Malta Development Blog

Whether it’s purchasing a home for very first time or moving from an older home into a brand new one, becoming a homeowner can be an exciting and fulfilling experience.

We all wish we had more hours in the day. There just isn't enough time to pay the bills, exercise, put the kids to sleep, catch up on reading, and sit down to think. That's why finding and implementing life hacks in our day-to-day is so important. The following kitchen hacks will streamline your morning routine and set the tone for the rest of your day.
 
1. Dinner Prep: With a family's hectic and often erratic schedules, it's better to create a division of labor in the kitchen. For example, have one person do the dinner meal prep at night and include cooking instructions. Another person can cook the meal when he or she gets home from work. Dinner meal prepping streamlines this often time-consuming activity so that your day runs smoothly.
 
2. Defrost: Imagine coming home tired after work. All you want to do is cook your favorite meal, chicken fajitas, but you forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer. You don't want to wait for hours for the chicken to defrost so you resort to a microwavable dinner or takeout. To avoid this issue, set an alarm, reminder, or post it to move tomorrow's protein to the refrigerator the night before. It'll avoid this common frustration and save you time.
 
3. Overnight Breakfast: Cooking can be fun but also time consuming, especially when you're scrambling to leave your house in the morning. Want a solution to your hectic mornings? Prepare your breakfast the night before. Overnight oats with some peanut butter, cinnamon, chia seeds, and a few drops of honey is an easy and nutritious breakfast that you can leave prepared overnight.
 
4. Mix Dry Ingredients: Some breakfast meals, however, aren't as easy to prepare. For example, pancakes require a mix of wet and dry ingredients. In order to streamline your prepping, premix the dry ingredients the night before and store them in a ziplock bag. In the morning, just mix in the all components. It'll taste much better than a boxed pancake mix.
 
5. Dish Duty: The invention of the dishwasher saved people a lot of time. While we wait for technology to create a robot to organize our dishes, make it habit to dry and put away dishes after dinner. That way, you can easily find all your utensils and bowls in the morning.
 
6. Set the Table: Mornings are better when we sit down with the family and enjoy a meal together. To keep this tradition alive, set the table for breakfast before you go to bed. Put out all the cups, plates, vitamins, etc. In the morning, all you have to do is pour the orange juice and serve the meal, saving you precious time.
 
7. Collect School Supplies: If you're the proud parent of elementary-school children, you know how busy mornings can get. To curb the hustle and bustle, assemble your child's school supplies, homework and backpack for the following day. Having a dedicated backpack spot makes them easy to find.
 
8. Dedicated Lunch Shelf: While not everything can be ready to go before you leave to work, you can place your lunch items in a dedicated shelf in your refrigerator. All you have to do is grab them and put them in your lunch bag when you're ready to leave.
 
9. Help From the Kids: Teach your kids to help out around the house by letting them help you out with your meal prepping. It not only instills a sense of preparation at a young age, but also makes your job of being a parent that much easier.
 
10. Water Prep: Make a pitcher of purified water with your choice of sliced cucumber, mint, or fruit so you have a tasty and hydrating beverage as soon as you wake up.
 
Implement these kitchen hacks into your daily routine for a more effective morning. You'll wonder how you went so long without them.

Everyone loves a picnic. Having a picnic basket ready with the essentials makes it easy to go from “let's have a picnic today” to walking out the door in a flash! Here is a list of our picnic basket must-haves:

Packing for a big move can put anyone's organizational skills to the test.  To help out, we've compiled a list of quick packing tips that will help you to remain calm, collected, and organized throughout your moving process.  By using these tried and true techniques, you can turn a stressful move into a smooth, effortless transition.

You're getting your address book out to call up friends and family, when you suddenly remember that the last time you hosted a party, the post-cleaning process dampened your spirits. When you host a gathering, there's bound to be a few spills. That shouldn't deter you from bringing loved ones together. Instead, read up on these easy ways to remove common party stains.
 
Red Wine: Sometimes, a simple glass clink can lead to an unsightly pool of Cabernet on your eggshell-colored carpet or rug. To save the party, find the nearest microfiber or white cloth, club soda and begin blotting the soon-to-be-gone stain. If you've noticed the stain once it's already dry, create a mixture of one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and white vinegar (each) and a couple cups of warm water. Blot until the stain is gone.
 
Candle Wax: Dinner parties with old friends can often go long into the night. Nostalgia becomes the theme. The last thing on your mind is that mound of candle wax dripping onto your luxuriously embroidered tablecloth. If you find yourself in this predicament, put the tablecloth in the freezer so it's easier to scrape off the wax with a blunt edge knife. There may be some remaining wax. Iron on the reverse side with a sheet of wax paper on the affected side. The melted wax will transfer completely onto the wax paper.
 
Chocolate: What's a good party without dessert? As the excitement builds up in anticipation for that chocolate tart on its way out of the kitchen, you see your slice fall off your plate in slow motion. No need to fret. Assemble a mixture of dish washing liquid (1 tbsp.) and a couple cups of cold water. Use this liquid mixture to blot the stain until no there's no more chocolate transfer. Use a fan to completely dry the affected area.
 
Coffee: Late night coffee marathons keep the festivities going. Long after most everyone has left, coffee tops off an eventful night. When the inevitable coffee spill happens, a concoction of one tablespoon of liquid dish soap and white vinegar (each) and a couple cups of cool water does the trick. Grab a white cloth and blot to remove the spilled coffee.
 
Gravy: Slippery fingers and an overfilled gravy boat is a recipe for disaster. The next time you see that rich and brown sauce cascading straight onto your high-end textiles, you'll have a plan. To remove spilled gravy, apply a laundry stain remover and let it soak in the washing machine for a couple of hours. Once washed, air dry and you're done.
 
Cranberry Sauce: Its crimson red hue and sweet scent makes it a holiday party favorite. The favoritism ends when it comes in contact with your bright white tablecloth. To remove this stain, create a solution of mild liquid detergent (1/2 tbsp.), vinegar (1 tbsp.), and a quart of cold water. Let it sit on the stain for about 15 minutes. Wash with cool water afterwards.
 
We hope these stain removal tips have eased your worries of hosting a party in your home. Even a few minor spills become part of the story of the night.

On a cold and wet day, the mudroom welcomes family and guests to an inner safe-haven. Emphasize the coziness (not the muddiness) with these tips.

Once the rain really starts to come down, nothing is quite as comforting as the idea of warm and dry home. In reality, coming in from the cold damp is, well... a mess. Mudrooms welcome family and guests and keep the rest of your home clean. If you have pets, it's also a perfect place to store toys, leashes and snacks.
 
Make your mudroom a cozy, welcoming space. Here are a few simple tips to make yours more efficient, neat and inspiring.

Everyone needs a set of tools handy for minor repairs. These tools come with glowing endorsements from the pros to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.

Home repair doesn't have to feel like rocket science. If you're an expert in home improvement, you're probably not reading this article. If you're a beginner, all you need is a comprehensive array of functional, sturdy, and basic tools to deal with minor repairs.
 
Whether you're working on a DIY project or a minor home repair, these tools stand the test of time and enable you to get the job done right the first time.
 

Just like an artist is inspired by a subject and frames it within a painting, you too can frame your home's magnificent view with countless draping ideas. Whether you have small windows in solid walls or full-height glass, most architects choose window placing based on views. Windows then become the portal to the outside world (gardens, woods, etc). If you want to showcase your view, adding stunning designs to your window can be the difference between a colorless view and an awe-inspiring vista.

For many, the road toward the American Dream includes buying a home of one's own. This isn't an easy road, however. Home purchases too often bring on unexpected worries not to mention your worst doubts and fears. Don't fret. Simple precautions prevent these fears from becoming reality; just make sure you've covered all the bases.

Decorating your laundry room involves having an eye for design and space. Just like garages, they can become a catch-all for miscellaneous knick-knacks. Just because you don't spend a lot of time in the laundry room, doesn't mean you can't make it look chic and organized.