Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Warmest Thoughts and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday and a Happy New Year!  Thank you for the support throughout the year! I look forward to assisting you this upcoming year!

How to Choose and Install Window Treatments?

“Naked” windows aren’t glamorous and they certainly don’t provide any privacy.  But how do you pick the perfect window treatment for your home?  The options can seem endless, can be overwhelming, and hard to picture what they will look like in your home.  But with the right helpful hints, choosing the right window covering will be a breeze.

First you must understand the different between blinds and curtains:

Blinds- able to finely control the amount of light you let in with a clean, straight-edged look.  You are more limited to colors but there are more options when it comes to the size and materials.

Curtains- able to choose from many different colors, prints and styles so your window covering can play a bigger roll into the design of you room.  You have the option to let a little light in by adding a sheer or if you want complete darkness you can add blackout fabric.  Whatever you choose, you want your curtains to blend into your design and not stick out like a sore thumb.

How to Host Thanksgiving?

Hosting Thanksgiving can be stress whether it’s your first time or your twentieth time.  To keep your stress levels low, follow these simple steps and remember to plan for enough time to get everything ready.

Establish a plan- Set a plan and follow it from when you are going to the grocery to setting the table to what time to start cooking.

Settle on a menu- Decide what you are going to make and what you are going to ask your guests to bring.  Once you’ve decided on a menu, figure out how many pots, pans, and serving dishes you will need.  If you come up short, borrow from a friend or family member.  Two important items you will need are a roaster pan with solid bottom and an instant –read thermometer to test the turkey.

Enlist helpers- Remember this is a holiday, enlist the helpers to prep in the kitchen, tend bar, set the table, or even help clean.  It’s even ok to say “yes” when someone offers to help you.

 Defrost the turkey- Make sure to defrost the turkey properly: one day in the fridge for every 5 pounds.  Don’t forget to remove the giblet.

How to Make Your Home More Traditional?

The clean lines and cozy atmosphere in any traditional home are welcoming and comfortable.  Traditional style can easily be worked into any home even if you are on a budget. 

Add textures- Add textured rugs, pillows and mix woods into rooms with neutral colored furniture.

Display family photographs, art, and mirror- Traditional style celebrates the past because it is.  Display treasured generational mementoes to add a welcoming feel to any space.  Black and white photos blend in with the neutral color palette and enhance the feeling of a home.

Display pottery and heirlooms- Pottery, wooden spoons and planters with fresh herbs all add to the traditional aspects of a kitchen.  These timeworn elements with a touch of heirlooms bring a bit of history to your kitchen. 

Keep a calm color palette- Traditional styles don’t stray too far from a neutral, calm color palette.  Look for shades of white, cream, taupe, tan, gray, light green, light blue, and light yellow.  These colors will blend nicely and set the stage for a restful home atmosphere.

Make it familiar- In traditional home, kitchen and dining rooms are gathering place.  Embrace the tradition of sitting down for dinner by making the dining space accessible and keeping it tidy.  Add comfortable seating, arrange furniture so conversation is easy, and place baskets with blankets under the coffee table for cozying up.

How to Decorate for Halloween on a Budget

Halloween brings out the kid in everyone! As the air starts to get cooler, pumpkins start appearing on grocery store shelves, and pumpkin spiced lattes are available, it only means one thing, Halloween is near!  Decorating your home for Halloween can be quite pricey but there are always ways to do it on a budget!

Create a backyard cemetery with shipping boxes.  Cut the boxes to look like tombstones and paint them to make them look like they are aging. 

Created haunted trees using oven-baked clay.  Create a pair of eyes, nose, and mouth for each tree and attach them to the trunk.

Purchase reusable Jack-o-Lanterns from any craft store to create your own carved pumpkin. 

Create a ghost-lit walkway with milk jugs.  Decorate the outside of each milk jug and line them up along your sidewalk.  Use battery powered candles to light them up at night.

Turn clear plastic gloves into severed hands and place them around your home.  Fill each glove with tissue paper, popcorn, or small shredded paper- you can even fill them with freshly mixed JELL-O for a realistic feel.

What Are Five Signs You Are Ready To Buy Your First Home?

Buying a home can be one of the biggest financial purchases you make in your life.  The dream of homeownership can be seductive, it’s important to make sure you are actually prepared and ready to make the purchase.

Your financial situation is stable- A good indicator to determine if you are ready to purchase your first home is if you have reached a place of financial stability.  All of your credit cards are paid off, student loans are under control, and you have reliable transportation.

The rest of your life is stable- Your financial stability is not the only item in your life that needs to be stable, you, yourself need to be stable and ready.  Ask yourself- is your work situation going well, is there anything in your personal life standing in the way, and do you feel comfortable in the city you are looking to purchase your home?

You are saving and not splurging- There is a mortgage for any budget but you may end up paying more in the long run.  FHSA programs for low-income/no deposit borrowers come with extra mortgage insurance in addition to your homeowner’s insurance and mortgage. 

Renting doesn’t make sense anymore- Whether you have a growing family, running out of space for your pet hobbies or a business you’ve started in your apartment, there comes a time when the cost per square foot doesn’t make sense anymore.  If you’ve looked around for apartments or lofts to fill your needs and found they are too pricey compared to a house, it might be a good time to buy.

You are willing to invest the time it takes to buy a home- Buying a home may not always be easy but it can also be quite time consuming.  The biggest mistake you can make is rushing through the process especially if you are not fully invested.  If you think you are ready to buy a home but you are not willing to wade through the ins and outs then you are not ready to buy.

What are Some Home Office Storage and Organization Solutions?

Are you tired of the messy home office with piles of papers, half finished projects, and overflowing files?  It’s time to take charge and control the situation!

Tidy Up Your Desk- Start your organizing project at the command central.  Your computer might be the largest object on your desk but try to keep your cords and wires together and out of the way.  Keep all of your pens, staplers, and other office supplies in caddies.  Organize your bills into “Paid” and “Due” categories in labeled letter holders or write racks.

Get Your Papers in Order- Purge! Before you can organize your papers, you must know what is in your piles.  Go through each pile and get rid of the papers you no longer need. Organize your papers into the correct categories and file them into separate folders.

Straighten Up Your Desk Drawers- Just like your papers, purge your drawers.  Designate specific drawers for office or school supplies, use organizers to help even with the smallest items. 

Stay on Track- Keep your family schedule on track with label clips or clothes pins with the day of the week and hang them on a cord.  Attach notes to the appropriate day’s clip with appointment times, phone number, and other necessary information.

How to Brighten a Dim Room

Although most rooms come with a window for natural it may still make the room look dim.  Even some rooms in your home may not come with windows and even have dark characteristics.  Follow these techniques to brighten up your rooms!

See the Light- If your budget will allow, consider installing more windows to “see the light.”  Consult with a designer who specializes in home remodeling to find the solution.  You may even want to consider installing a skylight.

Artificial Light- Try using LED bulbs to give off more light.  Even consider adding table and floor lamps with colored shades to add style and light.

Glass Doors- Glass door will not only brighten your room but they give off a classic look.  They are great for internal and external use.

Paint- Steer clear of the darker colors and stick with neutral colors like white, beige, tan, and light grey.  These colors will brighten up your room and make it feel bigger.  Consider painting the ceiling white which will reflect any natural and artificial light.

Furniture and Accessories- Avoid adding dark, bulky furniture to dark rooms.  Instead opt for modern chairs and couches as well as metallic and glass table tops.  Furniture and accessories with neutral or bright tones will fit perfectly in your dark room.  Also add a large mirror for reflecting and bouncing light in the room.

Should You Borrow Money from Your 401K to Purchase a Home?

House hunting is an exciting time for most people but saving up for the down payment can difficult.  If you’ve found the perfect but don’t have enough to put down, you may be tempted to tap into your 401K.  But before you do that you should know that there is a serious downside to borrowing from your 401K that could really cost you down the road.

If you borrow from your 401K or have the thoughts of borrowing from there, chances are you may not even be able to afford your dream home.  You may need to ask yourself, where is the money really going, can I truly afford this, is there money to be saved from my entertainment budget?  If living beyond your potential means doesn’t turn you off or you still are unsure to borrow from your 401K here are 4 reasons you may want to consider:

·              ·      If you borrow from your 401K, you will still need those savings

·      ·     ·      A 401K loan can compromise your future wealth

·      ·     ·      You could be penalized for and taxed on early distributions

·      ·     ·      Borrowing from your 401K can start a pattern