any fragrance,  but they glow and flicker convincingly.   </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Call to Action</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">      </div><div class="MsoNormal">This post is not a go-green-or-die proclamation. Instead it’s a call to increase our awareness of environmental toxins, so that we can make changes to improve and protect our own and our family’s health. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Will I still bring out the Bar Keeper’s Friend to treat a rust spot that nothing else can tackle? And resort to Lime-Away to deal when hard water stains build up?  Probably. But I’ll limit my exposure as much as possible. I’ll ventilate, wear gloves, use sparingly, and continue to search for substitutes</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-EndocrineDisruptors_zps9e274c98.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-EndocrineDisruptors_zps9e274c98.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Manicures. Will this be the one that's hard to give up? <br />Try the nail buffer for an alternative to chemical polishes and glues. I use one and I love it. <br />Natural, healthy-looking, shiny nails can be sexy, too!   </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Links That Help</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />My research unearthed numerous support sources. We are not alone! Here are some sites that will give you details and encouragement. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you majored in chemistry, check the Wikipedia listing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you are a teacher, check <a href="http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/">http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/</a>  </div><div class="MsoNormal">If you’d like a quick overview specifying the dangers of endocrine disruptors and what you can do to avoid them, go to <a href="http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/qendoc.asp">http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/qendoc.asp</a></div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.15pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">If you are pregnant and want advice from a doctor, try <a href="http://nurtureparenting.com/pregnant-and-pre-polluted-eight-choices-for-a-cleaner-womb/">http://nurtureparenting.com/pregnant-and-pre-polluted-eight-choices-for-a-cleaner-womb/</a></div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 7.15pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="background-color: transparent;">If you want a quick list to the dirty dozen endocrine disruptors check </span><a href="http://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors" style="background-color: transparent;">http://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you need a list of health ratings for common health and beauty products, the best one is <a href="http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/">http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you want concise recipes for making your own cleaning products, visit <a href="http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm">http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you want to read what Glamour Magazine told women to do, read</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://notjustaprettyface.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/glamour.pdf">http://notjustaprettyface.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/glamour.pdf</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you are into making your own bath and beauty products (great as gifts!) you’ll find recipes here <a href="http://wellnessmama.com/5801/7-ingredients-20-diy-beauty-recipes/">http://wellnessmama.com/5801/7-ingredients-20-diy-beauty-recipes/</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you like making your own air fresheners, try those at<br /><a href="http://www.designsponge.com/2012/11/small-measures-natural-room-spritz.html">http://www.designsponge.com/2012/11/small-measures-natural-room-spritz.html</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you want to know the post I like best for making diy air fresheners, it’s <a href="http://www.thankyourbody.com/homemade-air-freshener/">http://www.thankyourbody.com/homemade-air-freshener/</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you want to buy reed diffuser sticks, you can get them from Yankee Candle  <a href="http://www.yankeecandle.com/flameless/reed-diffuser/reed-sticks">http://www.yankeecandle.com/flameless/reed-diffuser/reed-sticks</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">And from Amazon</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rattan-Reed-Diffuser-Replacement-Sticks/dp/B003YDSTM6/ref=pd_sim_hg_50">http://www.amazon.com/Rattan-Reed-Diffuser-Replacement-Sticks/dp/B003YDSTM6/ref=pd_sim_hg_50</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you want to choose from a major list of quality essential oils, order from <a href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index2.php">http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index2.php</a><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What's Your Story?   </span></b><br /><br />In today’s world we can’t eliminate all the things that compromise our health, but we can certainly reduce our exposure to them. I’m renewing a pledge to myself to substitute real fragrances and fresh air for chemical derivatives. I hope you’ll join me. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">What will be the artificially scented product most difficult for you to give up? And how can you find an acceptable replacement?<br /><br /></div></div>Don't forget to order my $5 <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.</i> If you are selling a home, it will take you through the steps that make a difference!<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

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Got Kids? Got a Home for Sale? Here's Seven Tips Especially for You.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/IMG_2268.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Do your children really need a closet full of toys all the time? </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The only thing more difficult than <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/03/you-know-your-home-is-staged-when.html" target="_blank">living in a home that's for sale</a> is living in a home that's for sale when you have young children.<br /><br />If that's your situation, I feel your pain.<br /><br />I know how stressful it can be when you've just touched up your wall paint, and discover two days later small handprints all up and down the stairwell.<br /><br />I know how stressful it can be when your realtor calls from down the street, wanting to show your home in a few minutes, and the living room is draped in blanket forts that cover an intricate complex of  Lego villages and train tracks.<br /><br />With these things in mind, I've collected my favorite tips learned from PWHOM -- parents with a home on the market. <br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Systematize.</span></b> Have routines. Do the same procedures daily. For example, everyone makes his or her own bed as soon as he or she gets out of it, one child puts away dishes after every meal, and another sweeps the front steps each evening. Soon, you'll have these habits down pat. Life is simpler with simple rituals, and young ones learn new tasks faster when the tasks are repeated at short intervals, like daily, or even twice daily.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Simplify.</span></b> Put away the toys and games that are not essential. Most children will not miss the majority of their books, toys, games, dolls and stuffed animals. If storing all but their favorites creates a problem, rotate toys in and out of storage, and explain that the situation is just temporary. It's important for your own sanity that children understand -- as best they can -- the importance of all you are doing to help sell your home.   <br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Squirrel-ize.</span></b> That's right, think like a squirrel, and <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/10/where-to-stash-un-sexy-stuff-in-staged.html" target="_blank">hide things</a>. People on a tour of your home don't need to see your basket of diaper changing essentials, the science project your son is in the middle of, the pile of sports equipment near the back door, or your daughter's doll collection. Think accessible, but still out of sight and in a place where home buyers don't look. Here are some hiding places I like for temporary stashing:<br /><ul><li>under the bed, in sliding boxes</li><li>an emptied, designated dresser drawer </li><li>pretty shoeboxes, hatboxes, or these <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/05/make-your-own-decorative-vases-for-free.html" target="_blank">DIY cardboard vases </a></li><li>an ottoman or bench with a storage compartment built in </li><li>the washer or dryer  </li><li>the trunk of your car </li><li>a vintage piece of luggage or wicker basket</li></ul><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/photo.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Delegate tasks on your <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/01/do-you-have-pre-showing-checklist.html" target="_blank">pre-showing checklist</a> to everyone in the household.<br />This is my #3 grandson, and he actually likes to vacuum.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Supervise.</span></b> Once infrequently used rooms are decluttered and clean, don't let them become catch-all areas for stuff that has no home. If you can close off rooms like the guest room or powder room, placing them off-limits to family members, that's another possibility. Remind them that it's just temporary.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Schedule.</span></b> Make a checklist of what touchups need to be done just prior to a short-notice showing. If you leave the house for work in the morning, never knowing if a realtor will bring people through during the day, having a touchup checklist is even more important. I know it's asking a lot, but selling a home is like running a business. Children, even young ones, should have a designated role in touchups.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Secret-ize.</span></b> Put away things like schedules and calendars that show when you won't be home or where your children will be, any paperwork and decorations that show your children's names, or photographs of your children. You do not know who is coming into your home or what they want to know about you. I don't think I have to go into the details. It's all about keeping kids safe.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Synchronize.</span></b> Work with <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-help-your-realtor-sell-your-home.html" target="_blank">your realtor</a> on timing so that showings are not a problem. Most parents prefer showings during school hours. Ideally, you should never have to refuse a showing. Some buyers breeze into town for the day and don't have much scheduling flexibility. It's more important to let your home be shown with some toys scattered about, and some wet towels on the rods, than to let a possible buyer escape. Many buyers interpret a demand for 24-hour notice as "not serious sellers." Be show-ready! I know it can be a hassle, but stay focused on the prize.<br /><br />You'll drive yourself mad if you expect <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-get-it-all-done-and-still-stay.html" target="_blank">organized perfection.</a> It's a balancing act. On one hand, buyers know you don't live in a model home, but on the other hand, buyers watch HGTV and they know the market now is a buyers' market. Whatever leverage you can gain by making your home the one that looks better than the rest, gives you a clear advantage.<br /><br />I give other tips to help you navigate the waters toward a sale of your home in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar. </i>For just $5, it will pay for itself over and over and over. Or I'll give you your money back.<br /><br />

Got Kids? Got a Home for Sale? Here's Seven Tips Especially for You.

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