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Top 10 Reasons to Move to the Buckhead Neighborhood

If you are planning a move, whether you are upgrading, downgrading, or just looking for a change of pace, consider moving to the Buckhead neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia for these reasons.

  1. Sporting events

Home of the Atlanta Falcons, Braves, Hawks, and United FC, Atlanta has a team you can cheer on in almost any sport.  These stadiums are located right outside the Buckhead area, allowing for an easy commute to the games.

2. Historical significance

Atlanta has many historical landmarks that you can visit and learn about.  You can see the birth home of Martin Luther King Jr., the historic Oakland Cemetery, the Smith Plantation Home, and much more.

3. Beautiful homes

If you are considering moving to the Buckhead neighborhood, you will know that it is home to some of the most desirable homes in the country.  No matter what the size of the home you are looking for, Buckhead will have a gorgeous home suited for you.

4. Piedmont Park

Being one of the most amazing parks in the country, this is definitely a site to see.  Piedmont Park hosts hundreds of events each year including fitness activities, dog parks, farmer’s markets, and much more!

5. Restaurants

Downtown Atlanta has numerous trendy restaurants ranging from all types of foods to satisfy your cravings.  Whether you are in the mood for a fancy sit down meal, or a quick bite on the go, Buckhead has plenty of delicious options for you.

6. School District

Buckhead has plenty of good schools nearby to give your children a great education with many well qualified teachers.

7. Universities

The Atlanta area has multiple exceptional colleges for you or your children to attend, including Georgia Tech, Emory University, Georgia State, and many more.

8. Zoo Atlanta & the Georgia Aquarium

Being so close to Zoo Atlanta as well as the Georgia Aquarium provides for amazing opportunities for you and the whole family to go see a variety of magnificent animals.

9. Weather

Georgia gives you a nice range of temperatures, that don’t stray too high or too low.  Summers are hot; averaging in the 80’s (degrees Fahrenheit), while winter’s only drop down to the 50’s.  Spring and fall both are nice warm temperatures ranging from the 60’s-70’s.

10. Lenox Square

This upscale shopping mall is the perfect location to go to buy whatever you are in need of.  This mall contains almost 200 varying stores including Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and Neiman Marcus.



When planning your move, have Zippy Shell of Atlanta 
https://www.zippyshell.com/locations/georgia/atlanta-storage help move your belongings or store your items for the duration of your move. 

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The Best Tips for Hosting an Open House During the Illinois Winter!

As we head into the heart of winter in Illinois, it’s hard to imagine wanting to do anything but cuddle up under a blanket and wait for spring. But for many homeowners, they are spending the winter trying to sell their home.

Winter can be a hard time of year to sell your home, but it’s absolutely not impossible. One of the key ways to get buyer interest in your home is by hosting a great open house! Winter poses a few special challenges for a successful open house, but follow along with these 5 tips and you’ll be just fine!

Manage Snow Removal
Winter often comes with snow and ice which can make the outside of your home look like a mess. Your snow removal and ice management need to be near perfection. Especially if you are hosting an open house. Make sure guests have a clear walkway and that any ice patches have been properly salted. Nothing leaves a worse first impression than slipping on their way up to your home.

Warm and Inviting
Even if you normally like to keep your thermostat on the lower side during winter, during an open house you should turn it up to a more comfortable level. You don’t want to give buyers the impression that your home is cold and drafty- because it might cause them to not want your home. If you have a fireplace in your home, Winter is the perfect time to show it off. Walking into a warm home with a fire lit in the fire place is a great first impression for a home buyer.

Cold Weather Snacks
Instead of just offering the normal array of snacks and coffee at your open house, why not throw in a few Winter classics? Adding in hot chocolate, apple cider, and other delicious seasonal items will be a welcome treat!

Make your Guests Comfortable
Don’t make home buyers walk around in snowy and heavy outerwear during their whole visit. Make a designated spot for them to leave their jackets and boots.

Brighten Your Home
It gets dark early during the winter, so make sure your home has enough light to look bright and cheery. A dark home will not show as well as well lit one.

Store Your Stuff with Zippy Shell
Clutter makes your home look smaller and can distract buyers from actually seeing the selling points of your home. Zippy Shell of Northern Illinois will safely store your items while you sell your home and then move them to your new home! You can learn more about our storage and moving services by visiting www.zippyshell.com.

Do you have any other ideas to help host the perfect winter open house? Let us know in the comments!

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How to Prepare for Winter

As winter is beginning it is important to make sure you are prepared to weather the storm.

Insurance

First and foremost, make sure your home is insured, that way if you happen to have a home emergency involving a plumbing leak or a roof caving in from snow, you will not have an immense cost to worry about. It is also important to make sure your car is insured as well to avoid any damages caused by icy or snowy roads.

Thermostat

Slowly lower your thermostat during the day, and night as well, to prevent your wallet from taking a beating in the cold winter months. Bringing the temperature down by one degree a week can make a huge difference. If this is too difficult you can always layer up to make the adjustment easier.

Prep your car

Your car will go through a lot during winter weather. To make your drive more pleasant, throw an extra blanket and sweatshirt in your car for the drive while your car is still heating up. Make sure you also have a little shovel, salt, and window scrappers to avoid any problems resulting from snow.

Stock up

Stock your house with extra food and water in case you happen to get snowed in for an extended period of time. Keep extra shovels and snow salt in your garage to avoid having your car snowed in and having no way of getting out onto the road. Make sure you also have extra firewood if you have a wood fireplace, or have an extra gas insert if you have a gas fireplace. Candles, flashlights, and batteries should be easily accessible in case of a power outage.

Visit your doctor

Get an annual check-up to make sure you are healthy going into the cold winter season. Get a flu shot to avoid being bedridden for up to a week. Always remember to wash your hands and avoid sharing food or drinks with sick people. Check that your prescriptions are up to date as well.

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Winter Activities for the Whole Family

Whether you are trying to stay warm inside or enjoy the snow outdoors, here are just a few activities your family can partake in this winter.

Go snow tubing
Visit your local ski resort to go snow tubing. The whole family can enjoy this thrilling snow activity without the risk or skill required for snowboarding or skiing.

Play board games
If it is too cold and windy outdoors, have a family game night indoors with your favorite board games!

Go bowling
Enjoy a day or evening at the bowling alley as a fun way to enjoy a cold winter day.

Go ice skating
Enjoy a fun winter activity that doesn’t require the weather to be a nice winter day at the ice rink!

Sledding
Once the snow falls, go enjoy a day of sledding outside. Make sure to stay safe and have fun!

Bake cookies
In order to stay warm from the cold outdoors, bake your favorite treats during this holiday season. Cookies, brownies, cupcakes, and more! You can even try making some homemade hot chocolate.

Arts and crafts
Enjoy some time inside by making snowflakes, snowmen, and other winter characters out of paper or cardboard.

Happy Holidays!

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Thanksgiving Recipes

Spice up Thanksgiving with some new recipes to enjoy all the holiday foods you love with a twist.

 

Brie bites

Get your serving of cranberry sauce served up with some extra flavor.  Using pre-made biscuit dough, place a cube of brie into the middle of your biscuit.  Then top the brie with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.  Finally, bake them in the oven with the directed time and temperature  for the dough.

 

Mashed sweet potatoes

Change up your ordinary mashed potatoes for mashed sweet potatoes! This dish can be made with butter and seasonings to go with dinner or add some brown sugar and cinnamon for dessert!

 

Apple pie salsa and chips

Create a dish of apple pie filling and put it in a small bowl.  Serve it with a plate of cinnamon flavored chips or crisps to have apple salsa!

 

Stuffing muffins

Make your usual stuffing recipe, but do not transfer it into your turkey.  Place it into a bowl and shape little circles together to fit into your muffin dish.  Use an egg or butter to get the stuffing to hold together in a ball.  Bake until golden brown.

 

Seasoned sprouts

Brown your brussels sprouts in olive oil and season with salt to taste.  Add butter, chicken stock, and shallots to accentuate the flavor of the brussels sprouts and cook until soft and tender.

 

Oreo turkeys

Using candy eyes and candy corn, create a face and a tail of feathers on an Oreo using frosting as glue to stick the pieces on.

 

Pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies

Make a batch of your favorite chocolate chip cookies and mix pumpkin puree into the batter!

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Zippy Shell of Northern Illinois in the Northwest Herald

Zippy Shell of Northern Illinois was recently featured in the Northwest Herald, a daily magazine publication in the Mchenry County, Illinois area. The Northwest Herald sat down with Zippy Shell of Northern Illinois’ owner, Ken Wasko to learn more about the simplicity and convenience of the Zippy Shell storage and moving system.

You can read the full article right here.
Continue reading “Zippy Shell of Northern Illinois in the Northwest Herald”

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Fall Activities

Try out one of these activities with the whole family on a nice fall day!

Apple picking

Go apple picking to get some of the freshest apples of the season.  Once you have all your apples at home, use them in a classic fall recipe, such as candy apples or apple pie.

Have a bonfire

Build a bonfire in your very own backyard using a fire pit or a safely dug out hole surrounded by stones or bricks.  Roast marshmallows or cook hot dogs and enjoy a cool night.

Hiking

Don’t let the cold weather stop you from getting outside and exercising.  Enjoy the crisp fall air with a nice hike at your local hiking trail.

Hayride

Hayrides can be a fun fall activity for anyone to enjoy.  Take your kids out for a fun day or have a date night with your significant other.

Make a holiday decoration

Using fallen leaves from your backyard you can create your very own holiday decoration.  Attach them to a circular ring to create a festive fall wreath to hang on your front door!

Go to a football game

Tailgate at your favorite football team’s game with friends then enjoy cheering them on at the game!

Make sangria

Spice up your typical sangria with cinnamon, apple slices, and/or caramel to turn your normal sangria into a festive drink!

Drive through fall leaves

As the leaves are changing color, go get a sight of them before they fall.  Take a drive down any local road that is full of large trees to get to see the beautiful fall leaves.

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Quick Weekend Renovation Projects for Your Home

Install a medicine cabinet

Find a medicine cabinet that matches the shape of your mirror to hang it right behind your mirror with a few screws.  If you cannot find one that has a similar shape, hang any medicine cabinet above your toilet or next to your bathroom mirror.  This storage hack can easily be done in less than an hour.

 

Paint or paper a wall

Paint a whole room a new color or spruce up a room by adding wallpaper to one wall in a room.  This works great for a bathroom to accent around your sink and mirror.

 

Replace your showerhead

Buy a low flow showerhead or a showerhead that allows you to adjust the water pressure.  This will allow you to save money on your water bill and help the environment.

 

Weather seal your doors and windows

Insert foam weather stripping on the bottoms of your doors or on the panels of your windows.  This will keep your house sealed from cold fall air coming through.  This will also prevent you from wasting money on having to crank your heat up to keep your house warm.

 

Spice up your trim

Repaint your wall or door trim to give it a refreshed look.  Add a pop of color by painting a new color over it that balances well with the room.  This can also be applied well to your fireplace trim to give it a more modern look.

 

Patch up holes in your wall

You may have had a few holes in your walls that have been meaning to get fixed for a while now.  Take a minimal amount of time out of your weekend to put some spackle over old holes to clean up the room.