The Perfect Home for Us

When my wife and I first started looking at homes in the Denver area, we weren’t sure whether we wanted to look on our own or hire one of the top Denver realtors to help us. We finally decided that we would be able to see a better variety of properties if we had a professional on our team, and we were able to find a reputable dealer thanks to some recommendations from my new coworkers. Since three of them recommended the same one, we decided to look at his website first. That way, there would be no commitment if we did not like what we saw.

Well, that was not going to be a problem, because this realtor was a dream come true for us. When we first met with him to tell him what we were interested in, he asked us some questions about our likes and dislikes so he could pick out the best properties for our needs. Some of the questions surprised us, and we were very happy that he was so thorough because we would have never thought to include some of the things he asked about. Continue reading “The Perfect Home for Us”

I Love the Way That My Custom-made Weapon Looks

My husband is the one who got me interested in his weapons. Left on my own previously, I never paid much attention. But he likes to go out target shooting, and when I married him, I began tagging along. This is when he would offer me a chance to shoot with him, and I really enjoyed doing it. Just a few months ago, he actually put together a handmade rifle for me that fits my exact wants and needs. He even bought me a couple of pink camouflage gun stock covers for it, too.

As someone who never cared much for camouflage items in the past, I was thrilled when I went to a sporting goods shop and found out that they sell pink camo. I now joke and tell everyone that pink camo is my favorite color. There are nightgowns, shirts, baseball hats and so much more, and I get whatever I can when we stop by the store where they sell so much of it. Continue reading “I Love the Way That My Custom-made Weapon Looks”

Having a Hotmail Email Address is Like a Badge of Internet Longevity

It was back in 2011 that the last offering of Hotmail was online. We had a Hotmail email address since 1995, I think. Now it is online under the Microsoft Outlook name. I was surprised to discover that my MSN Hotmail online login still works. I thought I would have to switch to a different email address. Often, when things are phased out, you just have to switch over to the new thing. I’m not sure how long Microsoft will let us keep using our Hotmail email addresses. I guess I just do not like change. I like keeping my Hotmail email address. It is sort of like the longest lasting thing I have had on the Internet. Continue reading “Having a Hotmail Email Address is Like a Badge of Internet Longevity”

Cheap Apartments for Rent Near Stockbridge

I just got a new job and it is going to require me to move pretty far away from where I live right now. I am kind of reluctant to pakc up and move for this new job, and I wouldn’t, except for the fact that it pays rather well and I Have been looking for a better paying job for some time now. So I guess that this is what I will have to go and I am thus looking for apartments in Stockbridge GA that are available to be rented right now.

I want to find something fairly modest, that is not going to cost a lot of money. For one thing, I don’t need much when it comes to an apartment. Continue reading “Cheap Apartments for Rent Near Stockbridge”

I Found a Really Pretty Place for Mom and Me

Coming from a tiny, almost unknown town in my state, I was worried about what it would be like to live in a bigger city. Obviously, my town is not unknown. It is definitely on the map, but even when I mention the name to people who live elsewhere in my state, most of them have never heard of it. That’s because it’s in a very rural area. But I needed to move someplace bigger. So, I saved my money and decided that a life living in one of the Asheville NC apartments that I would find would be a smart move. I needed to be close to where all the action is.

My mom is 85 years old, and I take care of her part-time. She does not need full time help, so that means that I have the ability to go out and work. But there were no jobs nearby in my town. So, that is one important reason that I need to live in Asheville. Continue reading “I Found a Really Pretty Place for Mom and Me”

Moving Closet to Home Again

I was living in California when my dream job opened up in Toledo Ohio. I was pretty excited about more than just the job too. My family is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and moving to Toledo would mean that it would just take hours instead of days to visit them or for them to come see me. I didn’t tell anyone about it until I found out I got the job, and then I started looking at cheap apartments in Toledo Ohio. I called my parents and asked them if I should get a one or two bedroom apartment in Ohio, which was my way of telling them that I was moving back home, or close to it anyway.

I already knew that I was going to get a two bedroom, because I was hoping that not only my parents would visit more often but my brothers and sisters too. Continue reading “Moving Closet to Home Again”

We Moved to a Pet-Friendly Apartment in Lewisville

My wife and I cannot have children. It is okay, but we have a lot of love in our hearts. Adopting is a crazy tedious process. Sure, I understand the necessity of being thorough in placing a child with parents, however, some of it seems a little much. We are not wealthy and we live in an apartment. Both of us have always liked dogs, and found that we could share some of the love we have by adopting one. We looked at apartments for Lewisville Texas that were dog-friendly. We actually hid our newly adopted dog as best as we could until we could make the move to our new apartment. We actually got a letter from management on the day we were moving into our new pet-friendly apartment building in Lewisville.

We had been living in our old apartment under an expired lease for a about four months. We did not want to renew because of all the efforts we were making at adopting. We were going to move to a bigger place if we could have been approved to adopt a baby. It all worked out very well. I think we would have been good parents. After all, we turned out to be great pet parents. Our dog is spoiled by us. Continue reading “We Moved to a Pet-Friendly Apartment in Lewisville”

What To Consider When Hiring A Gardener

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Whether you have two brown thumbs, or you just don’t have the time or inclination to do all the landscaping, planting and gardening that your property requires, hiring a gardener can relieve you of this burden. When you’re getting ready to hire a gardener, there are many factors to take into consideration. Spending a little time before interviewing candidates will help ensure that your needs and expectations are met or even exceeded.

Assessing Your Needs

Some landscaping tasks are best left to professionals who know the requirements of different plant types. Make a checklist of what you want to have done on a routine basis and what needs to be done less frequently or even just seasonally. While the lawn might need mowing weekly, the beds may need weeded monthly and mulched just in the spring and before winter. Ask prospective gardeners about their level of experience in each type of task that you want to have performed. Decide if you need one or several gardeners or if you want your gardener to have specialized expertise such as caring for your prized roses or the plants around your water fixture.

Interviewing Candidates and Obtaining References

Take the time to interview a few potential candidates, making sure to determine what services each gardener offers. Ask to see photos or a website with some of their previous work, including a listing of plants the gardener has worked with. Ask for a list of past customers and their contact information.

Evaluating Qualifications and Insurance

Make sure the gardener carries worker’s compensation insurance in case of accidents while on your property. If the gardener is a specialist, check that he or she has a valid pest control maintenance license, a landscaping contracting license, specialty registrations with botanical organizations and permission from your homeowner’s association. If a gardener is a licensed landscaping contractor, his or her license number will be displayed on his or her business card and on service vehicle. Determine whether the gardener has received awards and qualifications to demonstrate competency in horticulture (LANTRA awards, City & Guilds or NTCP, RHS or the Institute of Gardening). Establish a work contract with the gardener. It should include the services which are to be performed, frequency of work, method of payment, guarantees for service and other related clauses. Consider running a background check to be sure that the gardener you are hiring does not have a criminal record, active warrants, or unresolved complaints from past customers.

Finding Your Gardener or Gardening Team

Larger gardening projects, like taking care for gardens of entire home communities will require teams and for these types of projects it’s much more important to know how to pick the right individuals to do the job. Word of mouth is key in finding a quality gardener. Take a walk through your neighborhood. If you see a beautifully cared for yard, ask who the gardener is. Also ask around to family, coworkers, friends, and acquaintances with beautiful gardens. Contact your local garden care or botanical center or even the park naturalist for your city. This is great if you need a gardener with specific knowledge your lawn area needs or you need a team with good records of customer service. Searching online through websites such as Gardener for Hire, Service Magic, Service team, or gardeners plus your city name will help you find local gardening experts. If you need a specific service, Google the work that needs to be done and finding the appropriate professional group in your area. For example, if you need rose bush care, search for that plus your city name.

Going with Your Gut

Hire someone you trust, who you consider hard-working, and with whom you can communicate well. This might not be the lowest priced person, but like with many other services, you get what you pay for when you hire a gardener. Your gardener will be at you house even when you are not around, so he or she has to be trustworthy, comfortable around your pets, and responsible to secure the house when he or she leaves. Be sure to hire someone who is able to speak up when a garden plan you have is not workable, not someone who blindly follows your rules. It is better to follow the expertise of a skilled and experienced gardener rather than your heart’s desire for a plant or a landscaping plan that just isn’t feasible.

Alissa Young is in charge of a large number of gardens over at Meadowbrook Pointe and has a lot of experience picking the right gardeners to do the job. Visit our site’s gallery to see some of the work made by gardeners that we picked for our community.

The Holistic Benefits Of Indoor Plants

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Indoor plants can brighten up any room whether it is a hospital, restaurant or home. They can also naturally purify the air as well as offering fantastic health properties.  Here are several ways that indoor plants, in various environments, can benefit your well being:

Purifies the air and prevents indoor pollution

Several studies have revealed that environmental chemicals present in the air such as volatile organic carbons (VOC’s) are linked to cancer, liver, kidney and central nervous system damage.

These harmful gases in the air are caused by products such as grocery bags, paper towels, printing inks, carpets and furniture, all of which can be found at home, the office or a restaurant. Indoor plants can get rid of these toxins as they can stabilise and purify the air.

Prevents illness and improves the healing process

When you are stuck in a hospital with an illness, you hope that your body can make a speedy recovery so you can enjoy life again. Your body’s defence system is down when you are ill meaning that you are an easy target for germs and allergens.

A University of Agriculture study in Norway revealed that indoor plants can lessen tiredness, sore-throats and cold-related illnesses by around 30% as they increase humidity levels and restrict dust in a room.

Indoor plants can also help calm your nerves as its living presence can soothe your mind. People can feel happier and more optimistic as a result of these plants. Studies have demonstrated that patients in a hospital recover quicker if their window has a garden view.

A good night’s sleep can also help you feel refreshed and re-energised the next day. Indoor plants such as Gerbera daisies is known for producing large volumes of oxygen at night so that you can benefit from this type of air while you sleep.

Enables a better work ethic

As well as decreasing the possibility of fatigue, indoor plants in a workplace can stimulate creativity and productivity in employees. Everyone dreads that period of the afternoon, just after lunch, when your brain refuses to function and you lose your enthusiasm for your job.

Indoor plants can make your energy and enthusiasm last throughout the day as they can help employees constantly feel positive about their work and passions. Other research in a piece of rehabilitation literature demonstrated that if employees are no more than 45 feet away from an indoor plant, their attitude towards work will be more positive.

Can improve the profits in a restaurant or similar environment

When we are closer to greenery, we feel more comfortable in our environment. We are also less stressed when plants are around us and will be happy to continue being in that environment.

Restaurants can take advantage of this as they use indoor plants to keep people happier for longer periods of time. This means that they will be happy to order more food and might even opt for all three courses of a meal.

Indoor plants are great for any type of environment whether it is your home, workplace or a restaurant. Various plants have many useful properties and so when investing in indoor plants; you would need to think about how you can use them in a room. Do you notice the benefits of plants in your workplace?

A Way to Know if It is Spam

When my boss asked me about spam email reports, I really did not know what he was talking about. I have heard about spam email, just like anyone else who has a valid email address. It is impossible to miss the multitude of junk mail that ends up coming in, no matter how careful you are. Companies like to sell email addresses, which can get a valid email address on a spammer’s list quicker than anything. I have some filters set up on my own email account to help minimize the spam, but my boss seemed to want to go one step farther.spam email

He wanted to be able to tell which email addresses were known spam emails. He did not want to set up filters because there was always a chance that an important email could slip through, and he would never know about it. Continue reading “A Way to Know if It is Spam”