Now the kids are back at school, you’ve probably noticed piles of work books stacking up almost as high as your pile of ironing. Let’s not mention the random pieces of stationery you’re finding down the back of the sofa or in the goldfish bowl.

School mornings can easily resemble a crime scene from a movie. Wailing children, flying books, barking dogs, clothes being thrown everywhere round the house and finally you running around like a headless chicken trying restore some order. The morning school routine should never be a good cop, bad cop situation.

Here at Big Yellow we’ve put together a list of tips to help get you prepared for “school day mania” as we like to call it. Hopefully these tips will help you maintain a smooth, stress-free, successful school year!

1. Get into a routine
We can all forget what routine is like, even over the course of one weekend so consider what six weeks off could do to your routine. It’s a good idea to get back into a solid routine one to two weeks before the school year starts. This way your child has enough time to adjust to it and the additional change he or she faces in a new year group and possibly a new class will seem less daunting.

2. Record your routine
Make your life easier by writing down the weekly activities for all the family. Colour code it and make it fun with stickers so your son or daughter feels involved. These tools can inspire a great rewards system too. Reward your child for completing homework, eating all their dinner, helping with chores and record this too! Seeing their own progress will encourage your child’s development and give them some responsibility for their own routine.

3. Don’t tackle everything on the day
You may not realise just how much there is to sort before your son or daughter heads off to school in the morning. Stationery, packed lunches, clean shoes, ironed shirts… the list goes on. The best thing you can do to prevent chaos is to make sure your children prepare for school the night before. Things like packing their rucksack and making sure they have all their pens at the ready are small tasks which will save a considerable amount of time.

4. Don’t forget the school supplies
Don’t let your child go off to school without notebooks, pens, lunchboxes, folders and diaries. School supplies these days are worth a little fortune and if you don’t want to break the bank, make sure you look out for deals and promotions. Check out School Stationery (http://www.schoolstationery.co.uk/) for great prices on stationery items. We recommend making a checklist in advance to save you added stress.

5. Feed for the future
Schools may not have the healthiest meal options for our kids but we can’t control what our child chooses to eat when he or she isn’t under our nose. What we can control however, is what they eat at home. Start your child’s day with a hearty and healthy breakfast – brain food, if you will. Always make a shopping list and be sure to incorporate fruits, fibre and high energy foods in your child’s diet to ensure that his/her energy levels don’t drop throughout the day. Fortunately for us, most brands show dietary and nutritional information on the front of the box rather than hiding it on the back.

Encouraging these habits from an early age will embed these behaviours for later on in life. Remember to keep things light hearted and fun and keep your children entertained and excited for school. Start the day as you mean to go on.

Got piles of old uniform or workbooks which you simply do not want to get rid of? Think about how a small, wardrobe-sized storage space may be able to help. Head over to Big Yellow where storage starts from just £5 a week.

Did you know that your love of fashion could make you money? Recent research shows we think about our clothes as functional and disposable rather than something that could be worth more than ten times what you paid for it for in just 6 months.

I know what you’re thinking as soon as you hear the term ‘investment’ you automatically think about designer items that cost the Earth. Thanks to recent designer collaborations partnerships with brands like H&M & Lanvin and Topshop & Kate Moss, the high street is bursting with reasonably priced items that are sure to become highly collectable in the future.

Read on for my tips on spotting those items which you should always keep in your wardrobe.

Seek items that are only available for a short length of time

H&M collaborations with high end designers such as Matthew Williamson, Versace and Marni have already increased in value since their launch. Stocking up on these while they’re on the high street will ensure you get the best price and return the biggest possible investment.

Work your way up from the bottom and look at upcoming designers

Examples include Olivia Rubin, Louise Gray and Holly Fulton. They will grow into fashion icons of the future and the cost of items from these types of collections will rise rapidly

Be bold

Stand out and draw attention from collectors by choosing art, colour and embellishments. Reign supreme with fabulous prints and/or sparkles. Items getting attention from collectors already include:

• River Island ‘I Love London’ Dress (Original price – £30, Current value – £150 (on eBay)
• Mary Katrantzou limited edition for Topshop (Original price – £80, Current value – £150 (on eBay)

Be brave

Classic pieces always stand the test of time but won’t necessarily become sought after in the future – wacky, quirky, fun and controversial pieces are more likely to command interest (especially if they have a designer name attached). Think Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen.

Look after your clothes

This goes far beyond avoiding nasty stains. Store your clothing in a climate controlled environment to avoid damp, mould and mildew getting onto the clothes. Never store in the attic or cellar as these are prone to extreme heat in the summer & a freezing cold atmosphere in the winter which will ruin the clothes instantly.

Perhaps fashion isn’t your forte and you would rather to invest in vinyls or teapots. Either way, carefully consider the safety of those items which have to potential to be worth something in the future.

Self storage centres such as Big Yellow Self Storage can cater for all your smaller storage needs. Wardrobe sized storage units are a great way to keep items safe and out of harm’s way from as little as £5 a week.

Getting into the habit of looking after your tools, will only make them last longer. This may seem like common sense, however good tool care won’t just save you some pennies but it’s essential for your own safety too!

So next time your chisel goes blunt, don’t just chuck it out and buy a new one. Give it a little bit of TLC (Tool Loving Care, of course), store it properly and make sure it’s ready for your next task. Here at Big Yellow we’ve put together a few tips that will help you take care of those tools, yourself and your bank account!

1. Keep that rust away.

Remember, rust is the enemy of any DIY tool. Humidity and water are the primary causes of rust so if your tools get wet you could find that they become permanently damaged. If they do happen to get wet, make sure you dry them fully by wiping them with an old towel. Leave them somewhere nice and warm overnight or until all the moisture has gone.

2. Invest in a home for your tools.

Keeping your tools in cold or humid places like a garage or a metal box could expose them to moisture and therefore rust (remember rust is the enemy). Wooden tool boxes are ideal for storage as they maintain heat and the good quality ones will also keep the water at bay. If you want to show your tools how much you love them, splash out on this stylish toolbox (at £240 you’re really making a commitment to look after your tools).

3. Look sharp then fix up.

Dizzee Rascal (he’s a rapper for those who don’t know) got it wrong in his song ‘Fix Up, Look Sharp”. You should in fact, look sharp and then fix up if you really want your tools to work well and last. Give your tired tools a bit of an edge by investing in some sharpening stones. Sharpening stones work by taking the outer surface off, revealing a fresh and sharper blade. Adding a few drops of water or oil during the sharpening process helps to achieve the sharper edge quicker. Be careful not to use too much though as it could make the knife blade glide and not sharpen at all.

Got too many tools in your garden shed or simply want to make some more room for your new tool haven? Head over to Big Yellow where storage starts from as little as £5 a week.

Whether it’s improving the kitchen, fixing up the spare room, or simply cutting the grass, disaster in the home can strike when advice is ignored. Insurers Allianz say that DIY disasters cost Britons a staggering £4.4billion every year, so here are our top tips on how to avoid destroying your home or taking an unwanted trip to hospital.

Take baby steps and know your limits.
Don’t try to tackle all your redecoration projects at once. Jump right in without planning and you’ll end up with a house full of half-finished projects. You need to think about how much each project will cost, whether you have all the right tools and how long it will take to complete. With the baby steps approach why not focus on one room at a time, and choose small projects that are achievable. Maybe start with some shelves in the lounge, then fix that wonky sideboard, and finally move up to re-decoration.
It’s also important to accept that there are some home makeover projects that you just can’t do yourself. Recognise the right time to call in the professionals and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and grief. For example, please don’t try to re-plumb your bathroom yourself if you’re not qualified – just call a plumber. Likewise, it goes without saying that you should never attempt any gas work or serious electrical work on your own.

Keep it clean.
Cover everything in dust sheets so you don’t end up spilling paint all over your deep pile carpet. Any major DIY supplier, such as Wickes, B&Q or Homebase will stock these, or, if you don’t want to pay, some old bed sheets will do the trick nicely. Tidying tools away as you go along will also save you time trying to find them under bits of rubbish, or unexpectedly stepping on them. The area you work in will stay safe and the end of the day will be less stressful knowing you have less cleaning up to do. Another top tip is to re-cycle a plastic bag and put it over your paint tray before putting paint in. That way you can simply take it off and throw it away at the end without having to spend hours and use potentially dangerous chemicals to clean it.

Obey the law.
If you’re planning anything major, make sure you consult local laws, and get in touch with an expert contractor if you’re not sure. Otherwise you could not only make yourself very unpopular with your neighbours but also end up with a hefty fine! To find out whether you will need planning permission for a project, head over to DirectGov.

Stay safe.
A&E departments up and down the country are full of people with cut or severed appendages and the papers constantly tell us about DIY enthusiasts who end up with nails embedded in their bodies or hands glued to random objects. According to The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), more than 200,000 people end up in hospital with DIY-related injuries every year! Make sure you’re not one of them by taking the proper precautions when using tools. RoSPA has some further safety tips on its website.

Cover yourself.
Make sure you have adequate home insurance cover (just in case). Although you may have followed our advice religiously, there’s still the chance that something may go wrong. Let’s face it, DIY disasters are a whole lot easier to handle if you don’t have to fork out unexpectedly to repair the damage you inflicted on the house.
Finally if you are planning a big re-decoration, why not ensure your belongings are safe by moving them to temporary self storage with Big Yellow. That way you can avoid getting those drips of paint on your heirlooms from just £5 per week.

We’ve all experienced that feeling of sheer panic that sets in when you have guests staying with you. That moment when you realise that the spare room is currently occupied by your fishing gear, gym equipment that you never used and all the bric-a-brac that you tell yourself you really need but have been condemned to sitting in boxes since you moved into the house 10 years ago. What follows is usually panic and a frenzied tidying spree.

To avoid this process and ensure that your guests don’t end up having to climb over all your stuff to get to their bed, Big Yellow have compiled a helpful checklist of things to do before your guests arrive to make their stay as pleasant as possible.

1) Clean!
Yes, this might seem incredibly obvious – why wouldn’t you clean a room before guests stayed in it? Guest rooms should be cleaned thoroughly though and with at least as much (if not more) effort than would be used cleaning any other room. Another part that is often overlooked is cleaning the bathroom. I don’t think it really needs to be explained why this is important! The bed is perhaps the most important part of this. Nobody wants to sleep on a lumpy old mattress or a creaky bed. Make sure you provide a decent bed that isn’t falling apart. It’s also important to use fresh sheets, as It’s not a nice feeling sleeping on bed linen that you know someone else has used before. Buy fresh linen if you can afford it but failing that you should at least wash the ones you have before your guests arrive.

2) Clear the decks
As with so much of life, when it comes to readying a guest room, less is definitely more. Make sure your guests have enough hanging space in the wardrobe and clear out a couple of drawers for their clothes. Also, remove any stuffed toys, trinkets and photos. Always remember, if you wouldn’t find it in a hotel room, it shouldn’t be in your guest room!

3) Essential items
Having said that, some things you should leave out include a tray for pocket items, pens and a pad, an alarm clock, plenty of hangers in the wardrobe and a bedside lamp so your guests aren’t stumbling around in the dark after turning out the main room light.

4) Leave out some treats
Everyone loves free stuff and a bowl of fresh fruit or sweets is a welcome sight for guests who may have had a long trip. Also, an “in case you forgot” basket with toiletries and razors is a great way to go that extra mile.

5) Details, Details, Details
Although you may have no problem with it, many people hate sitting on the bed so make sure there is a comfy chair in the corner of the room for people to unwind in. Also, while it’s important to clear out unnecessary clutter, if your guests are family or friends then consider leaving out some photos of great times you’ve had together. Finally, put some flowers out and light a candle to give the room a nice scent.

Perhaps all this effort seems worthless to you and the last minute option is more your thing. Make it easier for yourself by keeping your spare room clutter free. The less there is to organize, the less preparation and planning it will take. Check out Big Yellow for more information on how we could help reduce some of the clutter securely from as little as £5.00

Out of all the items in your home, outdoor furniture is the most weather-beaten. Exposed to snowy winters and British ‘summers’, outdoor items need the most tender love and care to make sure they don’t lose their quality and value. Here are a few ways to ensure they’ll last you for many seasons to come.

1) Treat them with a protective varnish. Coating wooden furniture in a protective sealant at the start of the summer season will help reduce the amount of water absorbed into the grain, as well as protecting it from the sun. After a while furniture will start to fade so coloured varnishes can be a great way to bring some much needed life back to your furniture. You can buy them in a range of natural colours here. For metal furniture these protective paints are the most effective way to stop them from rusting without moving all the furniture indoors. Be sure to cover the joints well as these are often the most vulnerable areas.

2) Think about storage for the winter months. You wouldn’t want to be left standing in the cold over the winter months and nor does your furniture. Ensuring your items fold into compact shapes fitting for the space you’ve allocated, will save a lot of struggle. Keeping furniture away from the wind and rain will stop wooden items from warping which occurs when water is absorbed and temperature changes.

3) Replace soft furnishings regularly. Metal and wood can withstand far more than fabric. While the base of your furniture may look as good as new, the cushions and covers can quickly reveal their age. These are easily bought in a range of sizes and patterns allowing you to redesign your garden every season. If it’s longevity you’re after we suggest buying removable cushions that can be stored when not in use.

4) Cover them up! If storing furniture inside isn’t an option then invest in protective covers. Make sure these are PVC backed as they’re best at repelling water. In addition, these covers help keep your furniture clean for when you next want to use them by guarding them from dust and pesky animals. Remember to tie covers securely to prevent them being ‘gone with the wind’.

If you lack a shed or the time to properly protect your furniture, why not contact Big Yellow where storage starts from as little as £5.

We don’t have time for it and (most of us) don’t enjoy it, but cleaning is a job that just won’t go away. Despite our best efforts to ignore them, chores will build until eventually your list of things to do tomorrow will be flowing across three pages. Here at Big Yellow we would much rather spend our days relaxing and enjoying what is left of the summer. Here are a few simple changes to your routine which will leave your house cleaner and your days freer.

1) Plan cleaning into your daily routine. Whether it is a quick wipe down before you head to work, or sorting out the washing while you wait for dinner to cook, completing little jobs every day won’t feel as time consuming as sacrificing whole day at the weekend. There’s no need for a strict regime. Make a list of everything you need to do and see what jobs can be achieved in the time you have that day.

2) Don’t let the little jobs pile up. The longer you put things off the less you’ll want to get them started. If something is spilt wipe it straight away, if you notice something out of place just move it. To put it simply, clean as you go about your daily life and you’ll start to notice you have more free time.

3) Get everyone involved. Whether you live with your family or a group of messy flatmates, everyone should contribute in some way. There are two ways to make sure the whole team is pulling their weight:

• Designate rooms for each person to look after or…
• Designate individual jobs

As official as it may seem, the easiest way to do this is often by following a rota or wall chart. This makes clear who is responsible for what (meaning there is no arguing your way out of jobs) and serves as a gentle reminder of what you have to do.

4) Multitask. It’s amazing how much time you can save by doing two things at once. We’re not talking elaborate juggling acts, just partnering enjoyable tasks with cleaning to create jobs any man will feel comfortable doing. To inspire this multitasking we suggest ironing whilst watching the TV or wiping the kitchen surfaces while you’re on the phone. If a good show is on or you are captivated by conversation you might even forget you are cleaning!

5) Break things down to manageable chunks. Tackling a whole room can seem like a daunting task but breaking it down to dusting one day, hoovering the next day and so on, makes it feel far more manageable. This is not however an excuse to leave things half done. Afterall, the more effort you put in to cleaning, the less likely you are to have to do it again tomorrow.

6) Treat yourself! Everything seems easier if there’s a reward waiting for you at the end (even cleaning). Whether it is an indulgent snack or a nice hot bath, giving yourself a pat on the back for your hard work will make it all worthwhile!

So put those gloves on and get cleaning! If you need some extra space to enjoy the cleanliness you’ve created how about storing some of your clutter? Storage at Big Yellow starts from just £5.