Exterior window shutters can add a classic look to any house, regardless of its style.  From Cape Cod colonial to modern ranch; from clapboard to shingle to brick to aluminum siding–any home’s exterior will benefit from exterior shutters. You’ll find exterior shutters in a variety of both shapes and materials at your local home store.  […]

Kitchen wall clocks can be a critical piece of equipment if your family actually sits down at a table and eats breakfast (heaven forbid in this busy age) – and also has deadlines for school and work. And you need a wall clock because most kitchens are loaded with ‘stuff’ and who needs more crap […]

My brother has a clawfoot tub in his home and I really admire the way it looks. Sort of old-fashioned, but with modern plumbing. Still, I’ve wondered if it’s a practical choice? I only have a ‘regular’ old boring type tub. Here are some of the tub’s strong points –  and weaknesses. Installation Clawfoot tubs really […]

We recently had our HVAC guy here because of a problem with our AC unit. We have dual units and one is very new but the other is not. According to him, the older units are just plain superior to newer ones because the environmental regulations have caused the units to become less efficient and less […]

I need to choose a new kitchen sink this summer, and I’ve been wondering if a copper sink would be a good idea? They certainly look great, but lots of attractive products make no sense over the long haul. Copper kitchen sinks are currently undergoing a renaissance. Once considered ugly and as old-fashioned as Tiffany lamps, […]

In an earlier post I described our experiment to repulse sugar ants that seem to love our home. I deliberately used the word “repulse” rather than “kill”. I actually admire ants … they’re industrious, hard working and apparently loyal to their clan, if that word can be used with ants. Those are all admirable qualities […]

It’s definitely that time of year to think about your ceiling fans, if you have any. I’m in love with them and have the one over my bed going all night, every night – even in the winter. OK, so I’m weird to have my ceiling fan blades churning away when it’s 20 degrees outside, […]

We all know that butterflies, along with bees, are one of the biggest contributors to pollination. Butterflies speak the language of flowering plants, and they determine which flowers have nectar in them by their colors. Apparently, butterflies learn that flowers with yellow, red, pink or purple heads are rich in nectar. Your garden stands a much better […]

According to various agencies, there is a burglary every 13 seconds in the US. Is that an accurate number? No way to know but burglary is a nasty crime that usually lasts 12 to 18 minutes – but its consequences can last a lifetime. It’s important to know that most burglaries are opportunistic in nature. So here […]

Wallpaper has come a long way in the past fifteen years. The mental image you get of your grandmother’s brown striped wallpaper that is peeling in her kitchen is no longer applicable. The new paper that is being produced is not only more colorful but easier to hang on your wall and easy to take down […]