Be aware. The more information you have, the better your chances of action and survival. If conditions seem right for a tornado (stormy or green skies), check the Internet or radio for storm warnings. A tornado watch means that conditions are right and to remain alert; a tornado warning means that one has formed and action should be taken.

Be prepared. Have a plan in place for a tornado, and make sure your family (or workplace) knows it. Have a plan for your home, as well as individual plans for everyone (such as work, school, etc). Provide at least a basic first-aid kit where you plan to seek shelter.

Get low. If a basement or cellar is available, shelter there. Stay away from windows (better to be directly under one than directly across from one) and shelter in a corner, where the floor above you is strongest, unless an interior room is available. If possible, lay under a sturdy table or bench, or cover yourself with a mattress or blanket to protect against small debris. If you’re caught outdoors, seek out the lowest ground and lay facedown, protecting the back of your head.

Stay calm. If a tornado is imminent, move calmly. If you are prepared with a plan and knowledge of how to carry that plan out, that’s all you need to concentrate on. A tornado can create numerous hazards, from collapsing buildings, to lethal debris, to electrical and fire dangers. The calmer you remain the more you will be able to adapt to new dangers.

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Forwarding your mail is an important step when moving, but there’s a bit of planning involved when you do it right. Here’s a brief guide on forwarding your mail to a new address correctly.

The first thing you want to do is plan ahead. The post office needs some time (ideally two weeks) to process your request, so try to avoid remembering as you’re unpacking boxes in your new place. You can visit any post office and fill out the forwarding form, or do it online, at the postal service’s website. Keep in mind you must have a valid email address and credit card to use the online option.

Some magazine subscriptions are not automatically forwarded by the USPS, so you will need to change your address with each publication you subscribe to. Sometimes this can be done online, but most magazines have at least one card inside that you can use.

Some health insurance information might not be forwarded, depending on your provider. Some providers need a signed letter stating your new address, so inquire with your provider before moving.

Additionally some bank and government mail is not automatically forwarded, so change your address with your bank at the same time you change it with the post office.

If you’re expecting a package around the time of your move, make sure to notify the sender of your new address. Packages are not forwarded and will cost the sender more money to ship when it’s returned to them.

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Springtime in the rockies is a mix of warmer weather interrupted by random snowstorms that keep you on your toes. But spring is here, and there are plenty of great events going on in Denver that are worth checking out. Here are a few of our top picks:

Catalyst at Denver Botanic Gardens. While it’s not limited only to spring (it runs through the end of the year), Catalyst did just begin on May 4th. 12 Colorado-based visual artists have been set loose in the already magnificent gardens, and added their sculptures to the landscape. For info on the exhibit and tickets to the Gardens, visit their website.

Downtown Denver Arts Festival. This Memorial Day weekend art fest takes place at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, and features both Colorado artists as well as national names. This event is free and open to the public, May 24-25th.

Five Points Jazz Festival. On May 18th the historically rich neighborhood of Five Points will host a free jazz festival. The festival will be spread out over five venues near Welton st. and 26th ave, and there will also be food and vendor booths.

Mammoths and Mastodons at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. This amazing exhibit, created by the Field Museum in Chicago, is a fascinating look not only into extinct Mastodons and Mammoths, but also giant ice bears and saber-toothed cats. It’s a special event and ends May 27th, so if you’re interested, all the information is right here.

Of course, in addition to these events, Denver’s greatest spring event is the great outdoors! Most days are sunny, warm and dry, so get out there and explore this great city!

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Spring is finally here in Albuquerque, and if you didn’t know it already, our city has a website dedicated to special events in the area, for both tourists and residents alike. We went through and cherry-picked some of the upcoming spring events here in the ‘Querque.

Albuquerque Wine Festival, May 25th-27th at Balloon Fiesta Park. Some people don’t even know that wine is produced here in New Mexico, but this 3-day festival over Memorial Day weekend aims to educate people on just that. Wineries from around the state will gather to offer samples of their wines. There will also be food tents, live music, and arts and crafts booths. Tickets are $20, consuming or not.

3rd Annual National Train Day, May 11th, Alvarado Transportation Center. This is a great free event for both families and die-hard train enthusiasts. You can tour a variety of real train cars, as well as see model train displays. There will also be live music and activities just for the kids.

Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival, May 18th-19th, Balloon Fiesta Park. This festival of all things Celtic is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year! There will be traditional music, such as bagpipe and harp, as well as Highland and Irish dancing. You can watch feats of strength such as log-tossing, and a working dog demonstration. If you have a secret recipe for shortbread, now’s the time to show it off, at the shortbread competition. For more information on the fest and ticket prices, visit their website.

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In a previous blog we looked at how to move a cat, but in this week’s blog we’ll look at how to move your cat’s favorite distraction: pet fish.

If you own fish you already know that they’re extremely sensitive creatures. Changes in their environment can have drastic, even fatal effects on them. That said, moving them should be undertaken with great patience and care. A dog will survive a hasty, poorly-planned move. Fish might not. If your move is impending and you can’t plan a correct move, look into giving your fish to a store or a friend.

If your move is long distance, instead of trying to fly your fish on a plane and dealing with airline regulations and TSA, a better option is to ship your fish at the fastest rate possible. Visit your local fish store for shipping options, and make sure to identify the package as containing live fish. Your local fish store receives shipments of live fish, and they should be able to help you package your fish correctly for their adventure.

If you’re going to drive your fish, you can again visit a fish store for a proper container to keep them in. Fish love the water they already live in, so fill your travel container halfway with water from their tank (before removing fish, obviously). Once your fish are caught and in the travel container, remove more water to put back in the tank once you’re at your new location. The more your tank and water arrive at your new home as they were in your previous location, the better your fish will fare.

When driving, keep temperature in mind and let the fish ride in the passenger cabin with you. Avoid making the interior of the car excessively hot or cold, despite your preferences.

Once you’re in your new home, set up the tank carefully, and make sure everything is correct before adding any fish. Again, patience and care is the name of the game.

For more in-depth information on moving fish safely, here is a great article by an actual fish store.

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As a company based in both Denver, Colorado and Albuquerque, New Mexico, we’re situated not only to move you where you need to go, but also to lend a hand in getting you on your feet. With that in mind, here’s some helpful information on Denver if you’re new to the area.

In addition to trash services Denver has a free recycling program. To sign up, visit Denvergov.org to get started. In addition to signing up for services, you can check your schedule and even elect to receive reminder emails.

Speaking of reminder emails, if you live in Denver you won’t want to forget street sweeping days, which run from April until November. It’s almost a rite of passage as a Denverite to receive a ticket at least once a year. But why not save your money for something better? You can sign up for email reminders through the same website. As you park around town, keep an eye out for street sweeping days. You may be just ‘popping in really quick’, but Denver parking enforcement is all over, all the time.

If you’re interested in taking advantage of Denver’s public transportation system, visit the RTD website. Denver has both a bus and light rail service that serves the city, suburbs, and destinations such as the airport. You can use the trip planner on their site to see where to catch your ride, but how long you can expect to be in transit.

If you’d rather skip waiting for the bus and want to get some exercise during your commute,
Denver has one of the largest bike sharing programs in North America. Check out B-Cycle for more details and bike stations.

Denver is a truly great city, and we’re confident you’ll enjoy your new home here!

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Spring is a time of growth and rebirth all around us, so it makes sense that a term like ‘spring cleaning’ came into being. Spring cleaning can save you work on an upcoming move, but even if you aren’t planning an immediate move, it’s never a bad idea to get the winter dust and grime out of your place. Here are a few spring cleaning tips.

Tackle one room at a time. Trying to deep clean your entire house at once is overwhelming, and it’s easy to get discouraged quickly. Pick one room and attack it 100%. Once that room is cleaned, you’ll gain inspiration to do another, when you see how great it looks. Go room to room and before you know it, the entire home is clean!

Liquidate everything you can. As you clean and come across things you don’t use any more, or might be broken, take them aside to donate to a thrift store, or throw away. We’re always accumulating stuff, but sometimes it’s nice to take a step back and realize all the stuff you just don’t need anymore. And as we’ve said before, there’s no point in moving stuff you just aren’t using.

Minimize distractions. Nothing drags out a day of cleaning like checking your phone or computer. Set aside the time to clean and free yourself up to just concentrate on that. Turn your phone and computer off and go to it, and you may be surprised how quickly it goes without the little media breaks!

After a good spring cleaning, a move in the near future will be that much easier. Your house won’t need a deep cleaning, and your stuff will already be thinned out.

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When it’s time to move to a new home, you may be moving more than just you and your belongings; you may be moving animals. In this week’s blog we look at how to move one of the trickier beasts by car: cats.

When packing up your old place, leave the cat’s important items, such as food bowls and litter box until you’re ready to actually head out. Packing up these items early can cause your pet even more stress than he or she is already feeling.

Unlike dogs, cats for the most part don’t like even brief car rides, let alone long ones. You may want to take your cat on some ‘test rides’ before your move, and reward them after the trip with a treat. You can put a harness on them and drive them to a park to let them explore. Let them associate some trips in the car with more than just going to the vet.

When it’s time to go, place the cat in a cat carrier for the trip. Make sure the carrier is closed securely, and stored in a stable spot that will not tip over. The last thing you want while driving on the highway is the sudden realization that you have a loose, angry cat somewhere in your car.

Don’t give your cat any food 5 hours before the trip, and any water 1 hour before leaving. Ice cubes are a great way to give a cat some water if the trip is longer than a few hours. If you know your cat does not do well on road trips, you might want to get a sedative from your vet before leaving, or look into a natural remedy at a pet store.

If you’ll be staying overnight at hotels along the way, make sure to inquire about their pet policy before making your reservations. You don’t want to be hotel-hunting in the middle of the night.

If your trip is much longer than a day, you may want to look into flying your cat to his or her new home, and we’ll explore that trip in next week’s blog.

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We’re proud to be a BBB accredited business, but what does that mean to you? You may have seen other businesses advertising BBB accreditation, but it just sounds nice unless you know what it actually means.

First of all, if you didn’t know, BBB stands for Better Business Bureau. The BBB is a nonprofit whose goal is: “A marketplace where businesses and consumers can trust one another.” The organization provides free consumer data on businesses, as well as charity and advertising scams. They also serve as an intermediary to settle disputes between consumers and businesses.

The BBB provides a rating for every business in their database, from F to A+. Not to toot our own horn, but we’re extremely proud of our A+ ratings.

To be accredited by the BBB, we pay them a fee for ongoing monitoring of our business relations. This takes an immense amount of confidence in our ability to please our customers, because we’re actively soliciting the BBB’s attention, and putting our rating on the line each and every time we do business.

To us it’s good business to do good business, and we advertise our BBB accreditation to show you our intentions as a company that you may be considering to hire. It’s not merely a badge we’ve won, it’s an ongoing commitment to customer service that we’re very proud of.

Read more about our accreditation and rating on the BBB’s website.

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Spring is around the corner, and in Denver that means cycling season is, too. In addition to very dry weather, Denver boasts over 100 miles of paved, off-street bike trails to explore. Here are some highlights of the Denver cycling scene.

Denver Cruiser Ride: The Denver Cruiser Ride has become an event that draws hundreds of cyclists into the street to ride at a leisurely pace, usually from bar to bar. There are often themes to the ride, so participants dress in costume. It’s a rowdy spectacle that will break you out of the usual Wednesday night doldrums. Rides begin mid-May and run through September.

Cherry Creek Bike Path: The Cherry Creek bike path runs all the way from Cherry Creek reservoir in Aurora to downtown at Confluence Park. It’s a beautiful, scenic ride, entirely dedicated to bike and pedestrians. The trip is just under 15 miles one way and perfect for a day trip.

Platte River Bike Path: Similar to the Cherry Creek path, this path runs from Confluence Park (where the Platte and Cherry Creek converge) all the way down to Chatfield reservoir. If you’re interested in bike camping, both reservoirs offer campsites.

Denver Bicycle Cafe: Located in Denver at 17th and Marion, the Denver Bicycle Cafe is part coffee shop, part bar, and part bike shop. Drop your bike off for a tune-up and get some great (and surprisingly inexpensive) coffee, or go in the evening and try a beer from their impressive list.

Denver B-Cycle: If you don’t have a bike, or are entertaining bike-less guests, take advantage of the Denver bike share program, one of the largest of its kind in North America! You can pick up a bike from any number of spots sprinkled throughout the city and return it at any other spot. You can even check online to see which stations have bikes available.

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