Here’s a checklist of winterizing tips:

• Change your furnace filters so that energy isn’t consumed by restricted airflow.
• Clean out your gutters so that the drains won’t clog and create burst pipes or ice dams.
• Insulate your home properly against the winter chill by adding to the insulation in your attic.  This will keep heat from escaping or cold air from entering.
• On a related note to insulation, protect your doors and windows with draft snakes and window insulation that block up the little space underneath doors and through jams that may allow air in or out.  No need to pay for heating only to allow it to seep outside!
• Install storm doors to replace the screen doors that are better for summer weather.
• Get those chimneys swept and cleaned, repair any parts that have become damaged.  Stock up on wood so that you can keep fires going in the house instead of turning on the heat when in that part of the house.
• Ensure that smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are operational and have full batteries so that when you have your fires going, there will be help if gases build up or a fire accident occurs.
• Reverse the flow of your fans so that the warm air is pushed downward. Many people overlook this step and it can help to keep heat in your rooms.
• Look after your pipes!  Drain water hoses so that they don’t back up from freezing water, wrap pipes with insulation so that the water also won’t freeze and cause them to burst.  Nothing is worst than busted pipes in the middle of winter, so prevent that at all costs!
• Bundle up with clothing while in the house so that you don’t have to turn up the thermostat so high.  Thick sweaters, warm fuzzy socks and slippers, sweat clothes are all warm things to wear when indoors.

Preventing disasters and high bills is a way to remain smart this winter when it comes to costs and budgeting.  Safeguard against the chill ahead of time and ensure that your winter is safe and happy. Stay warm!

1. Finding out how long they have been in business and getting client references from them would be a very smart idea.  You want to see how they interacted with the clients, if they stayed on schedule, and if things went according to plan.  Sites such as http://www.ratemycontractors.com/ are good places to start as well to see if they have any bad ratings or positive reviews.  Getting a referral from a trusted friend or family member is a great way to know that you are working with someone that you can trust.

2. What is their hourly rate?  Working within your budget is essential, but don’t necessarily go for the guy with the lowest hourly rate because he may also be the guy who works the slowest to milk that rate!  Get all of the details of what the fee will entail, such as materials and the payment terms.

3. Ask if they are insured and licensed!  Check that they have liability and workman’s compensation insurance so that if there is damage to your home from their work that you aren’t footing the bill.

4. Will they guarantee their work?  If something breaks again that they just fixed, will they return to correct the error?

5. Are they shopping for materials and parts?  If so, get a price quote first and then do your homework to see if their price matches market value.

6. You can have it put into the contract that they clean up after themselves.

7. See if there will be a minimum charge and if you are paying for travel time or once they step into your door.

Hiring someone to come into your home can make you nervous but if armed with the right questions to ask and diligent reference/background checking, you and your house should be just fine!  Hope that these hiring tips help you to find the right person for the job.

1. Jenn-Air LCD Double Oven: This oven is like having a cooking instructor and chef all in one!  There is a fully functioning LCD screen that can show diagrams (such as where to stick a thermometer to check temperature of food), pictures to show the correct look of a medium rare steak, and when not in cooking mode it can act as an art piece in the kitchen with a design across the screen.  Modern technology afficianados who love touch screen phones will be enamored with this oven that does away with the old-school knobs and switches!  Slide your fingers along the panel just like you do with your spiffy iPhone!  This baby doesn’t even need to preheat, cutting down cook time drastically!

2. Rotisserie Ovens: The smell of roasted chicken filling the room is reason enough to invest in a rotisserie oven!  These convenient beauties give you succulent, evenly cooked, moist and juicy meat each time. The meat slow bastes and roasts in its own juices for a special treat that your family will appreciate, and since it comes in a variety of styles, sizes, and models, there’s one for any kitchen.

3. Infrared Ovens: Speedy cooking done right can be had by way of an infrared oven.  Something like a frozen lasagna that would usually take over an hour to cook can be finished in 15 minutes instead!  The ovens use conduction for providing the food with heat, convection keeps the heat flowing around the food, and infrared cooks the food from the inside out, so what you end up with is fully cooked flavorful tender eats that are perfectly done in the inside and crisp on the outside.

4. Steam Ovens: The energy-conscious among us will appreciate this innovative way of cooking!  It uses less energy yet cooks foods faster, preserving the nutrients and flavors for amazing meats and other items.  A combination steam/convection oven presents the best of both worlds for the chefs and bakers of your household.

5. Connect IO Intelligent Oven: This is truly the oven of the future and coolest oven on our list!  This amazing device will allow you to cook remotely via a phone call TO YOUR OVEN or through the internet!  In the morning before work, place your seasoned dishes into the oven where it will keep it cool, and then from the office or on the commute home, simply call the oven or send it a message through the internet and it will start to cook the meal so when you come home, there’s a hot delicious meal all ready to eat!

Ovens come in such a wide variety that there is definitely one that’s perfect for every person.  Hopefully these cool gadgets intrigued you a bit to look into the options that are available.

1. When hiring someone to help in such an intimate arena as your home, it is best to make sure that not only are they professionally capable but also have a personality that meshes well with your own so that the creativity and vibe will be correct for bringing out the true beauty of your location. If you have a more type A hardcore personality, hiring someone who’s completely zen and laid back could equal disaster! You will be in a relationship with this person for the duration of the designing process, so treat the vetting process like gaining a new friend. They should be someone that you like to be around, who listens to your input for your space, knows how to keep within budget, and can elevate your design ideas with their own touch.

2. The portfolio of course is super important! A scattered, incomplete portfolio doesn’t bode well for the designer that you are looking to work with so make sure that they have a well put together and appealing portfolio that presents them as professionals. Also, take note of the design ideas that they have incorporated in other homes and make sure that they vibe with your own aesthetic. If you like a more whimsical 1700s French design and your decorator is all about pop art appeal, needless to say you may end up a very unhappy camper, so pick someone that is on the same wavelength with you. Ask questions when you are perusing their portfolio and interviewing them: How much did this room cost, why did they pick that lighting, why was the couch placed there as opposed to here? This is not the time to be shy, so ask the pertinent questions.

3. Decide if you don’t mind a younger/newer designer or want a more established one. This decision can come down to costs because a more established one will run a higher tab, but it also can be decided on if you want someone with a fresh new perspective who may be the next designing superstar! Everyone starts somewhere so don’t be afraid to give a newbie a chance, but still look closely at their portfolio and how they answer questions on their ability and aesthetic.

4. Establishing a budget is important because it decides not only the type of designer that you can afford but gives a baseline for questioning the designers during interviews. You can decide what you want to have done to the house and then figure out how to allocate resources or you can first choose what your price range is and gather things that will work within that parameter.,

5. Have your due diligence done before meeting with a designer for the initial consult. This means having photos of the space, having an idea in mind of what feel and look you want for the room (really helps if you have any photos from magazines or other pieces of inspiration), and know your budget. This will keep headaches at a minimum for both you and the designer so that while interviewing them, you won’t waste each others time.

Getting your home decor just right is a thrilling part of having your own space. Working with a designer to complete that goal is a wonderful way to ensure that your rooms are lovely, functional, appealing, and totally unique!

1. The Charade Orchidea Trio Shower Head

Three heads make this showerhead incredibly powerful and encompassing. The water rains down from above you, covering you completely and rinsing everything away effectively and gently.

2. The Gas Mask Shower Head

Pretty creepy, but cool, this recycled gas mask showerhead sprays water out of the air intake valve onto your head. The eye sockets remain in place for you to store your soap and loofah.

3. The Aquavolo Shower

Take your shower from rainfall to waterfall in a flip. In the upright position, the Aquavolo rains water straight down—but flip it down and it turns into a gentle waterfall, perfect for washing hair.

4. Aquanatass Shower Body

Take a shower with your own personal shower buddy, the Aquanatass. This strange device is shaped like a human body that sprays water out the top of its head and out a mouth. It is definitely more of an art piece than an efficient shower, though.

5. LED Showerheads

Get an LED showerhead system to have a series of colored lights changing throughout your shower. Colors can change from pink to blue to red and on through the rainbow—or just pick one and stick with it.

No matter what you choose for your shower system, try not to stay in there too long— the earth and your water bill will thank you!

For the rest of us showerers, it might be kind of old to climb into the same shower every morning, sticking to the same routine day in and day out. You spend so much time in the shower over the course of your life, why not upgrade to a shower that you will actually enjoy? Dump that mildewed old closet and install a personal spa in your home—you’ll be clean and relaxed at the same time!

1. The Rainforest 78 Steam Shower Unit with Heated 16 Jet Whirlpool Bathtub has all the bells and whistles. Add a little scented oil to the steam for an aromatherapy treatment or watch a movie while you receive a foot massage. There’s also a quality speaker system and mp3 player for your favorite music, a hands-free phone system, sauna, whirlpool, acupressure massage and rainfall ceiling shower. For $3,975 you will definitely make your bathroom the best room in your home!

2. The Royal SSWW B-602 Steam Shower Enclosure will help your health as well as your hygiene. The steam can moisturize skin, boost immune system function, soothe aching muscles, and alleviate allergy and asthma symptoms. Hydotherapy jets can massage away a long day at work and an ozone gas feature can sterilize the shower when you are done. For $3,090, you can relax and get healthy at the same time.

Though they are definitely on the expensive side, the many features and the sheer enjoyment that you are sure to get out of them could make these products a bargain rather than an expense.

-The Oasis Counter Display has to be one of the most handy, exciting kitchen inventions in a long time!  This surface is a computerized counter space that, when you place food items onto it, will tell you the food’s nutritional values!  Not only that, place something else onto the counter at the same time and it will let you know how those things can be used in a recipes together.

-Crave smoky flavor in your meats but don’t have the capacity or desire to smoke your own foods by slaving over a smoker?  Then The Smoking Gun will be the invention for you!  Pick out your favorite wood for smoke flavors (such as hickory), start a fire safely, and have the gun suck in the smoke and transform your food into a delicacy without having to let it smoke for hours on end. Smoked pulled pork, succulent steaks with a hint of hickory, the possibilities are endless and for $99 not expensive either!

-Want breakfast but always on the go?  Desire some tasty waffles but know that you need to be on the train soon?  Well, the Lolly Waffle Iron can turn that plate of waffles that needs to be eaten sitting down into a waffle stick that can go with you on the commute!  This contraption creates a waffle on a stick so that it can be like your own homemade waffle corn dog type invention, minus the corn or dog.  This is a fun treat, but at $900 I’m sure most of us will have to keep our waffles on a plate old-school style.

There’s no reason to just have boring appliances in your kitchen, jazz it up with something new and handy!  Technology is always working hard to create crazy, practical, silly, fun, cool gadgets, we may as well put them to good use!

1. Does your husband or son forget to put the seat down after they use the toilet? Contain your rage and invest in the Pressalit Autoclose Toilet. Infrared sensors know when someone is on the toilet, tightly closing the lid when the user leaves. Save your argument for a different cause!

2. Don’t want to turn on the bathroom light when you use it in the middle of the night? Simply let the LED light-up toilet seat reveal itself. You won’t need a nightlight anymore—the toilet is what you are looking for anyway!

3. It’s generally frowned upon to have someone else help you with toilet hygiene, but not with the Washlet S400! This toilet has a sensor activated lid that lifts and closes when someone is nearby, remote-control flushing, heated seats and a massager. And the ultimate in awkward, it also will wash you after you are finished!

4. Grey-Water toilets appease even the greenest among us by using water from the sink, recycling it for two purposes before sending it sewer-bound.

5. Lots of boys in your home? Get the Ultimate Clean Toilet—it is a urinal and toilet in the same appliance. Simply push the button and it will change to your sex’s preferred mode, complete with steam and UV sanitization.

With today’s tremendous toilet technology, there is no reason to have a grungy bowl in your bathroom when you can have one that will do (almost) all the work for you. Get a high-tech toilet and revolutionize even the basest of duties!

1. Do your best to let the light in.

Darkness can make your kitchen feel dreary, old and gloomy—so bring in the light! Remove whatever dark curtains or drapes your kitchen has and raise the blinds to their fullest, letting in as much sunlight as you can. Change your light bulbs to halogen or incandescent ones to improve the lighting. If you want curtains, try making some from light colored material that is translucent to let light in during the day.

2. Take down your old wallpaper and paint the walls.

In a weekend, you can remove most of the wallpaper that really dates your kitchen, and with a few more days you can replace it with a soft pastel paint color. Try sage green, butterscotch yellow or cream to lighten and brighten your room. If you still want wallpaper, be sure to choose something that is timeless rather than trendy. You could even use wall paper to trim the paint color.

3. Reinvigorate your cabinets by painting or refinishing them.

This will dramatically change your kitchen’s look, so be prepared! Best of all, this is something you can easily do yourself! After you paint, glaze or refinish your cabinets, you can change their hardware as well. You can get a kit for refinishing your cabinets at your local hardware store—simply follow the directions and you will end up with what looks like a new set of cabinets! Only you will know they are the same old ones.

4. Consider redoing the flooring on your own.

Tiling is a project that most people without a lot of construction experience can do, and tile is very affordable and durable. You’ll need to remove the flooring you have currently, which could reveal some surprises. There may be wood floor hiding underneath the laminate you have—particularly if you have an older home. If this is the case, try refinishing it to bring some of the original design back into your home. If not, check out the options in linoleum, tile, or wood that are within your budget.

5. Purchase a few new accessories, or update your old small appliances.

A new blender, new curtains, new floor rugs or a new kitchen table can bring that new feeling to your kitchen with minimal effort. Pick up a few new pictures to hang on the walls or set on the counters, or print some pictures of your family to frame and personalize your kitchen. No matter what you choose, you will bring some new spice to the same old place!

Check out your budget and see what you can afford— no matter what changes you can afford, you will know what is new. Make small changes a little at a time, and save up for the big ones—you’ll get your new kitchen before you know it. Now, what else can you make new?