St. Patrick’s Day is upon us and with it have come some very lucky deals. Whether you’re going green, adding green to your decor or just looking to spend your green wisely, these are some weekend deals sure to please.
Author Archives: Lauren Cabral
House Envy: Victorian-Era Home in GA
Photo: oldHouses.com
HOUSE STYLE: Folk Victorian
LOCATION: Millen, GA
PRICE: $148,000
HOUSE STATS: 3,200 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, sitting room, dining room, office, front and back porch, detached garage
WHY WE LOVE IT: Improbably, this 1890s Folk Victorian home in Millen, GA, manages to be both rustic and refined at once. That’s the view from the curb, at least. The interiors are, if not lavish, then generously proportioned and finely detailed. The original tongue-and-groove pine floors have been completely refinished and a grand staircase greets visitors upon entrance. Enhancing the home’s period appeal are elegant light fixtures, high ceilings (10-14′), and five (count ‘em!) fireplaces.
DIY Deals: Early Spring Weekend Sales Watch
ellisonlane.blogspot.com
Spring is the season of renewal—especially for your home, so take advantage of some of the amazing sales this weekend. Here are just a few to get you started:
Preventing Home Accidents
It’s easy to overlook the obvious, especially when you’re busy, distracted or anxious to get something done. But oversights when tackling home improvements, and even routine chores, can have serious consequences, particularly when it comes to personal safety.
In Preventing Home Accidents (Hunter House, 2012), author and certified safety professional Dan Hannan, serves up a comprehensive guide for raising home-saftey awareness. As an experienced safety educator and trainer, Hannan acknowledges that, while safety isn’t the most thrilling topic, it is an important one; especially since 46 percent of all accidental deaths each year occur in the home, outpacing automobile and workplace fatalities combined (according to the National Safety Council).
Win a Toro TimeMaster in Bob Vila’s Spring Give-Away!
Spring is just around the corner and with it warmer temperatures, planting and gardening, and lawn care. That’s why we reached out to our good friends at Toro for this month’s Bob Vila Spring Give-Away. Starting today—and every day during March—you can enter to win the new Toro® TimeMaster walk-behind mower, valued at $1,049.99 (MSRP).
The Toro® TimeMaster’s extra-wide, yet lightweight, 30-inch cutting deck allows you to mow your lawn up to 40% faster than if you were using a typical 21-inch walk-behind mower. Featuring self-propelled maneuverability, the mower includes an innovative Personal Pace automatic drive that adjusts easily to different mowing speeds, while a traction-assist handle helps tame uneven terrain. The mower’s Spin-Stop function also allows you to stop the cutting blades without shutting off the engine—ideal for removing obstacles from your mowing path without having to restart the engine.
Additional features include a twin-blade cutting system, a two-point height-of-cut adjustment that gives you professional looking results, a 12-gauge steel deck, a cast aluminum frame and a Briggs & Stratton® 190cc OHV engine to provide durability you can count on. When you’re done mowing, the Quick Stow lever allows you to conveniently change handle height positions for easy, compact storing.
Bob Vila’s “Love Your Laundry Room” Sweepstakes
Finding it hard to believe that you could “Love your Laundry Room”? Well, this Maytag duo featuring the new Bravos XL High Efficiency washer and dryer could change your way of thinking. And, all you need to do to bring the pair home is enter for a chance to win the February Bob Vila “Love Your Laundry Room” Sweepstakes, starting today.
The Maytag Bravos XL High Efficiency washer and dryer are each valued at $1,199 (MSRP) and come in either white or granite, shown. The large capacity 7.3 cu. ft. dryer features an advanced moisture sensing system that helps evenly dry large, heavy loads and reduce the risk of shrinking. An Auto Refresh cycle aids in relaxing wrinkles and uses steam to refresh clothes.
The companion 4.6 cu. ft. Maytag Bravos XL washer has an allergen removal cycle that helps eliminate 95 percent of common household allergens, and boasts a PowerWash system that tackles even the toughest of stains.
In addition to their sleek, modern design and advanced cleaning and drying features, the Maytag Bravos XL products are designed for savings. The dryer uses 40 percent less energy than standard models when used with the washer uses 76 percent less water and 78 percent less energy.
For official rules and entry, click here. And, enter daily—until midnight EST, February 29—to be eligible to win this American-designed, American-made washer and dryer from Maytag.
To learn more about the Bravos XL and complete line of company products, visit Maytag.
Pantone: The 20th Century in Color
While I’d always been interested in history, it wasn’t until I got to college that I fell in love with it. A special course on the 20th century actually led me to make the subject my second major.
That course was taught by one of the top professors at the university I attended. What made him different was that he didn’t focus on dates, names, or places. Those were all essential to learn, but even more important, the professor told us, was to see the big picture. To trace how different things came together to push movements and people forward. To understand where we’re at today, you’ve got to understand the ways in which we’ve evolved.
Dissecting Friday the 13th and Other Household Superstitions
For centuries, people have viewed Fridays and the number 13 as omens of bad luck. And when the two combine on the calendar, it’s double the trouble.
Of course, I’ve never bought into this idea; after all, I was born on a Friday the 13th (during a full moon at that!) and I think I turned out all right. Still, it’s worth examining the Friday-the-13th legend, along with a few other household superstitions that may interest all you handypeople and homeowners.
Friday has been considered unlucky since at least the 14th century, when Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales associated the date with bad fortune. Old wives’ tales mark Friday as a day of inauspicious beginnings—some sailors are still reluctant to begin voyages on this weekday. Then there are the religious beliefs: that Jesus was crucified on Friday, the same day of the week Abel was slain by Cain and Adam was urged by Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.
Bob Vila’s $1,000-A-Week New Year’s Give-Away
We know that some of your 2012 resolutions have to include a home improvement project or two. That’s why we teamed with InComm—the nation’s largest provider of gift cards—to launch Bob Vila’s $1,000-A-Week New Year’s Give-Away.
Every week in January, starting today and running through February 1, you can enter to win $1,000 in InComm Do It Yourself Home Improvement gift cards, redeemable at some of your favorite retailers, among them: The Home Depot, True Value, Sears, Restoration Hardware, Sherwin Williams, and Menards. Think of the DIY projects you can tackle with gift cards redeemable at multiple retailers and thousands of locations around the country.
To enter this week’s drawing and see official rules, click here. And, remember you can enter once a day, every day throughout the contest period to increase your chances of winning.
To learn more about InComm’s Do it Yourself Home Improvement Gift Card, and a complete list of retailers where card is redeemable, visit the company’s website.
LUTRON Serena Cellular Shades
LUTRON, a brand commonly known for its innovations in light control and dimmers, recently added a new and more affordable—starting at $299—line of cellular shades with Serena.
The remote-controlled Serena Cellular Shades, which can be mounted easily inside or outside window frames, are available in more than 50 fabric colors and a choice of opacity, from sheer and translucent to room darkening. Since all fabric shades come with a white backing, they not only provide a uniform look from the outside but offer light reflecting benefits that help keep interiors cool during summer months.