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Summer is a busy time for The Betty Brigade. More daylight hours and friendly temperatures lure our clients outside for those long-delayed projects, graduation parties, Father’s Day picnics and family reunions. It’s the busiest time for realtors, as people sell their homes and move.
When I was younger, summer was an endless
string of lazy days. Free from pencils and books, neighborhood kids enjoyed lemonade stands, fireflies blinking in a jar and watermelon seed spitting contests. However, as we grow up, many of us forget how to relax and slow down a bit.
We Betties believe in balance. Time and again, we see that with realistic goals and efficient planning, you can get a lot done and still have time to relax. In this issue of The Brigade Bulletin, we spotlight common summer activities and offer planning tips to simplify your tasks.
We recommend just enough forethought to ensure that everyone has fun at the family reunion; that the house sells quickly; that your trip allows for seeing the obligatory sights; while still protecting your to-do-nothing list.
We’ll also debut a new section, “Luna’s Pet Peeves,” featuring ways to enrich the lives of our animal companions. This issue features pet safety tips. It’s their summer, too, after all! Let’s keep it safe.
So, make yourself a pitcher of iced tea, grab your notebook and find a shady spot outside to mull it all over. Cheers!
Sharon McRill
President, The Betty Brigade
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS
You have less than 15 seconds to persuade a potential homebuyer to come
inside your home, according to Curb Appeal. Your home’s curb appeal is what makes
that decision. If the outside view doesn’t appeal, that buyer will never see the results of your painstaking work
inside the home. 
Obvious
to-dos are maintenance issues – roofing, siding, gutters, concrete steps,
driveway and sidewalk. Once those are up to speed, curb appeal has a lot
to do with cosmetic changes.
FRONT DOOR: “Stager Betty,” Nadine, recommends a
fresh coat of paint in a lively color. Polish
all door hardware, and consider a kick plate. Is your storm door looking shabby? If so, consider a full view storm door, or
even removing the storm completely.
FRONT PORCH: Hanging plants and pots of cheery
flowers add instant appeal. Says
Nadine, “A seasonal wreath or decorative item, new doormat or rug and a
chair are all ways to enhance curb appeal.”
WALKWAY: Prune back
anything overgrown. Weed flower beds, plant colorful flowers
and apply fresh mulch. Keep grass mown
while your home is on the market.
FOUNDATION PLANTINGS: Prune back anything touching the house
or blocking a window.
LIGHTING: Make
sure drive-by buyers can see the house at night! Low-voltage landscape lighting helps feature
parts of the house you want to play up and defines walking areas.
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“I’M BORED!!”
Sound familiar? Aha! You have kids!
With  all their extra energy, kids really do need more activities than we do.
In this ailing economy not every family can afford camp, horsebackriding lessons or pricey vacations. So here are a few low-cost ideas for ways to fill the “down time”:
THE ZOO: Byline Betty Judy suggests, “Consider a Detroit Zoo family membership! It’s $79/year, which also gets you discounts on zoos and aquariums nationwide."
FREE CONCERTS: Check online for a calendar in your area.
TREASURE HUNTING: Every child gets a bucket and on your family walk they find little treasures – neat rocks, pine cones, bugs... who knows?!
HIT THE LIBRARY: It’s a stockpile of free entertainment.
PARKS: State and county parks usually charge a nominal fee per car. Check ahead, but many offer bike trails, swimming and picnic areas.
PITCH A TENT: Even camping in your own back yard is fun for kids.
GARDEN: One Busy Betty, Kathleen, suggests, “Encourage your kids to help you in the garden. Reserve a spot for them to take care of their own flowers, herbs or vegetables. Then use the herbs and veggies in cooking and have your kids help make special summer meals.”
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The Green Scene
with Miss Olive
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| Miss Olive |
Ffffffft! I was not informed that
I’d be sharing space with that Loony Toons, or whatever her name is...
She has a past, you know,
Dearies.
At least she’s giving good tips about animals… Otherwise I might just
scratch that tramp’s beady little eyes out…
NOW
then. Back to green matters… This time
of the year I like to keep it simple.
That means no clutter! One of the
biggest clutter culprits is paper, so here are some tips:
USE YOUR CELL PHONE: Take a photo of
your schedules, itineraries, etc. Not
only will this save paper and reduce clutter, your important info will be with
you -- and your desk and refrigerator door will be clear!
GET RID OF JUNK MAIL! Request to be removed from mailing lists.
Simply send a letter with all possible spellings of your name, address and
signature. Mail it to: Mail Preference Service / DMA ATTN: Dept. 9407644 P.O.
Box 643 Carmel, NY 10512. Even faster? Call them at 212-768-7277.
PAPERLESS
BILL PAYING: Most monthly bills can be
paid electronically. Just go to the
company’s website and request this service. You can even arrange for automatic
renewal for magazines this way – sometimes nabbing better subscription rates!
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"Summertime, and the livin' is... EASY??"
How Can it be??? There are planes to catch! Houses to sell! Parties to host!
So, how do people do it with seemingly effortless ease?
Hint:
"Ease" with a capital "E,” that rhymes with
“P"; that stands for “Planning”!
If
your goal is perfection, stop! First,
there's no such thing. Second, even if
there were, it would be boring! It’s
often the things that go wrong or happen unexpectedly that make for the best
stories and memories.
But a little planning will help your summer go the way you want it to. The vacation, the barbecue, the showing of your house -- they
ARE called "plans," after all! So here’s wishing you a gently planned, relaxing summer!
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THE GETAWAY
WHERE TO GO? 
When choosing your destination, keep in mind how much time you have. Three days is great for Cedar Point, but for Paris? Pas du tout!
GETTING A GOOD DEAL:
Start looking at plane fares about two months ahead of time. Administrative Betty, Amber, suggests checking such travel websites as orbitz.com, travelovity.com, bing.com, kayak.com and expedia.com. “Visit them all every few days, and keep track of dates and airfares. Sometimes booking your flight, rental car and hotel through one website can save more money than booking them separately."
GET IT TOGETHER:
Keep all your trip info in one place – a folder or a binder work well. That way you have every detail at your fingertips.
DON'T OVER-PLAN:
Allow for leisure time at your destination. If you knew exactly what would happen every minute, there'd be no point in going. Plan the overall structure of your trip, but allow for surprises and down time.
WHAT TO BRING?
Make a list for each person on the trip. Sit down with the kids, and, depending on their ages, ask for their input. Bring items to occupy the kids while travelling. Books, games, CDs, DVDs. Pack a surprise or two for the trip.
RELAX AND ENJOY!
And try to stay flexible. No matter how well planned, a vacation can also take unexpected turns. That’s life! Try to go with the flow and not let surprises upset you or spoil your trip.
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OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING
Whether it’s a casual picnic in the park or a formal outdoor wedding, a little planning makes everything smoother! In May, Bona Fide Betty, Brenda, wrote our Betty Blast on wedding planning. Check our archives for tips on weddings.
Outdoor summer entertaining usually tends to be casual, simply because… well, it’s outside. But formal or informal, events have the same basic building blocks. 
You need a
venue; food and drink; places to sit.
You might include music or other entertainment, depending on the reason
for the event. You might also have decorations. With those elements in
mind, here are a few tips:
BACK UP PLAN:
“Moderately Brawny Betty,” Josh, suggests, “Always have a back up plan. Make sure that if you are planning an outside party, that you have a fallback location to hold your party if the weather turns sour.
ENSURE GREAT SERVICE:
One more from Josh: “If you are hiring a DJ, singer, performer, band, entertainer or caterer... a tip goes a long way in making the person/s you are hiring work extra hard for you. “
ASK FOR HELP:
Organizer Betty, Linda, points out, “People generally like to help out. Enlist a few folks to handle specific jobs before, during and after the event. Jobs to delegate: bartender, food table tender and clean-up crew.”
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LUNA’S PET PEEVES
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| Luna |
Don’t be shocked, but I used to be a street walker. I had no choice. I was homeless!
So now that I have a
home -- and my own column (wag wag!) -- I want to help my fellow critters! Summer can be rough for animals, so
if you have any in your house, please paws
and read my tips!
Did you know
that pets can get sunburned?! If your pet has short hair, white
hair or pink skin, ask your vet about a sunscreen. We especially need it on our ears and noses.
-
President
Betty advises, “Always keep a fresh bowl of water outside for your pets in case
they accidentally are left outside.”
Dogs
aren't as good as people at cooling down, since we release body heat by
panting and through our pads. For
such breeds as bulldogs and pugs, panting doesn’t help as much as it does
for dogs with longer muzzles. So
limit our time outside on hot days, and give us lots of water.
Early signs of heatstroke are excessive
panting, bright red tongue, vomiting, diarrhea and body temperature of
104-110F degrees. If your pet has those
signs, cool him with ice packs around the groin. Hose him down, and offer him ice. In advanced heatstroke, the gums are white
or blue. If it gets that bad, take
him to the emergency vet ASAP.
Always supervise your
dog in the water. Even good
swimmers might jump in, then have trouble getting back out. Hunterk9.com sells dog life preservers
and a pool alarm that alerts you if anything more than 9 lbs. falls
into your pool.
NEVER leave a pet
unattended in a vehicle in the summer. Heatstroke and death can
occur within minutes -- even with the windows partly open.
-
Try to limit exposure to
hot asphalt or sand which can burn our paws.
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“A perfect
summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are
singing, and the lawn mower is broken.”
~James Dent
More than any other season, summer means relaxation. Yet it’s hard to do nothing without feeling guilty.
But leisure time is a human need. Hey, that’s why they make hammocks! So, veg out. Bring your beach book outside, get comfy, and just... be. 
The to-do list will still be there tomorrow, and you’ll return to it refreshed and recharged.
Enjoy your summer! |
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