posted by maggie on Jul 29
It is always a heartwarming feeling when a community comes together to remember someone who has made a difference in their lives as well as their community. There are so many people who dedicate so much time to making their community a better place and it is always nice when their efforts are not only remembered but continued within the community.
The city of Rockville will host the very first Carl Henn Memorial Bike Ride in remembrance of the Rockville resident, Carl Henn, who passed away in July of 2010. Henn was a longtime resident and was known as a civic activist, he made a very large impact on the city and his contributions will not be forgotten by the residents.
Henn was 48 when he passed away and he lived in Rockville for more than 20 years. He had a vested interest in civic activism and he served on both the City’s Environment Commission and the Rockville Bicycle Advisory Committee. He was also the president of the Hungerford Civic Association. Henn was also in instrumental character in the creation of three community gardens within the city.
The Rockville Bike Advisory Committee has planned and will host the bike ride. The ride is an 11 mile memorial ride beginning at city hall. The planned route will make stops at four community gardens and the registration for the event is free and will take place on at the starting point.
Carl Henn was loved by the community and made a huge impact on many people’s lives. He worked hard to make his community a better place for people to live in and his memory lives on with the people in Rockville. This bike ride will serve to remind the people of Rockville to always work for something you feel strongly about. This memorial ride is proof that one person can make a huge impact on the community and the people around them.
posted by maggie on Dec 26
For a long time, replacing the windows in a home meant choosing from types of wood and then staining or painting them to match the existing color scheme of a house. Different woods had different grains and thicknesses, which allowed for a variety of styles, but there wasn’t much variation in the performance of window frames.
Nowadays window companies are creating their own composite materials to meet a variety of consumer demands. While wood and vinyl windows are still available, window manufacturers and installers who refuse to compromise on performance are combining materials in new and unique ways, resulting in a multitude of new materials that are part wood and part vinyl. By taking the low-maintenance qualities of vinyl and adding them to the stability and strength provided by wood, companies are able to offer high performance window replacements to their customers — usually at very affordable prices.
Good wood and vinyl composite windows will provide excellent insulation against both heat and cold from the outside. They will also be incredibly easy to maintain. Homeowners won’t need to repaint the windows and they can usually rest assured that the windows won’t rot, peel, flake, corrode, blister, or pit. Some composite windows use reclaimed wood fiber , which greatly reduces environmental impact. Best of all, the composite nature means that the exterior of the windows come in a variety of colors to match the siding or paint while the insides can be stained to match various wood types to coordinate with interior decor.
posted by maggie on Sep 24
As the weather turns cooler and the days shorten, homeowners are thinking not only about fall cleaning, but perhaps about redecorating for the colder seasons. Before sitting down with a interior designer or heading out to Next Day Blinds Rockville to choose window treatments, you’ll want to think about an overall theme or idea for your home or room redo.
In 2010 one of the major trends in decorating themes is homemade. Seeking to bring a cozy, natural atmosphere, homemade style brings the brown and green tones from outside into your home’s interior. Textures and accessories should also mimic the outdoors, with landscape photos and paintings serving as ideal elements. Contrast the woodsy neutral palette with creams and off whites that suggest clouds and flowers.
Another option is to consider the sanctuary theme. Use subtle tones and earthy colors to create a peaceful, serene retreat from the outside world. Include warm and soothing textures and accessories to complete your personal sanctuary.
The final trend in design doesn’t provide a look, but rather a way of achieving whatever look you choose. Sustainable or green design emphasizes the use of products that are either recycled, reused, environmentally sustainable, and energy efficient. Companies like next day blinds offer a range of window treatments made of environmentally-friendly materials and designed to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
posted by maggie on Aug 6
By the end of the day, when you’re exhausted and sore, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to sit on a bench, press a button, and be surrounded by a cloud of scented steam, allowing you to step out of the shower stall feeling relaxed and reinvigorated? If you have doubts about how to conserve in a world where droughts have been all too common, you might like to know that such a luxury (once available only at a health spa or a resort), may be taken at home using up in twenty minutes no more than two gallons of water.
Weigh those two gallons against the fifty gallons of water that even a water-saving shower head spray would use up in the same amount of time, and it quickly becomes clear that a steam shower is an extremely “green” way to clean yourself.
The shower works by filling a steam generator about the size of a breadbox with cold water (about a gallon’s worth), and then heats that water with electrical elements, bringing it to a boil. Pipes then channel the transformed water to the steam head or disperser, which will fill up the shower stall with moisture, the temperature of which may be controlled, whether you measure it in Celsius or Fahrenheit .
Over the last twenty centuries, steam has been used in a variety of ways, from small precursors of steam turbines in toys in Egypt to actual steam engines in the United States to a better way of washing up without wasting water in the 21st century throughout the world.
posted by maggie on Jul 26
Most movers and other professionals in the industry recommend that people moving from one place to another eliminate as many items as possible from their move; the recommended amount should be 1/3 of your possessions.
There are several ways to eliminate possessions, like having a charity donation truck come and take away any items you’ve decided are no longer needed. Disabled American Veterans, The Salvation Army or The Purple Heart organizations all offer curbside pick-ups. You may also consider having a moving sale before you have a charity donation truck come by to pick up your items, and you’ll make some fast cash in the process.
To hold a successful moving sale you should decide to have your moving sale outside, either on your lawn or in the carport. You don’t want have people coming inside to look over all the items you’re planning to sell. Keep items organized in separate areas such as lamps in one sections and clothes in another sections. For pricing, take the original price, divide by 5 and use your personal judgment for further discounting due to wear-n-tear or damage. You might find it easier to create categories for pricing, such as ‘all lamps $5′, or ‘all clothing $2′; this way you won’t have to worry about putting a price tag on each item. Make sure you have plenty of change, $100 in bills and coins will be sufficient. Post your moving sale on Craigs List and other local free notification websites. On the day of the sale, arrange for two or more people to help move your items outside, to help sell or relive you when necessary. Then be prepared to wheel-n-deal and have a great time watching your stuff sell!
posted by maggie on Apr 23
It may seem like an obvious statement when I say that your home should reflect your personal style. Anyone who has ever decorated, or not decorated, their home would probably respond pretty quickly that their home does reflect them and their personality. However, I would be willing to bet that most of us — though there are definitely some exceptions — get a little too caught up in decorating to please others rather than making our homes comfortable for ourselves. I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with wanting your house to look nice when you have guests over, but perhaps we have our priorities a little backwards.
One of the ways that we can really express ourselves is with paint. How often to do we hold off on painting a room a certain because we don’t know how it will look or if it will be too much, even if we really like it? If that is just your personality that’s fine, but don’t be afraid to step outside the box and try new things. Growing up I had a friend whose mother loved color. She loved it so much that she painted the living room bright yellow with black baseboards and the bathroom fire engine red. While it is not a color combination I would put in my house, it was fun and festive and more importantly reflected who she was.
Window treatments are another fun and easy way to express your personality. Whether you are trying to decide between the perfect next day blinds or shades or you simply want to play up the mini blinds you already have, the choices are limitless. Most home decor stores have many styles of curtains and valences to choose from, while those of you who are really creative can make your own unique look.
Whatever your design style, the important thing is that is reflects you. After all you are the one who has to live with it day in and day out and you should be feel comfortable and be able to relax in your home.
posted by maggie on Mar 31
Establishing and maintaining a budget is not an easy task for most people. Many of us seem to have a tendency to start out strong, say for the first month or two, and then slowly get off track until we are right back where we started from. This trouble is also compounded by the fact that no matter how hard we work, our paychecks still seem to be getting smaller. No matter how hard it might be, or how bad we are at, planning ahead for each bill cycle is important for maintaining financial security and avoiding unnecessary stress .
If you take a look at your monthly bills you will see some that are consistently about the same amount while others vary greatly. Most of the time service bills, such as your cable or cell phone bills, will be approximately the same amount, unless you make changes to what services and features you receive. Other bills, like your utilities (water, electricity, gas), will typically vary greatly depending on the season. You can offset this cost by keeping your house warmer in the summer while supplementing with fans and cooler in the winter. Keeping your lights off when your not using them will also help cut down on costs . If you can come up with a solid estimate of how much your bills will be each month, you will have a better idea how much you have to spend on extra things like eating out or going shopping.
Of course there are always those things in life that throw us off even the best-laid plans. A broken water line can end up adding a substantial amount to your water bill. Forgetting to close the flue on your fireplace after the last time you used can send your heating/ cooling unit into overdrive and causing your electric bill to skyrocket. These types of things are hard to plan for, especially when you are on a tight budget. In these situations many people turn to payday loans endorsed by Montel Williams . Payday loans are easily and quickly obtained. Sometimes they are just what people need to get them to the next paycheck .
posted by maggie on Mar 16
It is the season for spring cleaning. Most people will flip their mattress, do some dusting and vacuuming, but this really is the time to take it one more level and get the whole house a little cleaner. Below are three tips for ways to make the house a little cleaner this spring.
Shutters, fan blades and housing should be cleaned with a damp cloth dipped in a mix of mild liquid dish detergent and water, unless the care information says otherwise. This works as a cheapish all purpose cleaner that will send the dust bunnies running. When you are done, wipe blinds dry otherwise more dust will quickly become attracted to the surface.
Cloth curtains and blinds can be made to look more fresh by vacuuming with the soft brush or dusting attachment set the vacuum on a lower sucking setting to keep the drapes from being drawn into the attachment. This will pull out all the dust that has been collecting in them. You may be surprised just how dirty these really are. If they are really dirty you should If you have the time, you may even want to throw these in the wash machine, or do it by hand. Blinds can brighten the whole house. If they aren’t extremely dirty, or are a fabric that can’t be put through the wash, use an upholstery cleaner to get out any spots or dirty areas.
When cleaning a window, treatments should be done out of direct sunlight. When done in the sun, the heat will evaporate the cleaning liquid before it has been wiped away, which is part of the way streaks are left on windows. Make sure to clean the windows on a cloudy day, or when that side of the building is in the shade. The best way to get a streak free shine is to apply window cleaner with a damp sponge. You wipe it across the window and then use a squeegee from top to bottom. After each run, wipe down the squeegee blade to keep it fresh. Make sure you clean both sides of the windows.
