1. Lighting — This is very important, and in general, more is better than less. If you don’t have adequate lighting, try adding lighting under the cabinets or using higher wattage bulbs.
2. Hard Flooring — Both wood and tile are more hygienic and easier to clean up.
3. Outlets — You shouldn’t need to use extension cords in the your kitchen. A well-designed kitchen will have outlets installed about every three feet.
4. Clear the Clutter — Throw away or donate any items you know you won’t use. By getting rid of old and unused spices, food and beaten up pots and pans, you’ll make room for the stuff you actually use. The same goes for counter space.
5. Clean — Empty out all drawers and cabinets at least once a year and wash them with warm, soapy water. Replace with new liners if you use them.
6. Zones & Storage — Create a kitchen triangle with designated zones for various tasks. For example, you may like to chop vegetables near the sink, or mix ingredients on the center isle. Whatever the case, choose a zone, then store the utensils you’ll need for those tasks in the storage areas nearby. For example, pots and pans should be near the stove, while your Christmas plates could probably be stored on the top shelf.
7. Food Storage — Similar to above, everyday foods, like cereal or bread, should be in an easily-accessed spot. If you have kids, don’t make them climb on the counters if there’s a cupboard at a lower level.
8. Cutlery Trays — Simple trays make it easy to organize your daily utensils and maximize drawer space.
9. Sinks — If you do a lot of cooking (preparation), it may be wise to invest in a sink that fits your needs; e.g., single, double, deep, stainless steel.
10. Faucets — A person who hand-washes large pots and pans will want a different type of faucet than someone who rarely goes in the kitchen. If you like to cook, get a faucet that makes cleanup easier.

I hope these tips can help you make your kitchen more effecient. By the way, if you know someone looking to buy or sell a home in the Lewisville, Flower Mound, or Highland Village areas, I would greatly appreciate any referrals that you could send my way.

1. Learn the different kinds of stripping — adhesive-backed V strips that can be cut with scissors or a utility knife; compression strips; tubular gaskets; magnetic stripping for metal- or steel-clad doors.
2. Measure the length of all seams to be weather-stripped, add a couple of inches for each seam and add the numbers together to determine how much you need.
3. Cut the weather stripping to fit each seam. Apply the stripping all the way around a window by using adhesive, nails or screws. Attach the stripping to the jamb or the stop.
4. Apply the stripping to the sides and the tops of doors. Use a weather-tight threshold or door sweep to seal the bottom. (A door sweep is a metal or wood bracket with a plastic or vinyl flap that hangs to the floor to stop airflow.)

Other Tips

* Choose the weather stripping best suited to your needs. Ask store personnel for recommendations.
* Clean the surface to which you’re going to apply adhesive-backed weather stripping (if it’s dirty or damp, the adhesive won’t stick for long).
* Foam and felt varieties of weather stripping don’t apply easily and don’t seem to last nearly as long as alternatives.

Ants — We might think ants are a natural part of the yard, and they are, but be aware that ants can kill your lawn too. If you see lots of large ant hills in the same area as your dying lawn, there’s a good chance the hills are smothering the grass or an ant nest below is smothering the roots and prohibiting growth.

Sod Webworms — This insect prefers new lawns and feeds on the grass leaves at night, leaving ugly brown spots or patches across your lawn. If you notice new brown patches quickly taking over your yard, sod webworms may be the source.

Mites — If your grass leaves appear spotted or blotchy, it may be because mites are sucking the sap and damaging your lawn. If several of your neighbors lawns are dotted with brown spots too, mites could be the problem.

Leafhoppers — If your recently planted lawn suddenly takes a turn for the worse, or your older lawn starts getting whitish patches, consider the leafhopper. With an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 species, this insect sucks the sap from your lawn’s stems and leaves. The leafhopper is very small and green, gray, yellow or brownish in appearance.

Ticks — OK, ticks don’t kill your lawn, but they can stop you from enjoying your yard. If your property is adjacent to a heavily wooded area or you have lots of deer, dogs, rabbits, or other small critters running through your yard, be sure to check for ticks as they can cause various health problems, including Lyme disease.

These are a few of the most common insect infestations, though there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other possibilities. The good news is that if you can identify the infestation you can go down to your local gardening center and purchase the solution.

One solution is to start making your own cleaners using non-toxic, ecologically safe products. This can be done pretty quickly with products you probably already have around the house: white vinegar, baking soda, borax, baking soda and a spray bottle.

* All Purpose Cleaner — Mix together 1 quart warm water, 1 teaspoon liquid soap, 1 teaspoon borax and 1/4 cup white vinegar. Put it in a spray bottle and use on floors, counter tops, walls, carpets and upholstery.
* Glass and Mildew Cleaner — Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, spray on glass or mildew to clean. If you are sensitive to the smell of vinegar, try this alternative: mix 1 quart warm water with 1/4 cup white vinegar or 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
* Drain Opener — Dissolve 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup white vinegar in boiling water and pour down the drain. Continue to flush with hot tap water until the clog breaks. Flush drain with boiling water weekly to avoid buildup.
* Scouring Powder — Sprinkle borax to get stains off porcelain sinks; baking soda effectively removes baked-on food from a dishes.
* Linoleum and Tile Floor Cleaner — Mix 1 gallon hot or warm water with 1/2 cup vinegar.
* Toilet Bowl Cleaner — Put 1/4 cup borax in toilet bowl and let set overnight, scrub the next day.

Another solution is to buy “green” cleaning products or cleaners that avoid toxic ingredients like corrosives, chlorine bleach, ammonia, phosphates and petroleum products. You may not be able to eliminate all your cleaners but even small changes help make a difference.

* All Purpose Cleaner — Mix together 1 quart warm water, 1 teaspoon liquid soap, 1 teaspoon borax and 1/4 cup white vinegar. Put it in a spray bottle and use on floors, counter tops, walls, carpets and upholstery.

* Glass and Mildew Cleaner — Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, spray on glass or mildew to clean. If you are sensitive to the smell of vinegar, try this alternative: mix 1 quart warm water with 1/4 cup white vinegar or 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

* Drain Opener — Dissolve 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup white vinegar in boiling water and pour down the drain. Continue to flush with hot tap water until the clog breaks. Flush drain with boiling water weekly to avoid buildup.

* Scouring Powder — Sprinkle borax to get stains off porcelain sinks; baking soda effectively removes baked-on food from a dishes.

* Linoleum and Tile Floor Cleaner — Mix 1 gallon hot or warm water with 1/2 cup vinegar.

* Toilet Bowl Cleaner — Put 1/4 cup borax in toilet bowl and let set overnight, scrub the next day.

Another solution is to buy “green” cleaning products or cleaners that avoid toxic ingredients like corrosives, chlorine bleach, ammonia, phosphates and petroleum products. You may not be able to eliminate all your cleaners but even small changes help make a difference.

1. Remove any growth from below the graft (where the top of the plant was originally joined to rootstock). Cut the growth as close to the main body of the plant as possible.
2. Remove any dead, diseased or injured wood. Branches that are different in color from the main body of the plant could be a problem. Injuries may look like splits or blisters and diseases often show up as black patches along the branch.
3. Cut into the tip of a suspect branch to see if it’s alive. If it’s green inside, it is still alive; if it’s brown, it’s probably dead. Keep cutting back from the tip until you reach green wood.
4. Remove the branches that cross through the center of the plant to improve air circulation and discourage disease.
5. Cut out any competing leaders — the upright growing limbs that will eventually turn into the main trunk. Most trees should have only one main branch headed in the “up” direction. Multiple trunks sap the energy from a tree and weaken it.
6. Prune for shape and size. Keep the branches low on fruit trees so that you can reach the fruit. Most maples look best with a rounded crown, and most roses should be pruned in a low vase shape. Learn the basic shape of the plant you are going to prune.
7. Remove any water sprouts from fruit trees. Nonproductive water sprouts are light in color and grow straight up, as opposed to fruiting wood, which is crooked and dark.
8. Rake up and remove all pruning’s and fallen leaves to discourage insects.

* Also:
* Sharpen and oil your pruning tools before you start cutting.
* Spray with a dormant oil or lime/sulfur after you have finished pruning to kill over wintering insect pests.
* Tools you will need are garden shears, lopping shears, a pruning saw and a pole pruner.
* Once the plants begin to grow leaves, sap is flowing through the branches. If you prune then, you take the chance of causing excessive bleeding or loss of vital fluids.

1. Avoid the yellow pages; anyone can buy an ad.
2. Get recommendations from family, friends and co-workers.
3. Deal only with licensed contractors.
4. Check with the state licensing board and local Better Business Bureau to see if there are any outstanding complaints.
5. Interview each contractor, request free estimates and ask for recent references of projects similar to yours.
6. Do not work with an uninsured contractor. Verify the contractor has worker’s compensation insurance and an umbrella general liability policy.
7. Check the contractor’s professional associations. Most professionals are members of some association.
8. Check to see how long the contractor has been in business; be cautious about working with new companies.
9. Find out how long the contractor has been working with his crew; you don’t want your project to be a training ground for new employees.
10. Ask what will be handled by the contractor and what will be subcontracted. Keep in mind if subcontractors are involved, you should check them out as well.
11. Find out how many other projects the contractor will be working on simultaneously. If they have lots of other projects, they’ll have less time to devote to you.
12. Trust your instincts.

1. Carpet that has had any water damage is prone to produce mold. To check your carpet for mold, lift a small section up off the floor. Note that mold can come in any shade of color, including red, black, green, purple, gray, yellow, etc. In addition, the texture is usually cottony, velvety, granular or leathery.
2. If you can’t see it, follow your nose. Mold usually carries an odor, often described as musky, musty, or earthy. If you can smell it, you can assume that moisture and mold are close by.
3. If you suspect you have mold, but can’t pinpoint the problem, consider hiring a professional to test your home, including various testings of air quality. Pricing varies, but any detection of mold should be viewed as a red flag, and it’s better for both your health and your checkbook to catch it as early as possible.

Regular cleaning with a bleach-based product is the most effective way to kill mold spores. But, keep in mind mold can mushroom up in as little as 48 hours under certain conditions. So, it’s a good idea to take an occasional peak — or sniff — in the attic or cellar.

If the filter is dirty, you’re making your furnace work harder (costing you more money) and, more importantly, you’re exposing yourself and others to unnecessary dust, pollen, mold spores and other particles that can cause respiratory infections and other types of allergies.

If you know how easy it is to clean or change the filter, you’re likely to do it more frequently. Here’s how you do it:

1. Sweep or vacuum the area around the furnace if it is really dirty; you want to keep the area as clean as possible.
2. Locate your filter (read the furnace manual if necessary). In a forced-air system, the filter will be in your air return. In a gas or electric furnace, it will be behind the service panel, usually on the furnace’s lower front or side.
3. Most units will turn off when you remove the service panel; if yours doesn’t, turn off the furnace.
4. Remove the filter from the unit and hold it up to the light. If you can’t easily see light through the screen, it needs to be replaced or cleaned (depending on what kind you have).
5. You can use a hose or vacuum to rinse or suck away the dust particles. If you hose it down be sure to let it dry before putting it back into the furnace. If the filter is disposable, write down the size and go buy a new one; replace.
6. Make sure the arrows on the new filter are pointed in the right direction and slide it into the furnace. Replace the panel.

Many professionals recommend you clean or replace your furnace’s filter every one to three months. Since you don’t need any tools, and it’s easy to do, you can do it as you seem fit — just be sure to check it often and keep in mind it may need changing more frequently in colder months when your furnace is working harder.