Classy and Opinionated Lifestyle Mom Blog
Five years ago when we bought our home I insisted that my husband put in some outdoor light. During the nighttime hours…it’s pitch black outside from the lack of street lights. On top of that, we like to entertain a lot outdoors and often times …
Like most people…I love decorating my home for the various holidays, especially for Christmas. While I don’t go overboard, I do like to decorate the inside and outside of my home. Every year, I update my collection of holiday decor with a few new pieces. …
We are about one month away from the official start of the winter season. Are you ready? Have you prepared your home for the upcoming wintertime season? If not, I’ve got some handy tips for you today.
Tips for Preparing Your Home for Winter
* Have your furnace serviced every year before the cold season sets in. Request that the technician change out your filter and check to make sure the furnace is running properly.
* It’s time to caulk around all of your windows and doors, especially if it has been a long time since it was last done. Home owners can easily do this themselves or hire a handyman to do it for you. Caulking will help stop heat loss and keep water out.
* Turn off all of your outdoor water faucets and clean out any external water drains. If there is any water still in your outdoor pipes and hoses…drain the water out!
* If you have a fireplace and chimney it is important to have it cleaned and inspected every season before you use it!
* Replace your window coverings! Those sheer drapes and window toppers do nothing to keep the cold air out and the heat in! Invest in thermal drapery that can be easily hung during the cold winter season. In your home gets really cold…consider place temporary window film over your windows to stop heat loss. This film is found in hardware stores and discount department stores for only a few bucks.
* Buy a few draft stoppers! While they might not be too attractive to look at…they can help to keep cold drafts from coming in underneath your doors and windows.
* Buy a small portable space heater. If your furnace would go out or if the power goes out during a storm…you can still heat at least one small room in your home. When using space heaters, make sure you read the safety directions and use them properly to prevent fires.
* Prepare an emergency power outage & winter storm box! This box should include extra blankets, non-refrigerated food, bottled water, flashlights, lanterns, extra batteries, RX and over-the-counter medications, etc. Keep enough emergency supplies on hand to last you a minimum of 3 days but 5 days is more ideal.
* Purchase your snow & ice removal supplies BEFORE the winter season begins! These supplies are cheaper during the off-season and you’ll want to make sure you have them before the first storm arrives. Tip from the hubby: Pre-treat your sidewalks with de-icer agents an hour or two before the bad weather begins. This will help to prevent freezing rain & ice from sticking. Retreat those same areas every few hours to prevent build-up. Store all of these supplies out of the reach of children and pets.
* If you didn’t clean out your rain gutters during the early Fall season…now is the time to get it done! If water gets stuck in your gutters and rain spouts it can freeze, become heavy and rip them down or crack them open!
How many of you are ready for the cold winter season? If you’re not ready…now is the time to get ready! Do you have any tips to share with The Classy Chics blog readers? If so, leave your tips below!
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Just breathe. That’s all it takes to experience the transformative power of pure lavender and peppermint essential oils, thanks to a new aromatherapy starter kit from GuruNanda. This giftable set has everything needed to transform any space from blah to spa in moments. Along with …
“We believe our pets change us and improve the quality of our lives.” Can you imagine your life without your pets? Of course not…your pets are family! Every day with them enriches your life and brings joy. They are the reason One Fur All was …
For the past 6 years we have always kicked off our annual holiday gift guide during the month of October. One of the things we have learned over those years is that our readers love learning about new companies that offer fantastic gifts and holiday home decor.
HomenYard is an online store that offers adorable home decor items and items for outdoors. You will find things to hang on your walls, display on a shelf or bookcase, products to give as gifts and even some fabulous items to decorate your yard and garden.
For this review I received the Reindeer Garden Stake and as soon as I took it out of the box, I was in-love! I love decorating my home for the holidays and that includes putting holiday items up in my yard and lights around the exterior of our home.
The Reindeer Garden Stake stands 26″ high which is the perfect height. It isn’t too tall nor too small. He is completely made out of weather-resistant metal that is light-weight but yet sturdy. He is a rolly-polly reindeer that has faux holiday lights tangled up in his antlers which adds some whimsy.
You simply take him out of the box and put the 2 pieces together. Take it outside and place it any where that you like. We had ours alongside our walkway leading up to our front door. I think he looks adorable with the snow surrounding him & he really sets a fun & festive holiday mood.
Head on over to HomenYard.com and take a look around. They have holiday and non-holiday items in-stock and ready to ship. I appreciate their vast selection of products, high-quality workmanship and of course, fast shipping to my front door!
Disclaimer: Shelly H. has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. Thanks!
The days of plain old pumpkins seem to be changing. Of course, the stores and fun displays are loaded with pumpkins but now we have so many more choices and I, for one, am loving all of those cool new heirlooms pumpkins that I am …
A kitchen trash can. It’s something we all need and something that we all use. Usually when I need a new one…I head to the local department or discount store and pick up an ugly plastic can for a few bucks. Those cans don’t last …