After our second Spring cleaning of the pool – and the expense of the chemicals required to eliminate the excessive algae and cleanse the water – we learned that a good pool cover can make a huge difference. The cover that came with our pool was a close-weave mesh that had grommets around it that were held by bungee cords. During late Fall winds and throughout the Winter, leaves and other debris would get underneath the cover and into the water. We began looking at new pool covers that had a variety of purpose. One cover was designed to literally “seal” the pool water from the elements. Other pool covers were designed to work, in conjunction with ones that “seal” the pool, to cover the pool with a durable mesh cover that protects home owners from having children from falling into covered pools and/or getting trapped under a loose pool cover. It was so wonderful to open the pool the following year and have the water be literally “ready to go” within minutes!

But that wasn’t all I found. By clicking on the “Shop” button, their search listed, according to them, “about 29,221 products for Home and Garden.” Looking for night table lamps, they got it. Along with a whole lot more!

Now for the “believe-it-or-not” … looking for pink ceiling fans? Yep, you guessed it, they’ve got that too!

One idea that is very important to consider is sign lighting. If you have ever tried to find a house/street number at night, you know what I mean. According to their website, mailboxandbeyond.com is offering a FREE solar lighting package for qualifying address sign/plaque purchases. No wiring is required and it turns on and off automatically!

Even better, they offer various discounts as well as FREE shipping for at least a limited time, according to their website.

Nature’s Centerpiece –

This beautiful display can be made in about 30-45 minutes. The greens will last 6 to 8 weeks and carnations will last 3 to 4 weeks, with proper watering. It makes a simple, elegant addition to any table, any time of the year!

Materials Needed:

• Greens: White Pine + Silver Fir (View “Quick Tip” to Keep Sap Off Your Hands)
• One (1) Sheet of Green Moss (Enough to cover floral foam)
• One (1) Floral Picks
• Three to Four (3-4) Pine Cones (Quick Tip for Beautiful Pine Cones)
• Several Twigs of Various Lengths
• Small Piece of Spanish Moss
• Five to Seven (5-7) Stems of Mini-Carnations
• One (1) Bird (Sold at Most Craft Stores)
• Watertight Round Container
• Floral Foam Sized to Your Container
• Floral Knife or Pruning Shears

Assembly Instructions:

Place your block of floral foam (pre-soaked in water) into your round container. Cover floral foam with green moss. [Note: moss comes dried in a package. Dip in water and gently wring out excess water].

Insert twigs right of center in floral foam. Insert White Pine and Silver Fir pieces like shown. Make a small nest using the Spanish Moss. Insert floral pick into bottom of bird. Put pick through the “nest” and insert pick with bird / nest into floral foam. Finally, insert carnations in random groupings as shown.

Keep foam watered and enjoy.

Festive Candy Cane Centerpiece –

This beautiful display can be made in about 45 minutes. The greens will last 6 to 8 weeks and the carnations should last 3 to 4 weeks, with proper watering. It makes a simple, elegant addition to any holiday table!

Materials Needed:

• Greens: Cedar + White Pine + Silver Fir (View “Quick Tip” to Keep Sap Off Your Hands)
• Seven (7) Floral Picks
• Four (4) Pine Cones (Quick Tip for Beautiful Pine Cones)
• Two (2) Stems of Berries
• Three (3) 18″ Plaid Ribbons for Bows
• Two (2) Stems of Mini-Carnations
• Three (3) Candy Canes (Wrapped)
• Watertight Round Container
• Floral Foam Sized to Your Container
• Floral Knife or Pruning Shears

Assembly Instructions:

Place your block of floral foam (pre-soaked in water) into your round container. Insert Cedar greens into the floral block high enough so that the the greens “fall over” the edge of your container, thus hiding the container. Next, insert a layer of Silver Fir on top of the cedar. These are followed by White Pine to “fill in” the floral block, thereby obscuring the floral block from any viewing angle.

Next, attach pine cones to floral picks and insert into the floral foam. Make sure to “randomly” place the pine cones for a more natural look.

After dividing one (1) of your berry stems into two (2) pieces, insert the full berry stem and two smaller stems into foam as shown. Fold each piece of ribbon into a bow, attach each to a floral pick and insert into foam. Add carnations. Finally, insert three (3) candy canes into the top of the floral foam.

Keep foam watered and enjoy. Watch out for naughty elves who may want to pilfer candy canes!

1. When working with fresh greens, tree sap from the fresh greens can make your hands “sticky” which is just plain annoying. To easily remove sap, apply some Crisco to your hands. The fat from the Crisco will easily dissolve the sap, then simply wipe your hands with a paper towel and wash with soap and water. You can also help keep your hands “sap free” by applying your favorite hand lotion prior to working with the greens. Once done, simply wash with soap and water.
2. Centerpieces with natural floral features can be enhanced with pine cones. However, finding fully opened pine cones in the woods can prove to be a frustrating task. First, pine cones that are ready for harvesting will be brown and relatively dry. They may be picked straight from the tree but should not have any green coloration. For any partially opened pine cones, simply place pine cones on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 300° F for 15 minutes. Leave any that aren’t completely opened in for an additional 5 minutes at a time until they open. An additional benefit to this technique is that any bugs that may be living in the partially opened pine cone will not be part of your beautiful centerpiece!
3. The height of centerpiece arrangements should be 12″ or shorter for dinner tables. This allows guests to easily see each other and converse while still enjoying your beautiful display. In addition, the length of your centerpiece should be no longer than 25 percent of your overall table length to remain in proportion and allow room for placement of serving trays / bowls.

Christmas Candle Centerpiece –

This beautiful display can be made in about 40-50 minutes and will last 6 to 8 weeks, with proper watering. It makes a simple, elegant addition to any holiday table!

Materials Needed:

• Greens: Cedar + White Pine + Silver Fir + Boxwood (View “Quick Tip” to Keep Sap Off Your Hands)
• Ten (10) Floral Picks
• Six (6) Pine Cones (Quick Tip for Beautiful Pine Cones)
• Two (2) Stems of Berries
• Four (4) 18″ Ribbons for Bows
• Two (2) 12″ Taper Candles
• Watertight Rectangular Container (What Length Should I Use?)
• Floral Foam Sized to Your Container
• Floral Knife or Pruning Shears

Assembly Instructions:

Place your block of floral foam (pre-soaked in water) into your rectangular container. Insert Cedar greens into the floral block high enough so that the the greens “fall over” the edge of your container, thus hiding the container. Next, insert a layer of Silver Fir on top of the cedar. These are followed by White Pine and Boxwood in order to “fill in” the floral block, thereby obscuring the floral block from any viewing angle.

Insert two (2) taper candles into the top of the floral foam. Next, attach pine cones to floral picks and insert into the floral foam. Make sure to “randomly” place the pine cones for a more natural look.

After dividing your berry stems into four (4) pieces, insert into foam as shown. Finally, fold each piece of ribbon into a bow, attach each to a floral pick and insert into foam.

Keep foam watered and enjoy throughout the season!

Shopping for pool supplies, pool chemicals or even pool accessories (yes, women can “accessorize” a pool) means finding a pool store or online pool supply warehouse such as Doheny’s Water Warehouse. We loved our Aquabot® Pool Cleaner, we just drop it in the pool at night and the next morning, it was thouroghly cleaned.

Summertime … can’t get here soon enough!

Allowance: A specific dollar amount allocated by a contractor for specified items in a contract for which the brand, model number, color, size or other details are not yet known.

Bid: A proposal to work for a certain amount of money, based on plans and specifications for the project.

Building Permit: A document issued by a governing authority, such as a city or county building department, granting permission to undertake a construction project. 

Call-back: An informal term for a return visit by the contractor to repair or replace items the home owner has found to be unsatisfactory or that require service under the warranty. 

Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR): A professional designation program offered through the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers Council™. To attain the CGR designation, a remodeler must take a specified number of continuing education courses and must comply with a strict code of ethics. 

Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS): The CAPS designation was developed by the National Association of Home Builders and AARP. CAPS professionals have been taught the strategies and techniques to meet the home modification needs of home owners who want to continue living in their homes safely, independently and comfortably, regardless of age or ability level. CAPS graduates pledge to uphold a code of ethics and are required to maintain their designation by attending education programs and participating in community service. 

Change Order: Written authorization to the contractor to make a change or addition to the work described in the original contract. The change order should reflect any changes in cost. 

Cost-plus Contract: A contract between a contractor and home owner based on the accrued cost of labor and materials plus a percentage for profit and overhead — also known as a time-and-materials contract.

 Draw: A designated payment that is “drawn” from the total project budget to pay for services completed to date. A draw schedule typically is established in the contract. 

Lien Release: A document that voids the legal right of a contractor, subcontractor or supplier to place a lien against your property. A lien release assures you that the remodeler has paid subcontractors and suppliers in full for labor and materials. 

Mechanic’s Lien: A lien obtained by an unpaid subcontractor or supplier through the courts. When enforced, real property — such as your home — can be sold to pay the subcontractor or supplier. If a subcontractor or supplier signed a lien release, then this lien cannot be enforced. 

Plans and Specifications: Drawings for the project, and a detailed list or description of the known products, materials, quantities and finishes to be used.

Punch List: A list of work items to be completed or corrected by the contractor, typically near or at the end of a project.

Subcontractor: A person or company hired directly by the contractor to perform specialized work at the job site — sometimes referred to as a trade contractor.

LEARN MORE from the National Association of Home Builders about remodeling your home, including a checklist for selecting and hiring a remodeler and advice on financing and designing your project and find a PROFESSIONAL REMODELER.

(Family Features) The holidays bring celebrations with friends and loved ones – as well as the stress of setting the perfect table and plenty of opportunities for spills and accidents. But don’t fret – Tracy Hutson, a designer on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” has some tips to help you and your home get ready for the season.

Give furniture a new purpose and identity. Breathing new life into older pieces gives you more creative freedom to completely re-invent furnishings for what you really need in your home. “Look at what you already have, like flea market finds or family heirlooms, and see if they can be used in a new way.” She suggests:

• Transforming a dresser into a sideboard for the dining room.
• Using a settee for extra seating at the table.
• Turning a bench into a display table for holiday décor.
• Trying a small accent table in the powder room for guest towels and soaps.

Make your dining table shine. Try creating beautiful centerpieces using a non-traditional color scheme (like purple) or creative touches with family photographs to make the table more fun and personalized. But first, she recommends bringing out the table’s inner beauty with a deep clean using Guardsman Purifying Wood Cleaner followed by a good polish, such as Guardsman’s Revitalizing Wood Polish.

Create a cozy couch. Guests will want to connect over movies, games and conversation, so it’s important to make seating extra comfortable. “Protecting your sofa before spills happen is the key to a good defense,” explains Hutson. A quick treatment with a leather or fabric protector helps guard fabric upholstery and leather against spills and stains. Be sure to fluff the cushions, add holiday accent pillows, and throw an oversized blanket over the back for that cozy touch.

Ring around the rosy host. Many hosts offer drinks and appetizers before the holiday meal, allowing guests to mix and mingle. Although coasters are offered to protect the furniture, many guests won’t use them, often placing water-sweating glassware on tables and leaving rings on the surface. If this happens, don’t worry says Hutson. “I use Guardsman Water Ring and Mark Removal right after the party ends to get rid of rings and marks.”

Hutson says to look beyond the surface when it comes to favorite pieces. “Giving furniture a little TLC is easier than you think with specially formulated polishes and oils,” she said. “You can also use simple Guardsman Wood Finish Touch-Up Markers or Guardsman Filler Sticks to quickly repair damage.”

Take a little time now to prep your home and give your furniture a little TLC. You’ll be able to relax and enjoy the season knowing your home is at its best.

For more furniture care advice, visit www.Guardsman.com.

SOURCE:
Guardsman

]]> http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/11/22/holiday-tlc-for-your-furniture/feed 0 http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/11/17/holidays-start-at-the-front-door http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/11/17/holidays-start-at-the-front-door#comments Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:06:18 +0000 SusanAS http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/?p=1778 Homeowners can help their families and guests get in the holiday spirit right at the front door. Since many people view their entryway as a sign of the quality of their home, the holidays are the ideal time to show it off.  A festive holiday entry can be the home’s focal point and serve as a first impression for both its interior and exterior.

Experts at Therma-Tru_® Corp., the nation’s most preferred brand of fiberglass and steel exterior door systems, offer tips for creating a warm and inviting entryway during the holidays:

Hanging Seasonal Decorations:

• Consider a twig wreath adorned with greens, gourds or berries
• Design a heart-shaped wreath with miniature pine cones and dye them a brilliant shade of red
• Mount an evergreen wreath or swag with glass ornaments or silver bells
• Create a wreath with magnolia leaves and fresh fruit such as pears, apples and pomegranates
• If you have a rustic style home, consider adding antlers, a cowboy hat or rope to your wreath
• For a coastal home, consider a wreath of woven sea grass with sea shells or a brightly painted life preserver with lights and decorative glass floats
• If your door doesn’t merit all the attention, consider wrapping it in bright paper with a large bow or framing it in lights
• Hang a set of sleigh bells on the door knob, which will give a festive jingle every time guests pass through

Accessorizing Your Doorway:

• Frame your entryway with a garland and lights – add bows or pine cones for more decorative detail
• Place pots or urns planted with seasonal greenery, poinsettias and lights on either side of the doorway
• Put out a welcome mat designed with holiday accents
• Add new brass or nickel accents such as a kick plate, porch lights and a door knocker to dress up your door
• Hang matching wreaths in all of the windows

Painting Your Door:

• If it’s not yet too cold to paint outdoors, brighten up your door with a fresh coat of red paint or a strong color that provides contrast to your current color scheme. Made especially to accept paint, Therma-Tru_® Classic-Craft_® Canvas Collection_™ entry doors feature a smooth surface that’s ideal for adding custom color to the home.

When decorating, be careful to protect your door.  Avoid putting a nail in the face of the door, as this can lead to damage in the future and could void your door warranty from the original manufacturer.  Instead, use a door hanger to hang the wreath from the door knocker, or place a tack on the top of the door frame and use clear fishing line to hang the wreath.

In addition to these simple design tips, you may also want to consider taking advantage of this opportunity to update your entryway with a new, energy-efficient door system. Fiberglass continues to grow in popularity with homeowners because the doors are easy to maintain and will withstand a wide range of temperatures and weather elements such as strong winds, high-humidity and frequent rain.

As an added value, homeowners who purchase and install certain styles of Therma-Tru doors may be eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $500 per household when completing the door replacement project by the end of 2011. For additional information on the federal government’s 2011 tax credits available to homeowners, visit www.energystar/taxcredit and MyEnergyTax.com.

(Family Features) Zipping around from one family activity to the next can be fun, but it requires a plan in order to juggle the busy schedule.

“Like so many parents, it can be a challenge to keep my active family organized, especially on the go,” says Olympic gold medal figure skater and mom of two Kristi Yamaguchi. “I am thrilled to share with other moms and dads my favorite tips for unstoppable families.”

1) When a busy day has you skating from one activity to the next, it’s important to be prepared. Bring along a backpack with everything you might need for your on-the-go day, including handheld snacks, like bananas and Smucker’s® Uncrustables® PB&J sandwiches, water, sunscreen and easy activities for down time.

2) Unstoppable families are always on the move. Post a large calendar in the kitchen or family room to capture and keep track of your family’s weekly activities. Assign a different color marker to each member of the family. This will help keep everyone on time and in line.

3) Let the games go green! Encourage creativity by finding ways to repurpose everyday items into fun activities. A drinking straw and some ribbon becomes a magic wand. Two painted paper towel rolls can become a pair of backyard binoculars. Reuse magazines to make colorful collages and other fun art projects.

4) Sometimes fast-paced weekdays leave little time for family fun. Set aside time each weekend to enjoy the outdoors and each other’s company. Plan hiking trips and bike riding adventures that will appeal to everyone. Put together a “scavenger list” with fun things to look for along the way like a yellow flower, a white cat, a BIG bug and other outdoor items.

5) Have a little fun while on the run. Store books, games, markers and paper in the car to keep kids entertained on the road or in-between events. Also, make sure to have some kid-friendly tunes to keep the kids singing from your driveway to the soccer field.

6) Ask around at your local community center or health club about family fitness classes.  Try an aerobics or swimming class as a family; it will be a great way to stay active and spend time together.

7) Like the title of my book Dream Big Little Pig, I always teach my kids they can accomplish anything with practice and perseverance. Encourage your kids to try their best at every activity they pursue and explore their interests no matter how sky-high. You might be raising an award-winning musician or the future President of the United States.

Think outside the toy box when it comes to family activities. An old blanket quickly transforms into a magic carpet when spread across the living room floor. Couch cushions and bed sheets always make the best forts. A simple flash light becomes a projector for shadow puppets in a dark playroom. Use soccer balls, hula hoops and other everyday items to create a fun obstacle course in the backyard.

9) My family spends a lot of time on the ice and it has shown us the importance of teamwork. Encourage your kids to join a local soccer or basketball team. They’ll have fun while learning team building skills.

10) Don’t let a rainy day dampen your outdoor plans. Pitch a small tent in the living room and have a “camp in” complete with a construction paper campfire and sleeping bags. Weather the storms outside with tall tales shared over campfire treats.

For more great ideas visit www.uncrustables.com.

SOURCE:
Smucker’s

(Family Features) For a lot of busy moms, it seems that kids’ activities dominate the family calendar. Between school, soccer practice, ballet rehearsal and everything in between, sometimes you need to have a plan of attack for keeping the family satisfied. 

Eating right goes a long way to giving everyone the energy they need to fuel all those activities, but it can be tricky coming up with new ideas for meals and snacks the kids will actually eat.

Blogger Meagan Francis, from The Happiest Mom, shares a few of her ideas for satisfying hungry kids and keeping them going throughout the busy day.

Quick Breakfast Bites

• Wrap up the first meal of the day in a tortilla with scrambled egg burritos. If you’re in a hurry, they can be a great on-the-go breakfast.
• Make a fruit smoothie or a toasted whole grain English muffin with peanut butter and no sugar added jelly.
• Skip the sugar-bomb-in-a-bowl cereal and go for whole grain cereal with strawberry or banana slices.

Stock Up On Easy-To-Cart Snacks

• Fat free pretzels dipped in peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter) is a creamy, crunchy snack that gives kids a little protein to fuel their afternoon activities.
• Let the kids help make a custom blend of homemade trail mix using their favorite ingredients. Try walnuts, almonds, yogurt covered raisins, sunflower seeds, and mini chocolate chips.
• A delicious, low fat – and fun to eat – portable snack, string cheese pleases just about every kid.

• Be prepared with snacks that are easy to eat in the backseat. Meagan likes to pack Heinz® Dip & Squeeze® Ketchup to pair with snacks, which holds 3 times more ketchup than traditional packets. You can buy them in a 10-pack box at the grocery store. They’re easy to toss into your purse or the glove compartment and a great no-mess solution that little fingers can manage. Find more kid-friendly food tips at: https://www.facebook.com/HeinzKetchup.

Pack Some Lunchbox Fun

• Stuff it – Fill pita pockets with their favorite chicken salad, low-sodium deli meat, or peanut butter and a banana.
   
• Dip it – Give them finger foods to dip, like apples and peanut butter; baby carrots and ranch or yogurt dip; or even oven fries and homemade chicken nuggets with Heinz® Dip & Squeeze Ketchup. Kids can either peel back the lid to dip, or rip off the top to squeeze.
   
• Build it – Let them build their lunch by packing the ingredients in separate baggies or containers. Try a stacker with crackers, cheese and deli slices.

SOURCE:
Heinz

]]> http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/10/27/fun-foods-that-fuel-the-family/feed 0 http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/10/13/household-budgeting-to-save-or-to-spend http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/10/13/household-budgeting-to-save-or-to-spend#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:27:21 +0000 SusanAS http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/?p=1757 (Family Features) From big-ticket purchases to basic household items, people from all economic backgrounds are prioritizing their shopping lists to spend wisely on items worth the investment. It is not surprising that when buying items for you or your family, it can be difficult to decide where to adjust your household budget. Personal finance expert, author and TV personality Farnoosh Torabi provides these tips for how save on everyday items, and shows families where extra spending can lead to long-term savings.

Saving on the Everyday

Buy in bulk and store. Basic household items such as paper towels, toilet paper, dish soap, hand soap and laundry detergent can be purchased in large quantities and shelved for later use in order to save money over time. Look to large retailer stores that offer buy-in-bulk options. Also consider purchasing frozen food to store and use as needed.

Get creative; call for reinforcements.

• E-mail friends and family to set up a kids’ clothing swap. Trading gently-used clothing with other families is a great way to get the items you need, without spending a great deal of money.
• Save on babysitting expenses by swapping out weekend nights of kid watching with a friend or family member.
• Set up a carpool to save time and fuel.

Clip those coupons. Though it may seem obvious to point out that you can save big by clipping coupons, many people overlook this money-saving practice. Look for coupons online and in your local newspaper. There are several sites online that can keep you updated about savings at stores in your specific location as well.

Spending for Long-Term Savings

Trade up now, save more later. Certain household items may cost more up front, but will save time, energy, money and other resources down the line if you invest in quality products. Torabi suggests the following items deserve larger budgets up-front:

• Running shoes – Fitness experts suggest purchasing quality, high-performance shoes that are designed to protect against injuries and their impending medical costs. Purchasing good workout shoes during your lifetime could potentially save you from costly injuries – such as a $15,000 knee surgery.
• Quality mattress – The average person spends a third of his or her life in bed. So, investing in a quality mattress now, and one that can adjust to your changing body over time, will provide a low cost-per-use, since you sleep on your mattress every day. “I’ve partnered with Sleep Number because there is no need for couples to compromise – the mattress can be adjusted on each side to a persons’ firmness preference,” Torabi said. “It’s like getting two beds in one and it lasts twice as long as other mattresses,” she added.
• Electric toothbrush – Proper brushing and flossing practices are important for maintaining oral health and can save you money down the line. Avoid costly dental expenses by purchasing a quality electric toothbrush, brushing and flossing two or more times daily, and keeping those dental cleaning appointments.
• Green appliances – When upgrading kitchen or other household appliances, spending more up front can mean big savings later. “The average household spends $1,400 a year on energy bills. By purchasing energy-efficient products, you can save 30 percent, or more than $400 a year,” says Torabi. Over time, those savings could pay for the cost of each appliance. And purchasing a high-quality product means your appliance will continue to run properly with minimal maintenance years from now.

To learn more about purchasing a quality Sleep Number mattress, visit www.sleepnumber.com to find a store near you. (Family feature to include local CTA)

SOURCE:
Sleep Number

]]> http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/10/06/travel-tech-for-todays-road-warrior/feed 0 http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/09/27/finding-the-perfect-hues-for-your-home http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/09/27/finding-the-perfect-hues-for-your-home#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:31:27 +0000 SusanAS http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/?p=1743 The new 30-page FRESH Home Exterior Colors guide is now available online to help homeowners, remodelers and builders select the perfect colors for the exterior of the home. Written by national color expert Kate Smith of Sensational Color, the free downloadable tool is designed to make it easy for people to choose color palates that complement the exterior of the home.

“Enhancing homes with exterior colors is one of the hottest trends in the marketplace right now,” says Smith, CMG, CfYH and a career color trend forecaster. “This step-by-step tutorial provides guidance and tips on understanding your home’s exterior features and playing off of them with color accents. The easy-to-read flow of this guide explores how to evaluate which colors should be used on the main features of a home exterior — including the roof, siding, windows, door and trim.”

The comprehensive and colorful online piece was a collaborative effort of Smith and several building product manufacturers, including DaVinci Roofscapes®, Simonton Windows®, Therma-Tru® and Fypon®. The free color guide is located on each company’s web site, plus on the http://www.sensationalcolor.com/colorforyourhome/ web site developed by Smith.

“We’re looking at ‘top down’ color for the home in this booklet,” says Smith. “To understand the colors that work best on a home’s exterior, I encourage people to use the FRESH approach, which stands for Fixed features, Regional colors, Environment and surroundings, Style of the home, and Have-to-use colors.”

Learning the FRESH Approach
Fixed Features – These are the permanent design elements of the home that need to be considered a constant feature of the house, such as the foundation, partial stone or brick facades, pathways and retaining walls. Each feature may be of a different material, but they usually will have a common color or color cast. Once you identify that common color, you can find a roof tile with a similar color or undertone that will work well for the overall home.

Regional Colors – West Coast? South? Midwest? Each region of the country has prevalent colors based on the housing styles, available materials, natural surroundings and the quality of light. Determine the colors in your area (often those you see a great deal of on other homes) to stick with regional colors.

Environment and Surroundings – Is your home in a rural setting or a downtown? Are you near the waterfront, a desert or a mountain? Temper the colors on your home’s exterior to complement your surroundings and the natural colors around you. The goal is to stand out while still fitting in!

Style of the Home – Remember that colors support the home’s style and architecture, not the other way around. So, determine your home’s style (are you a Ranch? Tudor? Victorian? Art Deco? Greek Revival?) and then do some research online to determine what colors are most associated with your style of home.

Have-to-Use Colors – If you live in a historic district, check for local guidelines and/or restrictions on adding colors to your home. More traditional colors, such as whites, browns, and shades of blue and green, work well on historical homes. 

The FRESH Home Exterior Color guide features professional exterior color guidance, advice and tips, along with full-color pictures and links. The free online booklet can be found at www.sensationalcolor.com, http://www.davinciroofscapes.com/color-studio.php, www.simonton.com, http://www.thermatru.com/products/entry/stain/index.aspx and http://www.fypon.com/design/.

(Family Features) Shorter days and cooler nights mean more time spent indoors. For many Americans, this is the perfect season to take simple steps toward a cleaner and more efficient home.

According to a recent survey by the Cleaning Institute Organization, 96 percent of people think it’s very important to have a clean home. But with family obligations, busy work schedules and extracurricular activities, we sometimes fall short. Here are some useful tips to help prepare your home for the indoor months ahead, making it a fresher and more enjoyable place to be.

Check the perimeter. Carefully inspect the perimeter of your house. Check window frames and entryways, since you may need to re-caulk and add additional weather strips. Clear gutters and chimneys of debris. Be sure to check for insects when putting away items such as garden hoses, outdoor toys and potted plants.  

Store outdoor furniture. Before you store lawn or patio furniture, scrub each piece thoroughly with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda – this natural cleaning method means that you won’t need to worry about harsh chemicals washing off onto your lawn. Baking soda can also be used to eliminate odors from seat cushions or remove the grease from the grill before the off-season.

Wash and weatherize windows. Clean window panes with a simple solution of vinegar and water, which removes the dirt and grime left behind from winds and rainstorms. Then, place storm windows securely on each frame to help keep your house cozy and warm throughout the colder months.

Remember to deodorize. Even if it’s too cold to open the windows, you’ll want your home to smell fresh and clean. Baking Soda is a great option for neutralizing unpleasant odors – from the refrigerator and freezer to the carpets and furniture. Sprinkle it in sports bags, gym shoes, waste baskets, diaper pails and drains.

Shine your floors. With allergies on the rise, it’s important to pay special attention to the floors – use a product that will clean deep-down to get rid of the pollen and dirt that is frequently tracked into the home. Don’t forget to clean baseboards, corners, stairs, in-between the banister spindles, and other hard-to-reach locations where dust often becomes trapped.

Unpack cold weather wear. You carefully put away all sweaters and winter jackets last spring, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been in contact with dust mites. Remember to launder clothing before returning it to your closets, and take this opportunity to wash curtains and other fabric coverings. Add one cup of Baking Soda to the wash for an added boost when trying to remove tough dirt and odors.

For more helpful tips on using Baking Soda around the home, visit www.armandhammer.com.

SOURCE:
Arm & Hammer

]]> http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/09/22/prep-your-home-for-months-indoors/feed 0 http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/09/15/how-to-create-a-room-that-changes-with-the-seasons http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/09/15/how-to-create-a-room-that-changes-with-the-seasons#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:41:23 +0000 SusanAS http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/?p=1724 If you’re a person with a penchant for seasonal decorating, why not fashion the interior of your home with change in mind? By planning ahead, you can make it easy to modify your surroundings to be seasonally-or even holiday-appropriate.
 
To accommodate changing décor, you should paint your walls a light neutral color, such as off-white, pale taupe, or a subtle grey, advises Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert at the Paint Quality Institute. “To help guide your color selection, think of your wall color as a blank canvas against which to feature your seasonal items,” she says.

Once your wall color is in place, you can focus on other elements in the room that can be rotated in or out as the seasons dictate. Inexpensive area rugs are great in this regard even when placed on top of wall-to-wall carpeting, as are easy window treatments that can simply be thrown over decorative curtain rods.

Even a small area rug with red or gold in the pattern will warm up a room in the dead of winter; when spring arrives, replace it with a light green rug. You’ll be surprised how big a difference this one change will make.

“When it comes to interior decor, it’s always best to repeat key colors to create a cohesive color scheme,” says Zimmer. So, take your area rug to a fabric store and find a bolt of material that matches color-wise. Pay attention to the weight: Heavier fabrics work well in fall and winter, while sheers are best for spring and summer. You’ll quickly find your curtain material.

If you want to go further, consider purchasing inexpensive slipcovers in “warm” (deep red, orange, or gold) and “cool” (light blue or green) colors to use in colder and warmer months, respectively. A more economical way to achieve a similar result is to rotate warm- and cool-colored pillows or cushions at different times of the year.

Another easy way to render a room more seasonal is with accent pieces placed on the mantel, on shelving, or on other furnishings. One way to do this is to display items with seasonally-appropriate accent colors; or go all-in and display collections of seashells in the summer and pine cones in the winter. Of course, you can always set out fresh flowers or cuttings that bespeak the season.

In the interest of seasonal decorating, don’t forget that art can imitate life. To that end, you can hang representational paintings or illustrations to reprise the seasonal items you have on display. As an example, think about repeating the fresh flower cuttings in a room with botanical prints of the same plant.

“If you’re especially ambitious, you might even dare to do more with your paint color,” says Zimmer. “Not that you’d want to repaint an entire room with each new season, but you actually might be willing to repaint a small accent wall once or twice a year. Assuming that the wall is easy to access, you could complete the job in just a few hours – a small price to pay if you’re really seasonally-driven.”

Use these ideas as thought-starters and invest a little time contemplating your own décor. You’re bound to come up with many more great ways to visually usher in any new season!

To learn more about interior paint and home decorating, visit blog.paintquality.com or http://www.paintquality.com/.

]]> http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/09/08/fall-care-for-heat-damaged-yards/feed 0 http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/08/31/protect-your-deck-now http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/08/31/protect-your-deck-now#comments Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:01:50 +0000 SusanAS http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/?p=1711

]]> http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/08/31/protect-your-deck-now/feed 0 http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/08/25/how-can-college-students-avoid-credit-hassles http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/2011/08/25/how-can-college-students-avoid-credit-hassles#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:19:14 +0000 SusanAS http://www.myhomecoupons.com/blog/?p=1685 According to Gabe Albarian, author of Financial Swagger,  as hundreds of thousands of parents send their kids off to college in the coming months, many of them will be wondering if it marks the last time their children will be living under their roofs. According to a study conducted by Twentysomething Inc., a consultant firm specializing in young adults, 85 percent of the class of 2011 will wind up moving back in with mom and dad once they get their degrees. The cause? A combination of a shrinking entry level job market and crushing college loan debt.

“The average student accumulates over $23,000 in student loan debt and $4,000 in credit card debt during their years as an undergraduate his book, a guide for young people who want to escape the pitfalls of credit disaster.  All these stats basically tell the same story, but Mr. Albarian says it doesn’t have to be that way. 

Albarian has composed a few tips aimed specifically at helping those who are just entering college or about to graduate establish and keep a good credit rating. They include:

New Credit Cards – Credit card companies love to hammer new students and new graduates with seemingly generous offers of unsecured credit cards. Don’t take the bait. There are other ways to establish credit without opening yourself up to the slippery slope of introductory interest rates that change after 6 months or the temptation to use that credit to live above your means.

Authorized Users – If your parents are financially responsible (not always the case sometimes) and pay their bills on time every month, I suggest that you be added as an authorized user on their credit card. Make sure to provide your personal information and social security number to the credit card company so that your credit history report will reflect transactions performed on this account. In about six months, after you’ve learned with the authorized user training wheels how to manage your credit reliably and maintained a responsible payment history, you will receive your own credit card offers.

Secured Credit Card – The temptation will be to apply for an unsecured credit card, but that’s still not wise or necessary to establish good credit and good habits. Instead, apply for a secured credit card at your local bank. With a secured credit card, you place a nominal amount of money in a savings account that cannot be withdrawn as it is used as recourse to pay back your debts in case you do not pay them yourself. In essence, your spending limit on your secured card is exactly the amount you place in the linked savings account – hence, your debt is secured by the money in your account. Just like a normal credit card, you will receive a monthly statement to pay off a portion or all of your debts but meanwhile your payment history will be reported to the credit bureaus. Within months you will receive offers for other unsecured credit cards. It’s not necessary to have more credit cards than you need, because not only will it present temptation, but it may also lower your credit rating.

“The bottom line here is that once you have use of a credit card, you want to pay your bills on time, keep your balances low, don’t take on more credit than you need and if you’ve missed a payment you should get current and stay current,” he added. “Good credit can be your best financial friend as you go through life and bad credit can be the ball and chain that drags you down.”

“The average student accumulates over $23,000 in student loan debt and $4,000 in credit card debt during their years as an undergraduate student,” said Gabe Albarian, a former college student who avoided his own credit crisis during his college years by following the advice he offers in Financial Swagger (www.financialswagger.com), a guide for young people who want to escape the pitfalls of credit disaster. “All these stats basically tell the same story: our next generation of college graduates will enter the next phases of their lives in a personal finance hell composed of a combination of crushing debt and poor credit.”

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Albarian has composed a few tips aimed specifically at helping those who are just entering college or about to graduate establish and keep a good credit rating. They include:

·        New Credit Cards – Credit card companies love to hammer new students and new graduates with seemingly generous offers of unsecured credit cards. Don’t take the bait. There are other ways to establish credit without opening yourself up to the slippery slope of introductory interest rates that change after 6 months or the temptation to use that credit to live above your means.

·        Authorized Users – If your parents are financially responsible (not always the case sometimes) and pay their bills on time every month, I suggest that you be added as an authorized user on their credit card. Make sure to provide your personal information and social security number to the credit card company so that your credit history report will reflect transactions performed on this account. In about six months, after you’ve learned with the authorized user training wheels how to manage your credit reliably and maintained a responsible payment history, you will receive your own credit card offers.

·        Secured Credit Card – The temptation will be to apply for an unsecured credit card, but that’s still not wise or necessary to establish good credit and good habits. Instead, apply for a secured credit card at your local bank. With a secured credit card, you place a nominal amount of money in a savings account that cannot be withdrawn as it is used as recourse to pay back your debts in case you do not pay them yourself. In essence, your spending limit on your secured card is exactly the amount you place in the linked savings account – hence, your debt is secured by the money in your account. Just like a normal credit card, you will receive a monthly statement to pay off a portion or all of your debts but meanwhile your payment history will be reported to the credit bureaus. Within months you will receive offers for other unsecured credit cards. It’s not necessary to have more credit cards than you need, because not only will it present temptation, but it may also lower your credit rating.

“The bottom line here is that once you have use of a credit card, you want to pay your bills on time, keep your balances low, don’t take on more credit than you need and if you’ve missed a payment you should get current and stay current,” he added. “Good credit can be your best financial friend as you go through life and bad credit can be the ball and chain that drags you down.”

Today’s tough economy makes it challenging to invest in our children’s education and future, and purchasing school supplies can be especially expensive. Stretch your family’s back-to-school budget with these smart saving tips:

Assess Wants vs. Needs. Before you leave the house, make a list of items you’ll need and be realistic about prioritizing needs and wants. Do a complete inventory of what supplies you already have at home.

Budget, Budget, Budget. Once your prioritized list is complete, determine what you can afford to spend on each category – school supplies, electronics, clothing and other. Use free online budgeting tools to help you stick to that budget.

Check For Student Discounts. By having a student living in your home, you may be eligible for savings and not even know it. Many manufacturers, especially software publishers, offer education eligibility discounts, and some stores offer price breaks for students, too. For example, check out Academic Superstore  an online store that works with leading brands to sell deeply discounted products. The website’s catalog of more than 20,000 education-focused products includes school supplies, full-version software titles and consumer electronics at prices up to 80 percent off retail value.

Surf The Net For Deals. The Internet is a great place to find bargains. And many office supply and retail websites offer free shipping. Use online tools that let you compare prices of multiple websites to find the best deals. Don’t forget to search for online coupon codes that can help stretch your dollar.

Click Here to find more detailed information on each of these tips.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Curb Appeal pulls at our heart strings. Everyone loves a beautiful home. Imagine the strength of the union between Curb Appeal and Lean Design and the effect this marriage can have on your resale value. Now that is romantic!

So raise a glass and toast the young couple for soon they will be expecting a new arrival. In fact they have already picked a name – Equity.

Todd Hallett, AIA, CAPS has been designing homes for 18 years. He has tremendous talent in architectural home design and has been honored with several awards over the past few years. He creates timeless and traditional homes that have all the conveniences of modern day living. With every custom design Todd seeks to create something that is unique and yet classic…a home that brings to life the dream of every customer.

TK Design & Architecture provides service to clients across the United States. To view some examples of Todd’s latest work, visit his portfolio page.

Click here to take advantage of TK Design & Architecture’s money-saving coupon at MyHomeCoupons.com

Visit GE Appliances for more suggestions on:

• Starting Early
• Focusing on the fridge
• Look ma, no measuring cups!
• Don’t clam up – clean up

According to Anita Blender, CEO of AffordableMortgageAdvisors.com, mortgage modification may be your way out. “Before embarking on restructuring your current loan it is critical to understand what your lender is looking for,” she says.  “First, the lender needs to determine if you qualify.”

There are two factors considered when attempting to qualify for a mortgage modification: financial hardship and stable income. In short, if you experienced a financial hardship that caused you to get behind on your mortgage payments AND you have a stable income to make future payments, then a mortgage modification may be a viable option. 

The next step is to create a financial package for your lender to evaluate your case. Most banks, through their website, have the forms necessary for your package. Typically, a lender will ask for:

• Financial Statement  Form
• Tax returns for the past two years
• Paycheck stubs and bank statements for the last two months
• IRS Form 4506-T
• Letter of Hardship

Once you compile — and make copies of — all the necessary documents, find out the phone and fax number for the bank’s Loss Mitigation Department.  Fax over your package (with the loan number on top of each page) and call to follow up. This is where patience and persistence pays off.

Mortgage modifications take time. Banks are overwhelmed with the number of people requesting modifications.  The representatives in the loss mitigation department are as stressed out as you are.  Expressing compassion and appreciation will help move the process along.

If the mortgage modification process seems overwhelming and you are unsure of what to do, Anita encourages you to visit her website: www.affordablemortgageadvisors.com  or reach out to her at 248-444-9400.

Mortgage modifications are approved every day, you can be one of them.

Marinated Grilled Shrimp

This recipe for marinated grilled shrimp, using Heinz 57 Sauce, gives a tangy new twist to a classic favorite. If you want to serve it in appetizer portions, use 6-inch skewers. Thread 2 shrimp on each skewer and grill as directed.

For more delicious party recipes, visit www.heinz57.com.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Heinz 57 Sauce
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1/4 cup dried basil)
• 24 raw, peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp

Preparation

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together sauce, wine, oil, lemon juice and basil until well mixed. Pour into resealable plastic food storage bag. Add shrimp and seal tightly, turning until well coated. Allow to marinate in refrigerator for up to one hour, turning occasionally.
2. Preheat grill to medium heat. Remove shrimp from refrigerator, reserving the marinade and discarding the bag. Thread shrimp onto 4 skewers and grill for 4 to 7 minutes or until cooked through, turning often and basting with reserved marinade during last 3 minutes of grilling.

Notes, Tips & Suggestions
For additional recipes and preparation tips, visit www.heinz57.com.

Preparation Time:
5 minutes, plus 1 hour for marinating

Cook Time:
7 minutes

Adding pull out shelves is quick, easy and best of all efficient. “When your man cave gets pull out shelves, you will gain as much as 50% additional storage space, transforming your man cave from cluttered to organized,” according to Al. “Of course, the value of pull out shelves extends well beyond entertainment centers and bar cabinets. From garage work shop and storage cabinets to your home office to the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, adding pull out shelves makes life easier and everything you own more accessible. Additional space and improved organization are just two of the many benefits you will see.”

For a limited time ShelfGenie of Southfield discount coupon, visit: Summertime Special – Save 15% On Your Entire Order! or call (877) 434-3643 to schedule an appointment.

• Trying to keep up with the latest color trends? Add a pillow and throw to your glider or buy some homemade or purchased wall art as a way to infuse a trendy color without committing to it forever.
• Love today’s trends of owls, or find yourself drawn to colorful knit dolls designed overseas? These are easy items to bring into the room, sit on a shelf or display in a bookcase, but can be changed out when the next trend comes along.
• Obsessed with the latest celebrity nursery designs? Take some inspiration from your favorites but know you don’t have to try to match a room item by item. Choose a color scheme or theme and then find a way to incorporate parts of it within your budget.

Invest in Rest…The smart move is to invest in a few pieces of high-quality furniture that will grow with your child. These are pieces that will remain in the nursery as it evolves into a toddler’s and then big kid’s room:

• Select furniture that complements the look of the rest of your home. Love traditional style? Seek out nursery collections that fit right in. Focused on a transitional look? Seek out cribs and furniture with clean lines and solid construction.
• Do you love the look of rich brown furniture or are you eager to see white wood furniture against pops of paint color and bedding? Nursery furniture comes in a wide variety of beautiful finishes. You can browse the images at www.facebook.com/inspirednursery for inspiration.
• Look for Lifestyle cribs which easily convert from crib to toddler-, day-, and eventually a full-sized bed, which means they will grow with your child.
• Consider other adaptable furniture pieces. This includes armoires that can convert into media centers, and dressers that can serve as changing tables. Learn more at www.LaJobi.com.

Get Personal…Give the nursery its own special look with accessories that are not only attractive, but have special meaning, too.

• Celebrate your family’s heritage with treasures from scrapbooks, old family photo albums, textiles and art pieces from your family’s native country.
• Personalize baby’s room with handmade art and accessories from local artists or from online sources such as www.Etsy.com.
• Wall decals are a great way to transform a room. You can find everything from sophisticated small border decals and medium sized murals to large trees and fun circus animals – and you can apply them yourself.

You don’t need to be a designer to create a beautiful nursery – you just need a little patience and the right inspiration.

According to the National Association of Home Builders, as America struggles with complex economic challenges in the wake of the Great Recession, longheld principles have come under intense scrutiny. Some policymakers even suggest that homeownership and housing choice should no longer be national priorities. This is in direct opposition to the beliefs of most Americans, according to a recent national survey conducted jointly by Public Opinion Strategies and Lake Research Partners.

The survey makes clear that owning a home is still very much a part of the American Dream. Americans believe that homeownership is the single best investment for middle class families and helps provide for their retirement and their children’s education. They also believe that a strong

housing industry means more jobs and more money in our communities.

Key Survey Results

• 5 percent of voters say that owning a home is the best long-term investment they can make.
• 73 percent of voters who do not currently own a home say it is a goal of theirs to eventually buy a home. 
• 71 percent of voters oppose proposals to eliminate the mortgage interest deduction, and 63 percent oppose proposals to reduce it. The majority also oppose eliminating the deduction for interest paid on home equity loans, eliminating the deduction for interest paid on a second home, limiting the deduction for those earning over $250,000 per year, or limiting the deduction for home owners with mortgages over $500,000.
• 95 percent of home owners say they are happy with their decision to own a home, and believe that owning their own home is important.
• A majority of voters (57 percent) across party lines say they would be less likely to support a candidate for Congress who wanted to eliminate the home mortgage interest deduction.
• The biggest barrier for those who want to own a home is money for a downpayment and closing costs.

For more detailed information on the poll, visit NAHB’s website.

Before You Fire Up the Grill

• If you have a gas grill, check for leaks. Mix a small amount of dishwashing liquid and water in a spray bottle. Spray the hose and all connections then, with the hose connected to the propane tank, open the gas. If bubbles appear, you have a leak and need to replace the hose or fix a loose connection.
• Also, check the flame on gas grills – it should be blue. A yellow flame means there are either clogged air jets or burners that need adjustment.
• Clean the grill, inside and out. Scrub burners and grates with a wire brush, then cut the grease build-up with a vinegar and water solution. Rinse clean and let dry thoroughly. A good, all-purpose cleaner can take care of the outside of the grill.

Keep Your Cool

“Food safety is vital,” said Breneman. “Make sure your refrigerator and freezer are in tip-top shape so they can keep prepped ingredients and leftovers at the right temperatures.”

• Make sure the interior cooling vents are not blocked. The air needs to circulate to ensure safe food preservation.
• Keep the refrigerator temperature at 36ºF to 38ºF and the freezer at no colder than 0ºF to 5ºF. You can buy inexpensive refrigerator and freezer thermometers to help you maintain the right temperature.
• Keep gaskets on the refrigerator and freezer doors clean with mild detergent and water, not bleach. This will ensure a good seal and prevent wasted energy.

Tidy Up Outside

• Check the deck and stairways for any loose boards or railings. Now’s a good time to get out the power tools and make the yard safer as well as neater.
• If you haven’t done so already, give your lawn mower a check-up. Make sure it’s functioning at its best so that you can mow efficiently and safely.
• After mowing the lawn, break out the trimmer and edger to give your yard a neat-as-a-pin appearance.

To help you keep your appliances and power tools in good working order, Breneman recommends looking into protecting them with extended service plans. “Anything mechanical can break down or have parts that just wear out,” she said. “And manufacturers’ warranties don’t cover as much or for as long as you might think.”

Breneman adds that service plans bring something else to homeowners – peace of mind. “You spend a lot of money on things like refrigerators or riding mowers, and it can be frustrating trying to find someone reputable to fix them. To know that you can get support at any time from pre-screened professionals makes it a whole lot easier to relax and enjoy all the fun that comes with summer.”

For more tips on getting ready for summer fun, visit www.thesavvyshopperblog.com.

SOURCE: N.E.W. Customer Service Companies

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH), between 700,000 and 800,000 people are homeless on any night in the US, with between 2.5 and 3.5 million people experiencing homelessness during the course of a year.  More than one million of them are children. Research indicates that – of the total population of homeless – 81 percent will enter and exit a shelter quickly, and not return for a prolonged period of time or– better yet — never return. This population of temporary, or transitional, homeless individuals and families experience a life-altering event (e.g. job loss, natural disaster, divorce, abuse, or medical condition) that drives them to homelessness. The U.S. Council of Mayors sites a number of diverse, complex and, many times, interrelated factors that contribute to the problems of homelessness. Listed in order of frequency, the following causes were identified by cities surveyed in the Council of Mayors’ 2007 Report on Hunger and Homelessness:

• Lack of affordable housing,
• Mental illness and the lack of needed services,
• Substance abuse and the lack of needed services,
• Low-paying jobs,
• Domestic violence,
• Prisoner re-entry,
• Unemployment, and
• Poverty.

Typically, these temporary homeless individuals and families merely need a second chance to get their feet back on the ground, attain self-sufficiency, and move quickly toward acquiring some sort of permanent housing.

Of the remaining 19 percent of the homeless population, nine percent enter and exit shelters repeatedly, and are referred to as “episodically homeless,” and 10 percent remain in shelters and are part of the chronic homeless population, also referred to as the “hopeless” or “street” homeless.

In a broad sense, today’s homeless refers to all of these populations. This is where an organization called HomeAid comes in.

As a leading national non-profit provider of shelter construction for service organizations that help today’s homeless, HomeAid builds and renovates multi-unit shelters for America’s temporarily homeless families and individuals so they can rebuild their lives.

Founded in 1989, HomeAid has expanded throughout the country to 19 chapters in 13 states and two national offices: Pensacola, FL and Irvine, CA.

To date, HomeAid has provided housing for more than 100,000 individuals who have been rendered temporarily homeless due to circumstances beyond their control.

While HomeAid serves each of these populations with housing projects across the US, the organization’s primary emphasis is the 81-percent of temporary homeless, who are homeless today, but — if we are successful with service providers and community leaders — not tomorrow.

Narrowing the scope to the temporary or transitional homelessness, HomeAid serves a wide range of families and individuals who are in need of a dignified place to call home while they rebuild their lives. The following is a list of the top constituencies served by HomeAid:

• Victims of domestic violence
• Abused women and children
• At-risk teens with no place to go
• Women in crisis pregnancies and newborns
• Young adults who have aged-out of the foster care system
• Mentally disabled persons
• People coping with debilitating medical conditions and/or the costs of treatment
• Pregnant teens, and teen mothers and their babies
• Victims of job loss, divorce, or desertion
• Those affected by natural disasters and other catastrophes

How You Can Help

1. Double Vanity: Dual sinks and vanities make close morning routines a thing of a past. With apart sinks and vanities, homeowners get a individualized spaces and storage they enterprise in their bathrooms.

2. Radiant Heat: Stepping onto a cold tile building after a prohibited showering isn’t a best approach to start a day. An easy pill is adding eager electric heating to floors. Some companies implement heating mats tranquil by a thermostat underneath tile, stone, laminate and engineered-wood floors.

3. Seeing Green: The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) reported that 24 percent of their designers used a immature tone palette in their clients’ kitchens final year. KraftMaid, a personality in a semi-custom cabinetry industry, offers cabinetry with tone finishes — such as Sage — that can supplement a detonate of tone to lavatory walls.

4. Added Storage Space: “Homeowners are looking for ways to diminution confusion and boost classification in their bathrooms,” pronounced Reep. For a homeowner with dozens of bottles, jars and accessories, KraftMaid’s self-centredness filler pullout creates storage while saving space with a slim straight design.

5. Walk-In Showers: Homeowners are replacing a required cylinder and showering combinations with walk-in showers. Large potion doors and earth-tone tiles are being total with oppulance showerheads and H2O jets for a spa-like feel.

6. Satin Nickel Faucets: From 2009 to a finish of 2010, a percent of NKBA designers who specified a satin nickel faucet in a lavatory rose from 45 percent to 57 percent. Brushed nickel faucets in a lavatory fell from 66 percent to 38 percent.

7. Recycled Flooring: With a increasing concentration on tolerable materials, tiles done from recycled ceramic, potion and steel are in. Look for companies that use recycled materials and tolerable production practices to emanate their tiles.

8. A Hint of Nature: Wood and mill are in-demand materials for lavatory design. Wooden shower tubs and mill tiles and bathtubs keep feverishness good and supplement a healthy feel to any bathroom.

9. Fine Furniture: The right self-centredness can renovate a common lavatory into a lush escape. “Homeowners wish their lavatory cabinetry to resemble a elaborate pieces in their vital room,” pronounced Reep. “Standard lavatory cabinets are being transposed by cabinetry with abounding finishes and detailing.”

10. Quartz Countertops: According to a NKBA, 54 percent of NKBA designers are now incorporating quartz into their lavatory designs, compared with 48 percent in 2010. The low-maintenance vegetable boasts a aloft continuance opposite cracks and dents than marble. DeNova sells quartz surfaces in a far-reaching operation of tradition colors and patterns.

Whether we suffer following a housing trends or cite a tried-and-true styles, there is a accumulation of new products to supplement beauty, value and functionality to any home.

For more information visit www.Kraftmaid.com. Photo courtesy of KraftMaid.

Before we begin, you may be asking yourself: “What is Lean Design?”

“The concept of lean architectural design is often misunderstood,” according to Todd Hallett, AIA, CAPS and President of TK Design & Architecture, Inc. “Elimination of design-induced waste in both product and process is the overriding goal of Lean Design. Architects who “get it” know that they must eradicate waste from the plans they design in order to make them cost effective to build.” For the home owner or home buyer, Todd recommends: “Select an Architect who has a background in Lean Design and who understands that cost is imperative when designing a plan that will meet your goals and still stay within your budget.” He goes on to share that his experience in reviewing plans and designs by architects all over the country indicate that up to 60% of construction waste originates through poor or misdirected planning efforts.

Principle #1: Lean Design is not a “dumbing down”of home design. A common misconception is that lean design will strip a home plan of it’s jazz appeal by eliminating windows, making ceilings lower, and taking the detail off the elevations. In reality, the goal of lean design is to make the home more exciting and dramatic. By eliminating waste, such as extra materials, wasted trips by the trades, etc., the aesthetic upgrades become affordable. Said another way, any effort that results in a less desirable home is contrary to the principles of lean design.

Todd Hallett, AIA, CAPS has been designing homes for 18 years. He has tremendous talent in architectural home design and has been honored with several awards over the past few years. He creates timeless and traditional homes that have all the conveniences of modern day living. With every custom design Todd seeks to create something that is unique and yet classic…a home that brings to life the dream of every customer.

TK Design & Architecture provides service to clients across the United States. To view some examples of Todd’s latest work, visit his portfolio page.

Click here to take advantage of TK Design & Architecture’s money-saving coupon at MyHomeCoupons.com

• Smaller homes with lower prices
• More green features
• Size of the family room will increase, while the formal living room, entry foyer and dining room are expected to decrease or disappear.
• Average new home of 2015 will include a walk-in closet in the master bedroom; a laundry room; ceiling fans; a master bedroom on the first floor in homes with two stories; and a two-car garage.
• The most common green features in 2015’s new homes will be low-E windows; engineered wood beams, joists or trusses; water-efficient features such as dual-flush toilets or low-flow faucets; and an Energy Star rating for the whole house.
• 89 percent of consumers want high-efficiency heating and cooling in their next home, 85 percent want high-efficiency appliances, and 78 percent want upgraded features and fixtures such as granite countertops, wood flooring, faucets and lighting fixtures.

By visiting the “New Construction Homes” link on the website, you can start on your journey to finding the home of your dreams. You will find a picture of each home as well individual maps and detailed information on the features of each home. Each home lists its own model hours so you can plan your tour.

New this year, several builders are featuring an “Open House Party” on Saturday, June 18th and/or Sunday, June 19th.

2011 BIA Parade of Homes Sponsors:

“Green Building, universal design, The Marketplace in downtown Kalamazoo, and extensive residential and commercial remodeling projects are just a few things guests will find this year”, says Dale Shugars, Executive Vice President of the HBAGK. “As always visitors will find the latest trends in decorating, see the popular new colors, and get ideas for updating their own home.”

The Parade will operate Monday through Thursday from 6 – 9 pm, Fridays, 4 – 9 pm, Saturdays from 1 – 9 pm. A smaller number of homes will also be open on Sunday from 1-5pm. Admission is $12.00 per ticket with children 3 and under admitted free. Tickets can also be purchased in advance for $10 at the following locations: Meijer; Kalamazoo Gazette; and the HBAGK office located at 5700 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo.

The Parade of Homes is an official event of the Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo and is sponsored by the Kalamazoo Gazette, Meijer and Lake Michigan Credit Union.

• Outstanding Opportunities: With the country still emerging from the recent recession, many people are wondering if this is a good time to buy a home. The answer is easy: Yes. It’s a very good time to purchase a home. Even though the housing market is beginning to recover, it is still a buyer’s market. There are many opportunities in today’s market including affordable prices, low mortgage rates and great new homes. But market conditions can change, and these opportunities may not be around for long, so home buyers shouldn’t wait.
• Great Selection: An excellent selection of homes on the market makes today a very good time to buy. A plentiful inventory provides a great choice of homes, and there are builders that have brand new homes that are “move-in ready.”  Additionally, many owners of existing homes who postponed trading up or downsizing due to market conditions are now ready to sell. And as employment improves, the number of relocations will increase, bringing more homes into the market.
• Attractive Pricing: If there’s a silver lining to the recession and the housing downturn, it’s that homes in many markets are more affordable. Prices in some areas have moderated significantly, especially in major markets where they increased the most during the housing boom that occurred in most of the country.
• Low Interest Rates: Like inventory and pricing, mortgage interest rates are still at very favorable levels, but rates are sensitive to market forces and can change quickly. There’s no indication that rates will suddenly surge upward, but even a slight rate increase can push monthly payments to the point that a buyer might miss out on their first choice for a new home.  Prospective home buyers also should be aware that lenders are looking more closely at borrowers today than in recent years. To ensure that the process goes smoothly, buyers should consider pre-qualifying for a mortgage and having financing in place before shopping for a home. Buyers also may find that some home builders have arranged favorable financing for their customers or offer financial incentives.

There Really is No Place Like Home: Although there are many positive financial aspects to homeownership, a home cannot be valued in monetary terms alone. Not only can homeownership be a steppingstone to greater financial well-being, it provides a permanent place to call home and great personal satisfaction. Academic research also shows that homeownership provides a wide range of social benefits and strengthens the nation’s people and its communities.

Home ownership is truly a cornerstone of the American way of life.

Click here to read more about the benefits of home ownership.

By removing the soffit (during demo phase of your kitchen remodel), your new kitchen cabinets can extend to the ceiling, which can offer up to an additional foot of storage vertically. Imagine, when multiplied by both the horizontal perimeter and the depth of your kitchen cabinets,  being able to add 15 cubic feet or more of storage! “While taller storage may require access with a step stool, it’s a great spot for those items you may only need once or twice a year,” observes Kristen. “Think about it, holiday dishes, rice cooker, crock pots, vases, and more.  Better to store in your kitchen than down in the basement.” The other major benefit is she hears her clients say: “Wow, my room looks so much taller!”  The larger upper cabinets (typically going from 30” high to 36” or 42” high) draws visual sight lines upward, thus creating the image of a taller space without actually changing the existing ceiling at all.

Kristen’s achievements include: Winner in the 2009 Detroit Home Design Awards; the 2008 Outstanding Subcontractor of the Year for the Building Industry Association of Southeastern Michigan (BIA); and designs featured in BIA’s Parade of Homes Tour for 2005, 2006, and 2007. Following her inspiration from another notable woman who also spent alot of time in the kitchen — Julia Child — Kristen adheres to Ms. Child’s quote, “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” To see more of Kristen’s design work or to contact her for your project anywhere in the United States, visit: Midwest Cabinet & Counter, Inc..

For Kristen’s discount coupon, visit: Save $120 or More When WE Pay the Sales Tax on YOUR Next Cabinetry Order!.

The second place award winner is a model at Partridge Creek Village in Clinton Township.  According to the interior merchandiser, Helen Velas (Eleni Interiors), “The interior boasts espresso stained transitional furniture, which handsomely contrasts the merlot, olive, and cream color scheme.  Rich finishes include stone at the fireplace, stove, and on columns, double-stacked kitchen cabinets, and wide planked hand scraped wood flooring.”

The third place winner is The Hills of Bogie Lake’s model, in Commerce Township.  Helen comments, “Brown, terra cotta, and camel, beautifully compliment the dark stained furniture which has a Ralph Lauren flair. Upscale accents such as wood beams, stone, leather and iron, makes this model inviting.”

The Window Safety Task Force offers these tips to help protect children from window falls:

• Avoid placing furniture near windows to prevent young children from climbing.
• Don’t allow children to jump on beds or other furniture, to help reduce potential falls.
• Don’t lean on screens or rely on insect screens to prevent a window fall. Insect screens are simply designed to keep bugs out, not to keep children in the home.
• Supervise children to keep child’s play away from windows, balconies or patio doors.
• Install building code-compliant devices designed to limit how far a window will open or window guards (with quick-release mechanisms in case of fire) to help prevent a fall.
• Teach your child how to safely use a window to escape during an emergency.

More information and additional resources, including safety tips, are located at http://www.nsc.org/windowsafetytaskforce.

“Heating and cooling is the single biggest energy consumer in a home, and accounts for about 40 percent of all the energy used by homeowners,” said Steve Yurek, president and CEO of AHRI. “That’s why taking steps to ensure the unit is running as efficiently as possible can help offset cooling costs this summer.”  AHRI suggests: 

• Check the air filter and change it if it’s dirty, or according to the manufacturer’s recommendation, to keep dust from collecting on the evaporator coil fins. Keeping your filter clean can cut energy consumption 5- to 15-percent. Turn off the power to the furnace before pulling the filter out so that the fan doesn’t come on and blow dust throughout the home. Be sure to position the new filter according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Clear away leaves, grass, weeds, plants, and other debris that block airflow through the outdoor condensing unit, which is the large metal box in your yard next to your home. Anything that collects on the unit’s fins will block airflow and reduce its efficiency. Grass clippings thrown by the lawn mower are particularly common offenders.
• Occasionally clean the outdoor condensing unit by spraying it with a water hose.
• Check to make sure air conditioning vents inside your home are not obstructed by furniture.
• Closing off unused rooms and closing vents in those rooms can help; however, homeowners should consider adding zone controls to automatically set back the temperature in unused areas.  Doing so can cut cooling costs as much as 20 percent.
• Set the fan speed on high except in very humid weather. When it’s humid, set the speed on low; you will get less cooling, but the air circulation will make it feel cooler.

  AHRI also suggests that homeowners hire a professional to service their air conditioner. A well-trained technician will find and fix problems in the system. Homeowners should be aware, however, that not all service technicians have the same level of training. Look for a technician that is certified by North American Technician Excellence (NATE). You can find a NATE-certified technician online at www.natex.org.  Be sure to insist that the technician: 

• Check for the correct amount of refrigerant and test for refrigerant leaks.
• Capture any refrigerant that must be evacuated from the system.
• Check for and seal duct leakage in central systems.
• Measure air flow through the evaporator coil.
• Check the accuracy of the thermostat.
• Verify the correct electric control sequence and make sure that the heating system and cooling system cannot operate simultaneously.
• Inspect electric terminals, clean and tighten connections, and apply a non-conductive coating if necessary.
• Check belts and oil motors for tightness and wear.

“With proper maintenance, central air conditioning units should last at least 12 to 15 years,” said Yurek. “Homeowners need to regularly service their central air conditioners to keep them running smoothly. Spring is a great time to think about getting service before hot weather arrives and the rush for service is in full swing,” he added. Visit AHRI for FAQ on home heating and air-conditioning.

“Color psychology can help you choose paint colors that create the right mood in a room, affecting not just your own feelings, but those of everyone who enters it,” according to Debbie Zimmer, color expert at the Paint Quality Institute. “In fact, paint color is so powerful that it can influence our state of mind, and even our physiology,” she says.

“The ancient Egyptians, Native Americans, and many other peoples used color to heal. In doing so, they often favored the blues and greens found in nature, colors that have an emotional association with peace, harmony, and tranquility. In these trying economic times, paint colors in these same hues can help calm our nerves at home,” says Zimmer.

Blue, which often ranks at the top of surveys exploring “favorite” colors, has been shown to slow pulse rate and lower body temperature. The implications for interior painting: blue is a terrific color choice for bedrooms, but less so for dining rooms, according to Zimmer.

Green, also one of the most popular colors, is a little more versatile. While it, too, has a soothing effect, it also represents renewal, youth, and vigor. Says Zimmer: “Because it is calming, green paint is a good color choice for bedrooms, and since it’s the color of many appetizing fruits and vegetables, it can work in dining rooms, too.”

There’s no equivocation with red. It bespeaks energy and excitement, actually raising the blood pressure and making the heart beat faster. Because it is associated with desire and passion, it’s a perfect paint color for dining rooms and adult bedrooms, says Zimmer, but wrong for children’s rooms. Yet, ironically, pink – a very light tint of red – is one of the most calming colors, and is a fine choice for a baby’s room, she says.

Click here  for more information on paint, colors and affordable remodeling with paint.

“Yes it is possible, and maybe more,” according to Jo Golda of Jo’s Cleaning & Organizing. “Depending on the closet or storage area, the proper designed layout and the products used to reorganize that closet, doubling the amount of storage space is possible.”

One of the best examples of almost doubling the amount of storage space in an existing closet, is with the basic “reach-in” closets that are the norm in most of our homes. These small bedroom closets end up being where we try and cram as much clothes and other stuff as possible. Almost doubling the storage size of these closets is a great first step in acquiring more space in our entire homes.

The nearby photograph is from a project where an extra bedroom was being converted to a home office. The closet is now being used for office and work material storage and needs to be accessed easily, on a regular basis. Using the right shelving and storage containers increased the amount of storage space by over 40%, while still keeping everything viewable and accessible.

Now imagine doing this to every closet in your home! Just think of how much extra storage space you will acquire through out your entire home simply by getting more items stored properly in your newly organized storage areas. This REALLY WORKS!

1)      FOOD OR WINE STAIN

• DON’T use window/mirror cleaner because it contains alcohol which will dissolve and destroy the surface coating on your leather.
• DO use a damp towel to wipe up the mess and a dry one to finish the job.  Fully-finished leather is pretty much water proof, so a little spill isn’t going to hurt as long as you clean it up quickly, before it soaks through.

2)      INK

• DON’T use dish soap or hair spray to remove the marks.  The degreasing agent in dish soap can permanently de-gloss and damage the top coating on the leather surface. Hair spray, another commonly recommended remedy, has alcohol in it and will ruin the surface coating on your leather.
• DO use a soft sponge and specialized leather cleaner. Buy it at most leather furniture retailers – but, for serious problems, your local Fibrenew franchise can help.

3)      NAIL POLISH

• DON’T use nail polish remover because it will take all of the color out of your leather and leave a bleached spot bigger than the nail polish spot.
• DO, once again, use a soft sponge and leather cleaner.

4)      ANIMAL SCRATCHES AND PICKS

• DON’T touch up the spots with shoe polish because it makes an ugly, sticky mess.
• DO try to reduce the visibility of the problem by snipping off the cotton interior strands that often get pulled out when leather gets picked. DO use a hair dryer and massage minor scratches with leather cleaner to try to rub it out.  Call a professional to fix larger scratches and holes – this is not a DIY kind of job.

5)      BURNS AND DISCOLORATION

• DON’T try to rub it out and blend it with the surrounding area, you’ll only make the problem bigger.
• DO bring in some help. When leather or faux leather gets damaged by heat, the only solution is to call in a professional. Regardless of size, a professional repair can make that burn look brand new and can be done on the spot in your own home.

Vist Fibrenew for additional tips on dealing with Leather, Dirt and Oil.

Once-popular features such as large living rooms, soaking tubs and second-floor laundry rooms are now out of favor. Home buyers found that the convenience of not having to carry laundry to another floor was outweighed by the noise that interrupted their sleep.   

Home buyers are looking for small details in their new homes, such as a built-in desk under a stairway, or a courtyard tucked between two downstairs bedrooms. Successful home builders “create memory points,” said design trends seminar speaker Kate Brennan of the Chicago design firm Mary Cook and Associates. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average size of a new single family home decreased from 2,438 square feet to 2,377 in 2010. This made designing to maximize space a popular theme at the show. One session focused exclusively on new ideas in home design for floor plans measuring 2,500 square feet or less. 

Open floor plans are now in high demand because they are not only more practical for entertaining – the hosts can interact  with their dinner  guests in a spacious kitchen while they are preparing food – but the lack of walls and closed-off spaces make the home seem much larger. 

The kitchen is now the hub of the home more than ever. Even if busy families are bringing home takeout, they want the kitchen island to be large enough to serve a multi-tasking purpose as a place to do homework, crafts, and pay bills – as well as to enjoy coffee on a Sunday morning.

A survey of 20,000 home buyers in the United States and Canada points out that there are a number of features in new homes that are considered non-negotiable  across almost all demographic groups, said Paul Cardis of AVID Ratings Co., who spoke at a seminar on new design preferences. 

The top five features include walk-in closets – mentioned by 66 percent of first-time buyers as a “must have” – energy-efficient appliances, linen closets, a large kitchen and the overall efficiency of the home, Cardis said.

The design of a “man cave” usually varies based on the interests of its owner, however, popular themes include home theatre (with huge screens and projectors), bar or cigar lounge, or a hobby room. Home automation techniques allow for daily tasks to be performed in a much simpler manner. And, new technology is allowing consumers to control different aspects of their home from a remote location, outside of the home, through their iPhone or iPad.

At the show, demonstrations showcased how you can control your home’s lights, air conditioning, music, thermostat, dead bolts and more, all from your iPhone, iPad or remote control.

According to an AARP “Fixing to Stay” survey, 71 percent of respondents (Americans ages 45 and over) would like to live in their home as long as possible, and 63 percent of respondents believe they will always live in their home. But, in order to live in your home, modifications often need to be made to coincide with the physical and sensory changes experienced as we age. About 86 percent of survey respondents said they have made at least one simple modification to their home to make it more livable. Some popular home modifications include:
• Creation of a level entry and more open plans with clearer floor space for easier maneuvering.
• Pull-out shelves make contents more accessible.
• Fewer wall cabinets, and appliances placed at comfortable heights.
• Sinks with space beneath for wheel chairs.
• Use of ramps instead of steps, and levers instead of door knobs.
• Enhanced high and low frequency tones for doorbells and telephones.
• Adding more grab bars and handrails, and items that are easier for arthritic hands to grasp.
• Use of color contrast, bright hues and larger text in on/off buttons and other household items.

If you are handy enough to do the work yourself, you will find many great choices of trim at home improvement stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot. There is a wide selection of instructional videos, books, and TV shows to guide you in your project.  

Don’t be concerned if you can’t find the time or patience to tackle your trim project yourself. There are many talented trim carpenters who would love to fulfill your dreams. 

These photos from new  homes in Southeastern Michigan show some wonderful trim ideas: 

The Idea Showhouse model built by Arteva Homes has beautiful cross beams on the ceiling of the Study.  The rich wood stain is repeated on the custom built-in bookcase, another item a trim carpenter can build for you.  Notice that panel mouldings create picture frames on the walls, which add texture and elegance to the room. 

The Dining Room of the Lyon’s Ridge model by Hunter-Pasteur Homes is made more special because of the crown and chair rail mouldings. Further detail is added with panel mouldings placed below the chair rail, to simulate a wainscot less expensively.  Also, a wood board is added to the outer edge of the ceiling, to create a stepped ceiling effect. 

Check out magazines and decorating shows for lots of great ideas of trim you can add, and increase the appeal and value of your home!

Imagine you’re preparing to host your annual holiday party, suggests the National Association of REALTORS^®and you’re past the point of no return. The veggies and meats have been bought. Guests are already braving busy airports and crowded highways to get to your home—and then your oven won’t turn on. Your home-cooked meal has quickly turned into a microwave dinner.

That’s just one of many hosting nightmares that can end your holiday party before it even begins. Thankfully, some of the most damaging mishaps easily can be avoided.

Problem: The oven doesn’t heat.

His ideas on holiday budget planning include:

• Honestly evaluate your current financial situation and determine how much you can spend without going into significant debt
• Decide the maximum amount of spending that will be done on credit cards
• Discuss with your children that during tough times, holiday expenses will be lower than when are good.
• Use the internet. Great bargains can be found because online stores don’t have the traditional brick and mortar overhead of retail stores. Also, it helps you beat the crowds, the parking and the long checkout lines.

Watch Lou’s video presentation for additional ideas on holiday budget planning.

“Kev and I started dreaming up ideas for our Winter mantel, back in August- but we didn’t actually finish it until this morning. (Whew! Just in the nick of time!) Here are some photos we took of it today…

We’re totally lovin’ the way it all turned out, but I’m not gonna lie, that DIY Pottery Barn Eagan mirror project we built was a bit of a beast! But I’ve always wanted that thing, and we saved about $600 by building our own version of it. There were, however, several steps involved in its creation. And although we planned to photograph each and every one of them so that we could do a step-by-step tutorial here on our blog, we were in such a hurry to finish it, we ended up abandoning our camera after step #4 so that we could just hurry up and git r’ dun. That being said, we will definitely be vlogging about how we made it sometime this (or next) week. It’ll be waaaaay easier for me to explain it all on video! It really wasn’t hard, there were just a lot of steps.

The stockings came from White Flower Farmhouse. (One of my favorite shops on the web!) I embellished them with some evergreen sprigs, some doiles I got on Etsy and a wooden letter “A” I got at Michaels a while back. (Secret: Two of our favorite boy and girl names begin with the letter “A”…hee hee!)

The little, red, metal bucket ($5.95) came from Tobacco Barn in Asheville, North Carolina. The seagrass pot ($4.99) came from Ikea sometime earlier this year. The pleated, white trim across the top edge of the mantel, the tiny trees, and two red hydrangeas (which I split up into four) came from Hobby Lobby (Trees- $2.50/each, Hydrangea stems $3/each). The faux snow, pinecones, white pitchers, rope-wrapped candles, all came from mantels-past.

Down in the firebox, we used a basket we got from the gals at Whiteflower Farmhouse a while back- a suitcase we picked up at Seaside Sisters on Tybee Island. The “present” on top is actually one of my Ikea baskets wrapped in some brown Kraft paper and a piece of red and white striped ribbon I had. I topped it with a faux poinsettia and some pinecones I had in my Christmas decor stash.

The house feels so cozy with it decorated this way! Especially at night, when the recessed light above makes all the glittery ornaments sparkle. By the way, we hung the ones from the ceiling with white, flat-headed thumb tacks and 8 lb. fishing line.

I almost hate to have to take it all down after Christmas! But you know me, once Spring rolls around, I’ll more than likely be in the mood to mix it up again.”

To view Layla’s post with additional pictures, please click here.

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If you are still trying to decide whether you want to move from being a renter to a home owner, what are you waiting for?  According to the National Association of Home Buyers, housing affordability is at an all-time high and interest rates are at 50-year lows – the perfect combination for today’s home buyers. 
Homes are affordable to more people
In November, the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) showed that 72.1 percent of all new and existing homes sold in the third quarter of 2010 were affordable to families earning the national median income of $64,400.  Until 2009, the HOI rarely topped 65 percent and never reached 70 percent. 

Interest Rates at Historic Lows
You can’t beat today’s incredibly low interest rates.  In November, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey^®, mortgage interest rates are at record all-time lows, averaging just above 4 percent for a 30-year fixed rate and 3.5 percent for a 15-year fixed loan.

 When interest rates go up, the effect on monthly payments can be dramatic.  A $200,000, 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage with a 5 percent interest rate has a monthly payment of $1,074. At 6 percent the monthly payments go up to $1,199 — an increase of $125 a month.  

Potential home buyers need to be aware, however, that lending requirements have tightened since the housing downturn.  Make sure you have your credit and finances in order to make the process go much more smoothly.

Examples of the financial savings and other advantages of homeownership can be found in the free “Opportunity Knocks” brochure available to download from the National Association of Home Builders at www.nahb.org/homebuyerbrochure.

According to the American Society of Interior Designers, even if you’re not ready for a major remodel, make safety a part of your next home spruce up. Here are some tips from Lisa Bonneville, FASID, of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., the author of an ASID book on designing a safe home.

1. When replacing bedding, select natural fiber fabrics. They provide soft comfort, are low maintenance and healthier.

2. Add path lighting to bedrooms and bathrooms to provide clear navigation at night.

3. Low-pile, tight-loop rugs add warmth without impeding mobility.

4. Multiple lighting sources add drama and provide ample illumination for common household tasks.

5. Install “D” style handles or pull hardware on cabinetry for a finished look and ease of use.

6. Use only cordless shades or blinds in a nursery or child’s room.

7. Carpet hardwood stair treads for color and contrast and to provide a non-slip surface.

8. Line drapery to provide privacy and improve room acoustics.

9. Reorganize shelves and pantry to place commonly used and heaviest items within easy reach.

10. Make sure you have a place inside the kitchen for a fire extinguisher, first aid kit and flashlight.

Visit ASID’s website for more tips on home safety.

Keep your family safe from the dangers of lead exposure by hiring an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Renovator. Call your local home builders’ association for a list of certified remodelers or use the tool at http://www.leadfreekids.org/ to find one near you.

Here are just a few definitions at the beginning of the list. For additional terms, visit the National Association of Home Builders.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM). A loan whose interest rate is adjusted according to movements in the financial market. Amortization. A payment plan by which a borrower reduces a debt gradually through monthly payments of principal and interest.Annual Percentage Rate (APR). The annual cost off credit over the life of a loan, including interest, service charges, points, loan fees, mortgage insurance, and other items.

Appraisal. An evaluation to determine what a piece of property would sell for in the marketplace.

Appreciation. The increase in the value of a property.

Assessment. A tax levied on a property or a value placed on the worth of property by a taxing authority.

Assumption. A transaction allowing the buyer of a home to assume responsibility for an existing loan on the home instead of getting a new loan.

Balloon. A loan which has a series of monthly payments (often for 5 years or less) with the remaining balance due in a large lump sum payment at the end.

Energy efficiency is all the buzz right now — it is not only earth-friendly, but it can also be friendly to your wallet.  According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), by combining two strategies – curtailing energy use and investing in efficiency improvements – you may create more long-term benefits both environmentally and financially.

What you can do today:

• Replace 85 percent of your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones.
• When heating your home, reduce the temperature from 72 degrees to 68 degrees during the day and even further down to 65 degrees at night.
• Wash your clothes in warm and cold temperatures, rather than hot.

These three simple steps can save you more than 8 percent on your energy bill and cost little if no money to implement.

What you can do this week, month or year:

• Caulk and weather-strip your home. By reducing air leaks, an average household can cut 10 percent of their monthly energy bill.
• Install or upgrade your attic insulation, particularly in homes built prior to 1980.  Look for R-values between 30 and 60 — the higher the R-value, the better.
• Install a more efficient water heater.  Consider a tankless water heater which can be comparable in cost to traditional gas water heaters but are 30 percent more efficient, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Consider a programmable thermostat which automatically lowers the heat at night or when you are not home, and can save you up to 10 percent on your annual heating bill.

As an added bonus, some home energy-efficient upgrades may provide tax credits of up to $1,500 — if you act before Dec. 31.  Find out what qualifies at www.nahb.org/efficiencytaxcredit.

Key features of the NKBA Kitchen and Bath Planners include:

• A step-by-step guide to the remodel from start to finish
• Details and components to consider while planning
• Comprehensive design options to choose your personal style
• Tips for setting a budget range, including advice on ways to save
• A checklist of considerations and tips to finalize your choices

It’s time to take the ideas you’ve been collecting and turn them into reality!

Here is a short home maintenance quiz that will test your maintenance knowledge. While this quiz does not address every home maintenance project, it does provide helpful tips and reminders for chores you may have overlooked. For a more extensive quiz visit NAHB.

1. How often do forced-air furnace filters need to be changed?
At least every three months during the heating season.

2. What part of the faucet usually needs to be replaced when you have a water leak?
The washer.

3. Should you run hot or cold water through your garbage disposal?
Cold water.

4. How often should the moving parts of garage doors be oiled?
Every three months.

5. What tools can you use to unclog your drains?
A plunger and a plumber’s snake.

6. What tool can be used to unclog a toilet?
Coil spring-steel auger.

7. What faucet part needs to be cleaned every three to four months?
Aerator—the screen inside the end of the faucet.

8. What can you use for traction on icy sidewalks, steps and driveways?
Cat litter or sand—never use salt because it damages the pavement.

9. Where should the fire in your fireplace be built?
On the andirons or grate, never on the fireplace floor.

10. What will prevent soot and add color to the fire in your fireplace?
Throw in a handful of salt.

Because people are spending more and more time in their kitchens and using that area for so many different things, lighting for every task and function is needed.

The best method could be called the power of three. “Use a minimum of three types of lighting – a central fixture, recessed, and undercabinet – and put each on different switches or dimmers,” advises Joe Rey-Barreau, education consultant for the ALA and an associate professor at the University of Kentucky’s School of Interior Design. “Having only one of these components creates a static, and often not functional, lighting effect.”

Learn More about how today’s newest lighting styles can complement your kitchen at the ALA’s resource website.

Exterior Tasks

1. Maintain your gutters.
   Remove all debris from your gutters so water can properly drain. This minimizes standing water and slows the freeze/thaw expansion process that occurs in cold weather. Clogged gutters can cause landscaping, lawn and shrubbery, walls, foundation, basement, crawl spaces and existing gutter system damage. Consider installing “gutter guards,” which will prevent debris from entering the gutter and direct the flow of water away from the house and into the ground.
2. Trim your trees and remove dead branches.
   Inclement weather can cause weak trees or branches to break and damage your home, car, utility lines or someone walking on your property. Keep an eye out for large dead branches in trees; detached branches hanging in trees; cavities or rotten wood along trunks or major branches; mushrooms at the base of trees; cracks or splits in trunks; leaves that prematurely develop unusual color or size; and trees that were previously topped or heavily pruned. If you see any signs of hazards, call a professional tree service.
   
3. Maintain your steps and handrails.
   Repair broken stairs and banisters to prevent falls and injury.
   
4. Inspect your roof.
   Be proactive and prevent emergency and expensive repairs. Things to look for include damaged or loose shingles; gaps in the flashing where the roofing and siding meet vents and flues; and damaged mortar around the chimney (especially at the joints, caps and washes). If you see any signs of damage, call a professional to repair the damage.
   
5. Inspect your home’s exterior walls.
   Look for possible weather-related damage, like cracks and loose or crumbling mortar. Wood trim and siding can suffer from deteriorating paint or become loose. Windowsills may be cracked, split or decayed.

For more Fall Maintenance Tips, visit the National Association of Home Builders Buying & Owning A Home website section.

• Replace Old Windows.
  Thirty percent of a home’s energy is lost through its windows. Replacing old windows with energy-efficient ones signals to home buyers that you really care about the house and it reflects on the quality of the house as a whole. Plus, who doesn’t like to save money on energy bills?
• Remodel Your Basement.
  Look at space you already have. Do you have unused space that serves as a black hole for all things without a home? Try remodeling your basement. Remodeled basements can make excellent game rooms or guest suites, adding value to your home without adding space.

• Remodel Your Kitchen.
  Small changes can result in big value. Upgrading appliances, door handles and painting tired walls can add new life to your kitchen, and add value to your home. The general rule when doing a remodel is not to overdo it…unless it’s the kitchen. Kitchens sell a home, and in this case, size does matter. But a kitchen remodel is a long-term investment; you’ll see payback 10 years down the road. And if you are a DIYer, know your limits. Sometimes doing it yourself can save money, but always bring in a professional for the big jobs.
• Remodel or Add a Bathroom.
  A bathroom remodel can often mean simply making the most of your current space, by upgrading fixtures, flooring and lighting. Have a little more money in the budget? Adding a bathroom is a great way to increase the value of your home. Is your only bathroom upstairs and not convenient for dinner guests? Often the area under a set of stairs is the perfect place for a powder room.

For more information on making your remodeling decision, visit the National Association of Home Builders remodeling resource center.

If you choose to have your painting done by a professional contractor, you have the advantage of utilizing the professional’s skill and knowledge in conducting all aspects of the work, from surface preparation to clean-up. You may find The Paint Quality Institute’s Ten Tips For Hiring A Painting Contractor useful in helping you find the right person to do the job.

Pencil us in on your calendar and get ready to make your Home and Garden everything it can be!

When: October 7-10, 2010

Where: Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, Michigan

PRINT OUT THE COUPON BELOW TO SAVE ON ADMISSION!

According to the National Association of Home Builders here are just a few of the top ways to add value to your home.

• A Home Office Remodel – Home offices are becoming less of a luxury and more of a necessity, with more people telecommuting. The number of Americans that work from home is in the millions, and that number has continued to grow every year. With many companies cutting costs and becoming more aware of their carbon footprints, telecommuting has become a viable solution for many in the working world. Making sure that your home has a state-of-the-art space for potential teleworkers is a surefire way to increase your home’s value.
• Renovate or Add a Family Room. With open floor plans becoming more in demand, a family room is an excellent way to make existing homes more like new construction. Remember, it’s a good idea to keep in mind what homes in your area are like. People like to purchase homes that blend with other homes around them. Chances are you’ll find many of your neighbors are investing in family rooms as well.
  
• Replace the Roof. The roof is one of the first impressions people have of a home. Make sure yours passes the test by replacing an old roof. You can also change the character of your home by looking into architecturally styled roofing tiles.
  
• Landscape Your Yard. Along the same lines of thinking as the roof, landscaping can give a great – or not so great – first impression. Backyard landscaping can transform ordinary spaces into incredible entertaining areas by including elegant water features and lush plants. Consider your area’s climate. If you live in an area that receives temperate weather year-round, you’ll find that your new landscaped yard adds value to your home and increases your living space.

To find a list of professional remodelers to help you with these projects visit: http://www.nahb.org/directory.aspx?sectionID=715&directoryID=387

Plant Bulbs
Mid-summer is the time to plant bulbs that will bloom in the fall, such as colchicum. Wait for late summer to plant bulbs that will bloom in the spring.

For more summer gardening advice visit: http://www.helpfulgardener.com/tips/03/summer.html

According to the National Association of Home Builders the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a Home Maintenance Checklist that you can download. It provides basic guidelines for keeping your home dry, clean, well-ventilated, free from contaminants, pest-free, safe and well-maintained.

1. Great Selection. With so many homes on the market, you can get the features you want!

2. Energy Efficiency. New homes have advanced technology and environmentally-friendly features that can help you save money.

3. Low Interest Rates. Rates remain at near-record lows; you can lock in a payment that fits your budget.

4. Unbeatable Investment. Even in down markets, over the long term home prices still appreciate more than the stock market.

5. Available Loans. Lenders are still eager to make loans to borrowers with good credit.

For more information, click here: Opportunity Knocks!