Cold weather=yummy soup

I love making a big pot of yummy soup on a cold fall night. Here is one of my easy, cheap go to soups.

Rustic Fall Veggie Soup

1 tbs butter
1 diced yellow onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 peeled and diced winter squash
1 diced zucchini
1 peeled and diced sweet potato
1/2 c orzo
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomato
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
4 c. chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large crock heat butter and add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and saute until golden brown.
Add winter squash, zucchini, sweet potato, orzo, canned tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and broth. Simmer until veggies are soft and cooked through for around 30 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hot crusty bread and enjoy. 

Easy Halloween Decorations

Halloween is on the top of my list for best holidays! The cooler weather is a welcome change after a dry hot summer, leaves are changing color and lets face it, dressing up is fun for all ages. I try not to go crazy spending time or money on decorating since the holiday seems to come and go so fast.

Here are a few of my DIY affordable Halloween decorating ideas.

-Fill apothecary jars with fall colored candies.
- Banners made from card stock and colorful paper
- Specimen jars filled with colored water and creepy toys
-Turn your yard into a graveyard with headstones made from Styrofoam
cutouts and some spray paint.

This can become a super fun activity to do with the family every year. Stay safe and have fun!

Fall checklist

Fall is my favorite time of year, so much so I don't even mind the to do list to get ready for this magical time of year!

Here are just a few things I like to do before the cold months start:

Fertilize all the trees shrubs and lawn.
Clear out the gutters and make sure they are damage free.
Make certain the down spout attachments are draining away from the foundation.
Check all the insulation around the doors and windows.
I install the Christmas light hooks during the summer and keep them up all year round, this makes it a breeze to throw up the lights.
Clear out my closet of warm summer clothes to make room for cute sweaters.
Donate old coats and boots.

With all the holidays during fall and winter things can get busy, a little prep now can save stress later.
Call us to book your bin for your project.

Labor Day To Do

As summer comes to an end many of us are starting the busy season with school and sports, holidays, and everyday tasks. Finding time to get stuff done around the house can be a challenge. This Labor Day make some time between BBQ's and weekend fun to get some things knocked off your to do list. Maybe use the extra long weekend to do some winter prep to your yard and house. Here is a list of a few things you can do.

Organize your closets and junk drawers. Go through your clothes and toss the stuff you don't wear. Cleaning out the junk drawer is instantly satisfying.

Get your grass, trees, plants and shrubs ready for cold winter. The internet can be a great place to see what your yard needs to be winter ready.

Clear out the garage. I like to do this every season, I use my garage to store so much junk it really needs a regular clean out. Plus I really like having the room to park my car inside to avoid the weather.

Update your bathroom. Sprucing up the bathroom can be an easy remodel project that is easy to get done in a weekend and can be very affordable. Keep it simple and do a fresh coat of paint a few new rugs and pretty shower curtain.

Don't forget to spend the long weekend relaxing and enjoying the time with friends and family. Give us a call if you need help hauling off your junk.

Remodel ideas for 2018

Top ideas for remodeling your home

White wash: An all white interior is trending this year. White walls, light colored flooring, white furniture, every hue of white is being used to decorate homes. The clean and simple look is very appealing to home buyers and home owners. Using all white to decorate can really open up any room and give the illusion of light and openness.

Patio on the roof: Apartment complexes have used the space on the roof as an outdoor living space for many years. This trend is now becoming popular with residential homes and people are getting really creative with adding a rooftop patio to their homes.

Open kitchen shelves: This trend has been around for centuries, the closed cupboard came much later. Open shelves can be a lovely addition to any home. Just be prepared to keep those shelves organized and neat, no more hiding the chipped mugs and plates behind closed cupboards.

Smart homes: Unless you live under a rock you know what a smart phone is. More and more people are adapting their homes to a smart house. You can hook up lights, doors, heating/cooling, cameras, security systems, your coffee pot, the possibilities are endless. The best perk for owners of smart homes is the security of monitoring their homes and even the savings from controlling the temperature from their phones.

No cook summer eating

No one wants to cook when it's almost hot outside! Meals that don't take time or heat when it's hot outside is my favorite. Here are two of my favorite things require very little ingredients or effort and the best part, NO COOKING!

The first is a recipe for a snack the whole family loves and best part, it's super healthy

Power Balls:
1 c. old fashioned oats
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. ground flax seed
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/3 c. honey
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. vanilla extract

combine all the above in a bowl. Let it chill in the fridge for 30 mins then form into 1 inch balls.
My kids love these as much as we do, they really love helping me make them. I can eat 2 of these (with some restraint since I can probably eat the whole batch by myself in one sitting) for a snack and my hunger subsides and I feel energized. Enjoy!

The next recipe is for an easy ready to take breakfast:

Overnight fridge oatmeal:
1/4 c. uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. vanilla yogurt
1 and 1/2 tsp chia seeds (I add extra since I love chia)
2 tsp maple syrup
1/4 c. blueberries

Mix ingredients in a small jar, secure the lid and shake until well mixed. Place in the fridge overnight and your yummy breakfast is ready for you to grab and go first thing in the morning.

Clean that garage

Is your garage over taken by junk? It is so easy to throw stuff in the garage that you don't know what to do with.  Sometimes boxes full of stuff that never got unpacked from a move, or sentimental childhood things sit in boxes gathering dust. Workbenches over stacked with tools and extra materials, car parts, yard tools, you name it and it ends up in the garage. The garage can become an area of the house that gets over looked because the clean up and clean out seems overwhelming.

As with any home project start with a plan. Decide what type of stuff you want to keep and what to toss. I like to enlist the help of an unbiased friend. They can help you toss stuff that you've been keeping around that serves no purpose but a space waster. Get some bins and shelves to help organize the stuff you are keeping. A clean well organized garage is definitely worth it!

Give us a call if you need a bin to haul off your junk.