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Your Fall Home Refresh Starts Here!

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Real Estate Agent with HomeSmart 0561240

Your Fall Home Refresh Starts Here!

 

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.

- Benjamin Franklin

 
 
 

A Fresh Start This September

 

September is the perfect time to polish your routines and make a change. The kids are starting school, the seasons are changing, and summer festivals are coming to a close. For many of us, September has been a time for fresh starts from childhood – new folders, new pencils, new shoes, a fresh haircut, and a brand-new schedule.

Whether you want to make time for your favorite hobby, learn a new skill, solidify a healthy habit, or focus on a daily routine that makes your life flow, use these tips to make the most of this built-in September fresh start.
 

Plan ahead – Knowing what you’re going to make for dinner, when the whole family will be together for game night, and who is picking up snacks for soccer practice alleviates a lot of stress. Meal planning alone can save hours, daily trips to the store, and the dreaded daily question, “What’s for dinner.” A little time spent planning will help your life flow.

Make it easy – Set yourself up for success. If it’s stressful trying to get out the door on time, pick out clothes the night before, pack the bags before bed, and prepare grab-and-go breakfasts. Whatever it is, how can you make it easier for yourself?

Delegate and outsource – You don’t have to do everything all the time. Whether you decide to have your groceries delivered, have the kids do the dishes, or use a pre-planned exercise routine, it’s okay to take some help where you need it. In the case of kids, it’s not just helpful, but it’s also great for them to have responsibilities and accomplishments.

Schedule the fun stuff – Leave room for downtime, creativity, learning, conversations, rest, and hobbies. It’s important to leave time for movie night, date night, guitar lessons, and time to recharge in nature. A major key to successful change is for it to enhance your life, not wear you down. Avoid filling your life with so many responsibilities that there’s no room left in it for you.

Focus on the process, not the outcome – Success is when you put in the work, the time, and the effort. Many of us have been conditioned to view the result as the only thing that matters – the final grade, the number on the scale, or the time on the clock. The thing that actually matters though, is that we show up.

 

Source: N/A

 
 
 

Three Cheese Baked Pasta

 

Ingredients

 
  • 1 pound uncooked pasta
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 6 ½ cups tomato pasta sauce
  • 6 ounces provolone cheese, thinly sliced
  • 1 ½ cups sour cream
  • 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
 

Directions

 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, cook ground meat and onion in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until meat is browned. Stir in pasta sauce, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer the ingredients in the prepared baking dish as follows: half of the cooked pasta, all the provolone cheese, all the sour cream, half of the sauce mixture, remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese, and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

 

Source: allrecipes.com

 
 
 

Organize and Update Your Garage Without Spending a Fortune

 

If a complete garage remodel isn’t in the picture this year, you can still spruce up your space with some of these easy, budget-friendly ideas to organize and update your garage.

Storage
Sporting equipment, tools, lawn care and snow removal, automotive… there’s no shortage of stuff to store in the average garage. Use as much vertical space as possible. Wall shelves, hanging hooks, cabinets, peg boards – you can even hang shelves and hooks from the ceiling.

Build your own or purchase from an array of garage-friendly designs intended to hold supplies, tools, or plastic totes. Consider rolling or pull-out shelves to maximize space and specialized storage for specialized gear – like bicycles and your collection of fishing poles. Whatever you choose, ensure it’s strong, durable, and easy to use.

Workspace
Without a space to work, any amount of storage feels inconvenient. You can repurpose an old desk or table or build a workspace into a wall of cabinets or shelves. Keep your most used tools nearby and handy. The backdrop of a workbench is a great place for a pegboard or a sheet metal magnet board.

Power and Light
Adding outlets around your garage, especially near the workstation, will make anything you plan to do easier. Ensure you have enough overhead light as well as task lights over any workspaces, and the garage is an ideal place for motion-activated lights.

Floors
A nice epoxy coating on the floor protects from cracks, grease, and stains and looks great. A layer of rubberized interlocking floor tiles can add visual appeal. But a good cleaning and patching can do wonders as well.

Insulation
Insulation on the walls and the overhead doors can keep your garage cooler in the summers and warmer in the winters – a great investment if you spend a lot of time in your garage year-round.

Just for Fun
And lastly, don’t be shy about adding some personality to your garage. This is a great space for a bright, fun paint color on the walls and eclectic wall art. The way you display your tools in neat rows or arrange your kayaks on the wall can impact the feel of your space as well. There’s no reason not to have a little fun in the garage.

 

 

Posted by

e signature for Shayne Stone

“YOUR Rock-Solid Choice Realtor for Making Home Sellers a Profit & Home Buyers Equity”

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Sham Reddy CRS
Howard Hanna RE Services, Dayton, OH - Dayton, OH
CRS

Thanks for sharing Shayne!!! Great information!!! I like this point the best!!!

Leave room for downtime, creativity, learning, conversations, rest, and hobbies. It’s important to leave time for movie night, date night, guitar lessons, and time to recharge in nature. A major key to successful change is for it to enhance your life, not wear you down. Avoid filling your life with so many responsibilities that there’s no room left in it for you.

Sep 01, 2024 09:26 AM
Bill Salvatore - East Valley
Arizona Elite Properties - Chandler, AZ
Realtor - 602-999-0952 / em: golfArizona@cox.net

Enjoy the Holiday as well. Great information. Thanks for sharing, enjoy your weekend. Bill

Salvatore Arizona Elite Properties.

Sep 01, 2024 09:48 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

This is good advice to share as we face the challenges of this new month.

I like your recipe selection. 

I will share your post on X.

Sep 01, 2024 10:45 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Shane, your recipe does sound delicious, and should try it in the near future.

Sep 01, 2024 02:38 PM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Shane - Happy September.  Beginnings of any kind can be reminders of the change that is part of each of us.  And in life.  It's a constant.   

Sep 02, 2024 03:10 AM