Ever wish you could become one of those rare morning people? The ones that wake with a start, feeling refreshed and energized. The ones that get in that morning workout or wrap up some work before many of us even hit the snooze button for the first time. Here are five tips to help you achieve that early bird status!
Create a morning schedule. Physically write down the things you’d like to complete in the morning and set a time for each. Then stick with it. Once you force yourself out of bed early one or two weeks consistently, you’ll find it gets easier and easier to do.
Let the light in. Whether natural or artificial, light tells your brain its time to get up and get going. If your room lacks large windows where you can open the blinds up, consider investing in a timed lamp or alarm clock with a light.
Prep and eat breakfast. Although there are many of us who chose the skip breakfast, it is key to perking up your energy in the morning. Try prepping protein-focused meals the night before or grab a yogurt or fruit and try to consume it right after you wake.
Get your body moving. Whether it’s a short walk around your neighborhood or a rigorous 5:30 am spin class, getting your blood pumping will help wake up your body and has a ton of other benefits, like stress and anxiety reduction.
Feed your mind. Stimulate your brain and do something you enjoy first thing in the morning. Try reading a favorite book, catching up on the news, doing daily meditation, or setting intentions.
Great Lakes Home Team is here to help you with your real estate questions or needs. We have helped so many families sell their home or find their dream home. Do you want to know how much is your home worth is worth, Click here?
Starting September 19th through October 31st we will be offering fall themed activities, including hayrides, a petting zoo, a children’s “spooky” maze, and more.
Explore the 3-acre corn maze and enjoy the Showman’s Circle area, including a farm-themed playground and live animal demonstrations. Enjoy harvest-themed crafts and more.
Come for a horse-drawn hayride through the woods. Pick a favorite pumpkin and paint a pumpkin while you’re there. Hayrides include a maple cookie. For the 2020 season, hayride reservations will be taken in advance.
15161 Main Market Rd. (Rt 422), Burton, OH 44021
When: Saturday-Sunday, September-October 2020 + NEOTA Day, October 9, 2020
You will be amazed at what you’ll find at Pumpkinville! We have Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, beautiful Mums, Apples, Fresh Cider and Corn Stalks too!
Bring the whole family to the best pumpkin patch and Fall Festival in Northeast Ohio. This is more than just the ordinary pumpkin patch… You’ll not want to miss out on this experience at Rockin R Ranch Old West Pumpkin Fest.
19066 East River Rd. (SR 252), Columbia Station, OH 44028
Know how to pay. Do you need to buy tickets in advance? Does the farm accept credit cards? Visit the farms website (links provided) before you visit. This will save yourself an unexpected trip to the ATM. It’s always wise to bring along some cash with you too
Most of the farms offer a wide variety of activities (Pick Your Own Pumpkins, Hayrides, Corn Mazes, Pedal Carts, Corn Cannons). Determine what you will and won’t be doing and let your kids know upfront what they can and can’t do.
Choose Age Appropriate Activities You know your child’s interests and attention span best, so try to select the activities they will enjoy most.
Be sure to check the weather and dress accordingly. Consider dressing in layers so you can add/remove items if you get too hot or cold. This is especially important if you are going to be staying into the evening. As the sun sets it will get colder. Remember to bring a jacket, hat and gloves.
Wear shoes or boots you don’t mind getting dirty – It’s a farm so there will be mud in spots, especially throughout the corn mazes. Consider packing an extra pair of shoes for the car ride home and a plastic bag to put the dirty ones in.
If you are planning to purchase pumpkins or other fall decorations, make sure there is plenty of room in your car trunk. That way, you won’t be left wondering how you are going to get your purchases home.
You’ve probably heard about all the benefits of apple cider vinegar in the beauty department – it can be used as a toner, a deodorant, and even a conditioning hair rinse. But did you know Apple Cider Vinegar can be used as a cleaning product? If you’ve been thinking of going non-toxic, replacing your current cleaners with apple cider vinegar is the affordable, easy way to do just that. Here are some of the household items you can replace and how to do so!
1. Fabric Softener
Apple Cider Vinegar is a great way to condition your laundry if you have sensitive skin. Just add 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar in place of your fabric softener and stop all the itching caused by harsh chemicals.
2. Household Cleaner
Apple cider vinegar has a great deal of antibacterial properties so it works extremely well as an every day household cleaner. Mix equal parts water and Apple Cider Vinegar in a spray bottle and you’re ready to clean! While the vinegar smell will fade, you can add a few drops of citrus essential oil to leave a great smell once it dries.
3. Drain Cleaner
Instead of buying drain cleaner filled with dangerous chemicals, use safe items you probably already have! Mix 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour that down your clogged drain. Then, pour 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar. Let the products react for 1-2 hours and then rinse with warm water.
4. Window Cleaner
Using the same combination as the everyday household cleaner, mixing equal parts apple cider vinegar and water to create a smear-free window spray.
5. Stainless Steel Cleaner
Your typical stainless steel cleaner can get pricey. Instead, use apple cider vinegar straight out of the bottle to clean your stainless steel.
6. Sticker Remover
Sticker removal can be a giant pain. Soak the area where the sticker won’t budge with apple cider vinegar for about 20 minutes, and then scrape it off!
7. Weed Killer
We’ve all read the warning labels on weed killer found at local hardware stores, so it isn’t a surprise that we can be hesitant when it comes to using those products in the yard where our children or pets spend a great deal of time. Avoid those harsh chemicals and create an alternative, effective weed killer. Mix 1/2 gallon of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/4 cup of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of dish soap in a large spray bottle. Be sure to spray on each set of weeds individually and avoid spraying any plants you want to keep.
8. Mildew Remover
If you’re trying to get rid of mildew in your bathroom, use apple cider vinegar! For heavy mildew, use Apple Cider Vinegar on its own. For lighter stains, use equal parts Apple Cider Vinegar and water. You can add essential oils to this mix as well for a scent booster.
Looking to buy or sell or invest in real estate? Let Great Lakes Home Team help you with all your real estate needs. 440 299-5137 or greatlakeshometeam@gmail.com. Visit us at greatlakeshometeam.com.
When selling your home, you’re obligated, by law, to disclose certain information about your property. Most states require that all sellers complete a written property disclosure form. Ohio is one of those states. Majority of the forms have a required set of questions that must be answered.
THE BASICS
Most states require sellers to complete this form when listing for sale. Nearly all of the questions are a basic yes/no/unknown response. The questions will address material facts, major defects, special disclosures, and federal disclosures. All forms vary by state and require different information.
MATERIAL FACTS
These include the age of the property, it’s condition, known problems, and defects. These are all of the information that would influence a buyer’s decision to purchase your home. These disclosures require you to address known defects, things that are reasonably apparent, to ensure you don’t knowingly hide a major defect.
MAJOR DEFECTS
All major defects MUST be disclosed. For instance, fire or flood damage. If your home’s electrical system isn’t up to code, and you’re aware of this, it must be shared with potential buyers. Repairs you have completed, as well as improvements and upgrades, should be noted as well.
Since all states have varying federal and special disclosure laws, it’s imperative that you reach out to a local real estate agent to get assistance with the sale of your home. Great Lakes Home Team with Keller Williams Greater Cleveland Northeast is here to help you through the entire process. Jody Finucan and Danielle Dooley are only a phone call away!
The chart shows the number of active listings on the market in Geauga County by month over the last 5 years. Click on the link below to see the entire chart. While the market is moving quickly, it is still a great time to buy. Interest rates are still very good! The process of selling your home or buying a new one can be made easier with the experience of agent. Let me help guide you or someone you know through the process. Here is a little snippet for month of December over the last 5 years.
Are you looking to cut your own tree this holiday season? Listed below in alphabetic order by city are many located in Northeastern Ohio. Have Fun! NORTH CORNER FARM 13800 Butternut Road, Burton Township 440-785-3692 northcornerfarm.com Open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
SOBUSTA FARMS 11380 Thwing Road, Chardon Township 440-357-8568 or 440-256-1768 soubustafarms.com Open Nov. 24 through the weekend before Christmas on Fridays from 1 p.m. until dark and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to dark.
SUGAR PINES FARM 9500 Mulberry Road, Chester Township 440-729-1019 sugarpinesfarm.com Open beginning Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (and the day after Thanksgiving); noon to 5:30 Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and noon to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.
KATHY’S CHRISTMAS TREES 6861 Williams Road, Concord Township 440-352-8779 Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
MOUNTAIN CREEK TREE FARM 7185 Williams Road, Concord Township 440-354-8928 mountaincreektrees.com Open Nov. 18 through Dec. 24. Open Saturdays and Sundays and the Friday after Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays through Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays.
DIVENCENZO FAMILY TREE FARM 16101 Island Road, Grafton 440-926-3873 divichristmastree.com Open on Saturdays and Sundays until Dec. 17, check the website for hours.
RHODES SISTER 12020 Clay St., Huntsburg Township 440-636-5498 Open starting Nov. 24 seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
SARNA’S TREE FARM 1137 E. Jefferson St., Jefferson 440-576-3450 Sarnastreefarm.com Open beginning Nov. 24 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Monday. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays or by appointment.
BENDER TREE CHRISTMAS TREE FARM 3381 Sheffield Road, Jefferson 440-944-5240 bendertree.com Open Nov. 24 through Dec. 23 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
WILCOX TREE FARMS 17620 Diagonal Road, LaGrange 440-355-4027 wilcoxtreefarm.com Open Nov. 24 through Christmas every day 10 a.m. until dusk.
EMERALD RIDGE CHRISTMAS TREES AND WREATHS 7000 Warner Road (Route 307), Madison Township 440-428-6132 ohiochristmastree.org/emerald-ridge Open beginning Nov. 24 Fridays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays
WINTERGREEN TREE FARM 3898 Winchell Road, Mantua Township 330-221-3835 wintergreentreefarmohio.com Open Nov. 24 through Dec. 19 seven days a week from 9 a.m. to nightfall.
PINEY PARADISE TREE FARM 1647 Snyder Road, Monroeville 419-668-9334 piney-paradise.com/index.html Open Nov. 25 through Dec. 17 Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 677 S. Norwalk Road West, Norwalk 419-668-9334 Open starting Nov. 24 weekdays only from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
MANNERS CHRISTMAS TREE FARM 780 Dodgeville Road, New Lyme Township 440-294-2444 Open seven days a week Nov. 24 through Dec. 23. Weekdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
KENNEDY LANDSCAPING & TREE FARM 320 Bowhall Road, Painesville Township 440-352-6769 kennedyco.com Open starting Nov. 25 seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
GRAND RIVER VALLEY CHRISTMAS TREE FARM AND GIFT SHOPPE 3553 Laskey Road, Rome Township 440-563-1811 christmastreesohio.com Open Nov. 24 through Dec. 23 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
MCKOSKY TREE FARM 14740 Leroy Center Road, Thompson Township 440-298-1412 Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Nov. 24
SPENCER’S TREE FARM 2611 Chenango Road, Wakeman 440-839-3018 Open starting Nov. 24 on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
TREASTER’S TREE FARM 13184 Gore Orphanage Road, Wakeman 440-965-7411 Open starting Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. until dark Fridays through Sundays.
KURTZ CHRISTMAS TREES 22350 Quarry Road, Wellington 440-647-3507 kurtzchristmastrees.com Open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, starting Thanksgiving Day.
LOG BARN FARM 8711 Stanhope Kelloggsville Road, Williamsfield Township 440-293-7330 logbarnfarm.com Open daily Nov. 24 through Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
GREIG CHRISTMAS TREE FARM 35900 Eddy Road, Willoughby Hills 440-487-7158 Open starting Nov. 25 on weekends 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekdays 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
If you’re considering putting in a new garden and want to keep it as environmentally-friendly as possible, you might want to consider prepping the ground this year and plant next year.
Creating a great garden space can’t just happen overnight. Getting the soil ready for planting a garden takes some time, work, and organic matter to make some garden lasagna.
What is lasagna gardening?
Building your garden soil through a process similar to composting lies at the heart of lasagna gardening. Made popular two decades ago by a book written by Patricia Lanza called – what else? – “Lasagna Gardening.”
Rather than bringing in yards of soil, Lanza reasoned, you build the soil from the ground up by adding alternating layers of nitrogen-rich (green) and carbon-rich (brown) organic matter. The green layer can include grass clippings, kitchen compost, coffee grounds and herbivorous manure. The brown layer includes fallen leaves, straw, newspaper and even shredded cardboard. Each layer should be at least an inch thick.
Making garden lasagna
This is the perfect time of year to start your soil for a new garden. It will take about a year for your soil to be completely ready. The process is simple.
Mark off your garden plot.
Using a shovel, turn over the soil about a foot deep and break up the sod.
Rake all your leftover leaves from the winter into the spot. Better yet, mulch them to create your first brown layer. Save a week’s worth of newspapers and add a bale of straw and you’ve got a pretty good first layer.
Ask your neighbors to catch their first mow grass clippings to add to your first green layer. You may have to buy a couple of bags of manure to get enough to make a good layer.
Don’t compress the layers. You want to make sure your lasagna is getting enough air and water to aid in the breakdown.
PRO TIP: Don’t add more green than brown; your soil will turn acidic.
You can make as few or as many layers as you want.
When you get to the last layer, cover it in brown matter or soil.
Water it down to start the process.
Walk away – for a year – and let nature take its course.
It’s perfectly fine to plant in the decomposing mulch in the first year. By next year, the soil will be perfect.
Looking to buy or sell your home, visit my remax website…and remember I am only a phone call away. Jody Finucan, REALTOR 440 221-6383
Serving Lake County, Geauga County and Cuyahoga County and relocation services around the world.
Do you have your favorite type of tree to use for a Christmas tree or do you just buy the first tree you see on the lot? It can be a difficult decision if you are looking for the perfectly shaped, fullest, most beautiful tree but it can be lots of fun for the family too. Make a day of it and enjoy some winter fun in Northeast Ohio!
The Fraser Fir may be the perfect holiday tree. Its attractive 1″ needles are silvery-green and soft to the touch. Because there is space between the branches, the Fraser is easier to decorate than some trees. The firm branches hold heavier ornaments. The trees grow to almost perfect shapes, and as long as the cut tree is kept properly watered, the Frasier Fir has excellent needle retention.
The Noble Fir is deep green in color and has unusually lovely branch shape. Its branches are sturdy yet the needles are not too sharp to decorate easily. Like the Fraser Fir, the Noble’s branches have good spacing between branches so it’s easy to hang ornaments on them.
A Colorado Blue Spruce has a nice pyramidal shape with strong limbs that can hold heavy ornaments. The Blue Spruce is known for its lovely blue foliage which can also appear silvery.
The Grand Fir has a glossy dark green color with needles that are 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. This tree is soft to the touch and may not be able to hold heavier ornaments. It’s a pretty tree that grows as high as 300 feet and it’s becoming more popular for homes.
The Balsam Fir is a beautiful dark-green color with airy, flexible branches that may not be able to hold heavy ornaments. It has an attractive form, it holds its needles well, and gives off a pleasant fragrance for your home.
The National Christmas Tree Association notes that “Needles are usually 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch long, pointed or notched at the tip, bluish-green when young turning dull green with age…. As a Christmas tree, white fir has good foliage color, a pleasing natural shape and aroma, and good needle retention.”
Branches from the White Pine are often used in garlands, wreaths, and centerpieces due to their long, feathery, soft needles. Though it is a beautiful tree, branches can be a bit too flexible to support heavier decorations. Its lush fullness also makes it difficult to squeeze in ornaments. The White Pine needles last a long time when properly watered.
A Douglas Fir is beautiful Christmas tree with soft shiny green needles. It may be difficult to decorate if the branches have been sheared into a perfect conical shape, leaving too little space between branches to hang decorations.
You’ll want to wear gloves when decorating a Scotch Pine, since its needles can be sharp as pins! Also, due to heavy shearing, there may be little space between branches for ornaments. It resists drying and if permitted to become dry does not drop its needles.”
The Norway Spruce is a beautiful tree but does not hold its needles well, and should be purchased just just a week or so before December 25th. The National Christmas Tree Association notes that the “overall color of Norway spruce is fair to excellent, but needle retention is considered poor unless the trees are cut fresh and kept properly watered.”
Click here to find where you can find a comprehensive guide to more than 40 tree farms in Northeast Ohio including, Lake County, Geauga County, Cuyahoga County and more. You may want to call ahead of time to check on hours of operation and directions.
Have a real estate need or question? I am only a email or phone call away.