stephendmoreno1967-blog

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YUK, let's remove that dog "sickness" stain!

When your pet vomits on the carpet, act quickly to remove the vomit and lessen the likelihood of stains. The acid found in pet vomit can be damaging to carpet, but it can be removed with a few easy methods. Using homemade or store bought vomit cleaner will work for most stains, but for tough stains, using a professional carpet cleaner may be necessary.

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The Dirtiest Places in Your Office and How to Keep them Clean

Ask a co-worker what parts of the office they think are the filthiest and most will bring up office keyboards or perhaps the bathroom door handle. However, there are are other parts of the office that are teeming with germs that you may be oblivious to. Failure to properly clean an office can lead to health issues and loss of productivity, as many workers will call in sick. Below, are some of the dirtiest places in your office and how you can sterilize them without breaking the bank…or your back.

The Start Button on Your Photocopier Machine

A study conducted by Hloom-a prestigious template maker-found that the average photocopier start button had 1.2 billion colony forming units per square inch; this is in stark comparison to a typical toilet seat at a school, which only has 3,200 colony forming units. As can be seen, the start button of your photocopier machine is one of the most germ-ridden spots in the office. The good news is you can clean it by using a high-quality disinfectant solution or by affixing an antimicrobial screen onto its surface.

The Surface of Your Desk

The surface of your desk will also be laden with a ton of germs. It may appear clean to the naked eye but rest assured that there are many harmful germs spread across your desk that you may not be aware of. Many busybodies also eat and drink at their desks in order to save time and make deadlines. As such, food particles and spilled liquids can cause issues, and discarded napkins, paper cups, and utensils can also serve as hot spots for nefarious germs to spread.

Many employees also make the mistake of simply wiping their desks down with a damp cloth instead of using a high-quality cleaning solution. To properly clean the surface of your desk you should use a high-quality disinfectant solution daily. If possible, come in a few minutes early and properly clean your desk before the workday begins, and, if you have the time, do the same right before exiting the office in the evening.

Vending Machine Buttons

A vending machine may appear clean, but it is also a hotspot for germs to spread. In fact, if you checked the buttons on the vending machine under a powerful microscope you would find a myriad of harmful germs and bacteria on them. Furthermore, one of the issues with vending machine buttons is that you can't clean them using a conventional cleaning method. However, you can purchase antimicrobial resistance screens for vending machine buttons. Then, simply clean them whenever you have the time and you will reduce the propagation of germs with minimal effort.

Your Office Keyboard

While we did mention that the office keyboard isn't the biggest ecosystem for germs, it is still one of the biggest. Dirt and dust from your table, as well as the carpet underneath your desk, will somehow find its way onto your keyboard and set up shop. In fact, it is possible to have up to 4000 germs in every square inch of your keyboard, which can make you sick. The good news is cleaning your keyboard can be a breeze if you use the proper technique and solution. Simply wipe it down using a high-quality disinfectant solution every day and you should be able to enjoy a clean (and pleasant smelling) keyboard for your office tasks.

The Refrigerator Handle

Dozens, if not hundreds of people, will need to access the office refrigerator on a daily basis, so the handle of the refrigerator will be touched a plethora of times. As such, germs can easily spread if the handle is not cleaned thoroughly and methodically. An easy solution to this issue is to ask your coworkers to wash their hands before they open the refrigerator. Evidently, not all of your coworkers will be compliant, so the only surefire way to reduce germs is to take matters into your own hands and vigorously clean the handle, as well as the surface of the fridge, with a premium quality disinfectant solution.

The Washroom Door Knob

Another classic hotspot for germs that needs to be sterilized as soon as possible is the inner knob of the washroom door. Unfortunately, many people simply do not wash their hands after using the washroom, and even the ones that do often don't use the proper hand cleaning techniques. As such, fecal matter, and other malevolent particulates will often attach to washroom door knobs and spread from person to person. In fact, a single washroom inner doorknob in an office can house over a million harmful microbes, so cleaning it properly should be a priority. Moreover, most experts agree that an office washroom should be cleaned five times a day, with the inner door knob being no exception. Also, if your office has cleaning staff then you should ask them to also disinfect the washroom handles while they are cleaning the washrooms.

Sunrise Cleaning

Sunrise Cleaning provides full-service office cleaning services in Mississauga. In fact, we have been providing premium quality office cleaning services in Mississauga since 1992. We also offer a 20% discount for the first-time clean (some restrictions may apply), and currently, have a team of over 40 qualified maids and over 2,000+ satisfied customers. For a consultation in order to discuss your cleaning needs, please do not hesitate to contact us at 289-814-1824. You can also visit our website to learn more about our award-winning services.

The post The Dirtiest Places in Your Office and How to Keep them Clean appeared first on Sunrise-Cleaning.

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The Ultimate List of the Best Christmas Books for Kids

Inside: These are the most magical Christmas books for kids. For the best holiday tradition, share these heartfelt children's Christmas books with your family every year.

The end of every year brings together three of my family's most important core values:

Spending quality time together, whether that means reading books, playing fun family board games (i.e. not Candyland), or just enjoying each other's company,

Expressing gratitude for our blessings and finding ways to give to others, and

Dessert.

Because this is our absolute favorite time of year, we try to soak up as much winter holiday spirit (and dessert) as humanly possible.

One year, we channeled Clark Griswold with our outdoor lights and put them up before Halloween. Sorry, neighbors! (But hey, science says decorating early makes you happier, so there's that.)

Another year, we planned an elaborate Polar Express night for the kids, complete with hot cocoa and marshmallows, golden tickets like this, and my husband dressing up as the train conductor.

And then this year, we decided to build up our home library of Christmas books for kids, so we embarked on a quest to find the absolute best children's Christmas books.

Sounds fairly tame, except that we started our quest in August, and we've spent three solid months reading every Christmas or winter holiday book we could get our hands on.

The Problem With Some Christmas Books for Kids

Since becoming parents, we've amassed a small but treasured collection of favorite Christmas picture books. These are books we love as much as our kids do, so we don't mind reading them again and again every December.

But early on in our quest to find the best Christmas books for kids, we realized something unfortunate about some of the holiday stories out there: they were long and preachy.

I certainly don't mind reading a longer picture book if my kids are into it. But my 5-year-old bookworm started doing something that made me realize some of the children's Christmas books may be too long for their target audience. This is a child who would happily listen to me read a stack of 50 picture books in one sitting. But for some of these holiday books, she would turn to me after we were a few pages into the story and say, “Mommy, can we stop reading this now?”

As it turns out, kids don't really want to listen to a lecture disguised as a children's book.

So we focused on finding the best Christmas books that we can share with our children to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season.

Related: The Most Meaningful Gifts for Kids Who Have Everything

The Best Children's Books That Will Make Your Child's Holiday Magical

The goal of my family's months-long research project to find Christmas books for kids was simple: find the best books that both kids and parents will enjoy. (Because if our kids are going to ask us to read a Christmas story again and again, it may as well be something we appreciate, too!)

Every week, I put a huge stack of books on hold at the library, plus at every visit I browsed the shelves for even more children's Christmas books – not to mention every Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and other winter holiday book I could find. While we celebrate Christmas in our family, I want my kids to understand, appreciate, and respect the holidays celebrated by other families.

All told, my kids and I read hundreds of picture books on the topic of Christmas and other winter holidays.

The list below is the cream of the crop from those hundreds of books: the books I loved reading, and the books my kids couldn't get enough of. Read these Christmas books for kids to get your whole family excited about the holiday season.

Related: 42 Experience Gifts That Will Make You Everyone's Favorite Person

Bonus: How to Turn This List Into a Festive Book Advent Calendar

For an extra special way to share these Christmas books with your children, many families enjoy sharing holiday stories through book Advent calendars.

Here's how you start a Christmas book Advent tradition:

Get copies of 25 children's Christmas books from this list. If you're on a budget, most of these titles are available used for cheap, or you can also check them out from the library.

Wrap the books and stack them next to your Christmas tree. (If you're borrowing them from the library, just be careful with the tape and tell your kids the library is letting you borrow them.)

Every day in December, let your children pick one book to open. If you have more than one kid, taking turns every day works well.

Enjoy a different Christmas story every day as a family.

Kids love this Advent calendar book-a-day tradition, but if 25 books of Christmas feels like a bit much, you might try another tradition from Iceland called Jolabokaflod, or the “Christmas Book Flood.” For this, you give each other books on Christmas Eve and spend the night reading and drinking hot cocoa. Sounds magical to me!

Related: 30 Fun Holiday Activities for Your Advent Calendar {Printable}

32 Most Heartfelt and Meaningful Christmas Books for Kids

And now for your list of the most magical Christmas books for kids that you'll want to share with your family every December!

But first, a quick warning: I was surprised to find that many of our favorite children's Christmas books are now out of print. If you see a book on this list you'd like to pick up for your family, you may want to do it this year rather than waiting until next year. I learned the hard way – some books I'd planned on picking up copies of this year are now out of print, and now they're not available anywhere online. Ack!

Also, to keep things simple, you should know that we skipped over any holiday sequels to other children's books. If a holiday version of one of your kid's favorite children's books is out there, go for it!

Note: indicates my family's absolute top favorites on the list. These are the books my kids can't get enough of!

Classic Children's Christmas Books

When it comes to the best Christmas books for kids, you can't beat the classics. Every family seems to have their own favorite, but after reading aaaaaaaallllllllllllll the classic holiday tales in a short period of time, these are the ones our whole family loved most of all.

The Night Before Christmas, illustrated by Holly Hobbie – Out of all the countless renditions of this Christmas classic, this is the one you need in your home. Not only are the illustrations the most magical I've seen for this story (and I've seen a lot of versions of this one!), my kids loved that the illustrator featured a child's perspective in addition to the father's. Surprising and beautiful and perfect. If you're looking for a different style of illustration, we also loved the version illustrated by Charles Santore and the fresh retelling by Rachel Isadora. (Beware that the latter isn't available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble anymore, so you'll have to check your library.)

The Polar Express – No matter how many times I read this story, I always get choked up at the end. And even though all my kids know the truth about Santa, something about this book tugs at my heart and makes me want to believe. It doesn't get more magical than this classic children's Christmas book. Just beware that it's a little on the longer side, so grab a mug of apple cider and settle in for a cozy read.

The Nutcracker by Susan Jeffers or The Nutcracker in Harlem – Many families have a tradition of going to see The Nutcracker ballet every year, but our youngest kids are still too little to appreciate it, so instead we immerse ourselves in retellings of the story. But we couldn't decide on a favorite between these two! The illustrations are gorgeous in both, and the retellings are unique. This also works great for explaining the story ahead of time to help younger kids follow along with the story when they're watching it live. (That will make them less likely to “whisper” questions to you asking what's going on during the show.) For an interactive experience, try The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker, which has readers press a button on each page to hear a snippet of Tchaikovsky's music. A beautiful way to experience The Nutcracker!

The Little Match Girl – This is a classic holiday story from Hans Christian Andersen that I remember reading as a child, so I wanted to share it with my children too. Fair warning: You will probably cry. But even though this isn't a cheerful holiday story, it's still one of our favorites. It's the reminder we need every year that winter isn't always a joyful time for too many people around the world. This story always makes us reflect on our blessings and think of how we can help others who may be struggling this holiday season. Of all the classic children's Christmas books we read together as a family, this one made the biggest impact on my kids.

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Related: The Ultimate List of the Best Picture Books, Endorsed by Kids And Parents

Heartwarming Christmas Books for Kids

Out of the hundreds of children's Christmas books we read, these are the most heartfelt and meaningful stories we came across. You'll want to share these with your child every year!

Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem – This Maya Angelou masterpiece should be in every collection of Christmas books for kids. If poetry isn't your thing, don't let the subtitle “A Christmas Poem” turn you off this gem. As you read, this book fills your soul. It finds all the cracks and fissures created by hardships and disappointment and just fills them right up with a warm golden light. This beautiful story captures the magic of the Christmas season, and I'm so thankful our little Christmas book research project brought it to my family.

Red and Lulu – Through gorgeous artwork, we follow the story of two cardinals who live in a beautiful evergreen tree but get separated accidentally. With so many Christmas books for kids being focused on Santa and the materialistic side of the holiday season, this book is a refreshing story that has nothing to do with buying stuff or getting stuff. Plus, your kids will get a fascinating history lesson about the real Rockefeller tree and a world-famous Christmas tradition. You have to read this one! So, so good.

Night Tree – If you pick up only three books from this list, you need Amazing Peace, Red and Lulu, and this heartwarming little story. This is an older book and it's available only in paperback, so you may want to move fast on this one before it's officially out of print. In this story, you see a young boy and his family heading to the forest for an annual holiday tradition. Their tradition will make you go “awww” but my absolute favorite part is the relationship between the boy and his little sister. Everyone with a sibling will definitely be able to relate! I never get tired of reading this beautiful book to my kids. A new family favorite!

Christmas Farm – What a little gem of a book! A woman decides to plant Christmas trees on her land, so she enlists the help of a boy who lives next door. We loved their sweet friendship, and also we loved learning all about the process of growing Christmas trees. My kids were shocked at how long it takes! The book has a great way of demonstrating the length of time in a way kids can easily understand. This one's in our regular nightly rotation during the holiday season.

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The Christmas Boot – This book surprised me. Each page has more text than I would typically expect my toddler to be able to sit through, but she was engrossed in this story. It has an old-timey folktale feel to it, but it's actually an original story by Lisa Wheeler. This is a beautiful, magical Christmas tale, and it sparked some great conversations with my kids about deciding to do what's right even if it's hard or uncomfortable. Side note: The author wrote this book in honor of her friend Linda Smith, one of my favorite children's books authors of all-time who passed away from cancer. (If you haven't read Mrs. Biddlebox, promise me you will find a copy and share it with your child. It's out of print, but Amazon still has a few used copies left, or you can check your library!)

Great Joy – In this story set in the 1940s, a young girl notices an organ grinder and his pet monkey out in the cold on the street. The girl's journey of awareness and then finding her voice for change is powerful. The ending also sparked a lot of discussion with my children about how we can help those in need during the holiday season. Beautifully illustrated and written.

The Christmas Magic – This gentle Christmas picture book is perfect as a bedtime read-aloud. The lyrical text (like when “Santa feels a tingling in his whiskers”) and watercolor illustrations are beautiful, but what I love most of all is how this imagining of Santa captures the anticipation of Christmas, which is something children can very much relate to. Also, I appreciate how this book shows all the hard, thoughtful work that Santa puts into getting ready for the big day. That can help build kids' gratitude about the holiday season: all the fun stuff is possible because someone who loves them did the work to make it happen.

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A Houseful of Christmas – This book is older and seems to be out of print, so it might be hard to get your hands on. But if you typically visit extended family for the holiday season or if you have a big immediate family, this is a must-have for your children's Christmas book collection. I loved how this book captured the chaos and fun of a big family, and it just felt plain cozy to read with my kids cuddled up around me. An absolutely sweet, heartwarming holiday tale!

A Homemade Together Christmas – This story starts out with a pig family that's decorating for the holidays, and they decide to give each other homemade gifts for Christmas. The youngest pig Luca has trouble thinking of something he can make, and everything he tries to make doesn't turn out well. So finally, he settles on the perfect gift. I don't want to ruin the surprise, but if you want to show your kids that the best part of Christmas is spending time together, this is the perfect book to show just that. This story is so stinkin' cute!

Christmas Cookies: Bite-Size Holiday Lessons – During the holiday season, we tend to throw around abstract words that our kids don't quite understand. Words like “tradition,” “gratitude,” and “peace.” What I love about this book is how it brings those abstract concepts to life for children. Plus, in our family we go a bit bananas over Christmas cookies, so it was the perfect analogy for our kids to really dig into the concepts and learn what they mean. And as if we needed an excuse to make (more) cookies, the book ends with a cookie recipe!

Pick a Pine Tree – Every year on the day after Thanksgiving, we get this book out and read it while enjoying a cup of hot cocoa (with extra marshmallows!), then head out to pick out our Christmas tree as a family. This book is all about the tradition of picking a Christmas tree and the fun of decorating it, so it's the perfect story to pair with your own tree tradition. Plus, the illustrations have a fun, retro vibe that will put a smile on your face.

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Christmas Day in the Morning – This heartfelt story is on the longer side, so it's best for older kids who have a longer attention span. The main character is a young boy who wants to get his hard-working father something for Christmas, but he doesn't have any money to spend. What he comes up with in the end will warm even the Scroogiest of hearts.

The Last Christmas Tree – In a parking lot filled with big, beautiful Christmas trees, one little tree anxiously awaits its turn to get picked. But then it gets passed over again and again, until it's all alone on Christmas Eve. This story encourages kids to see the beauty and value in all things, even when they're not the biggest and “best.”

Santa Clauses: Short Poems from the North Pole – Such a delightful little book! It opens with a typewritten note: “Santa is a man of many talents. He's a toymaker, a reindeer trainer, a sleigh pilot, and a world traveler. But did you know he is also a poet?” Then you get one fun haiku for every day from December 1-25. The short poems feature vignettes of Santa's life leading up to the big day, like Mrs. Claus making snow angels and Santa untangling Christmas lights. Thanks to the suggestion of other reviewers, we'll be keeping this by our free printable Advent calendar so we can read one a day throughout December. Side benefit: After reading this the first time, it inspired our kids to write their own holiday-themed haiku!

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Related: The Ultimate List of the Best Children's Books About Kindness

Silly And Funny Children's Christmas Books

For a fun break from the heartwarming Christmas picture books, mix in one of these silly, funny tales.

The 12 Days of Christmas – This is the book that finally taught our family the correct order of all the gifts in the song “The 12 Days of Christmas.” And as a bonus, the story told through the illustrations is hilarious. Side note: At the end of the book the first time we read it, my 5-year-old turned me and said, “Why would somebody give all that for Christmas, anyway?” That prompted me to look up the history of the song, where I discovered that the song's original intention was most likely to be a memory game of sorts. Who knew?

Morris's Disappearing Bag – What a quirky, adorable little Christmas story! If you have more than one child, this is a story that will resonate even more deeply with them. The youngest will understand how Morris feels left out, and the oldest will get a big dose of empathy for their younger sibling. But don't worry because it's not heavy-handed at all. It's light, silly, and a joy to read over and over. I'm so happy we discovered this hidden gem of a Christmas picture book!

The Christmas Crocodile – My kids adore this odd little Christmas story and are currently asking for it every single day. My hunch is that every time the crocodile misbehaves and I read the refrain of “The Christmas Crocodile didn't mean to be bad, not really,” my younger kids can relate to those moments where they give into their impulses and then regret it afterwards. The part I love most is when the little girl in the story gets frustrated with the crocodile, but then she feels a twinge of sympathy and decides to give him another chance. This is a funny Christmas story of redemption tailor-made for kids whose little brains are still working on developing impulse control.

How Murray Saved Christmas – The first time I read this silly, offbeat Christmas story to my kids, I could not stop smiling. Then the kids started giggling (even the 10-year-old), and I got the giggles too. What an absolutely fun read! The story is told in the style of The Night Before Christmas, so it has a fun rhythm to it. But fair warning: If potty humor bothers you, best to skip it.

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Rudy's Windy Christmas – Speaking of potty humor: If your kids get a kick out of that, this Christmas picture book is right up their alley. Our kids gave into fits of giggles over all the new phrases they learned that mean “pass gas,” like a “I've done a booty burp” and “my bottom did a trump.” While we didn't love this one enough to purchase a copy for our home library, we will be checking it out from the library every year during the holiday season!

Santa Claus, the World's Number One Toy Expert – We're huge fans of Marla Frazee's artwork (especially Everywhere Babies and All the World), so it was fun to find a Christmas book for kids written and illustrated by Frazee. In this adorable little book, you get a peek behind the curtain at Santa and all the hard work that goes into picking out the right toy for every child. Be sure to take time on each page to look for all the playful details in the illustrations!

Laugh-Out-Loud Christmas Jokes for Kids – This book is from our favorite series of joke books, Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids. In this edition, you get lots of festive jokes that kids will love, like “What's a sheep's favorite Christmas song?” Fleece Navidad. Or “What do gingerbread men use when they break their legs?” Candy canes. Quick tip: This book is the perfect size for a stocking stuffer.

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Related: 10 Small But Meaningful Stocking Stuffers That Will Delight Your Kids {Printable}

Winter Holiday Books About Traditions Around the World

These winter holiday books are a lovely way to introduce your children to how people around the world celebrate their own winter traditions.

Winter Candle – This book is out of print, so you'll need to get it at your local library. But I've been scouring my local used bookstores for a copy because it's so good. This is the powerful story of how a single candle touches the lives of five different families who celebrate five different winter holiday traditions. Not only does the book introduce children to different traditions from different cultures, but the example of neighbors helping neighbors is utterly beautiful. If I ever find a used copy of this, I'm never letting it go!

Oskar and the Eight Blessings – In this story, a boy named Oskar sets off in a ship for New York City to escape Nazi Germany. For younger children, this is a poignant introduction to the traditions of Hanukkah and the holiday spirit. But older children will feel more deeply the severity of Oskar's situation of his parents sending him off to another country to escape the horrors of his own home. For kids who want to learn more, be sure to share the historical background at the end of the book.

Walk This World at Christmas Time – This is a gorgeous book! Each page spread shows how people around the world celebrate different aspects of Christmas. You can lift little flaps to discover more details, and my kids loved hunting down all the flaps and then finding what was hidden under each flap. We put this one next to our Advent calendar and explore a little every night.

My First Kwanzaa – This is an introduction to Kwanzaa that's best suited for younger kids. You may want to explain each of the principles covered and what they mean because the abstract concepts can be hard for kids to understand, but this was a great starting point for the conversation.

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A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa's Tasty Trip Around the World – If your kids love treats, this one is a fun addition to your collection of children's Christmas books. The book steps through the Christmas cookie traditions of 32 different cultures, and you even get the recipes for some of them. (In fact, my only regret with this book is that we didn't get the recipes for all of the cookies mentioned, but that's easy enough to Google these days!)

The Story of Hanukkah – This book is a great introduction for kids and families who don't yet have any background knowledge of the history of the holiday and the traditions surrounding how it's celebrated today. Just beware that the story does get a little violent in some spots (but then again, so does the Bible). If those parts are too much for your child, you can just tone down the language or skip those details as you read aloud.

Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story – Kids with siblings will relate to this story of seven brothers in an African village who fight and bicker all the time. We loved how the book laid out the history and seven principles of Kwanzaa and delivered a powerfully original story.

Bonus book: Our library didn't have a copy of Lucia Morning in Sweden, but it's on our list to pick up a copy next year because we've heard great things about it!

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Bonus! 4 Awesome Christmas Chapter Books

My oldest reads chapter books constantly, so she set herself a personal goal to read as many Christmas chapter books as she could this year. Every time she found one she loved, she added it to a list for me. Then I read her favorites and whittled it down to the ones we both loved.

If you're looking for a Christmas chapter book that will make a great read-aloud with older kids, this is the list for you!

A Boy Called Christmas – This is a fun adventure story complete with magic (elves and trolls and pixies!), and the humor reminded me a lot of Roald Dahl. We decided this will be a Christmas chapter book we re-read together every year as a family to get ourselves in the Christmas spirit. If you enjoy this one, be sure to check out the companion books, The Girl Who Saved Christmas and Father Christmas and Me. Such a fun series!

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street – In this story, a family of seven finds out their landlord will be kicking them out of their beloved home right after Christmas. The five Vanderbeeker children are heartbroken, so they come up with a plan to save their home. This was a heartwarming holiday read!

Paper Chains – This is a story of friendship that takes place during the holiday season. While it's not as overtly Christmas-y as the other Christmas chapter books in this list, this is just an absolutely lovely, sweet read that we had to include it. If you enjoy it, you'll want to check out its companion Like Magic next.

Winterfrost – The Larsen family is preparing for their Christmas Eve celebration when the grandmother breaks her hip. They need to take her to the hospital, so they leave the 12-year-old and her baby sister home – and that's when the adventure starts. We loved learning about the Scandinavian Christmas traditions in this sweet story!

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Download now: More Joy, Less Stress: 2018 Holiday Planner

Your Turn

What are your favorite Christmas books for kids? Share in a comment below!

Author information

Kelly

I'm a mom of four, a recovering perfectionist, and the author of Happy You, Happy Family. Parenting is hard enough without all the guilt we heap on top of ourselves. So let's stop trying to be perfect parents and just be real ones. Sound good? Join my mailing list and as a bonus, you'll get 25+ incredibly helpful cheat sheets that will ease your parenting struggles.

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The post The Ultimate List of the Best Christmas Books for Kids appeared first on Happy You, Happy Family.

[stephendmoreno1967-blog]

Investing Blog Roundup: How Important is Sequence of Returns Risk?

I recently encountered an article from the Early Retirement Now blog, discussing just how much sequence of returns risk matters in retirement. The article isn't new (May 2017). And it's pretty math-heavy. But it's worth a read.

One noteworthy finding: over a 30-year retirement, only 31% of the variation in safe withdrawal rates is explained by the average return earned by the portfolio over that 30-year period. 64%, however, is explained by the sequence of those returns.

If the math intimidates you, I would still encourage you to at least click over to the article and find the second table - the one with a column of green-highlighted cells. What these cells are showing you is how important each 5-year window of returns is in determining safe withdrawal rate.

It's quite striking how much less important each 5-year window of returns is, relative to the prior 5-year window. For example, years 0-5 explain more than 28% of the variation in safe withdrawal rate. Years 5-10 explain another 19%. Years 10-15 explain another 13%. And so on.

Key takeaway being: the returns that your portfolio earns in the first several years of retirement matter a lot.

More Thoughts on Sequence of Return Risk from Early Retirement Now

Other Recommended Reading

10 Ways Advisors Can Differentiate Their Practices from Allan Roth

How Scarcity Impacts Decision-Making from Meghaan Lurtz

When Is Guardianship Necessary? from Howard Krooks

Retirement Planning Lessons from 2018 from Dirk Cotton

How a New Kind of Community is Creating a Better Aging Experience from Joseph Coughlin

You Should Freeze Your Child's Credit. It's Not Hard. Here's How. from Ron Lieber

What Should You Do About a Falling Stock Market? Nothing from Neil Irwin

1 Woman, 12 Months, 52 Places from Jada Yuan

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!

What is the Best Age to Claim Social Security?

Read the answers to this question and several other Social Security questions in my latest book:

Social Security Made Simple: Social Security Retirement Benefits and Related Planning Topics Explained in 100 Pages or Less

Click here to see it on Amazon.

Disclaimer:Your subscription to this blog does not create a CPA-client or other professional services relationship between you and Mike Piper or between you and Simple Subjects, LLC. By subscribing, you explicitly agree not to hold Mike Piper or Simple Subjects, LLC liable in any way for damages arising from decisions you make based on the information available herein. Neither Mike Piper nor Simple Subjects, LLC makes any warranty as to the accuracy of any information contained in this communication. I am not a financial or investment advisor, and the information contained herein is for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. On financial matters for which assistance is needed, I strongly urge you to meet with a professional advisor who (unlike me) has a professional relationship with you and who (again, unlike me) knows the relevant details of your situation.

You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of this email (or by removing this RSS feed from your feed reader if you have subscribed via a feed reader).

[stephendmoreno1967-blog]

GOLDEN GLOBES 2019

A word of warning!!!! If you are one of those who doesn't care to hear negative opinions or doesn't believe one's $10,000 dress deserves any criticism or critiquing, then you should just close this up and come back in a few days when I publish a fabulous story about a house in Beverly Hills.  You've been warned!To me, the 2019 Golden Globes fashion show was a huge disappointment.  Maybe I was

[stephendmoreno1967-blog]

Tame That Junk Drawer! Make This Roll Organizer!

It's the season of organization and purging, and it's high time to get real with ourselves. Let's talk about the junk drawer. You know the one I'm talking about. The drawer that holds everything and anything: takeout menus, a few rubber bands, hardware from that IKEA chair you bought two years ago, and an orange-handled pair of scissors. Maybe you are one of the blessed few who has managed to avoid the never-ending pit that is the junk drawer. Good for you - gold medal in adulting. If you are an actual human being like the rest of us, or just need a place to put all your tools, why not roll'em?    

[stephendmoreno1967-blog]

4 Reasons why Prefab Homes are the Millenial's Best Choice

Prefab homes can be roughly defined as a home building method which uses parts made, assembled and manufactured inside a factory that are then assembled on the construction site. That makes Prefab homes a great way to get “a place to call your own.”

Enticing, exciting, exhilarating are just three words to describe the feeling you get when you think about your dream home. However, it is a daunting decision to select the right home to build and where to build it. Here are some excellent reasons why you might want to consider a prefab for your next home.

Prefab Homes: The Millenial's Choice

That is why choosing what kind of home to build, along with when and where to build it is sometimes a daunting decision. Aside from these considerations, you have several different factors you must also take into account before you decide to build. These include financial stability, mental readiness, and future-mindedness.

Image Source

There are many different types of home from which to select such as traditional stick-built, boats, apartments or even floating homes if that is what interests you. However, prefab homes have made a big splash in recent years.

But what really sets apart prefab homes from the other types of homes? What is so special about these kinds of homes? Continue reading to find out more about why more and more homebuyers are choosing prefab homes.

Faster Building Period

The main reason why prefab homes have a relatively fast building period is that the construction process takes place inside a factory. This being the case, prefab homes are not affected by weather and climate constraints. Conversely, these are the types of delays you will see in other types of home construction.

Image Sources

As from their very definition above, prefab homes have parts that are made inside factories. This encourages an uninterrupted and systematic production time which makes it time efficient and cost-effective.

Cost-Effective Solution

Since prefab homes brag a relatively fast building period, the homeowner saves on unforeseen labor costs. The assembly is faster since the parts are premade and construction takes place in the factory. Fewer days of construction also reduce the risk of unexpected weather constraints and on-site construction-related accidents.

Customization in the Factory

The materials and components made inside the factory of the prefab home builder can be customized to suit your taste. Excellent prefab home companies research on the latest trends so as to become updated in the new architectural designs. This enables them to be more versatile and to continuously improve in the field of prefab home building.

Image Source

Utility Saving Features

Prefab homes are also famous for their ability to cut up on overall energy consumption. During winter, owners of prefab homes may notice that their homes consume much lower energy than when they were on their previous homes. This is because prefab homes have specifications which regulate and insulate heat well inside the home.

Your Dream Prefab Home

If you are in the market for a prefab home, I recommend that you start with the links in this article to begin your search and education. There are so many possibilities in the modern prefab home that they are too numerous for just one article, so keep researching and taking notes to find the most wonderful prefab home of your dreams.

Other Posts You Might Enjoy:

3 Examples of Wellness Architecture for Your Home

The Magnificence of Arches in your Home Interior

12 Unique Trends to Expect in Interior Design 2019

The Best Marble Designs for Room Interiors

The post 4 Reasons why Prefab Homes are the Millenial's Best Choice appeared first on Dig This Design.

[stephendmoreno1967-blog]

The Anatomy Of An Adjustable Rate Mortgage Increase

I'm so excited to share with you something I got in the mail the other day. No, it wasn't a notification that Financial Samurai had won an award for being the best personal finance site. My site is too focused on understanding hard things to make us all rich to appeal to the masses.

Instead, I got something better. It was letter from my bank saying my adjustable rate mortgage interest rate is going up!

This is the first time I've ever received such a letter because, in the past, I would always refinance my 5-year ARM (my preferred ARM term) lower before the fixed period was up.

But with interest rates having moved up since I bought my house in 2014, the logical thing to do was keep holding it until the reset.

The Origins Of Our 5-Year ARM

We bought a San Francisco single family fixer in 1H2014 for $1,250,000. We were tired of living in the north end of San Francisco for the past 9.5 years and wanted a change of scenery.

Originally, we had planned to relocate to Hawaii, but when we found our current house with ocean views, we though this would be a good compromise.

We put down 20% and took out a $992,000 5-year ARM. Originally, I was going to put down 32%, because I had about $430,000 come due from a 4.1% 5-year CD. But with a mortgage rate of only 2.5%, I felt it was worth borrowing more and investing the difference.

The 2.5% mortgage rate was based on the one year LIBOR rate + a 2.25% margin – 0.25% discount for being an excellent customer. Back in 2014, the one year LIBOR rate was at only 0.5%, hence my 2.5% rate.

The London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) is the average interest rate at which leading banks borrow funds from other banks in the London market.

LIBOR is the most widely used global “benchmark” or reference rate for short-term interest rates. Check out the historical one-year LIBOR chart below.

As you can tell from the one-year LIBOR chart, I bottom-ticked my mortgage rate in 2014. Some of you might be thinking that instead of getting a 5/1 ARM, I should have gotten a 30-year fixed rate instead.

But given my strong belief that we will be in a permanently low interest rate environment for the rest of our lives, I felt that paying 0.85% – 1.25% more for a 30-year fixed rate was a waste of money. So my actions followed my brain.

Besides, the average homeownership duration in America is only around 8.7 years. At most, one may consider taking out a 10/1 ARM to match durations.

As I planned to either sell my home within 10 years in order to buy a nicer home in Hawaii or pay off the mortgage during this time frame, to me, taking out a 5/1 ARM was worth the “risk.”

Regardless of whether you want to waste your money on a 30-year fixed mortgage or not, mortgage rates have indeed gone up for all of us since 2014.

Based on the current one year LIBOR rate of ~3.1% + my margin of 2.25% – my 0.25% for being an excellent client, my new mortgage rate should be a reasonable 5.1% when it resets in mid-2019.

If I end up paying 5.1% for the next five years, my average mortgage rate over a 10 year period would be 5.1% + 2.5% = 7.6% /2 = 3.8%. 3.8% is pretty much in-line with the rate I would have gotten if I just locked in a 30-year fixed rate mortgage in 2014.

However, with the money saved from not paying a 30-year fixed mortgage and the $100,000+ less in downpayment, I ended up investing the difference and earned a ~7% return on average from 2014 – 2018 because the stock market went up until 2018. Although I did eek out a 0.8% gain in 2018.

But surprise! I won't be paying an estimated 5.1% mortgage rate in 2019. Instead, my letter says that I'll be paying an estimated 4.5%. Have a look at the portion of the letter below.

The letter clearly states how they calculate my mortgage rate, yet for some reason, they still come up with an estimated rate of 4.5% instead of 5.1%. Perhaps my good customer discount of -0.25% will grow to -0.85% next year? Or perhaps my bank simply made a mistake in their calculation.

No, no. Banks aren't stupid. The reason why my rate only goes up from 2.5% to 4.5% is that under the terms of my mortgage, my ARM can only reset by at most 2% after the initial 5-year fixed rate of 2.5% is up.

This maximum reset amount is pretty standard among ARM loans. But this reset amount is something you must have your bank point out in the document.

The other thing to note is that ARM loans generally have a maximum mortgage interest rate they can charge for the life of your loan. In my case, that maximum is 7.5%, but we're never going to get there in my opinion.

Unfortunately, after one full year at 4.5%, my bank can raise my ARM by another 2%, bringing my mortgage rate up to 6.5% for year seven.

However, I doubt rates will keep on surging higher as the global economy slows. Instead, by the time my ARM reset occurs again in 7/1/2020, we might very well be in a recession with one year LIBOR rates moving back down.

Paying Down Principal

In order to make more money, mortgage brokers and banks LOVE to scare the heck out of inexperienced homebuyers by saying their payments will surge higher once an ARM resets.

They don't show them a 35-year historical chart of declining interest rates. By scaring their customers, they have a higher chance of locking them into 30-year fixed rate mortgages for fatter margins.

Don't be fooled.

Historical 30-year Mortgage Interest Rate Chart

You can see from the letter that despite my mortgage rate increasing from 2.5% to 4.5%, an 80% increase, my monthly payment is only expected to increase from $3,919.60 to $4,079.33, a mere 4% rise.

The reason for the slight increase in monthly mortgage payment is because we've paid down 32% of our loan in 4.5 years ($992,000 down to $734,000).

Paying down over $250,000 in our mortgage was partly due to normal monthly principal payments coupled with random extra principal pay downs. Although the 2.5% interest rate is low, paying down mortgage debt has always been part of my long term investment strategy.

Following my FS-DAIR strategy, I would regularly try and use 25% of my free cash flow to pay down debt and use the other 75% to invest. Again, I'm just taking action based on my own advice.

I kept on paying down principal randomly until the 10-year yield breached 2.5% in December 2017. Once the 10-year yield was higher than 2.5%, I stopped because I was now getting an interest-free mortgage since I could simply invest the amount of my mortgage in a 10-year bond yield to cover all my payments.

Living for free is one of the best things ever!

If I had taken out a 30-year fixed mortgage for 3.625%, I wouldn't have been able to experience interest-free living.

Your mileage will vary in terms of how much principal you actually paid down during the initial fixed rate period of your ARM. However, even if you didn't pay down any extra principal during a five year period, you will have still paid down ~10% of your principal balance, depending on your interest rate.

An Appreciation In Your Home's Value

Even if you've got to pay a higher mortgage rate when your ARM resets, you may be pleased to discover that your home has appreciated in value during the fixed rate period.

The San Francisco median home price increased from $1,100,000 in 2014 to ~$1,500,000 today, or a 37% increase.

A $420,000 principal increase more than makes up for a measly $159.63 monthly increase in mortgage payment, roughly half of which is going to pay down principal anyway.

Again, your home's appreciation amount will vary. Unless you timed your home purchase completely wrong, such as buying in 4Q2006 – 4Q2008 or maybe 1Q2018 (jury is still out), you'll likely come out OK.

Even if you did purchase at the most recent peak, normal downturns usually last no more than 3-5 years with 10% – 20% corrections.

Make A Mortgage Pay Down Plan

Given I have until 7/1/2019 before my mortgage rate jumps from 2.5% to 4.5%, I plan to keep paying my mortgage as usual and not pay anything extra to principal.

As soon as I exhaust all 60 months at 2.5%, I will pay down $50,000 in principal on month 61. After the initial $50,000 extra principal payment, I will keep paying down between $20,000 – $30,000 a month in extra principal until the mortgage is gone or until I find my Hawaiian dream home.

Based on my extra principal payments, the mortgage should be completely paid off by January 2022, or about 7.5 years after I first took out the loan.

Anything can happen between now and January 2022, which is why it's prudent to continue investing and paying down debt while having a good cash hoard. You can now earn a healthy 2.45% in a money market account with CIT Bank, for example. That's huge, since just several years ago, savings rates were under 0.5%.

Earning a 4.5% rate of return is excellent at this stage in the economic cycle, but so is having enough cash to find a gem of a property in Hawaii at a big discount. And boy, am I seeing discounts everywhere now!

The alternative solution to aggressively paying down principal is to simply refinance my mortgage when it's time to reset to another 5/1 ARM.

After checking online for the latest mortgage rates, I can get a 5/1 ARM jumbo for only 3.25%. This means that after 10 years, my blended interest rate is 2.875%. Not bad at all.

Article Summary

1) Match the duration of your mortgage's fixed duration with the estimated ownership duration or the length of time you estimate it will take to pay off the mortgage.

2) Paying for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage might provide you more peace of mind, but you're likely overpaying for that peace of mind.

3) Read the terms of your ARM loan carefully and figure out what is the maximum interest rate increase during the first reset and what is the lifetime interest rate cap.

4) Try to make extra payments during your ARM's fixed rate period to relieve potential interest rate pressure during the reset.

5) Don't borrow more than you can comfortably afford = no greater than a 80% loan-to-value ratio with a 10% cash buffer after a 20% downpayment. Being overly leveraged is what consistently destroys people's finances.

Readers, why do people take out overpriced 30-year fixed rate mortgages when the average homeownership duration is less than 9 years? Why pay a higher rate when interest rates have gone down for 35+ years in a row? 

The post The Anatomy Of An Adjustable Rate Mortgage Increase appeared first on Financial Samurai.

[stephendmoreno1967-blog]

Crochet Cat Bed- How to Make a Cat Bed with Chunky Crochet

You kitties will love this crochet cat bed made with super-soft chunky yarn. This free cat bed pattern can be completed in just an hour. All you need is thick yarn from the craft store and a giant crochet needle.  This crochet cat bed is a purrr-fect project for beginner crocheters. Read on to learn how to make one yourself!

Crochet Cat Bed 

Hey Gnomies,

Today I'm sharing a cute cat bed that I made for my mom and dad's kitties. The cute cat you see above is Flo and she is the sweetest little cat. For this project I used the Ginormous (actual name) yarn from Michaels and a gigantic crochet hook.

Giant yarn for crochet cat bed

This cat bed uses a similar pattern to the crochet face scrubbie I shared recently.

The thing I love about crochet is that once you have learned some of the basic stitches, you can come up with all sorts of cool projects just by modifying the patterns that you already know.

Supplies for crochet cat bed:

1 skein of Ginormous yarn

1 giant crochet hook

I bought the yarn and hook at Michaels. They had an area in the store devoted to the giant yarn, crochet and knitting supplies over the holidays but you can purchase it through my amazon link below:

.The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for being part of Crafty Little Gnome

Giant Crochet Yarn

Buy It Now

Giant Crochet Hook

buy it now

You may also like: Diy Dog Proof Litter Box

Directions for crochet cat bed:

Chain two and double crochet 5 times into the first chain.

Slip stitch and chain two.

Double crochet into each of the chains.

Once your work your way around, slip stitch and chain two again.

Double crochet into each of the chains.

Repeat rows until the bottom of the cat bed is as wide as you would like it. I made mine just over 12 inches.

Next, instead of crocheting twice into each stitch, just double crochet once. This will give the bed “sides” and make it taller instead of continuing to get wider.

Once it's tall enough, about 3 rows high, finish off the top edge with single crochet.

You may also like: DIY Dog Dry Shampoo

If you need help with the crochet stitches, here is a video I found on YouTube to help you out: 

finished crochet cat bed

At first I was concerned that the cat bed would not be big enough, then I remembered that cats like to jam themselves into tiny boxes and other small spaces. If you aren't sure, err on the side of making it too small. That will be sure to attract your favorite cat.

  This is my old cat Mylo. This picture is about 10 years old. Way back in the day when I lived in my old apartment he decided my file folder was a great place to take a nap.

DIY Crochet Cat Bed Q&A: 

How do you know what size crochet hook to use?

Use the hook size recommended in your crochet pattern. Always check your gauge with a swatch. Change to a smaller hook if your stitches are too loose or a larger hook if they are too tight. 

How do you introduce a cat to a new bed?

Observe where your cat likes to sleep. Paying attention to where your cat likes to sleep will help you find a good spot for its bed. 

Place the bed in a low traffic area. 

Put some of her toys in the new bed. 

Elevate the bed or go with a perch if your cat likes height. 

Try a new spot if your cat ignores its bed.

  How do I get my cat to sleep in her bed?

Once your cat steps into the bed, hold a treat over his head until he sits down. Praise him and give him the treat when he does. Leave some treats in your cat's bed so he is tempted to come back to it. You can also try sprinkling catnip in the bed to get your kitty interested in it.

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Yield: 1 Cat Bed

Crochet Cat Bed- How to Make a Cat Bed with Chunky Crochet

Print

Make a DIY crochet cat bed from chunky giant yarn.

Active Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour

Difficulty Intermediate

Estimated Cost 15

Materials

Chunky yarn

Tools

Giant crochet hook

Instructions

Chain two and double crochet 5 times into the first chain.

Slip stitch and chain two.

Double crochet into each of the chains.

Once your work your way around, slip stitch and chain two again.

Double crochet into each of the chains.

Repeat rows until the bottom of the cat bed is as wide as you would like it. I made mine just over 12 inches.

Next, instead of crocheting twice into each stitch, just double crochet once. This will give the bed "sides" and make it taller instead of continuing to get wider.

Once it's tall enough, about 3 rows high, finish off the top edge with single crochet.

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© adrienne

Project Type: Fiber art and sewing

Have you tried making a DIY crochet cat bed? Please share your tips in the comments! 

The post Crochet Cat Bed- How to Make a Cat Bed with Chunky Crochet appeared first on Crafty Little Gnome.

[stephendmoreno1967-blog]

Survey: Gen-Xers & Older Millennials Believe Stocks are a Better Investment than Real Estate

35-44 year olds were hit hardest by the housing bust just as they reached prime first-time homebuying age

Less than half of homebuyers and sellers between the ages of 35 and 44 believe that real estate is a better long-term investment than the stock market, according to a survey Redfin commissioned in December of more than 2,600 people nationwide who bought or sold a home in the last year, attempted to do so, or have plans to buy or sell soon.

Buyers who reached the median first-time homebuyer age of 31 years old between 2008 and 2012 during the Great Recession and housing market collapse are now 38 to 42 years old. Redfin's survey results show that this was the only age group that has less confidence in real estate as an investment than the stock market. Just 48 percent of homebuyers and sellers in this age group believe that real estate is a better long-term investment than the stock market.

“The oldest Millennials and youngest Gen-Xers entered their late twenties or early thirties during the housing crash, which explains why they are more skeptical about investing in real-estate,” said Redfin chief economist Daryl Fairweather. “This generation experienced a major setback during the housing bust, which hit just as they were most likely to be getting married, starting a family, and becoming a first time homeowner. Looking into the future, we expect to see homeownership increase as Millennials enter prime home-buying age. This is because Millennials have a more favorable opinion of real estate as an investment than Gen-Xers, and Millennials are a larger group than Gen-Xers.”

In every other age group, buyers and sellers who believe that real estate is a better long-term investment outnumbered those who believe the stock market is better.

This finding is surprising given that it comes from a survey of people specifically buying or selling homes, which is a group that presumably would be biased toward real estate to begin with. Younger Baby Boomers, respondents aged 55 to 64, were the most optimistic about real estate as an investment. Previous Redfin surveys of homebuyers and sellers have not asked this specific question, so we do not yet have any data on whether this has changed over time.

Methodology

Redfin contracted Qualtrics to field a study between November 2 and December 10, 2018 of 2,647 people from the general population who indicated they had bought or sold a home in the past year, tried to buy or sell a home in the past year or plan to do so this year.

This report focused included data from the 1,784 people who answered the question: “Which do you believe is the better investment for those who do not plan to move their money in the long term, the stock market or real estate?” People who answered either “Real estate is the slightly better investment” or “Real estate is the better investment by far” were grouped together, and those who answered “The stock market is the slightly better investment” or “The stock market is the better investment by far” were grouped together.

The survey had respondents from all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

For more information about the survey and its findings, contact Redfin Journalist Services at press@redfin.com.

The post Survey: Gen-Xers & Older Millennials Believe Stocks are a Better Investment than Real Estate appeared first on Redfin Real-Time.

[stephendmoreno1967-blog]

Making Over My Garage Door in 2 Days

Over the last few months I have been looking for garage door painting ideas and after considering my options, I decided to go with faux woodgrain painting. It is not hard to do and is a very budget friendly way to update any paintable surface in and around your home. As you know I have... 

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If you enjoyed this post you may also enjoy the easy to follow DIY Decorating Tutorials and Creative Ideas on my blog, In My Own Style.com Republishing this article in full or in part is a violation of Copyright law @2009-2015, all rights reserved

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Top DIY Posts of 2018

Looking back at top DIY posts of 2018. I'm sometimes a little surprised at most visited posts – they're blasts from the past! I'll share a 2018 recap later this week but let's take a look at DIYShowOff reader favorites from the past year: 

Lighted PVC Candy Cane Decor made the top of the list of faves. Wouldn't several lining a walkway look so festive and inviting? 

Looks like a tire swing but upcycle an old tire into a planter: DIY Tire Planter. This always gets compliments at our home. Who knew an old tire turned planter would be a great conversation starter?

Pallet Herb Garden – time to give some thought to this year's herb list. I love that we still utilize this on our patio which is located right off the kitchen. Mint for mojitos, rosemary for roasted cashews. 

This one reminds, me. I really need to organize and refresh these shelves in real life. Adding it to the to-do list! This former under-utilized space in our home (there are 6 door ways in this small space!) now functions as an open pantry and we love it!

DIY Pipe Shelving Tips

Ah. Another oldie but goodie and favorite project. Next time you're at the thrift store, check out the electronics/lighting department (i.e. maybe 1 shelf of things with wiring). lol

DIY Chandelier Planter

DIY baseboards – I'm guessing inquiring minds want to know. haha! I'll actually be recreating this post in real life with some baseboard trim at the #helloredreno studio. 

Everyone loves outdoor entertaining and so this tutorial for Giant LCR Dice Yard Game was a hit in 2018!

When you've accidentally dropped your phone one too many times, it's time to get creative with ways to keep it safe!

DIY Toilet Paper Holder Shelf

DIY Tray Cat Perch – kitties love to be in the sun AND watch for birds and squirrels and what's going on with the world outside, so no surprise this made top views. Cats rule!

Love a good Cinderella story? Then you'll want to check out this Before & After Bathroom Makeover!

Any of your DIYShowOff favorites up there? Remember a few of those? What's one of your favorite projects from last year? 

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Planning Your Yard for the New Year

You've probably heard the saying “new year, new you”, but have you thought about the saying “new year, new yard”? The new year is a great time to take on new projects and to better yourself and space around you. Here are some steps for planning your new yard:

Gather Some Ideas

The first step to planning your new yard is to get a good idea of what you want for your space. You can do this by looking around for inspiration. Start with your friends and family; has anyone you know done any lawn makeovers recently? Was there anything specific that you liked or wanted to include in your space? You can also go online to look for inspiration. Look at websites, like Pinterest, and galleries of landscaping companies to pick ideas that you want to include in your space. It is a good idea to keep a compilation of your thoughts and photos or links to things that you may want to add. The more organized you are with this part of the process, the better off you will be when it comes to executing your landscaping.

Evaluate Your Wants and Needs

There are certain things that need to be included in your landscape- space for pets and children to play, adequate lighting, safe walkways, etc. There are also things that you want to be included in your space such as pools, water features, and gazebos. Write a list of all of your needs and a list of all of your reasonable wants, and start planning on what you can reasonably fit into your space. It is important to be practical and to understand that not everything will fit into your yard. You will need to prioritize what you think will most benefit you, your yard, and your family. Once you have a concrete list of what you do and do not want to be included, you can start planning.

Look into Local Landscapers

Once you have an idea of what you want for your yard and the different aspects that you want to include, it is time to look for a good landscaper. To do this, it is important to ask around for recommendations and to read online reviews. Reviews are a great way to get honest feedback and first-hand experiences about what people were happy and unhappy with in regards to their landscaping experience. Make sure to look for photos of past projects and to seek out workers with good reputations and beautiful work. The better the company you work with, the better overall experience you will have with creating a new yard for the new year.

Build a Timeline

Now that you have your ideas, your wants, your needs, and a trusted landscaper to work with, it is time to create a realistic timeline. Some landscaping projects are going to take longer than others. For instance, a pool installation will take much more time than adding some new foliage. Plan your timeline accordingly. If you want to enjoy your brand new patio for the summertime, make sure that you are making the plans to build it in the early months of spring. Having a timeline established will ensure that you get the absolute most out of your backyard remodel.

Fill Out Our Vision Planner

When you know what you want and when you want it, the next step is to fill out our Vision Planner. Your Vision Planner will help us to understand the details of your project and will help us get an idea of the total price of your remodel. The vision planner tool is thorough and effective and will help us to get on the same page as you so that we can begin your landscape transformation. You can fill out the Vision Planner here.

The new year is a time of new beginnings, and your yard should be no exception. 2019 is the year to get the landscape of your dreams, and we are here to help make that happen. If you are interested in learning more or have any questions about our services, please do not hesitate to call us at (440) 543-0500.

The post Planning Your Yard for the New Year appeared first on Cleveland Landscaping and Snow Removal.

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Giveaway Guidelines

Maid to Shine is declaring January the month of giveaways!

If you're interested in participating please read the guidelines below then head on over to our Facebook pages to enter (click here for Colorado Springs, click here for Denver).

Guidelines:

-To have the chance of winning you must be an active duty police officer

-You must be within our service area to win (Colorado Springs Service Area, Denver's Service Area)

-You must like Maid to Shine's Facebook page and leave a comment in the comment section of the designated post

-You are welcome to nominate your friends if they are active duty police (even if you are not, you can still nominate)

-If you are chosen as a winner your cleaning must take place when Maid to Shine's schedule has availability within the month of January

-This offer may not be traded for cash

-This cannot be combined with any other offers

We're so excited to get started on our giveaways for the month! We can't wait to give a nice clean home to some deserving people. Thank you!

The post Giveaway Guidelines appeared first on Maid to Shine | Your Best & Local House Cleaning Colorado Springs.

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4 Tips to Get Your Outdoor Kitchen Ready for Backyard Parties in Putnam County, NY

One of the best things about having an outdoor kitchen in your Putnam County, NY, backyard is the ability to host great outdoor gatherings. But to turn your landscape into a truly functional hosting headquarters, you may need to make a few upgrades. Try some of these ideas to get your outdoor kitchen ready for hosting fabulous backyard parties.

Upgrade Your Outdoor Appliances

Outdoor kitchens not only let you enjoy cooking al fresco, but they also give you the opportunity to cook things you might not want to make indoors. Adding a smoker to your outdoor kitchen will let you serve up delicious smoked meat without having to deal with smell and smoke in your house.

Related: 6 Ideas for Lighting Up Your Poughkeepsie,NY, Outdoor Kitchen and Dining Space

A wood-fired pizza oven is another popular feature in outdoor kitchens that isn't always desirable or possible inside. And the draw of delicious, freshly baked pizza will make your backyard gatherings everyone's favorite event.

Add an Abundance of Seating

When you're hosting a backyard party, you want your guests to be comfortable. Standing for hours on end will wear people out and send them home early. Incorporating seating in and around your outdoor kitchen will ensure that your backyard is always ready for company.

Start with an outdoor dining set that accommodates your whole family and still has a few extra seats for guests. But there are also plenty of other opportunities to add seating to your landscape. Adding a counter and bar stools to your grill island will create a place for people to pull up a chair and chat with the cook. And built-in seating walls add permanent extra seating while also helping to define outdoor rooms.

Provide Shelter From the Elements

Getting outside with friends and family is the goal of a great backyard, but the weather can sometimes put a damper on the outdoor fun. Creating shelter from the elements will protect your guests and allow you to entertain outdoors whatever the weather.

We wait all winter for summer to come so we can get outside, but the hot summer sun often leaves us looking for an escape. Adding shade over your outdoor kitchen will help protect the cook who's already dealing with heat from the grill. A well-placed pergola creates shade when you need it most while still keeping that open-air feeling. A shade sail canopy can provide shade where you need it most. To beat the sun as well as rain or snow, a cabana or covered porch will make your outdoor kitchen a comfortable year-round destination.

Don't Let the Party Stop After Dark

Often the best parties start during the day but continue well into the night. If your backyard isn't properly outfitted, outdoor gatherings can become hazardous after the sun sets. The addition of outdoor lighting will transform your landscape into a magical escape at night. Landscape lighting creates a beautiful ambiance while also increasing safety and security.

Related: Illuminate your Wappingers Falls, NY, Patio with Landscape Lighting

Talk to your landscape contractor about how you plan to use the yard after dark to ensure they come up with the best plan for your backyard. Walkways, dining and cooking areas, as well as any water or fire features all require proper lighting for nighttime entertaining.

Image courtesy of Unilock.

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Why You Should Consider Professional Popcorn Ceiling Removal

If your home's ceiling looks like it's covered in ridges or bumps, you've got a house that was likely built in the 60s or 70s. However, this design hasn't only become dated over the years; it also poses a high risk of collecting dust. Keep in mind that these are not the only reasons you should consider hiring a professional popcorn ceiling removal service.

By reading this brief blog post, you'll learn exactly what you have to gain not just by removing and replacing your popcorn ceiling, but why it's always better to hire a professional to do the job for you.

  Pros of Removing Popcorn Ceilings

If you're the type of person to redecorate often, you'll quickly learn that decorating a popcorn ceiling is impossible to accomplish. Once it's gone, you can paint it whatever color or design that you want without worrying about the popcorn material getting in the way.

If the ceiling becomes damaged in any way, repairing it can be a challenging task. Replacing portions of the ceiling is not easy with popcorn ceilings because finding the exact texture and color is difficult, almost ensuring that your ceiling will look inconsistent once the repairs are complete. For complete uniformity, the whole ceiling would need replacing.

When your deep cleaning season finally comes around, you'll quickly learn that cleaning a popcorn ceiling of dust and cobwebs is unbearable. Bits and piece of ceiling falling onto your floor and forcing you to clean for longer is not something you should have to deal with in the future.

Why Hiring a Pro is the Way to Go

The only way that you're going to be able to decorate your ceiling is if you remove the popcorn material, which is a daunting task you should never tackle on your own. If your ceiling is particularly large, the labor needed to remove the material is going to take far more than a single pair of hands to complete. Having a few extra sets of hands can make the process far more productive.

It's likely that drywall is sitting behind your ceiling, which means if you don't know exactly how to remove the popcorn material, you'll easily damage the drywall in the process. Furthermore, it's incredibly important to get the ceiling tested for asbestos and lead, two toxic chemicals you do not want to be breathing in.

When you have a professional removing your popcorn ceiling, you reduce your exposure to these chemicals which may potentially be inside your ceiling. Plus, if the ceiling were to be damaged in any way, you wouldn't have to address the issue of toxic chemicals when you least expect it. If you have children living in your home, this particularly important.

Replacing your ceiling doesn't have to be difficult when you have a painting company by your side. They know all the precautions you need to take prior to removal!

About the Author

The team at Platinum Painting considers safety and security to be a very high priority. When you hire individuals to inspect and remove popcorn material from your home, you can rest assured that they've done it many times before and know the exact precautions necessary to reduce potentially toxic exposure to certain chemicals. To learn more about the removal process or receive a free quote for your next home improvement project, you can contact them through their website.

The post Why You Should Consider Professional Popcorn Ceiling Removal appeared first on Platinum Painting Blog.

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Happy Holidays: See you in 2019!

Image above by @OliviaRichards from @PartyCrushStudio

Oh, what a year it's been! 2018 has flown by and our team is looking forward to our annual break and a chance to regroup, celebrate with family and get ready for the next year. This year we started a new print magazine, launched a new podcast, traveled around the country to celebrate both, and put a new project onto the stove that will hopefully (fingers crossed) be starting early in the new year. We have some very BIG news coming up after the break, too, so I hope you'll join us on Monday, January 7th when we're back from the holidays with our regular weekly content.

Until then, all of us here at Design*Sponge are wishing you a safe and happy holiday, safe travels if you're heading anywhere and best wishes for a happy new year. I know this year has been filled with ups and downs for so many in our community and we just to send all of our love and our gratitude for your continued support, feedback and friendship. Next year Design*Sponge will turn 15 (!!) and this year we really got a chance to sit back and look at how we've all grown up together. We are all feeling awash in gratitude and thanks. So from all of us to you and yours, thank you and have a wonderful holiday! We'll see you in 2019! (January 7th, to be precise). xoxo, Grace