Dough Bowl DIY

Most certainly you’ve heard of dough bowls by now, they’re becoming more and more of a trendy masterpiece you can throw together and throw in any room of the house for decoration. If you have not heard of dough bowls, you’re missing out! Dough bowls were used for, you guessed it, kneading dough to make bread. They are still used for that by many people, however, many people have taken antique dough bowls and created beautiful centerpieces with them. They come in all different shapes and sizes, lots of different colors, and can be changed for every season or occasion.

There are numerous ways you can style a dough bowl, and you can add whatever you like that fits your own home decor. Changing it is super easy too! Here are some things you can add to your own dough bowl to make it pop!

Add some greens!

A good idea to start your dough bowl is to add stuff as a filler. The perfect filler, depending on the style or season, is to add some greens! Real leaves, faux leaves, even flowers work by adding a base layer to your bowl so you can start adding into it and making it pop with all types of textures. Although you can get a dough bowl of any color, the most popular ones are wooden brown or white, and the green against the wooden brown or white is beautiful!

Add fruits and/or vegetables!

Using fresh fruits and vegetables can help you set the mood for the season or holiday you’re decorating for. During Christmas time, you can fill it with pomegranates, in the Fall time, pumpkins and gourds. They don’t have to be real, but odds are if they’re in season you’ll probably have some laying around the house, why not put them to good use in the bowl!

Add candles!

This idea you have to be careful about, placement is key. You want to make sure your dough bowl is out of reach of anything flammable and the stuff in the bowl around it are not too close to the candle. Adding candles is a great way to make the centerpiece practical because it brings more beauty to the centerpiece, and also can fill your home with a pleasant scent, depending on what type of candle you choose! Another alternative is to buy fake candles if you’re worried about anything catching on fire. You can still achieve the same look! Different sized candles would add variety and texture into your bowl for sure.

There is no right or wrong way to style a dough bowl, and the opportunities are endless when it comes to decorating. Find a style you like and roll with it!

Guest Contributor: Tiffany Powell

How to Determine If You Have a Plumbing Emergency

Recognizing a plumbing emergency in the early stages helps prevent significant damage to walls, floors, and many other areas. Some plumbing issues require immediate attention, which is why knowing how to determine an urgent plumbing situation and acting fast is paramount.

This article will list the most common plumbing emergencies and ways to recognize them.

How to tell if there's a plumbing emergency in the house

Not all plumbing problems constitute a plumbing emergency. As a rule, plumbing emergencies refer to situations that involve a health or sanitation hazard, significant damage, or a major inconvenience.  Such cases include gas leaks, clogged drains, damaged pipes, and other scenarios that can compromise the occupants' safety if left unchecked. These cases typically lead to massive water loss, resulting in much higher utility costs.

Here are some of the most frequent plumbing issues and ways to tell if they constitute an emergency:

Damp or wet floors or walls

Damp or wet floors and walls are an emergency if the situation is rapidly getting out of hand. In other words, dampness or water is accumulating without a visible cause. However, the likely culprit is a burst pipe or leak under a floor or inside a wall.

On the other hand, this issue isn't a major inconvenience if the source is visible, meaning that it's usually located in areas that contain exposed pipes. This scenario is also less severe if you can shut down the water line to the burst pipe and start drying out the site.

Burst pipe

A burst pipe is an emergency if the fixture or piper's water line can't be stopped. The situation is also problematic if the only way to stop the water line is by shutting down the main water valve, cutting off water access to the entire household.

Conversely, this issue isn't urgent if it's possible to shut down the water line that leads directly to the burst fixture or pipe without closing the main water valve and leaving water supply to the rest of the house intact.

Leaky water heater or a gas leak

This matter becomes serious when the heater's water temperature can't be lowered, and when it's not possible to shut down the power source. If the water reaches exceptionally high temperatures, it significantly increases the water pressure. It gets even worse if your relief valve is damaged or broken since this can let the pressure build up and cause an explosion. Don't hesitate to call for help the moment you smell gas.

The water heater's power source can be shut down in less troublesome situations, and the water supply can be closed. If such is the case, it's easy to start draining the tank and drying out the area.

Jammed sewer line

If there are multiple clogged fixtures, sewage from the pipeline may end up in living spaces. This is a dire sanitation concern that puts the occupants' safety and health at risk.

But if the drains are running slowly and emptying the sewage eventually, there are no safety and health concerns. However, there's still blockage or damage in the sewer lines that require prompt attention.

Higher-than-usual water consumption

It may be an emergency when there's an abrupt and profound rise in water consumption (inspecting the water meter is a reliable verification method). The likely cause is a leaky water supply pipeline, which can bring about considerable property and structural damage.

On the other hand, if the water consumption increase is puzzling but moderate, it isn't as dangerous. Nevertheless, inspect the main water pipelines to make sure there's no extensive damage.

Water hammer with open faucets

Luckily, this is one of the plumbing issues that are rarely an emergency. Still, this phenomenon does signal that the pipe supports are deteriorating, making the affected pipe more prone to bursting. To avoid this, have a plumber inspect the line.

Keep your eyes and ears open

Don't leave the maintenance of pipes to chance. Whenever there are signs of plumbing problems, such as wet floors and walls, or a leaky water heater, don't let them attain greater magnitude and endanger everyone's safety and health in the house. Instead, call a professional to inspect the issue and handle it accordingly so that you can go back to enjoying a hazard-free home.

Guest Contributor: Richa Khandelwal

Best Tips for Making Window Blinds Look Smart

Blinds are widely used in many homes and most workplaces to give the place privacy and insulation. Unlike curtains, the amount of light that can enter can be regulated if you've put blinds on your windows.

Most of you think that installation is the issue with getting blinds. Maybe it's real. But don’t ignore the fact that before buying blinds, there are also other items to consider such as style and colour.

Are there bare windows waiting to be styled with Roman blinds in your home? Stop shopping and do your window therapy yourself!

Made to measure Roman blinds give you better options than others.

If you look online, numerous shops sell excellent Roman blinds.

We've gathered the best tips to make your window blinds look smart, each with expert-level information.

Any or all of these window blinds tips could work for you, depending on your willingness to allot time and learn.

How can you make your window blinds look smart?

1. Consider your budget

Are you fitting out a single window or the whole house? On some windows, you can consider spending more and cutting back on others.

Window blinds are priced by size, so expect it to cost more for larger sizes. The additional cost also applies to custom sizes and speciality materials, designs, and features.

2. Control light and privacy

Decide if you want a bright, cosy, or airy room. Tilt the blinds to allow or block natural light. Blinds come with various fabrics that are light-filtering and room-darkening, giving you the ability to control light.

Blinds have to be pulled up to let light in or down to stop nosy neighbours unless you go for the sheerest.

3. Have regular maintenance

Take note that dust can accumulate in blinds over time but you don’t have to do professional cleaning to maintain them. Shades cover soil better in textured fabrics and weaves, but cleaning them is more difficult.

Vacuum and spot cleaning is great but certain dirt is best left to professionals.

4. Choose the right colour

Is it relaxed or formal, comfortable, or stylish? Bold colours can be dramatic or fun. For a room furnished in neutral, earthy shades, subtle hues are fine.

Do you prefer corded or streamlined cordless models?

5. Get the accurate measurement

Getting the sizes of your windows you want to protect can help you choose the right piece, especially if you’re into made to measure Roman blinds.

If an inside-mount blind ends at the door, the measuring tape should stop as well. Include the window frame in the measurements for outside-mounted designs.

Consider contacting the customer service representative of the shop while ordering online to ensure that you’ve calculated right.

6. Use proper fabric

Made to measure Roman blinds come in a selection of designs and colours. Bold designs and stripes that are accentuated by the pleats work well with Roman blinds.

Cotton and linen fabrics make excellent Roman blinds. Thicker fabrics are also fantastic even though the pleats won't be as crisp.

High-quality fabrics such as silk look amazing but these delicate materials are vulnerable to sun fading and damage, so artificial material like polyester is a great alternative.

7. Attach linings

Roman blinds are lined most of the time, which enhances the way the pleats fall. Lining not only helps to block out light but also prevents the tapes and cords from appearing on the blind's right side.

If the blind is for a bedroom, choose blackout lining.

Thermal lining tends to hold the heat in and the cold out. This additional sheet, inserted between the material and lining for warmth, will offer a more lavish look to the blinds.

With so many types of shades and blinds to choose from, it’s not always an easy decision to find the perfect one for your needs.

If you're looking for privacy, design, or both, choosing window treatments can be a challenging job.

Will you go to a local home centre, speciality blind store, or online shop? How formal are you supposed to be, or how plain? And how do your neighbours seem to pick the right blinds?

The decision lies in your hand and these tips can help you get hold of the best window treatment.

Guest Contributor: Jenny Marks

Should you stay or move out during major house renovations

All house owners have to answer the same question during home remodeling: Should you stay or move out during major house renovations? The answer depends on many factors, but most notably, on the scope and purpose of the project and the financial aspect. To be sure that you're making the right decision, read on and see what each choice will bring.

Scope and purpose of the house project

If you're renovating half of your house, including your kitchen and bathroom, staying in is hardly an option. Basically, the question here is will you be able to have water and electricity during most of the process and a safe space inside your home. If the answer is yes, then you can consider staying in.

Smaller works make staying in possible.

Financial aspect and major house renovations dilemma

Most people would love to move out and avoid the stress and the noise, but it's not an option for financial reasons. Renovation costs and a couple of months' rent is not something many people can afford. However, the truth is that the calculation is not that simple. 

Rental will cost money, but it's not going to be cheap to stay at your home either. Some contractors charge more for projects if clients remain in the house, as there will be additional cost in cleaning up and rushing to get the work done. Also, contractors have to plan their work so that electrical services and plumbing aren't interrupted.

If you decide to stay

The main benefits of staying in during major renovations are not having to pay rental costs and closely monitoring the progress of the project. However, you'll also need to be very tolerant and prepare for what comes next. 

Get ready for some dust and noise

You can try to seal up the areas where you'll live during renovations. Despite that, the fine dust will get everywhere. The crew will do their job and clean up. Nonetheless, you'll need to tolerate some dust. And on top of that, noise, most often in the morning. In case you have kids, this might become overwhelming at some point. But if you don't have children and it seems like you can handle this, make sure to plan in advance and establish what areas you will need.

It’s going to get messy.

The temporary kitchen might be required

If you decide to stay in, you'll perhaps need to establish a temporary kitchen, especially if you're going through a kitchen remodel. Microwave, toaster oven and a hot plate are handy during this period. Since it's that time of the year, it will be challenging to create a Thanksgiving meal in these conditions, but it shouldn't be too challenging to prepare a regular meal.

However, careful planning will be necessary. Think about preparing and freezing meals ahead. If the renovations are going to last a couple of months, you'll need a bigger freezer. And of course, you'll need to cook for quite some time, until you finish preparing stocks.

On the other hand, a temporary bathroom will be much harder to install. Contact your friends and see if you can take a shower at their place while your bathroom is being remodeled. Or you can simply move out. While financial consideration is a big deal, so is keeping your sanity during this period.

If you're thinking about moving out

For some, living in during renovations is more than they can handle. The quality of life will suffer to a certain extent and maybe even the family's ability to function. That's why moving out is an option to consider.

There are several choices for temporary accommodation. Maybe you can stay at a relative's or a friend's or even consider RV rentals or residence hotels. Or perhaps you can time a vacation during the remodeling.

Sometimes, it’s best to move out during a home remodel.

Things to consider

While you are making your life easier by moving out, it doesn't mean you won't need the assistance that is reliable and reasonable to help you during the process. But before you even decide to take this step, there are other things you need to consider. For example, think about how your new address will affect commuting time to work or kids' school. Also, don't forget to take care of details like putting a hold on your Internet provider or cable. You'll maybe need to forward your mail, phone calls, and stop your newspapers. 

The advantages of moving out

For starters, you'll escape the dust and the noise that renovations include. But also, a crew will most likely get the work done more quickly if you're not around. So in a way, this might prove to be a more economical solution, depending on the temporary accommodation costs. 

Some believe that by staying in, you'll pay closer attention to the progress and prevent any mistake that the crew might make. On the other hand, constant conversations can make the process unnecessarily longer. However, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't keep close tabs on how the work is going if you decide to move out. And be available at all times in case your quick opinion is needed.

Going while staying

There is a chance you'll need to stay away from your home even if you decide to stay in. Some remodeling, like the floor and roof restoration, requires zero-occupancy, at least for a few days. So it's good to be prepared to leave your home for some time even if you choose to live in.

Prepare for the ride

Regardless of whether you have decided to stay or move out during major house renovations, one thing is sure - you need to prepare for the ride. It might get challenging, so it's good to perceive it as an adventure. After all, you're doing this so that you can turn your old house into a dream home. It's not that hard to keep your eyes on the goal, especially when you see even the little progress made every single day. 

Guest Contributor: Sophia Perry

Thanksgiving Day Countdown Preparation

Hosting Thanksgiving can be quite stressful, especially if it is your first time hosting. Do not panic yet! There are ways to plan out the weeks and days leading up to Thanksgiving to make sure everything runs smoothly and as stress-free as possible!

This year is a little different due to COVID-19, the CDC recommends a Thanksgiving feast with the members of your household, but you can still make it special nonetheless.

If you start planning your Thanksgiving meal in the beginning of November it is sure to take a load off of your shoulders instead of last minute planning a few days before.

Here’s a few tips to prepare:

Beginning of November:

About a month or so before Thanksgiving, it is a great idea to get your meal planned and make a shopping list of the things you will be making for your dinner. You should take note of the perishables and non-perishables, you do not want to buy something too early and it is no good by the time you need to use it on Thanksgiving day. However, the non-perishables can easily be picked up during other grocery trips to start gathering the meals instead of running around to find these things in a rush days beforehand. Plus, the traditional Thanksgiving dinner is very commonly used: mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, gravy, biscuits, etc. so the chances of finding these items will get harder to locate the closer Thanksgiving gets.

Two Weeks Before Thanksgiving:

Make sure you have all dishes and linens that will be used ready and available and make sure you have enough for all of the guests attending. You also want to make sure you have enough silverware.

If you plan on decorating, this would be a good time to get the decorations together, whether you are buying decor or making a DIY decoration.

By this time, you need to finalize the guest list and the meal you are planning to make. You also want to take note of food allergies or intolerances, and make substitutions if it is necessary. Some substitutes could be difficult to find or cook with if you are not familiar with them, so it is best to get familiar sooner rather than later.

Mapping out a cooking time will help ensure all food is getting cooked at appropriate times so at dinner time everything is fresh, hot and ready to eat. There also may be dishes you can make beforehand and store in the fridge, making those early lessens the load the day of.

5 Days Before Thanksgiving

This is when you want to gather the last bit of groceries you need to complete your meal. Turkey should be ordered now, if it hasn’t been already. Take note of the “best by” dates to ensure your food will still be fresh by Thanksgiving.

If you’re purchasing a frozen turkey to cook yourself, allow the turkey to thaw in your fridge for 24 for every 4 pounds of turkey. For example, a 12 pound turkey would need 3 days to thaw in the fridge. A good rule of thumb to stick to a thawed turkey is usually good up to 4 days completely thawed in the refrigerator. Anything past that, you are risking Salmonella.

Plan for leftovers. This is a great time to go through your refrigerator and get rid of any food that is going bad, or other leftovers that most likely will not get used. Making room now makes it easier for the clean up later.

Doing a deep clean of the house is great to get it out of the way so the day of you can lightly clean up and put your attention on more important things.

Day Before Thanksgiving

Now is the perfect time to make desserts that you have planned. You can either freeze them to ensure they stay fresh or just simply put them in the refrigerator, but they should definitely still be good the next day.

This is also a great time to set the table with place mats, plates, silverware, etc. Instead of doing it the day of, the night before makes everything easier so you can just put the fresh food on the table in designated spots, it will also help you ensure you have enough room on the table for all of the food you plan on cooking.

Thanksgiving Day

This is what you have been preparing for! Try to stay calm, and if you followed the preparation timeline, some of your stress should be eliminated by being prepared in advance.

Take the turkey out for an hour or two before you’re ready to cook it. Make your stuffing, gravy, etc. and get the turkey ready for cooking. Once it’s in the oven, make all the side dishes while it is cooking because it will take the longest. Make sure you keep an eye on the time, and occasionally bask the turkey to ensure it comes out nice and juicy.

Enjoy your meal!

Happy Thanksgiving from Kevin Szabo Jr Plumbing!

Guest Contributor: Tiffany Powell

The Ultimate Winter Maintenance Checklist

In the immortal words of Sean Bean, winter is coming — but it’s not here yet. These colder fall months are the perfect time to start getting ready for winter and checking off some chores on your winter maintenance checklist.

If you don’t already have a winter maintenance checklist, here is our ultimate list to get you started.

1. Schedule a Heating System Inspection

You might only use your home’s heating system for a single season, but you don’t want to have it fail on you when you need it the most. Before you fire it up for the season, schedule a heating system inspection to ensure everything is in working order before it starts to get cold.

2. Replace Smoke Detector Batteries

You need to replace your smoke detector batteries at least once a year, even if they’re not giving you the low battery warning. Why not include it as part of your winter maintenance checklist? Take a few minutes to swap out the batteries, especially if you’re planning on using a fireplace during the colder months.

3. Double-Check Pipe Insulation

Heating system failure may be the biggest problem you experience during the winter, but frozen and busted pipes are a close second. Double-check all of your pipe insulation to ensure nothing will freeze once the temperatures start to fall.

4. Have Your Fireplace and Chimney Inspected

A fireplace can keep your home toasty and warm while adding all sorts of ambiance, but they can also create a fire hazard if they’re not maintained correctly. A byproduct of burning wood is creosote, and creosote can build up in your chimney and cause a chimney fire. Schedule a fireplace and chimney inspection before you light your first fire of the year.

5. Build a Storm Kit

Having an emergency kit around is always a good idea, even if you don’t ultimately need it. Take some time this fall to build your winter storm kit, including food, water, first aid supplies and everything else you’ll need to stay safe and comfortable in the event of a severe winter storm.

6. Clean the Gutters

During the rainy season, clogged gutters are a mess. In the winter, with heavy snow loading them down, they can cause all sorts of damage. Clean any leaves or other debris out of your gutters before it starts to snow, and keep your gutters as clean as possible as you prepare for winter weather.

7. Clean Dryer Vents

There’s nothing nicer than putting on warm clothes fresh from the dryer, especially on a cold day. Make it a point to clean your dryer vents during your winter maintenance. Clogged dryer vents cause more than 17,000 fires every year. Cleaning out your ducts and removing dryer lint can prevent your home from becoming a statistic.

8. Seal Windows and Doors

Drafts are not your friend when it’s cold outside and you’re trying to keep your house warm. Inspect your doors and windows and check for air leaks. If you find any leaks, seal them up with weatherstripping or caulk. This simple task can lower your heating bills by keeping your home from bleeding hot air once the temperature drops outside.

9. Inspect Your Roof

Your roof can withstand everything that Old Man Winter can throw at it, but snow is heavy, and if there’s an existing problem, heavy snowfall is going to make it worse. Take the time to inspect your roof and address any apparent issues before the first snowfall of the season.

10. Reverse Ceiling Fans

Finally, make sure you reverse your ceiling fans. They spin counterclockwise in the summer, which creates a downdraft and keeps the air in your room moving. Swap them to clockwise rotation for the winter months.

This movement creates an updraft that forces any warm air gathered at the ceiling down to where it will do the most good. Plus, stopping your fans to reverse them is the perfect time to clean the fan blades!

Be Ready for Winter

Winter is coming, so take the time now to get ready for the colder months before they throw a wrench in your plans. Once you get your winter maintenance checklist out of the way, you can sit back and enjoy the winter wonderland with a hot drink in hand.

Guest Contributor: Rose Morrison