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HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY TO ALL!!

Some celebrate Valentine’s Day the traditional way with flowers, chocolates, and dinner dates. And some chose to celebrate a like non-traditionally.  If you are a non-traditional person, here’s some ideas you might like!! WEIRD THING TO DO ON VALENTINE’S DAY:

Great San Francisco Pillow Fight
Walloping your sweetie with a pillow to mark Valentine’s Day isn’t the most obvious wooing technique. Then again, you’re guaranteed to get his or her attention. The Great San Francisco Pillow Fight is a favorite event for folks looking to vanquish Valentine’s Day angst – or maybe for lonely hearts looking to meet someone who shares their affinity for feathers. This year’s event happens on Friday, Feb. 14.
Cupid’s Undie Run
Need some motivation to finish a race in record time? How about this: You can’t put your clothes back on until you cross that finish line — and it’s February. Thousands of people will strip down to their undies and race around major U.S. cities this year for Cupid’s Undie Run. The races have expanded across the country in recent years, with 30 cities hosting Undie Runs for Valentine’s Day in 2014. Most races are scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 15.
Naked scavenger hunts

Yes, you can keep your clothes on for this one – it’s the art that will be naked. Museums in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., will play host to naked scavenger hunts Feb. 14 and 15, courtesy of Watson Adventures. As part of the hunt, museum patrons will have to locate art that’s … well, you know. Atlanta cemetery tour

If it’s possible to make a graveyard romantic, the Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta is determined to make it happen. The graveyard is home to many famous Americans, including “Gone with the Wind” author Margaret Mitchell and golf legend Bobby Jones. Through Saturday, Feb. 15, the cemetery is offering a “love stories” tour that will explore “cemetery symbols of love and devotion and reveals poignant epitaphs that speak to enduring love.” Literary speed dating

Bookworms in New York had a chance to meet like-minded suitors at an event titled “I Like Your Glasses: Literary Speed Dating with CoverSpy” on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. Each person was expected to go on 10 six-minute “dates,” matched by book preferences and age. StopLight 5K

The dating world can get murky – just who’s single and who’s taken, anyway? It’d be nice if someone would color-code everyone … like at the StopLight 5K race in Provo, Utah, on Saturday, Feb. 15. Runners will wear red, green or yellow depending on if they’re taken, single or “it’s complicated.”   Shred Your Ex

Say goodbye to old relationships at one of the many “shred your ex” events happening the week of Valentine’s Day. It’s exactly what it sounds like: Bring photos of your ex for a cathartic and freeing shredding experience. Valentine Plunge

Nothing says “I love you” like a mad dash into the icy waters of the Atlantic. The Valentine Plunge is an annual tradition in Manasquan, N.J., with crowds racing into the frigid waters to raise money for charity. If you were hoping to prove your love to your valentine by joining in this crazy stunt, you’ll have to wait, because the 2014 plunge happened Feb. 7. Organizers are already planning for next year; you can start shivering in anticipation now. HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY FROM DINO’S STORAGE!!!!!

Caring for the Elderly

After the last 10 days caring for my elderly father, I realized that I never thought this would happen. Growing up my father was a strong person who could care for himself. He was there when we needed help at the farm, mowing the fields, fixing fences, rebuilding a stall and even fixing the tractor. He could do it all. To see what has happened to him the last 10 days is very difficult. He cannot walk on his own without help. We have to help him get in and out of bed. Help him get to the restroom. Help him get dressed. We have to make sure he takes his medication or he will take too much. Last week he took to many pills and he fell numerous times. His mind is not the best anymore. You have to keep telling him, “Don’t try to get up on your own.” but he wants to be independent. The last fall he hurt his leg and ankle. So now that has become a problem.  I never thought this would happen and it is a huge wake up. He always took care of us and now we take care of him. We will see what the next few weeks bring and hope for things to improve. He loves his home and wants to stay there, so we need to do our best. The reason I am telling you this is to appreciate your parents and don’t take them for granted. Help them like they helped you all your life. And remember it is not a burden, it is a privilege and the right thing to do.

Better Days Ahead with Dino’s Storage

The days are getting longer again, and we are down to just weeks of winter, and as bad as winter always is, we have been very fortunate to live where we do, as opposed to the east coast, or maybe North Dakota!

Spring always seems to be the time when people get motivated, do their spring cleaning, and all swoop down on the storage business. I would rather spend some boring winter weekends boxing things up, making a plan, and get all my spring stuff done NOW, so that when the weather changes, I won’t be overwhelmed with all of the projects that I have procrastinated on. Our lots at Dino’s are always plowed, and our moving trucks stay on the road.

We all got to enjoy a VERY exciting Super Bowl this year, and now, I for one look forward to enjoying a good SAFE Winter Olympics……….all of our prayers should go out to all in Sochi. I sure wish we had a Dino’s location there, I would sure be volunteering for duty.

 

 

Dino’s Storage shares Top 11 Facts About Bullying in Our Kids Schools

1)  Over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year.
2)  1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene 4% of the time.
3)  Approximately 160,000 teens skip school everyday because of bullying.
4)  1 in 7 students in K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying.
5)  56% of students have personally witnessed some type of bullying at school.
6)  Over two-thirds of students believe that schools respond poorly to bullying, with a high percentage of students believing that adult help
is infrequent and ineffective.
7)  71% of students report incidents of bullying as a problem at their school.
8)  90% of 4th through 8th graders report being victims of bullying.
9)  1 out 10 students drop out of school because of repeat bullying.
10)  Harassment and bullying have been linked to 75% of school-shooting incidents.
11)  Physical bullying increases in elementary school, peaks in middle school and declines in high school.
Verbal abuse, however, remains constant.

TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR SCHOOLS WITH BULLYING AND OTHER ISSUES GO TO:  www.dosomething.org

 

 

 

 

Dino’s Storage offers tips on organizing your storage unit!

One too many times I have seen tenants open their storage units and their belongings start falling out or half their unit is out on the driveway while they are looking for that one special box. Here are some tips to save you a lot of time and energy in the future when accessing your unit.

 

First, when picking boxes make sure they are all the same size. Medium is recommended. This will help in stacking and accessibility. Make sure your boxes are labeled for storing in the correct area of your unit.

You will need to divide your storage contents into categories based on accessibility, visibility, and out of sight storage. Accessible items would be located in the front of the unit and out of sight in the back. Within those three categories, you can organize your unit based on lawn and garden, hardware, sports and recreation, seasonal items, etc..

Determine how your unit will best be designed. You will want to take measurements and sketch a plan to determine the components needed. If you are adding shelves, they can be purchased at any big box store or you can build your own. Shelving kits will require some assembly with basic tools. Be sure your shelving is free standing and you are not putting any pressure on the unit walls or ceiling.

We also recommend you leave a path in the middle so you can access the whole unit easily. Organizing your unit eliminates clutter, allows you to efficiently pack away your belongings, and create more functional space.

Cindy Sampson

Property Manager

411 Brick Street

Bondurant, Iowa

515-967-9346

 

 

Dino’s Storage in Omaha has opened a brand new location!

Dino’s Storage newest location at 14650 West Maple is now open! Location hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9-6pm, Wednesday and Saturdays are by appointment and closed on Sunday. You can reach Brian, the property manager at 402-916-4441 or westmaple@dinosstorage.com.

 

 

 

 

Storing Responsibly with Dino’s Storage.

The managers at Dino’s Storage take great pride in providing our customers with a wonderful facility to store their belongings.  We walk our properties daily to ensure every unit is locked properly, all the lights are functioning, we provide routine landscape care and pest control and we keep our isles, hallways, elevators,  loading areas, offices and outside property tidy.  Through all of our diligent efforts to provide a safe and secure home for your items, it is also up to the customer to ensure they are not storing items that would attract pest or bring harm to the facility and other customers.

Here in the Midwest we experience an array of different weather types and just like you or I, certain pests would rather harbor in luxury than brave the humidity or below zero temperatures.  We have every customer initial stating that they will not be storing flammable, explosive, hazardous, perishable, living, illegal or contraband items in their unit but it is up to every customer to honestly follow this rule and it is hard for managers to sort out a violator once the customer has moved in and locked the unit door.

I would like to share a few helpful tips that will help you to have a pleasant storage experience:

We do not allow customers to smoke on the property but occasionally someone will drive up to their unit with a lit cigarette in hand, thus the reason we ask that you do not store anything flammable, explosive or tires.   This reminds me of a facility in Arizona a few years ago, someone decided to toss a lit cigarette and it set a spark to a unit, the unit was full of tires (which are highly flammable) and shortly after the whole facility was engulfed in flames.  As you can imagine this was a very devastating time for not only the property owners but all the innocent storage customers as well, all due to the negligence of a couple of customers that didn’t follow the rules to help ensure the safety of the whole property.

  • We ask that should you need to put items like lawnmowers, ATVs or any items requiring gasoline into storage, please drain the gas out as much as possible.
  • Do not store new or used tires in the unit unless they are attached to a vehicle.
  • Items such as spray paint, gallons of paint or flammable cleaning products should also not be placed in the storage unit.
  • And most importantly, DO NOT SMOKE on the property and put the whole facility in danger.

Many customers will pack up their whole home and move it into storage during times of transition, and when I say whole home, I mean they store not only clothes, beds and furniture but they also will clean out their kitchen cupboards and place food inside the unit.  A lot of time people will not stop to think about the perishable items and the potential mayhem it could cause inside their unit.

  • Please do not store food inside your unit as it could cause a potential outbreak of cockroaches or even attract mice into your unit.  Again, no matter how diligent management is in providing pest control, it is up to the customer to store smart.  As we all know, cockroaches and mice breed quickly and both are hard to control once an outbreak occurs.**If you have food items to remove from your home during a move, consider donating them to a food bank, neighbor or friend but please do not place them into storage during your transition**
  • Even if you are in a hurry to move, please take time to wash your clothes and pack them away in plastic totes.  This way you will have fresh clothing when you pull them out of storage and you also reduce the risk of bringing in any type of bugs that could have possibly been attracted to your clothes/bedding before the move.  Storing material items in plastic totes will also prevent mice from chewing through your boxes and bags to snuggle up next to your favorite sweater.
  • Often people will relax in their favorite chair or sofa with a bowl or popcorn or other snack while watching a movie and there is the potential of little crumbs falling between the cushion.  Please take the time to vacuum your furniture before bringing it to storage as these little crumbs could also attract unwanted pests.  This goes for mattresses as well.  Most Dino’s Storage locations sell mattress bags and sofa/chair covers and we recommend you wrap your items in plastic not only to detract pests but to also reduce dust collecting on your items over a long period of time.
  • If you are storing your items in bags or boxes, you might also consider lining the unit floor with pallets and then start moving your items into storage.  You could also take extra precaution by placing mouse traps or cockroach bait around your unit, to provide a little extra safety of your belongings.
  • If you are able, visit your storage unit monthly to look for signs or unwanted pests…chances are good that your items are just how you left them but it never hurts to check in.

You may think that it is obviously not the best idea to store living items in a unit but I have seen it happen.  I have had to evict a tenant for attempting to reside in his unit and I have also had to extract a kitten from inside a unit.  Not only is it against the rules to storage yourself or any living creature in a unit but it is also inhumane and a cause of health concern to the whole facility.  Real plants are also not proper to store in a unit as they do not obtain proper sunshine or water and die which leads to dead foliage and bugs.

This brings me to the final point; illegal or contraband items.  Not only is it illegal to be in possession of these items outside a storage facility but we do not want this type of activity inside our facilities either.  The first facility that I ever managed was in Tucson, AZ just off the highway to Mexico.  It was a nice new facility but I was involved with the city drug task force and had drug sniffing dogs come through the facility at random to check the property.  Placing a gun in a storage unit is also not allowed.  Should you forfeit your unit to an auction or in the possible rare instance your unit is broken into, you risk your registered firearm being in the possession of another person, so please keep them in a locked safe and not in storage.

Please also remember that your storage facility is not responsible for the safety and security of your property, you are.  We do offer optional insurance coverage if you do not have your own.  Hopefully this post has given you insight to helpful storage tips and the reasoning behind our rules as we want  you have the most pleasant storage experience possible!!

Start the New Year off right saving $$ with Dino’s Storage!!

With the beginning of every New Year, we think about getting things organized in our lives. A good start usually means getting the house organized. Storage units can be a big help with getting the items out of your way that you do not use on a regular basis. Items such as holiday decorations, summer camping supplies, sporting gear, and bicycles.
We have a special running for 10×10 storage units to help you with this. Right now Bellevue has 10×10 climate control units are $90.00 and the non-climate units are $70.00. It only takes a few minutes to get a unit and you can start moving these items right away.
So come see Jennie or Tammy at Bellevue’s Dino’s Storage to get your unit set up.

Winter in the Midwest with Dino’s Storage.

Well, it is 2014 now, we are in the thick of winter, the holidays are behind us, and all we have to look forward to is a handful of football games left this season. Our new sunglasses we got for Christmas haven’t gotten much use………..but on the bright side, neither have our new snow blowers and shovels (let alone our backs!).

We have been very fortunate for our mild winter, and minimal snow accumulation we have had so far. Snow storms can cripple a business and even a community when they come as often as some of the country has seen this year. One more reason for us to be thankful I guess.

The storage business here at Dino’s was closed the last week of 2013, which was a VERY, VERY nice blessing from the ownership of Dino’s. We are all back now, refreshed, and just waiting for your business!

If you have never used a storage before, but have considered using one, you are probably a good candidate to consider calling me to find out what I can do to help you organize your basement, or a place to put your seasonal decorations away where they won’t be in your way, or just take this boring time of year to organize and put your place in order. I am sure that if you call me to inquire about what I can do for you, you will be surprised.

So, don’t wait………give us a call……..you will be happy you did.