If you're a parent of school-aged children, you've likely been concerned with their study habits at some point. Sitting down in front of the television or at the dinner table to crack open the books is going to be less efficient than doing so in a quieter, more productive work space. Let's explore how to create a study space that will help keep your children focused and on task. Ask The Kids What They Need To Be Productive Before you get to work on creating a new studying space, it's a good idea to have a chat with those will be using it most. Ask the children what kind of surroundings they feel would help to keep them productive. Younger kids may only need a small desk area but would … [Read more...]

From the approaching holiday season to the New Year, there are a lot of things to prepare for when it comes to the winter. It's important, though, not to forget about the needs of your lawn for the upcoming cold season. If you're wondering how to ready your trees, your plants and your yard, here are some tips for saving your vegetation until the springtime. Fertilize For Grass Growth It might seem like a waste of time to fertilize your grass going into the winter months, but this is actually the perfect time to prep it for spring. As fertilizer will provide much-needed nutrients to the grass in the months when there is less growth, it will actually stimulate improved growth down the road. … [Read more...]

The idea of embarking on home renovations may strike many homeowners as an expensive one, but there are plenty of ways that you can easily upgrade your home without spending a lot of money. If you're looking for improvements that will truly (and frugally) improve the value of your home, here are a few do-it-yourself options you may want to consider. Change The Lighting There are few small fixes that will improve the look of your home like lighting, so one of the best things you can do for the overall look of your house is change out some of your bulbs. Instead of going for a light that will look dingy or orange, choose a tone that's not too bright but will still illuminate your rooms and … [Read more...]

The idea of conducting an energy audit on your home might seem like something complicated that should be left to the experts, but there are ways for you to make your home a little greener without consulting anybody. Instead of having someone else do the work, here are a few simple ways for you to inspect your home and green up its energy use. Do A Candle Test Of Exterior Walls Since cold air coming in from outside your home can impact your energy use significantly, do the simple test of taking a candle on a tour of your home to determine if there are any drafts. Ensure that you check all of the windows, doors and exterior areas where outside air can gain access; if your candle blows out or … [Read more...]