Author: Connie - Gadget Girl

Wanting to go green with your cleaning products?  Try these well rated solutions:

1.  All Purpose Cleaner.  With gloves on, mix 1 tsp. washing soda, 2 tsp. borax, 2 Tbsp. white vinegar, 2 ½ cups hot water, 5 drops lavender essential oil & 7 drops of lemon essential oil in a 32-oz spray bottle.  Shake well, add ¼ cup liquid castile soap & shake again.  Once mixed, use as you would any multi-purpose pray.

2.  Glass Cleaner.  With gloves on, mix 3 cups water, 2 Tbsp. rubbing alcohol, and ¼ cup white vinegar into a 32-oz spray bottle and shake well.  Add ½ Tbsp. liquid castile soap and shake again.  Spray onto windows and wipe clean with newspaper.

3.  Furniture Polish.  With gloves on, mix 2 Tbsp. olive oil, ¼ cup white vinegar, and ¼ tsp lemon oil or fresh lemon juice in an 8-oz squirt bottle and shake well.  Make sure it is very well mixed.  Squirt polish onto a microfiber cloth and polish wood furniture with the grain.  Remove excess polish with a clean microfiber cloth.

4.  Toilet Bowl Cleaner.  Pour ½ cup baking soda into the toilet bowl.  Follow with 10 drops of tea-tree essential oil.  Follow oil with ½ cup white vinegar.  Let sit and bubble for 10 minutes then scrub with a toilet brush and flush.

5.  Laundry Soap.  With gloves on, mix ½ cup washing soda, ½ cup borax, and 1 bar of lavender castile soap (grated), ¼ cup baking soda, and 15 drops of lemon essential oil in a tightly lidded 24-oz plastic container.  Cover, shake well, and use 3 Tbsp detergent per load.  This detergent is HE friendly, but don’t use too much.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

As merry and bright as the holiday season is, did you know that it is also one of the most dangerous times in your home?  Home safety is often compromised during the holiday season.  Falls, fires, and trips to the emergency room are more common during the holiday season than any other time of year.  To keep yourself, your home, and your family safe consider the following:

Lights – carefully inspect all strings of holiday lights for frayed cords, cracked bulbs and loose connections.  Be sure to unplug the string of lights when replacing burnt out bulbs and always check the wattage to be sure you aren’t overtaxing the strands.  In addition you should always, always turn off all holiday lights when leaving your home or going to bed.  If you can, it is best to place all outdoor lights on a timer to switch on after 7pm.

Trees – if you have a fresh tree be sure to keep it well watered and far away from any fireplaces or candles.  If you have an artificial tree be sure that it is labeled fire-resistant.  Either way, be sure that your base is steady so that the tree won’t tip over easily.

Entertaining – when cooking for a crowd be sure to keep an eye on the stove.  Unattended ovens/stoves are the number one cause of home fires in the U.S.

General Safety – keep all matches and lighters up high and out of reach of children.  Test all smoke alarms and replace batteries as necessary.  Do not discuss holiday travel plans publically or with strangers.  Store scissors and ribbons used to wrap gifts well out of children’s reach.  Inspect all toys, decorations, and gifts for small objects which can be choking hazards or sharp edges which can be dangerous.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you — 302-644-2266.

The holidays are a stressful time of year for many people.  There are many things you can do to help make the stress of the season more bearable.  First, realize that it is okay to feel sad, depressed, stressed or anything other than the happy person that people expect.  Next, be realistic – know that situations change and with them traditions and rituals change as well.  Change isn’t always easy, but creating new traditions when its time will help ease any stress you feel.  Perhaps the most effective way to relive holiday stress is to learn to say no when you need to.  Saying yes to every get together, work assignment, and friend while leaving no time for yourself and your family is the number one way to burn-out during this festive season.  By limiting yourself to only what is absolutely necessary and/or most important to you, you will limit the amount of stress you allow into your life which makes it easier to spend a few minutes on yourself.  Making time for yourself during the next couple of hectic weeks is important for your mental health.  Even if you just spend 15 minutes alone to take a quick walk, read a magazine, or listen to music, spending time alone and clearing your mind can reduce stress and help you stay calm as things heat up.  Finally, recognize that along with being stressful, the holidays can be a sad, lonely, and depressing time for many people so don’t hesitate to reach out to your friends, family, community, or support groups if you need to and by all means, seek professional help if you need it.  The holidays should be a time filled with joy and not stress!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

If you are in the market for your first home, or have struggled with your credit in the past the first step to buying your dream home is to build your credit so that you can get a mortgage and hopefully at a good rate!  Here are three tips to help you:

1. Don’t have too many credit accounts. You do need to open a few lines of credit to establish your credit record, but you don’t want to have too many.  One to three accounts is usually sufficient for establishing credit, but don’t open them all at once.  Opening these accounts and maintaining them is key.

2.  Open a variety of credit lines.  Credit cards, department store cards, auto loans, bank loans, etc. are all good ways to open your credit lines.  To truly build your credit you should try to have a variety of credit accounts, not just several credit cards.

3.  Maintain your accounts wisely.  Don’t open all of your accounts at once or you will actually lower your credit score.  You also need to use your accounts.  If you open them but leave them at a 0 balance, they don’t help build your credit record since it doesn’t show a lender that you have a history of responsibility in paying off your bills.  To truly build your credit you need to use your accounts, but not to their limit – 30% of your credit limit is a good number to shoot for, and you also need to pay your bills on time every single month, with no exceptions.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Real Estate Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, you want to be sure that when you buy (or sell) a home your contract is definitive when it comes to what comes with the house and what doesn’t.  Even if there is a spoken agreement about what comes with the house, be sure to get everything you care about in writing, otherwise it is not binding.  For example, if you are a buyer who desires the washer and dryer that were in the house during the showing, ask for it in writing.  Typically, items that are permanently attached such as flooring, light fixtures, built in bookcases are included unless they are specifically excluded in writing.  If, for example, a seller excludes the fireplace mantel because it’s a family heirloom that would need to be in writing.  Be sure to ask in writing for the buyer to replace the fixture before closing.  Likewise, if the house is equipped with a wall mount for a flat screen television that you don’t want, write it into the contract for the sellers to remove it and make any necessary repairs to the walls, etc.

If you’re a buyer don’t make the mistake of thinking that everything you saw when you viewed the house is coming with it just because it “goes with the home.”  For example a fountain, potted plants, custom bar stools, or a table that fits so perfectly in the breakfast nook that it seems like a built-in may or may not come with the home.  So, what’s the moral of the story?  If you’re a buyer and you want it, you need to ask for it.  And if the buyers agree, be sure to write it into the contract!  If you’re a seller and you’re planning to take your items with you, making that clear to the buyers from the get-go can make your life easier, but whatever you do, be sure to write everything that you care about into your contract.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County, give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

From everyone here at Cooper Realty Associates, we wish you and yours a safe, happy and healthy Thanksgiving!  Gobble, gobble!!