For those who love to try new delicacies, you don't want to miss the food festivals going on in Chicago this month. Whether it's Bacon Fest, the Artisan Food Festival or the Taste of the Gold Coast, there are plenty of chances to fill your belly with delicious treats all month long. However, if you're unable to make it to the festivities, don't worry. You can host a special Around the World Festival right at home!  

Hosting a Food Festival at Home

1. Pick the themes.  

An Around the World Festival should include several foods from different parts of the world. Consider your favorite foods and places that you like to visit. You could include Italy, Spain, Germany, France and Japan, and serve a dish from each location.  

2. Select the dishes.  

Pick one dish to represent your selected countries. For example, you could serve pizza from Italy, marzipan from Spain, brats and kraut from Germany, crème brûlée from France and hibachi steak from Japan. Choosing these foods gives you three main meals and two desserts, treating your guests to a taste of sweet and savory.

3. Invite the guests.

Pick a date and a time that's good for you, your family and guests. Afterward, start inviting everyone at least two weeks ahead of time. Spread the word on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. You can also call ahead or text everyone before the big event.

4. Prepare the meals.

• Chef Emeril Lagasse has a delicious pizza recipe for your festival, including how to prepare and serve it.
• You'll need blanched almond flour, powdered sugar, almond extract, food-grade rose water and an egg white to make marzipan. This recipe will put you on the right track to pleasing your guests.
• You can pick up a pack of brats and a bag of sauerkraut at your local grocer for a quick and easy meal plan.
• It takes about 10 minutes to prepare crème brûlée and another 30 minutes to bake it. This delicious recipe will make you look like a professional chef to your guests.
• Sautéing the steak with veggies is the key to making great hibachi steak. Follow this recipe for an authentic taste of Japan.  

5. Set up sectioned themes.

Make your home festival livelier by sectioning off different areas for each location. You can split the kitchen down the middle and have France on one side and Germany on the other. Devote the den to Spain, the living room to Italy and the patio to Japan.  

Enjoy Your Around the World Festival

When it's time to clean up, store your decorations, chairs and tables in storage bins at Safeguard Self Storage. We'll keep everything safe and secure until your next big event.  

When most Chicagoans think of March, they think of one giant celebration: St. Patrick's Day. With all the festivities going on, it's easy to forget that Proposal Day also happens this month. If you missed your chance on Valentine's Day, toss tradition out the window, and propose to your significant other on St. Patrick's Day instead. If you're short on ideas, Safeguard Self Storage has a few tips for popping the question on this lucky day in Chicago.

5 Ways to Propose on St. Patrick's Day

1. A Romantic Walk Along the Chicago River

On March 12, the annual Dyeing of the Chicago River takes place. For five hours, the entire river will glow a beautiful emerald green color, giving you the perfect chance to pop the question with thousands of onlookers eagerly awaiting the answer.

2. A Clover Charm to Symbolize Good Fortune 

Nothing symbolizes luck quite like the four-leaf clover. Skip buying a four-leaf clover charm online. Instead, hit up the local parks, and search for one or two yourself. Making the charm by hand will have more meaning and provide you with a little extra luck when it's time to ask the big question.

3. A Scavenger Hunt in Lincoln Park

Create an adventure out of the occasion with a real-life scavenger hunt. You can write down all the clues and place them separately in plastic green eggs. Start the hunt with one clue, and have your significant other continue the search until the big reveal.

4. A Sweet Message Spelled Out on Guinness Beer Glasses 

Not everyone likes sappy, romantic-type stuff. For the person who enjoys a good beer and fun times, pop the question at the pub. Invite a few friends along for the occasion, and have a round of Guinness served in four special glasses that spell out the question: "Will You Marry Me?"

5. A Moment Alone After the Parade

Quite a few parades take place during March, but the main parade happens from noon until 8 p.m. on the 17th. After some dancing, drinking and celebration, sneak off for a romantic moment, and pop the question under the stars.

Safeguard Self Storage Wishes You Luck on St. Patrick's Day

After your significant other says "yes," you'll need to make plans for the future. When it's time to move in together and take the next step, we have storage bins available in many different sizes to clear up space back at home. Whether you need a large storage unit or a couple small storage lockers, our exceptional team of self storage experts make moving in together easier by ensuring you get the perfect storage unit. A storage space equipped with computer controlled access, individually door alarm, digital video recording, drive in loading area and our vast selection of packing and storage supplies will protect your belongings until you get settled in.

 Get Organized Week is the first week in October, and Chicago business people should take notice! Before the winter blows in and keeps you trapped indoors, take the time to declutter your office space. Safeguard Self Storage has the tips for organizing your office, and how to use self storage effectively to get excess items out of your way.

Get Rid of Office Clutter

Take on any trash around the office; Styrofoam cups, aluminum cans, left-behind leftovers, get rid of it all! Start with your personal space first, and remove any papers that are doing more harm than good. Use a small trashcan that you can carry as you go. After you’ve gotten your personal space clutter-free, dust and wipe down the surfaces. Then, move on the public areas of your office. Tackle these spaces in teams, sorting items into categorized piles, such as trash, keep and sell. Throw out any broken items and make a shopping list for replacements.

Retire Old Equipment 

Any old equipment that’s gather dust and has been replaced by newer technology should be removed from the office space. If it needs to be replaced before it’s retired, do so. We don’t recommend throwing these items out altogether though. You never know when you’ll need an old computer in a pinch if the new one breaks. Store electronics and other equipment in a nearby Chicago storage unit. Keep in mind when storing electronics that many require climate control (heating and air conditioning) to maintain their condition.

Clean Out the Storage Spaces 

Supply closets and office cabinets can quickly become disorganized. People go in, get what they need, and leave the contents in disarray. Take the time to remove any supplies that you have an abundance of and move these to your business storage unit. You can replenish the supply when it runs out, but these items can take up valuable space and cause unnecessary clutter. Only keep a reasonable amount of supplies on hand. Fifty pens can be a realistic number for a small company to keep on hand, but hundreds of pens is a little pointless. Use bins and labels to organize like items, and keep small items in sets of plastic drawers. Hang a clipboard with a blank list in easy view, and people can write down any supplies that they need.

Backup and Archive Files 

If your company has a lot of documents filling filing cabinets, then you can utilize self storage to archive these documents without losing track of them. Whether you choose to move whole filing cabinets to your storage locker, or prefer to move files into boxes, your office space can benefit from moving these items offsite. Make electronic backups to keep in the office, and transport the physical documents to a secure unit. It’s important to keep the electronic copy and the printed versions in separate places, so you’ll always have a copy of the documents if some emergency happens at either location.

Implement Organization Tactics and Routines 

Set up personal tactics for yourself and routines to help maintain the organization. You can make a list of organization tasks to implement daily, weekly, and monthly, to keep your office space organized. One simple thing to do is to clean out the fridge at the end of every week. It’s easy for people to forget leftovers, but these items can quickly leave your office reeking of rotten food. Check the supply closet organization bi-weekly to ensure everything is stocked and staying organized. If you have different departments, each team can be assigned a different task on the list. 

With so many people in the same space, it’s easy for offices to get cluttered. Take the time to organize your office and set routines in place to ensure it stays that way. And remember, even if you need to hold onto items, but don’t have space for them in your office, you can always keep them in a secure Chicago storage unit. Contact Safeguard today to find out how we can help you declutter your space.