Improve Your Home and Garden
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If you think the top indicator of a clean house is it must smell like a pine tree–or worse–Greg Nicklas of Maid Brigade of Portland would like to clean yours.
Maid Brigade, a national cleaning franchise that’s been in the Portland, OR, area for over 16 years, decided to “go green” in April 2007. “It was [...]
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If your idea of a log home is “Little House on the Prairie,” allow me to bring you up to speed on 21st Century log homes. It’s still true that log homes have a “rustic” appearance – there’s really no way around that. (And the “lodge look” is sort of the whole point.) But innovations [...]
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Mmmm. Chocolate. For most of us (read: Women), just the mention of chocolate puts us in an altered state.
What is better than a bite of sumptuous, richly decadent chocolate that melts to a smooth, buttery consistency in your mouth, delighting all your senses and leaving you craving more?
Well, according to Missionary Chocolates founder and chocolatier, [...]
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Outdoor lighting can provide your home with a pleasing nighttime look, while also increasing the safety of your family. Lighting your home, however, is a bit more complex than simply throwing a few floodlights around the perimeter. Outdoor lighting done right highlights the beauty of your house, and creates an atmosphere that’s conducive to keeping [...]
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Andrew Koyaanisqatsi is passionate about solar energy. You could say he was raised on it. Growing up in the 1970’s, his family home used solar energy to heat their water. His environmental awareness, which began at a young age, has shaped his adult life. Seeking to marry his love of the environment with his more [...]
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Deciding to build a fence might just be the easiest part of the fence building process. Once you decide you need a fence, you then have to decide what kind: Wood? Vinyl? Stone? Chain Link? Chicken Wire? Okay, just kidding with that last one. It pays to choose the type of fencing that [...]
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I love writing for Improve Your Home and Garden because I learn something new every time I dive into the writing of a new article. For example, did you know that in Western Pennsylvania, the standard foundation material has been concrete blocks and mortar? I find this interesting because it’s such a foreign concept to [...]
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For artists, inspiration can come from unusual places. Terry Gibson and his wife, Nancy, both with Terry Gibson ~ Landscape Architect, are known for their intimate design style, specializing in meditation rooms and sacred spaces.
As I talked with Terry about his design philosophy, I was surprised to learn that his inspiration comes from all over [...]
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I love a beautiful lawn…on a golf course. At my house, the less lawn, the better. My dog and I disagree on just how to have less lawn, but we’re working on coming to a consensus.
To me, less lawn means more space for flowers and other plants that feed the earth. And less lawn requires [...]
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Geothermal energy represents the leading edge of heating and cooling technology. It’s safe, reliable and the most energy efficient system available, since it moves heat energy to and from the earth to heat and cool your indoor environment. Compared to ordinary systems (oil, gas, propane, electric), geothermal technology can save you 30 to 60 percent [...]
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Not every homeowner touches a contractor’s heart. But for Vox Energy Solutions in Allison Park, PA., one homeowner will always be remembered.
He showed up one day, hoping to finally realize his dream of installing solar panels on his home. He and his wife had wanted to “go green” for years after seeing a television program [...]
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Dogs are great fun to have around the house. They love unconditionally, are always happy to see you and can make you laugh with silly antics. However, living with a dog means having to provide them a space to play and relieve themselves. If you live in an area that doesn’t allow fences to be [...]
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Next time weather turns cold (assuming you live where it does, in fact, turn cold), try this. Go outside in a warm coat, fluff up your hair and crouch down. Now stay like that … for hours. How long do you think it would take before your feet got cold? Or your knees started to [...]
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