Welcoming Pets Into Your Virginia Home

According to The Humane Society, the key to helping your new pet make a successful adjustment to your home is being prepared and being patient. It can take a while for you and your pet to adjust to each other. The following tips can help ensure a smooth transition.

Gather your supplies. Prepare the things your pet will need in advance… a collar and leash, food and water bowls, food, and, of course, some toys. And don't forget to order an identification tag right away.

Plan your pet's arrival. Try to arrange the arrival of your new pet for a weekend or when you can be home for a few days. Get to know each other and spend some quality time together. Don't forget the jealousy factor—make sure you don't neglect other pets and people in your household!

Be patient. Be reasonable in your expectations. Life with you is a different experience for your new companion, so give him time to adjust.  A new cat may need up to 2 weeks to relax into her new environment.

Give your pet a safe quiet place. Cats appreciate the chance to observe their new family’s routine from a small, dark space or one high above the action. Dogs instinctively like a den, so a crate is the canine equivalent of a room of his own.

If a crate isn't an option, consider some sort of confinement to a dog-proofed part of your home.

Pet-proof your home before giving your new friend run of the house. Put away harsh cleaning products, human medications and household poisons. Re-home any poisonous houseplants. Lock away any breakables and remember to keep the toilet lid down.

Be prepared for housetraining. Assume your new dog is not housetrained. Check out housetraining tips for puppies. Be consistent, and maintain a routine. For cats, set up a litter box in a quiet, low-traffic area. Unsure of what litter to use? Non-clumping litter is recommended for kittens under ten weeks of age.

Make sure all your pets are healthy. If you already have dogs or cats at home, make sure they are up-to-date on their shots and in good general health before introducing your new pet. Take your new pet to the veterinarian within a week after adoption. There, he will receive a health check and any needed vaccinations. If your pet has not been spayed or neutered, make that appointment!

Once they’re settled in, let the games begin!  Dogs need an active life. That means you should plan plenty of exercise and game time. From jogging to playing fetch, or just going for a long walk together, your dog will love spending time with you. Young cats or kittens love to play. Stock up on interactive toys such as feather wands and kitty fishing poles to engage attention and direct energies toward a positive pursuit.

Virginia Homes has been building new homes in Central Ohio for 60 years.  Visit www.Virginia-Homes.com for more information or call (614) 764-1953.

How safe are your cleaning products?

When was the last time you thought about what’s in your cleaning products? Ideally, we should be using safe cleaners. Unfortunately not everything on the store shelf fits the bill.  Many products contain corrosive, toxic chemicals that might “clean” well but they certainly don’t do much to protect the health of your family. These toxic concoctions can leave awful residues that are harmful on food surfaces, and contribute to indoor air pollution. In addition, they can be dangerous to ecosystems and wildlife when then are disposed of, particularly when they get into rivers, streams, and lakes.

Choosing safe products is so important, but the waters can be hard to navigate at first. Here are some tips to choosing safe products.

Ingredients Matter… If the product doesn’t tell you what’s in it, don’t buy it. Transparency is a big deal when looking for safe products. While there may be safe products without a disclosed ingredient list, you have no way of knowing that the product you are about to use is safe. The absence of an ingredient list is a big red flag and it’s not worth the risk.

Know What To Watch Out For… Here is a list of common toxins.

•       Ammonia. Toxic when inhaled, swallowed or touched. It is seriously strong, not to mention potentially deadly when mixed with the wrong stuff.
•       Antibacterials & Disinfectants. These include a whole list of ingredients ranging from Bleach to Triclosan. The overuse of these types of products is blamed for antibiotic resistant bacteria, and the truth is that extreme disinfectants are rarely needed. Dish detergent or a bit of soap and water should be most of what you’ll ever need. There are natural options, just read the labels!
•       Butyl Glycol, Ethylene Glycol, Monobutyl. This is common in most general cleaners and is dangerous to the nervous system, liver & kidneys.
•       Chlorine Bleach. Bleach is very obviously strong, corrosive and irritating to both the eyes and lungs. Avoid it when at all possible. (And avoid accidentally getting bleach spots on clothes and other household fabrics.)
•       Petroleum Solvents. Many ingredients are derived from petroleum and are commonly found in many cleaning products as surfactants (watch for this term on ingredient lists). Other derivitives, including formaldehyde, can be found in a variety of household cleaners.
•       Phosphates. These are harmful to aquatic life and are often found in laundry & dish detergents.
•       Phthalates. Watch for fragrance on ingredient lists. These hormone disruptors are often components of complex synthetic fragrances. Avoid artificial scents at all costs. They are toxic and this goes for everything from cleaners to shampoo to candles. Choose options that say “Phthalate Free” or mention the use of essential oils for fragrance.

Know Your Options… There are a lot of safe products for cleaning. Know them, use them, save money and enjoy the decrease in toxic chemicals in your home!

•       Baking Soda. Great for cleaning so many things. From hard water to pet messes and smells, baking soda is a hero. Combine it with a little water to scrub up just about anything to a nice shine. Add to vinegar or dish soap for super strength to clean tile, pots and pans, carpet, tubs, toilets and even stains on clothing!
•       Borax. A great laundry additive that can be used for household cleaning. Use caution in a home with small children as ingestion is not safe. The powder form makes it a special concern around little ones.
•       Castile Soap. A gentle soap made from vegetable oil (often olive) as opposed to animal fat or synthetics. This stuff is great for use in general cleaning, laundry, body wash, hand wash, shampoo.
•       Lemon Juice.  Great in cleaners, cutting grease and lightening stains – or hair!
•       Washing Soda. Similar to baking soda but stronger. It is a great laundry additive and can often be found in the laundry isle.
•       Vinegar. Good for just about everything. White Vinegar & Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) can be used in cleaning. White Vinegar is good for mixed and general cleaning, while ACV is great for soaking toilets, showers, sinks and other tough water/mildew spots. (It’s also a great hair conditioner.) Use vinegar to make your own all-purpose/glass cleaners. Add to the laundry in the rinse cycle for a great fabric softener. Even put it in the dishwasher rinse aid compartment. Vinegar is amazing! 

Purchase Safe Alternatives… If you would rather purchase safe, ready-made cleaners, there are a number of brands to look for when shopping, among them:

•       Green Works
•       Seventh Generation
•       EcoConcepts
•       Method

Virginia Homes has been building new homes in Central Ohio for 60 years.  Visit www.Virginia-Homes.com for more information or call (614) 764-1953.

Color Your World! Throw A Little Paint On The Subject!

So, you have chosen to paint a room in your house a different color.  Your first step is finding a color that expresses not only your personality and style, but also sets the tone you want the room to convey when someone walks into it. Going to Home Depot or Lowes and picking out the perfect paint color in the sea of paint swatches can be an extremely daunting and overly colorful task. Sky Blue? Mauve? Bubblegum Pink? The possibilities seem endless, but these tips will help you brush off those worries and paint your way to greatness.

You’re the Inspiration

Do you have a painting that you’ve always wanted to feature in your living room? Base the wall color you choose on your inspiration piece, and use both to compliment each other!  Once your color and your inspiration are chosen, creativity will flow to all corners of the room.

99 Red Balloons

Different colors set different moods in a room, making people feel certain ways. If you want to wake up every morning with confidence, paint your bedroom orange or red. Your office could do with some blue as it allows you to focus and make decisions. Splash yellow on the walls of your living room to help stimulate conversation, or use pink to create a sense of comfort and welcoming. Check out a color emotion chart and see which color you’re feeling.  

50 Shades of Today

The best part of paint is that it is not permanent. If you don’t like it today, you can change it tomorrow. So don’t be afraid to take a risk and go with something dramatic, complimented by subtle accessories. Using the same color in every room in your house shows continuity, but don’t be afraid to mix it up. Throw in a splash of color in your powder room and make it stand out against the rest of your house.

Paint It Black
Looking to make a statement with neutral colors? Painting with neutrals will always be on trend simply because they never betray you. But try using black with your neutrals to mix it up and add a chic look to any room in the house. By complementing neutrals with bright, dramatic or accented accessories, any room in your house can instantly look more stylish and modern. In addition to regular black paint, consider painting a wall in your kitchen, playroom or basement with chalkboard paint to create a wall that your kids are supposed to draw on!

Virginia Homes has been building new homes in Central Ohio for 60 years.  Visit www.Virginia-Homes.com for more information or call (614) 764-1953.

Simplify your new home search with a checklist!

Are you house hunting in the Dublin, Ohio area?  When you decide to buy a new home, it’s important to choose a home that fits your family’s needs. You may think you know exactly what you’re looking for, but it helps to make a list… especially if you won’t be the only decision maker in the selection process!

The following “House Hunting Checklist” is a good starting point.

What kind of home do you want? 

•        One-story?
•        Two-story?
•        Basement?
•        Garage?  
•        How many bedrooms?
•        How many bathrooms?       

What size home do you want?  

•       How many square feet?

What special features do you want? 

•      Chef’s kitchen?
•       Open floor plan?
•        2nd floor laundry?
•        Deck or patio?
•        Hardwood floors?
•        Energy-efficient construction?

What neighborhood amenities do you want? What’s important to your family?

•        Quality of schools?   Public or private?
•        Community parks?  
•        Playgrounds?
•        Sports fields?
•        Shopping centers?
•        Medical centers?
•        Freeway access?
•        Proximity to work? 

As you’re house hunting, you’ll be bombarded with information. Having your checklist will help you navigate this complicated process, and help you figure out what you’re really searching for!

Virginia Homes has been building new homes in Central Ohio for 60 years.  Visit www.Virginia-Homes.com for more information or call (614) 764-1953.

“Green” building trends are the wave of the future.

This year has seen builders embracing “behind the wall” systems that help them construct homes that are more energy efficient, comfortable and temperature-controlled. For instance, integrated systems that work below grade, above grade and behind the walls are better at protecting a home from air and water infiltration, temperature fluctuations and energy loss. Builders are also using energy-efficient high-capacity water heaters, spray foam insulation, new roofing and siding materials, LED and CFL lighting, and Energy Star appliances.

At Virginia Homes, “Big Differences, Better Homes” isn’t just a tagline.  It’s the attitude behind how we build our homes.  From the roof to the foundation, and everywhere in between, Virginia Homes is committed to building greener, healthier homes. We’ve taken the ‘green’ building movement to a whole new level, with cutting edge technology – from air and water filtration to active radon removal, formaldehyde free building products to low-VOC paint.

As part of our “Live Green. Save Green.” program, Virginia homes aren’t just energy-efficient, they’re HERS rated.  The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) is the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance. HERS identifies the rated home’s energy performance compared to a home built only to code requirements.  A standard, code-built home has an index of 100. Each point below 100 represents a 1% improvement in overall energy performance.

For example, a home with a HERS index of 70 is 30% more efficient than a standard, code-built home. With a HERS score of 50, Virginia homes perform better – around 50% better – than a standard new home!  And that translates into serious savings when it comes to your utility bills!

HERS scores: 

Virginia Homes – 50 avg. HERS score  

Energy Star home – 85 avg. HERS score

Standard new home built to code – 100 avg. HERS score

Existing home – 130 avg. HERS score

Estimated average annual utility bill:
Virginia Homes - $1,500/year
Energy Star home - $2,200/year
Standard new home - $2,700/year
Existing home - $5,000+/year

The HERS Index was developed by RESNET, and is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured.  RESNET, the Residential Energy Services Network, was founded in 1995 as an independent, non-profit organization to help homeowners reduce the cost of their utility bills by making their homes more energy efficient.

For more information about Virginia Homes’ “Live Green. Save Green.” program, click here!

Virginia Homes has been building new homes in Central Ohio for 60 years.  Visit www.Virginia-Homes.com for more information or call (614) 764-1953.

Let the sun shine in! Aka, why light is good for you.

While many people are well aware of the dangers of too much sun, not everyone is aware of the benefits of sunlight. In fact, relishing a bit of daylight can make a big difference in how people feel, think, and perform.

Sunlight provides nutrition for human beings. Natural light helps to produce Vitamin C, as well as Vitamin D. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that helps alleviate depression, aids in the absorption of other vitamins and minerals, and may help minimize the chances of developing several types of cancer. People who tend to stay indoors and out of the sun may develop fatigue, depression, headaches, and even seasonal affective disorder. Just fifteen or twenty minutes spent in natural light each day can make a huge difference.

Studies have shown that people who are able to work near windows or in spaces equipped with a skylight tend to be less prone to negative emotions, are able to focus on tasks with greater ease, and in general are more productive and happy with their work.

Why does light have such a huge effect on us? It has to do with our circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are biological, mental and behavioral changes that follow a 24-hour cycle and respond to light and darkness within an organism’s environment. Circadian rhythms are found in almost every living thing, human beings, animals, plants and even tiny microbes.

Circadian rhythms are produced by natural factors within the body, but they are affected by signals from the environment. Light is the main cue influencing circadian rhythms. Exposure to light turns the genes that control our internal clocks "on" and "off."  Our brains receive information about light through the retina. The retina contains photoreceptors that are used for vision, but also contains specialized cells that are photosensitive and project directly to the brain where they guide our master circadian clock to synchronize biological rhythms.

Circadian rhythms dictate sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature and other important bodily functions. Abnormal circadian rhythms are directly linked to sleep disorders, obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder. 

Bottom line?  Sufficient exposure to light – natural daylight if possible – will help you sleep better, feel better and perform better at work! 

Virginia Homes has been building new homes in Central Ohio for 60 years.  Visit www.Virginia-Homes.com for more information or call (614) 764-1953.

How to Host a Successful Backyard BBQ

Those sweet summer breezes have returned. Our pools are opening, our sweaters are put away in the attic, and our favorite TV shows have ended. Considering the lack of indoor activities, there is no better time to host a barbeque.

While that may sound quite terrifying at first, we’re here to tell you that the only thing to fear is fear itself – and mosquitos bearing West Nile Virus, but we have a solution for that too!

Hosting the perfect summer barbecue is simpler than you think. The first step, other than procuring a barbeque, is to invite your family and friends, and estimate the amount of people you will be cooking for. Now take that number and add about five more carnivores.

Here are some other BarbeCUEs:

CUE NUMBER ONE: Be Prepared.

A common cause of barbeque-phobia is not having enough food to satisfy everybody’s needs. Pretending as if you are cooking for more people will ease your stress and possibly even save you from cooking dinner the next night.

           

CUE NUMBER TWO: Healthy doesn’t have to be Hellish.

To set your get-together apart from the rest of the field, consider healthier alternatives to traditional high calorie options. Instead of potato salad with mayo, opt for fruity summer salads or grilled vegetables. For your meat options, stay away from fat meats, like ribs and pork chops, and instead grill up seafood, flank steak, or boneless chicken breasts.

           

CUE NUMBER THREE: Relish Today. Ketchup Tomorrow. 

There is more to a party than just feeding your guests. Making sure they are happy and entertained is also part of your hosting duties. The first key is to make sure they are comfortable. Citronella torches can be an easy way to spruce up your backyard and keep the mosquitos away in the process. Now that your guests are not busy swatting bugs, they will be ready to play games. (Whether these games involve alcoholic beverages or not is up to you.) Your local super store sells a plethora of inexpensive entertainment options, from badminton to board games.

With these BarbeCUES, there will be no mis-steak-ing that you are the Heisenburger of barbeques.

Virginia Homes has been building new homes in Central Ohio for 60 years.  Visit www.Virginia-Homes.com for more information or call (614) 764-1953.