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Yes, You Can Recycle Those Campaign Lawn Signs
November 8, 2012
You’ve seen them sprouting like weeds across lawns, or maybe you’ve sported one or two in your yard: those political signs that don’t do much for curb appeal, but are a benefit to our political process. After the election, don’t throw away those eyesores. They are made of corrugated polypropylene plastic and metal, which are recyclable. Separate the metal stakes from the plastic signs, and either add them to your recycle bin or drop them off at your town’s recycling center.
And it’s an opportunity to be a good neighbor. If you see some old signs still dotting the landscape, offer to recycle them, too. Does anyone have some creative ideas for them?
See a million dollar house and enter to win Pampered Chef gift certificates!
November 6, 2012
Well…it’s not a million dollar house but in a good market it would be! A newer contemporary colonial with all the finest touches is available with very motivated sellers! We’re opening the doors on November 15th 5pm to 7pm so you can view this beautiful home! We’ll also have Pampered Chef Consultant Leslie who will be showing us some great Thanksgiving recipes!
Stop in and enter to win one of three $50 Gift Certificates to Pampered Chef!
80 Old Farm Road in Douglas is a true masterpiece of a home. Contemporary styled but warm and inviting, this home is set up for entertaining and spending time with family and friends. An open concept main level with hardwoods, cathedral ceilings and tons of natural light is centered around a stunning gourmet kitchen. Wine chiller, granite counter tops and an over sized island as a center piece allow for a natural flow to family room or to the screened in three-season porch through the slider doors.
With four bedrooms and 3 full bath this home can easily accommodate a growing family. The Master Suite is not to be outdone with a private Master Bath and dressing room. Beautifully detailed with a coffered ceiling and gas fireplace. It’s a perfect retreat at the end of the day.
It doesn’t stop at the front door! The exterior landscaping is detailed and beautifully well thought out. This is a true executive style home offering the best of country living with upscale taste. This house would be well over a million dollars in other areas but is an easy commute to Providence and Worcester now. With the first floor office it’s an easy decision for telecommute. Take advantage of my seller’s situation and make an offer!
For more information or directions:
Amy Mullen, Realtor CPA CDPE MBA RE/MAX Professional Associates 508-784-0504 amymullen@remax.netFREE Programmable Thermostat for NSTAR and National Grid Customers
November 4, 2012
— 1 Comment
Through the end of the year there is a $25 rebate available on programmable thermostats purchased at Home Depot! You can use the rebate to purchase the $25 Honeywell Model (here) or put it towards a more sophisticated model.
Limit two per household but that’s a $50 savings to set your winter temps! Click here for the rebate.
(Special thanks to my clients “The Handsome Dan’s” for this helpful information!)
Nondelinquent Borrowers Soon to Be Eligible for Short Sales
October 30, 2012
This is HUGE and a potential solution for homeowners who have been struggling but still making their payments.Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have issued new rules, which will take effect Nov. 1, that will allow short sales for underwater borrowers who have never missed a mortgage payment. Previously, Fannie and Freddie allowed only home owners who had missed payments to qualify for a short sale.
Eligible borrowers under the new rules will need to show a hardship to qualify for a short sale, however. Hardships may include unemployment or a death of a spouse.
Inman News points out one potential flaw to the new rule, however: The nondelinquent home owners who undergo a short sale will likely take just as big a hit to their credit score than if they had missed loan payments and gone into a foreclosure.
“Under current national credit reporting practices, those nondelinquent borrowers are likely to be treated the same for credit scoring purposes as severely delinquent owners who go to foreclosure after months of nonpayment, or who simply toss back the house keys and walk away in strategic defaults,” writes Ken Harney for Inman News.
Credit agencies use no special coding to indicate that a short sale was without delinquency. Therefore, home owners could see their credit scores drop 150 points or more after the short sale.
However, officials at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie and Freddie, told Inman News they are “in discussions with the credit industry” to explore ways to fix the credit score problem for those who haven’t missed a payment but undergo a short sale.
Source: “Damage to Credit Scores Could Trip Up New Fannie, Freddie Short Sale Program,” Inman News (Oct. 23, 2012)
If you would like more information on this or a private consultation to determine if you are eligible for a short sale, please contact me at 508-784-0504 or amymullen@remax.net. For more information online: www.dontforeclosenow.com
Trees You Should Never Plant in Your Yard
October 18, 2012
Cool weather is the best time to plant trees — low temps ease the stress on young trees and give them time to root in before the onset of growing season. But beware! You don’t want to be planting a long-term problem. What to avoid? Before you head to a nursery, check out these trees that are more trouble than they’re worth.
Credit: A Corner Garden
1. Silver maple (Acer saccharinum)
Big, fast-growing, and a dandy shade tree, silver maple is widespread in eastern states and the Midwest. Unfortunately, the speed at which the tree grows makes for weak, brittle wood that may break during severe storms. The shallow root system invades sewage pipes and drain fields, and is notorious for cracking driveways and walkways.
Credit: ©2011 Melissa WILLIAMS / LEAF
2. Ash (Fraxinus)
Sturdy and tough, the many varieties of ash that populate North America are some of our most beloved trees. Professional baseball bats are made from its wood — how American is that? But the venerable ash is threatened by the emerald ash borer, a tiny beetle that’s on track to wipe out the species. If you’re looking for a long-term tree for your yard, look elsewhere.
Credit: David Wilson
3. Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)
The aspen is found in northern climes and higher elevations. Its white bark and gently vibrating leaves are attractive, but its root system is insidious, sending up dozens of suckers that relentlessly try to turn into new trees. Once established, it’s war. In fact, the largest living organism in the world is a Colorado aspen root system called Pando. It weighs 6,600 tons and is thought to be 80,000 years old. Try digging that out!
Canadian Forest Service
4. Hybrid Poplars (Populus)
Hybrid poplars are created by cross-pollinating two or more poplar species together. The result can be a fast-growing tree that looks good in your yard — for a while. Hybrid poplars are especially susceptible to diseases, and most won’t last more than 15 years. This poor fellow is dying … quickly.
Credit: EV Grieve
5. Willow (Salix)
With its long, slender branches that hang down like Rapunzel’s tresses, the willow is one of the most recognizable of all trees. Beautiful on the outside, yes, but the willow has an aggressive, water-hungry root system that terrorizes drain fields, sewer lines, and irrigation pipes. The wood is weak and prone to cracking, and the tree is relatively short-lived, lasting only about 30 years.
Credit: Isolino Ferriera and zulufriend/iStockphoto
6. Eucalyptus
Imported from Australia and popularized for their speedy growth — some varieties will shoot up 10 feet in a year — the eucalyptus has a bad rap for suddenly and unexpectedly dropping big, heavy, resin-filled branches. In some areas of Australia, campers are warned not to pitch tents under eucalyptus trees. Its showy bark peels off annually and adds to seasonal maintenance chores.
Credit: Casey Trees
7. Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana)
The Bradford pear was imported to the U.S. from China in the early 1900s as replacement for orchard trees that were dying. With its compact shape and profusion of spring blossoms, the Bradford pear became a suburban favorite — until folks realized that it was highly prone to splitting and cracking when it reached maturity. And those blossoms? They’re on the stinky side of the fragrance scale.
Credit: Andy Heatwole
8. Mountain cedar (Juniperus ashei)
Stay away from the mountain cedar in late winter. This bushy tree, native to the south central U.S., releases massive amounts of pollen during the cooler months, causing severe allergic reactions in many people. Even if you don’t have allergies, planting one in your yard may affect your neighbors.
Credit: Remodeling This Life
9. Mulberry (Morus)
Big surface roots, lots of pollen, messy fruit, and shade so dense that grass refuses to grow underneath. What’s to like about the mulberry? If you’re a silkworm, the answer is: Plenty! The mulberry is the silkworm’s only source of food. Silkworm farmers should plant away! Otherwise, you’ll be happier with a different kind of tree in your yard.
Credit: Jeffrey Beall/Wikipedia
10. Black walnut (Juglans nigra)
Native to North America, this well-known shade tree produces prized cabinet- and furniture-making wood. It also produces pollen and plenty of fruit that’ll drive you, well, nuts when you have to clean it all up in the fall. It’s true sinister side, however, is that it secretes growth-inhibiting toxins that kill nearby plants, wreaking havoc on flower beds and vegetable gardens.
Credit: Hugh Conlon/What Grows There
11. Leyland cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii)
These fast-growing evergreen trees are favored for their ability to quickly create a living privacy screen. However, they require constant upkeep and trimming to keep them healthy, and as they get taller they’re increasingly likely to uproot during storms. The center of the tree forms a mass of dried twigs and branches that are considered such a fire hazard that many communities officially caution residents against planting them.
15 Spooktacular Outdoor Halloween Decorations
October 14, 2012
Couldn’t resist this awesome collection of home-made Halloween decorations! I can’t decide if I like the eyeball wreath, bat filled front door or decorated tree best but the step by step instructions are great!
Eyeball Wreath
Trick and treat your neighbors with these wicked ways to transform your front door, porch, or yard for Halloween.
To create this eerie embellishment, you’ll need about eight dozen glow-in-the-dark rubber eyeballs ($7.99 for 12; amazon.com) and a 12-inch foam wreath form ($2.59 for three; createforless.com). Wrap the form in black crepe streamers and secure with straight pins. Poke a hole in the back of one eyeball with the sharp end of a flat headed pin; then insert the pin’s flat end into the hole. Using a thimble to protect your finger, press the pin halfway in. Push the sharp end of the pin into the form. Repeat until the wreath is full and hang as desired.
Spiderweb Doormat
Lure visitors with a spooky doormat.
Step 1: Purchase an indoor/outdoor needle-punch carpet ($3.70 for one square yard; Caldwell Carpet, 800-772-7090). To turn it into a circle: Mark the rug’s center point with a Prismacolor white-colored pencil (88 cents; dickblick.com). Measure and mark the distance from that point to a spot about half an inch from the rug’s edge. Cut a piece of string to that length. Tie one end of the string to the pencil and secure the other end of the string to the rug’s center point with a tack. Pull the string taut and draw a large circle onto the rug; remove the string. Cut out the circle, just inside the white pencil mark, with sharp scissors.
Step 2: Using a yardstick, evenly space and draw eight intersecting lines that cross the rug from edge to edge. Between those lines, draw arches around the mat, using our photo as a guide.
Step 3: Lastly, coat the rug with a clear finishing spray (Krylon Make It Last Clear Sealer, $3.99; joann.com) to protect your web from trick-or-treating feet.
Jack-o’-Lanterns in a Jiffy
Turn orange tissue-paper balls into proper Halloween pumpkins. Simply cut facial features and stems from construction paper and apply to the balls with glue dots.
Black Wreath
This eerie wreath is make from plain old crepe paper streamers.
Step 1: Cut a four-inch-long strip of black streamer and fold in half (you’ll need upward of 100 cut and folded strips). Select any spot on a 14-inch foam wreath form and pin three strips side by side so they overlap to form one row. (We used straight pins with black heads.)
Step 2: Directly beneath that first row, pin another overlapping row of three. Continue creating rows until you’ve gone almost all the way around the wreath form.
Step 3: Just before you return to your starting point, loop a two-foot-long streamer over the wreath. Trim the ends to about eight inches long, then cut a decorative V into each one. Fluff the folded streamers, and you’re ready to display your finished wreath.
Tissue Paper Ghosts
To call forth this gathering, use glue dots to stick construction-paper eyes and mouths onto white tissue-paper wedding bells (available at HobbyLobby.com), then drape them with cheesecloth. Group the ghosts on your front lawn once finished, but be sure to take them inside if it rains!
Bat-Filled Front Door
These felt bats are easy to make and ensure your house looks extra spooky. All you need to do is trace a bat shape onto a piece of felt and cut it out. Repeat until you have a swarm of them.
Candy Corn Candles
Use mason jars and anchor pillar candles in a bed of candy corn or black and orange jelly beans for a simple and festive Halloween decoration for the tabletop or porch.
Colorful Candy Cone
Neither children nor grown-ups want to miss out on trick-or-treating. Treat every guest to a surprise right at the door with candy-filled cones nestled in a vintage plant stand aflutter with feathered crows.
Step 1: To create a cone about 10 inches long, first wrap an 8 1/2″ by 11″ sheet of heavyweight white paper on the diagonal. Trim excess paper. Use this as a template to cut as many cones as desired.
Step 2: Shaping each cone according to the template, use pinking shears to cut a band of glossy orange paper about 4 inches wide for the middle of the cone, and a band of yellow paper about 3 inches wide for the top. Affix the orange and yellow bands to the white base, then join the ends of the cone together using double-sided tape.
Bottle-Gourd Scarecrows
Give trick-or-treaters and guests a festive first impression, framing the front door with these skeletal gourds. These bottle-gourd scarecrows were painted white, with features added in black felt tip. Just spear them on sticks and “plant” them in Styrofoam blocks inside urns to create a festive welcome to your Halloween home.
Lantern Pumpkins
New York City stylist Marissa Corwin put a cheeky spin on the very word jack-o’-lantern with her three glowing silhouettes of old-school lamps. “They’re a bit more sophisticated than your average spooky face—something adults can appreciate, too,” she said.
Jack-O’-Paper-Lanterns
The best thing about this simple porch decoration idea? No one has to deal with knives or squishy pumpkin insides! Create this classic Halloween craft by using two orange paper bags and a votive candle (we recommend the no-flame variety just in case!). Use a stencil or free-draw Jack-O’-Lantern eyes and smile on one bag, keeping the other intact. Carefully cut the drawn-on stencil shape, put the cut bag inside the other bag and line your walkway with these cheery—yet eerie—fellows.
Hometown Pride Pumpkins
Let revelers know they’re at the right address by emblazoning your house number—and hometown—on pumpkins. First, you’ll need number stickers ($8 for four; etsy.com/shop/doodlebugdesignstn), as well as a decal in the shape of your state ($4.99; vinyldecals.com). Use Fiskar’s star punch ($11.50; amazon.com) to mark your location on the state decal. Apply it to one pumpkin, and the numbers to another, then use a foam brush to cover both pumpkins with two coats of acrylic paint, allowing 30 minutes of drying time per coat. Remove the decals and discard. If you’d like the numbers or state to be a different color than natural pumpkin orange, fill in using a small paintbrush and contrasting acrylic paint, as we did for the green-and-white pumpkin.
Spooky Skeleton Pumpkins Carvings
These carvings look as if they’re reaching from beyond the grave.
Step 1: Select a pair of pumpkins to form each arm-hand combo. Determine which gourd will serve as the arm (usually the taller one) and trim its stem so the other pumpkin can rest securely on top. Carve a hole in the bottoms of both, scoop out the pulp, and return the cut pieces.
Step 2: Print out our skeletal templates and resize on a copier, scaling the images to fit your pumpkins.
Step 3: Cut out stencils as directed on the templates and affix the arm stencil to the bottom pumpkin with masking tape. Trace on the design with a felt-tip pen. Repeat the process on the other pumpkin, using the hand template.
Step 4: Remove stencils, then carefully carve along the drawn lines with an X-Acto knife. Affix a battery-operated votive candle ($14.99 for 10; bedbathandbeyond.com&) in the base of each pumpkin with adhesive.
Pumpkin Greeting
Spell out your greeting in mini pumpkins gathered at a prominent location.
Step 1: Pencil letters on hollowed pumpkins (carve out the opening from the bottom).
Step 2: Using a drill with a half-inch bit, bore holes to form each letter.
Step 3: Hang strings of Christmas-tree lights, gathered in small bunches, to illuminate each pumpkin (unscrew bulbs where the string descends to the next row).
Decorated Tree
Bare-limbed trees provide the perfect ghostly perch for jack-o’-lanterns, candle lanterns, and a flock of faux black crows (don’t be surprised if a few real ones alight). Make sure the tree limbs are sturdy enough to support the weight of the items you are hanging and take care not to overdecorate, which can lessen the overall effect. Funkins (styrofoam pumpkins) are an especially good choice for this project, since they’re lightweight and won’t rot.
Photos and directions courtesy of Country Living
Stink Bug Invasion! It’s as Bad as You Think
September 27, 2012
Stink bugs are coming (again)! In fact, they’re already here, and the government is searching for ways to wipe out the little stinkers.
An army of stink bugs has marched into 38 states, and the federal government is scrambling to find ammunition to take them down.
Brown marmorated stink bugs, a Chinese import, are invading homes, orchards, and vineyards; eating fruit, buzzing overhead, and staying warm until they can emerge and lay eggs in spring.
If last year’s stink bug invasion wasn’t bad enough, this fall’s invasion is the second one this year — which presages an even bigger onslaught in 2013, says Tracy Leskey, an Agriculture Department entomologist.
“This has been a very good year for the stink bug,” Leskey told the The Examiner in Washington, D.C.
Entomologists are deep into R&D to find ways to wipe out the stink bug. Front-runners include baited traps and natural stink bug enemies, such as the wheel bug, a bug assassin that injects a paralyzing enzyme that turns stink bug innards into porridge, which the wheel bug sucks up.
The best way you can keep stink bugs at bay is to seal your home up tight, like you do in winter to lower your heating costs.
- Close doors and windows
- Fill cracks in siding, window screens, and HVAC vents
- Install weather stripping
- Plug outdoor outlets
If stink bugs already have invaded your home, grab them with toilet paper and flush them down the toilet. Or, drown them in a jar of soapy water.
Do not squish them, which will release the stink that inspired its name, or vacuum them up, which will make the machine smell.
I gun down stink bugs in my house with my trusty Bugzooka.
Have stink bugs invaded your home? How do you get rid of them?
Pampered Chef Open House this Sunday!
September 24, 2012
Come join myself and Leslie Housan from Pampered Chef at 101 Temple Street in West Boylston this Sunday 11:30 to 1:30!
She’ll show us some tasty treats in the gourmet kitchen of this beautiful new construction. Top of the line appliances including double wall ovens and Jenn-Air range top. Granite and hardwoods already make this an inviting kitchen but with Leslie’s treats and tricks – we’ll all be standing there!
With 3 full levels of living space this is a perfect house for the coming holidays. 5 bedrooms total (2 master suites) and a full in-law with its own entrance allow for visiting family and friends to be comfortable while staying with you (and you’ll be comfortable too! Gas heat and the two fireplaces will keep everyone warm and toasty! No drafts in this house with the Anderson window and doors.
All situated on 2.9 acres that abuts the reservoir! Privacy – easy high access – incredible savings in the finished square foot price – superior materials for construction – fine finishings all add up to an incredible value in West Boylston! Stop in!
Outdoor Solar Lights
September 22, 2012
Outdoor solar lights are bright ideas for exterior illumination. Find out how these energy-saving lights work and the many types that can make your nights shine.
Outdoor solar lights were some of the first alternative-energy products to gain a mass-market foothold. Today, sunlight-powered fixtures are flooding the landscape and garden lighting market.
How solar lights work
Solar lights have three main components:
- Solar panels: Gather sunlight and convert it to electrical power.
- Batteries: Store electrical power generated by the panel. Expect 6-10 hours of illumination from a fully-charged solar light battery.
- LED bulbs: LED (light emitting diodes) are super-efficient, shine very brightly, and are long-lasting.
The upside of outdoor solar lights
- You don’t have to worry about plugging in your lights or running wires to your outdoor solar fixtures.
- You don’t have to change bulbs on solar lights, thanks to super-long-lasting LEDs.
- Your utility company doesn’t get a dime from you when you get your nighttime shine from stored sun-power.
The downside
Outdoor solar lights don’t really have a lot of downsides. However, if you live in a cloudy climate, or if you’ve just experienced a long haul of rainy and overcast weather, the brightness and longevity of the lighting may be affected.
Also, solar lights cost more at the outset because they’re complex and have expensive components.
Types of outdoor solar lighting
String lights come in various lengths, such as 25 and 50 feet, and usually have 2-6 bulbs per foot, depending on the manufacturer. There are many styles, colors, and sizes of bulbs to choose. They’ve become popular as Christmas lights, but you can use them to light up your outdoor living spaces all year round.
You should know: Solar string lights don’t need regular household electrical current, but they’re attached by wire to a small solar panel — make sure the panel has access to as much sunlight as possible.
Cost:$20-$40 for a 25-foot strand.
Border and driveway lights illuminate walkways and the edges of driveways for safety and convenience.
- Stake lights are self-contained — the solar panel is built into the fixture. They’re easy to install: You simply push the stake into the ground. You’ll find a big variety of styles, from modern to traditional; some even change colors as they glow. Cost: Color-changing stake lights: $40 for a light that’s 20 inches tall and 6 inches wide.
- Stepping stone lights glow from within and are rugged enough for regular foot traffic. Cost: $25-50 each.
- Paver lights can be installed in your driveway paving material. They’re made of glass or acrylic, and they’re tough enough that you can drive right over them. Cost: $32 for a 6-by-6-inch light.
Glowing globes are spherical sun-powered lamps that make chic architectural additions to your landscape lighting scheme. Stake them in your yard, float them in your pool or make them border beacons — no matter, you’ll enjoy the glowing-orb goodness.
You should know: Color-changing globe lights have three modes: off, “color mode” (which cycles through the spectrum), and “white mode” for simply glowing light.
Cost:Glowing globes, $29-$49; half-globe path lights, $7.99 each
Safety and security lights are ready to shine when the sun goes down.
- Motion-detector lights switch on when the sensor detects movement; the range and direction of the sensor is adjustable. Because they don’t shine all the time, the battery for a solar-powered motion-detector should have a charge that lasts all night.
- Solar-lit house numbers come in many shapes and styles. A sunlit address isn’t just aesthetically smart — if you ever need emergency services to find you after dark, your street number will be plainly visible.
You should know: A spate of sunless days could leave your motion-detecting security light off-line — a chance you take any time you go solar.
Cost: Security lights, $79.99 to $120; house numbers, $15 and up, depending on design.
Outdoor lamps light up your evening outdoor activities with style, and you won’t have to drape an extension cord over your deck and lawn.
- Table lamps bring a bit of indoor functionality to your outside living spaces. Put them anywhere for a dash of living room panache.
- Lamp posts are permanent installations for pathways, garden benches, and the bottom of deck stairways.
You should know: Some solar table lamps do include an electrical plug-in option as well as a solar panel.
Cost: Solar table lamps are $20 and up, depending on size and materials; $600-$1,000 for 9-foot high multi-fixture lamp post.
How to Clean Up Your Garden for Fall & Winter
September 17, 2012
Tidy your garden for fall and winter before the first frost to keep it comely even after the growing ends.
Growing season is winding down, but your garden still needs your love. Spent vines, stubborn weeds, greens gone to seed are making your garden look sloppy and tired.
Here are some fall vegetable garden cleanup tips.
Bury the dead
Nothing looks sadder than leggy tomato vines, yellow zucchini leaves, and dried-up perennials that long ago displayed their last bloom. So pull and prune the dead or dying plants in your garden.
Bury spent plants in your compost pile; double-bag diseased and infested plants and place in the trash. (Empty mulch bags are great final resting places for these plants, so be sure to stockpile them in spring.)
If your tomato vines are still bearing fruit, keep staking and pruning them until the first hard frost, when they’ll likely die. And give the birds a break and leave some seed-bearing but spent blooms for them. They love sunflowers, cone flowers, berries, and black-eyed Susans.
Pull weeds
This is the last time this season to pull weeds. Pluck them before they flower and send seeds throughout your garden that will rest in winter and sprout in spring.
If you have a mulcher, chop the weeds and throw them on your compost pile. If you want to be extra sure that weed seeds are dead, bag weeds in black plastic and place in a sunny place for a couple of months. The heat will kill the seeds. Then throw the cooked weeds on your compost pile.
Harvest seeds
One way to cut garden expenses is to harvest and store seeds. One large sunflower, for instance, can provide seeds for hundreds of plants next spring. Here are some seed guidelines.
- Harvest seeds from heirloom vegetables and standard plants.
- Disease can spread through seeds, so only harvest seeds from your healthiest plants.
- Don’t harvest seeds from hybrid plants, which often are sterile or will look nothing like the parent plant.
- Only harvest mature seeds from dry and faded blooms and pods. Mature seeds are often cream colored or brown.
- After seeds are dry, store them in envelopes or glass jars in a cool, dry place.
Gather supports
Stack and cover metal tomato cages. Bundle wooden or bamboo stakes, and store in a dry place so they don’t rot over winter. And retrieve panty-hose vine ties that you can re-use next spring.
Instead of throwing out broken cages and stakes, repurpose them. Snip off remaining cage legs to use for pepper supports. Broken tomato steaks will support smaller plants if you whittle one end into a point, so it easily slips into the ground.
