Home Owner Guides

Your Guides to Happy Homeownership (beta)

Main navigation

Lawn & Garden

10 Steps to Get Your House Ready for Thanksgiving

by

Just as you are taking down the last jack o’lantern and flying bat from Halloween, you realize that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. This year, you may be lucky by having someone else in the family host the holiday festivities. Even then, there are several things that you need to do beforehand.

If everyone is coming to your house this Thanksgiving, do not panic! Now is the time to make a checklist and get things prepared. Enlist the help of your friends and family, and the work will be easier. Here are a few great hacks to get your home and kitchen ready for Thanksgiving:

 

Getting A Head Count

 

One of the best ways to stay organized for the holidays is to keep a handy binder with a notebook and calendar. How many guests will be at your Thanksgiving table this year? According to how formal you want to be, you can send an invitation by post, email, or a simple phone call. Let your guests know the time that dinner will be served, and write a list of those who plan to attend. With a guest list in hand, you will know how much food you need to buy and prepare. It is also helpful to know how many chairs or extra tables you need.

 

Prepare Your House

 

It can be nerve-wracking to get your house ready for holiday company. Getting a head start on cleaning will give you time for other important matters. The rooms that need the most attention are the ones where your guests will be. Focus on the kitchen, dining room, living room, and bathroom. If you are entertaining overnight guests, make your guest room tidy and inviting.

 

Clear Out The Fridge

 

Before you know what groceries to buy, you must know what you already have. This is a great time to throw out any expired food. Remember that a Thanksgiving feast requires a lot of room—especially for the turkey. Make as much space as you can. If your meal is a potluck, many of your guests’ dishes will need refrigerated. The day of the dinner, save a lot of fridge space by putting soda and other drinks in iced coolers.

 

Get Your Appliances And Serving Dishes Ready

 

What could be more frustrating than trying to bake a turkey in a faulty oven? While you organize your fridge, be sure that your stove, oven, and other kitchen appliances are in good working order. Take inventory of all your serving supplies, including platters, bowls, and utensils. Ensure that you have enough place settings, glasses, and silverware for your company. If needed, have your appliances serviced and buy more dishes. You can always use them for other occasions.

 

Decorate Your Entry Way

 

The first thing that people see in your home should be the most attractive. Make your entryway warm and attractive with fall and Thanksgiving Day decorations. There is no need to spend a lot of money. Peruse crafting and decorating websites to find unique ways of using leaves, acorns, and things you already have. If you have time, make small fall party favors that your guests can take home.

 

Prep Your Ingredients Ahead Of Time

 

One of the awesome things about Thanksgiving feasts is that many dishes can be made in advance. Many desserts freeze well. Make your bread dough and rolls a week ahead of time, and put them in the freezer. On the evening before Thanksgiving, cut up veggies and prepare any ingredients for things you will cook the next day. Smart planning makes cooking and baking so much easier. Remember, not a lot of grocery stores are open on Thanksgiving!

 

Designate A Place For Coats And Bags

 

For only a few guests, a hall closet is ideal for storing their bags and coats. While you are making last-minute plans on Thanksgiving Eve, be sure that you have enough hangers. Do you expect a bigger crowd? Take your guests’ things to a side bedroom or office, and place them on the bed or desk. Be sure that the space you choose is tidy, secure, and out of the way of curious pets.

 

Be Wary Of Kitchen Fires

 

Because of the stove and other electrical appliances, most house fires originate in the kitchen. During the mad rush of holiday cooking, take care to keep dish towels and other things away from the stove and oven. Never leave your stove on unattended, and watch for food overflowing on the burners or in the oven. Make sure that all your smoke detectors work, and that you have a fire extinguisher near the stove. Watch your children and pets around a hot stove, and do not leave unattended candles burning.

 

Adjust The Lighting

 

Holiday dinners look even fancier with candles or a string of lights. Leave some light on overhead so guests can see each other and their plates. If you use candles, use unscented ones that will not overpower the delicious aromas of your meal.

 

Put On Some Music

 

Create the ambiance of fine dining with a little music. Choose appropriate tunes, such as soft jazz, or other easy-listening favorites. Put your speakers in inconspicuous places in the dining room, and keep the volume low enough as not to distract conversation. Some families kick off Christmas festivities on Thanksgiving weekend, so feel free to add some Christmas music to the mix.

 

When you start preparing early, you will not be a frazzled host at your Thanksgiving feast. You will have what you need when you need it. The time you save can be spent giving thanks with your family and friends. That is what the holidays are all about!

Lawn & Garden FAQ: How do you winterize a tree?

by

Goodbye beautiful fall leaves and hello to bare branches. Winter is slowly sneaking up on us and it is the perfect time to prep your lawn and garden for these frigid months. You may not have been aware, but you can actually winterize your tree! What are some ways to do this?

Prune dead, diseased and overlapping branches in late fall. This will form and strengthen the tree, encourages new strong growth in the spring, minimizes future storm damage and protects against overwintering disease and insects.

Mulching and aerating is especially important during this time:

Spread a thin layer of composted organic mulch to cover the soil several inches deep. Cover an area at least as large as the branch spread. In addition to protecting feeder roots, mulch also recycles nutrients directly to these roots.

Aerate soils and compacted mulch if they are waterlogged or poorly drained. Saturated and dense soil can suffocate roots. It is critical not to damage tree roots in the soil as you do this, so work only on those few inches at the surface crust. so work only on those few inches at the surface crust.

Make sure to fertilize and water as well!

Fertilize by top dressing over the mulch with a balanced fertilizer if the essential elements are in short supply within the soil. Be sure to use nitrogen lightly, especially under large, mature trees and around newly planted trees. You do not want a vegetative “flush” of growth during late fall periods of warming. Large applications of nitrogen cause this growth.

Dry spells in winter or hot daytime temperatures will desiccate a tree very quickly. Watering may be needed where soils are cool but not frozen, and there has been little precipitation. Winter droughts need treatment with water the same as summer droughts, except it is much easier to over-water in winter.

Found at ThoughtCo.

Check back for more Lawn & Garden FAQ’s as we continue to collect information to create the ultimate Lawn & Garden Homeowner’s Guides.

Lawn & Garden Video: How do I get my garden ready for autumn?

by

Do you ever wonder about what you need to do once the hot summer days are over and your garden is awaiting the impending doom of the cold weather? I have. I never knew what to do with my plants once summer was over and have let them die quite easily. Actually, with a bit of preparation and hard work, it’s quite easy to get your plants ready for colder weather.

Found at Great Home Ideas

It’s actually not as hard to transfer your herbs to the indoors as well so you can keep using them throughout the winter in your stews and hot cuisines. Being able to continue to use your vegetable plants in the fall isn’t that hard! You just need to do some prep and your plants will be ready to face the colder months.

 

Exterior FAQ: Should I build a home basketball court?

by

When I checked the weather forecast this morning, it predicted a high of 79 degrees – pretty balmy for mid-October in the Midwest. While temperatures this high aren’t typically perceived as “normal” they do mean more time to enjoy the outdoors and a longer growing season. I’m not much of a sports fan myself but I can appreciate a good game of basketball with friends. And during the holidays, when you’ve run out of things to talk about with your family, it’s always convenient to be able to turn to an activity other than potentially awkward conversation. When I saw information online about building a home basketball court, I got curious. Is this something I could tackle myself? I found a few pointers to show me the way:

If you don’t have the room for a full, regulation sized half or whole court, don’t worry. You can make use of the most popular court which isn’t even a court at all! Your driveway. Just install a hoop above your garage or get a free standing one and you’re ready to go. You may already even have enough room for a half court, and if you do, you could then add a surface to or stencil out. But if you do have the room…

You’ll need:

2 basketball pole hoops (one for a half court)
Court stencil kit, tile surfacing kit or masking tape and spray paint
Tape measure
4 stakes
Twine
Concrete (or a concrete company)
Shovel and a way to compress your soil

1. Determine the Size You Can Build

NBA and NCAA regulation courts are 94 ft x 50 ft while high school courts are only 84 ft long. Divide these numbers in half for a half court and see what you can install, even if it’s just a free-throw lane. Be sure to select a relatively flat surface to make your job easier and be aware of windows in relation to where you’ll put the basketball goals.

2. Purchase The Hoops

Since you’re making a dedicated basketball court, get some dedicated goals you’ll cement into the ground (you can still get ones that have adjustable heights). Just remember to get two if you’re building a full court.

3. Mark the Dimensions

Take four stakes and mark out the dimensions of your court with a tape measure or a surveying level if you have access to one. Tie some rope around the stakes to get a better feel for the size. Also, be sure to leave room for an “out of bounds” so players aren’t stepping off the court and into who-knows-what.

4. Level the Playing Field

Literally. Clear out everything but the dirt within the area you just marked and level it. This requires moving dirt from high areas to lower ones so it’s all smooth and pack it down.

5. Create a Concrete Foundation

When the weather is dry and you have 36 hours to let the concrete set, you can install a concrete foundation. Be sure to install the pole hoops at this time—they need to be placed 1-2 ft into the ground and stabilized with concrete. Regulation height is 10 ft from the ground to the top of the rim. Better yet, you can find a local cement company to do all this for you! They’ll even install the hoops and post sleeves.

6. Paint Lines

If you bought a stenciling kit, this will be relatively painless. If you didn’t, grab your masking tape, spray paint and tape measure and start measuring because you’ll need to paint the following:

The out-of-bounds line, 2 to 3 inches thick surrounding the entire court
The center line horizontally from one side to the other directly in the middle of the court
The free-throw line exactly 15 feet (4.57 m) from the center of the hoop and 12 feet long (you can drop a plumb bob on a string from the center of the hoop and where it hits corresponds to the center, but on the ground)
The free-throw lane, 12 feet by 19 feet (the top of the box is the free-throw line)
Have fun with the colors! Use your favorite team’s colors or create your own “home” team.

7. Consider a Surfacing

Surfacing your court will not only be easier on your knees, but it’ll look so awesome. You might even miss a few seed games because you’ll be playing your own. Modular suspended tile surfacing will hold up to cars (if you’re using your driveway) and will even come pre-painted. Other materials include rubber flooring, custom floors and asphalt.

8. Accessorize

Make your court your own with any of a few accessories. Paint your own logo or make the court colored. Or look into containment fences. Just a heads up, some of these fences might need to be installed when you pour the concrete, so have a vision before you get started.

Now all you need is to hang the nets, grab a ball and come up with your home team name!

Found at Pro.com

Check back for more Exterior FAQ’s as we continue to collect information to create the ultimate Exterior Homeowner’s Guides.

Lawn & Garden FAQ: Why are my tomatoes rotting?

by

Like many people, I took on the journey of growing a couple vegetables in my garden. It’s going well for the most part – my cucumbers are delightfully crisp, my bell peppers are coming in beautifully and my herb plants are all flourishing. There’s just one plant that doesn’t seem to be doing as well as the others: my tomatoes! For some reason, I found that the bottom of some of my tomatoes have been rotting and I couldn’t figure out why. Well, I found out that the reason might be over-fertilization:

Too much nitrogen during early fruiting, especially with nitrogen made from ammonia, ties up calcium in the soil chemistry.

There are a number of other possibilities as well, such as your soil:

Although most vegetables do well with a soil pH of 6.2 to 6.8, for those with blossom-end the pH should be 6.5 to 6.8 to free more calcium in the soil chemistry. Test results will indicate the amount of lime to add. Even better, lime also contains calcium. Work the lime into the top 12 inches of soil. Use a lime labeled “fast-acting,” which is better than ground limestone unless you have weeks to wait for the lime to react in the soil.

Or even moisture stress:

Use mulch to keep the soil evenly moist. Vegetables need about 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water a week while fruiting. The best way to water tomatoes planted in the ground is with a soaker hose. In hot climates it is especially tricky to keep big tomato plants in pots watered well during the summer. Make sure to water them daily or set them up on a drip system with a timer.

Found at BonniePlants.com

Check back for more Lawn & Garden FAQ’s as we continue to collect information to create the ultimate Lawn & Garden Homeowner’s Guides.

Kitchen FAQ: How do I get started with an indoor herb garden?

by

This year I missed the outdoor growing season, but I’d love to have some fragrant, flavorful herbs to get me through the winter.  It would also be convenient to have a few friendly plants within arm’s length of my dinner plate. Can I start an indoor herb garden in my kitchen? Yes! I found some great tips to get started with a windowsill garden:

Find the best spot for an indoor herb garden.
To grow well indoors, herbs need as much natural light as possible. Place them in a sunny spot near a window where they’ll get at least 4 hours of sun daily. Windows that face south or southwest are your best shot at sun, though east- or west-facing windows also will do. North-facing windows are not bright enough.

If you’re not sure whether a spot gets enough light, try this test. On a sunny to partly sunny day, turn off all lights and periodically check on the natural sunlight. How much sun does the spot get throughout the day?

Give indoor herbs good drainage.
The best way to ruin a tabletop or windowsill is to let a potted plant drain on it. Likewise, the best way to ruin most herbs is to let them sit in water so the roots will rot. Be sure to use a saucer, liner, or drain pan under the pot to catch water and protect your surface. A clay saucer lets moisture pass through, so opt for plastic, rubber, or metal instead.

Clay pots help with drainage, but they can dry out quickly. If you live in a dry climate or are growing herbs indoors during winter, when furnace heat causes homes to get especially dry, try a glazed or plastic container that won’t dry out as quickly as clay.

Use a premium potting mix for containers to pot your indoor herbs. And by all means, be sure your pots have drainage holes!

Indoor herbs are happy with typical indoor temperatures.
Many cooks grow herbs indoors during the winter when it’s too cold outside or too wet to dig in the dirt, but you can grow herbs inside any time of year. Indoor herbs prefer the same temperatures that most people do—around 65 to 70 degrees F—so if you’re comfortable, they probably are. At night, temperatures near a window may drop to 55 or 60, but most herbs like that, too. Keep foliage from touching glass to protect from getting nipped by cold.

Basil is trickier. Many kitchen gardeners yearn for basil in their indoor garden. If you have plenty of sun and warmth indoors, basil should thrive, but don’t keep it on a cool windowsill. Basil leaves will droop and fade after a short time in cool air. It prefers indoor temperatures in the 70s day and night.

Remember that the air next to a window will be cooler in winter (or hotter in summer) than your average indoor temperature, so adjust your plants accordingly. Dry air, whether from air conditioning or heating, is hard on most herbs, so if you can give them a weekly shower in the sink, they will be happier.

Indoor herb plants will probably stretch and be spindlier than plants in the outdoors, but they will still give you plenty of fresh clippings.

Found at BonniesPlants.com

Check back for more Kitchen FAQ’s as we continue to collect information to create the ultimate Kitchen Homeowner’s Guides.