As a parent, it can be a real chore to keep your home clean with your kids around. It can be so frustrating that it leads to increased stress and anxiety. One solution to consider is looking into asking your little ones for help! Decluttering with your kids means that you are teaching them how to stay organised, which is a skill that will benefit them in the future. Furthermore, it is not easy to educate them on this; getting rid of our own belongings is always much easier than trying to clean our children’s bedrooms. Here are some tips that you can pick up to start your decluttering journey together with the little ones!
Start decluttering with the kids
It will be very difficult to ask your kids to declutter with you right off the bat. Instead, the best thing you can do is to get started first. The best time to start is when they are asleep or not home. The goal is to clean up and pack their bedrooms and belongings as much as possible for a start. Fret not! Once their bedrooms are almost fully decluttered, they will naturally get more involved in the process.
Know your kids
Different children have different attention spans and attachment levels. So, it is important to know who will have a more challenging time letting go of things and who will be less emotional about it. Make sure to set aside time to talk to your children about the process and why it is important. For children with shorter attention spans, you might want to cater a routine or reward them when they complete the task to encourage them to partake in the activity. Sometimes, your youngest child will need supervision and guidance. It will be good to go through the belongings together as a form of encouragement. It is very important to recognise the emotions that they will go through during the decluttering process. Let them know you understand that it is not easy to say goodbye to the things that we once loved, but also remind them that by getting rid of the old, they can make room for the new!
Implement a system
When it comes to teaching kids your children how to declutter, it is vital to have a simple system for them to follow. One toy in, one toy out You can always make use of the one toy in one toy out system. Cultivate the habit with your children of always putting one toy away before they can take out the next. Not only does this keep the space organised, it will also help them learn some responsibility and life skills for the future! Label toy storage boxes Labelling the toy storage boxes makes it easy for your child to clear away items after using them. The most common thing that discourages your child from decluttering is that they do not know where the storage boxes are. For younger kids, you can also consider using pictures or photographs to show them where exactly the item belongs. You can even take a picture of what an area will look like when it is perfectly organised for your child to refer to when they are cleaning up. Reward your child for decluttering The one strategy that works most often is to reward your child when they accomplish a task! This works exceptionally well for kids who have a hard time letting go of their belongings. Does your child have something that they desperately want to get? You can make a deal with them to declutter the home for it! Once you have struck a deal with them, you’ll be surprised at how fast they can clean and pack the house. You can also choose to create a point system to reward them with points each time they clean and pack their room. Once they achieve a certain amount of points, they can exchange them for a toy that they want badly.
Lead by example
All kids are natural at imitating what they see and hear. By keeping your house tidy and clearing clutter regularly, your child will naturally follow in your footsteps over time. As such, it is important to lead by example and always keep the house tidy and clean. If there are items that you no longer need, donate or recycle them.
Make use of self-storage
If there are any items that your child wants to keep, but it is cluttering up the house, why not make use of self-storage? At Extra Space Asia, we offer a wide range of affordable storage spaces to cater to your every need.
Image Credits: GundamInfo
After seven long years, we’re finally getting another main Gundam series! Titled ‘Gundam: The Witch from Mercury‘, it debuts in October 2022 with a female lead, a first in its formula since the ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’ first aired in 1979. The unnamed female character was revealed standing in front of her Gundam, Gundam Aerial. However, nothing was revealed yet, not even which timeline or universe it is in!
New Gunpla
According to the launch press conference, high-grade 1/144 scale models for the three revealed mobile suits are already in production: Gundam Aerial, Gundam Lfrith, and Beguir-Beu.
Image Credit: ガンダムチャンネル
Gundam Aerial
The main Gundam of this series is distinct in terms of colour scheme, spotting the classic white and blue primary tones, with a hint of yellow and red. Looking at the armaments, there seem to be two beam sabers attached to the back. On the hand, it seems to be holding onto what looks like a compact beam rifle on the right hand with a shield on the left. For design, it looks fairly inspired by the Iron-Blooded Orphans series with a backpack port. However, it has fairly noticeable differences from the Gundam used there. Could this be the future of the Iron-Blooded Orphans series!?
Image Credit: ガンダムチャンネル
Gundam Lfrith
Gundam Lfrith looks to be the second Gundam in the series (similar to Gundam Gusion Rebake). And as with the Gundam Aerial, it seems to have two beam sabers on the back, a compact beam rifle, and a shield. However, what stands out is how the head is designed. The head seems to be inspired by the Patlabor series (another series that is worth watching).
Image Credit: ガンダムチャンネル
Beguir-Beu
Could this be the arch-nemesis of the Gundam Aerial? It appears to have two thruster/funnels located at the back. It does not look to be carrying any weapons. However, if history has taught us anything, the weapons might be hidden in the backpack, OR the backpack itself is the weapon! With so many speculations, we can’t help but get excited. Furthermore, we’re pretty sure everyone will want to add these model kits into their collection once it has been released into the market. Just remember, if you lack space to store your backlogs, simply contact us at 6771 3100, and we’ll be sure to assist you in finding a suitable storage space at an affordable rate for them. Till then, see you again!
With Hari Raya just less than a month away, it is time to start preparing your home for the festive season. We know that it can be tricky trying to keep up with all the house cleaning chores and working/studying at the same time, especially during the fasting month. So, if you are tight on time, here are three useful tips to get your home ready for Hari Raya this year!
Start decluttering your home
During the Hari Raya period, most of us will invite our family members and close friends to our home to celebrate and feast together. This is why it is key to have your home look clean and presentable so that when your guests visit your home, they will have a pleasant experience.
If you have limited time, you should gather your family members and start tackling common areas such as the living room and kitchen first. Start throwing away items and food products that have expired or are not in good condition. If you have a corner where you tend to pile up various things and clothes, you should also declutter them. If you have items that are still in good condition but you find no use for them or are unable to fit into them, consider donating them to various charities as a way to declutter and help someone in need at the same time!
Seek professional help
Really busy (or too lazy) to do the cleaning yourself? Don’t fret. You can always seek professional help. There are many part-time cleaners that you can engage in Malaysia who can help you with your home spring cleaning at a time that fits your schedule. Just check out companies such as Helpling, Home Fresh, Urban Company etc., who will provide professionally trained housekeepers at an affordable cost, starting from $18/ hour. If you are new to these cleaning services, it might be a good time to try them during the festive seasons.
Explore self-storage to enjoy extra space at home
Living in a small space or finding ways to maximise your home space? Why not try renting a self-storage unit? This way, you can store your family and personal items and enjoy extra space at home! By renting a self-storage unit at self-storage facilities such as Extra Space Asia Self-Storage, you will also enjoy 24 hours access to your items where you can store and retrieve your items any time, any day. These storage units will also come in handy after the festive season as you can use them to store your personal collection or even festive-related items and big bulky belongings that are hardly used.
The best part about renting a self-storage unit at Extra Space Asia is that you are only paying for the storage space you rent, and the storage duration is also flexible as you can rent from as short as 14 days to as long as you need! At Extra Space Asia, we offer both lockers and walk-in units, which you can choose to rent according to your storage needs.
If you are unsure about what storage size you might need, you can simply contact us at 6771 3100 or visit any of our 11 storage facilities located around Singapore, and we will be glad to assist you.
By: Michelle Lee
With Chinese New Year right around the corner, most people are planning to start their spring cleaning activities to welcome the lunar New Year. If you still have not started your CNY spring cleaning, here are three spring cleaning hacks to speed up the cleaning process.
Create a cleaning plan
Never start without a plan. If you are short of time, gather your family and divide the workload to cover different parts of the home. Each family member can clean and handle their personal room for a start. For common areas such as the living room and kitchen, each family member can handle any one of these cleaning objectives: decluttering, mopping, and vacuuming. They can also plan to do it on different days of the week when they are free.
With a cleaning plan and schedule, you will also know who is in charge and how much time is required. This strategy will help reduce the time needed to figure out who and what to do, especially if you are short of time.
Seek professional help
Really busy (or too lazy) to do the cleaning yourself? Don’t fret. You can always seek professional help. There are many part-time cleaners that you can engage in Singapore. Just check out companies such as Helping, HomeFresh, HelperGo etc., who will provide professionally trained housekeepers at an affordable cost starting from $18/hour.
If you are new to these cleaning services, you might even enjoy a first-time promotion which could be a good time to try, especially during the Chinese New Year period.
Declutter and organise your home
Planning for your small reunion dinner or gathering at home this year? Start decluttering your home so that your loved ones can enjoy more space. It might also be a good time to recycle or donate items of good condition to people or organisations in need, so you can also share the blessings with them while making more room at home.
For individuals or families who are looking to store their seasonal or festive items and hardly used furniture sets, you can also rent a self-storage unit to store all of these items. These self-storage units can come in handy as they are like an extension of your home space which you can access 24 hours, any time, any day.
This Chinese New Year, be the first 20 new customers to sign up for any walk-in unit with a minimum of 6 months storage duration, you can also enjoy more perks on top of existing discounts such as:
- Extra 2000 e-points if you sign up for an account under the Yes! app
- $200 movers rebate if you are renting a walk-in unit
- An exclusive limited-edition Extra Space Asia red packet set
Call us today at 6771 3100 to find out more about our various storage options available.
Click here to learn more about our Chinese New Year promotions today!
By: Michelle Lee
Image Credit: The Straits Times
Have you noticed that clutter building up in your parents’ home?
Throughout our life, we tend to collect items that might hold sentimental value to us. Over time, that collection might grow too big to the point where it is starting to take up space at home. This phenomenon often is prevalent among our elderly parents. Hence, it can be challenging to convince our elderly parents to declutter.
We understand your difficulties and the need to provide a better living environment for them. As such, here are some tips on how you can help your parents declutter their home.
Understanding your elderly parents
Most of the time, when we look at a parent’s belongings, we will think that it is a piece of junk. However, have we tried to understand why our parents hold onto them?
There could be many reasons why. As mentioned earlier, some items might hold sentimental value to them, while others might serve to ease their loneliness.
The goal here is to determine underlying reasons as to why they are hoarding some of their items at home.
Coming up with an action plan
After understanding their mindset, the next important step you have to undertake is to develop a game plan. Without a proper game plan, your parents will not be convinced that you have their welfare in mind.
If you are planning to store ‘undiscardable’ items, the best bet is to keep them at a self-storage facility that is accessible 24/7.
This way, when your parents get sentimental and want to take a look at their belongings, simply bring them to the storage facility to let them reminisce with the item. Furthermore, you will be able to discard lesser belongings, keeping your parents happy.
Talking to your elderly parents
The next step that you will need to take is to talk to your parents. When helping your parents declutter, it is important to let them feel like they are in control.
Rather than talking about the problems of clutter, give them some reasons why they should declutter. Furthermore, using phrases like ‘this is an idea, what do you think?’ will work a lot better than trying to direct them towards an action.
If your siblings are also going to be involved in the talk, everyone should be on the same page. Meet up with them beforehand to discuss your action plans.
During the talks, do remember to treat your parents as an adult. Even though they are ageing and you are looking after them, they are still your parents. Trying to dictate what they do, keep or store will not end well.
Understand that decluttering will take time
Anyone who has done a clean-up of their home will surely tell you that it is neither easy nor fast. When helping your elderly parents declutter their belonging, you have to understand that it will take time.
The whole process will likely be three times slower than the normal process as not all seniors can make decisions quickly.
Make this more manageable by starting small, breaking down each session into 30-minute windows.
Practice what you preach
If you’re asking your parents to declutter, you best make sure to practice what you preach. The worst thing that could happen is for your belongings to be the reason why their space at home is cluttered in the first place.
Ensure to remove all of your belongings from your parent’s house before the decluttering process starts. This will set the tone for your parents that you are serious about helping them make more space.
Image Credit: Straits Times
With the recent lockdown, more and more people are learning how to make handmade products to sell online. However, did you know that selling handmade products in Singapore was already on the rise even before the pandemic?
If you haven’t already picked up a craft, here are some popular ideas that you can consider!
Accessories
One of the most popular categories for handmade products in Singapore, accessories encompass so many different things. You can create unique bracelets out of beads or kumihimo strings. Or you can even use resin to create a truly unique piece of earrings, hair clip or necklace.
Artwork
Think you have an artistic flair? Why not try creating your own work of art?
How about art pieces inspired by your favourite fantasy characters? These works are usually in high demand, especially in the Japanese anime community! There are even several events for selling character-related artworks, such as AFA and Doujima.
You can print and sell your artwork in A1 to A5 or print them in die-cut stickers or decal for people to buy. Many craft businesses are also creating keychains and enamel pins based on their artwork as an extension of their main product range.
Image Credit: diys.com
Bags
Ladies love their bags and can never have enough of them. If you’re skilled with a sewing machine and have a knack for design, you can create all kinds of bags, from the basic tote bag to the ever so elegant purses and clutches.
Food
Singaporeans love to eat. Nothing beats a fresh plate of chicken rice with our kopi for lunch. As such, why not explore cooking or baking?
Just look at some of our local brands, such as GSH conserves or Mdm Ling Bakery.
Time to let your inner baker and chef shine!
Image Credit: The Merry Press
Books
There’s one category that often gets overlooked when people think about making handmade items – books! Aspiring writers, now is your perfect opportunity to share the story you’ve always wanted to tell.
Anything and Everything Else
Possibilities start with the creator. With just a little imagination and effort, you too can start your own handicraft business.
And once you’ve succeeded and require more space to store your inventory, we hope you consider storing them at our storage facility. Good luck, and have fun!
Miss having a casual chit chat with your coworkers in the office? We totally get that feeling! However, with the ongoing COVID situation, working from home will definitely remain the default option for most organisations to keep everyone safe. In this case, why not find ways to make your work-from-home (WFH) more joyful during this pandemic?
Here are 3 tips for you!
1. Give yourself a break
Unlike working in the office when lunchtime is determined by when your colleagues eat, there is no fixed timing (read: milestones of the day) when you are working from home. Time can become unclear, and you might even miss those meal breaks altogether. As such, remember to give yourself a break of at least an hour to eat your meals peacefully away from your workstation. You can order food in advance and eat it when they are hot. Intentional breaks will make your day better, and you can avoid suffering burnout too, which is quite common when people start working from home. Remember to also not overwork as we know it is hard to know when the workday ends. Give yourself a break when you need it cause only you know your body best!
2.Upgrade your home office setup
In the initial stages of working from home, some of us might think that this is a short-term plan. However, as time passes, WFH has become a common default arrangement. When we’re in the office, we probably have an ergonomic chair and a proper workstation. But at home, most of us would just settle for a kitchen table and basic chair or even stool. Why not give yourself some upgrades to improve your work efficiency but also bring overall benefits to your health? These upgrades can include an ergonomic office chair and laptop stands, tech upgrades like a wireless mouse and a good desktop monitor. Another benefit of WFH is the flexibility of choosing where to work in your home, so try testing different spots in your home to find the best place to work. Your body will definitely thank you over time.
3. Create a comfortable home space
When you WFH, it can become common to spend a good 24 hours at home. As such, consider creating a comfortable home space where you can work and rest. Start by decluttering your home and throw or donate items that you no longer require. If you have bulky items or even seasonal items that take up a lot of space at home, you can also try storing them in storage facilities like Extra Space Asia Self Storage and enjoy more space at home.
By storing your items in a self-storage unit, you will still be able to enjoy 24 hours access to your items any time and any day. You can also use the storage unit for your family, personal and even business storage purpose. Click here to find out more about Extra Space Asia Self-Storage.
After you are done with decluttering, you can also try spicing up your home with a new wallpaper or buying some green plants to add some new colours to your home space. Hopefully, with these new additions, it will be more joyful for you to work at home.
By: Michelle Lee
Picked up a new crafting hobby during the circuit breaker and thinking of starting a small business by selling your handmade products? Well, you’re not alone! There are many out there who are doing the same thing.
While there are many events such as the recent Dino Fest at Changi Airport Terminal 4, it’s easier and more cost-effective to start your business online. Here are 5 easy-to-use online platforms to sell your handmade products.
To start selling on Facebook, you can start by creating a Facebook page for your business. This will be one of the most important steps as it helps people locate your business and learn about what you have to offer.
Your business Facebook page also allows you to interact with your customers to answer any questions that they might have. Furthermore, it’ll also improve your business credibility when users leave their reviews about their experience with your company.
Next, you can upload information about your handmade products onto Facebook Marketplace. Facebook Marketplace allows you to reach potential customers who are already looking for something similar.
You can also make use of Facebook LIVE to sell your product and interact with them in real-time to form a deep connection.
Recently, Instagram has launched Instagram Shopping, a marketplace that makes it easier for people to shop no matter where they are in the App.
You’ll be able to customise your online storefront as well as tag your products in images on your feed. Furthermore, once your customer clicks on the product, they’ll be able to land on the product page with relevant information, including pricing, descriptions and media.
If you’ve started a pre-order campaign for your handmade product, you can also make use of their product launches feature to announce an upcoming product launch so that people can preview the details and set reminders to buy them as soon as they are available.
Similar to Facebook LIVE, you can make use of Instagram LIVE to sell your products and interact with your customers.
Image Credit: Carousell
Carousell
Another popular option amongst Singaporeans is Carousell. Carousell started in Singapore back in August 2012 and has since become one of the largest marketplaces for selling anything online in Asia.
Simply register for an account on Carousell, take a picture of your handmade product and fill up the necessary product information.
Once your product is listed, buyers who interested in your products will be able to reach out to you to make a deal or negotiate.
However, beware of ‘lowballers’ who will annoy you by consistently offering unacceptable low prices with deliberately small increments during the bargain.
Shopify
If you’re looking for something more professional, you can consider setting up a website on Shopify. Shopify is one of the leading e-commerce platforms in the world that lets you create a website to advertise your product using their shopping cart.
All you need to do is to sign up for an account in Shopify, add products to your Shopify store, customise your website, set up your website domain and activate your payment processor.
Do note that to use Shopify, you’ll be required to sign a subscription plan with them. Check out the 3 pricing plans here.
Etsy
Etsy is another popular online marketplace for handmade items. On Etsy, you’ll be able to create an online storefront, to sell your handmade products.
Similar to Shopify, all you need is to sign up for an account, add your products to your store and customise your storefront.
One benefit of using Etsy is that they can assist you in marketing your products to potential customers at 15% of your product listing fee. You’ll only need to pay the fee when someone clicks on the ad to make the purchase.
Unlike Shopify, Etsy is a lot more affordable; at $0.27 per listing for a period of 4 months (or until they sell) and around 10% transaction fee with a $0.35 payment processing fee.
If you’re still undecided about where to sell your products, you can always choose to store them at Extra Space Asia for the time being. Choose from a wide range of storage sizes from as small as 14 sqft to as large as over 200 sqft.
Sign up today and enjoy up to 2 months off your storage rental!
Image Credit: PIONEER
If you’re like me who have been through 2 years of service in our country’s mandatory conscription (NS), you’ll have all your NS ‘barang barang’ at home with you. Furthermore, that NS duffle bag you have? Your house likely has no decent place to properly store or conceal it, right?
Fret not. Here are some tips on how to store that bulky black bag that will remain accessible to you only when you need it.
Packing the items in a luggage
Do you have an empty luggage laying around in the storeroom right now? Bring them out and pack your FBO in there! Take this opportunity to fill up your luggage with your Full Battle Order (FBO) equipment and only retrieve the necessary items as and when needed.
As the luggage is rarely used (especially these days), this is a good idea as you’ll get to save space in your storeroom. In the event that you require the use of the luggage, simply take the gear out of the luggage and put it back into the duffle bag. Simple!
Image Credit: IKEA
Store them under your bed
Remember that empty space below your bed? Yup, you can make use of them to store your army belongings. IKEA has a range of solutions that specialise in storing items under your bed from as low as $19.90.
Simply purchase a few of these storage boxes, pack your items in and place them under your bed!
Consider renting a self-storage space
If you’re running out of space at home, consider renting a self-storage space at the nearest self-storage facility to your home. You’ll just need to rent a small locker space to store your entire FBO.
At Extra Space Asia, our locker storage solution starts from as low as $57.78 (limited to storage size availability). To find out more, get an instant quote at our here or contact us directly at 67713100.