If you’re new to the state or just ready to re-discover all that Florida has to offer, check out these local attractions.

1. Circle B Bar Reserve – Lakeland

More than 1,200 acres of Lakeland’s natural beauty are on display at the Circle B Bar Reserve. This marshland park is a favorite of bird watchers, who enjoy seeing the many wading bird populations, including bald eagles, ospreys, and waterfowl.

2. Mission San Luis – Tallahassee

Step back in time to an important part of Florida history at the Mission San Luis de Apalachee. This Spanish Franciscan mission was built in 1633. Visitors can get a glimpse of Tallahassee as it was in the 1700s.

3. Walt Disney World – Orlando

The Magic Kingdom is a must-see for Florida residents and visitors alike. People of all ages can enjoy Mickey, Minnie, and the whole Disney crew.

4. Everglades National Park – Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Collier counties

As America’s only sub-tropical wilderness, and second largest national park, Everglades is a stunning preservation of nature and wildlife. Natural inhabitants include alligators, Florida panthers, deer, manatees, and river otters.

5. Busch Gardens Tampa – Tampa

Lions and tigers – oh my! Those are just some of the animals you will see on “safari” at Busch Gardens.

6. Art Deco District – Miami Beach

See the geometric shapes and colorful designs of Miami Beach’s Art Deco District. Stretching along Ocean Drive, the district is home to beautiful architecture, shops, and restaurants.

7. Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Station – Titusville

Tour the site where astronauts blasted off into space, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Here you can see various exhibits, and participate in activities like the shuttle launch experience, which simulates a real shuttle launch and space orbit!

8. Dry Tortugas National Park – Key West

The Dry Tortugas National Park isn’t accessible by car, but don’t let that deter you from a visit! You can enjoy a spectacular boat ride, or seaplane trip, over to the beautiful reef islands.

9. Beaches

With so much coastline, Florida is home to dozens of beautiful beaches. From Miami Beach to Clearwater, to Destin and Panama City, there are many options to catch some rays and enjoy a day by the ocean.

10. National Naval Aviation Museum – Pensacola

This military museum showcases amazing aircrafts and information about United States Naval aviation history. You can see vintage uniforms, historic documents, and one-of-a-kind aircrafts on display in the museum exhibits.

Moving to Florida offers these attractions and more. Let Browning Moving & Storage help ease your move to this beautiful state. For more information on moving in Tallahassee, please call (850) 576-1231, or call (863) 683-6494 in Lakeland.

When people say moving is a pain, they mean it! Moving is tough work – especially if it’s not something you do on a regular basis. It can cause various strains, sprains, and traumatic injuries that leave lingering memories of your move.

Knowledge of physical mechanics and techniques for moving large furniture, are both important to know in order to move safely. If you don’t have this knowledge (plus strong muscles), you could be at risk for experiencing the following injuries.

Back Strain

The most common injury associated with moving is back strain. Improperly lifting heavy boxes and furniture can lead
to strain around your spine. For example, bending from the waist to pick up a box, or lifting boxes that are too heavy for your physique, are often direct causes of injury.

Professional movers use tools to help offload this pressure such as dollies and moving straps. With professional tools, there are ways to reduce the risk of back strain.

Foot Fractures and Injuries

While moving, there is also potential to injure yourself by dropping an item rather than lifting one. Foot fractures are a common moving injury from dropped items. Dropping heavy items often results in breaking one or more of the delicate bones of the feet, which can be extremely painful.

Symptoms of a fractured foot include pain, swelling, bruising, and difficulty moving the foot comfortably. If you experience these symptoms from dropping a heavy item on your foot, it is important to seek medical care to prevent further injury.

In addition to crush injuries, there is also potential for foot sprains or strains while moving. If you are moving items across an irregular surface, or stepping off a sidewalk while carrying boxes, watch your step to avoid these injuries.

Cuts and Scrapes

Sometimes moving can cause cuts or scrapes on your arms and legs. While some of these cuts may appear to only have superficial effects, others can go deep enough to require medical attention. If you cannot stop the bleeding of a cut or scrape after 10 minutes, or if the cut is visibly deep, seek medical attention.

Whenever possible, avoid picking up items with sharp edges and try to keep main walkways clear within your home, to reduce the risk of harmful cuts and scrapes that could lead to excessive bleeding.

At Browning Moving & Storage, we’re proud to offer professional moving services that can save your back, neck, feet, and more. For more information on services we offer, please call our Tallahassee location at (850) 576-1231 or our Lakeland location at (863) 683-6494.

In Florida, there seem to be two temperatures: warm and warmer.  If you are planning on moving to this sunny state, there are a few tips that our professionals have learned over the years, to beat the heat and enjoy the vitamin D-boosting benefits of the sunshine.

1. Run ceiling fans counterclockwise.

The direction of your ceiling fan counts when it comes to cooling your home. If you have a ceiling fan that runs in a clockwise direction, your fan is taking warm air from the ceiling and pushing it back down on you. This is counter-intuitive to a ceiling fan’s purpose for Florida residents.

Your fan should have a button that allows you to reverse the direction by which the fan runs. Make sure your fans are running counterclockwise to push air down to the middle of the room, which creates a “wind chill” effect and lowers the temperature. As an added bonus, this quick-fix will save you money, since you won’t have to turn the air conditioning as high!

2. Establish a good hydration strategy.

Warm temperatures mean your body will sweat in an attempt to cool you off. This results in greater water loss and therefore risk of dehydration. You may find you need to drink more water in Florida than you did before moving to the state.

If you are planning to be in the hot sun and/or engage in physical exercise for more than an hour, make sure to rehydrate with an electrolyte-balanced beverage to prevent sodium and potassium insufficiencies. While every person needs different amounts of fluids to stay hydrated, as a general rule, if you are thirsty or your urine is darker than pale yellow, you need to drink more water.

3. Invest in moisture-wicking clothes.

If the styles of your previous home involved wool and other heat-trapping fabrics, it’s time to change up your wardrobe! Manufacturers now make clothing that has special moisture-wicking properties. These include fabrics like Coolmax and Nano-Tex. If you prefer natural fibers, loose, light-colored cotton is a good, cooling choice.

4. Make an at-home sheets cooler.

This DIY craft can keep your sheets cool while you sleep. Take whole-grain rice and fill a cotton sock or bag with it. Secure the sock with twine or an elastic band and place it in your freezer for at least two hours before bedtime. When you go to bed, slide the sock between your sheets to enjoy the coolness that the rice contains.

Moving during a hot Florida summer? Let Browning Moving & Storage help. For more information on moving in Tallahassee, please call (850) 576-1231, or call (863) 683-6494 in Lakeland.

Packing can be a hassle for many reasons. One of the challenges you’re bound to face is deciding how to pack your smaller items. They can easily become misplaced at the bottom of boxes or even get left behind in your old home. Luckily, we have a few easy tips on how to avoid this. Read on below to guarantee your favorite necklace or television remote doesn’t get lost in the moving shuffle.

Strategic Packing

There are a few basic tricks you can use when packing small items. It’s important to be strategic with your packing to best stay organized. Use the correct size of boxes. Small items should be put in smaller boxes, which can be stacked in a larger box. This tactic keeps all your little items together and well sorted. When packing, always put lighter items on top and heavier items at the bottom. Never leave spaces in your boxes. Fill the gaps with newspaper, towels, or clothing, so that small items don’t fall through cracks and into the bottom of boxes. You should avoid mixing items intended for different rooms in the same box. Keep them separate and write the intended room on the box’s front. Try to be as specific as possible with precise labeling, like “top-left kitchen cupboard” instead of simply writing “kitchen”.

Take photos or use moving apps

Once you’re done packing a box, take a photo of its contents with your phone. Label the box with a number, then change the photo’s file name to correspond with the same number. Or alternatively, when you take the photo, make sure that the number on the box is also visible. This way, you can simply flip through your phone’s gallery to know what items a box contains. No pesky reopening and re-taping required!

There are also plenty of free moving apps available in both the iTunes and Android stores. These apps are especially designed to navigate the pitfalls in both the packing and unpacking process. For example, Sortly (for iPhone) and MoveMatch (for Android) are two helpful choices. Sortly helps to create visual hierarchies of everything you own and MoveMatch estimates the weight of your household items.

Looking to effortlessly move houses? Call us today at either of our locations in Tallahassee or Lakeland/Tampa. Let Florida’s premier moving company assist you in making a smooth transition into your new home.