Author Archives: Nimesh

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Make it a Safe Sankranti for You & Everyone Else

Sankranti_CF GroupsThis day marks the onset of a new harvest season and is celebrated in northern India as Sankranti, in Tamil Nadu as Pongal and so on. Makara Sankranti will bring you fond childhood memories of flying kites and “til ka laddoos” made at home, but the massive number of injuries caused by our “manja” kites every year tends to go unnoticed. This number includes kite-flyers, passersby, commuters and birds.

The following basic safety tips will ensure that your joyful celebration does not become a hazard to the lives of others.

1)  Avoid flying kites before 9am or after 5pm: This is when birds are out searching for food or are on their way back to their nests. This is also the time people commute to their workplace or travel back home.

2)  Do NOT use Kites with a glass-coating: Glass “manja” is a bird’s worst enemy. It can cause fractures, wing cuts and nerve injuries to birds and is capable of severely wounding people, in some cases even taking lives. A kite-flyer must only use threads without a “manja” coating.

3)  Keep a local animal welfare association’s number handy: In case you spot an injured bird, call a local animal welfare association for help IMMEDIATELY. Till they arrive, place the bird in a dry, warm cardboard box with a few tiny holes for ventilation.

4)  Kite Fliers, your safety comes first!: Have fun this Sankranti, but with a little caution! Take care of your eyes, skin, hands while flying a kite. Cover up your body and avoid standing in narrow lanes or near terrace edges.

5)  Drive slow & wear a helmet/neck protector: Go slow while driving a bike on the city roads. This might also give you enough time to slow down your vehicle if you find a kite-flyer rushing across a busy street to catch a kite. Make sure to wear a helmet, muffler or neck protector to avoid injuries from kite threads.

Have a safe & wonderful Sankranti!

 

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4 Things You Must Check About a Prospective Tenant

Tenant Approved_P1

Tenant Approved_P1We did a little bit of checking around, and what we heard from most landlords is that finding a good tenant is like ‘winning a lottery’.

Now, you must be wondering just how difficult can it get to find a tenant in a metro city?

Well, besides the common fear of offering a safe hiding-spot to a delinquent or an imposter, there are a host of other possibilities like not getting the rent on time, tenant absconding without paying due rent or just having to deal with a lousy, troublemaker. Hence, finding a “good tenant” can get tricky.

If you’re searching for a tenant right now, you surely hope to be 100% sure before letting him/her in.

A thorough tenant screening, which includes a background verification by the state police, can help eliminate about 90% of your tenant related problems and fears.

Make sure to conduct the following checks before letting out your property to anyone:

i)  Verify his/her background: This check will help you confirm if your potential tenant has a history of skipping payments of rent or is likely to cause small-time damages to your property.

ii)  Conduct a Credit Check: You can conduct a credit check through credit references or get an agency to do it for you.

iii)  Police Verification is a MUST: It is mandatory to conduct a police verification of your prospective tenant before letting out your property to him/her. This process requires you to visit the nearest police station and fill in a form with all necessary details (about the tenant). Police will verify the authenticity of all details, helping you ensure that your aspiring tenant does not have a criminal past.

iv)  Talk to the Last Landlord: We recommended that you ask the prospective tenant for the last landlord’s contact details. This will give you a better understanding of the concerned person’s behaviour/habits or if the person is likely to take good care of your property.

There are several agencies which offer tenant verification services (some or all the above) at a reasonable fee. We recommend that you do your own bit of research before zeroing in on one.

Have you had a bad experience with a previous tenant? Share your story to help other landlords be more cautious while renting out a house.

 

 

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5 DIY Decor Ideas for your Jazzy New Year’s Eve Party

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We’re just days away from ringing in a bright and fresh New Year, an occasion that calls for some party fun. Here are a few simple DIY ideas to help you add a festive touch to your party cleverly and inexpensively. (For simple DIYs to keep your home warm this winter, read here)

1) Accordion Paper Clock

Things You Need: 2 rolls of matching craft paper, cardboard circle (diameter = 8cm), glue, clock mechanism, number stickers (3,6,9,12), retractable knife.

Steps:

i)   Cut matching craft paper into two (horizontally).

ii)  Fold all four pieces of paper at 1cm intervals.

iii)  Glue all these pieces to each other (end on end) into a tube.

iv)  Push the top of the tube downwards (to flatten it) and create the centre.

v)  Pierce a 1cm hole at the centre of the card piece and attach it to the back of the accordion shape to keep it in place.

vi)  Place number stickers. (3,6,9 & 12)

vii)  Finally, fix your clock mechanism at the centre.

For Colourful Countdown Numbers, use Word Art on Microsoft Word to print reverse outlines of numbers (1 to 10) on cards (of different colours). Cut out each number using a retractable knife, punch stars on them randomly (with a star hand punch) and insert into slits on wine corks.

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2) Party Glitter Ball

Things You Need: Sphericalpaper lantern, glue, glitter, wiping cloth (to place where you will work)

Steps:

i)  Apply glue on the lantern’s surface in patches and immediately cover the area with sufficient amount of glitter.

ii)  Repeat the above step until the lantern’s surface is entirely covered with glitter.

iii)  When the first layer dries up, apply two more glitter layers so that no spot looks sparse.

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3) Shimmering Hanging Streamers

Things You Need: Card Stock, glue, wrapping paper, hole punch, monofilament, thumbtack, jump rings, circle cutter

Steps:

i)  Apply glue on both sides of card stock pieces and cover each with wrapping paper.

ii)  Cut out circular card pieces of varying sizes (ranging from 2” to 6” in diameter).

iii)  Punch a hole at top & bottom of each circle (in the smallest, punch a hole at the top only).

iv)  Make a chain of these circles using jump rings (large to small).

v)  Use monofilament & thumbtack to fix each streamer to the ceiling/door entrances.3 4) Origami Paper Cube Lights

Things You Need: String of 20 LED lights, 20 pieces of (8.5”x8.5”) paper

Steps:

i)  Fold 20 pieces of paper in this fashion:

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ii)  Insert each LED light into a paper cube.

iii)  Hang it from the ceiling or above windows.

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5) Sequin Backdrop Photo Booth

Things You Need: 600 sequins (60mm), 600 sequin pins, tape, gold wrapping paper (6 rolls), card stock, ruler, 6 pieces of foam-board

Steps:

i) Lay the foam boards on the floor and use tape to attach them.

ii)  Attach gold wrapping paper on the foam-boards using tape and cut off/fold backwards excess paper.

iii)  Stand it up against the wall where you want your photo booth to be.

iv) Start from the top. Place pins 2.5” apart.

v)  Measure how far the second row should be and place pins (2.5” apart) such that each sequin in the row sits snugly between two sequins above.

vi)  Make a guide using a poster board, with its width being equal to space between the two rows of pins. Mark placement of pins on the guide with a marker.

vii) Use the guide to fix following rows of pins.

viii)  Once pins are in place, hang sequins on the board (with pins being their support).

ix)  And your funky photo booth is ready for some party clicks!

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Did you find these pretty, festive Do-It-Yourself ideas useful for this New Year Eve’s party decoration? Or did you recently stumble upon some more quick and quirky decor ideas?

Tell us in the comments.

Here’s wishing you a beautiful New Year!!

 

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5 DIYs That Can Turn a Cold, Wintery Day into a Warm, Fuzzy One

It’s winter time and finding smart, new ways to keep your home snug is a mission we take upon ourselves when we’re not Christmas shopping, sipping on hot coffee or dipping into that sofa and watching our favourite holiday movies. So we thought it only fair to share a few inexpensive, resourceful DIYs that’ll help you kill the chill this year!

1)      Bubble Wrap Window InsulatorBubble Wrap Window Insulator

Things you Need: Spray Bottle, a utility knife, bubble wrap.

Steps:

i) Spray some water on your window.

ii) Place the bubble wrap on the window with the bubbled side facing the window.

iii) Use a utility knife to cut off excess bubble wrap.

Note: Water will keep bubble wrap stuck to the window. You won’t need any adhesive/tape.

2)      Weather Strip Doors/Windows to Seal Air LeaksWeather strip doors windows to seal air leaks

Things You Need: Hammer, screw-driver, door sweep (door bottom), side cutters, self-adhesive weatherstripping foam (for door/window sides or top).

Steps:

i) Cut self-adhesive foam to desired size.

ii) Peel the back and stick.

iii) Size door sweep to fit door bottom.

iv) Close the door and screw the sweep (its bottom surface should touch the floor)

Note: It’s a good practice to clean your window sills and door jams with water to wipe out dust or oil from it. This will help the tape stay stuck to the surface for a longer time. Let the door/window dry after that.

3)      Attach Aluminium Foil/Tin Foil Panels Behind Room Radiators/HeatersAttach aluminium foil

Things You Need: Aluminium foil/tin foil, scissors, duct tape.

Steps:

i) Cut tin foil/aluminium foil to desired size.

ii) Tape/place it around your room radiator/heater.

iii) Let the foil do its job (reflect heat) and keep your home warmer.

Note: This cost-effective step will help keep your home warmer and also lower energy costs. Remember to keep the foil’s reflective side facing the room.

4)      Air-Dry Some Clothes IndoorsAir dry some clothes indoors

Drying your laundry indoors increases the moisture level in your home by about 30%, making it more snug and comfy.

5) Make you Own Little Room HeaterMake you Own Little Room Heater

Things You Need: 3-4 tea light candles, 2 clay pots (one should be able to cover the other), glass loaf pan.

Steps:

i) Place candles inside a loaf pan.

ii)  Upturn the smaller pot over the pan such that it covers all candles. (plug pot’s bottom hole with foil before turning)

iii) Cover the smaller pot with a larger one.

Note: Make sure smaller pot’s hole is covered while the larger one’s is not.

Got some interesting creative ideas to cosy up your home this winter? Go on and share your fancy thoughts with us.

 

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Apartment Demolition Ordered, Later ‘Stayed’ by Karnataka High Court

On 8th December, High Court Justice Ram Mohan Reddy ordered BBMP to raze a portion of a five-storey apartment complex situated on Richmond Road that violated BBMP building bye laws.

Disturbed by their adjacent building’s violation of the sanctioned plan, Rustumji Apartment Owners’ Association brought the matter to the High Court’s attention, urging the Court to take necessary action.

The Karnataka High Court in turn instructed BBMP to immediately demolish the unauthorized parts of this apartment complex.  The demolition was being actively pursued but was eventually aborted on receiving a stay order from the High Court. This happened after the building owner contended that she ‘was never given an opportunity to be heard’.

Apartment residents believe that the city is packed with many more of such illegally constructed buildings and demand that they be demolished at the earliest.

What do you have to say about this recent incident? Do you think stricter laws should be passed regarding the same? Share your views in the comments section.

 

 

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