The ASPCA has issued an alert about the alarming number of horses that are being turned into rescue groups because of the rising cost of hay.  Those horses are the lucky ones as hundreds of horses are being abandoned to fend on their own, in areas that are neither familiar to the horses nor can sustain a horse.  Please click on the link below and donate whatever you can to help.

https://secure2.convio.net/aspca/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=5340&5340.donation=form1&autologin=true

Many thanks to all  of you who care!

Last month I was fortunate enough to be able to add this cute little Zenn car to my ever growing list of "green" alternatives.  My ongoing quest to become as green as possible led me to the internet looking for the availablity of 100% electric alternative transportation.  If you listen to the news, you might think this option is years away from realization, however, the advent of the electric car has already arrived.  The Zenn manufactured in Canada, is just one of several, all ready up and running on the streets of America.

Of course all of these little "neighborhood" vehicles have their drawbacks, speed and range being the two major ones.  Off the assembly line the Zenn is "governed" to go a measly 25mph, however, a creative genius in California has figured out a way to reset the "governor" to 35mph.  In my particular case, 35mph works out fine.  I can leave my house, do all my shopping and errands, do a few staging consultations, use MOST of our major roadways, and be back home before the 35 mile battery range is exhausted.

The car seats two adults comfortably and has a very roomy cargo space in the back, which my dog has claimed as her own personal space in the car :-)  It comes equipped with a very nice JVC stereo system, and has optional air conditioning.  The sun roof retracts the entire length of the roof, allowing air to flow nicely through the interior.

Charging is done anytime the car is not in use.  Full charge on spent batteries takes 8 hours.  The batteries are lead acid gel, which do not contribute to environmental destruction the way Ni-Cad batteries do during the nickle mining process.  After the first month, my electric bill showed absolutely no increase, probably because the built in charger is a trickle charge system.

So, if you're ready to make the green leap, look for a Zenn dealer near you.  They seem to be cropping up all over!

This video needs no introduction!

1. Take one capful  and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily,
 then spit it out. 
 
No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter without
 expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash. (Small print
 says mouth wash and gargle right on the bottle)
 
2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of
 "Peroxide" to keep them free of germs.
 
3. Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill
 germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your
 dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.
 
4 After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour
 peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.
 
5. A 50-50 mixture of peroxide and water, applied to the feet will kill foot fungus.

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to
ten minutes several times a day. 

 7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and
 water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without
 harming your septic system like bleach or most other
 disinfectants will. 

 8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your
 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, or plugged sinuses.
 It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few
 minutes then blow your nose into a tissue.
 
9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a
 dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your
 mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The
 pain will lessen greatly.
 
10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair,
 spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and
 comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde
 hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights
 if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It
 also lightens gradually so it's not a drastic change.
 
11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid
 boils, fungus, or other skin infections.
 
12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to
 a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is
 blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it
 sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water.
 Repeat if necessary.
 
13. Use peroxide to clean  mirrors. There is
 no smearing. 
 
 It is a little brown bottle no home
 should be without! With prices of most necessities rising,
 I'm glad there's a way to save tons of money in
 such a simple, healthy manner.

If the answer is "indefinitely" read no further.  If you're not willing to wait, or can't afford to wait, you need the services of a certified "home stager."  STAGE it RIGHT! is a local home staging company located in Brevard County Florida.  We have served savvy homeowners and real estate agents since 2006, and prepared both occupied and vacant homes for sale.  When the market is soft, owners and agents need to pull out all the stops in order to get that much needed sale.  STAGE it RIGHT! is here to help.  For more information about our services and to get a "ballpark" price, please call us at (321) 956-2495.

STAGE it RIGHT! is licensed, insured, and certified, and we were nominated for the prestigious honor of "rookie stager of the year 2007" by the nationally respected Real Estate Staging Association (RESA).

As a home stager I'm always looking for new eco-friendly ideas and products which I can use in my home staging business.  And as a concerned American consumer, I'm also looking for products that are made in the U.S.A.  Lights of America, based in California, manufactures quality light bulbs and lighting fixtures, using manufacturing industry standards, thus ensuring a reliable product.  If you, like me, are concerned about the economy and the environment, please check out their website.  Their prices are competitive with the big box stores, which currently seem to sell only light bulbs made in China.

http://www.lightsofamerica.com/

Hurricane season starts today and it promises to be an active one.  Here are some things you need to do now to prepare:

1. Photograph everything you own.  Open drawers, closets, storage containers, you name it and take pictures.  Make sure to include all furniture, electronics, appliances etc.  On the back of each picture write the approximate cost of the major items and when purchased.  It will save you hours and hours and hours of time should you have a claim, trying to recreate what you own and what it cost.

2. Have at least two sets of photographs.  Keep at home sealed in triple zip lock bags in the fridge.  The fridge is waterproof and pretty much fire proof.  Or put them in a fireproof safe.  The second set should be in the safe deposit box at the bank.

3. Have duplicate copies of all important papers such as insurance policies, bank account information, wills, deeds, birth certificates, marriage certificates, whatever you have that you may either need immediate information from or would take weeks to replace through government agencies.  One copy of each goes in the fridge or fireproof safe.

4. Should you have to evacuate take one copy of photographs and documents with you and lock the other copy in the dishwasher!  Yes the diswasher.  Its fireproof, waterproof, is under the counter and protected from falling debris.  A fireproof safe is not usually waterproof.  If you don't evacuate still put your documents in the dishwasher.  And make sure you run the dishwasher in plenty of time for it to dry out. 

5. Make sure to have lots of water, batteries, candles, non-perishable food, pet food, medications, personal care items, anything you can think you might need to survive several days without electricity.  Have a full propane tank or extra charcoal for grill cooking.  Store everything that can be damaged by water, in tight storage containers. Freeze half gallon bottles of water now for use when the electricity goes out.

6. If you have pets make sure you have carriers handy.  Animals tend to freak out in a hurricane.  Putting everyone in a carrier keeps them safe and secure.

7. Make sure you have adequate insurance coverage and a replacement cost rider on your personal possessions.  If you have a 5 year old fridge that cost $1000, without replacement cost that amount will be depreciated by 5 years, not enough to replace it.

8. Make your house as hurricane proof as possible.  Shutters, garage door braces, a roof less than 10 years old.  Most of the damage done by two hurricanes in 2004 was water damage due to roof shingles that were worn out. If you are considering a new roof, consider spending the extra money and have a hurricane proof metal roof put on.  No worries about shingles blowing off!

9. Consider an alternative power source, other than a noisey polluting generator.  Portable solar panel systems which recharge 12v batteries are an inexpensive alternative.  Add to that a power inverter and you can run regular appliances using only the power of the sun.

Good luck to us all!

As March fades into April, the official beginning of hurricane season is just around the corner.  Now is the time to begin planning our escape!  Well if not our escape, at least the means to make life a bit easier when the lights go out for extended periods of time, without having to run a polluting, noisy generator.

I purchased a portable array of three solar panels, which can be used to charge a 12v car or marine battery.  The panels come with a "plug in box" with which you can plug in small appliances from 6v to 12v, a cell phone plug in, and a cigarette lighter plug in for 12v appliances.  In addition we purchased a 12v coffee maker, and a 12v stove, used by boaters and RV owners.    Because marine batteries are "deep cell" batteries, they draw less electricity and will last longer without recharging, we chose those as our battery power. The entire setup works great!  The coffee maker brews great coffee, and the stove boils and fries, all on 12v of electricity.  In addition, a small power inverter can be added to allow the use of regular plug in appliances, including computers!

So if you haven't started making plans for the possible event this year, time to get those shutters, have your roof inspected,  stock up on supplies, and decide how you are going to survive without power.

Thanks to some of my BFF's on AR, who gave me some very good ideas as to what to give away, and raffle off when I participate in my local Chamber's Business Fair in May, I was able to decide what I would do.  I like to consider myself socially conscious and an active environmentalist, so my choices run along those lines.  My "gift" basket will consist of a basket purchased online at One World Projects, a website that sells all kinds of items made by people in disadvantaged countries.  All the items are "fair trade" items, hand made by locals from local resources.  The basket I chose is made in Rawanda, by women who are trying to improve their living conditions by producing saleable eco-friendly products.  For the contents, I've decided to put in a mix of eco-friendly cleaning products, fair trade coffee, and environmentally friendly health and beauty products.  My give aways, yet to be determined will be made from re-cycled products, purchased from ePromos Promotional Products, again, an online purchase.  I can't stress enough, the need for all of us to embark on the adventure to becoming "green", responsible citizens of this planet.  For me, giving these items, is a way to promote that responsibility, while giving others the opportunity to benefit.

As a seller, how badly do you want to sell your home?  Are you hanging on hoping to fund your retirement?  Or waiting for the "right" buyer with the "correct" amount of money to come along?  Can you afford to sit and wait for a sale?

Apparently that seems to be the current thinking amongst sellers.  We home stagers are still seeing many listings priced higher than they should be to sell.  Consider this very real scenario:

Real estate agent number 1 prices the home higher than it should be priced.  Doesn't recommend any improvements to the property to help the sale, doesn't recommend home staging.  Owner becomes frustrated and at the end of the listing agreement changes real estate agents.

Real estate agent number 2, keeps the house priced at the same dollar amount, doesn't recommend anything beyond putting a For Sale sign in the yard, and certainly doesn't recommend a stager.  Listing agreement expires and owner moves on to the next agent.

Real estate agent number 3, RAISES the listing price, recommends a stager.  Listing doesn't sell, owner blames the stager, has the listing de-staged.  Listing is still on the market.

The current market DEMANDS that you price your home appropriately.  And the market also strongly recommends you hire a stager to help you present your listing to potential buyers, in such a way they will not walk away without making an offer.  Proper pricing, and professional staging are not an option.  If you want to make that sale, its time to become proactive and insist your agent reprice your home.  AND, you as the seller need to find and hire a stager.

STAGE it RIGHT!services all of Brevard County Florida.  Don't wait!  Call us today! (321) 956-2495