Labor Day Chores

Summer is coming to an end and school has started. As busy as your schedule is Labor Day can give you a few extra hours to get some of your winter prep chores done. Here is a list of simple chores that should help you feel accomplished and closer to being ready for colder weather.

Clean out all the closets and junk drawers in the house. I like to keep my summer clothes in bins until next year. I keep them on the hangers to make it easier to hang back up and store them with a lavender bag so they are fresh when I open them up. Maybe you just need to go through the clothes and coats that have hiding getting no love in your closet, bag them up and donate them. Junk drawers can gather so much... well junk. That is a quick task that make a huge difference.

Clean out the garage. I clean out my garage with each season, making sure to sweep and keep the cob webs from building up. Maybe it is time to clear out the garage so you can park your car inside.

Update your bathroom. A renovation in the bathroom can be done very affordably and done in a weekend. Maybe you just need to get some new rugs and shower curtains, or a fresh coat of paint. Any change can make a huge difference!

Read up on the plants, trees, and shrubs in your yard to see how to best prep them for winter. I make sure to cut down my fountain grasses and raspberry bushes. The internet has great advice on to prep for winter.

Give us a call if you need a hand hauling away your Labor Day project clean up.
Have a great Labor Day!! Make sure to spend lots of time relaxing! 

Popular home remodeling trends

This short list is the top home remodeling trends for 2018.

White out: An all white decor is a huge trend right now. Flooring, furniture, accessories, and walls, every hue of white is being utilized in this decorating trend. People love the clean lines, bright look and open feeling it gives their homes.

Open shelving for the kitchen: Having an open shelving unit is becoming more popular. Homeowners love the look of this shelf. Just remember there will be no cupboard door to hide those mismatched dishes and over crowded spice cabinet.

Rooftop living: Rooftop patios are a big hit in large cities and top of apartments and skyscrapers. Residential homeowners have been enjoying using their rooftop space as well.

Smart home: These days you can do just about anything on your phone. Now you can control most of your house from your phone as well. Adjust temperature, lights, security systems, coffee pots and anything else you can imagine.

Yummy Summer Recipe

No one like cooking when it's almost 100 degrees outside! I like to make meals that don't take time or heat when the heat outside is up. Two of my favorite things require very little ingredients or effort and the best part, NO COOKING!

The first is a recipe for a snack the whole family loves and I love my kids eating because of the health benefits.

Power Balls:
1 c. old fashioned oats
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. ground flax seed
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/3 c. honey
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. vanilla extract

combine all the above in a bowl. Let it chill in the fridge for 30 mins then form into 1 inch balls.
My kids love these as much as we do, they really love helping me make them. I can eat 2 of these (with some restraint since I can probably eat the whole batch by myself in one sitting) for a snack and my hunger subsides and I feel energized. Enjoy!

The next recipe is for an easy ready to take breakfast:

Overnight fridge oatmeal:
1/4 c. uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. vanilla yogurt
1 and 1/2 tsp chia seeds (I add extra since I love chia)
2 tsp maple syrup
1/4 c. blueberries

Mix ingredients in a small jar, secure the lid and shake until well mixed. Place in the fridge overnight and your yummy breakfast is ready for you to grab and go first thing in the morning.

Summer project- garage

One of the best things we ever did was cleaning out our garage so we could start parking inside a nice organized garage. It is so easy for your garage to become overtaken by boxes, tools, big items meant for the dump etc. One reason people avoid clearing out the garage is how overwhelming it can seem. Having a good plan going in is essential. I asked a friend to come over that would help me get rid of stuff without justifying its purpose or being over sentimental.We stocked up on plastic bins of all sizes and setup some shelves for storage and hooks for hanging items. There are so many options to help make organizing your garage super easy. 

Make sure you give us a call so we can help haul off your junk. 

Fire pit season

I love summer nights spent in the back yard roasting marshmallows for s'mores or cooking a delicious dutch oven. A fire pit can be a back yard favorite, and it doesn't have cost a fortune or take a lot of work to build.

The best place to start is to decide which style of pit you want. Then pick the best location, I like to put my pit in a area my kids or pets don't spend a lot of time to avoid any accidents. We also choice a spot where it wouldn't interfere with the function of our backyard, somewhere that wouldn't require moving sprinklers for example.

There are so many different types of building materials you can use, such as flat stone, or cement blocks. A design I thought looked like a lot of fun was a portable fire pit that used recycled materials. All you need is a couple of pallets, a 2 x 4, and a round charcoal BBQ. With this design you can easily keep the fire pit functional and cost effective. There are so many ideas online its so easy to find the best fit for you and your family.

Yard Cleanup made simple

Yard cleanup can be a lot of work, pruning plants and trees, clearing out debris from winter, hauling dirt, sod, and rock to make room for new projects. Whatever it is that you are doing in your yard our bins are designed to make it easy to haul off your yard waste.
The bins will never touch your driveway which will protect your property. Front opening doors make it easy to load waste. The shape of the bins allow for more space and also for your bins to fit in tight spaces. We offer four different sizes of bins that will fit your project and your budget. Give us a call and we can hep find the perfect bin for you.

Garden Planning

Earth Day has come and gone and now is the time of year most people start thinking about planting gardens and making their yards a beautiful to enjoy the warm summer months ahead.  Taking the time to plan before you start will make for a smoother process. Below is a list of things to consider and plan for before you start your yard project.

1 1-      What type of garden/plants/or trees will you be planting? When deciding what to type you need to take into what type of soil you have, how much water and sun is needed and what the landscape of your yard is. Basically, you want to make sure you are getting plants that will survive and thrive in your yard.

2 2-      How much sun does each section of your get? You can do this by planning to spend some time outside. Grab some ice-cold water, a pencil and piece of paper. Sketch your yard and write down what parts of your yard get full sun, part sun, and shade and the lengths of time each has light. This will really help you to pick out plants that are made for the type of light each section gets.

3 3-      Does the section you are planting in get plenty of water. Some areas will get plenty of water from your existing sprinkler, or you may need to tap into your sprinkler system to add an area. However, make sure you know how much each plant needs, some plants are drought tolerant while others need regular watering.

4 4-      If you have kids or pets that like to put things in their mouths make sure you read up on which plants are toxic and avoid those plants. The best place to check for information on toxic plants is with your local city agriculture depart.

5 5-      What kind of soil do you have? Some areas have soil a good mix of clay, sand or silt but others may have more of one which you need to check for, so you can prep the soil accordingly.

Now you have all the information you need to create a beautiful outdoor area that you and your family are sure to enjoy. If you need help hauling off the yard waste be sure to give us call and we can help pick a dumpster that is right for you.