For most of us, we’re going on week four or five of quarantine and it’s starting to wear on our moods and the ability to stay motivated. Instead of looking at the negatives that come with social distancing, let’s look at the positives. We all have things that we have been putting off due to our busy schedules outside of the home, it’s time to focus on productivity and positivity to accomplish those things. We’ve put together a few productive ways to stay upbeat during the lockdown. 

Reduce-Take a look around your home, is there a space, drawer, or closet that you know you should go through and donate a few things? Start there, put items that you no longer want to keep in a box for when good-will is open again. Cleaning out the clutter will feel good and make the space a more positive environment. 

Phone Call-Make that phone call to that person you are always too busy to call. It may be a long conversation, but now you have enough time to devote to it. You will be able to give that person all your attention. Not only will this make you fell good, but you are also making the person on the other end of the line feel good. They will feel like a priority in your life, just make that call.

Finish Project-It’s time. That project you keep putting off can now be finished. You don’t have to tackle it in one day, but instead set a goal of doing a little at a time, every day until you have finished it. You will feel accomplished when you are finished. 

Send Snail Mail-In a world full of technology, it is so easy to get away from handwritten communication. Ask yourself this, would you rather get a personalized card in the mail, or a generic email like you do all the time at work? Sending heart felt words during this uncertain time may just be what that person needs to keep their own positivity flowing. Put away that computer and get out your pen and paper. 

Deep Clean-Pick something in the house and deep clean it. You will feel productive and satisfied when this area is thoroughly cleaned. Not sure what to deep clean? Take apart the couch and really vacuum and sanitize everything. You can also deep clean your bathrooms which are getting more use than the normally do now days. Happy cleaning! 

Enjoy Quality Time-Time flies, children grow up, and relationships are strained when they are neglected. We now have the excuse to work on our relationships and spend quality time with our loved ones. Put the phones down and start a puzzle as a family. Set aside time to sit down and really talk and listen to your kids. Cook together, laugh together, and just enjoy each others company. 

Remember this is just a temporary living situation, stay positive. We will be out of this soon enough. 

Be well! 

Tips for Increasing Your Home Value

We’re all at home staring at our walls, why not do some easy home improvement projects? Doing so can increase the value of your home. 

Paint-One of the easiest ways to change a room, is by painting it. You can be bold, but keep in mind, neutrals are colors that go with everything, and are more appealing to most people. This project is also not an expensive one. Now it’s time to get busy! 

Plant a Tree-Landscaping improves the value of a home while it also makes the outside more appealing. Wether you are planning on selling your home now, or planting a tree now will help you in the future. When this tree matures, it will also provide shade for the home, decreasing the cooling cost by as much as 40 percent. 

Little Luxuries-Home buyers love little luxuries! Install a water filtration system in your kitchen. Not only will this save your household money, it will also be an applying attribute for buyers. 

Lawn Care-Take a look at your lawn, is it patchy and overgrown? Hiring a lawn care company to come take care of your lawn will help curb appeal. This is also a service that does not break the bank. You can also buy grass seed, to grow back those bare patches, and trim your grass and bushes if you feel comfortable doing so. 

Update Fixtures-That old ceiling fan that makes noise on a high setting will be an eyesore for a potential buyer. Head to Home Depot to purchase an energy saving ceiling fan. It will provide light and keep the room cooler during the summer, decreasing power bills. An energy efficient ceiling fan will be anywhere from 200 to 400 dollars. 

Organize-With all the time we have on our hands, let’s organize! Organizing will help keep your space positive, while helping you declutter and get rid of things you don’t need anymore. A home buyer will be more inclined to buy an organized home over a cluttered home. 

These small improvements can really pay off. Just take it room by room, and have fun doing it!

Be well!

We’re all trying to figure out this new normal. It is especially hard to be stuck indoors during holidays as we are used to attending church, brunch, or even an Easter egg hunt. Here are a few simple things you can do indoors to keep the holiday alive: 

Online Church Service-A lot of churches have turned to the internet to broadcast their church services. Some are live streaming the service, while others are prerecording them to post to YouTube. If your church does not have the ability to do this, head to Google and search for churches that are offering live Easter services. 

Video Chat-You can schedule a virtual hangout with family and friends on Easter. There are several apps like Google Hangouts, FaceTime, and Zoom that allow people to connect through their screens. You can organize a virtual Easter brunch with the grandparents! 

Dress Up-We’ve all been wearing yoga pants and comfy clothes while in quarantine, why not put on your Easter best?! Not only will it make you feel better to get out of those unwashed sweats you’ve been wearing on repeat, you will enjoy wearing that pretty dress when you take a trip form the living room to the kitchen. You can also get a great family portrait in the backyard or front porch to remember Easter in quarantine. 

Dye Those Eggs-This is always a fun activity for the kids. If you are able to snag an extra dozen, make this activity fun! Use things around the house to decorate the eggs: painters tape can be used to create designs before dying them, Kool-Aid powder can be used as a dye, and kids can use items from the arts and craft closet to decorate them. 

Easter Recipe-Keep the tradition alive! Your mother-in-law always makes those tasty deviled eggs for brunch, why cant you? Call her to get the recipe and then make them yourself. It will make your family feel closer. 

Egg Hunt-The kids may be disappointed that they don’t get to have their annual Easter egg hunt at school or church, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t create one for them. You can order some plastic eggs online for pick up or delivery, then fill them with candy. Don’t forget it’s always fun to hide a golden egg! Make a completion out of it, who ever finds the golden egg, gets to pick out what movie to watch on Netflix later. 

New Tradition-Use Easter in quarantine as an excuse to start a new tradition. Bake a bunny cake, or come up with a fun Easter game. If you are struggling to come up with ideas, head to Pinterest for inspiration. 

Have a hoppy and healthy Easter! 

Be well. 

Are you sad that your little ones aren’t bringing home any cute Easter crafts? Now is the best time to do some fun crafts together on the patio! We have put together a few crafts that can be done with what you already have inside your craft closet. 

Egg carton chicks-Cut each egg compartment of the carton into squares. Then glue a top and bottom together. Have your little one paint the body of the chick yellow. Then cut little orange triangles out for the beak and glue it on. Add two googly eyes or use black paint to paint the eyes on. Your little one will have fun playing with his or her creations. 

Potato Egg Stamps-If you have some extra potatoes in the house, this craft is fun for the little ones under 4. Take egg shaped potatoes, cut them in half. Then with the knife, carve designs into the halves. These can now be used at stamps. Have your kids stamp them into paint and then onto paper. 

Paper Plate Easter Baskets-Give each child a paper plate and some brown paint. Have them paint the back of the paper plate brown and then let it dry. If your child is not handy with scissors, help them cut out the center/circle of the plate. Then cut the circle in half and set aside. Take colored construction paper and cut out a few egg shapes. Now its time to glue everything! Take your semicircle and turn it so the flat side is facing up and glue it to the back of the place, brown side facing the painted open circle side. Now your basket is done, you can now glue on the eggs.

Sock Bunny-Do you have old socks, or socks that have lost their matching friend? You’ll need a sock and some rubber bands, scissors, cotton balls and markers for this craft. The top of the bunny will be the head. Stuff the sock with cotton balls, then take a rubber band to section off a larger portion for the body. Then take the second rubber band to section off the head leaving the extra fabric at the top. You will now cut the extra fabric into floppy ears. Have you child draw on the eyes and mouth. 

Wishing you a very Happy Easter! 

Benefits of Carpet, and Carpet during the Coronavirus Outbreak

I’m sure you have heard, Carpet is out and hard floors are in. Yes, hard floors may be more appealing to some, but there are actual benefits of having carpet in your home. 

When dirt, dust, and other particles settle to the ground, they just sit on the surface of hard floors. You can sweep, vacuum, and mop, but these cleaning tools don’t always get every particle off the floor. They are then left to circulate every time someone walks or create movement. 

Carpet traps these unwanted particles that can cause indoor allergies, and create poor air quality. In order for carpet to be beneficial, it is important that carpet is properly maintained. This means, having your carpets cleaned regularly. It is recommended that carpets should be cleaned every year. If you have pets, or an area that has heavy traffic, you can clean them two to three times a year. 

We recommend using a professional service that uses green cleaners or cleaners that are meant for carpets. Using products that are not meant for the carpet will damage it, and over time will become a poor filter for your home. 

Now, let’s talk about carpet and COVID-19. I am sure many people are worried that their soft surfaces in their home are trapping the virus from their shoes or other items that could have possible come in contact with the virus. 

The CDC recommends that soft porous surfaces should be cleaned with appropriate cleaners indicated for carpets, rugs, cloth furniture, and drapes. They also recommend that hot water is used when cleaning these surfaces. If you are able to toss these items into the wash, it is recommended as a secondary precaution agains the virus. 

Stay well! 

That's right all you cool cats and kittens, come tour the Tiger Queen's personal estate with an open house!

Oh and did we mention you just got duped? APRIL FOOLS!

Recently, Alachua County issued a stay at home order meaning all non-essential businesses were to be closed.  You can view the full order online.

COVID-19 Resource Guide

At Rabell Realty we know that life doesn't stop because schools are out until May 4th and other aspects of our lives may be disrupted. We want to provide you with a list of helpful resources for you and your family during this difficult time.

The coronavirus also known as COVID-19, has caused the general public to panic and over purchase sanitizer, bleach, and disinfectant spray. This demand has proven difficult for companies to meet the needs of the consumer.

These common household products will kill the virus:

Soap & Water-Almost every household will have some form of soap, dish soap, or bar soap. When you scrub your hands with soap, it breaks the protective barrier of the virus. It is important to either throw away the paper towel you use to dry your hands or wash the hand towel immediately after washing hands.

Bleach-If you were able to snag a bottle of bleach from the store before it sold out, or have a bottle sitting in the laundry room, you’re in luck. To kill the coronavirus, the CDC recommends diluting 1/3 cup of bleach in one gallon of water for it to be effective.

Isopropyl Alcohol-Alcohol solutions containing 70 percent alcohol or more are effective in killing the virus. Do not dilute the solution when applying it to surfaces, it must sit on the surface for 30 seconds for it to disinfect. This also means that you cannot use vodka from the liquor store, the alcohol content is not strong enough to kill the coronavirus.

Hydrogen Peroxide-It has been proven that this solution was successful in killing the Rhinovirus, which is more difficult to kill than the coronavirus. You can pour this solution into a spray bottle to spray surfaces. It is recommended that you allow the solution to sit on the surface for at least a minute.

Here are a few things that you should NOT use against coronavirus:

Homemade Hand Sanitizer-There are tons of hand sanitizer recipes circulating the internet. Doctors and professional chemists are advising against making your own at home. Unless the sanitizer is made using exactly the correct ratios of ingredients, it won’t be effective in protecting you against the virus.
Vodka-Again, this is not effective in combating the coronavirus. Many vodka companies have released statements, telling their customers that the proof of vodka is not the percentage of ethyl alcohol.

Distilled White Vinegar-Many other disinfectant recommendations involve the use of vinegar. There is no evidence that shows this solution effectively kills the virus.

Stay healthy friends!

During this time, most of us have been asked or mandated to stay in out homes until further notice. Luckily, we are allowed to leave our homes and walk, run, bike, and hike. Here in Gainesville, we have a ton of beautiful areas to explore and hike.

Sweet Water Wetlands Park consists of over 125 acres of natural wildlife conservation. You can walk about 3 1/2 miles on a gravel path through the wetlands and ponds. Did you know that Sweetwater was created to help improve the water quality in Paynes Prairie? How neat!

What might you see at Sweetwater? Glad you asked, there are many indigenous species that live at Sweetwater. You will definitely see many different species of birds. Depending on the temperature and what season it is, the gators are usually out and about. There are also wild horses, yes horses!

This is a great place to take the family, you can even play a game to see who can spot the most gators! Pro tip, if you have not been to Sweetwater before, the wildlife tends to hang out in the back half of the park.

The park also hosts events and guided tours, as of right now everything has been canceled. For future scheduling please use this website: https://www.sweetwaterwetlands.org/activities

Have a great hike!

It’s that time of year where you find yourself searching for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. If you’re like us, you wait until the last minute to shop. We’ve put together a list of places in Gainesville where you can find the perfect gift for that special someone. 

1. Floral Expressions

This family owned and operated florist creates the prettiest floral arrangements and gifts. If you are going to order from them, they recommend that you place your order a day before the holiday to ensure a timely delivery. 

2. Thornebrook Chocolate

You CAN’T go wrong with chocolates for Valentine’s Day! Thornbrook Chocolates creates delicious confections year round. They will also have chocolate covered strawberries available for Valentine’s Day! 

3. Dorn’s Liquors

Who doesn’t love to get a bottle of wine or liquor as a gift?! Dorn’s stocks a wide variety of wines and liquors. Their highly knowledgeable staff can help you pick out the perfect bottle for that special someone. 

4. The Village Jeweler

Locally owned and operated, this boutique jewelry store located in Butler Town Center has gifts for everyone. They have a wide variety of jewelry and accessories for both men and women. 

5. Romantic Gainesville Dinner Spots

We have two places that we recommend for dinner on Valentine’s Day. Mark’s Prime Steakhouse is located downtown Gainesville, this restaurant creates a romantic environment for special occasions and serves the freshest beef and seafood in the area. The second restaurant is Dragonfly Sushi & Sake Company. Also located downtown, actually right next to Mark’s, has a funky atmosphere and serves delicious sushi creations and craft cocktails. 

6. Cloud 9 Salon & Spa

Did you say spa day? Treat you or your loved one to a day of pampering. They are offering a few specials when you purchase a gift card through them prior to Valentine’s Day. They also offer a couples suite where you can enjoy services together. 

7. The Bungalow Boutique 

If you’re looking for adorable gifts from Cupid, this boutique has the best little gifts for your little ones. They also carry kids and women’s clothes. 

8. Down to Earth Boutique

For the lucky lady in your life or even your galentine, this boutique has cute gifts and clothes for every woman. If you’re undecided on a specific gift, you can always get her a gift card. 

We hope this list takes solves all your gift giving questions! Stay tuned for fun local date ideas!