Porch Pillows and Bird Poop

Covered Porch Seating

I love my covered porch. I love birds. I do not love it when I find bird poop on my porch pillows! So, I purchased an outdoor wicker trunk that serves 2 purposes - a coffee table and a place to store all of my throw pillows. When we are not actively sitting on the sofas, we pull the back cushions down on the sofa and the love seat. Also, I remove the throw pillows and store them in the trunk. Below the pillows I store laundered outdoor table linens too!

~Amy

throw pillow storage

Dryer Lint

Have you EVER moved it? Pulled out your dryer from your laundry room away from the vent that directs the heat to escape? Have you noticed that your dryer cycles are taking longer and longer?

We recently updated our laundry room so I had to remove my washer and dryer. Holy lint! Yes! Lint, a plenty! I took time to vacuum around, under and in my dryer vent that exits my house. Now my drying times are down from 60 to 45-50 minutes.

Saves time, energy and is much safer too. I'll be doing this annually from now on.

~Amy

Earth Day Activities April 21 - Murfreesboro

MURFREESBORO — Murfreesboro and Rutherford County’s Earth Day Celebration will continue its highly successful run, started two years ago around Rutherford County’s Courthouse, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first day of spring, April 21, the city announced.

Organizers are expecting a record number of visitors to attend the event — an extravaganza that offers a wide variety of activities for young and old alike.

The day’s activities will include free popcorn, hotdogs, drinks and door prizes. There will also be games and other kid-specific activities. To top it off, 1,000 red oak tree seedlings will be given away on a first-come first-served basis..

This year’s event will showcase nearly 20 informational booths offering scores of brochures and other media on earth-friendly topics and services.

Returning this year to provide entertainmentare MTSU’s Jazz Ensemble, Creative Rhythm, a local percussion ensemble and the Earthlings featuring premier guitarist Larry Pinkerton and Friends.

Also on tap is a return engagement by Murfreesboro Electric Department’s mascot, Louie the Lightning Bug. MED, TVA’s local distributor will provide information and sign-ups for the authority’s Green Power Switch program.

This program gives customers an opportunity to purchase power that has been produced by renewable resources such as wind, solar and methane gas. For more information on the Green Power Switch Program, visitwww.greenpowerswitch.com or contact your local power distributor. MED is a major sponsor of the event and its personnel will be on hand to help explain the program and sign up residential and commercial green-power consumers.

Sponsors in addition to MED include General Mills and its local subsidiary Pillsbury, whose mascot the Pillsbury Dough Boy will make an appearance and Mr. Wegs, the company’s environmental mascot, will attend to represent the company’s commitment to conservation.

Other sponsors are MaxShred, Murfreesboro City Schools, Kroger, Lewis Brothers Bakery, the City of Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Rutherford County Schools and All in One Recycling.

In keeping with the day, a “kick off the spring and summer season on the square” event will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. after Earth Day festivities conclude.

Magazine Guilt

If you feel guilty about throwing your magazines in the recycle bin when you are the only person who thumbed through them, here's the cure!

Take that pile of magazines with you to the hair dresser, dentist, or doctors office and leave them.  You can cut off your address on the front cover.  Don't let them pile up just because you didn't read every article. Let others enjoy!


~Gretchen

Free Shredding at Office Depot

Papers piling up? Filing cabinet full?

Office Depot Provides Free Copies of 2011 Tax Returns and Shredding of Confidential Documents


Through April 16, 2012, customers can take advantage of this popular offer by visiting the Copy & Print Depot at any Office Depot retail store location nationwide.


Read more here:
http://mediarelations.officedepot.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=140162&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1673116&highlight

Give it to Goodwill

We love Goodwill!

Yes, we go to the dump but Gretchen and I love to recycle. Giving to Goodwill  is one of the easiest ways to recycle used clothing and general household items.

Watch this video and learn what Goodwill Does:

Broken, cracked, holey, expired, mildewed, dusty

At the dump

Surprisingly, Gretchen and I haul A LOT of stuff to the dump. We've receive a personal lesson each time we watch clients hold on to trash. Yes, trash. Broken, cracked, holey, expired, mildewed, dusty and sometimes smelly stuff.

Many times clients put off discarding items that are damaged. There are many reasons for this but mainly they are delaying the inevitable.

When Gretchen and I arrive and work, we candidly point out items that need to be discarded. Then we have witnessed clients try to hold on to them. After listening to a laundry list all of the reasons these items have not been discarded, we offer to haul the items away.

Sometimes the process is a little slow, but generally we end up with a truck bed full of trash. Yes, we will haul it off for you too!

~ Amy