Author: oi_admin

It’s a great time to take stock of goals and plans. If you’re looking for some advice to reinvigorate you and put that spring back into your step, here are insanely motivating quotes to help get you going:

1. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act but a habit.” - Aristotle Now is a really good time to take stock of the month behind you. Did you stick to your daily habits and goals or are you slipping?
2. “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Entrepreneurship is an adventure, and like any great story, it has peaks and valleys. Wherever the journey leads you, it will be for your greatest good.
3. “Many great ideas go unexecuted, and many great executioners are without ideas. One without the other is worthless.” - Tim Blixseth So you want to be an entrepreneur? That’s great. You’ll need the big idea and vision. You have to execute on your great idea or it really isn’t that great.
4. “Being defeated is only a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent.” - Marilyn vos Savant No business loss is ever the end unless you make it so. You can choose to reinvent yourself, your business, your product.
5. “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill Get the support and resources you need to keep your enthusiasm high and your spirit going strong through the lean times.
6. “Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes but don’t quit.” - Conrad Hilton Stay motivated and keep moving forward regardless of obstacles. Believe you will figure out life and your vision and ultimately succeed.
7. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” - Unknown It’s all about accountability. You can mold and create the life you want to live and the lifestyle of your choosing. It’s all up to you to take those first steps.
8. “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.” - Dr. Denis Waitley Will this be your best year yet, both professionally and personally? That’s all up to you. It starts with your mindset and attitude, and then carries through in your work ethic and actions.

It’s important to do everything we can to reduce our energy use.

A few small changes can make a huge difference to your monthly energy bill. For instance, adjusting your “smart” thermostat by just a few degrees can produce major savings!

Also, don’t forget to lower the thermostat on your water heater or better yet, get an “on demand” system that only heats up water as it’s needed. Here are a few other ideas to consider:

• Switch over to LED bulbs install energy efficient shower heads.
• Clean out your dryer’s lint tray after each use.
• Seal up air leaks around windows and doors.
• Use ceiling fans to save money on both heating and cooling.
• Service your air conditioner and furnace each year to maintain efficiency.

Landscaping is a naturally beautiful way to keep your home comfortable. A few strategically placed trees or shrubs can save a fortune on heating and cooling as they shelter against the cold winds and provide shade during the summer months.

Higher energy bills are a harsh reality for the rising number of people who work from home. To help minimize this expense, power down your computer when it’s not in use and shut it off completely at the end of the day. You can also cut costs by positioning your desk to take advantage of natural light.

It doesn’t take much to implement a few energy saving solutions around the home.

You may already know that decks are hot. Homeowners are building them and renovating them more than ever. But do you also know these five amazing facts about decks?

Smart investment: Your home is your biggest investment. It’s an even better investment if you add a deck. Experts say you can realize a 100 percent return on your investment. And if you build it yourself, you can expect an even better return.

Party central: Think of the possibilities for year-round fun on your deck with family and friends. On New Year’s Eve, you and your guests can gather on your deck and celebrate the stroke of midnight. On Halloween, you can organize a pumpkin-carving contest, with Jack-o’-lanterns lined up around your deck. A built-in hot tub adds opportunities for fun and relaxation.

Decking materials galore: Consumers have more choices than ever these days when it comes to choosing material to build their decks. Some decking materials are better suited to warm climates, and others are perfect for withstanding snow and ice. You can even build your deck with composite material which is not only environmentally friendly - but also as beautiful as wood.

Whether you’re building or renovating a deck, you can be sure to participate in an amazing trend.

For many, a deck is an extension of the home. It brings indoor life to the great outdoors. With a little care, a deck can last for many years. Neglected, it can become an eyesore or worse, unsafe! This spotlight on decks provides a few tips to help keep your deck safe and in good condition.

Deck Materials

Pressure Treated Wood: The most common deck building material is pressure treated wood. Properly maintained, a pressure treated wood deck can last 20 years.

Cedar: Cedar is a premium deck building material with a rich look and feel. It is more expensive than pressure treated wood but it has many desirable properties. It is naturally more dimensionally stable than pressure treated wood so it does not shrink and split. A well maintained cedar deck can last 20 years.

Synthetic: Synthetic decking is the most expensive decking material but it requires little to no maintenance beyond cleaning and should last many years.

Wood Sealer: The secret to a deck that looks good over the years is wood sealer. Unsealed wood absorbs water. Over time the wood splits and deteriorates. Here’s a test to see if your deck needs sealer. Pour a cup of water onto the wood, if the water beads up and runs off, the deck is in good shape. Otherwise it needs sealer.

Deck Collapse: Many decks fail because they are old, worn and rotted. Others fail because they were not built properly in the first place. The most critical connection is the deck to house connection. Look out for:

• A ledger that is attached securely to the house structure.
• Flashing to keep water from leaking behind the ledger. Water is directed over the ledger.
• Joist hangers attach joists to the ledger.

Check Your Deck: Look for these signs of trouble:

• Wood rot: Rotted connections such as the ledger board to house connection could lead to deck collapse.
• Good connections: Check points of connection of major components such as the deck to house, guard rail to deck, beam to post, post to pier, etc. You should see plenty of metal brackets and bolts not nails.

Go ahead and cut those gorgeous garden flowers. Snipping a few blooms here and there is actually good for flowering plants and will allow you to savor the fruits of your labor both indoors and out.

1. Cut them in the morning. That’s when stems are most firm and full of water, so blooms won’t wilt right away.
2. Snip them right. Use clean, sharp garden scissors or clippers when cutting flowers. Ordinary household scissors will crush stems and prevent proper water intake.
3. Fill a vase with lukewarm water. Aside from bulb flowers like tulips, which like cold water, blossoms are best hydrated with warm water, which moves up the stems more quickly.

I recently flew and was seated beside a young man in his mid-twenties who excitedly told me that it was his first time EVER flying in an airplane. Seeing things through the eyes of a first-time flyer, the process, and the miracle of modern flying turned the trip into an appreciative adventure instead of a tiring necessity.

It occurred to me that seeing with ’new’ eyes might be a worthwhile practice to incorporate into my life. What might we see if we looked at things with a different perspective? Read on for ten easy ways to kick start your mindset and refresh your perspective.

1. Drive to work by a new route - Notice the different sights along the way, the speed of the traffic, your increased attention to the act of driving.
2. The drying challenge - Switch up the way you ’dry’ yourself after your shower. Always start head down? Change to feet up. Always start right to left? Notice your pattern and switch it up.
3. Be a tour guide - The very best way to see and appreciate your city anew is to be a tour guide. Take a friend to other to parts of the city and imagine you are touring around a newcomer.
4. Transit turnaround - Sit in a different seat in a different part of the bus or train. If you never take public transit - experiment with doing so.
5. Change up your routine - Are you a creature of habit? Do you always do your food shopping on a Saturday? Mix it up and see who is shopping at 8 pm on a Wednesday.
6. Experiment weekly - Make a conscious effort to try something new once per week. It might just be visiting a new coffee shop, keep track of your ’new’ things and make it a family challenge.
7. Borrow a dog (or a kid) - Kids and dogs can take down a barrier and make us approachable. Take one for a walk and notice the new connections and conversations that you make.
8. Adopt a learner mindset - Start exercising your curiosity muscle instead of your knowing muscle. Ask questions. Letting go the need to know or have the answer will free your mind to other learning possibilities.
9. Unplug in public - Stick the phone in your pocket and connect with the people you pass on the street. Shift their day by adding a smile.

Spring’s the perfect time for taking care of outdoor maintenance!

The arrival of warm weather signals fun in the backyard with friends and family. The last thing you want to deal with are unexpected home repairs so here’s a list to help keep you on track:

1. Clear away debris and dead foliage from any flowerbeds.
2. Inspect hose connections to ensure there are no leaks.
3. Replace damaged window screens and any weather stripping.
4. Clean your fireplace and/or wood-burning stove and flue.
5. Make sure your lawn mower, weed wacker and other tools are in good working order.
6. Clean and repair your patio furniture and inspect your deck for loose or rotten boards.
7. Trim back shrubs and vines that are growing near your air conditioning unit and dryer vent.
8. Inspect and clean your gutters and make sure downspouts drain away from your foundation.
9. Patch up any cracks you find around foundation and driveways before they spread further.
10. Inspect your roof for cracked or missing shingles and trim branches that hang over the top of your roof.

Proactive home maintenance helps prevent small issues from getting out of hand. Your home is a huge investment and minimizing repair bills will help you realize your highest rate of return. When you’re done, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the lazy days of summer knowing that everything’s been taken care of!

Your home office doesn’t have to be just a laptop on a couch cushion.

Many people are breaking the chains of the corporate world in order to pursue careers that allow them to work from home. Here are a few tips that will help you get the most out of your home office:

• Plan Ahead - Make sure you plan out your space in advance so there’s enough room for a desk, chair and storage and don’t forget about your technology needs.
• Get Creative - If you don’t have an office, consider alternatives such as a guest room, sunroom or other unused space that’ll give you a designated uninterrupted work area.
• Lighten Up - Position lighting so there’s a nice even flow and if possible, choose a room with lots of natural light. A few plants will also add to the atmosphere.
• Sound Off - Hard surfaces tend to amplify sounds but carpets, rugs and fabric window treatments will help absorb excessive noise.
• Boundaries - Choose a private spot and don’t use it as a dumping ground for non-business related items. When you work from home, it’s critical to separate your work from home life.

Residential electric heating systems are clean, nearly one hundred percent efficient, and easy to maintain. Some types of electric heating can be costly, in remote areas where the delivery costs of fossil fuel are high, electric heat may be a less expensive option.

Heat Pumps - An electric heat pump does not generate heat, it just collects heat from outside and moves it inside. When you heat your house with electricity, you convert one unit of electrical energy into one unit of heat energy. With a heat pump, you might then use one unit of electrical energy to collect two units of heat energy, giving you one-hundred percent more heat than you paid for!

Electric Furnace - An electric furnace is a simple and relatively trouble-free system. It has no heat exchanger, no gas valve, no igniters and no chimney. It simply has an electric resistance coil placed directly in the air stream. A blower moves air through the furnace and circulates the warmed air throughout the house.

Air conditioning can be added directly to your furnace, using the same ducting that circulates heat to also circulate cool air.

Electric Baseboard Heaters - Electric baseboard heaters provide heat exactly where you need it, as you need it. Baseboard heaters allow you to set back the thermostats in the rooms you are not inhabiting, saving a significant amount of energy. Unfortunately, you cannot add air conditioning to this system without adding an independent ducting system.

Electric Hot Water Boiler - An electric hot water boiler uses electric elements to heat water. The heated water is pumped into radiators or convectors throughout the house. In terms of size, electric hot water boilers are small and inconspicuous.

Electric Radiant Heat - Today, under-floor electric radiant heat is popular in bathrooms and kitchens, usually added as accent heating rather than as the primary source of heat.

Electric Thermal Storage - In some geographic areas, suppliers bill electricity at variable rates, higher during peak demand time and lower during low demand. This system encourages consumers to cut back on energy use when the generating station is maxed out.

The uses for baking soda around the home are endless!

Everyone knows baking soda helps keep the inside of a fridge smelling fresh but did you know it’s also an amazing cleaner?

Here are a few other things you can use it for:

• A dry cleanser to clean tubs, tiles and toilets.
• Sprinkle on your carpet then vacuum after 15 minutes to eliminate bad smells.
• Pour a little down the sink followed by some vinegar to clear clogged drains.

Once you’ve finished cleaning your home, relaxing in the tub. Before you climb in though, add half a cup of baking soda to soften your skin!