Women are more interested in ‘green’ products than men. Going green is very popular today, affecting our homes and lifestyles. With respect to your home, green and energy efficiency are the 2 hot topics, so you’ll be seeing lots more about both these trends in many different places.

One problem with popular trends is everyone wants to participate and often, the marketing (read “packaging”) makes claims about being green when nothing about the product inside has changed. Take time to read about green and you’ll be able to decipher some of the labeling and make more intelligent decisions about what to buy. READ MORE

Utility companies serve thousands of customers and you represent just one customer! They have processes to manage their business as cost effectively as possible but that doesn’t always include great customer service, and unfortunately it often means that you are paying for something you never requested … or in my case, something I discontinued but kept getting billed for.

Technology is playing havoc with some utilities. Phone companies are struggling as more people are consolidating their service … and the winner is the cell phone! READ MORE

When I found this video I wanted to share it because it does a great job of highlighting how complicated our lives have become. What amazes me is how much we take for granted … until something happens, i.e. no hot water or gasoline prices spike.

The title of the video is very subtle, Remind Me. It’s a fun video depicting a day in the life of someone living in the UK although it’s made by a French film company. Here are just a few of the things it highlights, that we take for granted each day of our lives: READ MORE

Estimating home repair costs is challenging when you can’t see the extent of the problem. Repairing rotted window sills is a top handyman project, but until you remove the rotted wood, it’s difficult to estimate the hidden damage. The sad part is most wood rot could be prevented if home owners understood that routine (yearly) maintenance is critical to protecting their home.

When it rains, people cover up to stay dry. We know a brown bag  disintegrates when it gets wet. When your home gets wet because of cracked paint or openings which allow water to get into the wood, similar damage begins but it can go unseen for years when hidden beneath the surface. Annual inspection up close will help find these problems early.  READ MORE