The BLOG

Your belongings are all packed away in boxes. You’ve emptied out the refrigerator. You’ve donated or discarded all that won’t make the trip. But no matter how much you destock and pack away for a cross-country move, we’re guessing there’s still room for your Kindle to ride shotgun. And that’s why we’re excited to now have our No-Nonsense Guide to Cross-Country Moving available for download via Amazon. Everything you need to know about planning and executing a cross-country move, now conveniently available on your tablet for easy reference while planning, packing, traveling and settling into your new home.

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Did you know that May is National Barbecue Month? May is undoubtedly one of (if not the) best months of the year. It’s the heart of spring, the gateway to summer and most importantly the best month to kick off the grilling season!  Although I like to grill all year long, Memorial Day weekend (May 25^th – 27^th  this year) is my favorite grilling occasion. Invite your friends, family and neighbors over for a good old-fashioned Memorial Day barbecue, and make my favorite: kabobs.

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Sure, you could do burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken or veggie patties for the vegetarians, but my go-to grilling food is steak kabobs. They’re quick and easy to make and no two kabobs are alike. There are an infinite number of variations, which is one of the reasons I love making them. Here is my “base recipe,” but trying new combinations is highly recommended. If you find one you like, work on improving it through trial and error. Good luck!

Wow, I can’t believe the three-day weekend to kick off the summer is only a couple days away. And what will Memorial Day be without close friends, BBQ grilling, and good food at your new home? Don’t worry− we have the deals for you to help you save this weekend and to kick off summer in your new home!

Target: Memorial Day Prep Event – Save Up to 20% on Grilling, Gardening, Lighting

From big patio accessories to small lawn & garden tools, Target is your one stop-shop for everything you need to decorate your outdoor space for Memorial Day. BBQ Tools Accessory Kit in Case drops from $43.29 to $34.63 and the Threshold™ Madaga 10' x 10' Replacement Gazebo drops from $74.00 to $59.00. Free shipping on everything over $50. Hurry and shop now! Sale ends 5/25/13.

In recent years, electric companies across the country have begun implementing a new, supposedly “smarter” way to measure their customers' electricity use: smart meters. These digital meters don't just tell us (and the electric company) how much electricity we're using, but how and when we're using it.

The first step toward sustainability is conservation, and the first step toward conservation is measuring how, when and how much electricity you use. But are these meters an invasion of our privacy as American homeowners? Scott Gordon, Senior VP of Sales for California-based solar energy installer HelioPower, sheds light on the myths and truth about smart meters.

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Dawn: Until I started doing the research, I'd never heard of a smart meter. For the uninitiated, what is a smart meter?

Scott: A smart meter is a digital replacement for your analog electric meter. With an analog meter, somebody has to come out and read it, and it just counts forward—or backward if you are a solar customer—to measure your electricity use.

A smart meter is much more sophisticated. It automatically reports back to the utility how much power a household has used. More importantly, it reports back how the customer used electricity and when they used it, so it reveals patterns of usage over the past 24 hours, 48 hours, 30 days ... any period of time.

Going off to college often means arriving in a new, unfamiliar city. It’s an exciting time: Finally free from parents and curfew, incoming freshmen are ready to explore, meet new people and choose a favorite coffee shop. But a strange town can also be intimidating for an 18-year-old. You want to make the most of city, but where do you start? Try these tips to avoid holing up in your dorm room.

Take a Walk
You can’t really get the feel of your new neighborhood from behind your desk. One of the best ways to get to know a city is to just let yourself wander around it. Go out at different days and times. Bring along a group of dorm-mates, and then, for a different perspective, head out on your own the next time. Look around as you walk; take in the scenery. Take public transportation to visit other neighborhoods. Try going into a shop without looking it up first—some great, small holes-in-the-wall might have been ignored by online commenters. And walks don’t have to be limited to the outdoors: Add some culture to your life by meandering around some of your new city’s museums for a while.

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Talk to Locals
People who know the city well often like to flaunt their opinions. This might get annoying eventually, but when you first arrive it’s mostly useful. Chatting with locals can point you toward the best the city has to offer. We’re not saying you need to walk up to random strangers (though if you’re comfortable with it, go ahead). But the locals with whom you regularly exchange pleasantries—shop owners, baristas, professors, classmates—can be troves of good tips.

If you just moved to the suburbs or a rural area from the city, your kids may be able to enjoy the new adventure of bicycling through their neighborhood. How old your kids should be before you let them ride with friends (children should never ride alone!) depends on your area, your parenting style, and the maturity of your child. But whether they're riding with adults or peers, kids should always know the basics of bicycle safety. In honor of National Bike Month, experts shared some of their top cycling tips for kids.

Before Kids Ride
There are a few must-haves for kids before they go out on their bike; number one is a helmet. Anthony Lisinicchia, service manager at The Bike Shop in Glen Ellyn, Ill., recommends that parents have their child fitted for a helmet at a professional bike shop. While all helmets sold in the U.S. meet minimum safety standards from the ASTM, a bike shop professional can help you select a higher quality helmet for your child. “A higher quality helmet will fit better and more comfortably, and will stand up better to normal wear and tear,” Anthony says.

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A more comfortable helmet helps ensure your child won't try to ride without their helmet as soon as they turn the corner. “In addition,” Anthony says, “professionals at a bicycle store are trained to properly fit your children to the manufacturer's specifications.”

Where in the world have you called “home”? With the Places I’ve Lived app, you can pin these cities and neighborhoods, compare your map to your friends’ and earn badges based on your moves. Share your local knowledge by leaving must-do tips, and see what others recommend you explore around your current home.

Create a Map of the Places You’ve Lived

As you enter in the places you’ve lived, your personal map will populate with pins. Share to your Facebook wall, check out your friends’ maps and view details of each location.

Share Must-Do Tips

Where’s the best place to get a slice of pizza in your childhood town? Is there an annual parade in your city that simply can’t be missed? Leave Must Do’s in the cities and neighborhoods you’ve called home.

And on the flip side, if you’ve just moved to a new ‘hood, you can browse through the most popular Must Do’s left by in-the-know locals. Settle into your new home faster with suggestions for the best the area has to offer.

Since May is National Moving Month, we wanted to give you some helpful tips and advice to plan your move during the busy season. With summer fast approaching, it’s important to make sure that you plan for your move accordingly so that you can have a smooth and stress-free moving experience. The following tips and tricks will help you plan your move effortlessly and actually enjoy moving day!

Be Flexible with Timing
When you plan your move, make sure to be flexible so that you can find professional movers that are available to help you relocate. During certain times of the month, such as the 1^st, 15^th, and 30^th or 31^st, moving companies will typically be bombarded with people planning to move around that time, so you may want to select a time during the month that will work for you and will also not be extremely busy for your movers. 

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Book Your Move at Least One Month in Advance
Last minute planning may leave you without a mover altogether. If you have a lot to move and you want to make sure that your move is safe and smooth, hiring professional movers will help you get the most from your moving experience. In order to ensure that the best movers in your area are available to help you move, make a reservation at least one month in advance. This will also help you get the best times and the best rates on your move.

A while back, we profiled the five areas that topped CNN Money’s list of Best Markets in the Country. It was such an eye-opening experience, exploring the current markets of towns all over the country, we decided to dust off our pith helmets, shine up our compasses, and sally forth once more into the great real estate market unknown. This time, we’ll be taking a deeper look into CNN Money’s 100 Best Places to Live. Don’t worry: We’re not crazy enough to profile all 100. Instead, we’ll look at the top four: Newton, Massachusetts; Eden Prairie, Minnesota; McKinney, Texas; and Carmel, Indiana.

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Why Newton?
CNN Money certainly gave Newton, known as the Garden City, high marks for its educational system, which include Boston College’s Newton Campus, Andover Newton Theological School, and the Hebrew Collage, not to mention close proximity to Mount Ida College in Oak Hill and Lasell College in Auburndale. Located just west of Boston, Newton is one of the city’s many suburbs, making it a popular bedroom community for those who commute.  Its tree-lined, immaculate streets and expensive homes often earn the small city complaints that it’s too snobby and exclusionary. Indeed, we found the real estate market a tad dear, but that fact alone doesn’t necessarily make a town snobby.

Moving house can have some unwanted effects on the behavior of your pets. As a result of having their lives turned upside down and finding themselves thrust into an alien environment, some dogs wind up regressing in their potty training. When this happens, it requires a firm but gentle hand to correct.

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Follow these tips.

Resolve to start from scratch. Your first step should be to put your dog on an hourly potty schedule so that he quickly identifies when and where it’s appropriate for him to go to the bathroom.