5 Ways to Beautify Your Yard

Hello, Edmonton home owners! The season is upon us for blue skies and green grass. Want to make your backyard beautiful? Here are my top 5 picks to add charm and character to your outdoor living space.

Upcycled window panes & planter boxes

Wood crate herb garden

Wood pallet walkway

Stone edging for sidewalk

Moveable “fence” for privacy

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Rachel Schofield | KENNEDY Real Estate your Edmonton REALTOR® source for local Edmonton Real Estate

CLEAN & GREEN

Cleaning products are some of the most dangerous items in our home. But there are alternatives that can clean your house just as effectively. There are many earth-friendly options for almost every cleaning product.

Homemade solutions created from everyday pantry items like lemon juice, white vinegar, salt or baking soda are not only less expensive but have multiple cleaning purposes. Although these are nontoxic and more earth-friendly than traditional cleansers, the same care should be taken when using them around your dogs. Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe for your pet to ingest.

A solution made of 1/3 cup of white distilled vinegar with 2/3 cup of warm water can be used to shine up your sink, clean mirrors and windows, clean a stain from your carpet, or wipe down your backsplash. Lemon makes things smell fresh and another idea for a clean aroma is to boil some cinnamon sticks in a pot of water. This will make your mainfloor smell AMAZING, and wipe out air odours.

Just like adults and children, our pets can also suffer from hypersensitivity and allergies when exposed to heavily fragranced products, which are common triggers of allergic reactions, like sneezing, coughing, wheezing and skin rashes. For example: when you wash your floor with a non-pet freindly cleaner and your dog is waling on it and lying on it……they can get skin irritations and the they can ingest thest oxins as they may start to lick irritations and chew on their paws! So before you pick up that favorite cleaner of yours that makes the house sparkle and smell nice, think…..can and will this harm my pet?

Additional articles on “All Things GREEN”…

Robyn Fisher
Associate | REALTOR®
Your Ellerslie/Summerside Area Specialist
Search Homes for Sale in Summerside

KENNEDY Real Estate
Your Edmonton REALTOR® | Edmonton Home Stager
Call us today…780-485-3010 and GET SOLD!
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What is the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP)?

RRAP is for low-income households who need major repairs to their homes. The program is aimed at people who live in substandard dwellings and cannot afford the repairs that are necessary to make their homes safer and healthier to live in.

This program was born to help fund the replacement of old furnaces and install new high efficiency ones at little costs to owners. It offers up to $2000 to help offset the high cost of this upgrade. Thus helping to reduce the amount of energy usage, emissions, and money spent to heat your home……being a “win -win” situation for everyone.

To see if you qualify for this grant and for more information you can contact the city of Edmonton, or click on the link below that will direct you too the information page:)

http://www.edmonton.ca/for_residents/LowIncomeFAQ-200-12-07.pdf

Additional articles on “All Things GREEN”…

Robyn Fisher
Associate | REALTOR®
Your Ellerslie/Summerside Area Specialist
Search Homes for Sale in Summerside

KENNEDY Real Estate
Your Edmonton REALTOR® | Edmonton Home Stager
Call us today…780-485-3010 and GET SOLD!
Area Specialists | Lifestyle Marketing

“In the Air Tonight”…

Are your culinary accomplishments staying around longer in the air than they should? Too cold to open windows? Does poochie have tummy rumblings?

These are 10 plants that are effective in counteracting off gassed chemicals and contributing to balanced internal humidity in your home:

Areca palm

Reed palm

Dwarf date palm

Boston fern

Janet Craig dracaena

English ivy

Australian sword fern

Peace Lily

Rubber plant

Weeping fig

Although many plants like light, they do not all have to be placed near windows. Many indoor plants originated in the dense shade of tropical forests and have a high rate of photosynthesis.  In green plants, light energy is captured by the leaves and used to convert water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen and energy-rich organic compounds that are the basis of both plant and animal life.

When positioning plants, try to strike a balance between light and ventilation because the effect of plants on indoor air pollution appears to be reduced if they are set in a draft. It is also a good idea to keep them out of reach of children and pets ad you never know when someone may try a “taste” and get sick or poisoned. Lily’s are poisonous to cats  so maybe check to see if the particular plant you like is OK for your environment. Placement of plants on an end table, mantle, dining table center and kitchen counters are great spots to house indoor plants as well as bay windows and bathroom window sills.

Additional articles on “All Things GREEN”…

Robyn Fisher
Associate | REALTOR®
Your Ellerslie/Summerside Area Specialist
Search Homes for Sale in Summerside

KENNEDY Real Estate
Your Edmonton REALTOR® | Edmonton Home Stager
Call us today…780-485-3010 and GET SOLD!
Area Specialists | Lifestyle Marketing

an apple a day

This common health saying isn’t folklore; research actually proves it’s true. According to a recent Florida State Uiversity study, women who ate apples every day had 14% lower total cholesteral, a 23% decrease in LDL (‘bad’) cholesteral and a 3% rise in HDL (‘good’) cholesterol after one year. Their C-reactive protein levels (another risk factor for heart disease) also went down 32%. ‘These results were shocking because the women made no other changes to their health habits,”says study author Bahram Arjmandi, PhD, R.D.

What gives apples their superfruit powers? They’re rich in fibre, which improves cholesterol, and they also contain quercetin, a powerful antioxidant that may help fight inflammation. Article Author: AbigalL. Cuffey Women’s Day Issue 10/17/11

Read about the Story of Our Apple

Allison Mallette

KENNEDY Real Estate

Your Area Specialists | Lifestyle Marketing