Our Best Advice

STORAGE – Kids Toys

Sunday, November 29th, 2009 | Our Best Advice | No Comments

3 Sprouts storage bins

Kids love their toys. When they’re infants you have control over the way items are stored. As they get older, it becomes a challenge to deal with favorite things (usually kept far too long). TIP - end of a year is the perfect time to edit down, give away toys and items no longer utilized. Which also becomes recycling if you use charity or local organizations looking for holiday gifts to distribute. I’m always amazed at the quantity of “stuff” parents allow into their homes, particularly in America where the words “obsessive compulsive” and “consumerism” are synonymous (see Annie Lennox video The Story Of Stuff we posted previously).

If you are a Babysitter, Nanny, Governess, Housekeeper-Nanny, or Housekeepe-Childcare provider or Employer, please do try to limit the amount of toys in your household. Teach children an ecological approach of play as part of daily conversation. It truly does affect all of us how much ends in landfills manufactured for kids that is not biodegradable. 3 Sprouts has a great eco storage bin that comes in animal styles (elephant, bird, monkey), with boy, girl, and neutral colors like this yellow one. A great accent for any room. They have other great items for gift giving (or someone you know might need). Share our TIPS PAGE Our Best Advice, for easy access Tell A Friend about our website services.

sustainable racer products used in a Formula 3 car

I say push green to the extreme when it comes to recycling by avoiding waste. A segment of Daily Planet on the Discovery Channel showed a race car made with lots of recycled and renewable materials (see our Green Automobiles posting). A WorldFirst Formula3 car is made with soy foam, the body comprised of recycled carbon fibre, the steering wheel from carrot compounds, and the car runs on many flavored biodiesel fuel to allow for variety of resources. The car builders wish to push the envelope on green auto manufacturing so passionately, they’re after matching Formula 1 speed records using a more sustainable vehicle. If they can do this with automobiles, it can easily be done in your home, toys, and their storage. I try to give green gifts during a holiday season with notes encouraging parents to go green. You can too by sharing TIPS of what’s out there, which increases dialogue and focus results.

There is also an element of safety hazards involved when toys are strewn around. Putting things away helps going over toys daily to remove parts that could be dangerous. If you do this together with your child (rather then for them), you’d be surprised what they no longer wish to keep if they understand why things are being given away, discarded, or going to a new home of a child less fortunate then them. They will love helping.

Spot shelving with bamboo option

If your job is working as an Organizer, Kids like organizing once you frame it as a game. Organize toys along with sorting things out by size and toy management conditions. There are many products available that are eco friendly today so please choose them first.

The hiya bookshelf by SPOT is made to be used by kids and adults alike. It includes a safety strap mounted to the wall for extra stability and can be added in multiples for easy storing. Painted with an eco-friendly non-toxic paint, the upper left/lower right doors hide the items you don’t want out, while the open shelves provide space for books or toys on display (ships fully assembled). Keep floors free and easy to clean. Avoid area rugs which only catch dust. Many children are dust sensitive or allergic, and even if yours isn’t, perhaps one that is visiting for a sleep over is. Kids love their toys but the presence of these items should be separate from an adult’s space in the home. Keep childrens toys confined to their areas of play. With diversity of sizes and shapes, amount of small removable pieces (and do watch out for broken pieces that toddlers could accidentally swallow!) and frequency of use, the largest source of clutter in any home are toys.

Our TIP at the end of November with Black Friday sales, Cyber Monday, and all the other special promotions going on is BUY GREEN, conserve, compact, recycle, and be clutter free. Send us your TIPS on how you manage a child’s toys, or any other topic you wish to see posted. Have a happy green holiday season from all of us at ISA.

Serving Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Torrance, Hancock Park, Laurel Canyon, Los Feliz, Marina Del Rey, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Melrose. Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Woodland Hills, Topanga Canyon, Westwood, Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, San Mareno, Santa Barbara, Orange County, Ventura County, California, New York, & the greater United States…

Our Best Advice has been brought to you by www.ISAstaffing.com, renowned Best of The Best in Household Work and Domestic Help staffing. Visit often for other great ideas, use our Tell A Friend featured link to this blog, and our Domestic Staffing website to pass our HOT TIPS and renowned services. THANKS!

Tags: 3 Sprouts, bamboo, eco friendly, Gifts, governess, GREEN, housekeeper-childcare, housekeeper-nanny, Kids Storage, Kids Toys, Nannies, nanny, organizer, Organizers, SPOT, storage, storage bins, storage units, Story Of Stuff, TIPS

DUVET COMFORTERS – Care, Cleaning, Maintenance

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008 | Our Best Advice | No Comments

Duvet Comforters

The word duvet comes from the French word for down, the material used inside pillows, quilts, and comforters. Down is the extremely fine, soft under coating of waterfowl, and while it grows from the duck or goose’s quill shaft, the quills are not part of the actual down.

Since the duvet is the first and largest part of the bed that one sees, it should be maintained regularly to hold its down and not be degraded by oils that collect with use. Always use a duvet comforter to protect the down.

Extending the life of the down comforter is another bonus to using a duvet cover. By doing so, the comforter will need to be professionally cleaned only every three to five years.

Duvet covers are available in several different fabrics, including cotton and silk. These two materials are ideal because of their light weight and ease in laundering. Because the down inside a comforter or bedspread is by nature warm and also allows a free flow of air exchange, you’ll want the duvet cover in as light as fabric as possible. Some even prefer to use the duvet cover as the top sheet on their bedding, or as a featherbed to sleep on.

The laundering of duvet covers is relatively easy. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions as per wash/rinse temperature, using a mild detergent and drying according to directions. You can add 8-10 drops of lavender essential oil to the rinse cycle water to scent the cover if you wish.

The actual down comforter, however, requires a different method of laundering altogether. A small sized comforter can most often times be laundered right at home using your own washing machine, or in a bathtub as they did traditionally in Europe for centuries. However, some manufacturers do not recommend using an agitator-type machine. If the instructions on your duvet recommend a professional cleaning, then do not wash it. If not, then a small sized comforter can be washed at home with a delicate down wash detergent. (Fabric softener should not be used as this can deteriorate the down.) Add 1/2 cup of baking soda along with your mild “for delicates” detergent to boost cleaning power. It helps soften the wash water, and the detergents work better in softer water. After following the directions for washing, it is best to use at least two or three rinse cycles to allow the down a thorough rinsing. Leaving a soap residue affects the fluff and prevents air from circulating throughout the down to bolster it again.

As for drying, it is recommended to use the lightest or coolest cycle available when laundering a down product. Throwing a couple of tennis balls in the dryer with the comforter will keep the down fluffed and help it dry more evenly. When the comforter feels dry to the touch, it is still very likely a bit damp inside the covering. Hang the comforter or bedspread on a line in a cool, shady place for at least twenty-four hours before placing it back on the bed. This will allow the down to fully dry and once again become fluffed.

STORAGE TIPS: When storing or traveling with a down-filled comforter, always use a cotton cover. Do not use plastic bags, which keeps the down from breathing freely and may cause an odor in the down itself.

Serving Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Bel Air, Benedict Canyon, Torrance, Hancock Park, Laurel Canyon, Los Feliz, Marina Del Rey, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Melrose. Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Encino, Woodland Hills, Topanga Canyon, Westwood, Hollywood Hills, Pasadena, San Mareno, Santa Barbara, Orange County, Ventura County, California, New York, & the greater United States…

Our Best Advice has been brought to you by www.ISAstaffing.com, renowned Best of The Best in Household Work and Domestic Help staffing. Visit often for other great ideas, use our Tell A Friend featured link to this blog, and our Domestic Staffing website to pass our HOT TIPS and renowned services. THANKS!

Tags: Bedding, Bedroom TIPS, Bedrooms, cleaning, Comforters, Duvet Covers, Duvets, natural products, Seasonal Cleaning, storage, Storage Tips