This weekend (December 5th and 6th) Habitat for Humanity Toronto is hosting a gingerbread house build to help give Toronto families a Hand Up, not a Hand Out.
You can purchase a kit on the Toronto Habitat for Humanity website. These kits can either be picked up for you to enjoy at home, or you can book a time to decorate at the Delta Chelsea Hotel. If you don't have time to decoate one yourself, why not look into their eBay auction of Celebrity Gingerbread Homes.
Habitat for Humanity is a cause we at casaGURU strongly support. Through casaGURU Cares, with every free registration to casaGURU.com, we make a donation to the closest Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Plus, I'll be out doing my part by decorating some gingerbread this weekend :)
Green Homes Are The Future And The Future is Now...
Forty percent of all the energy used in our country is consumed by homes and buildings. That’s 25% more than all the energy consumed by the 60+ million vehicles on the road (U.S. Department of Transportation). That alone is enough to consider a green home.
The average home releases 22,000 pounds of Carbon Dioxide emissions every year which is twice as much as the average car.
So what is the solution?
How about a green home and a hybrid vehicle
I am a certified EcoBroker specializing in Energy Efficient green homes. If you or someone you know would are interested in a Colorado green home, I can help.
Download this PDF e-book from casaGURU.com. It's the "Home Seller's Guide: Energy Efficient Upgrades that Pay" as seen on Canada AM. Get expert tips on energy efficiency, how to save on energy audits plus rebates on energy efficient upgrades.
As featured on Canada AM, download your free copy of the "Home Seller's Guide: Energy Efficient Upgrades that Pay".
It is filled with tips from energy, renovation and real estate gurus you can find on casaGURU.com plus lots of money saving rebates for Winter Home Maintenance and Energy Efficient Upgrades.
This is the 13th anniversary of the Reel Asian International Film Festival.
This is Canada's premier Pan-Asian Film Festival.
It brings together the film makers and the film lovers from all over the world.
Five special days of films, parties, seminars, exhibitions, and special events.
The films shown will be from the East and South-East Asia, with a focus on Asian Canadian work. All films that are not in English are sub-titled.
Ticket prices range between $5 and $10.
The Opening and Closing Galas will be held at the Bloor Cinema, at 506 Bloor Street West (around the corner from the Bathurst subway station, at Bloor & Bathurst).
The Festival screenings will be held at the Innis Town Hall (at St. George). You can go to the St. George subway station, and walk south for a few minutes.
Youth Screenings will be held at the NFB Cinema, at 150 John Street, at Richmond. You can take the #501 Queen Streetcar to John Street.
For additional information, please call 416-703-9333.
Photos courtesy of Reel Asian International Film Festival.
For more information, or to buy a membership or make a donation to support the growth of Asian Cinema in Canada, go to www.reelasian.com and click on Membership & Donations.
Are your energy bills skyrocketing? With home heating costs skyrocketing and winter approaching, we’re all looking for simple and inexpensive ways to cut our home heating bills. Here are some cost cutting tips - inexpensive ways to help reduce your energy bills this winter.
Clean Your Furnace – Though this might not be the cheapest way to save on heating costs, it is one of the most effective. A clean furnace is an efficient one. Make sure to service yours regularly. At the very least, change the air filter, A dirty air filter will block the airflow from your furnace and reduce the furnace’s life expectancy.
Use Compact Fluorescent Lighting– CFL bulbs use less than half of the energy of incandescent bulbs and last a lot longer. The choices, price and quality of the light available in CFL bulbs has improved greatly over time so if you’re not using it yet, start - and watch your electricity usage go down.
Install and Use a Programmable Thermostat– Program the thermostat to match your lifestyle. Why heat an empty house? Lower the heat during the hours that your family is at work/school or asleep. Make sure to get one with different settings for night/day and weekday/weekend.
Seal Air Leaks – Drafts are an indication of air leaks. Seal then with caulk or weather stripping to prevent the heat from leaving the house and the cold air from getting in.
Use Your Ceiling Fans– A fan can draw warm air through your home and help keep it warm.
Use Washing Machines and Dishwashers Wisely – Try and do full loads only. If you don’t run full loads you’ll need to run the appliances more frequently and will be wasting energy in the process.
Keep Shades Up and Blinds Open –Take advantage of the natural daylight and solar heat that naturally comes from the sun through your windows. This will cut down on the amount of light bulbs and heat running all day.
Insulate Your Water Heater – This will help your water heater retain heat and will reduce your energy bill over the course of the year. Of coarse, when you need to replace your water heater, as with all your appliances, make sure to buy an energy efficient model.
Turn It Off– If there is an appliance, light, television that you’re not using, make sure you turn it off. Why waste electricity on things you’re not using.
Turn it down - Of coarse the best way to save on heating bills is to turn down the thermostat – even a couple of degrees can make a big difference.
We don’t really have to give up all the gadgets we love in order to start saving energy in our homes. Just by making some simple changes in our habits and energy usage we can have a positive impact on our home budget and a positive impact on our environment as well
Photos - CFL by Dano, Thermostat by MickWright, Water Heater by JohnCarl Johnson
If I can assist you in any way with your real estate needs in Suffern, NYRockland County or the surrounding areas, please feel free to contact me by phone at (914) 772-4528, email me at Leah.Stern@cbmoves.com or visit my website
The weather has turned cold and now’s the time to think about winter energy usage.All of the items listed below are worked overtime this time of year due to lower temperatures, less daylight and holiday entertaining.
PGE recently published some solutions that may help keep energy usage down.Good for the environment and good for you wallet!Here’s a list of common triggers and ways to combat them.
Heating
Set thermostat to 68°, lowering it to 60° at bedtime or when you’re away
Check furnace filters monthly and clean or replace as needed
Hot water
Set your water heater to 120°
Wash laundry in cold water when possible
Install a high-performance showerhead
Lighting
Switch from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs
Replace traditional holiday lights with LED strands
Holiday cooking
Use the microwave when possible
Don’t preheat the over unless precision is critical
Learn more at portlandgeneral.com/highbillhelp
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casaGURU Cares is now being prominantly promoted on Habitat for Humanity Canada's website!
casaGURU’s initiative to help local Habitat for Humanity affiliates is still going strong and now we’re getting even more support directly from Habitat for Humanity Canada by beingc promoted on their website.
Not only is casaGURU Cares featured on the main page, it’s also listed as one of 9 Ways to Participate to make a difference in people’s lives.
It’s as simple as “Just One Click”. Every time someone completes our Homeowner Registration process, we will make a donation to a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity Canada. It’s a fast and easy registration process that’s completely free. In addition helping contribute funding for local projects of Habitat for Humanity affiliates, you’ll be provided with exclusive savings, offers and contests from casaGURU.
I caught this interesting segment on my local news last night regarding Vampire Energy. It discusses how when you think you've turned off an appliance it may still be sucking energy (bad for both the environment and your energy bill):
After doing a little internet research I discovered that October is Energy Awareness Month and, appropriately, a number of articles on the energy sucking topic:
Here are some good green tips...the only thing I'd add/modify is with #2, instead of just sleep, turn it off and unplug it (even when an appliance is "off", if it's still plugged in it could be using energy...not good for the environment or your energy bill).
1. Turn off your faucet. An open faucet lets about 5 gallons of water flow every 2 minutes!
2. Put your computer monitor to sleep. Screen savers, those funky moving images you get when your monitor is kept on, cost you an extra $50 or more in electricity per year!
3. THink about your TP and buy recycled toilet paper. If every household in the U.S. joined you, it would save nearly 1 million trees!
4. Baby your lotion and powder. Choose phthalate-free products for your kids (and yourself) so no one is exposed to the harmful chemicals. Look for it on the label.
5. Don't sit idle. Turn your car off if it's going to be sitting for more than 30 seconds so you don't waste gas.
PLEASE ASK ME ABOUT MY GIVE BACK PROGRAM, WHERE I MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO AN ANIMAL SHELTER IN YOUR NAME UPON CLOSING!!!
I am proud to be a full time real estate professional and Waukesha County Realtor.I look forward to the opportunity to work with you in the purchase or sale of your next home! Contact me today!
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d reduce the furnace’s life expectancy.
on’t run full loads you’ll need to run the appliances more frequently and will be wasting energy in the process. 
re you turn it off. Why waste electricity on things you’re not using. 
The weather has turned cold and now’s the time to think about winter energy usage.
casaGURU’s initiative to help local Habitat for Humanity affiliates is still going strong and now we’re getting even more support directly from 
;)
;)
