Category Archives: Protecting Family Treasures

California Wildfires

The western coast of the United States, particularly California, is well known for wildfires. California experiences the greatest number of wildfires out of all of the states, and in 2019 alone, over 1.3 million acres were burned in 5,300 separate fires. Wildfire occurrence and the annual amount of acres burned has been increasing since 1950.

California Wildfires

Fire season in California typically occurs from August to November. Fire is a natural occurrence in many California ecosystems, including brushlands and forests. It helps clear out the leaf litter on forest floors and dry vegetation in brushlands, adding more nutrients to the soil and fostering new life.

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Preserving & Storing Photographs

storage of photosPhotographs are invaluable to people.  They hold memories of childhood, family members that may no longer be here and some of the most important moments in our lives.  You may be fortunate enough to have boxes of family photos or albums that have been passed down from generation to generation.  Some of these photos may be displayed in your home, but chances are you may need a place to store most of them.  Whether you store them in your home or in a storage unit, here are a few tips to ensure that they are protected from potential harms:

According to Reader’s Digest there are 7 ways to store photos that will preserve them and the memories they hold.  Here are a few do’s and don’ts:

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You’ve Got Storage – Now What

Storing BoxesYou finally realized you need a storage unit.  Your house is cluttered, your garage has more boxes than it can handle and you aren’t ready to part with a large majority of these items, so you finally rented a unit. Now what?

In today’s post, we have some tips on how to store boxes and furniture to make sure that your items remain undamaged. We hope you find this information useful, but as always, please use your best judgment and follow any manufacture instructions regarding long term storage.

When preparing items for storage, you want to organize and pack them in a systematic and practical manner, so that you can easily find and access whatever you might need and any time. You also want to ensure the best possible protection against dust, dirt, moisture and possible damage. Continue reading

Stored Memories

storage of memorable itemsWe all go through life collecting memories. We collect them in our head, heart and the material things around us. The christening gown your mom saved for you, the high school year books signed by people who once meant so much to you, your old varsity jacket, your wedding dress, the blankets you brought your baby home in, photos of parties, milestones, life….and the list goes on. When you look around your home, memories are attached to the things that you keep. In your 20’s there aren’t too many “things”, but as you get older and life keeps going by those things start collecting. Add in a spouse and a couple of children and all of a sudden you realize you have more things than you ever thought you needed, but you can’t seem to part with them. You cringe when you think of Continue reading

Protecting Priceless Memories From Water Damage

wedding-albumAs Southern California deals with the aftermath of record-breaking rainfall, two things are becoming clear: the drought is over (for the time being), and lots of people are dealing with water damage.

Water damage is the number one cause of loss for home insurance claims. Of course, flooding is not the only way the contents of your home can be damaged by water. Broken or cracked water pipes, a damaged washing machine hose, even an ice maker on the fritz can ruin your day, not to mention your floors and your furnishings.

But flooding from a natural disaster is a particularly traumatic event to deal with. We have all seen the heartbreaking images on television of distraught families and their lovely homes completely ruined by flood water and mud flows. Financial hardship aside, it is an event that can have a lasting impact on the emotional well-being of those affected. Time and time again, when you hear their stories, the loss of priceless family photos and memorabilia is one of the things that causes a surprising amount of grief in the face of this overwhelming disaster. Continue reading