With shorter days and the the first real snowfall around the corner, it’s the right time to finish last-minute projects around the house before winter sets in.

INSIDE 

1. CHECK VENTS:  Close vents in unheated basement area, but keep attic vents open.        Replace rusted or damaged pipes from gas water heaters and your dryer.
2. ADJUST THERMOSTATS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY. If you have multiple thermostats in    your home for different zones, set temperatures for the way you use the rooms: bedrooms     cooler, baths and sitting areas warmer.  PREVENT THE OVERLOAD OF ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS.Make certain electrical cords aren’t covered by rugs or heavy curtains; they can overheat and cause a fire.

 

 

 

 

 

Outside

1. CLEAR PATHWAYS AND STOOPS TO MAKE SNOW SHOVELING EASIER. Make sure there is ready access to your woodpile, gas and oil tanks, and garbage cans.
2. CLEAN GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS. But wait until most of the leaves have dropped. You may want to invest in a gutter scoop.
3. INSPECT SUPPORTS, RAILINGS, AND STAIRS. A flimsy handrail might give way when someone slipping on ice or snow grabs it suddenly. Check that footings under support posts are secure and haven’t shifted due to water infiltration, settling, or frost.
4. Take winter linens out of storage and launder. Dry clean garments packed in mothballs to remove the camphor odor. Toss out herbal repellants, as they lose their potency over time.

Your garden’s not ready to snooze just yet

Bulbs

If you haven’t put them in the ground already, hop to it. This is actually a great time to get bulbs, because they’re often 50% off or more as companies move their stock out. Use a bulb planter to speed the process (remember to sprinkle some bulb food in the bottom of the hole) and go to town across the garden. Bulbs look best in massed plantings, so think about that as you plan things out.

Be aware that some bulbs, like daffodils and iris, aren’t very interesting to gophers, and can in fact make a great protective ring around tender plants like young apple trees. Others, such as tulips, are a gopher’s delight, and need to be planted in cages and containers or you won’t see them come spring.

Clean Up Beds and Borders

All those dead plants? Yeah, it’s really time to make those go away now. Trim away dead foliage, uproot weeds, compost the leavings, and cultivate the beds to leave them smooth and even for next year. You can work in some mulch and compost to condition the soil, if you like. In mild climates, try planting overwintering flowers and crops, like mums and kale. In cooler reaches, well, all that ugly soil will be covered by snow soon!

Drain and Insulate Hoses, Standpipes, and Other Fixtures

With frost comes broken pipes, unless you act ahead of time. Drain all your outdoor water fixtures and cut their water supply so they won’t fill up. Put hoses in storage, and insulate your standpipes to prevent cracking and ice damage in the winter. When your neighbors are tearing their hair out and calling an emergency plumber over broken pipes, you can continue lounging in front of the heater.

Leaf Management

Still have a leaf problem? Not surprising — many trees are just starting to turn across the country. Set aside 30 minutes or so each week for leaf control.

Black & Decker LeafHog 12 Amp High Performance 240 mph Blower/Vacuum LH4500

 

For the Birds

Make sure your bird feeders are full for your avian visitors. They’ll appreciate seeds and suet during the cold winter months. Don’t be surprised if you see squirrels as well, looking for things to snack on. If you start noticing mice and rats, consider hiring a cat — but in the short term, you’ll want to try elevating the bird feeder and installing a tray to catch fallen seeds so they don’t end up on the ground.

Have fun working on your Checklist and when you are taking a break enjoy a Hot Beverage.

While entertaining alfresco this season, these simple floating jar votives suspended from garden hooks make for that perfect final patio touch, offering an inviting, soft glow that keeps the gathering going long into the evening.

For this project we picked from a handful of mismatched empty mason jars that have stacked up around the house. The varied sizes lend to that overall rustic appeal. We love how they can easily be transferred indoors or out, depending on where you’re entertaining. Use them for a summer party, upcoming wedding or a respite with the family over a glass of wine.

1. Separate the bands from the lids and drill equidistant holes near the base of each band (we used a 7/64-inch bit).

2. Using wire cutters, snip 8-inch long strips from clock chain and attach through the holes in the jar bands using pliers, to create hanging handles. We used #5 sized clock chain, because it’s sturdy for holding the weight of the jars while still giving off a delicate feel. We found it at our local hardware store in the same aisle as regular chain and jack chain, which could just as easily be used for this project.

3. Twist bands around the jar mouths to secure, creating a hanging mason jar.

4. Fill jars about halfway with water, drop tea lights inside to float and light to create an instantly glowing group of mason jar votives. Cluster and use them just like this for an inviting indoor or outdoor centerpiece.

5. Suspend jars from garden hooks secured along a fence as hanging lanterns.

What you will Need

SKU: 001280052

SKU: 070040168

SKU: 014047001

SKU: 093140502

We all have gooey messes that we want to get rid of, why not naturally and safe!? I personally like to make any cleaners I can to keep it green and safe for my family and I. There is always a mess that regular cleaners will not work on so I found an alternative! You can use this to clean sticky greasy messes your that require a little extra attention.

First you will need all of your ingredients:

1/3 cup Baking Soda

1/3 cup Coconut Oil

A small jar to store your new goo gone

      

Step 1:

Measure out the 1/3 cup of Coconut Oil into a glass measuring cup. Put into the microwave and set for only a few seconds. You want the coconut oil to become liquid but NOT hot.

Step 2:

You will now add the 1/3 cup of Baking Soda to the measuring cup of Coconut Oil. Stir this until it is combined and all of the clumps are gone.

Step 3:

Now you can pour this into your jar to store for later use. When it is cooled to room temperature it will become a paste!

To use your new Goo Gone you can spread it onto the sticky mess, paper towels work well, and let it set for a few moments to let it soak in good. From there you can just wipe away the GOO!

 This is a safe and easy way to care for the sticky messes that everyday cleaners may not work on. Have fun and get your kids involved in making this with you!!

If you prefer to use the ready made we have that for you too!

   

Today you can choose from a new generation of pellet-burning appliances, like a pellet stove, that are cleaner burning, more efficient, and powerful enough to heat many average-sized, modern homes. Pellet fuel appliances burn small pellets that measure 3/8 to 1 inch in length.

CHOOSING AND INSTALLING PELLET-BURNING APPLIANCES

When choosing a pellet-burning appliance, it’s important to select one that’s properly sized for the space to be heated. When an appliance is too big, residents tend to burn fires at a low smolder to avoid overheating, which wastes fuel and is one of the biggest causes of air pollution. An under-sized unit will not provide sufficient heat. You should discuss your heating needs with a reputable dealer. A good rule-of-thumb is that a stove rated at 60,000 British Thermal Units (BTU) can heat a 2,000-square-foot home, while a stove rated at 42,000 BTU can heat a 1,300-square-foot space.

 

Pellets may be an economical and environmentally sound heating fuel choice.

Pellet fuel appliances are more convenient to operate than ordinary wood stoves or fireplaces, and some have much higher combustion and heating efficiencies. As a consequence of this, they produce very little air pollution. In fact, pellet stoves are the cleanest solid fuel, residential heating appliance. Pellet stoves that are certified by the EPA are likely to be in the 70% to 83% efficiency range. Pellet stoves have heating capacities that range between 8,000 and 90,000 BTU per hour. They are suitable for homes as well as apartments or condominiums.

Pellet appliances usually require refueling only once a day. However, because the fuel is compressed, the bagged pellets can be difficult to lift.  Some models use bulk-filled storage systems and are fully automatic.

Most pellet appliance exteriors (except glass doors) stay relatively cool while operating, reducing the risk of accidental burns. Pellet stoves burn fuel so completely that very little creosote builds up in the flue, posing less of a fire hazard.

MAINTENANCE

To keep your pellet-burning system operating efficiently and safely, you’ll need to maintain it on a regular basis.

Every year, preferably before each heating season, have a chimney sweep certified by the Chimney Safety Institute of America inspect your pellet-burning system. In addition to cleaning the chimney, a certified chimney sweep should have the knowledge to help make sure your appliance, hearth, connecting pipe, air inlets, chimney, and all other components are functioning efficiently and safely.

Benefits of Pellet Stoves

Clean burning, cost-efficient heating for your home

No hassle: Among the many wood-burning stoves available, pellet stoves are the easiest to operate. You’ll typically need to load these stoves with wood pellets just once every day or two—and loading the pellets is a simple matter of pulling out the hopper and pouring the pellets in.

Smoke free: Pellet stoves don’t produce smoke. This means you’ll never have to worry about “smoking out” a room, or dealing with the subsequent dry air and unpleasant smells.

Heat safe: With a pellet stove, there’s virtually no external heat while it’s operating. You can place a pellet stove as close as one inch away from a wall, and it will pose no fire hazard. It’s the ideal heating choice for households with children and pets.

Environmental and cost advantages

Wood pellets used in pellet stoves are tightly condensed, which makes burning them a low-moisture, highly efficient process. There are less harmful gases released into the air through wood pellet burning than with regular wood-burning stoves.

In addition, wood pellets are not a primary product of the forestry industry. Rather, they are a byproduct made with recycled wood from sawmills—usually formed from compacted sawdust and wood shavings, or the unused tops of trees that are cut down for logging.

But the biggest advantage of pellet stoves is the fuel cost. You can purchase 40 pounds of wood pellets for around $3, which provides enough heat for two days or more. The typical home heating bill for fuel-heated homes is around $250 for the winter months. With a pellet stove, you’ll spend $50 a month or less to heat your home all winter.

Disadvantages of pellet stoves

There are only a few disadvantages to using pellet stoves that you should be aware of, if you’re considering investing in one for your home.

• Wood pellets are primarily manufactured in the Pacific Northwest and a few other colder areas of the country. They can often be found in other areas and online.
• While pellet stoves primarily burn fuel, they have internal components that need electricity to operate—though some models come with battery packs. You’ll have around 100 KWH of monthly electricity use with a pellet stove.
• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has banned the installation of pellet stoves in manufactured homes.
• The initial cost of purchasing a pellet stove is a significant investment, typically $1,400 to $3,000. However, regular use of a pellet stove pays for itself, often in just a few months.

On a personal note…I used a Pellet Stove last year in a Tri-Level home and it saved us $500 month in our heating cost.  I spent $25 a week on pellets to keep our house warm. My son wore t-shirts and shorts and we were all very comfortable every day.

If you’re bored with the basic jack-o-lantern with a scary face, you can carve awesome designs in pumpkins using nothing more than a power drill. Read on for tips and tricks for pumpkin carving with a drill and some patterns you can follow to make the best Fall / Halloween decorations this year.

It’s that time of year again!  Fall is approaching and all the beautiful colors will be coming out.  Our stores are stocking up on mums and pumpkins.  You can use them alone to decorate the house or you can spice things up and create some fun in your family.  

All you need are some pumpkins and some paint for these candy colored pumpkins!

Get the kids to gather up some leaves and let them dry.  Then spray paint the leaves and paint the pumpkin a different color then glue on the leaves. You can also use the pumpkins as planters for your mums!

It’s going to be a fun and beautiful fall season with these decorations!

Are small paperclips, screws, and other small items constantly in the way? Need a better organizational system but can’t seem to find one? You don’t have to suffer from discord in your home when you could create a special organizational system that involves storing your items in small jars that can be housed underneath your cabinets.

Looking for a sophisticated way to celebrate autumn or don’t want to carve your pumpkin? There are plenty of ways to feature fall’s “mascot” without the traditional triangle-carved eyes and toothy grin–you can paint your pumpkin using leaf stencils or actual leaves to create a lovely display.

1. Sand the pumpkin. Using a light sandpaper, create a smooth surface on the pumpkin by applying sandpaper to its skin. Rub lightly, in a circular fashion, to eliminate any bumps or imperfections on the pumpkin’s skin.
2. Clean the pumpkin. Remove sanded debris and/or any dirt the pumpkin may still have on its skin. Using a damp paper towel, wipe down the pumpkin until it is completely clean. Make sure the gourd is completely dry before painting.
3. Apply a thin coat of paint sealer to the entire pumpkin. This will prevent the paint from flaking off the pumpkin once you’ve created your design. Allow ample time to dry or refer to the paint for dry time suggestions.
4. Apply your stencil to the pumpkin. Depending on how you approach this task, you can either trace the stencil on the pumpkin or pin it in place. If you plan to pin it in place, you will most likely elect to simply paint directly over the stencil. This may work best if you plan to use actual leaves (make sure they are completely dry before use).
5. Paint your pumpkin. Use the stencil as your guide to paint your pumpkin. You could paint around the pre-traced stencil with one color and then use a different color inside the stencil–or leave in its natural, orange state.  Allow the first color to dry before applying the second color.
6. Add a clear top coat to seal your work. Once the paint has completely dried (this could take 24 to 48 hours depending on where the pumpkin is sitting to dry) apply a thin layer of the top coat sealant to ensure your work stays put. Allow sealant to dry before displaying your pumpkin.

You may need:

SKU: 002671709

SKU: 008560906

Laundry is a never-ending thing, well at least in my house. Typically, there is a load ready to go into the laundry, one in the washer, a load in the dryer, and a load to be folded. Then, the cycle is repeated all over again. The issue with laundry is that laundry soap is so expensive, no matter if you purchase the liquid or powder. Making your own laundry detergent is a cheap and easy way to fix that problem. Let’s get started!

Purple martins are swallows that migrate from South America to North America each year to breed. Many people enjoy listening to their songs, watching their aerial acrobatics and seeing fledglings emerge from their nests. Although purple martins don’t eat mosquitoes, they eat large numbers of many other kinds of insects. For these reasons, many people build martin houses in the hope that the birds will build nests in them.

1 Site your martin house properly. Purple martins won’t nest in houses too near the ground or too near homes or tall trees. Martin houses should be a minimum of 40 feet (12 meters) from homes and trees and 20 feet (6 meters) high.

2 Design your martin house for several nesting pairs. It should have nesting compartments that are completely separated from one another, access holes for the birds, porches to perch on and a gabled roof. Some houses have multiple levels to accommodate more birds.

3 Cut the wood for the floor so it will extend past the exterior walls 3 inches (7.5 cm) on all sides. This creates the porches. You can also attach porches using 3-inch strips of wood.

4 Create several nesting compartments inside using partitions. Each space should be 6 inches (15 cm) tall, 6 inches wide and 6 inches deep.

5 Cut semicircular entrance holes. These should be 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter and 1-3/16 inches (3 cm) tall for each compartment. Set the bottom of the hole flush with the porch to discourage starlings and owls from using the martin house.

6 Drill small holes in the “attic” portion of the house to encourage air flow. Cut a thick piece of polystyrene or corrugated cardboard to fit inside the attic so the house won’t get too hot.

7 Build the roof. Make sure it extends past the exterior walls enough to help shield the access holes from rain and give the birds some shade.

8 Assemble the martin house. Keep in mind that you will want to occasionally disassemble it to clean out the nesting compartments. If you use a router to create slots in the partitions, the floors and in the exterior walls, you will be able to slide them together for a tight fit without permanently attaching them with screws or brads.

9 Paint the house white. Never paint or stain it dark colors, although you can paint the trim another light color if desired.

10 Mount the house on a metal pole that has been set in concrete. You may want to add a winch and pulley system that will allow you to raise and lower the house easily so you can check on nestlings or clean the compartments.

SKU: 033570112

SKU: 050510058