Cold-Weather Fun for the Kids

“I’m bored!”  No matter how many movies, video games or toys the kids have, you’re going to hear those two words sooner or later. So what do you need to keep your kids happy when they’re stuck indoors?  All it takes is a little imagination! 

Bottle-bowling. Find a soft-textured ball to use as a bowling ball. Place some pillows against the wall at the end of a hallway. Line up some empty plastic water or pop bottles a metre in front of the pillows and you have an instant bowling alley. Letting the kids keep score can be great practice for counting too. 

Camping trip, anyone?  Ask the kids if they’d like to go on a camping trip without leaving home.  You’ll need some grass (a green blanket or towels), a tent (a sheet or blanket placed over two chairs), and a few pieces of bristol board for the kids to cut out trees, flowers, or a campfire. A few stuffed animals placed around the campsite will help set the scene.

Little bakers. Mix up some gingerbread dough and let the little ones use different shaped cookie cutters to make cookies.  Once cooled, they could decorate them with colourful icing and candies (messy but fun and yummy).

Shadow-drawing. Get a roll of plain brown paper and have each child lie on it, and then trace their outline.  Once cut out, they’ll enjoy drawing in their own features, or creating a funny character that will have them chuckling.

Make your own book. Ask the kids to make up a story that they have to write down and illustrate with paint or markers. Use binders to keep all their stories together so you can enjoy reading them in years to come. A great keepsake.

Future film-makers. Pull out some dress-up clothes, charge up the video camera and get the kids to make a movie. They can act out scenes from their favourite movies, or just run with their own ideas.  Next stop, Hollywood!

Storytime. Having everyone curl up with a cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows to listen to a story is one of the coziest of winter pastimes – and best of all, no batteries required!

Whether your thinking of buying or selling, or looking for home tips on decorating, or just having some FUN! Please CALL ME today, Tina August, REALTOR®, Royal LePage Top Producers, Direct: 1-204-230-6627 or 1-204-751-3477.

Eco-Friendly Nursery

Some of my really close friends have been spicing up life with !!Fabulous!! news that they are expecting!  If you, or someone you know is expecting please read this article and keep checking in for more 'baby-related' blogs.

If you are awaiting the arrival of a precious little bundle, thoughts will be turning to baby’s room. While you’re contemplating different cribs, colours, and decorations, you may also want to consider ways to make your baby’s room more eco-friendly. From safer paint choices to ensuring good air quality, here are just a few eco-friendly options for your new nursery (or really for any area of your home).

Paint
Choose paints and primers with no or low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), as VOC emissions from drying paint could have adverse health effects. VOCs may persist in the air long after painting is finished, so paint well in advance of baby’s arrival and air the room afterwards.

Wallpaper
If you prefer the nursery walls to have texture, pattern or bold primary colours, wallpaper is a great option. There are a range of eco-friendly wallpapers available that are made with water-based, chemical-free inks. You can even make your own chemical-free wallpaper paste from a simple base of flour and water.

Floors
Cork flooring or wood floors treated with a non-toxic sealer are good eco-choices. An organic cotton or wool rug will make the room cozier and cut down on noise.  If you prefer carpeting, look for a Green Label Plus certified carpet as they’re made with less hazardous, lower emitting materials.

Crib
Eco-friendly cribs are often made with sustainable wood coated with non-toxic stain or paint. Crib mattresses made of wool, organic cotton or 100% natural latex are great eco-choices, but tend to be more expensive. Alternatively, if you use a regular mattress, you could top it off with an organic mattress pad.  

Fresh Air
One of the most cost-effective solutions is to use non-toxic cleansers when cleaning baby’s room. Babies are more vulnerable to air pollution, so investing in an air purifier would also help cut down on chemicals, gases and allergens. Open windows daily to let in fresh air.

Just a few eco-friendly adjustments will help make your nursery and home a happy, safe haven for all. Enjoy!    

For all of your Real Estate needs Please CALL ME TODAY, Tina August, REALTOR®, Royal LePage Top Producers, Direct: 1-204-751-3477, 1-204-230-6627.  

Cottage Closure Got You Down? Celebrate!

A New Perspective on Closing the Cottage

As fall approaches and the cool weather and shorter days arrive, cottage owners will sadly anticipate the end of cottage season. For many, shutting down their summer sanctuary is a double dose of bad news - not only do lazy days on the dock disappear but they are quickly replaced with the labour required to close the cottage properly.

Fortunately, many cottage owners are beating the blues by celebrating the end of cottage season with a "let's make a good situation out of a bad one" attitude - a sentiment that has become as common in cottage country as Muskoka chairs and mosquito repellent. Many cottagers are inviting guests to celebrate in a "less is more" type of atmosphere during their last days of rural rest. Visitors are sitting on moving boxes and using candles for electricity as they congregate and reminisce about the "unusual amount of mosquitoes" and "Johnny's first swim". For many, this last gathering makes the impending move back to the city a little more bearable.

It's also the perfect opportunity to swindle that neighbour into helping you budge the boat into the garage and the barbeque into the SUV - just two of many essential and equally annoying tasks to complete each autumn. Some imperative and tedious chores that can be completed without your neighbour's help include the draining of plumbing systems and shutting down the electricity. Ensuring that pipes are properly drained will avoid water freezing over, which can lead to flooding in the cottage. To properly drain the system, empty and clean all pipes, valves, tanks and pumps. When shutting off electricity, be sure to first turn off all major appliances as well as the water heater and electrical room heaters. When the time comes to re-open your cottage again, the start-up will be much smoother and safer.

If you're a long-time cottage owner, you know that vermin will do as much as your in-laws to get an invitation to your cottage. For this reason, go beyond hiding food and blocking entrances. Try leaving mothballs or whole cloves as both can discourage unwelcome rodents.

Rodents of another type that need to be discouraged from entering cottages in the off-season are thieves. The ideal tools to combat these seasonal stealers are alarm systems, which have become increasingly common in cottages. A more cost effective approach to security is keeping valuables, such as TV's, out of sight. There are also many companies that specialize in cottage protection that will send employees to your property weekly to ensure its safety. And while these chores may be monotonous - remember next summer is just around the corner!

For all of your Real Estate needs, whether your thinking of buying, selling or just want some home advice please give me a call anytime.  Tina August, REALTOR®, Royal Lepage Top Producers, Direct: 1-204-230-6627 or 1-204-751-3477.

Fabulous Fall: Gardening Tips

Fabulous Fall: Gardening Tips

Fall is a feast for the eyes with red, gold and bronze hues. While enjoying the trees in their tawny splendour, consider these simple tips to prepare your garden for the upcoming winter.

Grass
Although a carpet of leaves is part of autumn’s glory, don’t let them sit too long. Rake them frequently as grass needs oxygen and sunlight for proper growth.  This is also the time to seed your grass for a thick lush lawn in the spring, and to keep pesky weeds out.

Leaves
Put leaves to work! Small leaves from birch, beech and silver maple trees (or shredded larger leaves) spread under shrubs and over soil will degrade into mineral nutrients and worms will turn them into fertilizer.

Pruning/Re-arranging Plants
Pruning in the fall is important. With leaves cleared you have a better view of your plants. Cut off dead and diseased branches. Remove diseased leaves from under roses (blackspot) and dispose of in the garbage (not your compost heap) or they’ll re-infect plants the following spring. If you decide to re-arrange plants or shrubs, move them while the earth is still warm so that the roots can take hold.  Protect delicate shrubs with burlap.

Bulbs
If you want to see crocus, tulips and daffodils peeping through the soil in spring, now is the time to start planting.  Buy the very best quality bulbs and you will be rewarded with showy blooms in the spring. Check with a local horticulturalist for native bulb options and ideal planting conditions.

Container Gardening
Fill your balcony or patio containers with fall flowers.  Picture a pot filled with Vanilla Butterfly (marguerite daisy), with a background of Orange Sedge – this olive green grass turns orange in cool weather, finally fading to bronze.  Want an instant conversation piece?  Plant ornamental Kale (winter cabbage) in your container:  its quirky look is an attention-getter.

Every season has its beauty, but a Canadian fall is spectacular – enjoy!

Tina August

REALTOR®

Royal LePage Top Producers

6-1549 St. Marys Road, Winnipeg, MB

DIRECT: 204-751-3477

How to budget for closing costs

How to budget for closing costs

If you're shopping for a new home, you're probably aware that there will be some costs over and above the purchase price. It makes sense to budget for these costs so you're not surprised – and unprepared – when you get the bill.

Most of these costs fall into a category that the real estate industry calls "closing costs." The most common types include land transfer tax, lawyer’s fees and disbursements, sales taxes, and for newly-built homes, utility hook- ups.

You should also consider other expenses you will incur, such as home insurance and moving expenses.

Of course, if your new home is a condominium, you’ll also have to account for the monthly condo fees.

Closing costs can vary depending on the type and location of your new home. A good REALTOR® can help you determine the costs you will incur. Call me today for more information.  Tina August, REALTOR®, Royal LePage Top Producers, 1-204-751-3477 or 1-204-230-6627.