Tag: summer

Throwing the Best Garage Sale

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Motherhood.

Even though spring cleaning was a few months ago, summer is still a perfect time of the year to relieve some of the clutter and also make a little extra money at the same time.

A garage sale gives you the opportunity to turn your unwanted “stuff” into cash, while also clearing out the disorder that comes from having things taking up space in your closets, garage, and “junk” room. (You know the one—the room that started as a junk drawer until it migrated and took over.)

If you’ve never had a garage sale, or you’re just interested in picking up tips for your next one, here are what you need to consider:

1. Find the Best Date and Time
One thing you want to do is check in advance (at least a week) to get a general weather forecast. There’s no point in scheduling a sale if your weatherman is predicting a torrential downpour.

Generally, most people schedule their sales for Saturday mornings so that more people can attend as opposed to having it during a workday. If you have a lot of stuff to sell, you may want to have it over two days if you can (meaning a Saturday and Sunday). You also want to get the sale done early so you miss the heat of the day. Ideally, a 6 am to noon sale works best.

2. Advertise
The earlier you can advertise your garage sale, the better. Many people wait until the night before to put out signs. This is fine, but you want to do a little advertising earlier in the form of social media posts.

If you’re a member of an HOA (homeowner’s association) that has a Facebook page, post about your sale. Also, send out tweets and Instagram posts to try to get the word out. (NOTE: Many neighborhoods host “community garage sale” days where everyone in the area is encouraged to hold a sale. This can help bring in traffic, but the downside is that you have more competition.)

3. Declutter
Now you’re going to need stuff to sell. The best thing to do is get a box and go room by room through all of your belongings to find things you don’t want or need anymore. Have your kids do the same thing with their toys. As you put the items into the boxes, you can also keep tape on hand, so you can price them as you go. This way, you won’t have to go back and price everything later on.

4. Stock Up on Change
One of the worst things is to have someone want to buy an item and you not have enough change to cover the sale. Pick up at least $20 in quarters along with a mix of ones, fives, and tens. (If you can get about $100 total in change, you should be set. Remember, you can always re-deposit what you don’t use when you’re done.)

If you’re ready to get your house clutter under control and make some money at the same time, then a garage sale is definitely the way to go. If you’re left with a lot of stuff at the end, I always suggest just taking it out to your vehicles and donating it. If you can’t get the sale, at least someone may be able to use it and you can pick up a tax deduction in the process.

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Weekend Getaways for Families Before School Starts

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Motherhood.

Summer is well underway and many people are trying to get in as many family vacations as they can before the school bell rings this fall.

If you’ve already enjoyed your major vacation for the year, or you’re just looking for a cheap weekend rest from the weekly grind, there are always quick vacations you can take for just a couple of days.

Here are some of the best weekend vacation spots in Colorado that you can check out this summer before the little ones head back to school:

1. Beaver Creek
If you’re looking for someplace small and off the beaten path, try this location just a few miles outside of Vail. During the summer, the area is perfect for families that like to spend time outdoors. The area is perfect for hiking, biking, fishing, and other activities including mini-golf that can keep the family entertained.

2. Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
Are you looking for something “outdoorsy” that can get your kids active and into the fresh air while also handling the complaint that this nature stuff is “boring?” Well, try the Glenwood Caverns park. This location has two things going for it. First, you can spend time exploring the beautiful caverns in the area learning about the natural phenomena that went into making them. You can also enjoy thrill rides including a zip line, roller coaster, and giant swing.

3. The Stanley Hotel
Located in Estes Park, this is a beautiful natural area that lends itself perfectly to hiking and exploring. But the real draw for many people is the Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for Stephen King’s Overlook Hotel in The Shining. To keep with this supernatural theme, the hotel also runs ghost tours, which can be a lot of fun for those who don’t scare too easily.

4. Breckenridge
Another small town with lots of charm, Breckenridge is an authentic “western” town that has many quaint and interesting shops and restaurants. It’s a great spot to head out for whitewater rafting and horseback riding in a beautiful location under the amazing Colorado sky.

5. Colorado Gators Reptile Park
You don’t have to head to Florida to check out a really cool reptile park that gets you up close to some amazing animals. This park features alligators, lizards, snakes, and even has a reptile handling class. You can even check out a Hollywood legend in the form of Morris, the alligator from Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore.

There are a lot of different options for those who are looking to explore Colorado off the beaten path. Before school starts again this fall, take a weekend and travel with your family for rest and relaxation.

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Backyard Summer Camp Ideas for Stay-at-Home Moms

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Motherhood.

If you are trying to be a parent on a budget, then you know that summer camps may sound great, but they can really be expensive. That’s why so many stay-at-home moms are trying to turn their own backyards into a summer camp experience.

This way, you can keep the kids occupied, engage them physically and mentally in worthwhile activities, and you don’t have to break your bank.

Here are some ideas on how you can turn your home into a backyard summer camp:

The first things you are going to want to do is get organized and collect supplies.

When it comes to organization, just remember three key areas that the average summer camp takes care of: physical activities, arts and crafts, and evening/social activities. Try to schedule activities around these three areas. Also, be sure to stock up on cheap art supplies. (The Dollar Store is a good place to pick these up.)

  • Morning Activities—I find it easier to split the activities up by time of day. The morning is usually best for athletic and physical activities because of the heat. You don’t really want to spend the hottest part of the day outside and sweating, so schedule them for the morning. I also like to have about five main activities that I can rotate around so that they don’t do them each and every day.

    You might want to include time at the local pool (always a favorite), archery (a perennial summer camp favorite that you can enjoy at a local range), golfing (or at least hitting a few buckets on the driving range), bowling, or just going for a walk in the park or around the neighborhood. If you have a lot of kids in your neighborhood, consider organizing a softball or kickball game.

  • Afternoon Activities—The afternoon should be about arts and crafts and more mentally engaging activities. These don’t have to be very expensive, but again, variety helps. You can load up on cheap art supplies to do everything from painting to coloring to origami. But you can also include mentally engaging activities, like writing an original story, reading, and completing jigsaw puzzles. You can also use this time to help your child learn a new skill like photography or cooking.
  • Evening Activities—If you really want to go for the camp experience, then consider getting a camping tent and setting it up in the backyard with a sleeping bag. This is when you should just sit around and talk with your kids. Have them tell you stories and tell them some from your childhood as well. Older kids may balk, but they still like to hear stories, especially if you tell them around a campfire. And don’t forget to make some S’mores on that fire.

This year, you don’t have to send your kids off to an expensive summer camp or even a local day camp. You can work to create the same experience in your own backyard.

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Summer Staycation Ideas for Families in Denver

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Denver.

Summer vacation is here and for many of us, the idea of being locked in a cramped car or plane for hours on end just makes us cringe. Thankfully, some brave soul a few years ago coined the phrase “family staycation” and it has been growing in popularity.

For those who don’t know, a staycation is where you stay at home and spend your summer vacation resting and relaxing and either doing some things in the general area of your home or venturing out on a road trip that is fast and able to get you home that night with no hotel accommodations required.

Here, then, are some of the best staycation ideas for those families in the Denver area:

  • Breckenridge—Let’s start with this beautiful little town that is about 90 minutes outside of Denver (on the way to Vail). Although this area is known for its winter sports and recreation, the summertime boasts popular activities such as an alpine gondola, horseback riding, and even an alpine rollercoaster, luge, and rope-course. This abundance of activities will keep your family happy and occupied on your trip.
  • Garden of the Gods—This one is great for multiple reasons. First, admission is free to the nature park, where you can walk and explore some of the most beautiful sights in the world. For additional fees, you can do rock climbing experiences and jeep tours as well.
  • Downtown Aquarium—This Denver staple is always a great place for a quiet day of watching fish and other sea creatures. New to the aquarium is an exhibit that allows you to suit up in scuba gear and explore a tank filled with sharks from the safety of a shark cage.
  • Butterfly Pavilion—While we are talking about the beauty of nature, you might want to consider doing a staycation trip to the Butterfly Pavilion. For the prettier and relaxing side of this exhibit, you can check out butterflies that are indigenous to regions from Colorado to the tropics. But you can also check out some of the creepier crawlies such as Rosie the Tarantula, as well as underwater invertebrates.
  • Casa Bonita—This has been a staple in the area for over 40 years and is the very definition of “dinner and a show.” The restaurant features great Mexican staples (including an all-you-can-eat buffet), plus a variety of shows including pirates, gorillas, cliff divers, and a gunfight. You can also check out puppet shows, the arcade, and spend some time at the gift shop.

Don’t feel like you have to go on a massive road trip this summer to have some fun and relax. Instead, stay at home and do a few day trip activities in the general Denver area.

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.

Top 10 Summer Maintenance Tips for Homeowners

Written by Marybeth Heckler on . Posted in Home Improvement.

Yet another summer is upon us, which means now is the perfect time to take charge of a whole slew of maintenance projects around your house. Once the freezing cold temperatures and rainy days of winter are gone, you should have better weather to get lots of these projects completed.

Here are the top ten things you need to work on around the house for summer:

  1. HVAC service—You had to know this would be number one. Right before the summer temperatures start to go through the roof, you really need to get your air conditioning unit serviced. The last thing you want is a 100+ degree day only to have your AC go out on you.
  2. Chimney and fireplace cleaning—Now that you should be done using your fireplace, this is the perfect time to call in a professional and have your chimney professionally cleaned. This will get rid of dangerous soot and grime, which can easily aggravate allergies.
  3. Dust your fans—Use an extendable duster to reach your ceiling fans, but also take apart any portable fans and clean the dust out of the blades. This not only will keep your fans running longer, but also cut down on the spread of dust and allergens when you start cranking them up this summer.
  4. Changer your air filter—This one needs to be done about every 90 days, so now is the perfect time to go ahead and change the filter out.
  5. Check your smoke detector and carbon monoxide batteries—Another quarterly project, this is the perfect opportunity to make sure everything is running smoothly to keep your home and family safe.
  6. Pressure wash the house—Another project that works well at this time of year is a pressure washing of your home’s exterior.
  7. Inspect and repair your back porch and deck—If you plan on doing some entertaining outside this year, make sure to inspect your deck and porch for loose boards or protruding nails. If the wood is looking weathered, you may need to stain it and apply a weather seal.
  8. Clean out your gutters and downspouts—After months of winter and spring storms, summer is the right time to clear out the gutters and get rid of any accumulated debris.
  9. Service the lawnmower—Summer is when you are going to be spending a lot of time working on your yard. Take this opportunity to get your lawnmower inspected and serviced so it will run smoothly this season.
  10. Window maintenance—Remove and wash your screens and inspect them to see if any need to be replaced.

This summer get your house in tip-top shape and running smoothly with these maintenance tips. By doing so, you’ll have a more enjoyable vacation season and have lots of fun staying at home.

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Whether you’re buying, selling, refinancing, or building your dream home, I’m here to help you explore the many financing options available. Ensuring that you make the right choice for you and your family is my ultimate goal. I am committed to providing my customers with mortgage services that exceed their expectations. Find out more by visiting my website.