NO cats will be harmed in the writing of this blog post.  Promise!

Camera Shy Sugar the cat

It’s two weeks (less a day) to the blessed day and my house needs to lose some weight.

The goal is simple.  100 items.  (paper clips don’t count as one item, besides, I will keep them )  Inspired by a friend on Twitter who was moving, and loving the fact that he was getting rid of 20 year old receipts and junk, I thought, 100 items…I could do that.  Are you up to the challenge?  Do you think that you could relieve areas of your home of trinkets, outdated items, clothing that doesn’t fit or just ISNT fit to wear?  What a great time to do it when you know that your house will be filled with more people, more stuff will be coming in, and you will have a great opportunity to help others at the same time.  Don’t forget the incredible feeling when things go out the door and your home is that much more organized.

In the not so distant past, I have had the need to shop in second hand stores (still do from time to time) and always appreciated that I could give my family a great Christmas, with lots of presents under the tree.  They didn’t know that the presents had been “pre-loved” but were always happy with the items that they received.  Kids toys, gently used clothing, home accessories can all be repurposed for another family who would be happy to use them, but don’t have the means to buy them.

So, off I go with a big green garbage bag, and a notepad (for counting of course!) to relieve my closet and office area of 100 pieces of “I don’t need this anymore”.   The cat?  She sleeps silently at my side as I write this… She is fluffy, and it has become the family joke when we clean out behind things, and vacuum up whats there (!) we find Sugar’s long lost cousin in a forgotten corner.  We’ll be gentle, we promise.

Will you be joining me?

Sarah

Top 10 Home Maintenance Items to take care of before winter hits.

Lakeshore Home Maintenance can help you with any or all of these items.  Call us today at 289-242-8439 to ensure your home is ready for the winter. 

1. Before you use any fossil-fuel-burning appliance — such as a gas- or wood-fired furnace, stove, boiler or fireplace — the chimney, vent or flue needs to be inspected for blockages or damage. A damaged flue is hazardous and can lead to carbon-monoxide poisoning or, in the case of a fireplace or wood stove, a house fire. Hire a professional to inspect the venting systems.

 2. Change the batteries in smoke alarms and carbon-monoxide detectors. Smoke alarms should be replaced every five years. 

3 . Visually inspect the roof and eavestroughs for signs of damage or leaks. Clean the eaves and extend the downspouts at least 6 feet from the home’s foundation. Roof repairs should be made before the temperatures drop and the damp weather makes proper repairs almost impossible.  

 4. Have the home’s heating system inspected and serviced for optimum operating efficiency and safety. If you heat your home with a gas- or oil-fired furnace or boiler, the flames and oxygen levels should be adjusted and the heat exchanger inspected for cracks or damage. Heat pumps need to be cleaned, and refrigerant levels checked by a qualified service technician. Fans, switches, capacitors, circuits and reversing valves also need to be inspected in operation. 

5. Change furnace filters. Why is this on a fall maintenance list? A dirty filter is the No. 1 cause of inefficiency for a forced air heating/cooling system. A dirty filter blocks airflow through the fan, which can damage not only the fan, but also the outside unit of a heat pump/air conditioner. In addition, a clean filter delivers cleaner, healthier air to the home.

6. On these cooler days, it would be a good idea to check the insulation in the attic. Heat rises, and a poorly insulated attic allows all that expensive warm air to escape through the roof. The summer storms can blow through an attic, creating huge piles of any type of loose-fill insulating materials. Use an extending paint pole with a roller attached to spread the loose insulation evenly. Call your local building official to see how much insulation is needed for your area, and add more if necessary. Approximately 95 percent of the attics we inspect need additional insulation just to meet minimum standards.

7. Inspect the openings around exterior windows, doors and any other crack or opening on the wall of the home. Homes constructed after 1980 should have a thermal barrier of insulation inside the walls, but cracks and openings on the outside allow cold air to bypass the insulation and cool the home. Caulk and seal any cracks you can safely reach. Remember, small holes at the base of some of your brick joints are drainage holes, and are supposed to be there!  Do not fill these.   Replace any cracked or broken glass.

Inspect Window frames for Rot

8. Remove garden hoses, and drain and store for winter. A hose left connected to an outside faucet can cause the faucet to freeze and break inside the walls of the home. Every time you use the faucet after it has been damaged, it will leak to the interior of the home. The leak will be out of sight and can, therefore, cause a lot of damage before the problem is discovered.  Bleed all exterior water lines after turning them off and opening them for the winter. 

9. Replace the outside light bulbs. If Murphy is right, and he usually is, your lights will go out under the least favorable conditions for replacement. Any light bulb that has a standard screw-in “Edison”base should be replaced with one of the newer CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs to save energy. 

10. Inspect the foundation crawlspace of your home. Problems with plumbing leaks, flooding, decayed wood, damaged insulation, pest entry, damaged ductwork, etc., often lurk in the crawlspace where no one wants to go.   

Call Lakeshore Home Maintenance today at 289-242-8439 to discuss getting your home ready for the winter.  2010 is supposed to be a cold one!  

Stunning Gifts by the Wreath Queen

Lakeshore Home Maintenance 

Corporate Gifts 2009

As the Christmas season approached this year, we knew that we wanted to show our clients how much we appreciated their business, their referrals, and their support.  We needed to find a company in the Oakville area that could represent what we wanted to say, and would understand our philosophy and translate it to a gift that our clients would appreciate. 

I contacted Kristeen Sopeju-Edwards of The Wreath Queen and all it took was a short phone call, a description of what I wanted, and within a few days I had this image in my email inbox.  I was elated, I actually saved the image to my Blackberry wallpaper and showed it to anyone who would look!  Within a week Kristeen had coordinated custom chocolates and candies to pack inside these boxes, and my client gifting was complete. 

It was a seamless transaction, and Kristeen could not have been more professional and helpful.   She understood my needs, translated them to a gorgeous gift and delivered in record time.  I truly look forward to working with her again on many projects, and anxiously await the next special project that we can work on together.  Watch for this as I have some ideas as to how Kristeen and I can work together on something that all of Lakeshore Home Maintenance’s clients can enjoy this year.

If you are in need of a special gift, basket, wreath or just beautifully wrapped present, contact Kristeen of The Wreath Queen in Oakville.  You can find her at www.wreathqueen.com.

It is an Oakville holiday tradition.  You drive along the Lakeshore on a crisp December evening and admire the beautifully decorated homes in the Southeast Oakville area.  Winding up and down the many streets of the town you are filled with the wonder that this time of year brings, where truly it is a “Silent Night”  and miracles are possible. 

The smell of cinammon, cloves and pine fill your nose when you walk into your front hall.  Colours are deep green with burgundyand touches of cream, and the fresh cedar rope is draped over the doorways, inviting you into the warmly decorated living room.  It’s the holiday season in Oakville, and your home is the gathering place for your friends and family over the season. 

Lakeshore Home Maintenance will transform your everyday look for your Oakville home into a lush holiday statement.  Whether your style is quietly understated or over the top all out, we can help you with you with all aspects of decorating your home for the holidays.  Whether you are looking for a light display outside, or a new themed tree, garlands throughout your home or a lush display over your fireplace, let Lakeshore Home Maintenance help you with every aspect of this wonderous season and all the decorating opportunities it brings. 

LHM can even help you with your holiday entertaining, by providing staff for your next party.  Imagine entertaining in your home, knowing that at the end of the evening your kitchen and home are as clean as when you began, everything has been done for you and all you need to do is revel in the wonderful evening you had, your friends had, and there is nothing to do but retire to bed with a sense of peace.

Lakeshore Home Maintenance, in Oakville, we take care of your holiday list…inside and out.

Call us at 289-242-8439 to discuss your holiday needs.