When you have personal belongings that need to be stored away from home, choosing how or where to store it can be a daunting task.  If your house is on the market, you cannot have a rented storage container in the driveway, and in the case of a remodel or simply downsizing, it might be less convenient to have a unit across town.  Use these tips to help you decided where and how to store your possessions. 

• Think of your visits to a storage facility like an interview! Ask to see the available unit, check for holes or other damage, and look (and smell!) for signs of mildew. 
• Go over each site’s payment plan closely, as some facilities have strict payment rules and can auction your unit if your payment is just one day late. 
• Some items need to be in a climate-controlled area but be prepared to pay a higher rental fee.  Items that will most benefit from this type of storage facility include electronics, furniture, and collectibles. Find a more comprehensive list from moving.com.  

• Hold off on signing a contract until speaking with your homeowner’s insurance agent. It could be that your belongings will be covered under certain circumstances.  Some storage companies will offer insurance for an added fee, so make certain of their policy before you sign. 
• Even if the items are insured, a storage unit company that offers secure fencing, good lighting, security cameras, and a fire alarm and sprinkler system is still your better choice. 
• Remodeling or painting? A portable rental unit may be your best bet, as many companies will deliver a container that can be kept in your driveway. If you are moving, the unit can be packed, stored off-site, then shipped to your new home. 

One last tip is to go online and look at reviews for area storage units and ask friends and family for recommendations.  You will likely find going with a reputable company could cost more, but your peace of mind is worth a few extra dollars per month.   

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Photo credit: Inside Self-Storage

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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National Doughnut Day on November 5th is one of two observed by doughnut lovers across the nation. The first Friday in June is the other day doughnuts steal the bakery case spotlight ready to tease their way into white bakery box home!

For more information on the National Doughnut Day celebrated in June.

History disputes the origin of the doughnut. One theory suggests Dutch settlers brought doughnuts to North America much like they brought other traditional American desserts. They receive credit for such desserts as the apple pie, cream pie, and cobbler.

Doughnuts come in many shapes. Was the original doughnut round? If so, American, Hanson Gregory laid claim to inventing the ring-shaped doughnut in 1847. He was on-board a lime-trading ship. Only 16 at the time, Gregory claims he punched a hole in the center of dough with the ship’s tin pepper box. Later, he taught the technique to his mother.

Traveling further back in time, we look at an English cookbook. According to anthropologist Paul R. Mullins, an 1803 volume included doughnuts in the appendix of American recipes. However, the earliest recorded usage of the term doughnut is found in a short story in a Boston Times article about “fire-cakes and dough-nuts” published in 1808.

A more commonly cited first written recording of the word is Washington Irving’s reference to doughnuts in 1809 in his History of New York. He described balls of sweetened dough, fried in hog’s fat. The author called them doughnuts. Today, these nuts of fried dough are called doughnut holes.

Another author, William Cullen Bryant describes doughnuts fried in lard in his book Picturesque America; Or, the Land We Live In which was published in 1872.

Donut versus Doughnut

• Print ads for cake and glazed donuts and doughnuts existed from at least 1896 in the United States.
• George W. Peck published Peck’s Bad Boy and his Pa in 1900. It contained the first known printed use of donut. In it, a character is quoted as saying, “Pa said he guessed he hadn’t got much appetite and he would just drink a cup of coffee and eat a donut.”
• In 1919, the Square Donut Company of America was founded. Square donuts offer an easier to package product.

The more traditional spelling is doughnut. However, both doughnut and donut are pervasive in American English.

Doughnuts come in a large variety of recipes, flavors, and toppings. However, just like many pastries, we are only limited by imagination and ingredients at hand. From syrups and jellies to sprinkles and custards, top them, fill them, bake them or fry them. Doughnuts have a mouth-watering way of glazing and dusting their way into our shopping carts. They also slip into the break room at work to share.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalDoughnutDay

Stop at your favorite doughnut shop and indulge in a fresh doughnut or try making your own with one of the following recipes:

Best Baked Doughnuts Ever
Easy Drop Doughnuts
Easy Doughnuts
Chocolate Doughnuts

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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By: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Stats courtesy of StellarMLS

Very few things in a home can make such a difference to both form and function as new floors. Flooring reflects not only your style and personality, but also your lifestyle. The right floor can make it easier to keep your home cleaner, hide imperfections, and set the mood for a cozy living space. And although flooring has generally been an “anything goes” environment for a while in home design, there are certain trends that have been a lot more popular than others. Here’s a brief round-up that should make your flooring search a little easier.

Have you run out of DIY or handmade crafts yet? Probably not, but if some jobs you have in mind are a little more than you can tackle now, consider making something for the furry family members! From yummy snacks to backyard fun, there are plenty of ways to keep your pets busy and content! 

An easy way to start giving your pet some extra-sweet treatment is to make homemade snacks! Most use simple ingredients are easy to make, so the kids can get involved!  Taste of Home offers several doggy treat recipes, and here are some recipes your kitty will love! 

Ideas for Dog Lovers 

• Once those treats are done, give your dog something to think about and create a treat game for them to play.  This bottle-spinning puzzle requires few materials and basic building skills. 
• Using a purchased dog bed or making one yourself, you can create a special spot for the dogs to get their rest. Find the perfect dog bed project here from HGTV. 
• Traveling with Fido can create a real hairy mess on car interiors, but a hammock may be the answer! Sewing basics will come in handy for this fairly simple DIY hammock project. 
• Upgrade that cagey dog crate by creating this cover with a removable top. The cave-like atmosphere it creates is comforting for the dog and gives you space to use as a table! 
• An active dog is a happy dog when they have plenty to do outside! If you have the space, why not create a tire tunnel, tug toy, or PVC agility course? 

Ideas Cats Will Love 

• Any cat owner knows that cats love to have a place to hide, sleep, observe. Make a fun hideaway with a t-shirt and a few other materials! 
• Keeping an indoor cat entertained can be a challenge, and toys can be expensive. Create a simple feather toy or cat-treat puzzle to keep them busy. 

• Bring the outside indoors: grow an indoor garden just for Kitty.  She will think she is the queen of the jungle! 
• Will these inexpensive shelf steps keep your cat off the counters?  
• While it is virtually impossible to make your cat stay in the yard, making a “catio” gives them a place to be outside while keeping them safe, as well as local wildlife. Install a cat door or open a window and have a structure like one of these waiting on the other side, or build this catio as part of your home’s design.

Making or building something specifically for your pets will be worth the time and effort you put in because content pets are less likely to damage your home with chewing or bad bathroom habits.  You will also have peace of mind, as you know your furry friends are safe, whether they are resting or playing. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Photo credit: Pinterest

– Shoppers will spend $86.27 on average celebrating Halloween
– 72% of parents admit to stealing candy from their kids
– 68% of people will celebrate Halloween
– 172 million people plan to celebrate Halloween
– U.S. confectionary and nut stores that sell candy, employ over 23,000 people
– Skittles are the top Halloween candy- followed by Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, MM’s, Snickers, and Starburst
– The most popular children’s costume is princess, with 7.9% of children going as a princes for Halloween
– Following princess in popularity is Superhero, with 6% of children choosing to go as their favorite superhero
– 8.9% of adults who dress up go as a witch
– 17% of people dress up their dog for Halloween
– What do those dogs dress as? Pumpkin (9.3%), Hot dog (7.2%), and Superhero (7.2%)
– 1927 is the year when the phrase “Trick or Treat” first appeared in the US
– The word “pumpkin” showed up for the first time in the fairy tale Cinderella
– 2x more children die as pedestrians on Halloween than the average day
– Halloween in 2020 will have the first full moon since 2001- watch out for werewolves!
– The most Jack O’Lanterns ever lit at once were 30,581
– Top planned Halloween purchases: Candy 95%, Decorations 72%, Costumes 67%, Greeting cards 35%
– The world’s largest Halloween parade is New York Village’s Halloween Parade which draws 2 million spectators and more than 60,000 people in costumes
– 2 Billion lbs of pumpkins are grown in the US every year
– Trick-or-treating has existed since medieval times.
– Back then, it was known as “guising” in Ireland. Young people dressed up in costumes and asked for food or money in exchange for songs, poems, or other “tricks.” Today, the tradition has morphed into children to getting dressed up and asking for candy.
– The potato famine, and the mass immigration of the Irish into the US helped spread Halloween in the US.
– Sugar rationing during World War II halted trick-or-treating.
– Consumers spent approximately $9 billion (!) on Halloween last year.
– Some shelters adopt out 0 black cats for the month of October.
– The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips.
– More than twice as much candy is sold for Halloween as Valentine’s Day.
– The haunted attraction industry makes between 500 and $800 million a year in ticket sales.
– Owners of haunted attractions spend more than $100 million annually in props, such as fog machines, lighting equipment, costumes and more.
– Jack O’Lanterns used to be carved out of turnips, potatoes, and beets.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Pay particular attention to your cat today.  Adopt a new cat. Use #NationalCatDay to post on social media.

NATIONAL CAT DAY HISTORY

This day was created by Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Welfare Advocate, Colleen Paige, in 2005.   Since its inception, it has helped save the lives of more than one million cats.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

By: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

Stats courtesy of StellarMLS