Posts in category 'Home Improvement'

Since we live in a climate where fall is crisp and cool, now is the time to attack your lawn for the best results next spring. Before I go on, I do have to mention my own personal feelings towards the lawn in general. Overall, I think having a lush green carpet surrounding your home is great for curb appeal. It also gives the kids and pets a wonderful place to play. But outside of that, it carries a significant cost (both in time and money) and is really not great for our coughing and sputtering environment. I encourage you to re-consider your lawn, replace it with some hardscaping and other low maintenance options and take your kids and dog to the park. OK, off my soapbox and back to making your remaining lawn awesome.

When I worked at the Owl's Nest golf course over in Thornton, they would...

Click Here to Read More...

For those of us basking in the luxury of pre-half-century ages, the inevitable is lurking just around the corner. Heck, for lots of us, it is right on the proverbial doorstop. It's the scourge of old age. I need to be careful how I choose my words today; at 47 I'm no longer a spring chicken. I start my days with 20 minutes of yoga and stretching (honestly, I don't know how anyone over 40 starts their day without it!). I need that time to "wake up" my body, loosen everything up and prepare for the day. For what it's worth, I strongly encourage you to try it!

A couple weeks ago I lamented my lack of cross training and the penalty (in sore quads and calves) I paid for 2 days after the hike. Another thing this highlighted for me was the inevitable desire to live on one floor. Two flig...

Click Here to Read More...

Ouch! As I sit and type this today, my legs are begging for some ice. While visiting a friend in Boulder, CO over the weekend we ventured up to just over 13,000 feet to the summit of James Peak. 14 miles later and my body is wondering what it did to deserve that sort of abuse. The weather was perfect and the views over towards Winter Park resort, sprinkled with the vibrant yellows of the Aspen trees changing their colors for fall, were breathtaking. This time of year I tend to start shifting gears (pun intended) from cycling to hiking. The parking lots at the trailheads start to thin out, as do the swarms of bugs around your head as you make your way up the trail. I also simply love being in the woods in the late fall and winter, so the change in activity suits me just fine.

One thing I "learn...

Click Here to Read More...

Unless you are painting an entire house (3 bedrooms, 2 baths, kitchen and living room) it really is one of the best, fastest and most cost-effective ways to do a refresh in your home. Painting provides a way to give a room a whole new look, allows your teenager to express themselves within their personal domain and it can even liven up a tired feeling home before a showing. With all that said, the one thing I've learned over the years is that preparation is super important when it comes to painting. How you prepare can literally determine the success of your project. The unfortunate message that you are going to get from today's article is that grabbing your brushes and the left over paint from the basement right after finishing your coffee this morning is likely not going to be the best cours...

Click Here to Read More...

While it is not exactly "cold" yet, if you're up early like me you know that Fall is most certainly right around the corner. Our longing for those "cool nights that are so good for sleeping" has been satiated. I even had to reach for a light blanket a few times overnight this past week. Another sure sign is the apples on our tree in the back yard have started to drop in earnest. It might be time to invest in a cider press!

This is a great time of year for some of those home projects as well. The ones that you wanted to do over the summer but the simple act of walking to the garage induced a puddle of sweat. This is the perfect time to enjoy the cooler temps and prepare your home for the impending doom that is winter! If you have been reading all along, you know that winter is my favorite tim...

Click Here to Read More...