According to BankRate, there are a few home upgrades that pay off for resale. The suggestions are: Upgrade the kitchen with nicer cabinets, fancier hardware, and good fixtures. Make your kitchen appliances match in color/design. Spruce up the bathrooms with new toilets or contemporary vanities. Brush a fresh coat of paint on just about everything. [...]
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When I was 19, my dad took a sabbatical to the United Kingdom — he was a math professor and did collaborative research at a university in Leeds, England. Even though I was only there a few months, I take the fact that I actually lived there as some kind of indicator that I have [...]
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When we built our first home, there were a number of windows that had to be made of tempered glass or safety glass. Due to their location, regular window glass wouldn’t be strong enough to provide the needed safety. For example, our second story balcony walkway ran right next to an enormous glass window. The [...]
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I live in Utah. Our official slogan is “the greatest snow on earth.” We hosted the winter Olympics (quite successfully, thanks to Mitt Romney) in 2002. Our governor just announced this week that he’s assembled an exploratory committee to review the idea of competing for the Olympics again. In other words, we do snow very [...]
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This post brought to you by Triad Retail Media. All opinions are 100% mine. The odors associated with nursing homes are well known. Some odd mix of medications, cleaning supplied, skin potions, body fluids, stuffiness, and decay all mingled together. When an elderly person moves in with you, you might be surprised at the odors [...]
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This post brought to you by Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done.. All opinions are 100% mine. There isn’t a single bulb flower I don’t love. Because my dad served a three-year religious mission to Holland when he was young — and my husband and I returned 50 years later to celebrate our 15th anniversary — I [...]
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Professional results and professional products go together. A few days ago I wrote about my decades-long use of janitorial cleaning supplies to clean my home. Not only do I use professional products, I use a professional system. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend all day cleaning. Rather, I want great [...]
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As the snow finally begins to blow in Utah — we were all beginning to think winter would just pass us by this year — I am reminded of one of the best things about living in a place with seasons. A good hard winter freeze does wonders for keeping bugs at bay. Growing up [...]
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I’m totally into interior decoration. But it’s not what you think. In the context of my life, being “into” home decorating it more like wishing I were into it and realizing I’m clueless. I know what I like when I see it, but I have no idea how to recreate it with my own space, [...]
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The “big storm” is supposed to hit tonight. State agencies are on high alert and everyone is ready to have schools close and roads blocked. Of course even though it’s 2:30 am, it’s 40 degrees outside with only a light rain. But maybe this “big storm” will actually happen. As opposed to the “big storm” [...]
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For almost a quarter of a century, we have used professional janitorial supplies to clean our home. The cost-per-use is so much better than typical store brands — and they clean remarkably better, as well. Window cleaner you buy from a grocery store, for example, is diluted for use. So you have just paid to [...]
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When we lived in Boca Raton, we built our second home. In the two-story entrance, it featured a beautiful staircase that turned 45 degrees halfway up. We loved the staircase, but as soon as our three-month old daughter started to crawl, it became a nightmare. Not just because of the length of the stairway, but [...]
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Winter finally hit Utah. Kind of. We had a dusting of snow on Saturday morning — that melted by noon. It’s only the second snow fall of the year. After a 300% precipitation year last year, this year we’re at something like 2%. And, OK, it’s 40 today and above freezing every day this week. [...]
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When creating a perfect room for an elderly family member, consider a few of the things I have learned over the past year. Protection – As people age, they have more health issues — many of which involve bodily fluids. Rather than installing a plush, fabric headboard (as we first thought), we used a leather-look [...]
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When I was pregnant with Samson in 2000, I got a call from my friend. Apparently she knew that I was a tad anal retentive about organizing when I was pregnant. (Call it the nesting instinct on crack.) “Hi, Alison. This is Kendra. What are you doing right this second. Don’t lie to me!” “I…uh…” [...]
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Post updated with coupon codes for more savings! If one of your resolutions for 2012 is to get your home in order, my favorite organizing store is having it’s once per year clearance sale. I learned the hard way a couple of years ago that these really, truly are the best prices you’ll find all [...]
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This post brought to you by PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes. All opinions are 100% mine. I love candles. Love. It’s one of the very, very (did I mention very?) few crafty things I actually engage in. Yes, once in a great while I make my own candles. Out of wax. With molds. I know! [...]
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I’m not much of a winter person. I want the snow to start falling the day after Thanksgiving and to stop — completely — on January 2. That’s when spring should begin, steadily growing warmer and warmer. Today, with the Lindon, Utah, temperature sitting squarely at 26 degrees fahrenheit, I’m fantasizing about our pool. The [...]
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Recently I told you that after a year of living in the house, we finally got our mailbox finished. I simply posted to find a mason, and within a few days, it was being completed. Now, every time I back out of the driveway, I feel good. And so does Sam. For 12 months, approaching [...]
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A have a new friend and neighbor down the street named Kim. She lives in another custom home — her husband is a contractor. Her home is another version of the modern craftsman. When we were building and trying to decide on some of the subcontractors, she invited us over to look at some of [...]
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