Don’t Be Them. Noise Edition. As an apartment dweller, you share at least one wall with another resident. And you probably hear your neighbor from time to time. It’s to be expected. Have you ever seen the video Everyone’s Upstairs Neighbor? Back when it was created, The Washington Post wrote: Chances are what’s…
Stay Warm And Cozy This Winter, Part II It’s January. Cold. Gloomy. Typically, it’s a quiet month without much to look forward to; the complete opposite of December. Spring seems a long way away. Did I mention the cold? Short days with – here in the Midwest – just 10 hours of daylight. I…
I’m half Italian. My dad’s father was born in Calabria, Italy. He arrived as a boy in the United States in 1900 via Ellis Island. He was traveling with his father, his pregnant mother, and three siblings. The family settled in a duplex in a small town in New Jersey. My great-grandfather and great-grandmother lived…
Baby, it’s cold outside. But that doesn’t mean you should be cold inside! After once residing in a drafty 1890’s apartment, I had to learn fast how to keep warm. Hope my lessons learned keep you cozy this winter. Light How we dream of a bright, warm sun all cold, dark winter long. Although daylight…
Out, Damned Spot; Out I Say! Lady Macbeth Racked with guilt over her complicity in the murder, Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth famously exclaims, “Out, damned spot; out I say!” while wringing her hands to remove a hallucinated bloodstain. You may be tempted to say something similar – or much worse – when suddenly faced with…
A few years back, my boyfriend introduced me to his tiny, lodge-y, weekend getaway at a rural community on a lake. During my first visit, we attended a spur-of-the-moment get-together with some of his neighbors. It was a surprising night for me in two ways. First of all, everyone treated me like they’d known…
Paws-itively Paw-some Christmas Pet Events Near You! Get your furry friend/s in on the holiday festivities this year! We’ve rounded up a few paws-itively pet-friendly things you and your fluffy friend can do together in and around our Cincinnati, Dayton, and Dallas locations. Please be sure your best buddy says “woof!” to Santa Paws…
Clean Your Fridge I am not happy with whomever invented Clean Out Your Fridge Day which is “celebrated” on November 15. Do we really need to be reminded that although the rest our place looks presentable, there’s probably something creepy, hairy, stinky, and unknown lurking in the back corner of the crisper drawer? Clearly, we…
Winter Energy Savings Tips Old Man Winter has come knocking on our doors a bit early this year with a cold reminder to keep ourselves warm and cozy without breaking the bank and paying for utilities. It’s especially important now, as inflation has driven up the cost of just about everything. Start by taking…
Stink bugs are very active right now, and those pesky critters will be around to annoy us and gross us out as they try and escape cooler weather. I don’t know about you, but I am seriously weirded out by stink bugs. They look so…prehistoric, are so…ugly, and they can be so…stinky. Removal of these…