A Year Of Gratitude July 2015

"When we focus on our gratitude, the tide of disappointment goes out and the tide of love rushes in"
Kristin Armstrong

July:

My son Larson; he is wise beyond his years and always makes me smile.

The United States of America:  Every time I travel outside the US, I am reminded how lucky we are to live here.  I am so grateful for all the freedoms we enjoy.

The men and women who serve our country.  I have been lucky enough to help several veterans purchase a home.

Parades: weather it's a small town parade or Utah's days of 47 parade, I love them all!

9 Great Ways To Tidy Up Your House

1. Sort by category, not location: Don't do the bedrooms first, then the living room, then the rest of the house. Do all your clothes, then all your books, etc.

2. Tidy in one go. Don't draw it out. If you tidy a bit each day, you'll find that you're tidying forever. Do it all at once and you'll have the system in place to stay tidy.

3. Pick up each item one at a time and ask yourself, "Does it spark joy?"

4. Fold your clothes so that they stand up vertically. This way, you can put all your t-shirts (or other items) in a drawer and see every item at once, rather than digging through piles of fabric to find the shirt you want.

5. Don't repurpose clothes to loungewear. Don't justify keeping a torn, ratty T-shirt just because you think you can repurpose it as a pajama top.

6. Recycle your papers. For important legal documents, scan them! Everything else you should get rid of.

7. Don't keep gifts out of guilt. After the joy of the gift-giving moment is through, you can donate the gift without guilt. It has served its purpose.

8. Storage experts are hoarders. A "clever" storage solution never really solves anything. A new box or organizer won't make you tidy. Pursue ultimate simplicity.

9. Start with what you know will be easy to get rid of. If you start with mementos or items you attach a functional value, it will be harder to know if they spark joy. Start with items that are easier to make decisions about, and then you will be in the right mindset to tackle mementos later.

Follow TODAY.com's Meena Hart Duerson on Twitter here.

ShaunaQuick

Realtor

Exit Realty Success

www.shaunaqsellshomes.com

shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com

801-550-4419

A Year Of Gratitude May 2015

"No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks"
My challenge to you this month is to send a note of gratitude to someone that has had a positive impact on your life.

June Gratitude:

Adoption:
My niece has a darling 4 year old and has not been able to have anymore children.  A few months ago she found out about a beautiful 2 year old boy that was in foster care that needed a family.  She met him a fell in love with him.  A few weeks later the rest of the family met him and we all fell in love with him.  He is a happy, loving, sweet boy!  In May we found out that my niece will be able to adopt him because his parents gave up their rights.  It hard for me to express the joy, happiness, gratitude and love I felt when I found out his life is going to be so blessed to have a loving mom, dad, brother and extended family.  And how blessed we are to have him as a part of our family.  Just last week my niece also has a chance to adopt his baby sister.  All I can say is I have have felt so blessed to be apart of this and will be forever grateful that my niece is able to adopt these beautiful children.

A loving, caring, hard working father:
I come from a family of 10 children.  My dad was a school teacher and my mom stayed at home, as you can imagine money was tight at our house.  My dad worked so hard each day and was always able to provide us with clothing, food and shelter.















Family gatherings:
I LOVE my family.  It is always so fun when we get together, I love all chaos, love, bonding and memories.

Early morning walks:
Christopher and I get up almost every morning and go on a walk, I love being out in my neighborhood when it is so quiet and peaceful.  I love seeing the sunrise, the setting moon and blooming flowers.

9 Great ways to tidy up your home

1. Sort by category, not location: Don't do the bedrooms first, then the living room, then the rest of the house. Do all your clothes, then all your books, etc.

2. Tidy in one go. Don't draw it out. If you tidy a bit each day, you'll find that you're tidying forever. Do it all at once and you'll have the system in place to stay tidy.

3. Pick up each item one at a time and ask yourself, "Does it spark joy?"

4. Fold your clothes so that they stand up vertically. This way, you can put all your t-shirts (or other items) in a drawer and see every item at once, rather than digging through piles of fabric to find the shirt you want.

5. Don't repurpose clothes to loungewear. Don't justify keeping a torn, ratty T-shirt just because you think you can repurpose it as a pajama top.

6. Recycle your papers. For important legal documents, scan them! Everything else you should get rid of.

7. Don't keep gifts out of guilt. After the joy of the gift-giving moment is through, you can donate the gift without guilt. It has served its purpose.

8. Storage experts are hoarders. A "clever" storage solution never really solves anything. A new box or organizer won't make you tidy. Pursue ultimate simplicity.

9. Start with what you know will be easy to get rid of. If you start with mementos or items you attach a functional value, it will be harder to know if they spark joy. Start with items that are easier to make decisions about, and then you will be in the right mindset to tackle mementos later.

Source: Today.com

Shauna Quick
Realtor®
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419 Mobile
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com

A Year of Gratitude, May 2015

We don't have to have extraordinary moment to find happiness-it's right in front of us if we're paying attention and practicing gratitude.
Brene Brown

I am grateful for:
My daughter Annika, she is so kind, loving and forgiving

Mothers
Our mothers give us so many gifts. They give us the precious gift of life, of course, but they also leave treasured lessons that can guide us along our journeys even when they are no longer with us.

Maria Shriver

Birds

The beautiful blue sky

                                  (Photo cred Anne Monsen)

Paved streets, I have traveled outside the country many times and as much as I enjoy my time away I am always grateful to be home and drive on streets that are paved and safe.  

Five Inexpensive Ways To Improve Your Home

1. Improve the curb appeal – Whether or not you are planning to sell your home, an inviting first appearance is important. Spend some time in the front yard from the curb in, making your yard free of weeds and your grass and hedges neatly trimmed.. You can make needed repairs to fences or front steps and change out your old, dull mailbox all for under $500.

2. Paint the front door – A spiffy new fiberglass front door could cost $1,000 or more, but you can upgrade the look for a lot less by adding new hardware and a fresh coat of paint. Add a new light fixture, a fresh doormat and/or a pot of flowers and you may have money left over from that $500 bill.

3. Paint interior walls – Nothing changes the look of a room more than a fresh coat of paint. It can get complicated and expensive if you need to repair drywall, remove mold, or have really tall ceilings, so you may need to hire a professional. But if you can do it yourself, you may even be able to upgrade baseboards or add crown molding and stay within a $500 budget.

4. Update the lighting – Lighting fixtures are to a home what jewelry is to an outfit. They can add pizzazz or look dated and dowdy. Switching out a chandelier over the dining room table is a fairly easy, budget-friendly project. Shop big-box stores for inexpensive models or ask about floor sample sales at retail outlets. If you’re on too tight a budget, consider updating lamps you already have with new shades.

5. Install new toilets – It may not materially change the look of your bathrooms, but if you have 20+ year old toilets, replacing them with new models will save thousands of gallons of water you won’t have to pay for. You can get new models for well under $200, so you may want to spend some of that $500 budget to upgrade the look with bathroom lighting, mirrors or storage units.

Source

Shauna Quick
Realtor
Exit Realty Success
801-550-4419
shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com
www.shaunaqsellshomes.com

Want To Make A Great First Impression On Buyers?

Follow these 12 steps:                         

1. Mow the lawn, prune bushes, remove dead tree branches, and get rid of outdoor furniture you don’t plan to take with you.

2. Clean the front door and lintels and paint them if necessary.

3. Check for leaks throughout the house. A drip may not seem important, but it could suggest poor maintenance elsewhere in the house. Don’t leave room for doubt in a buyer’s mind.

4. Clean out closets and storage areas. Donate old clothes and furniture to local charities. This will create a sense of greater space in the home, and would also mean fewer items to move.

5. Professionally clean the carpets. This is especially important if the carpeting will remain for the new owners.

6. Flip every switch to make sure the electrical works throughout the house. Prospective home buyers will do this. Fix any switches that need help.

7. Caulk around tubs and sinks. New caulk looks better than old caulk, and you’ll also prevent those tricky leaks.

8. Replace light bulbs that don’t work and use as much wattage as the fixture will take. Good illumination makes your home seem light and airy.

9. Tour the property from the perspective of a first-time visitor. Is there anything that may seem uncomfortable to visitors? The 30-year-old green shag carpeting can be off-putting and mirrors in poorly lit basements can be dangerous, for example.

10. Clean out medicine cabinets. Remove out-of-date items, and consider removing prescription pills when buyers visit. Buyers might look in every nook and open every door. No one wants to be embarrassed by what they find.

11. If you have a pet, make arrangements to have it elsewhere when your home is being shown. Some people have allergies. No one wants to be barked or pawed at when they enter.

12. Ask your broker to examine the property for specific showing tips to make your home more attractive when compared to others in the area.

Source

Shauna Quick

Realtor

Exit Realty Success

www.shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com

shaunaqsellshomes@gmail.com

801-550-4419