Kirk V. Hamlet

Long before spring of 2019 arrives, rodents could decide to enter your home. If they do, they'll be more than happy to stay in your home throughout the winter and well into the new year. So,  now is the time  of year to really consider how those rodents act and think, what drives them inside a home and, most importantly, how to keep them out. How Rodents Think Do you know how you feel on a nice summer day? That's how rodents feel on a gloomy day or in a day that doesn't have a lot of sunshine. This is because rodents prefer the cover of darkness. They are primarily nocturnal in nature. That means that in the fall and early winter rodents are going to be more active than they are in the summer months. This will give them more opportunity to enter your home as they explore your yard and landscaping. What Drives Rodents Into Homes Cold is a strong motivator for a rodent. While a nest of rodents all huddled together can stay nice and warm, a rodent exploring your property can

You don't have to be an interior design expert to add some flair to your home . Whether the furniture or walls are looking a bit tired or you're still using fluorescent light bulbs, there are numerous easy fixes to bring your residence up to snuff. If your house is still stuck in the 20th century, make 2019 the year that it reflects some of the recent trends. It doesn't have to be costly to add some signature pieces to accent your home. Explore new colors for your walls, replace furniture that is worn or lacking appeal or buy that piece of art you've been eyeing for awhile. Read our interior design tips to help you keep your home up-to-date and looking fabulous.

Improve Your World With These Garden Resolutions We can all do a little more to improve the world. Why not start in your own garden with these very easy garden resolutions. Every little bit helps! Start Composting Composting is easy, reduces waste, and gives you back great soil to put back in the garden. Why send garden and food waste to a landfill, which would waste fuel, emit pollution, and take up valuable space, when you can keep it cleanly tucked away in a corner of your property and re-use it for good. Composting is easy.   Use Native Plants There are so many benefits to using native plants. Chief among them is that they are very tough and resilient. They also look good, have less pest problems and are easy to care for. This all makes sense because native plants are adapted to the local environment. Besides all else, native plants provide food and shelter to wildlife. Check out our blog  Native Plants For Maryland Gardens  for a list of some species you may want to try.     Plant

Two days ago, I was dropping of flyers at local paint stores about the  2019 Painting Profits Summit. There was a little bit of a line to talk to the clerk, so I got a cup of coffee and spoke to an owner named Brian for a while about what he thought the new year held for painters in general and his business specifically. His predictions were – sadly – spot-on as the conversation continued… Brian was what I call vaguely optimistic and hopeful about good things happening in his painting business in 2019.  He told me he thought his sales would be up and things would be better. He had been in business for eight years in our local Chattanooga market. About this time, I found myself doing something that wasn't really my place to do. You see, I'm a coach and a problem solver by trade. It's how I make my living and I'm really good at getting positive results for painters. So, before I knew it – almost reflexively – I'm quizzing Brian about the things that matter most for 20

When disaster strikes, there's often an inconceivable wake of destruction left in its path. Trying to rebuild your life in the aftermath of a catastrophe can be an overwhelming proposition for anyone, and reestablishing your daily routine is an important part of the process of rebuilding. If you've lost your car as a result of catastrophic hurricane floodwaters or a destructive wildfire, here's what you need to know. Document the damage Once it's safe to examine your car more closely, take pictures of the damage, including its interior and exterior. Be sure to also take pictures of the odometer, engine, and inside the trunk, if possible. This'll be important in establishing the magnitude of the damage for your insurer. They may also require you to visit a designated inspection site to get an estimate for repairs. See if you're covered If your car was damaged by a storm or other natural disaster, there's a good chance that you'll be covered if you have co

Classic design and deep color tones anchor a home for new New Yorkers The move to New York from the West Coast landed Jeremy, an advertising executive, and Chris, a nurse managing an emergency department, in a 778 -square-foot co-op in the developing neighborhood of Hudson Yards. A "simple" tiling job that crumbled while living there led the couple to the bigger renovation that they had been saving up for.  With each of their "must-haves" in mind, they posted their project on Sweeten , a free service matching renovators with vetted general contractors and found a Sweeten design-build firm. The result? Herringbone floors, an array of new custom millwork-and sound advice to share with future renovators. Guest blog post by Sweeten homeowner Jeremy A first-and obvious-lesson in renovating: it really is harder in New York. When my husband Chris and I embarked on this adventure, we had thought we knew what we were doing. After all, we'd undertaken a remodel of our 19

Improve Your World With These Garden Resolutions We can all do a little more to improve the world. Why not start in your own garden with these very easy garden resolutions. Every little bit helps! Start Composting Composting is easy, reduces waste, and gives you back great soil to put back in the garden. Why send garden and food waste to a landfill, which would waste fuel, emit pollution, and take up valuable space, when you can keep it cleanly tucked away in a corner of your property and re-use it for good. Composting is easy.   Use Native Plants There are so many benefits to using native plants. Chief among them is that they are very tough and resilient. They also look good, have less pest problems and are easy to care for. This all makes sense because native plants are adapted to the local environment. Besides all else, native plants provide food and shelter to wildlife. Check out our blog  Native Plants For Maryland Gardens  for a list of some species you may want to try.     Plant

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. Although, sometimes it feels more like a headache.

Small business owners have several ways to protect their financial position from loss, some of which are better understood than others. Insurance coverage, often in the form of liability insurance, and surety bonds are two of the most common types of protection small businesses may implement. While these terms are often used interchangeably, there are distinct differences that make them stand apart from one another. This brief guide provides insight into how surety bonds work, how that differs from insurance coverage, and when either is needed to safeguard a business and its customers. The Ins and Outs of Surety Bonds Being bonded and insured is not the same thing. Surety bonds – the first part of that phrase – provide protection to the customers and clients of businesses owners, licensed contractors, and other professionals. Bonds are provided by surety agencies as a way to reduce financial losses or damages incurred by the bondholder's customer should the contract agreed upon n

Every cook should know how to make a simple side salad and lemon vinaigrette. It's the easy side dish to pair with just about any entrée, comes together in 10 minutes with simple ingredients , and is incredibly versatile. Let me show you how it's done. Start with a base of greens. We went with spring greens, but I also love spinach as a base, as well as thinly sliced kale, arugula, and romaine. Simple Green Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette from Minimalist Baker →

We're kicking off 2019 with another room makeover and I'm pretty excited about it. Even though it's a small room, I'm using it to stretch my creative boundaries a bit and try something different. So...  Read The Post The post Modern Half Bath Plans appeared first on brepurposed .

We've all been there. Tempted by that perfect piece of content, we gladly offer up our email addresses, only to regret it later. With each generic, templated email we receive, we're one step closer to hitting the unsubscribe button. Well, guess what. If you can sniff out a mass email from a mile away - so can your leads. Because the one thing we seem to keep forgetting is that no two subscribers are ever the same, and over-relying on the same played-out drip sequence won't help you win their loyalty. But what if you could close more deals with less effort by simply using your tech tools more intentionally? If you're looking for ways to use automation to connect with your leads on a deeper, more human level - keep reading. We've got some proven tips to help you use tech for good. Real estate drip campaigns are not a cure-all Before we dive deeper into how to fix your drip campaigns, let's talk a little more about why they're broken in the first place. Because

Pest control in the winter? Absolutely! Pest control isn't just something you should have during the summer months. Pests can be a serious problem all year long. In fact, some pests become more of an indoor problem when temperatures outside become undesirable. Let's take a look. Rodents We have many species of rodents in Tennessee. The most common are mice , Norway rats , and roof rats . These critters can get into your home during any part of the year, but dropping temperatures and a reduction of food options gives them even more reason to come inside. When they do, they can spread harmful bacteria and diseases. They can contaminate stored foods, dishes, silverware, food-prep surfaces, and more. As they explore your home from top to bottom, they can spread parasites around as well. Flea and tick infestations are commonly linked to rodent infestations. These secondary pests bring with them their own list of diseases. Rodents don't just enter homes during the warm months.

We live in a world filled with risks and uncertainties. People, their families, their properties and their assets are constantly at exposed to a variety of risks. Insurance plans are a vital part of every person's life for it acts as a safety net for when an individual is in need of monetary assistance due to certain circumstances. In the finance industry, there is a large assortment of insurance plans ranging from health, home, vehicle, travel and even life insurance that an individual can opt for to protect his assets better and be equipped to handle any unfortunate incident that were to occur concerning the particular insurance policy. Before proceeding further, it is crucial to know what is term insurance and what is meant by pure protection plan. What is term insurance? Term insurance or term life insurance is life insurance that provides coverage for payment at a particular allotted fixed rate for a certain period as agreed during the initiation of the policy. This fixed ter