Our Little Elf on a Shelf

We are thrilled to begin a new adventure this year! You can see what our elf, Bernie, is up to by following us on Twitter (@medhatstorage) or liking us on Facebook (Medicine Hat Storage). Sue Sage, manager of our sister company Lacombe Storage Center, embarked on a journey with her ‘Elf on a Shelf’ last December. Here’s her story:

This past December I wanted to find a way to incorporate a fun aspect of reaching people with Lacombe Storage Center’s Facebook page. I have learned that not all social media posts from a business need to be about business. People enjoy pictures, humorous posts and community updates. in their news feeds too! Elf on the shelf was the idea I kept coming back to. To me, Elf brings to mind, the young hearted side of the holidays. Elf is smiling and always catches my eye. In order to start this, I had to get our Social Media Coordinator to back me up as she would be the one posting this for us on a daily basis.

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Things You Should Know When Shopping for Self Storage

Moving, downsizing, de-cluttering, or expanding your business? A storage unit can provide solutions to many life changing events. Here’s what to watch for when looking for self storage.

Watch For Hidden Costs.

  • Is the price reasonable after any “move-in promotional discounts” have expired?
  • Are there any hidden add-on deposits or fees such as security deposits, accessing the unit outside normal business hours, multiple daily visits, or move in/out charges?
  • What happens if you miss a payment?What happens if you cause damage to your unit? (E.g. furniture scraping walls.)

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Halloween Crafting on a Budget

I have a daughter in her early teaching years and I seem to find myself always looking for things she can make with her students on a budget. Here’s my adventure.

My plan this Halloween season was to find different ways to make ghosts. Pinterest is still new and scary for me, but after a little research, there are a few ghosts I think would go over well. They all look so easy when you see the finished project online but I already had my doubts as I began.

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Heated Storage: Do I Need It?

Many people are under the assumption that they need heated storage. The truth is, there aren’t many items that need to be placed in a heated unit. Here at Medicine Hat Storage, we’ve decided to prevent the guessing of “should it or shouldn’t it” by compiling a list of items that need heated storage below.thermometer

  • Wood (oak, cherry wood or other expensive woods that shouldn’t be in damp or dry areas)
  • Family heirlooms or antiques
  • TV/Computer Screens (follow our link for more information: Televisions and Storage )
  • Leather furniture
  • Musical instruments (cold temperatures can change the tuning of the instruments)
  • Paintings and other expensive art

Do you see something that’s not on the list and you’re still concerned? Give us a call, we’ll help you find the appropriate storage for your needs!

 

 

Television and Storage

Can I store my TV? A burning question for all of us technology lovers, we don’t want to get it home and it doesn’t work. In order to clear up this confusion, we’ve contacted the major electronics companies regarding storage for their LED, LCD, and Plasma television screens.

Fuzzy TVNote: These are the ranges of the brands if you’d like a specific model information please contact them directly as it may vary. It is greatly recommended from all companies to acclimate your television after taking it out of storage. This means letting the television warm up to room temperature for 24 hours before plugging it in and using it.

  • Samsung Canada: After speaking to a rep at Samsung he noted that their LED, LCD, Plasma and Smart TV screens should be stored between 10°C and 40°C.
  • Sony: The representative at Sony recommended a temperature of 0°C to 40°C for the storage of their TVs.
  • Toshiba: For Toshiba TVs the rep suggested a range of 0°C to 35°C for safe storage.
  • LG Canada: They could not give us a range. However, you can visit their website to download the manual for the specific model number. This will tell you what the safe temperature of storage is. http://www.lg.com/ca_en/support/software-manuals

So, what is our suggestion? If you’re going to store your television be sure to do so in heated storage, ensure it’s taken to a friend’s place or your new home first.

-Kayla

10 Things to Ask Yourself Before Storing Your Stuff

Whether your storage area is in a basement, an attic, a backyard shed or a rented storage unit it might be filled with things you do not really want or need. While we’re not going to tackle cleaning out your storage here (a topic for another day), the first step is to stop yourself from hoarding. So the next time you want to store something ask yourself these 10 questions.

1. Do you need it? This sounds like a simple enough question, but how each of us answers is highly individual. If you are making an effort to cut back on clutter, try to get real about what “need” means. Whether you decide to take a strictly minimalist approach or keep a more fluid list of items needed for living defining what is important to you is the first step to preventing clutter.

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Backyard Challenge

This year, with the kids nearly moved out of the house we decided to make the place our own, but still entice them back to gather in the evenings.

What to do with a big plain fenced back yard with a standard contractor built deck??deck

The deck is a basic 12’ x 12’ layout which sits as high as our fence line, and has minimal amount of slats for the fencing leaving it looking very open. Our first idea was to make it a little more private and make an inviting sitting area. We put a lighter colored panel over the slatted part of the deck siding. The biggest thing we noticed right away was how much less wind we felt sitting out there. The lighter color in the panel has kept the deck from looking too dark, or getting too hot.

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Father’s Day – Top 5 Things to Do for Dad

Are you wondering what to do for Dad for Father’s Day? Take a look at our staff’s Top 5 list of gifts for Dad to get some ideas!

  1. Take him fishing. What’s better than a bucket full of worms and the open water? Don’t forget the sunscreen and bug spray! Visit Alberta’s Best Fishing Hot Spotsfor some of the best fishing spots!
  2. Brunch and Golf. Dad’s got to eat and so do you. Take him to your favourite restaurant for brunch and a round of 18 holes afterwards. Driving range’s are great too! Looking for awesome golf courses visit: Alberta Golf Courses
  3. Celebrate with a BBQ. Light the barbecue and get out your hamburgers & hotdogs! Celebrate Dad with great food and family time. Kick a ball around or play baseball or catch. Here’s a link to a delicious homemade burger recipe The Perfect Burger
  4. Have a night in. Rent a few movies or grab the clicker for Netflix, pop some popcorn and put your feet up! For quick and easy homemade microwave popcorn that doesn’t have all the additives of store bought microwave popcorn follow the link. Brown Bag Microwave Popcorn
  5. Bowling. A great activity for the family or a little one on one time. Rent a lane, lace those shoes and have a great time.

What are your favourite things to do to celebrate your Dad? Let us know in the comments below!