Let's start with the "Not So Fun." Water is "Public Enemy Number One" when it comes to the integrity of your house. Water infiltration can wreak havoc on a house by causing staining, rotting, and ultimately deterioration problems. A house should have proper drainage on the exterior. This begins with gutters and an adequate down spout system. If water is allowed to settle around the foundation of your home, over time the foundation will succumb to deterioration. Proper slope around your house is essential as well to help insure proper drainage of away from the foundation. If you are in a wet area to begin with you may have a sump well with a pump system. Making sure the pump is maintained and operating properly is a must. Caulking around windows, doors, and other areas that may invite water in to the home is equally as important. This will prevent water from infiltrating and thus causing water damage issues on the interior.
As far as maintenance on the interior, routinley inspect and be sure no faucets are leaking in a manner that will have water entering an area it is not welcome. Under sinks is the big one in this situation. Water can begin to leak without you noticing and cause rotting deterioration issues. Making sure showers are properly caulked is important also. Always use your fan when taking a shower to help draw out the moisture that accumulates in the bathroom during showering. I have also seen moisture issues to include water puddling at the connection of your dryer venting hose. This may be caused due to blockage in the hose itself, or in another case too long of a venting distance from the dryer to the outside of the house. Shorten the distance of the hose if you can, or one can invest in an acceleration venting system to help vent out the air/moisture with more force.
Now for the "Water Fun"! This is very simple, if you want to entertain your children for hours on end, and of course expend a bunch of their energy, take them to a water park or simply a swimming pool. If you don't have a pool at your home... your local YMCA would probably work. Or better yet...get away for the weekend to a nice hotel that has "Water Fun." Be sure though there is a hot tub for mom and dad to relax in while the kids are going bonkers in the water.
Like water, be gentle and strong. Be gentle enough to follow the natural paths of the earth, and strong enough to rise up and reshape the world. - Brenda Peterson
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Let's try this again....
It's been one year since I started this blog....well, I should actually say it's been one year since I even posted anything. Shame on me for starting something and not following up regularly. Life is busy, but I'd like to continue The "Bee Hive", for my own entertainment if anything else. I think the whole Facebook thing has taken up all of my down-time, and I must admit, much of that has invloved playing poker on there. I'd like to be a little more productive.
My business, "The Worker Bee" had a successful 2009. It only continued it's momentum in the winter of '09 and in to 2010, due to all the snow. Spring is in the air now though!!!
Over this past year I have completed some initial coursework and have gained certification to do Home Inspections. I do have some more advanced coursework, to include some in classroom time I want to complete, but certainly could begin doing inspections anytime.
On the home front...it's a simple pattern, child activities... child behavior....child activities....child behavior. Most with young children can probably relate. In between the "child" stuff, trying to find husband-wife quiet time is the goal. Having two involved parents really helps though. As testing as parenting can be...I'd say my wife has shined with regard to patience and behavior re-direction. We know what's right, but sometimes that escapes us. We have our moments, but always try to make a big ordeal out of the positive behaviors, and re-direct the negative in a healthy-safe fashion, even if it means yelling "KNOCK IT OFF" time to time. One has to find a happy medium with parenting young children. It's easy to engage in a power struggles with a 6 and 3 year old, but best to limit that and let go sometimes. I'm working on that, and probably will be as long as I'm a parent. Not likely to perfect it! One thing I know and hope to stay as close to as possible... You don't have to "win" through hardcore punishments or even physical discipline measures.
Lastly...Spring time is a good time to review that "Home Maintenance" check list...1.) Take the family on a spring break getaway. 2.) Check the exterior of your home for any maintenance upkeep to be done. 3.) Change that furnace filter if you haven't already.
Get out and become a volunteer in your community!!
My business, "The Worker Bee" had a successful 2009. It only continued it's momentum in the winter of '09 and in to 2010, due to all the snow. Spring is in the air now though!!!
Over this past year I have completed some initial coursework and have gained certification to do Home Inspections. I do have some more advanced coursework, to include some in classroom time I want to complete, but certainly could begin doing inspections anytime.
On the home front...it's a simple pattern, child activities... child behavior....child activities....child behavior. Most with young children can probably relate. In between the "child" stuff, trying to find husband-wife quiet time is the goal. Having two involved parents really helps though. As testing as parenting can be...I'd say my wife has shined with regard to patience and behavior re-direction. We know what's right, but sometimes that escapes us. We have our moments, but always try to make a big ordeal out of the positive behaviors, and re-direct the negative in a healthy-safe fashion, even if it means yelling "KNOCK IT OFF" time to time. One has to find a happy medium with parenting young children. It's easy to engage in a power struggles with a 6 and 3 year old, but best to limit that and let go sometimes. I'm working on that, and probably will be as long as I'm a parent. Not likely to perfect it! One thing I know and hope to stay as close to as possible... You don't have to "win" through hardcore punishments or even physical discipline measures.
Lastly...Spring time is a good time to review that "Home Maintenance" check list...1.) Take the family on a spring break getaway. 2.) Check the exterior of your home for any maintenance upkeep to be done. 3.) Change that furnace filter if you haven't already.
Get out and become a volunteer in your community!!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
"Change a Life Contest" presented by the Red Cross
As I shared in the previous posting.....March is Red Cross Month! I wanted to post this announcement regarding a contenst being presented by the Red Cross.
Enter the Change a Life contest
At the heart of the Red Cross are millions of individuals who give time, blood, money and compassion to help their neighbors in need. When ordinary people are empowered to perform extraordinary tasks, lives are changed. This Red Cross Month, we invite you to join us in a celebration of life-changing experiences.
Enter the Change a Life contest before March 16.*
Tell us how a Red Cross experience changed your life or someone else’s life, in 75 words or less.
You could win great prizes, generously donated by country music artist, Keith Urban, and Philips Healthcare.
Grand prize: The winner will receive two tickets to see country music artist Keith Urban in concert on his Escape Together World Tour in Washington, DC on August 20. The package includes backstage passes and a tour of the National American Red Cross headquarters’ Disaster Operations Center.
Second prize: The winner will receive a 52” Philips HD LCD television and DVD player, and a library of Red Cross preparedness, health and safety DVDs for the whole family.
The top five finalists will receive a vintage Red Cross t-shirt. Everyone who submits an entry will receive a 10% discount off their total purchase on RedCrossStore.org.
Thank you for your support of the Red Cross. We look forward to hearing your story.
* Contest is open to individual legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Puerto Rico and U.S. territories and possessions), who are at least 18 years of age or older as of March 2, 2009. The contest ends on March 16 at 12:00 AM ET.
Enter the Change a Life contest
At the heart of the Red Cross are millions of individuals who give time, blood, money and compassion to help their neighbors in need. When ordinary people are empowered to perform extraordinary tasks, lives are changed. This Red Cross Month, we invite you to join us in a celebration of life-changing experiences.
Enter the Change a Life contest before March 16.*
Tell us how a Red Cross experience changed your life or someone else’s life, in 75 words or less.
You could win great prizes, generously donated by country music artist, Keith Urban, and Philips Healthcare.
Grand prize: The winner will receive two tickets to see country music artist Keith Urban in concert on his Escape Together World Tour in Washington, DC on August 20. The package includes backstage passes and a tour of the National American Red Cross headquarters’ Disaster Operations Center.
Second prize: The winner will receive a 52” Philips HD LCD television and DVD player, and a library of Red Cross preparedness, health and safety DVDs for the whole family.
The top five finalists will receive a vintage Red Cross t-shirt. Everyone who submits an entry will receive a 10% discount off their total purchase on RedCrossStore.org.
Thank you for your support of the Red Cross. We look forward to hearing your story.
* Contest is open to individual legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Puerto Rico and U.S. territories and possessions), who are at least 18 years of age or older as of March 2, 2009. The contest ends on March 16 at 12:00 AM ET.
Monday, March 2, 2009
American Red Cross/Fire Safety
As a board member of my local American Red Cross chapter, I wanted to mention that the month of March has been proclaimed as American Red Cross month by President Obama. You can learn more about this, and the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org.
Disaster relief is a large part of the Red Cross mission. One thing that local chapters respond to are house fires within their service area. The Red Cross may provide for temporary lodging to families and/or other immediate necessities.
We should all be pro-active with engaging fire safety in our homes. There are a number of items to always consider. Here are a few that tend to be a common theme with fires: 1.) Outdated electrical wiring (consult a certified electrician if you have such concern) 2.) Mis-use of space heaters. 3.) Unkempt wood burning fireplace (Inspect chimney for cleanliness annually) 4.) Mis-handling of combustibles (ie. fuel, varnishes etc.) 5.) Dirty dryer vent (Clean out dryer vents at least annually)
Equally important, have a fire escape plan for your family, with a meeting place in case
of separation. Keep those smoke detectors operating properly by replacing batteries at least annually.
Disaster relief is a large part of the Red Cross mission. One thing that local chapters respond to are house fires within their service area. The Red Cross may provide for temporary lodging to families and/or other immediate necessities.
We should all be pro-active with engaging fire safety in our homes. There are a number of items to always consider. Here are a few that tend to be a common theme with fires: 1.) Outdated electrical wiring (consult a certified electrician if you have such concern) 2.) Mis-use of space heaters. 3.) Unkempt wood burning fireplace (Inspect chimney for cleanliness annually) 4.) Mis-handling of combustibles (ie. fuel, varnishes etc.) 5.) Dirty dryer vent (Clean out dryer vents at least annually)
Equally important, have a fire escape plan for your family, with a meeting place in case
of separation. Keep those smoke detectors operating properly by replacing batteries at least annually.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Introduction to The "Bee Hive"
Welcome to The "Bee Hive". My name is Alan, I'm 39 years old, married ten years, and have two young children. I do have a college education, but I hope to enlighten more so based on experiences, the day to day knowledge I've gained, and will continue to gain from others. The purpose of this blog is to not only provide useful information to all readers, but I particularly hope to gain the attention of a younger audience. An audience of prospective first time home buyers, young couples wanting to start a family, or those that have newly began either of the aforementioned.
I'm self-employed with my own home maintenance business. Also known as a handyman service, but with a focus on home maintenance services versus new construction or major re-modeling work. My business name is The "Worker Bee"... providing "Home Maintenance A-Z." I have worked full-time in my business for approxiamtely three years. Prior to that I did similar work on the side for a period of time before leaving my full time employment. That full-time employment, and the experience I gained from it is equally valuable to The "Bee Hive" blog. My employment was over ten years in the field of Social Services. I started out working with troubled youth, a brief time working with mentally disabled adults, and the majority of the time in child protective services. With these experiences I hope to contribute a useful and interesting blog about the maintenance of your house and your household.
As most financial gurus say, “your house is the most important investment of your lifetime.” Now, Dr. Phil or maybe even “The Nanny” would say that your family is the most important investment of your lifetime. None-the-less, both are important and really need equal attention.
Our house and family are together known as our "home." Your home is like a "bee hive", as there is continuous work happening there, or if not, in all likely-hood should be. This involves the house itself, children if any, and your spouse. Day to day, month to month or season to season there is something to be done, or at least given thought to.
In my blog postings I hope to provide information and insights with regard to the maintenance of your "home." The idea is to provide useful tips ranging from the upkeep of your house itself, to home safety, child safety, and thoughts on the building of a strong family. I do not proclaim to be an expert on these topics, but will use my experiences, and the experienced knowledge of others to hopefully make this useful and interesting.
I welcome visitors and their knowledge and experiences.
I'm self-employed with my own home maintenance business. Also known as a handyman service, but with a focus on home maintenance services versus new construction or major re-modeling work. My business name is The "Worker Bee"... providing "Home Maintenance A-Z." I have worked full-time in my business for approxiamtely three years. Prior to that I did similar work on the side for a period of time before leaving my full time employment. That full-time employment, and the experience I gained from it is equally valuable to The "Bee Hive" blog. My employment was over ten years in the field of Social Services. I started out working with troubled youth, a brief time working with mentally disabled adults, and the majority of the time in child protective services. With these experiences I hope to contribute a useful and interesting blog about the maintenance of your house and your household.
As most financial gurus say, “your house is the most important investment of your lifetime.” Now, Dr. Phil or maybe even “The Nanny” would say that your family is the most important investment of your lifetime. None-the-less, both are important and really need equal attention.
Our house and family are together known as our "home." Your home is like a "bee hive", as there is continuous work happening there, or if not, in all likely-hood should be. This involves the house itself, children if any, and your spouse. Day to day, month to month or season to season there is something to be done, or at least given thought to.
In my blog postings I hope to provide information and insights with regard to the maintenance of your "home." The idea is to provide useful tips ranging from the upkeep of your house itself, to home safety, child safety, and thoughts on the building of a strong family. I do not proclaim to be an expert on these topics, but will use my experiences, and the experienced knowledge of others to hopefully make this useful and interesting.
I welcome visitors and their knowledge and experiences.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
