Get Your Home Fall Ready

The calendar now says October so that means cozy sweaters, stylish boots and pumpkin yummies. It also means so much needs to be done outside your home to get it ready for the upcoming winter. This week evening temperatures may dip down to the low 20's here in Missoula, that's cold. Here is a To-Do list of what needs to be done before the snow arrives. *Make sure your hoses are removed from all the outside spickets, believe me when I tell you this can save you a homeowners insurance claim. *Have your sprinklers blown out, as this prevents pipes from freezing and ruining your sprinkler system. *Clean out your gutters and remove leaves and other debris as this can clog up and keep water in there which will eventually go under your shingles and cause water damage. *Rake up the leaves as dead leaves sitting on your grass all winter may kill the grass. *Caulk cracks in wood base windows and other entry points to help seal in the heat for this winter. *Trim trees and bushes as heavy snow and ice can cause them to crash into your home if they are not taken care of now. *Don't forget to add some cornstalks, hay bales, pumpkins and other fall items to spruce up your outside.

What SUP?

What SUP? Say that fast and you may get "not much" as a response as it sounds like what's up? What's up is the Clark Fork River will be hosting Missoula's first competitive paddleboard race July 21st. The Windermere SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) cup is a fundraiser for Missoula's river projects. The paddlers will race 5.3 miles downriver of the Clark Fork starting at the Sha-Ron fishing access all the way to Riverside Park area. It is open to elite and recreational paddlers. And will end with a Montana luau in Caras Park. Registration started last week and costs $80 for Elite and $50 for recreational racers before July 2nd. After then the fees go up to $100 and $70 for late registrars (July 3rd-July 20th). Register at supcupmt.com. Proceeds will benefit the Clark Fork River rehabilitation projects, including Brennan's Wave and watershed education. A $5,000 prize purse will be shared equally among the elite men and women’s divisions, and the recreational division will compete for trophies, prizes and laughter!

Keeping Up With the Joneses

Summertime is usually a time when you start thinking of outside chores. If this is the summer you plan to paint the outside of your home here are some hints and ideas to help you pick what's best to complement your home's style, curb appeal and your neighborhood! *Go outside your home and take a looksie around. Write down all the colors you see surrounding your home - green bushes, brown roof, red brick - you get the idea. You will want a color that will complement what you already have going on. *If your home receives lots of sunlight it is suggested that you choose a lighter color to paint as the sun will bleach out a darker color. Also, smaller homes look bigger and better with light colors, darker make them seem smaller. *I always drive around town and take notes of the homes I like and their color combos. *Don't forget about accent colors! You can add a lot with a little color around windows or painting the door. Happy Painting!

5 Easy Steps to Not Make Mom Mad

It's Earth week and what better time to remind you of a few easy steps you can easily do to help keep old Mother Earth happy and to make a better world for the next generation. Here are 5 easy steps to follow: #1. Must have your caffeine fix every day? Make sure if you are purchasing the fix that you are bringing your own travel mug. Most coffee shops paper cups are not recycable! #2. WALK. Walking is so much better for our environment and helps you feel a little better too. It's a win-win. #3. Buy local - you help local folks and it cuts down on fuel and shipping costs. #4. Read online. Reading the paper online reduces the land fills! and #5. Unplug - unplugging your appliances saves energy. Did you know if something is plugged in and even if it is turned off it is still draining power and electricity? May cut down your monthly bill as well. Come on. You know the old saying, if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. Let's be happy.

Can you afford a home?

Real Estate Market Is Back!

Real Estate Is Back – 2013 ActiveRain Survey

Home ReSource - What a resource!

You've heard the name but have you actually been to Home ReSource or actually know what they do?  I had the pleasure of visiting there a few weeks back in need of a door. Didn't want to spend a lot of money so I thought I would check them out.

Wow! What an amazing place! It is a building materials re-use center and this place has everything from screws, a box tile or a full kitchen remodel. And can you save some bank! If you have a project that you are getting ready to start I would highly recommend visiting them at 1515 Wyoming before you get too deep and see what they have to offer for you next project/remodel.

Here are a few facts about Home ReSource -


     *Rates are competitive
     *If you donate materials you can receive a tax deduction
     *Saves about 95% of the energy that would be used to produce the same materials new
     *Helps people of all income levels improve their homes and neighborhoods
     *Did you know that lumber from earlier decades is more dense, drier and even stronger then     recent lumber? Even with nail holes!
     *They also work with local agencies to train men and women who have barriers to employment and teach them skills and get them into level entry positions.


Check them out :  http://www.homeresource.org/

And exactly who is this St. Valentine?

 

 

February - oh, the month of love. What do you think of? Hearts? Roses? Chocolate? Everybody has bought into this commercialized holiday but do we even know where it came from? Why do we spend money (and hopefully time) on this day to show the ones we love, that we, well, love them?

 

One legend exists that Valentine was a Catholic priest who served in ancient Roman times. When Emperor Claudius declared that single men where not able to marry because they made better soldiers than husbands, Valentine continued to marry these young men in secret. Valentine was sentenced to death when the emperor realized what he was doing. Not really the happy ending we all hope for, huh?

 

The holiday is celebrated in the US, Canada, the UK, Mexico and Australia to name a few.  Americans began exchanging and celebrating in the 1700's. In 1840 the first commercialized valentine card (with lace and all) was sold.

 

It is also the second largest day for card giving, Christmas ranks first. I would like to note that 85% of the card purchasers are women. Women? Oh wait, men purchase 73% of the flowers. So, it pretty much equals out.

 

Interesting Valentine Facts:

 

• Most cards are purchased in the week of Valentine's making it a Procrastinator's holiday.
• 220,000 is the average number of wedding proposals on Valentine's Day each year. (I wonder how many babies are born 9 months later)
• About 3 percent of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.
• Teachers will receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets.
• AND, more than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shining Waters, Montana?

Missoula is a beautiful, little town that over 68,000 of us call home, but do you know any of the history of our awesome town?

Missoula is a Salish Indian word meaning "by the shining waters".

*Founded in 1860 and originally called the Hell Gate Village.

*Lewis & Clark were in the area twice during their expedition

*In 1883 Northern Pacific Railway arrived to help booster the economy and lifestyle.

*1893 brought the first university in Montana to Missoula - University of Montana.

*The second largest city in Montana.

*In 1908 the US Forest Service came to town and in 1942 started training smokejumpers.

*Approximately 45 miles from the Idaho border.

*13,000 years ago Missoula was the bottom of a lake.

*Home to the International Heart Institute - St. Patrick's Hospital.

*The Norman Maclean book "A River Runs Through It" is based on the Missoula area.