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1. You’re all moved in. It’s time to send out your moving announcements. Here’s a way to get rid of some of your newly emptied boxes. Cut 3" x 5" pieces of corrugated cardboard to use as postcards. Decorate the front using a “Fragile” or “This Side Up” rubber stamp. Using a black permanent marker, draw a line down the middle of the reverse side. Write your “We’ve moved” message on the left and use the right side for your recipient addresses. Don’t forget room for postage and space at the bottom for postal service bar coding. 2. Wondering about your local recycling program? Baltimore, Frederick and Howard counties all offer weekly curbside pick-up. 3. Is your teenager in a punk rock band? Do a favor for your new neighbors, and yourself. Do-it-yourself soundproofing: Cover your basement walls with a layer of carpet squares and another layer of egg crates. Carpet squares can be found – often for free – at most carpet factories and wholesalers. If you want to go fancy, 18" to 24" peel-and-stick carpet tiles can be purchased for $1.15 to $1.40 per square foot. And your local grocery store will most likely donate the egg crates. Before you begin this project, don’t forget to contact your local fire department for safety regulations.
5. Add a little color to your housewarming party. Rather than serving crackers for dips and spreads, slice wedges of red, yellow, orange and green bell peppers. Pepper scoops are especially delicious with homemade hummus. 6. Don’t forget Fido and Fluffy. Make sure your pets’ identification tags are updated with your new address and phone number. Unless your pet is a fish.
8. We know you love your new house so much that it’s tough to leave. Just in case you decide to venture outdoors, you’re in luck. There are nine gorgeous state parks in central Maryland, and three more in Frederick County. For camping and cabin reservations, call 1-888-432-2267.
10. Fact: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the nation’s utility bills could be cut by up to $10 billion if everyone chose energy-efficient appliances and products. We don’t like to brag, but did we mention we have more than a few awards for energy-efficient home design and construction? |
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4. Green thumb? Did you know the state of Maryland requires all landscapers to be certified by the Maryland
Department of Agriculture? When shopping for a contractor, be sure to ask for proof of insurance and look for
companies that are members of the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Maryland Nursery and
Landscape Association.
7. You’re obviously already familiar with the Internet (you’re using it right now, right?). But did you know that the
performance of your high-speed connection may vary depending on where you live? Cable is about five and a half times
faster than a digital subscriber line (DSL). However, with cable, you share a network with your neighbors. With lots of
your neighbors subscribing to cable you’ll experience more Web traffic and therefore more congestion on your local
Internet super highway. Before making your high-speed decision, ask your neighbors about their connection speeds and
compare it to claims made by DSL providers. In some cases, DSL comes out ahead.
9. Every spring we hear about the infamous West Nile Virus. The public is reminded
annually to remove pools of standing water to mitigate the breeding of mosquitoes.
But did you know that often-overlooked sources for standing water are residential gutters
and downspouts? Now there are no more excuses not to clean out your gutters.