Looking for Outdoor Activities for Your Kids? Try These!

Posted on August 22, 2016 by Jeremy Leake

By this time kids are probably whining that there isn’t anything to do. They’ve done everything over the summer that they wanted to do and now they are bored. In order to help you out we found this article with 60 different outdoor activities. We hope you find some that your kids will love!

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From the article:

It???s a challenge for parents to keep their children entertained over the long summer break. To reduce the times you hear, ???I???m bored,??? you need to plan ahead. Check out these 60 outdoor activities and choose the ones that will keep your children smiling all summer long.

Active Games
Balloon Volleyball – Set up your court by using a jump rope (or any rope) to divide your yard in two. Use a balloon for the ball and have players alternate serves. The first to 21 is the winner!

Blanket Relay – Grab some blankets (preferably old ones) and pull your partner across the lawn as fast as you can. Team members switch places to give their partner a ride to the finish line.

Mini-Golf Course – Your garage probably has everything you need for this game ??? pool noodles, ropes, and cardboard boxes. Arrange everything on your driveway or in your yard to create your very own course.

Art Projects
Body Painting – Let kids paint themselves and each other with washable tempera paint, then let them wash it off in the sprinklers. Old swimsuit or clothes are recommended.

Flower Painting – Dip the full flower into paint and use as a paintbrush to create unique artwork.

Fly Swatter Painting – Using a fly swatter is a great twist on creating art. Choosing one with a unique pattern will enable your child to whip up a unique masterpiece.

Water Fun
Aqua Limbo – Use the stream from a water hose as the stick for a game of limbo.
Balloon Babies – Fill up a water balloon and draw a face on it. Wrap up in a towel and give to your child as her new baby. See how long she can take care of it before the balloon breaks.

Tricycle Car Wash – With a bundle of PVC pipes and a garden hose, you can transform your driveway into a car wash for tricycle riders. Swimsuits are required for this splashing good time.

Homemade Sprinkler – Take a 2-liter soda bottle and poke holes into it. Attach to a garden hose with a male-to-male adaptor. Let hang or toss over a tree branch. Adjust the sprinkler flow by adjusting the water stream.

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Looking for more outdoor activities? Checkout this article about outdoor activities that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.signupgenius.com/home/summeroutdooractivitieskids.cfm

Remodeling Your Home? Add These Clever Items in Your Home!

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Jeremy Leake

When remodeling your home there are so many decisions to be made. In order to help you include things in your home that you’ll enjoy for many years to come we’ve found this article for you with more than 30 different ideas. We hope you find some you love!

From the article:

Make space for two dishwashers instead of one.
You can load one while the other washes. KitchenAid also makes a double drawer dishwasher.

Install an in-wall pest control system.
Pest-tube installation means that all the exterminator has to do is inject some stuff into one end to keep insects and rodents away.

Maximize your space with baseboard drawers.
Especially in the kitchen and bathroom.

Make your walls MAGNETIC.
Magnektik makes large magnetic panels that are strong enough to hang anything, including shelves and TVs.

A walk-in shower means NO GLASS TO CLEAN.
And they even fit into small bathroom spaces.

A platform in a storage/guestroom hides away all of your stuff while keeping the room usable.
It???s also a great way to make a comfy nook room more functional.

Turn dead space above a staircase into a playroom.

Instead of typical cabinets, build a pull-out cabinet for instant counter space.

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Looking for more cool things to include in your home? Checkout this article about http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/insanely-clever-remodeling-ideas-for-your-new-home?sub=2794267_2209096#.waNBbmAL4E

Need More Shoe Storage? Try These Ideas!

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Jeremy Leake

Most women love shoes. Most have more shoes than they have places to put them. If this describes you or your wife then you’ve come to the right place. We found this article with a bunch of different ideas on ways to store all of those shoes. We hope it helps!

From the article:

One of the most essential things at every home is a shoe storage. Here are some of the most creative and stylish shoe storage that can used at homes to safely store your shoes and make them look good too.

This easy to grab circular shoe storage is very comfortable to stuff your shoes in your rack, as it contain separate cells for each footwear. This white color shoe storage has six layers and you can make one with more layer if required, but the lesser the layers, better for you to maintain and grab your shoes. This white storage is matched according to the light wall color, and you can choose your own color according to the furniture and room color.

The shoe drawers are one of the most convenient and best one to have at home to prevent any dust from entering it and the racks can be pulled out when you are taking out the shoe and closed later on. The top small drawer can be used to store brushes and shoe polishes. This will just enclose the shoes in it so that no one will know that it???s a shoe storage.

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Looking for sneaky storage ideas? Checkout this article about sneaky storage that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://decozilla.com/2013/02/shoe-storage-ideas/

Looking to Organize Your Kitchen? Try These Ideas!

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Jeremy Leake

Kitchens are the heartbeat of the home. It’s where the family gathers multiple times a day. As a result it can be difficult to keep it organized. IN order to help you out we found this article with many different ideas for you. We hope they help!

From the article:

The kitchen is the heart of our home, which means that everything feels a little off when it???s messy.

I feel happier and more peaceful when our counters are clean and the sink is empty, but that???s only possible if everything???s organized and has a designated space. Here are some of the most inspirational organizing posts I???ve come across lately.

From the refrigerator to using what would otherwise be wasted space in the pantry, these posts have it all covered and are great inspiration for creating an organized kitchen.

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Looking for kitchen storage ideas? Checkout this article about kitchen storage ideas that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.myloveforwords.com/ideas-for-creating-and-organized-kitchen

Looking for Ways to Add Curb Appeal to Your Home? Try These Ways!

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Jeremy Leake

Curb appeal is very important. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to put your home on the market or not. It’s the first impression that guest have of your home. If you’re looking for different ideas on ways to spruce up the front of your home then you’ve come to the right place. We found this article for you with 39 different ideas. We hope you find some to transform the look of your home!

From the article:

Whether you???re looking to sell, or just want to give your home a spring refresh, these simple curb appeal ideas will go a long way.

First step: Paint your front door.
A brightly colored door is a great way to draw attention to your house and make it feel modern and inviting.

Spray paint your existing door hardware.
Anything is more modern than contractor???s brass. See how here.

Frame your door.
Painting the trim and adding matching moulding can make any door frame look tons better.

Wood stain your aluminum garage door for a more rustic feel.

Or class it up with DIY carriage house doors.
All you need is $10 worth of hardware and a drill.

Add faux shutters to your front windows.
If you get the boards cut at the hardware store, you won???t even need a saw.

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Looking for garage organization ideas? Checkout this article about garage organization ideas that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicaprobus/a-facelift-for-your-house

Looking to Install Moulding on Arched Windows? Find Out How Here!

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Jeremy Leake

Installing moulding in the best of situation can be hard, let alone on a curved surface like along arched windows. In order to help you figure out how to do this we found this article that we hope will help you encase your beautiful arched windows!

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If you need Hammond dryer vent cleaning services, then Dryer Vents Plus is your #1 choice! Call Jeremy Leake today at 225-612-7752 to schedule your 100% Free, No Obligation Quote!
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From the article:

Hi everyone! It???s Jill from the Rozy Home! I, too, am a remodelaholic. For the last three years I have been working non-stop on my home. Last year I spent a large amount of time, effort and, yes, money, on my foyer. After all, the foyer is the first thing you see when you enter a home. After adding board and batten (and then converting it to picture frame moulding) I decided that I needed to do something about my poor, naked windows.

For the arches, I had to nail the trim on. The angles/bending made it impossible to glue on. After a day of letting the glue dry completely, I began working on the corner of the arches. For this, I grabbed some old moulding I had in the garage and created a cornice-type piece.

Although I loved the look, the exterior side felt a little unbalanced. My solution? Head back to Lowe???s where I purchased more EverTrue, but this time I bought lattice. I glued it on the exterior edge of the trim and that did it. The trim was balanced!

As far as the cost??? The EverTrue trim was around $2.50 per 10 foot piece and I used about 30 pieces (for doors at window). The lattice was $5.00 per 10 foot piece and I used 10 ??? 15. If memory serves, the total cost was a little over $100. Not bad for trimming out 5 windows and two doors in a room with 15 foot ceilings!

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Looking to increase the value of your home? Then checkout this article with ideas on increasing value of home that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.remodelaholic.com/2014/02/how-to-trim-arched-windows/

Have a Clogged Dryer Vent? It Could Cause a Fire in Your Home!

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

As a homeowner it’s important to do everything possible to protect our home from disaster. In order to help you out we found this article about how a clogged dryer vent can cause a house fire. We hope it helps you protect your home and your family!

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If you need Hammond dryer vent cleaning services, then Dryer Vents Plus is your #1 choice! Call Jeremy Leake today at 225-612-7752 to schedule your 100% Free, No Obligation Quote!
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From the article:

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 15,000 fires are sparked every year by clothes dryers. Lint and other debris can build up in your dryer vent, reducing air flow to the dryer, backing up dryer exhaust gases, creating a fire hazard.

“Clothes dryers are an appliance that make our lives easier but we often take them for granted. We shouldn’t,” said Angie’s List founder, Angie Hicks. “We need to maintain them and most importantly have their vents cleaned.”

Glen Mayfield, a dryer vent technician, said the first sign that you might have a clog is when your dryer stops drying your clothes in one cycle. “The dryer is designed to exhaust the heat and the moisture while it’s drying. If that heat and moisture cannot get out of the dryer, then the dryer just sits there and keeps working itself but it can’t accomplish the drying. that means the dryer works harder and heat builds up and that is what can lead to a dryer vent fire.” Mayfield said it’s a bigger problem in new homes, where the dryer is placed in the center of the home rather than up against an outside wall. “As a result, the vent can run quite a long distance. We see 15, 20, 25 foot vents all the time. The longer the vent, the harder it is for the dryer to get the lint out. Those homes with longer vents are more susceptible to fire.”

Here are some of the signs that it’s time to clean your vent:

Clothing does not dry completely after a normal drying cycle.

Drying time for clothing takes longer than 35 to 40 minutes in duration.

A musty odor is noticed in the clothing following the drying cycle.

Clothing seems unusually hot to the touch after a complete drying cycle.

The dryer vent hood flap does not properly open as it is designed to do during the operation of the dryer.

Debris is noticed within the outside dryer vent opening.

Excessive heat is noticed within the room in which the dryer is being operated.

Large amounts of lint accumulate in the lint trap for the dryer during operation.

A visible sign of lint and debris is noticed around the lint filter for the dryer.

Excessive odor is noticed from dryer sheets that are used during the drying cycle.

Hicks recommends you leave dryer vent cleaning to the professionals. “They have the proper tools and additionally they know whether your dryer vent meets code and they can fix it if it doesn’t.”

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Looking for more information on dryer fires? Then checkout this article about dryer fires that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.abcactionnews.com/money/angies-list/thousands-of-fires-are-sparked-each-year-by-clogged-dryer-vents

Looking to Design Your Home? Follow These Principles of Interior Design!

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Designing a home can be very challenging. If you don’t want to hire an interior designer and pay that kind of money then you’ve come to the right place. We found this article from HGTV that outlines the three principles of interior design. We hope it helps you design your dream home!

From the article:

A beautifully decorated interior not only functions well but it creates a mood or a feeling and shows off the personality of the family that lives there. It’s attention to these three important ingredients ??? function, mood and personality ??? that ensures decorating success.

Before painting and rearranging, spend some time thinking about your family and how you live. Look through magazines for inspiration and pull out ideas or rooms that appeal to you. Gather things from around the house that make you feel good and study them carefully for color cues and perhaps a clue to the mood you’re looking for in your home. This is the beginning of a well-planned and decorated living area.

As for the rest, let’s start with function.

Function
Decorating is more than just eye appeal ??? it’s making a room really work for you. Here’s how to do it, element by element:

The focal point: Sometimes rooms have natural focal points (places the eyes travel to immediately upon entering a room) ??? a fireplace, a bay window with a view, maybe even a built-in bookcase. If the room doesn’t have a natural focal point, create one with a dynamic piece of art or a colorful area rug.

The furniture: Determine whether the furniture satisfies the functions you’ve planned for the room. If a piece isn’t working or if it’s too large or too small for the size of the room, get rid of it or trade it for something else around the house that may be more appropriate.

The lighting: Lighting should be selected for the functions of the room as well as for visual appeal. Every task will require either direct lighting from a lamp or indirect lights that simply brighten the room for conversation or TV-watching. Accent lighting ??? floor spots, track lighting or recessed spotlights ??? enhance texture, color and room details.

The furniture arrangement: Draw your room on graph paper. Measure and mark electrical outlets and switches, vents, windows and doors. Measure your furniture and place it in your floor plan. Generally, the main furniture pieces are directed toward the focal point, keeping the major traffic patterns open. Fill in with pieces you’d like to have that may or may not be available now. Be sure to balance high and low pieces as well as heavy and light ones around the room.

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Looking for ways to organize your home? Then checkout this article about organization ideas that could be of interest to you.
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Read about all the principles here: http://www.hgtv.com/decorating-basics/the-3-principles-of-interior-design/index.html

Ever Thought About Putting in Solar Power? Learn More About it Here!

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Protecting the environment is very big in this day and age. Saving money is also important. In order to help you out we found this article all about solar power. We hope it’ll help answer your questions!

From the article:

What is Solar Electricity?
Photovoltaic (PV) modules make electricity from sunlight, and are marvelously simple, effective, and durable. They sit in the sun and, with no moving parts, can run your appliances, charge your batteries, or make energy for the utility grid.

A PV array is the energy collector???the solar ???generator??? and does so via the photovoltaic effect. Discovered in 1839 by French physicist Alexandre-Edmund Becquerel, the photovoltaic effect describes the way in which PV cells create electricity from the energy residing in photons of sunlight. When sunlight hits a PV cell, the cell absorbs some of the photons and the photons??? energy is transferred to an electron in the semiconductor material. With the energy from the photon, the electron can escape its usual position in the semiconductor atom to become part of the current in an electrical circuit.

Most PV cells fall into one of two basic categories: crystalline silicon or thin-film. Crystalline silicon modules can be fashioned from either monocrystalline, multicrystalline, or ribbon silicon. Thin-film is a term encompassing a range of different technologies, including amorphous silicon, and a host of variations using other semiconductors like cadmium telluride or CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide). Thin-film technology generates a lot of the current R&D chatter, but crystalline modules currently capture more than 80% of the marketplace.

To use the energy from the array, you may also need other components, such as inverters, charge controllers and batteries, which make up a solar-electric system. The components required are dependent on the system type designed. System types include:

PV-DIRECT SYSTEMS: These are the simplest of solar-electric systems, with the fewest components (basically the PV array and the load). Because they don???t have batteries and are not hooked up to the utility, they only power the loads when the sun is shining. This means that they are only appropriate for a few select applications, notably water pumping and ventilation???when the sun shines, the fan or pump runs.

OFF-GRID SYSTEMS: Although they are most common in remote locations without utility service, off-grid solar-electric systems can work anywhere. These systems operate independently from the grid to provide all of a household???s electricity. These systems require a battery bank to store the solar electricity for use during nighttime or cloudy weather, a charge controller to protect the battery bank from overcharge, an inverter to convert the DC PV array power to AC for use with AC household appliances, and all the required disconnects, monitoring, and associated electrical safety gear.

GRID-TIED SYSTEMS WITH BATTERY BACKUP: This type is very similar to an off-grid system in design and components, but adds the utility grid, which reduces the need for the system to provide all the energy all the time.

BATTERYLESS GRID-TIED SYSTEMS: These most common PV systems are also known as on-grid, grid-tied, utility-interactive, grid-intertied, or grid-direct. They generate solar electricity and route it to the loads and to the electric utility grid, offsetting a home???s or business???s electricity usage. System components are simply comprised of the PV array, inverter(s), and required electrical safety gear (i.e., fuses/breakers/disconnects/monitoring). Living with a grid-connected solar-electric system is no different than living with utility electricity, except that some or all of the electricity you use comes from the sun. (The drawback of these batteryless systems is that they provide no outage protection???when the utility grid fails, these systems cannot operate.)

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Interested in a smart thermostat? Then checkout this article about smart thermostat that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.homepower.com/articles/solar-electricity/basics/what-solar-electricity

Want a Man Cave? Checkout These Must Haves!

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Having a man cave is something that most men dream about. Some place that is all theirs to go hang out and unwind in. If that’s you or your husband then you’ve come to the right place. We found this article with 100 man caves must have ideas. Have fun planning your dream man cave!

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If you need Hammond dryer vent cleaning services, then Dryer Vents Plus is your #1 choice! Call Jeremy Leake today at 225-612-7752 to schedule your 100% Free, No Obligation Quote!
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From the article:

Every man needs a room to themselves, and these man-cave must haves are the perfect way to fill up those macho rec-rooms. Still unsure about that man-cave, Merriam-Webster just entered man-cave as a recent addition into the English language, and if it is in a dictionary, it has to be legitimate.

One of the essentials to any man-cave is a personal bar. From personal draft beer dispensers to score-keeping booze sleeves, these alcohol-assisters will make the booze go down that much smoother.

A false assumption many would make about a man-cave is that it does not need decorating, yet this is completely false. Filling a room with manly movember movie prints, skateboard furniture, geeky 8-bit aquariums and weaponry decor will not only appease the eyes, but make the space much more enjoyable for all visitors.

Finally, no man-cave is complete without games, from eye-controlled arcade games to convertible foosball tables, these recreational activities will keep men busy for hours. And, if men truly want to make a luxurious space that will be the talk of the town, they just need to spend money on some touchscreen Texas Hold ???Em tables and $100,000 pool tables.

Use this list of man-cave must haves and guys may never leave the space again, especially if there are bromantically scented candles to kill any bad odors.

Geeky Gamer Furniture

The Playstation controller by Mark M is for Video Game Fanatics

Fancily Boozed Fixtures

Express your love of alcohol with these beer bottle chandeliers

Beer Fridge with Door Tap

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Looking for life hacks to make parenting easier? Then checkout this article with parenting life hacks that could be of interest to you.
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See all the ideas here: http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/mancave-must-haves