Guest Post: Are You Over-Plugged?

Today’s guest post comes to us from Anna Gitellis, who shares some ideas for taming the cord monster behind your entertainment system – just in time for that New Year’s resolution to get yourself more organized.  Consider it done.

We love our new home-theater; what’s not to love? Movie night at our house really is movie night.  The seismic rumbles of runaway trucks reverberate through our walls, throughout my inner nervous system and infiltrate my already-fragile chakra.   At times it has caused me to double-check the windows to make sure an eighteen-wheeler isn’t, in fact, exploding through our front door.  Of course, our kids are the hit of the neighborhood, and where else can you capture the movie-going experience without paying upwards of a five-course meal?   But I do have one complaint: miles of unsightly cords.

Photo Courtesy CableTiesandMore.com

Yes, I’ve tripped over those corded deathtraps, arms-laden with a giant bowl of popcorn and bottles of soda, only to go tumbling end-over-end atop our brand new home-theater seating.  Of course, my anxious husband rushed over, not to check to see how I fared, rather to make sure I hadn’t damaged the leather with my front teeth; by the way, the leather upholstery and my incisors are fortunately still intact.  But to ensure that there were no further incidents, I decided right then and there, I would remove those tangled disasters so no one else would fall prey to their nefarious intentions.

If this sounds at all familiar, here are three options to investigate when contemplating what to do with wiry eyesores:

• http://www.cabletiesandmore.com/chordsavers.php : Here’s a company that helps control the clutter while keeping with your home or office’s décor.  You can even use a wood-grain to simulate your hardwood floors.  Think about it, no more mess or hazards! Better yet, they look great.  Ahh, I love it when things work together, and the universe hums in agreement; now the only discourse will be the choice of movies.
• http://www.datacommcableorganizer.com/Flat-Panel-TV-Cable-Organizer-Kit-Medium.html : Let’s say that the problem isn’t running cords and wires from room to room -you just want to keep everything in one place.  Say your husband has finally purchased that 60” flat screen television that he’s been salivating over the past two years.   He, of course, staked out the perfect spot, painstakingly measured twice (or thrice) so it was centered directly above the mantle, however, there are no outlets—anywhere near your entertainment system’s reaches.  Solution? Install these electrical outlets and AV connections into the drywall, right where you need them.   Catastrophe averted!
• http://hometheaterorganizer.com/cables/wire-management.htm : Let’s face it, having the home theater at home is great.  Not so great? Following the multitudes of wires, cords, plugs and instructions that a NASA engineer would have a hard time understanding.  And truth be told, I’m a little frightened of them.  Sometimes I fear if I unplugged something it could throw off the earth’s gravitational rotations or force field, or whatever keeps us firmly planted on our little planet….anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I’ve developed a bit of a phobia in regards to the sight of so many cords staring back, their threatening presence ready to strike at any moment as if I fell into to a den of venomous snakes.  At Home Theater Organizer you no longer have to seek therapy as a means to combat the stressful side-effects that the sheer volume of cords can often produce.   They’re color-coded, safely bundled and tucked away in neat little packages.  If only the rest of your life could run so smoothly.

There you have it.  A way to corral the cords, tame the tangle, wrestle the wires.  Anyway, it will help your movie nights stay humming and the danger and drama relegated to the big screen rather than your unwitting guests.   Our home-theater is a great addition to our family, and with the organization and reduced clutter, I can concentrate on the plot rather than worry about the over-tangled masses of over-stressed cords one day spontaneously combusting into roaring flames.   Unlike my children, I’d like to keep the pyrotechnics on-screen than our heavy drapery.

As a mother of four, Anna Gitellis knows how to make every penny of that family dollar stretch to make the most for her large brood. When she’s not running around the soccer field, PTA meetings or the local ice rink, you can find her online looking for the best deals for her family. When she has a moment to breathe, she blogs with Direct Savings Club.