Six tips to liven up your laundry room

(BPT) - With the average American family doing more than 400 loads of laundry each year, it's no wonder that the laundry room has become one of the most popular remodeling projects in the house. Often out of sight and out of mind, most laundry rooms are designed like closets rather than efficient utility rooms. But according to Decorator Jenny Komenda, who blogs at The Little Green Notebook, with just a few inexpensive changes, you can brighten your clothes and your mood by transforming your dark and dingy laundry room into a bright, functional (and even enjoyable) place.



Check out these tips from Jenny, The Home Depot, Tide and Maytag for the Brilliant HE Clean campaign on how to create more efficient and enjoyable laundry rooms:

1. Dealing with a dark, cave-like laundry room is a chore in and of itself. By taking off the doors on a few of your upper cabinets, you'll open up the space and create a place to store baskets. Assign baskets for every member of the house, which makes sorting a breeze.
2. Why not decoupage or paint the insides of your cabinets for a fun pop of color? It's a guaranteed smile each and every time you reach for your detergent. Also don't ignore the door. Adhere some cork panels on the inside of the cabinet doors and create a space to pin all those stain removal tips.
3. Don't like the cabinets, floors and countertops in your laundry room? Every surface can be painted or resurfaced. Update your laundry room with paint and a concrete overlay for less than $30 in materials. Say goodbye to the outdated linoleum, brick pavers and old, dark cabinets.
4. A rolling laundry butler can be your best friend, doing triple duty with a hanging bar, a rolling basket and a drying rack. It's the perfect choice for smaller laundry rooms that haven't been updated in a few decades.
5. Don't neglect your laundry room walls. Hanging interesting art and mirrors will elevate your room and make it feel less utilitarian and a little homier. Suddenly those 400 loads of laundry most of us will do this year might actually be enjoyable.
6. A folding station makes all the difference. Use a slab of stone or a simple piece of painted medium-density fiberboard (MDF) on top of washer/dryer units to create a folding station that also prevent socks from slipping in between the appliances.

Outdoor kitchen ideas

Outdoor kitchens are meant to be fun. After all, you are outdoors enjoying the great weather and some great food too. However, in order for your outdoor kitchen to be successful you need to be smart about the plans that you make while designing it. With this being said, here are some things that you should keep in mind.



Strategic Placement



Your outdoor kitchen should be strategically placed in relation to the other elements that you already have in your backyard. This is important because you will want to have a natural traffic flow.



Easy Access



Another word about strategic placement... Make sure that you have easy access between both the indoor and the outdoor kitchen. Of course, you also don't want to place the cook in an isolated area. If you are worried about smoke, look into a grill that has an exhaust fan on it. This will allow you to have lots of grill-side seating.



Incorporating A Refrigerator



The trend has been to recreate the feel of a traditional indoor kitchen outdoors. If this is your intention, then you will want to make sure that you have an outdoor fridge. You will also want to make sure that you have one if you plan on having a mini bar. It is a good idea to have your sink and food prep area between your fridge and grill.



Incorporating A Bar



If you are going to have an outdoor bar, you should give it a touch of authenticity by incorporating beer dispensers, wine chillers, martini bars and an icemaker. You will also want to build an island for your guests to sit at and don't forget the little added touches like a bottle opener or a towel holder.



Your Grill



Almost every outdoor kitchen includes a grill. There are the traditional charcoal and gas grills available but there are also hybrid grills as well. While they are more expensive, they are more versatile too. Electric grills are also available for your consideration. You may balk at this idea until you consider just how many more things this will allow you to be able to cook outdoors.



The Price Tag



Nothing in life is free and this is also true for your outdoor kitchen. There are some budget friendly options available such as portable refrigerators, pre-fabricated kitchen islands and using concrete or brick instead of stainless steel or tile. You will need to take some time to do some research online. Once you do, you will be able to see that you can actually design an outdoor kitchen that will fit any budget.



A Final Word On Designing An Outdoor Kitchen



People want versatility so that they can cook everything from American to Indian and even Asian cuisine. This is easy to do today since both gas and electric grills mimic indoor cooking so that you are no longer "stuck" just cooking steaks. Now you can have an outdoor lobster bake or you could even install a wood oven to make pizza in.



by: Joe Cline

http://www.articlecity.com/articles/home_improvement/article_6573.shtml

Expert strategies for defining flow and function in your yard

Here are a few ideas experts use that will instantly improve the function and flow of your yard, helping create a space that is not only beautiful, but value-enhancing, too.



Recreation - No matter what size your yard, it's important to incorporate some type of open space. It's visually appealing and offsets other landscape features, plus it's a must for pets and family. Designate at least one segment of your yard for open space, and plant grass or another plant that's friendly to foot traffic.



Property line - Define your property with attractive trees, shrubbery and fencing. Keep in mind today's homeowners aren't stuck with bland chain-link fencing. Try mixing sizes of beautiful vinyl fence in different areas. Amarroso vinyl fencing adds beauty, value and safety. Consider installing a 6-foot vinyl fence in the back of your yard to increase privacy. In the front, a beautiful white picket fence adds a decorative accent with all-American appeal.



Relaxation - A deck or patio serves as an area of relaxation typically located close to the home for easy access. Define the space with multifunctional furniture, decorative accents and outdoor dining necessities. Thoughtful placement of furniture helps create boundaries that enclose the outdoor room and encourage socializing and relaxation. Just be sure not to block doors or stairways.



Amenities - Value-enhancing amenities should be highlighted in your yard. Do you have a pool? An intimate spa? How about a meditation garden? Add definition to these amenities while also protecting privacy with attractive professional-grade fencing. Amarroso's Pro Series line of fencing has no external hardware, making installation easy while yielding sturdy results.



Functional - Each year, interest in gardening at home grows. The good news is that even a basic vegetable garden can be an attractive yard enhancement. Gardens typically need a sunny location, but make sure the placement doesn't disrupt the flow of the yard. The last thing you want is the kids mistakenly tromping your prize tomato plants. Define the space and protect plants by adding modified vinyl fencing around the perimeter.



Concealment - No matter how organized your yard is, there are bound to be items you'd rather not see. Yard waste, garbage cans and compost piles can detract from the beauty of your outdoor space. There's a simple solution: Amarroso fencing can conceal these things so they don't disrupt the organic beauty of a yard. You can even partition AC units and storage sheds while keeping them easily accessible by incorporating Amarroso's gate kits.



Designers and builders know that flow and function are as important outside as they are inside. Homeowners who want to take a fresh look at their existing outdoor space can apply these concepts to help define different areas to improve the appearance and functional potential of their yard for all-year enjoyment.

​Green gardening tools and techniques that really work

One answer may be the common misconception that eco-friendly products and practices don't work as well as less environmentally conscious ones - such as chemicals that repel common garden pests, but can also cause groundwater contamination.



"Advances in environmentally responsible products have made it possible for homeowners to effectively care for their gardens and landscaping, while protecting the environment at the same time," says Elizabeth Summa, president of Repellex, which makes eco-friendly lawn and garden products.



Some greener gardening tools are time-honored, like rotary lawn mowers. Others are leading-edge, such as pest-control products that are eco-friendly. Here are a handful of environmentally safe, effective ways to keep your landscape and garden green this spring and summer:



Responsible repellent - Deer, rabbits, squirrels and gophers - animals munch on landscaping and garden plants because they're hungry and the vegetation tastes good to them. Eco-friendly repellents, like those made by Repellex, use taste aversion and natural ingredients like pepper, dried bloodmeal and egg to make non-edible plants less appealing to foragers. Repellex Systemic Tablets deliver a dose of pepper to the roots of plants - just place in soil, water and walk away. The flavor gets absorbed through the roots into non-edible plants, making them taste unappealing to garden pests. For edible plants, Repellex Fruit & Vegetable uses a combination of putrescent eggs and plant extracts to keep animals and insects away from fruits and vegetables all season long. Log on to www.repellex.com to learn more.



Friendlier mowing - Long before combustion engines made it possible to mow your lawn quickly and easily, people relied on rotary mowers - also known as reel mowers. Environmentally responsible gardeners have rediscovered these people-powered mowing machines. Reel mowers have many positive attributes: they are pollution-free, quiet and very economical to operate. Modern reel mowers are lighter, smaller and with fewer working parts that require maintenance and repair. They're also a great way to exercise; walking behind a rotary mower burns more calories than pushing a self-propelled mower.



Organic fertilizing - Chemical fertilizers are a well-known source of groundwater contamination, yet some form of additional nutrients is almost always necessary for successful gardens and lawns. The EPA says composting can eliminate the need for chemical fertilizers and results in higher crop yields. You can compost food waste from your own kitchen, as well as grass clippings and other yard waste. Composting your own organic waste at home not only reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, it can provide you with an effective, eco-friendly and essentially free way to fertilize gardens and flower beds. For lawns, you can find a variety of organic fertilizers - based on natural ingredients rather than chemicals - at most hardware, big box stores and garden centers.



Kinder weed control - Weed killers are also well-known contaminants, and can be hazardous when used around small children or household pets. Before you bring out the spray bottle, consider weed-elimination alternatives that are kinder to the environment. Some very effective options include using a mixture of vinegar and water, boiling water and even pulling weeds by hand. Removing weeds by hand also adds a health benefit for you - you'll burn more calories pulling weeds than simply spraying them.



Bug-free without bugging the environment - Chemical insecticides can be harsh on the environment - not to mention skin if you use a chemical repellent to ward off mosquitoes and other biting bugs. Instead of chemical insecticides, consider natural alternatives. Repellex's Mosquito & Tick product keeps mosquitoes, ticks and other insects off you by keeping them out of your lawn and garden. The all-natural repellent sprays on your lawn, garden, patio, deck and home exterior to ward off these disease-carrying insects.



Choosing to go green with your lawn and garden care doesn't mean you have to give up effectiveness. With the right tools, it's possible to accomplish your lawn and gardening goals while protecting the environment at the same time.

Recognize the signs of trouble at school

For parents, recognizing that their child might be struggling in school is not always easy. According to the education experts at Oxford Learning, there are five main signs to watch for:



5. Children making comments such as: "the teacher picks on me", "do I have to go to school today?", or "this assignment is pointless";



4. Daily homework not being completed;



3. Assignments and projects missed completely or submitted late;



2. Poor test scores and poor grades on projects and assignments;



1. Disinterest in school and school-related activities.



Oxford Learning founder and CEO, Dr. Nick Whitehead, says that not all of these signs of school trouble have to happen at the same time, but when one or more happens frequently, things may be getting off track.



"The sooner that parents recognize the symptoms of school trouble and seek help for their children, the easier getting back on track and ending school troubles becomes."

Start enjoying your deck after one day's work

Most deck owners know that one of the keys to keeping their decks looking good is staining it every few years. However, while deck staining is a process that most homeowners are capable of doing themselves, finding the time to do it can be difficult. With the right approach and the right products, you can get everything done in just one day and spend the rest of the year enjoying your newly stained deck.

By perfecting your process, you can take staining from something that you dread to a simple one-day process. Here's a step-by-step guide to getting your deck looking good in a day:

* First, choose the look you want to project on your deck. Do you want a clear, semi-transparent or solid finish? Do some research to see which type of wood stain would look best on your deck. Clear finish generally looks better on newer wood, while a solid finish might be used on older decks to hide imperfections. If you are looking for the solution that will allow you to accomplish your project in one day, you'll need to choose a product like Flood OneCoat Waterproofing Finish, which can be applied within a few hours of cleaning the surface.

* Always know your deck's square footage before heading to the store to buy stain. Don't estimate, because nothing is more frustrating than having to stop your project because you ran out of stain - Flood.com offers a handy calculator so you can get an idea of how much you might need. Make sure you also have all the necessary supplies before leaving the store.

* Before the day you stain, examine your deck to see if there are any necessary repairs that should be done. If your deck is squeaky, it's likely due to loose nails. Replace loose or missing nails with deck screws, as hammering a nail into the same spot won't fix the problem.

* Once you have all the supplies, check the weather report and pick a day that's good for staining. Required temperatures will vary but it should set for at least 48 hours without a threat of rain.

* Remove everything from your deck and use a wood cleaner to clean and prepare your surface. Decks that are in good condition can simply be cleaned before staining. But if your deck is peeling, has mildew growth or experiencing other surface irregularities, it's best to strip it before staining.

* If you're using Flood OneCoat Waterproofing Finish, you can begin staining a few hours after you prepped the surface. Quick tip: If you're using multiple cans of stain, mix them together for color consistency and continue to stir throughout the process.

* Work the entire length of each board and make sure you are applying evenly throughout. If you are working on a vertical surface, start at the bottom and work up to avoid streaking.

* Take your time to do a thorough job, but make sure you use only as much stain as the directions call for. Especially when working with oil products, using too much can ruin the look of your deck.

It's important to note that for larger decks, or decks that pose unique challenges such as numerous hard-to-reach areas, the process could take longer than a day. But by following these steps, you'll ensure that your deck will be looking great in less time and with less hassle.

Once you've finished staining, dispose of any extra stain or cleaner as directed by the instructions on the can and let the deck dry for the prescribed amount of time before walking or placing items on it. In no time, you'll be enjoying your deck for the seasons to come.



For more deck staining tips, helpful tools and videos and help finding a home improvement retailer near you, visit www.flood.com.

APRIL 2016 MARKET UPDATE

April 2016

Included in this blog post is a link to my Real Estate Update Newsletter. Please click on the link below to get the latest Real Estate Update for April! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or email my office. 

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