So what has love got to do with it?

Valentine’s Day is just a couple of days away – is it really one of the most romantic days of the year?

 

Each year in Britain we spend around £503,000,000 on cards, chocolates, flowers and other valentine’s gifts. Wow. That’s a massive amount of money – and for what? What is the ‘Bah – humbug’ equivalent for love?

  

Don’t get me wrong, I like a bit of romance as much as the next person, but seriously, are we getting this out of proportion? Let’s put things into perspective:

Some believe that that February 14^th was the day that the birds would choose their mates, whilst the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

 Regardless of the historical origins, the modern day interpretation is that Valentine’s Day is the day you would affirm your love for your chosen one, or if you if you are still searching for ‘the one’, you would anonymously send declarations of love and admiration. 

 

So what are you hoping for on Valentine’s Day? Are you hoping for a mysterious black velveteen box concealing a carat or two’s worth of bling? Maybe you are hoping to be whisked off for a weekend of romance in Paris, Venice or New York? Others will no doubt be happy with less flamboyant gestures, such as a bunch of handpicked flowers, a handmade card, or a cosy dinner for two.

 

Surely though, we should show people how much we care every day, rather than on just one certain day? I love getting home from work on any day of the year to find the vacuuming done, the dishwasher empty and the fire roaring. The very fact that my loved one has thought about me through the day, and made an effort to help keep our home clean, tidy and warm means a lot to me.

 

The only thing that would make it better would be the clutter disappearing. By clutter I mean the tools, the odd glove, random chargers, work boots, golf clubs, old newspapers and magazines, a tape measure, a remote control, a lone AA battery and that box of things. You know the things I mean don’t you? How on earth is that bit of metal, the old spring, half a set of Allen keys and a 2 Peseta piece ever going to be useful again? Pesetas haven’t been legal tender for 12 years... But my loved one has his clutter.

 
Maybe I should suggest that he takes out a storage unit? He could store the ‘stuff’ in a unit and free up drawers and cupboards in the house, which would mean the world to me.

Think about it: The price storage units start from is pretty much the cost of a bunch of flowers and far more reasonable than the cost of a table for the both of us at Chez Expensive (with prices expressly hiked up for this one night of the year).

Maybe I should get him a storage unit as a Valentines present?

www.beehiveselfstorage.co.uk

 

 

When you get itchy feet…

When you get itchy feet, consider storing in our square feet…

 I don’t know if you have looked out of the window recently, but it is pretty miserable here in the UK at the moment. We are all dreaming of sunnier, warmer climates and sipping on mojitos in a hammock under a palm tree. Many of us at some point feel like packing up and getting the next flight to Havana but unfortunately the reality of mortgages and rooms of furniture can bring us back down to earth fairly quickly. So, perhaps when you get itchy feet you should consider storing in our square feet to enable your travelling dreams to become a reality.

Most people would consider storing their valuables within self storage but what about your sentimental valuables? One anonymous member of our team here at Beehive has an irreplaceable ‘Yellow Ellie’, a yellow toy elephant given to her as a Christening present many years ago that she simply would not want to be without. Yellow Ellie may have lost some of her stuffing, an ear and is a little bit rough around the edges but it is these irrecoverable items that you may wish to store with us.

You may also feel that it is necessary to use a house sitter, now we aren’t the type of people who suspect everyone is a serial killer, but what if the house sitter’s dog took a particular liking to ‘Yellow Ellie’? You may arrive home to find just a lonely beady eye left. House exchanges are also becoming increasingly popular with those experiencing ‘Wanderlust’ which must involve a mutual feeling of trust between the two parties, but for peace of mind perhaps you would feel more comfortable storing some priceless or treasured belongings.

Imagine arriving off your long haul flight at Heathrow to find that your beloved Mona Lisa has ended up with a moustache and glasses at the unartistic hands of one of your teenager’s friends or your wardrobe has been raided and your designer dress has a suspicious stain that smells quite distinctly of cider and your daughter’s perfume. That just-off-holiday feeling has gone and I’m sure one thing would come immediately to mind – I wish we used self storage!

Our purpose built facility is clean, dry and insulated in such a way to prevent fluctuations in temperature which can lead to damp and humidity. You will have your own private unit that is easily accessible with trolleys and sack trucks available free of charge. We have a sophisticated alarm and monitored CCTV system to ensure your belongings are secure and we also offer insurance at competitive prices.

So why wait? If your travels last for one month or three years, we have various sizes of units to suit your storage requirements. You can store just about anything with us so whether you are renting your house for a long term trip and need to store a house full of furniture or whether it is your very own Mona Lisa or Yellow Ellie, you can store your items with at Beehive Self Storage in the confidence that they are safe and secure.

www.beehiveselfstorage.co.uk

 

Photographs 1 & 2 are courtesy of George Hodan & Karen Arnold respectively.

Milk on a houseplant’s leaves – who knew?

The daffodils and crocuses are starting to peek from beneath the ground and there have been a few glimpses of sunshine across the South West these last few weeks. It’s staying light longer in the afternoons so it’s reassuring to know that Spring is on the way.

Are you a ‘Spring Cleaner’? Some people love an opportunity to give their home a really good ‘bottoming’ as my Grandmother used to call it, whilst for others it’s a case of doing what needs doing.

According to Wikipedia, the origins of Spring Cleaning may date back to Iranian Norouz which is the Persian New Year, falling on the first day of Spring. Iranians continue the practice of khooneh tekouni which translates literally into ‘shaking the house’. Whether you love or hate housework, nothing is more valuable than tips and hints passed down from generation to generation, or shared amongst friends so the Beehive girls have compiled a list of some of our favorites to share with you:

 

1.       Nothing is more frustrating than a smear when cleaning windows. To locate the smear more easily simply wipe horizontally when cleaning the outside of a window, but vertically when cleaning the inside and that way you will be able to tell at a glance whether the smear is inside or outside!

2.       If you mix 20 drops of lavender oil (or lemongrass oil) in 100ml of water and use from a spray bottle, it’s a great way to wipe grime from window frames and it leaves the house smelling fresh. As an added bonus, lemongrass and lavender are also known for their fly repellent properties!

3.       Limescale can easily be removed from shower heads – just remove the showerhead and leave in a bowl of white vinegar overnight.

4.     WD-40 is great for removing sticky marks or adhesive residue left by labels on items such as plastic.

5.      Brass and copper has a real shine if rubbed with a cotton wool ball that has been dipped in ketchup and then buffed with a soft cloth.

6.       Stained toilet bowl? Leave fizzy cola in the bowl overnight and then flush for a gleaming loo!

7.       Diluted or neat lemon juice can be used to remove stains (or rust) on plastic.

8.      Eliminate water marks from wooden surfaces with a small amount of mayonnaise or toothpaste on a damp cloth – test a small area first!

9.      Rubbing the leaves of houseplants with a small of amount of milk on a soft cloth will make sure that they shine for weeks!

10.   Glass bottles and vases can become grimy in the bottom with use and are often difficult to clean. Place uncooked rice in those hard to reach receptacles with a water and vinegar solution. Leave to soak for 10 minutes and then (with your hand firmly over the opening) shake heartily, finish by giving them a rinse with cold water.

We really hope that some of these ideas are useful to you and we’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestion if you have any you’d like to share.

Milk on a houseplant’s leaves – who knew?

Photographs courtesy of Petr Kratochvil

Here we are!

So, here it is - the Beehive Self Storage blog. Welcome along and thanks for taking a look.  Beehive Self Storage offers secure and purpose built storage across Somerset and Dorset and through our blog we'd like to tell you more about us, our teams and what we do.

What springs to mind when you hear the term 'self-storage'? If you've never used storage before it might all seem a little mysterious, or conjure up mental images of dark, cold warehouses. You might think storage only for banishing unwanted items into an abyss never to be seen again, but you couldn't be further from the truth!

Storage space can be found in many guises these days, but reputable storage companies like Beehive have facilities offering clean, vibrant and contemporary surroundings with secure storage units in different sizes.

 

As for what can be stored - the opportunities are (almost) limited only by your imagination! There are a few things which are prohibited for safety and legal reasons but otherwise the list is endless, and probably a blog in itself.

 

What would you store?