Be Ready for Hurricane Season

With the first hurricane of the season set to make landfall in Texas, it's a good time to go over your own storm preparedness supplies and family plan.

Supplies:

- One gallon of water per day per person for food and sanitation
- Non perishable food
- Battery powered radio and flashlight
- First aid kit
- Can opener
- Cell phone charger and extra battery
- Prescription medicines
- Emergency contact phone numbers

Plan:
- Know your local evacuation routes should you need to leave
- Have an evacuation bag ready with first aid kit, the supplies listed above and important personal and home documents
- Have an emergency communications plan should family members be out of the home when evacuation needs to occur

Stay informed to stay safe.  Keep up with the latest in storm path predictions and recommendations. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Importance of Air Filters

Most of us know that it's routine home maintenance to change your air filters on a regular basis. Yet we still fail to do it on time or with any real thought about why we're doing it.

Air filters not only make your home HVAC system more efficient, they also make the air your family breathes cleaner and safer.

Here's what you need to know.

- Air filters use synthetic fibers to trap pollutants and dust in the air - keeping them from entering your home.

- You get what you pay for.  The cheaper air filters are mainly designed to allow for the efficient running of your heating and air conditioning but do very little to remove pollutants from the air. They must also be changed more frequently.

- Pleated air filters remove about 45% of home pollutants while high efficiency air filters remove over 80%.

- The air filter that removes the most irritants and pollutants from your home is the True HEPA filter - removing almost 98% of air pollutants.  The main drawback is that these type of filters do not work for every home system - only those with a whole house filtration system.

Keep your home cleaner and your family healthier by choosing the right air filter for your home.

Energy Savings With Thermostats

One of the major benefits of buying a new home is the new technology built into the home through both the construction process and use of advanced appliances or systems.

Programmable thermostats are one of those advances in technology that improve both home comfort and efficiency.

Managing your heat and air conditioning needs can be a huge help in the face of rising energy costs. Programmable thermostats allow you to set a heating and cooling schedule around your family's schedule.  What does this mean?  That your home doesn't need to heat or cool while no one is home but can still be comfortable when you need it to be.  That it will adjust incrementally to ensure your night temperature is how you desire it.  It means that while your home is unoccupied you aren't paying to heat or cool it.

Programmable thermostats can save you on average about $150 a year.  Utilizing the technology
built into your new home can decrease your energy costs and increase your home comfort.

Sleep Better Tonight

The kitchen and master bath often get all of the attention when it comes to the "wow" factor in a new home.  But once you're moved in, there is one room that may be more important than any other - the master bedroom.

Getting a good nights sleep is vital for your health and well-being, especially after a big life event such as moving into a new home.

So how can you make your new master bedroom a sleep sanctuary?

Here are a few ideas:

1.  Keep it dark.  Make this one of the first rooms that gets window treatments to block out the sun and heat.

2.  When setting up your electronics (chargers, cable box, modems) try to position them in a way that their lights are not pointing toward you and possibly disrupting your sleep.

3. Figure out your best sleep temperature. The rule of thumb for sleeping is to keep the temp at 65 degrees.  Make sure you don't have too much or too little bedding that will wake you up at night.

4.  If you have outside noise that wakes you up at night, invest in sound machine or fan for white noise.

5.  Have plants in your room to improve indoor air quality. Certain scents such as lavender and vanilla are natural sleep enhancers.

What do you do to create the perfect sleep environment?

Back to School Tips

There's an air of excitement (for parents?) when the back to school supplies arrive on store shelves.  A new school year is a time for a fresh new start and an opportunity to get the kids on the right track before the homework comes rolling in.

Here are a few ideas to make life a little easier or more organized for the new year.

1.  Plan out a week's worth of outfits and hang them in the closet using a hanging sweater organizer. Label each compartment by day of the week.

2.  Create a drop zone for backpacks and folder for paperwork that needs to be signed and returned. Hang bookbags near the front door and keep school shoes underneath.

3.  Before the week gets started pack up baggies or tupperware of snacks that can be easily grabbed and thrown in lunchboxes or grabbed on the way to after school activities.

4.  Create a wipe off calendar system using different color markers for each child.  Put the calendar in a location easily seen by the whole family.

5.  Make time for family time. Don't let the busyness of the day keep you from connecting as a family.  Talk about each other's day and allow time for fun!

Helping Your Summer Lawn Stay Green

The way you care for and treat your lawn will vary with the seasons.  In the summer, it's important to be aware of how the high temperatures and possible lack of rain can affect your grass.  Here are some ways you can make life a little easier for your yard during the dog days of summer.

1.  Let your grass grow a little longer. The roots will grow deeper into the soil and the longer blades will help sustain the existing moisture.

2.  Use a mulching lawn mower instead of a bagging mower. Allow the mulch to settle back into the lawn to keep the grass cooler and trap moisture.

3.  Cut grass in the early mornings or evenings. Freshly cut grass is more likely to be damaged by the sun's rays.  Make sure your blades are sharp so as not to fray the grass.

4.  Don't forget to water! Most lawns need about an inch of water per week.  Try watering in the early mornings or evenings to prevent losing moisture to evaporation.

What tips do you have for keeping your lawn green in the summer?

Help Your Refrigerator Beat the Heat

It may seem strange but the hot summer days can affect more than just your lawn and landscaping.  It can take a toll on your kitchen appliances as well.

The heat can cause your refrigerator to run harder than normal to stay cool - affecting your utility bill and your wallet.

So what can you do?

Take these steps to help your refrigerator stay cool.

• Keep your refrigerator in a cool spot in your home (not the garage) and make sure there is some space around it for heat to go and air to circulate.
• Clean your coils regularly. Consult your owners manual for more information. Keep the front grill dust free as well.
• When you leave the house, set the thermostat at a reasonable temperature so the home doesn't get too hot and then have to cool off fast when you return.
• Uncovered food can release moisture back into the refrigerator. Keep food covered at all times.
• Don't overload the refrigerator. Only store what needs to be kept cool.
• Your most perishable items should be stored in the refrigerator itself, not the door. The temperature of the door will fluctuate the most.