tips | Medicine Hat Storage

Porch Pirates, Are They Real?

November 24, 2021/in Recent Posts /by sue

Keep Your Packages Safe
Pirates have always been something that appears in story books. But lately piracy has become
very real for a lot of online holiday shoppers. The name Porch Pirates sounds cute and maybe
you’re thinking of all the kiddies showing up on your doorstep at Halloween, but these are not
your neighbor’s children in costume. Porch Pirates steal packages from door steps and porches.
Sometimes these thieves will even follow a delivery vehicle and scoop the package right after
it’s been dropped on the doorstep.

As of Sept of this year, nearly one quarter of online shoppers have felt the sting of porch piracy.
The average value a stolen package is about $113.

Some shoppers that have fallen victim to Porch Piracy before have taken it upon themselves to
fight back. People are putting out boxes full of glitter, dog poo or the cat litter to “be taken.”
While we admire people’s creativity why even give thieves a chance?

Between 2010 to 2017, there was a 581% rise in reports of packages stolen off doorsteps. With
porch piracy on the rise, we’d like to offer a solution for keeping your packages safe.
Our office is insured to receive your online orders and we offer this service free of charge to
everyone on our community. It’s our way of helping you have a happy holiday season. You can check out our Facebook page for other ideas and community happenings: https://www.facebook.com/MedicineHatStorage/

How Do You Use This Free Service?

Step 1
When you are online shopping use our office address as the shipping address for your package:
Medicine Hat Storage: 3183 Gershaw Dr SW, Medicine Hat, AB T1B 3N1

Step 2
Call our office and let us know your name, your phone number and when the package is
expected.
Medicine Hat: 403-529-2646

Step 3
When the package arrives, our office will text you a pic of the package, text back a day and
time when you can pick it up.
Need to keep the package away from prying eyes? No problem, we can hold the package until
you need it. Just let us know how long you need us to hold it. (Please keep in mind our holiday hours)

If you could use other hacks and ideas for Christmas, head over to our other Christmas blog: https://bit.ly/3CPasRe

Protect Yourself – Fraudster’s Tricks and How To Avoid Them

October 5, 2020/in Uncategorized /by sue

I just received a phone call from Ontario, saying it was Servus Credit Union calling and that my SIN has been compromised and not to hang up as I would end up in JAIL!

I hung up. . .

In this day of heightened cyber crime being aware of how to protect yourself has become critical. Here are some tips to avoid falling into a fraudster’s trap. Read more

Moving During A Pandemic

June 2, 2020/in Uncategorized /by sue

Packing and moving can be difficult at the best of times, but moving during a pandemic creates a whole new set of challenges. If you have to move you and your moving company should put health and safety first. We suggest you call your moving company to discuss your options and they should help you plan as safe (and seamless) a move as possible. This may include: Read more

Camping During Covid-19

May 14, 2020/in Uncategorized /by sue

Now that the weather is finally nice most of us have the itch to get our campers out, spruced up, and on the road to our favorite camping spot so we can enjoy our summer. Well this season it is looking very different thanks to Covid-19.

Provincial campsites will all remain closed until after a government assessment on June 21, 2020. However, the private camp grounds are under county discretion as long as they comply with rules set out by Alberta Health Services. Here’s what to prepare for this Covid camping season:

Only Motor Homes and hard sided travel trailers that are completely self contained with an internal water supply, holding tanks and personal washroom will be allowed.
All public washrooms and shower facilities will be closed.
Campers will need to bring their own water as there will be no access on site.
Campground capacity will be limited for purposes of social distancing
There must be a minimum space of 30ft between camp sites
No group camping and no co-mingling of campers.
Campers must disinfect tables upon arrival and departure.
No garbage collection. Campers will need to take their garbage with them when they leave.

We have found some campgrounds around central and southern Alberta that are following these guidelines and hoping to open to campers June 1.

Close Drayton Valley we have Elevated Experience Camping 780-542-5821 and Kay-son RV Park 780-514-5969.
Around Edmonton we have Glowing Embers RV Park & Travel Centre 1-877-785-7275.
By Rocky Mountain House is Outwest Camping 403-844-3083.
In Blackfalds Watipi Campground 780-852-6176.
By Okotoks we have Riverbend Campground 403-938-2017.
Also, the Hoodoo RV Resort in Drumheller, 403-823-2790. This site is also taking snowbirds and essential workers only until June 1^st.
In Nanton. the Lions Campground, 403-336-9999 will be open.

Let’s not let this discourage us from enjoying one of our all-time favorite summertime traditions, as with like the rest of our lives this is our new normal until we can get this virus under control. Happy camping!

https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/covid-19-relaunch-guidance-private-and-municipal-campgrounds.pdf

~ Candice Sinclair

Feeling Overwhelmed While You Work From Home?

May 5, 2020/in Uncategorized /by sue

Feeling overwhelmed while you work at home? Getting organized can help you take back some control and get clear on what work tasks should take priority. Not all of us have Marie Kondo’s instinct for organization, so where should you start?

First, find a separate space in you home for your home office. If you have no space choose a corner in the living room or take over the dining room. If you are considering making a work space in your bedroom, I recommend getting a room divider of some sort to separate the work area from the sleep area. Seeing your place of work while you are trying to wind down and trying to sleep is not good for you psychologically.

Seller’s Remorse

March 16, 2020/in Uncategorized /by sue

Kids, grandma is moving in. It will be so great to have her living here.

Jill speaking to husband – John: What are we going to do with all of mom’s belongings? It won’t fit in the house and she has so much.

John speaking to Mother-in-law – Ethel: Why don’t we have a garage sale before you move. Jill and I can help, and of course Cathy and Cindy being teenagers can also help. This will teach them how to negotiate. Read more

What To Do With All That Paperwork

February 24, 2020/in Uncategorized /by sue

Does your business have too much paperwork? Is it taking up office space that could be put to better use? With regulations requiring businesses hold on to their records for up to 10 years, that’s a lot of paper! So, where do you put it?

Consider self-storage for your documents. Here are some reasons why storing paperwork can help your business. Read more

Wrapping, Joyful Or Not

November 29, 2019/in Uncategorized /by sue

With Christmas so close, the wrapping paper starts coming out. Who does the work making these boxes with ribbons and bows look so beautiful? We asked our management team who gets wrapping detail at their home. Read more

How Self Storage can help during a new build or a renovation

July 10, 2019/in Uncategorized /by sue

Is it time to add a little sparkle to your home? Are you planning to renovate? Homeowners plan to do some sort of renovations in their life time.

Doesn’t everyone dream about getting a fresh new look. When it comes to renovation, we don’t talk about the stress that goes with it. We don’t talk about – the mess, people coming and going and where are we going to put everything. Regardless of what is being redone we can make your renovations a breeze. Nobody ever thinks about self storage. Don’t we just throw it in the other room and figure it out later? Read more

What To Expect Your First Time

March 20, 2019/in Uncategorized /by sue

What to Expect Your First Time
It’s your first time renting a storage unit and you want everything to go right. Problem is – you’ve never
done this before and you are not really sure what is involved. Here’s some advice from someone on the
inside…..
Before you arrive at the storage facility it’s a good idea to ask what methods of payment they accept.
Also ask if you are eligible for any discounts (senior, student, etc.) and be prepared to show id as proof
of eligibility. At the least you will have to pay for your first month’s rent and buy a lock for your unit. If
the facility you chose requires a damage deposit, admin fee, charges for a gate fob or supplies the lock
the amount will vary. Either way you have to pay for the use of the unit in advance. Read more

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