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8 Inexpensive Home Upgrades You Can Do in a Weekend

February 8, 2019

Looking for an inexpensive way to give your home an upgrade? Try any of these ideas for a new look and feel that won’t break the bank. 1. Replace your light fixtures.Light fixtures are one of those features that can age a space fast. Not only will replacing them give your space an instantly modern look, it can also increase your home’s value. When you go to replace your fixtures, don’t forget about the kitchen and the bathroom! Those areas are often neglected but mean the most to future buyers. 2. Trade in your drawer pulls and hardware.If you’re not quite ready to invest in a full cabinet overhaul, starting with the hardware is a great way to test out a new look. New drawer pulls and knobs are inexpensive and can give even tired or outdated cabinets a whole new look in minutes. 3. Give your mailbox an upgrade.If you have a boring, lackluster mailbox, setting a weekend aside to spruce it up can really pay off in the curb appeal department. You can replace the box itself, give your post a more upscale look using decorative rocks or go full DIY and find a unique tutorial. 4. Invest

7 Weird Tricks for Dealing with Ice and Snow

February 6, 2019

You don’t necessarily need a traditional shovel and salt to deal with snow and ice. Instead, these unconventional tricks might just do in a pinch. Keep in mind that none are meant to be a long-term solution—they’re just designed to get you out of a jam when you need to be out of the house and on the road quick. Melt ice with warm water.To clear away ice fast from sidewalks, windshields, porch steps, locks and more, good old-fashioned lukewarm water should do the trick. Just be sure that you’re not cutting corners by filling your bucket with hot water. Water that’s too hot can crack glass and even concrete over time. It can also damage locks and warp metal. If you use warm water on your car’s windows, it’s a good idea to grab a squeegee and take care of the run off as soon as you can so it doesn’t refreeze. Use clear alcohol.If you have a spare bottle of vodka or rum left over from New Year’s, it’ll definitely come in handy when the weather gets tough. Put a little clear alcohol in a spray bottle and use it to quickly melt ice on your car’s windshield—just

Are Electric Blankets Safe? Here’s What Experts Have to Say

January 29, 2019

Electric blankets have come a long way since the first automatic model hit the market in 1936. But even with the modern versions of today, is it really a good idea to curl up under an electric blanket at night? We’ve done our research, and here’s what you need to know. Under Blankets and Over BlanketsFirst, let’s distinguish between the two types of electric blankets available for purchase: under blankets and over blankets. Under blankets, also known as heating pads, are placed directly on a mattress, while over blankets are just like traditional blankets you would cover yourself up with. We’ll go ahead and put one huge safety concern out there right off the bat: Using both an under blanket and an over blanket at the same time can create a major fire hazard, so you should only ever go with one or the other. Common ConcernsWe should exercise caution when it comes to anything that plugs into the wall, but electric blankets seem to have a reputation that precedes them. The good news is that at least with modern electric blankets, that reputation is, for the most part, undeserved. An average of 360,000 home fires occur each year, and

What Can You Get Rid of Right Now? 25 Quick Ideas for Decluttering

January 17, 2019

Got a spare hour or so? It’s time to start tossing. Grab a trash bag, a recycling bin and a few donation boxes and get down to business. Working room by room, here are the things you can get rid of right this second. Kitchen 1. Expired food in your fridge and pantry. (Don’t forget to check all those condiments—they don’t last as long as you think). 2. Recipe books, cards and print-outs you don’t use. 3. Old or one-time use cleaning supplies under the sink. 4. Bottles of alcohol collecting dust. 5. Old, stained and tattered sponges, dishrags and hand towels. Living Room 6. Magazines you’ve already read. 7. DVDs no one watches. 8. Knickknacks that no longer speak to you. 9. Extra throw pillows and blankets. 10. Toys and electronics that aren’t played with or used. Bathroom 11. Expired medications. 12. Old makeup, nail polishes and skin care products. 13. Any half-empty bottles or soap remnants in the shower. 14. Sample packets and hotel soaps, shampoos and lotions. 15. Any hair accessories, curlers or hot tools that don’t get used. Bedrooms 16. Extra sets of sheets—you only need two! 17. Clothes that don’t fit or you no longer

10 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home

January 11, 2019

Want to make 2019 the best year yet? It all starts with a happy home. Putting even one or two of these 10 household New Year’s resolutions into practice can help you create a healthy space for making all your dreams realities. 1. Improve your indoor air quality.Make clean air a priority in 2019. Poor indoor air quality is a leading cause of respiratory issues, like asthma and allergies. It can also cause headaches, dizziness, nausea and general malaise. That’s because indoor air can harbor mold spores, dust, pollen and other nasty stuff you don’t want to be cooped up with all day. Changing your furnace filter at least once a year can go a long way toward improving indoor air quality. Make sure your ventilation system is up to par, particularly in the kitchen and bathrooms. You should also use low-VOC paint and burn real firewood instead of pressed wood logs. This will help keep risky chemicals out of the air for extended periods of time. As an extra measure, portable air cleaners are available to help purify air in single rooms. 2. Declutter, room by room.The beginning of the year is a great time to reevaluate your belongings.

A Christmas Story: Fighting the Furnace

December 17, 2018

Everybody knows that scene from A Christmas Story—a belch of black smoke drifts up from a floor register, and The Old Man cracks his knuckles, tromping down the basement stairs to do battle with his furnace once again. The situation is classic, but it’s a lot funnier when it’s not happening to you. If you want to spend the holidays upstairs with your family, not down in the basement inventing curses that would make Santa shudder, just follow these tips to keep your furnace running at its best. 1. Remember your annual maintenance.If you can’t remember the last time a professional looked at your furnace, the time is now. Having your furnace professionally cleaned and maintained once a year is by far the easiest way to avoid failure that could leave you feeling cold and grinchy. Remember, maintenance isn’t just for fixing big problems, it’s for catching the small problems before they get worse. 2. Replace your air filters.Next on the list of easy ways to avoid a furnace breakdown is changing out your air filters regularly. Depending on where you live, you may have to replace your filters more or less often, but a general rule of thumb is

Your Holiday Home Maintenance Checklist

December 7, 2018

Once you find yourself in the rush of the holiday season, home maintenance becomes the last thing on your mind. It turns out, though, that making sure the halls are in great shape for winter is just as important as decking them. This holiday home maintenance checklist is designed to make your life easier once your first guests start arriving. It might be one more to-do list among dozens, but we promise you’ll thank yourself later. Call a Chimney SpecialistChimney specialists are incredibly busy this time of year, so the sooner you can check this task off your list, the better! If you neglected your chimney at the close of last winter, you need to have it professionally cleaned by a chimney sweep. Creosote can build up in chimneys that haven’t been maintained properly and lead to house fires. It goes without saying, but the safety of you and your guests depends on making that call. Change Your Furnace Filter and Have Your System ServicedWe can’t think of a worse time for the heat to go out than when guests arrive! Changing out your furnace filter is a must, especially if you haven’t gotten around to it since last year.

How to Set Up Holiday Lawn Inflatables with Care

November 30, 2018

Inflatable holiday lawn decorations have been all the rage for years, almost fully replacing the lightweight, painted plastic of the past. But just like you might expect of large, buoyant, nylon Santa Clauses and snowmen, inflatables come with unique challenges. If you’re planning to make a larger than life statement with inflatable ornaments this year, you’ll want to keep in mind these best practices for setup, care, safety and takedown. Before you shop for the perfect display or start preparing a site for setup, it’s important to check for any restrictions. Certain community ordinances or homeowner’s associations may highly regulate inflatables. Think requiring special dates and hours, prohibiting displays from being set a certain distance from the sidewalk or limiting each household to a specific size or number of ornaments. Sadly, some communities have banned inflatable lawn decorations altogether. Not complying could land you a hefty fine, not to mention the disappointment of prematurely taking down your display. Don’t be that guy—always check! Choose a Flat, Level SurfaceInflatables should always be set up on flat, level ground, and away from any bushes or shrubbery that could poke holes in or otherwise damage them. You’ll want to be sure that there’s

Haunted Places: The Ottawa Jail Hostel

October 31, 2018

Location: Ottawa, OntarioArchitectural Style: ItalianateBuilt: 1862 Ever wonder what it’s like to spend a night on death row? Now you can, though you probably won’t be getting much sleep. This jail-turned-hostel comes with enough history, intrigue and apparitions to send a permanent shudder down your spine. Read on as we explore this fascinating haunt in the heart of downtown Ottawa. BeginningsBuilt in 1862 and first known as the Nicholas Street Gaol, the Ottawa Jail Hostel was designed by Henry Hodge Horsey, a prominent 19th century architect who designed many civic buildings and churches in Ottawa and eastern Ontario. Constructed directly adjacent to a courthouse, the jail was the site of many executions, including the hanging of the assassin Patrick J. Whelan in February 1869, which was witnessed by a crowd of over 5,000 people. Many inmates died at the Nicholas Street Gaol over the years, from causes ranging from malnourishment to disease to generally unclean living conditions. Cells were cramped, bathrooms These prisoners were often buried in unmarked graves on the jail’s grounds. As you can imagine, this makes the building ground zero for ghostly activity. Jail as HostelIn 1972, the aging building was closed. Shortly afterward, the jail was

Posts

8 Inexpensive Home Upgrades You Can Do in a Weekend

7 Weird Tricks for Dealing with Ice and Snow

Are Electric Blankets Safe? Here’s What Experts Have to Say