Friday, February 18, 2005
Baby Proof Your Home
This week’s entry is for all of the parents out there in Hip Home land. If you have a baby, or know someone with a baby that comes over all of the time, then the best thing you can do for everyone is to spend a little bit of time and money to baby proof your home and make it a safe place to be. I just recently baby proofed my home for my young son, so I’d like to pass on a little fatherly advice.
There are several key areas that you need to be particularly concerned with when it comes to the safety of your child. I started with the corners of everything in my home. I attached rubber corner protectors to coffee tables, end tables, entertainment center, and anything with a particularly ominous looking corner that might injure a delicate head.
Then I attacked the cabinets and drawers within the baby’s reach. I bought some very inexpensive cabinet and drawers locking mechanisms and installed them. I also secured the dish washer and the oven from exploring hands. I ended with door knob protectors to keep him from getting into the bathroom (and commode water) and the pantry (where he might drop food cans on his foot).
My son also like to turn the television set on and off and on and off. So we bought a control panel cover that keeps him away from the buttons, but is clear so that it still accepted the remote control signal. These small changes made a world of difference in my home, and they will for your home, too. After all, a safe baby is a happy baby…with a happier parent!
There are several key areas that you need to be particularly concerned with when it comes to the safety of your child. I started with the corners of everything in my home. I attached rubber corner protectors to coffee tables, end tables, entertainment center, and anything with a particularly ominous looking corner that might injure a delicate head.
Then I attacked the cabinets and drawers within the baby’s reach. I bought some very inexpensive cabinet and drawers locking mechanisms and installed them. I also secured the dish washer and the oven from exploring hands. I ended with door knob protectors to keep him from getting into the bathroom (and commode water) and the pantry (where he might drop food cans on his foot).
My son also like to turn the television set on and off and on and off. So we bought a control panel cover that keeps him away from the buttons, but is clear so that it still accepted the remote control signal. These small changes made a world of difference in my home, and they will for your home, too. After all, a safe baby is a happy baby…with a happier parent!
Make Your Bonus Room an Extension of Yourself
One of the most versatile spaces in your home is the bonus room. A well-planned bonus room can serve just about any purpose that you can think up. Bonus rooms come in a variety of sizes and locations in the home. Let's look at some ways you can maximize the use of space in your bonus room as well as some ideas to model yours after.
The bonus room is exactly that: an extra room in your home that’s purpose is undesignated and therefore can become anything you want it to be. Some home owners use it as an extra living room or den, a room for their favorite hobby, even a studio for a side business. And that's not all. One of the favorite uses of a bonus room is to give the kids somewhere in the house to call their own, giving you peace and quiet in other areas.
The location of your bonus room plays some part in determining what you can do with it. Obviously, a bonus room on a lower floor with access to the outside lends itself to hobbies where two environments are beneficial (such as a clay studio, where you would need to bring your creations outside to dry). A bonus room on an upper floor is perfect for a library, a computer room, or a kid’s playroom.
Invest in some quality furniture for your bonus room. This will make a real difference in the atmosphere. A large-smooth table with good lighting will fit the bill. Also, you will need some sort of storage system in this room. Free standing closets, storage bins, or trunks make excellent choices.
The bonus room is exactly that: an extra room in your home that’s purpose is undesignated and therefore can become anything you want it to be. Some home owners use it as an extra living room or den, a room for their favorite hobby, even a studio for a side business. And that's not all. One of the favorite uses of a bonus room is to give the kids somewhere in the house to call their own, giving you peace and quiet in other areas.
The location of your bonus room plays some part in determining what you can do with it. Obviously, a bonus room on a lower floor with access to the outside lends itself to hobbies where two environments are beneficial (such as a clay studio, where you would need to bring your creations outside to dry). A bonus room on an upper floor is perfect for a library, a computer room, or a kid’s playroom.
Invest in some quality furniture for your bonus room. This will make a real difference in the atmosphere. A large-smooth table with good lighting will fit the bill. Also, you will need some sort of storage system in this room. Free standing closets, storage bins, or trunks make excellent choices.
