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7 Ways to Have an Eco-Friendly Christmas
November 25, 2012
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With a few conscious choices, your merry Christmas can also be an eco-friendly Christmas. ‘Tis the season to consume and decorate, which can leave your bank statement and the planet a little beat up. Celebrate an eco-friendly Christmas and nip your seasonal costs in the bud:1. Light up with LEDs. LED lights use at least 75% less energy than conventional holiday decorations, according to Energy Star. That saves the average family about $50 on energy bills during the holiday, says Avital Binshtock of the Sierra Club in San Francisco. Or douse the lights and use soy-based or beeswax candles; their emissions are cleaner than those from paraffin candles.
2. Make your own decorations. Save money and keep your kids busy by hand-crafting eco-friendly decor—strings of popcorn or pine cones—instead of buying mass-produced holiday flare.
3. Wrap with stuff you already have. Get creative with reusable shopping bags, magazines, and newspapers instead of using wrapping paper. Even gift bags that recipients can pass on make for a more eco-friendly Christmas, says Brian Clark Howard of The Daily Green.
4. Buy a real tree. Real Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands are renewable and recyclable, Binshtock says. Real trees mean an annual cost, but that may be a wash if you tend to buy a faux tree several times a decade.
5. Say “no” to glossy paper decorations and wrapping. Shininess and color come from chemicals not easily recycled. Alternative: Decorations or wrapping papers that use soy inks or natural dyes.
6. Package it in cardboard. Plain, corrugated cardboard is good for packaging because it’s easy to recycle. If plastic factors into your holiday plans, look for No. 1 and No. 2 plastics, the easiest to recycle, says Ben Champion, director of sustainability for Kansas State University.
7. Create precious moments that don’t leave a trail of debris.
- Do something experiential like taking the family to a museum.
- Give a gift certificate or donation to an organization meaningful to the recipient in the receiver’s name. Happy holidays to you: No sales tax.
- Buy fair-trade, organic, or locally made products, which are often one-of-a-kind and may not need as much packaging and shipping.
Is Your Refrigerator Ready for Thanksgiving Leftovers?
November 19, 2012
Leftovers gobbling up space in your refrigerator? Here are some tips for keeping things organized, efficient, and tasty.In the midst of all your Thanksgiving preparation, don’t forget about another upcoming celebration: Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day.
November 15 is the day to clean and organize your fridge in preparation for all the leftovers you’ll enjoy after Turkey Day is over. Not sure how to organize your refrigerator? We’ve got some cool ideas.
Front and center
Give prime fridge space to priority items, says professional organizer Kathi Burns, founder of Add Space to Your Life.
“If you want leftovers to be eaten, keep them front and center on the middle rack, at eye level,” says Burns. “That goes for healthy snacks, too. If you have leftovers, don’t cram them in the back.”
Don’t try to fit leftover turkey carcass in the fridge whole. Carve it and store in several containers, says professional organizer Abbey Claire Keusch. If your refrigerator has adjustable shelves, you can move them around for specific items. Send some leftovers home with your guests, and have a plan for the food you keep for yourself.
“Before the holiday arrives, search for some recipes involving Thanksgiving leftovers,” Keusch says. “Have some on hand [for later], when you have more turkey than you could want.”
Not everything needs chilling
Did you know that ketchup, vinegar, jam, and even mayonnaise and butter don’t need to be refrigerated? If you’re tight on fridge space, these items and more can go in the pantry instead.
And if you have backyard chickens, the eggs you get from them don’t need to be refrigerated, although store-bought eggs do (American regulations require eggs to be power-washed before selling, which strips eggshells of their protective coating, so store-bought eggs have to be refrigerated to stay fresh).
The only items that really need to go in the fridge are meats, dairy products, and certain vegetables (unless you’re going to eat them right away).
Items that should never go in the refrigerator include:
- Tomatoes (they’ll get mushy faster if they’re cold).
- Onions (they’ll soften, plus all your other food will smell like onions).
- Honey (it’ll get too thick).
- Potatoes (cold temperatures turn starches into sugars, giving your taters a sweet flavor when you cook them, and not in a good way).
Go against the flow
Today’s refrigerators are designed to be organized a certain way — condiments in the door, vegetables in the crisper, gallon of milk on the center rack. But it doesn’t have to be that way, Burns says.
“For busy families, I recommend a ‘lunch bin’ that you can pull out,” she says. “Keep the mayo, mustard, pickles, meat, and cheese in there, so you can just pull it out and make a sandwich. It’s easy for kids. You can create a bin for healthy snacks, too, or a breakfast bin with bagels and cream cheese.”
Pulling out one bin instead of many individual items is faster, too, so your refrigerator door doesn’t stay open as long. For smaller refrigerators that don’t have drawers, long, rectangular bins can be used for easy organizing.
“Same goes for the freezer — just use a Tupperware bin for frozen veggies, so you can pull out all the bags of veggies in one fell swoop,” Burns says. “It works really well.”
Hip to be square
Refrigerators are more efficient when they’re fuller, but that doesn’t mean you should cram as much stuff in there as possible. Square or rectangular containers are the way to go for leftovers — they’re easily stackable and fit into corners neatly.
“Stay away from round containers,” says Burns. “That’s just wasted space.”
Great new listing in Ashland! Open Sunday 1pm to 3pm – don’t miss this!
November 13, 2012
DON’T MISS OUT on this new listing! This beautiful colonial in a private cul-de-sac setting with expansive backyard in Ashland is perfectly located to major commuting routes (Southboro / Ashland commuter rail, 9, 495, 85) and Hopkinton State Park. 
Enjoy the central a/c in the summer or the fireplace in the winter! Main level features hardwoods, laundry, over-sized country kitchen with dining area and views! Master bedroom with walk-in closet and wall-to-wall carpeting. Lower level family room could be 4th bedroom, office or create an in-law space. Very well maintained and such a great price!
Sunday, November 18th: 1pm to 3pm
21 Pinecrest Lane Ashland
Check out this interactive virtual tour…open Thursday 5 to 7pm
November 13, 2012
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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
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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
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?
Real Estate and *stuff * 