Search Results for: blog the ultimate housewarming gift

Plants As Gifts

Have you been invited to attend Thanksgiving dinner at a friend’s home? Or, will you be dining at a family member’s house? Either way, by the very nature of it’s name “Thanksgiving,” one would almost seemed obligated to bring a hostess gift as a token of appreciation for the meal. If your Thanksgiving feast is not a potluck, then you may consider bringing a plant or nice flower arrangement as a gift. If you do give a plant as a holiday gift, you want to try to match the plant with the environment of the recipient’s home. For example, if … Continue reading →

Ideas For The Perfect Hostess Gift

If you are traveling out of town and are lucky enough to nab an invitation to stay at a friend or relative’s house it’s probably best to bring along a thank you gift (hostess gift) and not just your bags and empty stomach. I know, I know, when you are planning a trip, packing bags, and coordinating schedules, finding the “perfect” way to say “thanks for the room,” may seem like just one more thing to add to your “to do” list. Don’t despair. Here are some ideas gift ideas that may serve you well: Beach House If you scored … Continue reading →

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide is a danger to people and pets — it is an odorless and colorless gas that can lead to sudden illness… and death. It comes from the fumes produced by burning or combustion, like car and truck engines, stoves, lanterns, generators, and heating systems. In enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces, carbon monoxide can build up and poison the people (or pets) breathing it. Common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: Headache Dizziness Weakness Nausea and/or vomiting Chest pain Confusion In severe cases, carbon monoxide inhalation can lead to loss of consciousness and death. Why is carbon monoxide so dangerous? … Continue reading →

How NOT To Heat Your Home

Our local Dairy Queen was closed today. Not because it ran out of soft-serve. Rather, the electronic sign outside the establishment scrolled: “CLOSED due to EXTREME COLD!” Not something you see everyday. Then again, our below zero temperatures (way below—windchills here have been around 45 below zero) are not something you experience every day either. Less than two weeks ago my daughter and I were in Hawaii baking in 84 degree tropical weather. This morning we woke up in Wisconsin where the temperature was –10. (A difference of nearly 95 degrees… but who’s counting). The Dairy Queen, the YWCA, the … Continue reading →

Home Generators—What You Should Know Before Buying One

Did you know that a single home generator is capable of emitting a hundred times more carbon monoxide than a car? Firefighters say it’s true… running a generator in your home could be fatal. It happens all over the country and in a shockingly short amount of time. Mother Nature’s brutal attack on America’s Heartland earlier this month forced many homeowners’ to rent, buy, or use existing generators to power their homes. Sadly, one woman in Oklahoma who was forced to use a home generator following a round of ice storms, died in her apartment when carbon monoxide filled her … Continue reading →

New Year Resolutions For Homeowners

We are almost a full week into 2007… have you broken your New Year’s resolution yet? I have. Oh well. I had resolved to concentrate more on home maintenance, but I can barely muster enough energy to put away the holiday decorations, so you can see what foot I’ve gotten off on… In all seriousness, the first part of the year is an ideal time to develop a strategy for household maintenance, if for no other reason than to prevent costly problems down the road. It’s no secret that designing and implementing a plan to upkeep your home will end … Continue reading →

Getting Your Home Ready For Winter—Part 1: The Furnace

Happy Autumn! My greeting is a bit belated (the first “official” day of fall was Saturday), but this is the first full weekend of fall, so better late than never–welcome to fall. I mentioned that the first “official” day of the season was Saturday, but here in Wisconsin some may argue that autumn has been well under way for a while now. For the past few days the temperatures have been in the 50s and 60s and there have been multiple nights where the National Weather Service has issued freeze and frost advisories as temperatures plummeted in the 30s. Needless … Continue reading →