NE HomeLife

Salt Marsh_12-17

Fun Holiday Crafts to Get You in the Spirit

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If you are looking for some last-minute ideas on how you can get your family into the holiday spirit, look no further! We have put together some of our favorite Christmas-themed crafts that are not only fun and easy for children, but are fun for adults, as well! Holiday crafts are a great way to get the family together for some wonderful memories, but also a great way to embellish your home with sentimental décor! Here are some ideas on how you and your family can get festive and crafty:

  • Gingerbread Houses/Men. Depending on the age of your children, a great way to get crafty (and enjoy some delicious sweets) is by making and decorating gingerbread men and/or houses! If you bake gingerbread men, simply lay out some different colored frosting and different holiday-themed sprinkles and begin your decorating! While gingerbread houses tend to make for a bit more work, the joy of a finished gingerbread house is worth the time! Gingerbread houses can be made homemade, or purchased as a put-together kit, which will include all the candy you will need to make a beautiful (delicious!) house! 
  • Snow globes. A favorite for many children is homemade snow globes! Figure out what type of figurine you would like to place in the middle of the globe, and glue and place it inside the lid of a jar. Next, fill your jar with water and add a few teaspoons of glitter. Screw the lid onto the jar and your snow globe is complete!
  • Beaded snowflake ornaments. This craft is perfect for families who are looking for some cute, sentimental ornaments to hang on their tree year after year. All you will need for this craft is wire snowflake forms, beads, string or ribbon and some pliers! After putting beads on each of the wires, simply take your pliers and bend the end of the wire to ensure that all the beads stay on. Once each end of the snowflake is filled with beads, tie your string or ribbon to the top and hang from your tree!

 

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Importance of a Landlord Background Check

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As a tenant, it is often that you may feel as if it is a one-way street when it comes to the process of renting out a property. The tenant is required to fill out paperwork and applications showcasing their credit history, current job and overall background. What many tenants forget throughout the process is that they are entitled to learning about their landlord’s background, as well! Renting out property is in fact a two-way street, and it is important that you feel as comfortable with your landlord as they do with you as their tenant. While you cannot legally give a landlord an application to fill out, you can learn more about their history as a landlord and what their background is. Here are some ways you can check out a landlord’s background before making the decision to sign the lease:

How long have you been a landlord? It is important to know the duration of time that this person has been a landlord, and how experienced they are. By asking this, you will know exactly how much experience they have as a landlord and can feel more comfortable moving forward with them.

How long did previous tenants stay? Once you get ahold of their experience being a landlord, it is nice to know how long tenants generally stay. Did they stay for the entire duration of their lease, or did they end it early due to negative circumstances? If tenants generally stay for their entire lease, you can assure yourself that the landlord is most likely easy to work with.

Who handles the maintenance? When something breaks, you want to know exactly how soon it can get fixed, and, most importantly, who will be fixing it! Figure out how maintenance works with your landlord so that you can be prepared for any damages or malfunctions that may pop up throughout your lease.

While these questions strictly relating to leasing are important, it is also good to ask neighbors and other people within the neighborhood about the landlord. Do they have a good reputation? Do they have a criminal record, or have they ever filed bankruptcy? These are all great things to keep in mind before you commit to a lease!