Mountain View Publishing Online
Community, Culture and Lifestyle in the Connecticut River Valley
When you decide to sell your home, one of the first things you’ll want to consider is how to increase its value. There are many ways to accomplish that, but a number of them involve major renovations and lots of money. Here are several ways to boost your home’s appeal and value that don’t require a big investment, and you’re likely to be able to pull them off on your own.
Summer is finally here. Maybe you’re considering having some landscaping done in your yard. Every kind of cultivated tree has characteristics suitable for some use—shade, privacy, flowers, fruit. Your best bet is to choose a variety native to North America and hardy enough to do well in our four-season climate with its wide temperature range. Exotic trees are beautiful, but they tend to have a difficult time surviving in New England’s soil and climate. Before selecting a tree, you’ll want to make sure that it matches your needs and the size of the space you have selected for it. Take into consideration your location and growing zone, your soil type, the expected height and width of the mature tree compared to its surroundings (roofs, electrical lines, etc.), the tree’s growth rate, the form it will take (upright, round, or spreading), and the variety’s proven resistance to infections and infestations.
Summer days are for lazing around in the sun, tending to gardens, relaxing by the pool or on the beach, and hanging out with our furry friends. Just as we need to protect ourselves from excessive sun exposure and high heat and humidity, our animal companions need protection too. Read on for tips to keep your pets safe and comfortable in the summertime.
Did you know that many homemade health remedies really work? You may have the ingredients right in your kitchen. For common, minor health problems, you don’t even have to leave your house, and you can save money too. It’s true that some popular formulas are just old wives’ tales, but there are many more that work like a charm, and even your family physician may advise you to give these a try.
Most homeowners are not well educated in the homebuilding or remodeling process and may only do one or two such projects in their entire lifetime. Often they make a poor choice in selecting a contractor when it is based on price alone. The assumption with competitive bidding is that the plans and specifications are so clear and unambiguous that any randomly selected, reasonably competent contractor will be able to do the job exactly as envisioned. While more and more clients are aware that they can’t just hire the lowest bidder, few do a lot of research about which contractors to ask for proposals beyond getting some referrals or references from friends, Realtors or architects.
With spring in full swing and summer approaching, people everywhere will be sitting on porches, decks, and patios with their favorite ice-cold beverage in hand. In the other hand? A good book. Take a break from the yard work and check out five new releases that have either hit the market in the past month or soon will.
Our skin is the one thing we wear every day for our whole lives. It’s important to treat it well and keep it safe from harmful UV rays. We all have different skin types—oily, dry, sensitive, or a combination—and products on the market cater to each type. While some skin care products are very costly, there’s no need to spend more than you can afford. You can create an effective skin care regimen with quality products at modest prices by mixing and matching the best brands out there that make products specifically for your skin type.
Before iPads or iPhones or eBooks or eReaders, there was paper, and there was ink. Official documents were handwritten by the most talented calligraphers and scribes. Can you imagine the Magna Carta or the Declaration of Independence typed in Times New Roman 12-point on a sheet of copy paper? They wouldn’t have the same awe-inspiring air as they do inscribed in scrolling font on crinkly parchment. For most of the last century, handwritten or typewritten letters were the only means of correspondence by mail. And handwritten notes were preferred by those in the know when it came to social niceties. But you don’t need a reason to send a letter; sending the letter is a reason in itself! It’s sad to imagine a future where people don’t have any use for a signature because everything is done electronically. The sacred and comforting practice of writing by hand doesn’t have to be a lost custom.
The best museums in New England and the Northeastern US offer a walk through history, whether it’s the natural world or the man-made, as well as the best in contemporary art. This region is steeped in tradition and is one of the most dynamic places in the nation, where history is always being made. Here are four of the museums that bring the best of the old and the new to the fore.
While everyone else mourns the so-called death of paperbacks, a new generation of readers is embracing e-reading devices. Recently, Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite has debuted and is already known as the “king of the e-readers” among tech-savvy bibliophiles. The truth is you don’t have to know a lot about tech to enjoy reading with the new Kindle. It doesn’t have the glitz of multimedia devices such as Apple’s iPad and Kindle Fire. But it does one thing very well; it resolve issues commonly found in many e-reading devices, including Amazon’s earlier Kindle releases.
