About Home: Fun Ways to Enjoy the End of Summer

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Home From Diane Schmidt, your About Home Editor With only one month remaining before the kids are back at school, the leaves start to turn and the frost begins to work its magic you may feel like summer is over. But before you pack up the lawn furniture and get out the sweaters and mittens, take some time to check out these tips and suggestions from About's Home Guides on how to enjoy the last few weeks of summer. Take a Free Vacation Yes, free! While some of the options on this extensive list of free vacations may take a little time to plan, others are as simple as checking out the websites and finding out how to sign up. If you're not sure how to spend the last four weeks of summer, this list is for you. Search Related Topics:  frugal vacation planning  freebies  Host an Outdoor Movie Night We attended an outdoor movie at a local winery and had such a blast. There's nothing like getting a group together along with blankets and snacks to watch a favorite film under the stars. If you haven't ever done this, I highly recommend it. It's not as difficult as it might first seem and this guide will show you exactly what you need to do to host your very own movie night! Search Related Topics:  amplifiers  stereo receivers  video projection screens Take One Last Road Trip Road trips are the epitome of summer fun. But before you head out, make sure your car is ready for the trip by using this list of what to check before you pack your bags, grab a map and head out on the open road. Search Related Topics:  regular maintenance  roadside help  Go Camping and Take Your Pet With only a few weeks remaining of (hopefully) dry, warm weather, it's the perfect time to plan a last minute camping trip. And why not take your four-legged friend with you? This great article provides tips and suggestions for keeping your pet safe and happy while you both explore the great outdoors. Search Related Topics:  camping with pets  pet safety  traveling with pets Related Searches Outdoor Fun for Kids Fun Family Vacations Road Trip Fun Snacks Fun Water Park Featured Articles Don't Fall for Greenwashing Repair A Leaky Hose Before You Buy A Chandelier How to Properly Water Plants Avoid Common Nursery Accidents Tips for Baby Knitting   More from About.com Run Your First 5K Even couch potatoes can be ready for a 5K with just a couple months of training. Read more...> Help! I'm Too Busy Time and stress management tips to help you feel as though you have more time. Read more...>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2013 About.com   Advertisement

About Home: Keep Your Cool as the Summer Heats Up

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Home From Diane Schmidt, your About Home Editor You know summer is in full swing when your local home store has completely sold out of fans, air conditioners and ice cube trays. I couldn't even find one of those small portable air fans, the kind that runs on double A (rechargeable) batteries! So, exactly what can a girl do to beat the city heat? Cheap and Easy Ways to Beat the Heat I once had a summer job as a camp director. I'm sure you're picturing cool breezes off a clear, cold lake. Think again. This camp was in the heart of the city in an old college residence that had no air conditioning. Every night the fire alarm would go off...because of the heat. Still, we had to play it safe and direct all the campers to the front lawn to wait for the fire trucks to arrive. We finally broke city law and pitched our tents outside. If only we'd known some cool ways to beat the heat. Search Related Topics:  appliances  energy saving  multi function appliances Keep Cool In The Summer Without Air Conditioning If you're concerned about your energy bill as the air conditioner kicks in, check out these easy yet effective ways to stay cool without turning up the air. And what you might find is a much lower energy bill and a greater ability to adjust to the soaring temperatures. Search Related Topics:  air conditioning  ceiling fans  swimming pools Tips for Throwing a Pool Party The very best way to beat the heat is to spend the day near or in the water. Throwing a pool party is solution for keeping cool and for ensuring little ones are kept busy and happy while the sun continues to shine. Just don't forget the sunscreen. Help Your Dog Beat the Heat At our house, our pets are kept wet to try to keep them cool in the summertime heat. But they hate it. So instead, I turned to this great article on how to keep dogs (and most tips work on cats, too) cool with some better suggestions for the fur-wearers in the family. Check it out. Search Related Topics:  summer tips for dogs  keeping dogs cool  dog safety Related Searches Luxury House Rentals Rentals Homes Find Cabin Rentals Vacation Rentals CA Outer Banks Rentals Featured Articles Surefire Ways to Get Rid of Beetles De-Clutter Your Home in 30 Min Quilting for Beginners 5 Ways To Cut Your Bathroom Renovation Costs Home Inspection Checklist Plants You Can't Kill   More from About.com Run Your First 5K Even couch potatoes can be ready for a 5K with just a couple months of training. Read more...> Help! I'm Too Busy Time and stress management tips to help you feel as though you have more time. Read more...>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2013 About.com   Advertisement

About Home: Summer Projects for a Home Makeover

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Home From Diane Schmidt, your About Home Editor When summer finally arrives, it's interesting to note that many passing conversations have turned to home renovations. If you live half the year in a cold, snowy climate, you know that summer is the only time when we can be outdoors or when we can do those house touch-ups that have been nagging us all winter. So, get out those lists then check out these great tips that will take you through home repairs, renovations and easy projects that will add value to your space. Free Tools to Help You Choose House Paint Colors Sometimes all your home needs is a coat of paint in the right color. Choosing the right color and right color combination is always the hardest part, with colors that seem pretty in the can being less so once on the walls. But with these tools you'll be sure to pick the right colors for your style and space. Search Related Topics:  house colors  architecture software  architecture research tools Paint Your House Exterior Without Going Insane Now that you've picked out the perfect colors, check out this great article on how to paint the outside of your home without...well... going insane. If you've ever tried this, you know that the hard part is actually finishing the job. At least for me. I once painted one quarter of one side and gave up. Search Related Topics:  self priming paint  exterior house colors  exterior house preparation seal and patch Garden Design for Small Spaces We recently moved and our garden space is quite a bit smaller than I remembered it to be. And because of that, I've had to carefully plan out the space which isn't as easy as it seems. That's why I turned to this how-to guide on designing the perfect outdoor space even when space is limited. Search Related Topics:  small space gardening  garden design  container gardening Top 10 Interior Repair Tips for Home Sellers Even if you're not planning on selling your home anytime soon, this guide is a great starting point if you're not sure which repairs you should tackle first. It's also useful as a checklist to make sure your home is energy efficient and sound. Search Related Topics:  remodeling  home repair  seller Related Searches Paint Exterior Walls Paint Colors Kitchen Paint Ideas Outside House Paint Paint Homes Featured Articles How to Safely Train Your Horse How to Build Cabinets Get Rid of Summer Stains Cheap Home Decor Ideas How to Remove Carpet Stains The Truth About Wireless Speakers   More from About.com Run Your First 5K Even couch potatoes can be ready for a 5K with just a couple months of training. Read more...> Help! I'm Too Busy Time and stress management tips to help you feel as though you have more time. Read more...>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2013 About.com   Advertisement

About Home: Summer Bugs be Gone

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Home From Diane Schmidt, your About Home Editor We once spent ten days in the Amazon jungle. Every night we'd awaken to the sound of something chewing, like it hadn't eaten for days. I finally caught sight of the perpetrator. It was a bug that I swear was twice as big as my cat. From then on I stuffed cotton in my ears, made sure the mosquito net was securely tucked in and kept a large hiking boot next to my pillow. How to Get Rid of Ants Ants are a pretty common site at summertime picnics, but not so common crawling across your kitchen counter. I can put up with them in the wilds of my local park, but not in the comforts of my own home. If you've spotted ants in your home, find out how to get rid of them with these easy-to-follow solutions. Search Related Topics:  rodents in the house  baits  fire ants DEET vs. Natural Insect Repellents Our trip to the Amazon also saw us buying all the DEET we could carry. But had I known about natural insect repellents, I would've left the DEET behind. But if you're still not convinced, check out this informative article that compares DEET to natural products - you might be surprised at the results. Search Related Topics:  green bath and body products  green pest control  green yard care How to Control Garden Pests We recently moved to a new gardening zone that I'm completely baffled by, not only because of the wide variety of plants I can grow but by the uncommon (to me, anyway) pests that have appeared. I was so glad to have found this guide to controlling pests without the use of harmful chemicals that can affect the good bugs, butterflies and bees. Search Related Topics:  vegetable gardening  organic gardening  pest control How to Attract Beneficial Insects to Your Garden Not all bugs are bad. Recently I added container tomato plants to our upstairs patio. What I forgot was that some bees won't fly that high, especially if there's enough good stuff on the ground. I finally added pots of flowers and the bees arrived. Where would we be without them? I know I'd be at the market haggling over the price of tomatoes. Search Related Topics:  wildflowers  native plants  invasive plants Related Searches Pest Control Bugs House Bugs House Plants Guide Bugs Repellent Summer Garden Plants Featured Articles Swap Out Your Showerhead The Best Place to Sell Your Stuff Free Summer Paper Piecing Patterns A Different Kind of Break-In Benefits Of Installing Drip Irrigation Three Unique Dog Toys   More from About.com Run Your First 5K Even couch potatoes can be ready for a 5K with just a couple months of training. Read more...> Help! I'm Too Busy Time and stress management tips to help you feel as though you have more time. Read more...>   Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About.com Home newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here. About.com respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy Contact Information: 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor New York, NY, 10036 © 2013 About.com   Advertisement