Category: Home

Cleaning and Polishing Granite and Stainless Steel

Cleaning and Polishing Granite and Stainless Steel

Back in February I wrote a short article on how to clean your kitchen and touched on hot topics such as floor washing, stainless steel polishing, and granite cleaning (I’m sure you’re thinking: riveting subjects!).  On the topic of cleaning granite, I suggested folks use a white vinegar/water solution to clean their granite, but I’d like to now officially retract […]

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Kitchen Cabinet Hardware and How Great Companies Are Made

Kitchen Cabinet Hardware and How Great Companies Are Made

As I stated in my guide to renovating your kitchen, splurging on good quality kitchen cabinets is usually a good idea when it comes to redesigning your home kitchen (especially if you’re looking to stay in your home for long term).  High quality kitchen cabinets are usually composed of solid wood cabinet faces (e.g., maple), full plywood box construction, dovetail […]

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How to Prepare Your Garden for Winter: 5 Tips

How to Prepare Your Garden for Winter: 5 Tips

We’ve had a cold and wet summer in the Northeast this year, so I’m not sure what the Fall and Winter seasons will bring us in terms of temperature, snow, wind, and rain.  However, I do know that a good looking garden (including grass, shrubs, and flowers) starts as soon as everything begins to die or go dormant.  Here are […]

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More Essential Kitchen Tools: Part II

More Essential Kitchen Tools: Part II

Essential Kitchen Tools (Part II) Back in October of last year I wrote about essential kitchen tools and kitchen simplicity.  The article attracted a few comments from readers stating that my list was too extreme and left out some key tools and items.  So, I’ve decided to take another look around my kitchen and update my essential kitchen tool list […]

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Home Maintenance: 5 Areas Not To Ignore

Home Maintenance: 5 Areas Not To Ignore

Interest rates are low these days and there’s a ton of housing stock available, so, in my view, it’s a great time to buy a home.  The financing part is a bit trickier these days with banks scrutinizing loan applications, but if you have a good down payment (at least 20 percent), a great credit score, ready to work at […]

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Tips and Benefits of Replacing Old Wood Windows

Tips and Benefits of Replacing Old Wood Windows

In an earlier post from December of 2008 I was contemplating replacing most of the original double hung windows in our early twentieth century foursquare / center hall colonial.  Like most decisions involving personal finance I like to make a pros and cons list.   And, at the time, I started with the cons of our old double hung windows: […]

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The Only 6 Tips You Need to Have a Great Looking Lawn

The Only 6 Tips You Need to Have a Great Looking Lawn

Photo: Our front yard used to be covered in ivy, we dug it up and seeded a lawn. Many homeowners are intimated with the prospect of taking care of their own lawn.  They fear cutting, fertilizing, and watering their lawn and year after year are disappointed with the way their lawn looks.  In turn, many homeowners hire a landscaper with […]

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8 Home Improvement and Remodeling Tips

8 Home Improvement and Remodeling Tips

Home Improvement and Remodeling Tips Do you spend hours talking to your significant other about possibly moving an interior wall to free up more space for your kitchen or what the old butler’s pantry may look like if your restored the original walnut trim?  If so, you may be itching to renovate a portion of your home.  And if you […]

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5 Important Do It Yourself Tips

5 Important Do It Yourself Tips

I’m a big fan of doing it yourself.  However, I will always hire a pro when: 1. The project is important.  For example, I would never aim to re-wire my electrical system, run a new gas line, or put in a new roof because I lack the appropriate skill set. And even if I was able to learn the skill in record […]

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Back to Basics: Classic Drink Recipes for the Recession

Back to Basics: Classic Drink Recipes for the Recession

60 Minutes ran a segment on Sunday night on DHL (formerly Airborne Express) and how they will be shutting down their entire US hub in Wilmington, Ohio.  The job cuts in Wilmington alone will result in the lose of 10,000 area jobs.  Moreover, NPR ran a similar story on Microsoft, Pfizer, Home Dept, Caterpillar all announcing job cuts (totaling some […]

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