Winter Storm Prep Tips

Dallas friends, the time is here. Winter is coming. This week. Like tomorrow. In the past few years, we've had days without power, burst pipes, flooded kitchens. Let’s do EVERYTHING we can to be prepared for the upcoming freeze.

Here are some of our pro tips and some of our family favorites for snow days.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BISHOP ARTS DISTRICT

1. Foundation

   Pier + Beam: you should have vents that allow air to pass through your crawl space. During the summer/spring/fall, these should remain open so that moisture doesn’t collect underneath your home. In the winter, these vents should be covered in order to keep the warm air inside.

2. Pipes/Plumbing

   If you have any exposed pipes on the outside of the home - think hose bibs or spigots, these should be covered and insulated. Your general hardware store should have options for foam hose bib covers. Any above ground pipes should be insulated - this is available at your location hardware store and DIY friendly. If you have places where cold is concentrated - like an outside wall, a bathroom on the corner of the house - then keeping those spaces as warm as possible in order to keep them from freezing. Keeping a space heater handy if your pipes freeze is also helpful. You can use it to warm up the space as long as you have electricity.

3. Drafts

   Make sure your exterior doors and windows have a good seal on them. Drafty doors and windows lead to escaping heat and result in a higher electric bill. Most hardware stores have foam-thresholds you can add to exterior doors that are very inexpensive if replacing isn’t in the budget.

4. Home Generators

   Getting a full-time home generator is expensive. It has a long wait time usually and require a permit from the city. Having an electrician add a sub-panel that allows for a generator connection doesn't require the above expenses and time. You can then use specific appliances (on breakers) as needed when the power fails. This is a fairly inexpensive cost and will make sure your fridge stays cold and your toes stay warm during the next power loss. If you’re going to use any heat source, please make sure you have CO2 monitors throughout your home. CO2 is highly poisonous and untraceable by smell. You won’t know you’ve been poisoned until it is too late.

5. Flashlights + Power Sources

   Go ahead and stock up on batteries for your flashlights, headlamps, camp lanterns. There are also puck lites available at your hardware store that are battery powered and can light an entire room. Charging items like back up batteries and entertainment devices like kindles and iPads are a huge must before you’re stuck without them.

6. Clothing

   We are a home that loves the cold. And by we I mean 1/2 of us. We have a set of thermal underwear for all of our family. We also have insulated gloves. We also love to ski so those are just with our ski gear. Warm layers and a place to hang them while they dry after snow play is a MUST. Hand-warmers are a favorite here. They stay warm for hours. I have a friend who loves her heated vest. It is also battery powered so she never has to worry about it not being ready for use.

7. Food

   If you’re not in a position to have access to a generator and you’re stuck without power, you’re going to want to be able to continue to feed your family. This means having a supply of MRE (Meals-Ready-to-Eat) that only require water, or have access to a camp stove. PLEASE do not use propane items inside your home or any closed space - like a garage. If you have a gas range, usually it can be lit without power. Use a lighter to ignite and you’ll be able to make soup, oatmeal, tea, coffee, reheat meals, and more. One of the many bonuses of natural gas! You’ll also need plenty of bottled water if your pipes freeze. If you have a gas water heater, thankfully you won’t have to worry about taking a cold shower. Enjoy the ability to get and stay warm with a bath or a hot shower.

8. Fun and Toys!

   Go right now and buy a sled on amazon. It will be here before the snow/ice. I promise it will be worth it when the kids are outside playing for hours!

   Be careful out there, Dallas. Stay home and enjoy the snow day if we get one!

Summer Home Tips

Summer. You either hate it … or you love it. But if you live in Texas, like we do, you have to deal with it head on. It will sneak up on you and then all of a sudden it is 100 degrees and all the grass is dead. It is not quite a desert, but I do commonly refer to is as the eternal furnace of hell. (I am one of the “hate it” people… )

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First, let’s talk grass. And also let’s back up to spring (also known as those two weeks in April when it was breezy). So in spring, I hope you put down a pre-emergent for that grass of yours. Especially if you have St. Augustine. While it is a heat-tolerant grass, it needs to be cared for. It needs to be watered - probably more often than your city allows you to water. It’s also best to water when the sun is not out. We set ours on at 5 am so that it can get a good soak going before the midday sun gets it. If you’ve recently laid sod, except to water about 10-15 minutes twice a day until the roots really take (Up to a month). Another note on the city, if you call them and let them know you’ve laid sod, they will normally work with you on water usage and make a note so that you don’t get fined for overuse.

Next, let’s chat summer cleaning. Some people love spring cleaning, but I feel like when I clean in Texas in spring, it just gets dirty again with the pollen, the constant showers, and the bugs. So once those things have died off and our trees are back to their leafy glory, I get out the power washer. If you don’t have a power washer in your toolbox (shed… it won’t fit in a box..), then you’re missing out. I use it to clean off the sidewalk, driveway, outdoor furniture and cushions, swing sets, soffits, gutters, patios. Literally everything can be power washed. I love getting rid of those spider webs that accumulate in hard to reach places.

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If you have a pier and beam foundation in Texas, it’s also now time to take those vent covers off for the summer. Don’t put them on again until the winter. It allows for air flow underneath your home as well as drying out any moisture from the rains.

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Air Conditioning. You cannot get through the summer here without it. Before it gets TOO hot, have an HVAC company come out, inspect, and service your unit. They can also identify areas of your home that may need more insulation, new weatherstripping, or even locate areas that are leaking cold air in turn making your electric bill and usage higher.

Mosquitos. I’m going to give you MY advice. I am not a professional pest control company, but I am a mom who spends a LOT of time outside with her kids. In addition to always being the one that’s eaten alive in the summer. First, empty anything that has standing water. Pots, trash cans, toys, lids, ANYTHING that can hold water. Immediately after rain/sprinklers. OKAY here is where I’m going to make people mad and I’m so sorry in advance. Spray your yard with mosquito deterrent. If you ENJOY being outside and spending time in your beautifully watered (see above) grass, then spray your home. We work in homes ALL the time that no not spray and its impossible to enjoy outside there. It truly DOES make a difference. Its not 100% but yesterday I was at a house for 6 minutes on the front patio and both of my legs are completely covered in bites. In addition (or instead if you prefer) traps are great to have also. We have Thermacell machines, Dynatraps, citronella candles, and regularly have a fan going. The BIGGEST culprit is water, so do whatever you can to ensure there is no standing water anywhere around or near your home.

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Lastly today, trees! Now, if you ask me my favorite thing about some of the neighborhoods in Dallas, I’ll tell you about my favorite trees. They help bring so much shade, breeze, and coolness during the spring/summer/fall months here. They help our house stay temperature regulated and I love them. BUT we need to take care of them! They need to be pruned just as flowers would need to be! Now that your trees are fully leafed-up (not a real thing, but that’s the best way to describe it), they need to be trimmed of their dead branches, unused nests, or branches that are decaying/ broken. Hug a tree, friends!

Shower 101

So you’ve renovated your bathroom and you want to keep it looking brand new. Here are a few things you can do to keep your shower looking fresh.

1. If you have a glass door or walls, do not use Windex or any other cleaning agents on them! Most shower glass comes with a coating to protect it from water residue.

2. Invest in a squeegee. Every time you shower, use the squeegee to clean the glass. I also use my squeegee to remove excess water from my tile walls and flooring - this keeps the grout from developing moisture. Make it a game! Whoever is the last to use the shower gets to squeegee.

3. I’m about to plug a brand - BUT - I’m only doing so because I use this product every time I clean our personal shower - and any time that I am on location for a photo shoot. (I seriously am not being paid to tell you about these…. and if you know, you know) —My absolute favorite cleaning product for a shower is the Norwex Enviro Cloth and Window Cloth. They are ECO-Friendly and work amazingly well. (I also use their Envirocloth to clean a lot of things in my house - especially right now with the limited availability of disinfecting and cleaning products.)

4. I also recommend making sure you seal your grout every few years. This helps keep your grout from changing color or breaking down.
   

Norwex EnviroCloth + Window Cloth

Do you have any cleaning hacks for keeping your bathroom looking brand new? Comment below!

Not So Extreme Home Makeover

Welcome to the first (of what could be two - or many) blog post about all things home and renovation. I’ll (LB!) be posting some things sporadically that are either a) good information to know or b) fun things I wanted to bring to your attention. You don’t have to read it but if you do, you won’t be SAD you did.

Today I am starting with SIMPLE and cheap upgrades you can do to your home for a little facelift.

Update your curb appeal!!

I like to start with simple things. Gardening. Grass. Address. It may seem obvious but I can’t tell you how many times we come for estimates and people want to renovate their entire house facade only to realize its a LOT more money than they wished to spend. So I usually suggest the following:

• Remove excess brush from the face of your home - what does this mean? Take away the bushes that are covering windows. Instead, plant some ground level greens (ferns, hosta, or salvia), and some perennial flowers.

• Make sure you care for your grass. Keep your lawn mowed and edged! Trim your trees back if your grass isn’t getting enough sunlight during the day. Make sure you water it bi-weekly. Fertilize twice a year and treat for weeds. Lush green grass makes any home look instantly more attractive.

• Update your address numbers. Head to Lowes or Home Depot and grab some modern numbers to replace your existing numbers. This will help the mail carriers (or let’s be honest Amazon) locate your home quickly and efficiently. If you’re looking to really upgrade you could order one of our address plaques - some even come with succulents and are ready for install upon delivery.

• Lighting! Lights are so key - especially at night. Upgrade your front porch light to something bright and beautiful. Some of my favorite porch light styles are listed below.

While these aren’t full renovations, they are easily executed and are minimal in cost.

Here are some of our favorite pieces to make your home look fresh and new without breaking the bank!

This beautiful MCM sconce from Shades of Light is stunning and comes in an array of variations!

I didn’t forget about you traditionalists! This is timeless and perfect for coastal/traditional designs!

This modern and clean wall light is one of my favorites! Matches well with any modern decor!

If your look is more rustic, these barn lights from Lamps Plus are perfect! They are reasonably priced and great quality! We use them all the time for bathrooms!

Also ours! Comes with a cute little succulent!

OUR Custom Address Plaque, available in multiple colors and completely customizable! Will be delivered READY to install!!