Self Storage Blog
Hidden Treasures: What could you find hidden in your Attic?
Attics are the home of Christmas decorations and unused sports equipment from that failed New Year resolution. Often we throw things in our attic to give us a bit more room around the house, leaving us to think what is actually up there?
People have uncovered many unique treasures by rummaging through their own belongings and in some special cases those items have been worth millions of pounds. Perhaps it’s time to dedicate an afternoon to clearing out the cobwebs and sorting through your things from years ago.
We’ve been hunting around and were amazed at what people uncovered in their attics:
1. Martin Johnson Heade Paintings – While the name may sound unfamiliar, it’s not one that should be forgotten after being heard. Heade is America’s Van Gogh, with his paintings being unknown during his time (1900’s), his flower portraits are luminous and emotional. His painting ‘ Magnolias on Gold Velvet Cloth’ was stored away in an attic until the owner played an art related board game and became curious of the paintings creator. The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas purchased the work from the owner for a staggering $1, 250, 000 in 1999. The painting has been replicated more times than we can count on posters, calendars, and mugs. Several other Heade paintings were discovered the same way and sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds at auction.
2. First Edition Star Wars Collectibles –An American went up to his attic only to discover several boxes from his childhood he had long forgotten about. They were filled with toys he had kept in mint condition, including several first edition star wars collectibles dating from 1977, the year the first Star Wars film was released. He took the toys to a comic book store and sold them for $10,000.
3. Rare Coins – If you have coins your grandparents used to collect, you may have some valuable ones hidden in their stash. George Walton collected rare coins until the day he died, leaving his treasures to his family. Among them was a nickel printed in 1913 with a liberty head. Only five coins were printed with this date and design, making them extremely rare and valuable to historical collectors. Several specialists viewed the coin and declared it to be a fake. It sat in the family’s attic until many years after Walton’s death, when his nephew took the coin to an exhibit where 4 of the 5 coins were on display. There, specialists looked closely and declared Walton’s coin to be the fifth and final coin, making it worth $2,000,000.
4. False Teeth – You may find the strangest things in forgotten boxes in your attic. One family found boxes of false teeth that once belonged to their ancestor who had been a dentist. He had bought false teeth in assorted sizes to best fit the patient’s mouth. The family took the old metal teeth to a jeweler who told them the teeth were made up entirely of platinum. While cheap back in the day, platinum had soared in price thanks to the jewelry market. The teeth were worth around $300 a pair and brought in nearly $8000.
5. Buried Jewelry – Your grandmother’s costume jewelry may not be costume after all. Many people have uncovered real gold and silver pieces stashed in trinket boxes. One mother discovered her daughter was playing with a gem once owned by royalty. It looked like simple piece of costume jewelry but when appraised was worth hundreds of pounds.
You never know what you will uncover in your attic. If you have some emotional attachment to your treasures and want to ensure their safety, it may be best to have them appraised and insured. For as little as £7 a week Big Yellow Self Storage can safely store your valuables, clearing up your attic for several more years of treasures to collect!
De-cluttering your kids rooms
Organising your children’s bedroom can be one of the most difficult tasks you face around your home. Keeping it clean can be a problem but with the right organisation, it may make it easier for your child to pick up after themselves and take better care of their toys. Big Yellow Self Storage has come up with some helpful tips on how to de-clutter and organise your child’s bedroom or toy room in the easiest way possible!
1. Get two boxes and one large rubbish bag. Label one box ‘keep’, the other ‘donate’, and start sorting. Work in a clockwise pattern, making sure you hit every section of the room.
2. Invest in some plastic containers to store under the bed, in the closet, or on empty shelves. Go through the ‘keep’ bin and decide which items you’d like to keep in the room and which you may not be able to part with just yet. For items you can’t bear to get rid of, Big Yellow Self Storage can securely store your belongings for as little as £7 a week.
3. Place plastic toys, books and commonly used things in easy to reach areas. Other items such as markers, paint, breakables and pieces containing small parts should be placed in out-of- the way areas.
4. Rotate their toys. If your family has accumulated lots of toys with multiple children, create separate boxes to store all the toys in. Let your children help pick out what toys they want to play with the most. Once you’ve decided which toys they want to play with, place the other two boxes in a closet, and rotate the boxes every couple of weeks or at the end of every month. This way all toys will be played with, and it’s less to clean up before bed time.
5. Organise the room with your kids. Help them mark the containers with what it should contain. This simple method can ensure little mess as well as a quick and easy clean up after play time.
It may take a bit of time to de-clutter and get organised, but just remember it’ll be worth it in the end. Get the whole family involved and make it fun. It’s important to involve your child in the process and listen to what they think are the most important to keep and what they want to donate. If your child is ready to get rid of something but you’re still holding on to the memories, you can always save it for storage and you can revisit it another day.
De-cluttering your lounge of gadgets
We’re kicking off how to get storage FIT in 2012 with tips on how to sort out wires and gadgets as we focus on de-cluttering your tech in the lounge!
The age of CD’s, digital cameras and DVD’s are fading away. We’re now living in a world of the Digital Cloud. So before you get left behind, or your other half demands you get rid of all of your favourite gadgets, make 2012 the year that you sort it out and finally get rid of that knot of cables behind your telly and that pile of never played CD’s!
1. It’s MP3’s over CD’s
Save space and chuck the CD’s out. Import all your CD’s to your computer as soon as possible. You can use iTunes/Zune/Media Player to do this. It’s worth buying a portable hard drive allowing you extra space for all your files if you have quite a few, although most new laptops come with around 350GB of hard disk space which is more than enough for an average collection. Hard Drives are cheap thee days and you can get a whopping 1TB exterbnal drive from PC World or Amazon for as little as £70.
2. Cable clear up
Rather than having a spiders web of cables clogging the sockets, you can easily sort this tangled nightmare out with some cheap cable tidies from Amazon. Some great examples are Fisula Velcro ties (from £3.29 for 10) or £1.99 for 100 basic nylon ones if you want to go cheap!
Going further you may want to get rid of cables altogether! Get rid of your speaker cables with this £20 wireless connector from pixmania.
3. The Wireless Age
Apple TV gives you access to everything you want to see and hear – blockbuster films, your music and photos, news and sport – all on your widescreen Television. Using a wireless network, you can stream HD films from itunes over the internet onto your TV. Using iCloud means all your photos will automatically back up onto your TV, so you can catch all those priceless memories in HD quality forever. Rather than buying a huge TV cabinet for all your gear, the Apple TV box fits perfectly into the palm of your hand, giving you plenty of space to use for something else.
If you want everything wireless from your temperature control to your lighting check out INSTEON
4. Tablet Takeover
Ipads & Tablets are replacing home automation controls! Designed to remain docked in the wall whilst being easily removed. With a specially configured home, they can control everything in your house, from your thermostat to your swimming pool. It is all controlled using wi-fi which allows third parties, such as smartphones to join in the control.
5. Keep backups!
Even the hardcore geeks say you can’t trust this process of ‘digital everything’, believing that there is always a chance that data can’t be recovered. If you’re similarly paranoid, store all your hard drives in a box, preferably with a sachet of silica gel inside to help prevent mould build-up. For added security you could leave them in your Big Yellow Storage unit.
If you want to keep your old gadegts, backups of your drives, old computers or even your old CD collection, get your gear stored at Big Yellow Self Storage. Big Yellow can offer you the space to house all your itmes that are too priceless to replace, for as little as £7 a week.
Keep an eye on the blog for more updates on how to get storage FIT in 2012!
Resolutions: Get fit and create a home gym for under £100
Ok, so it’s the New Year – you want to get fit, but with some gym memberships being way out of your post-Christmas price range, why not save yourself a few quid and do your workout in the comfort of your own home!
For £100 you can quite easily kit out your spare room with equipment from eBay, so you can even shop from home.
A multi-gym covers most strength exercises and will allow you to adapt your work out with its multi functions. Or why not try out a simpler piece of equipment and see how many Pull up Push up Sit up Dips you can do! This is a cheap and cheerful £28.49.
If your piggy bank is a little too bare for these bits of gym equipment you can do it even cheaper by using more basic techniques which you just need some space for. One cheaper option is using a Stability Ball. This is the big ball that you can use for crunches, squats, sit-ups and once you are bored of excising on this it can double up as a bouncy, moving desk chair! Try to add a new piece of exercise equipment every few months to keep your routine fresh and exciting.
If you get stuck with what to do, try using ideas from fitness magazines, personal trainers, or websites as they can be very helpful and most importantly cheap! Why not create a scrapbook of at least 5 tried out workouts that you can do at home. If you have something in writing, you’ll be far more likely to do it. Also, if you have a TV, computer, or radio in your home gym space you’ll be far more likely to exercise if you can be entertained while you’re doing so.
And if you’ve not got the space, then why not clear out your spare room, and put your stuff in Big Yellow Self Storage from as little as £7 a week and start getting fit in 2012!
Armadillo storage joins a partnership of 40 agencies for North Liverpool Foodbank
Armadillo Storage, Stanley Road, Bootle have agreed to provide a supply of complimentary cardboard boxes to make up emergency food parcels as part of the North Liverpool Foodbank and St. Andrews Church.
Dave Reason, Store Manager from Armadillo Storage said he was delighted to support the scheme “We are always looking to play our part in the community, and having met with some of the Foodbank staff and volunteers, we could see how we could help out local people when they really need it.”
On Friday 23rd December, Liverpool Primary Care Trust held ‘Jeans for Beans’ day where staff swapped their normal office attire for casual wear in exchange for food contributions to each of the Foodbanks across Liverpool. Dave said “I think our staff saw the benefit of providing nutritionally balanced food for people who are struggling, and Christmas can be a really difficult time for people. That’s why we made a special effort”
North Liverpool Foodbank has been open since early November and has already provided emergency food parcels to 109 people in its first two months, from across North Liverpool.
Denise Williams, from North Liverpool Foodbank said “It’s great to see so many local organisations stepping up to help people in their time of need. The support from Armadillo is really welcome; we need boxes to send food out to our distribution centres, and to make up a set of ready prepared emergency boxes. I’d also like to thank Liverpool PCT for their efforts. They have been so supportive in getting us to where we are now”
North Liverpool Foodbank is led by St. Andrew’s Church in Clubmoor. Further information is available by calling St Andrew’s Community Network office on 0151 2263406, by email to kevpeacock@live.co.uk, or from the North Liverpool Foodbank website http://northliverpool.foodbank.org.uk/
World Records – Bizarre Collections
Everyone’s collected something at some point in their life. Sometimes finding your passion is as easy as looking around and saving the item that has always fascinated you. But, have you ever wondered what some of weirdest and largest collections people have created? We’ve compiled a list of the wackiest and largest collections from around the world that are all record breakers. How do your collections measure up?
1. Navel Fluff – Australian, Graham Barker has been collecting his own belly button lint since 1984, categorizing it by years in 4 jars. It all started when he wanted to find out how much fluff a person produces and how much it would take to fill a cushion. Barker plans to continue growing his collection, the largest in the world, until he’s no longer physically able to collect his own fluff.
2. Beer Steins – In Germany, farmer, Heinrich Kath, has the world’s largest collection of beer steins. Even though he doesn’t drink beer, Kath has over 20,000 steins since he started collecting in 1997.
3. Rubber Ducks – Valli Hammer has a collection of over 2,400 rubber ducks and no two look alike. She started collecting when she stumbled upon a few rubber ducks that belonged to her son, and from there her collection grew quickly.
4. Joker Playing Cards – The world’s largest collection of Joker playing cards belongs to Italian, Donato De Santis. After inheriting 2,000 cards from magician Fernando Riccardi, his collection has grown to over 8,500 jokers.
5. Airplane Sick Bags – Strange as it may seem, unique airsickness bags printed by different airlines have become highly sought-after collectors’ items in the age of the Internet and eBay. Holland’s Niek Vermeulen holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection, consisting of 5,468 different ones representing over a thousand different airlines. He uses photograph albums for storage.
6. Toothpaste – Dentist, Val Kolpakov, toothpaste is not something to be overlooked lightly. The American first learned about another toothpaste collector online in 2002 and was intrigued. Kalpakov started asking friends abroad to send him tubes of toothpaste from their respective countries and then scoured eBay. To date, Kolpakov has around 1,800 tubes of toothpaste and toothpowder, some donated by visitors to his website. He achieved his ultimate goal in 2010, being named Guinness Book of World Records holder for the largest toothpaste collection.
7. Celebrity Hair – If celebrity signatures and pictures aren’t good enough for you, what are you to do? John Reznikoff decided to start collecting celebrity hair instead. His collection includes celebrities who’ve been dead for many years already with Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe, as well as Edgar Allan Poe, and Abraham Lincoln. His collection is a part of Guinness Book World Records for being the largest and also the most valuable hair collection to date.
8. Banana Labels – To some banana labels are nothing but garbage, but to America Becky Martz, they’re special. Her collection of banana labels boasts over 10,000 labels She first became interested in banana stickers when she noticed an amusing one that read, “The Perfect Stocking Stuffer,” on a Chiquita banana. Since that incident around 1991, Martz has avidly been collecting banana labels from brands around the world.
Collecting doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby; in many cases it can even be free. Whether your collections resemble memories of a trip, your childhood, or a hobby that spans across the years, Big Yellow Self Storage can help you store your collectables from only £7 a week, clearing up space around your home for you to enjoy!
Securing your stock over the holiday period
Did you know – 1.3 million people sell full time on eBay? That’s a lot of people with a lot of stock currently being stored in their personal property.
If you’re one of them, then spare a thought for what you’re going to do over the festive season if you’re going away… It seems this year it’s not just Santa Claus who could be coming down your chimney. According to The Guardian Crime Figures, burglaries are already up 14% on last year.
If you don’t want to let thieves fill their stocking with your stock, then why not consider putting it in temporary self storage over Christmas with Big Yellow Self Storage?
One of the benefits of Big Yellow Self Storage is the flexibility. You can store from as little as seven days and you only pay for the space you need. There are no long term complicated leases to sign and no business rates or VAT to pay. The storage rooms range from lockers and 10 sq.ft. rooms up to 400 sq.ft. rooms and above. And if you want to change room size, it’s easy and hassle free.
If you’re planning on leaving your house over Christmas, security should be front of mind. At Big Yellow Self Storage, customers are given their own unique PIN to access the storage building. The stores have perimeter fencing, secure coded electronic gates and further security comes from 24 hr digital CCTV. Plus Big Yellow staff are on site seven days a week and every storage room is individually alarmed.
So don’t leave it to chance this year, make sure you see in the 2012 with all your precious eBay stock safe and sound and hopefully you’ll be ready to be the next eBay millionaire like Matt and Amanda Clarkson who made a massive £8 million from their eBay sales! Have a Happy Christmas and a prosperous new year!
Perfect Wines for Christmas!
Want to find out what wines go well with your Turkey? Need to choose the perfect tipple for your mince pies? Look no further. The Big Yellow blog spoke to Matt, Big Yellow’s wine storage expert about finding the crispest whites and the boldest reds to accompany your festive season…
BYSS BLOG: We’re thinking of inviting our friends over the night before Christmas, what wine would you recommend as the warm up to the big event?
MATT:
Take it easy on Christmas Eve – there’s no good done by peaking too early and waking up on Christmas morning with a sore head. I try to stick to wines that are light in body and low in alcohol, these two are perfect:
Domaine Carneros Brut, Carneros, California, 2007 £19.99 from www.thepurveyor.com
Domaine Carneros is owned by the Champagne house Taittinger who make some of my favourite champagnes. This Californian sparkler is made in the traditional method but is more Pinot Noir dominant than Taittinger giving it a bit more weight. The nose is up front and toasty with pronounced green apple, pear and meadow flowers. Light and expressive on the palate with a creamy finish, a great match with Salmon & cream cheese Bellini’s.
Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich, Kabinett Riesling 2010 £11.99 from Sainsbury’s
German Riesling can be an unbelievably good drink and exceptional value for money. Some of the finest, most intriguing wines that I have ever tasted have come from the Mosel Valley and this wine does not disappoint. Graacher Himmelreich translates to ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’ so this has a fair bit to live up to! Soft citrus peel notes intermingle with honey touches and a slate like minerality on the nose while the off-dry palate is filled with zippy acidity that is nicely smoothed out by some residual sugar. Nectarine and a lemon & lime sherbet length make this wine truly irresistible, as does the low (7.5%) alcohol, the perfect match to sweet chilli prawns.
BYSS BLOG: Both sound lovely, so what about Christmas day?
MATT:
In the morning when the kids have woken up far too early, are devouring/playing with whatever has been left by Santa, and are chomping at the bit to see what’s been left under the tree, it’s a good time to relax over a glass of something special. Hopefully you’re looking out at a snow covered street near a cosy fire, ready to sit down and enjoy the giving and receiving of gifts. Bubbles are the order of the day and although it may seem a tad early for popping corks your palate is at its optimum at around 11am! Here are a few options to fit any budget.
Chateau du Petit Thouars – Blank de Noir NV £13.80 from Griffinwell Wines www.griffinwell.com
Some great wines are made in the Loire Valley and are often overlooked by wine consumers meaning that there are some great bargains to be had. Made from Cabernet Franc, this wine shows attractive notes of honeysuckle and green apple. A great choice if you want Champagne quality at half the price.
Bluebell Vineyard Estates – Hindleap Blanc de Blancs 2008 £27.50 from The English Wine Centre
English wine is going from strength with champagne houses buying up swathes of southern England for potential vineyards; we really are making some world class sparkling wines. This Blanc De Blanc (meaning it’s made from 100% chardonnay) from East Sussex is made in the traditional method, so is champagne in nearly everything but name. A lovely, brioche like nose is backed up by a fine mousse with gentle green apple and citrus notes following through on the palate. Incredibly elegant and great value, if this was from a certain area in northern France you would be looking at twice the price, something to be proud of!
Bollinger Special Cuvēe NV Champagne (Widely available, around £40)
Well if it’s good enough for the Queen its good enough for me! This NV (Non-vintage) Champagne has a royal warrant and is blended of wines produced from various vintages to allow for a consistent house style year on year. Bollinger is a pinot dominant blend that has a fantastic biscuit like toasty-ness that is supremely drinkable, fantastic acidity will also get you salivating prior to lunch.
BYSS BLOG: We’re getting excited already just thinking about it! So what about the main meal?
MATT:
Traditional Christmas lunch has got to be turkey with all the trimmings, unfortunately all those added extras on the plate can make it a pretty hard meal to match wine with but also giving you the chance to have a bit of fun and experiment with.
I’m a big believer in choosing a wine that you love to drink over something you enjoy less but have just to suit the food you’re eating. We also usually have the added bonus of extra guests for Christmas meaning more than one bottle is usually required, this gives us the chance to do a bit of experimentation! Below are the wines that I will be sharing with friends & family over lunch on the 25th December.
Louis Jadot Chassagne-Montratchet 2008, £25.64 from www.waitrosewine.com
If I could only have one wine to go with the turkey this would probably be it. A good value premier cru Burgundy with an elegant intensity from well used oak maturation followed through with peach & hazelnut character and fantastically well structured mouth feel, would also work well if you are going to have roast chicken.
Domaine Du Chateau-Gris, Clos de Lupe, Bourgogne 2007 £78.60 per case of 6 from www.bestofwines.co.uk
Sometimes a wines texture and balance can be its most important characteristics, helping to make it compliment what’s on your plate. This wine is terrific value, with smooth tannin and a silky mouth feel, the red fruit is soft and doesn’t overbear.
M.Chapoutier, La Bernardine Chateauneuf-Du-Pape 2009 £24.99 from Sainsbury’s
With or without food this is a fantastic wine and at the price point one of the best wines I’ve tried this year. Well layered black fruit that slowly evolves into a smokier, sweet spice and cherry. Black fruit follow through on the well balanced palate picking up morello cherry and liquorice notes, very sexy stuff.
BYSS Blog: And to finish the meal off?
MATT:
There are many well known cheese & wine matches (blue stilton & Sauternes is one of my favourites). A great wine that will go with a number of hard cheeses and also incredibly well with the traditional Christmas pud would be….
Apostoles 30 Year Old Palo Cortado NV 375ml Half-bottle £15.99 from Majestic
Palo Cortado is one of the rarest kinds of sherry and nothing like what granny uses to keep in that dusty old cupboard. This is a relatively dry light wine with an immense intensity on both the nose and the palate. A bit like a liquidised Christmas cake in itself it is full of nutty, dried fruits with toffee and caramel notes. I may just skip the pudding and have a glass of this instead!
BYSS Blog: Thanks Matt, Have a great Christmas!
MATT: You too!
BYSS Blog: Wine Storage Starts from £6.50 per week. If you need a quote just visit www.bigyellow.co.uk/wine-storage Big Yellow’s Wine Cellars have their own Facebook page too. Why not become a fan at www.facebook.com/thewinecellars and get regular updates from Matt.
Pets for Christmas!
Planning on having family and friends plus their pets stay this Christmas? For those of you who don’t have pets of your own and are entertaining someone who’s bringing theirs with them, here are some helpful hints on how to ensure you’re prize possessions stay safe while the pet feels at home.
1. Organise
It’s worth planning ahead when it comes to your possessions. If you don’t want something knocked over, played with or covered in fur, make sure it’s safely out of the way. If you don’t have any extra room or have packed away special breakables, Big Yellow Self Storage can help keep your things safe from a little as £7 a week. It’s also best to keep shoes, boots, and bags out of sight to avoid pet teeth marks imprinting on your favourite pair of shoes or handbag.
2. Proofing the Christmas Tree
Cats and dogs can often get over excited when around new people and in a new environment. To protect your tree from jumping, tail wagging and knocking down, make sure your tree’s foundation is firm. Perhaps think about placing your tree in the corner and securing it to the wall with fishing wire. Think carefully about the ornament placement on your tree. It’s best to move precious breakable ornaments up to higher branches, ensuring they won’t be knocked down and broken.
3. Close Doors
Pets can be very curious creatures, especially in a new environment. They’ll likely try and get into every nook and cranny while exploring your home. If there are certain rooms you want to keep off limits, make sure the doors are shut properly and can’t be pushed open by a dog or cat. If that’s not possible, your next best option would be to buy some child safety gates that are sure to keep them out. You can also store valuables and breakables in these rooms as a way of protecting any glass or crystal you may not wish to the animals to get their paws on!
4. Electric Shocks
Within each room, make sure there are no cables or cords for animals to get tangled up in. Not only will this keep the pets safe but it will also stop them from causing damage that can occur by the pet pulling the cord too strongly.
5. Not-so-healthy Foods
Everyday snacks, such as nuts and grapes, can actually be very harmful to dogs. Other foods such as grapes, onions, raisins, macadamia nuts, baker’s chocolate, and caffeinated products are also known to be toxic. Watch the dining table to make sure pets stay clear of the lovely food you’ve been slaving away all day cooking and baking. Poinsettias are a popular plant around Christmas time and while they’re lovely to look at they can be harmful to cats and dogs if ingested in a large dose. Move common houseplants that may be poisonous out of reach. Don’t forget hanging plants that can be jumped onto from nearby surfaces.
The smallest task can help make sure your home stays clean and chaos free while providing a pet friendly environment for your family or friends’ animal. Go to www.bigyellow.co.uk to find your nearest store if you need some extra space this Christmas
Christmas day – Making the most of your space
It’s that time of year again and with Christmas rapidly approaching, families are beginning to sort out holiday plans. Who’s playing host? Where will all the children sleep? How to keep the in-laws happy? What causes many people stress over the holidays is how to comfortably fit and entertain all guests in their home. Make sure everyone enjoys the festive season by reading our top tips on how to ensure your guests have the perfect stay and how you can knock one less worry off your holiday to-do-list.
Beforehand
1. De-clutter
First things first; you’ve got a few weeks to go before the big day so use this time wisely. It’s time to make a little extra room in your life. Having a general clean out will instantly give you more space to work with when preparing to entertain the family over Christmas holidays. You’ll feel instantly better knowing you’ve organised a little extra space for guests. Start with your kitchen, making sure you’ve got all the equipment necessary for cooking for all your guests. Second go through all your bedrooms and clean them out – be ruthless; maximise your space. Our top tip is to rent some Big Yellow Self Storage for a month to temporarily house additional bedroom items, so you can fit in those additional beds and make sure everyone’s not tripping over each other. Storage prices begin at £7 per week.
On the day
2. Put all the children together
Kids love a sleepover and what better way to celebrate the holidays than by having one big slumber party with all the siblings and cousins. Dedicate a room as a “kids zone”, set up some games and toys, and let their imaginations do the rest. Set up some comfortable airbeds for the children to sleep on and bring in some sleeping bags and pillows. You can buy airbeds from the big supermarkets from around £10 in both pink and blue to keep them happy!
3. The Parents and The In-Laws
Your parents and the in-laws are definitely the ones to impress this Christmas season. If you don’t have a guest bedroom or much room to spare don’t despair! Find a quiet location away from the hustle and bustle and set up a peaceful bedroom for them to stay in. If you prefer to give them your own room as the more comfortable option, great! Provide a space close to all amenities they may need to access while visiting. Quality, self-inflatable air mattresses can be found at bigger high street stores, taking the huffing and puffing troubles away from you. These airbeds range from £49.00-£80.
4. Suggest affordable accommodation nearby
If you’ve simply run out of room, don’t fret. Suggest to aunts and uncles a few affordable choices for accommodation. Many pubs will have cheap rooms available and Bed & Breakfasts are always a great substitute, offering a homey feel. Check out online discount accommodation websites like bedandbreakfasts.co.uk, easybedandbreakfasts.co.uk or cheaphotels.co.uk.
5. Seating everyone around the Christmas Dinner
It’s always difficult finding a place for everyone to sleep but it’s equally important to be able to fit everyone around the dining table for that family Christmas dinner. Creating a kid’s table is an easy way to make more room for the adults at the main table. It’s an easy way for the children to be entertained and not lost or bored in the adult conversations. If your table is not big enough, additional folding chairs and folding tables can be found at a variety of shops. Simply throw a festive tablecloth over top and no one will know the difference.
Enjoy the holiday season!
