Month: March 2023

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Moving to a Coastal Area in the American South? Here’s What You Need to Know About Gardening

 Photo by Christo Anestev via Pixabay

If you’re planning to relocate to a coastal area in the American South soon, you’re undoubtedly looking forward to having close proximity to the beach as well as enjoying warm weather on a regular basis. However, you probably also have questions about living in a warm-climate coastal environment when it comes to matters such as gardening and yard care, especially if you’re used to living in an area with cold winters. Here’s what you need to know about gardening in the American South. 

You Can Garden All Year Round

One of the best things about living in the American South is that you can enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers straight from the garden during all months of the year. Cool-season annuals and vegetables thrive during the winter months. If you plant plenty of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radishes, artichokes, and all kinds of salad greens in autumn, you’ll be able to enjoy them on your table within two months. Root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, and potatoes also grow well in Southern gardens during winter.

You can enjoy most flowering annuals during winter in the South except for the few that truly thrive only in warm temperatures, such as morning glories, sunflowers and zinnias. Nasturtiums, sweet peas, larkspur, bachelor’s buttons, pansies and snapdragons all put on a glorious floral display when outdoor temperatures are mild. 

Soils Are Often Sandy 

Having sandy soils doesn’t automatically doom you to having to live without a thriving garden, but it does mean that you’ll have to make certain concessions, such as adding organic matter to the soil and making sure you choose plants that thrive in sandy areas. This is where the value of your local garden store really shines — they’ll be able to recommend plants that grow well in local soils. This is the sort of benefit that you can’t get from an online plant retailer, so don’t hesitate to ask for advice when you visit a local nursery. 

Your soil may be so sandy that no amount of organic amendments are going to make much of a difference if you live right next to the ocean. Not many things will grow in these conditions beyond several species of grasses that are native to coastal regions, but this doesn’t mean you can’t create an appealing garden. Raised beds filled with rich, nutritious soil provide an ideal environment for a wide variety of plants. Containers and hanging baskets also provide a way to enjoy flowering plants and culinary herbs. 

It’s also important to keep in mind that high winds sometimes wreak havoc on coastal gardens, so you’ll need to place specimen plants and vegetable gardens in sheltered areas. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Building A Sustainable Home

Image by 政徳 吉田 from Pixabay

Green living is all the rage, and you can fully immerse yourself in a sustainable lifestyle if you decide to build your own home rather than purchase an existing property. During the planning and design phase, you can work with your builder to incorporate sustainable features into your new construction home. After you move in, you will easily be able to adjust your habits and routines in order to save energy, reduce your carbon footprint and realize cost savings along the way.

Here are a few steps you can take in order to build a sustainable home:

Request that Your Builder Use Sustainable Materials During Construction

One of the best ways to have an impact on your local environment is work with your builder to ensure that sustainable materials are used during the construction of your home. Some examples of sustainable materials include:

  • Recycled materials for doors, flooring and windows.
  • Locally-harvested wood for framing and flooring.
  • Non-toxic and non-allergenic materials that will prevent mold issues in the future.

Make the Most of Solar Energy Opportunities

One of the most important resources that you can take advantage of when you are building a new construction home is the sun. For starters, you can work closely with your builder to ensure that your home maximizes the use of the sun’s rays by situating the home in an advantageous location on the lot. When sunlight is allowed to stream directly into the windows, you will spend less money and energy heating your home. In addition, you may want to install solar panels to collect solar energy to power parts of your new home.

Select Energy-Efficient Windows for Your New House

Most people do not realize the important role that windows play in conserving energy and utilizing it efficiently. As you select windows for your new home, be sure to consider your options carefully. While you may pay less initially for lower-quality windows, you will end up paying more in heating and cooling costs while you live in the home. Investing in high-quality, energy-efficient windows will reduce the energy you use in the home while simultaneously saving you money in utility costs.

Opt for Energy-Efficient Appliances and Features

As you finalize the details of your new construction home, consider how every choice you make could have an impact on the sustainability of your property. Low-flow toilets and tubs, for example, can significantly reduce the amount of water that is used on a daily basis. Energy-efficient appliances are also an ideal option for anyone who is looking to adopt a sustainable lifestyle in their new home.

If you know that you want sustainability to be a top priority during the construction of your new home, then you need to find a reputable builder who knows how to incorporate the latest trends into their home designs. An experienced builder with local connections can help you create a home that allows you to enjoy your green lifestyle for years to come.

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Potluck for Breakfast? Try These Easy Dishes

Not every potluck is a lunch or evening event. Breakfast potlucks are common in workplaces, schools, churches and many other places where people gather. While it might seem difficult to come up with shareable breakfast foods, there are many simple things you can bring to a breakfast potluck. Here are some ideas:

Easy Egg Muffins

Egg muffins are the perfect protein-packed dish to bring to a breakfast potluck. They are quick to make and incredibly versatile. You can use countless combinations of vegetables, meats, cheeses and spices to create your own. Some of the most popular ingredients to add to egg muffins include ham, bacon, mushrooms, spinach, onions, tomatoes, fresh basil, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese and bell peppers.

All you need is a nonstick muffin tin and an oven to make these egg muffins. Scramble the eggs, mix in the ingredients, fill the muffin cups and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Share at the potluck and freeze the leftovers.

Simple Scones

Scones are a popular breakfast treat with countless flavor varieties. No matter what you want to add to your scones, whether you like blueberries, currants or even lavender, the basic recipe for the dough is simple. All you need is flour, baking powder, unsalted butter, an egg, vanilla extract, granulated sugar and a bit of salt.

Combine the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Mix both mixtures and any add-ins like berries. You can shape the dough into the classic triangle shape or simply make rounded shapes by hand. Make each one approximately the same size so they cook evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes and you have a delicious and simple homemade treat for your breakfast potluck.

Fruit Salad

Don’t underestimate the power of fresh fruit at breakfast. For those who prefer to eat something on the lighter side, assemble a large fruit salad full of your favorite colorful ingredients. Some suggestions for a breakfast fruit salad include cantaloupe and honeydew melon and banana, fresh strawberries, apples and peaches.

Mandarin oranges are a great way to add some citrus to the mix without overpowering the other flavors and pineapple adds a sweet kick without too much extra moisture. Try to slice up each fruit into pieces roughly equal in size so it’s easier to eat. For a fun aesthetic, use a melon baller rather than a knife. Keep the fruit salad in the fridge until it’s ready to serve so that it’s as fresh as possible for your potluck.

A breakfast potluck is a great opportunity to share your favorite dishes. Try these ideas for your next gathering and have a delicious breakfast with friends, colleagues or family.

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Benefits of Financing With a Credit Union

Image by annca from Pixabay

You’ve finally found the perfect home. It’s got the number of bedrooms you wanted, a spacious kitchen, updated bathrooms, and even a beautiful vegetable garden out back. Now comes the tricky part—how to pay for it.

Numerous home buyers find financing their mortgages through a credit union to be a good option. According to Magnify Money, approximately nine percent of mortgages are held by credit unions. These non-profit organizations essentially operate like banks, but are more laid back, less aggressive, and easy to work with. Here are some of the top benefits you’ll find when financing your mortgage through a credit union.

Experience a Simplified Lending Process

As a part of their philosophy, credit unions put a higher priority on customer service than they do profits. They don’t have to answer to external stockholders and put priority on profits the way traditional for-profit banks do. As a result, credit unions are equipped to offer easier loan approvals and decent mortgage rates. Even if you have a lower credit score or have saved a smaller down payment than traditionally required, you can usually find a credit union willing to work with you.

Enjoy Lower Fees & Put Money Back into Your Pocket

Credit unions are known to offer fewer origination fees and lower processing costs because they don’t have the same requirements banks do. For instance, credit unions don’t have to pay federal taxes and need to break every year due to their non-profit status. These savings are usually passed onto their members.

Build a Personal Relationship with Lender

Many mortgage seekers find they enjoy working with an entity that strives to treat them as a person, not as a distant account number. Since many credit unions are smaller entities than their for-profit banking counterparts, they typically offer a “small-town” feel, even if they are a large credit union. This is because their memberships are limited to specific affiliations.

Also, a consideration you might find of value is the fact credit unions don’t typically sell out to other entities. Chances are you’ll have one lender to deal with through the lifetime of your mortgage (although not a 100% guarantee). If you borrow from a bank, chances increase for your loan to change hands many times over the years.

There are many benefits to knowing who services your loan. If a problem or other issue arises, you’ll almost always know who you can turn to and where to send your payment.

How to Join a Credit Union

Ideally, you’ll want to be preapproved before starting your home search so you know how much you qualify for and don’t waste time looking at homes out of your price range—this is no matter what lender you ultimately decide to take out a mortgage with. But if you’re looking for low maintenance and high- quality lenders, a credit union might suit your needs.

If you’re not sure you can join one, be sure to consider all of your personal and professional affiliations, be they your college alumni, employer, HOA or church, to name a few. You can find out which ones you are eligible to join by checking your affiliations at CUlookup.com.