Monthly Archives: December 2016

Happy 2017!

Happy New Years Everyone!

Self Storage and New Years Resolutions

It’s almost New Year’s Day here at the Storage Inn Self Storage in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey, and I’m hearing a lot of our customers talking about their plans for 2017 –  things like being healthier, more financially responsible, and of course, getting organized. Yesterday I met a nice lady, Mrs. Saymon, who not only rented a storage space at our The Storage Inn II  in Ocean City NJ, but also took advantage of our Free Moving Truck Rental.

“Are you moving?” I inquired.

“Nope – Just getting organized – It’s my New Years resolution.” she replied, eyes rolling.

We talked a bit, I wished her luck, and she was on her way to get a head start on her resolutions for 2017.

I’ve made many New Year’s resolutions over the years, (few of which I’ve actually kept!), but this made me wonder where this tradition of making promises to oneself actually originated.

So where did New Year’s Resolutions begin?

Our modern day “New Year” started when Julius Caesar introduced the Gregorian Calendar. He moved the first day of the year to January 1st in honor of Janus the Roman God of beginnings.  However, Caesar’s idea didn’t quite catch on until it was made official in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. The Gregorian calendar is the same one that we use today.

But! It Goes Back Even Further Than The Romans!

It turns out the New Years concept actually started about four thousand years ago with the Babylonians. They rang in their New Year with an eleven day festival in March. These folks started it all by making promises to their gods, in hopes they would earn good favor in the New Year. One of their favorite resolutions was to get out of debt – sound familiar? Historians are unclear on whether or not the Babylonians resolved to be healthier. My research suggests however that the ancient Babylonians did not have to deal with the temptations provided by their local McDonald’s or Dairy Queen!

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So there it is folks. We continue to celebrate a tradition passed on from generation to generation even after all these years! And so time marches on, and the New Year will come and it will go. But this year, I’m determined to shed those extra pounds. Granted I weigh just about the same as I did last year when I made this New Year’s goal! 

It’s been so long how do I get to the gym again? – oh, that’s right – you make a right at McDonald’s, and it’s across the street from the Dairy Queen! Good luck, and Happy New Year everyone! 

Where did Santa’s Reindeer come from?

Why Does Santa Use Reindeer?

A few fun holiday facts from The Storage Inn

Where did Santa’s reindeer come from?

Here at The Storage Inn self storage in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey, we are well-known by our iconic, blue and yellow horse carriage that sits right in front of the storage facility, but during the holiday season, we also bring out our big blue and yellow sleigh as part of our holiday decorations.

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As I watched our customers roll in and out through the security gate, for whatever reason it got me wondering about how reindeer became associated with Santa’s sleigh.  I know that in early American life, sleighs were pulled by horses as a means to get around during snowy weather… so where did Santa’s reindeer come from? Well, I did a little research, and here’s what I found out courtesy of KidzWorld.com

Reindeer Fun Facts

Santa’s reindeer made their first official appearance less than 200 years ago in 1823, when Clement C. Moore published the poem “The Night Before Christmas,” where he says that “eight tiny rein-deer” led Santa’s sleigh through the night. 

In North America, reindeer are also known as caribou.

Reindeer live in the northernmost parts of the world; they’re native to Arctic regions, as well as northern Europe and Siberia. This facts explains why reindeer were ideal for leading Santa’s sleigh – since he needs animals that can survive at the North Pole!

The name “reindeer” comes from the Norse word “hreinn,” meaning deer.

Both male and female reindeer grow antlers; there’s no way to be sure, but that could mean that Santa’s reindeer were in fact female.

Reindeer are uniquely capable of living in harsh and cold environments. Their noses actually warm the air before they breathe it in, so that their lungs don’t freeze.

The original reindeer were Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder, and Blixem (later known as Donner and Blitzen).

The names Donder and Blitzen translate from German as thunder and lightning.

Some people like to leave carrots for Santa’s reindeer as a special treat on Christmas Eve, but think about leaving moss instead – that’s a real reindeer’s favorite food!

Rudolph Fun Facts

As for the most famous reindeer of all, Rudolph, wasn’t an original member of Santa’s reindeer posse. The little red-nosed reindeer didn’t make an appearance in popular culture until 1939, when department store Montgomery Ward hired writer Robert L. May to write a book starring a brand new Christmas character.

Rudolph’s story was adapted into the famous song, still sung today, in 1949.

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The much loved stop-motion movie version of Rudolph’s story first aired on December 6, 1964, and has aired countless times each year since then!

To celebrate his 75th birthday, the United States Postal Service issued a set of Rudolph stamps in November 2014

With all these amazing facts, it’s clear Reindeer have a place of significance in Christmas legend. It’s amazing to think how important Rudolph is to the modern North American concept of Christmas, considering that he’s only 76 years old!

We hope you enjoyed our fun reindeer facts and it won’t be long now. Keep an ear to the air and listen for those familiar hoof steps on your roof top. Happy Holidays from The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township, NJ and The Storage Inn II in Ocean City, NJ!!!

Scams Increase During the Holidays

The Twelve Scams of Christmas!

The Twelve Scams of Christmas

Here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey, we get our fair share of suspicious activity including emails asking us to click on questionable links, and scam phone calls trying to get donations. I’ve even had one of our more senior storage space customers tell me about an email that she had received regarding the estate of a distant, unknown relative, who had passed away in another country. The scammer was requesting that she send money in order to get the funds out of Africa. Thank goodness she didn’t fall for it!

It definitely seems like the scammers increase their activity around the holiday season, probably because most people are in more of a giving mood than usual? I checked with the Better Business Bureau, and found out that my suspicions were correct – More scams are reported during the holiday season than any other time of year!

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The Better Business Bureau has some interesting facts about holiday shopping scams. Here are their “Twelve Scams of Christmas”!

1. Mystery Shopper scams: The most common are text messages enticing people to sign up to become a part-time mystery shopper for say $400 or more per gig. It may be tempting to earn some extra cash this time of year, but it’s actually a scam looking for financial and bank information.
2. Social Media Gift Exchanges: Has someone on social media asked you to take part in a Christmas gift exchange that will result in you getting 36 gifts? While it may sound good, promptly decline. It’s a pyramid scam, which is illegal.
3. Pet scams: It’s a popular gift, but be careful about buying a pet online. Puppy mills and fake pedigrees are common. Make sure breeders are reputable or you may end up with a sick animal.
4. Malware Holiday e-cards: Most people are aware of the dangers of clicking on url links to malware in the email they receive, but the scams are still out there, so beware.
5. Stranded grandkids: If a grandchild or other relative, who is ‘stranded’ or in ‘trouble’ in another country, sends an email looking for money, double check with family first, no matter how urgent it seems. This is a scam that has taken unsuspecting relatives for thousands of dollars!
6. Pickpockets: They usually strike when you’re not paying attention. Keep your purse or wallet secure when shopping. Don’t get overburdened or put shopping bags down.

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7. Stolen gift cards: Buy gift cards from reputable dealers or in store, not online or from individuals. Scammers sell the card, then remove the funds before you hand over the gift.
8. Santa scammers: Double check on websites that offer to send your child a letter from Santa. This may be a scam looking for personal information.
9. Fake charities: Charities are active during the Christmas season, but be wary of charities that seem suspect. Do your homework before you give.
10. Online ads for hot toys and gadgets: Scammers prey on parents desperate for the latest toy their child is asking for from Santa and might be tempted to buy them online. Never make a purchases unless you see the https:// in front of the website’s domain name. If there’s no contact information for the seller you may want to avoid the purchase. They may ask for payment by wire or money card which is another red flag. If you’re not sure how reputable the company is, try calling the vendor and speak to customer service to feel them out. Search for reviews of the company online. Try Googling the company name followed by the word “scam” to see if any results show up.
11. Travel scams: Be cautious when booking through online ads for a last-minute getaway. Ask for references and never hand over money to someone you haven’t checked out first.
12. Romance scams: It’s tough to be alone during the holidays, but if your new online love starts asking for money, especially early on, and definitely if you haven’t even met yet… run! They aren’t who they claim to be.
Hopefully these tips will help you to be a smart Santa this holiday season – Happy Holidays from The Storage Inn of Egg Harbor Township NJ and The Storage Inn II in Ocean City New Jersey!

To find out more about scams in your area, or to report a scam visit the BBB’s Scam Tracker.

Mr. Nick in his moving truck

Mr. Nick in his moving truck

Mr. Nick is one busy storage unit renter

So, it’s December here at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey – Almost time for my annual visit from one of our biggest customers, Mr. Nick. Mr. Nick’s been a storage unit tenant with us for as long as anyone can remember. He’s an unusual guy – older – the outdoorsy type – from up North somewhere. You know, big bushy beard, wears a lot of red flannel shirts with suspenders. That sort of thing.

Mr. Nick has seven of our extra large storage spaces with the extra high ceilings. He stops in every year around this time to let us know that even though he’ll be emptying out the storage units, he’s not moving out.

 

feature_christmas-elf-featMr. Nick is certainly a bit on the eccentric side and I’m assuming pretty wealthy since he’s mentioned renting storage units like ours all over the world. Each year right around Christmas time, his crew pulls in with a couple of giant, red S.C. Moving and Storage vans, and empties out out all seven of his storage spaces. The funny thing is, beginning in January, I’ll see his helpers back again and on a monthly basis, refilling the storage units with electronics, toys, sporting goods, and all sorts of goodies.

This year I decided to have a little chat with his crew. Nice guys – unusually short, but very well mannered and hard workers too. They all refer to Mr. Nick as “The big guy” which is quite true in height and around the waist line.

While his helpers were in the yard the other day,  I decided to be a little nosey.

“Excuse me guys. Just curious. What type of business is Mr. Nick in if you don’t mind me asking?” I questioned.

“Import/export” replied one of his of helpers.

“Oh, so he buys and then resells things” I asked.

“No, no – He gives it all away!” answered a particularly short man, who appeared to be the leader of the crew.

“Wow, really? That’s great – a wealthy philanthropist!” I gushed.

“I guess you could say that, but the big guy really doesn’t care about money – He just likes to make people happy!” came a high pitched voice from behind a pile of toys.

If that don’t beat all I thought to myself. I tipped my Storage Inn hat and wished Mr. Nick’s crew a good day and Happy Holidays. I walked back to the rental office thinking about my conversation with Mr. Nick’s helpers. Hmmmm, I thought – Puzzling. A guy from up North, with a bushy white beard, dressed in all red, with an import/ export charitable organization?… who collects toys and other goodies throughout the year, only to give them away at Christmas time? If I didn’t know any better I would guess he’s… omg…. I think I know what the “S. C.” in  S. C. Moving and Storage stands for!  Happy Holidays from The Storage Inn!

 

Portrait of the Real Santa Claus gesturing to keep quiet

Portrait of the Real Santa Claus gesturing to keep quiet

 

Santa’s Little Secret

Santa's Secret Hiding Place Revealed

Santa’s Secret Hiding Place Revealed

Well, here it is December, and the holiday season is upon us at The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township New Jersey. One of our recent storage customers, Mr. Robertson, came in today for a van rental. “ You just moved into your storage space last month –  you’re not leaving us already, are you?” I asked. “ No, just doing some Christmas shopping”, he replied.  It turns out that Mr. Robertson  has three sons, ages 13 through 18, and he was on his way to shop for a bicycle, a surfboard, and a big screen TV!  “Pretty hard to hide gifts like that around the house” he said. “I would ask a friend to hide them for me, but the only people that I know that would have space, and don’t have kids in the home, are my parents, and they live in the next state.”

So we completed the van rental, and off went Mr. Robertson. What a great idea, I thought to myself. What better place to hide gifts, then under lock and key, in a totally secure, weatherproof storage space, that only you have the passcode to?  “That’s one smart Santa” I thought to myself.

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Mr. Robertson returned late that afternoon, and stopped in the office. “ How did you make out?” I asked.  “Great!” he replied. “I even found some really good sales on TVs and bicycles – My wife will be so happy”. So after purchasing some boxes, tape, and bubble wrap for the additional gifts that he had bought, Mr. Robertson went back to his self storage unit to unload.

So if you’re a secret Santa in need of a great place  to hide your holiday gifts from prying eyes, stop into your local self-storage facility, The Storage Inn for a convenient solution. No matter what the size, or how many gifts you have to hide, I’m sure we can find the perfect storage space for you. Well, I’ve got to go now – just heard about a place that’s having a great sale on big screen TVs! Happy holidays!