Green Mountains and Flowers: Wordless Wednesday

Path to Vermont

Isn’t it amazing how everything is greener in Vermont?  No wonder they call it the Green Mountain State!  Although it’s beautiful in winter, I can’t wait for spring to get here!

If you ever get a chance to vacation in Vermont and drive north up Interstate 91, make sure you stop at the Vermont Visitor’s Center – there are beautiful displays of all the artisan crafts – Bennington Pottery, woodworking, handwoven yarns and more!  You can walk the dog, or picnic on the lawn or tables that are provided.

This photo is from one of Vermont’s lovely rest area stops along Interstate 89.

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Choose Your First Home: 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits Available

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Coldwell Banker. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you’re ready to move out of your apartment or your parent’s home, there isn’t any time better than the present. Right now, first-time homebuyers, or those who haven’t owned in the last three years, can receive up to an $8,000 tax credit.

Beginning to search for your first home is an important step to having the ability to build better finances and to live in a place that’s comfortable. If you’re considering a new home for your family, there are specific things that you’ll want to know before diving in.

Before you even begin to look at homes, make sure that you conduct your own investigation. This will mean that you should find the going rates, how much other owners are paying every month, and what you can or aren’t able to afford. Current homeowners who have lived in a current home consecutively for 5 of the past 8 years can receive up to a $6,500 tax credit when purchasing a home.

You will also want to see what types of houses are going and what they are going for. If you know the basics of what’s available, it’ll be easier for you to get exactly what you want. You should also consider things such as your credit rating and your paycheck. You don’t want to walk into something that is over your head or start to look for something, only to find out that you won’t be able to move in.

Making connections with the right people is important. One of the most important decisions that you can make is to find a real estate agent that you feel comfortable talking to. This will make a difference in the type of deal that you get as well as what type of home and mortgage you end up with. Real estate agents have the ability to do investigations for you and find something that is best for you. You’ll also want to make sure that there are connections with home inspectors and the right lenders. Without the right people set in place, you might encounter problems getting the best deal on your new home.

After you begin to look around with your real estate agent, be sure that you begin to understand the terms that are being given to you. Loan terms, terms about the market, and other real estate ‘jargon’ will oftentimes be mentioned. If you don’t know what something is, ask, research it, or check with someone who’s been through the process before. Getting into a first home is a tremendous step up from an apartment, making it important that you understand excactly what it is that you’re getting involved in.

Keep the following in mind to not miss out on 2010 Homebuyer Tax Credits.

Future extensions may not be availabe, so all qualified homebuyers are urged to act and have a written, binding contract by April 30, 2010, and must have a closing by June 30, 2010.

The income limits for singles is now $125,000, while for married couples it is $225,000 with a $20,000 phase-out of the credit for both.

While searching for a new home can be fun, it’s also a challenge.

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How Home Staging Can Help Sell Your Home Quicker

Getting Ready to Move

Spring is here and that’s when you’ll start to see all the “For Sale” signs going up around the neighborhood.  Everybody wants to get the kids settled into a new home before the start of the next school year.  My daughter and charming son-in-law had their house on the market for 7 months last year, but decided to take it off, stay where they are and do some home remodeling, and are considering adding vinyl siding and a new deck.

In today’s buyer’s market, Home Staging is often done when you sell your home. Staging a home can command a much higher selling price. A home staging professional can be hired to tour your home and direct you to make the changes that will increase your home’s marketability. Make sure the stager you hire is accredited.

Staging a home is not redecorating it, or improving it by adding replacement windows. Redecorating a home focuses on the seller and their personality. Staging focuses on the buyer. It provides the current home owner with the knowledge to rearrange the furnishings, pictures, accessories, etc. in the best possible manner to enhance the rooms function, appearance and balance.

The seller of a home has a strong emotional attachment and often times lacks the objectivity to know what’s best to enhance their homes looks.

In the high-end market, real estate agents will often hire a stager as part of the selling package because they may be uncomfortable disclosing to the seller that their home needs work and avoid upsetting them.

The main purpose of the staging professional is to help the buyer see themselves and their belongings fit into the home they are viewing. They do this by rearranging the home to appeal to a broad base of purchasers. Stagers can be expensive, so if you want to go it alone please follow the tips below.

The first and most important consideration to prepare your home for sale is to unclutter. Clutter shouldn’t be present anywhere in your home. Go through each room and remove any clutter you see.  Hold a family swap yard sale! Organize toys in decorative boxes that are hidden away in a storage room.  You can always take them out again when you don’t have any booked showings (or send them to grandmom’s house temporarily). Bookcases should be tidy and attractively interspersed with a few decorative curios. Closets should be cleaned out so that only clothes are visible. Remove storage at top and bottom of closets. Out-of-season clothing can be placed in storage.You have to move anyway and you’ll have less to pack when you do move!

Usually the foyer will provide the buyer with the first impression. It should be clean, uncluttered, bright and inviting. If any rooms are dull brighten them up with higher wattage bulbs in lamps. Remove any personal photos from all rooms if possible and replace with prints. The buyer will want to envision the home as “theirs.”

A fresh coat of paint is mandatory. Paint your home in a neutral color (white or beige is recommended).  You can add a splash of color by using pillows,  accessories, pillows, candles or throw rugs.

Bathrooms should be sparkling! Counters should be clear with no personal items visible. Tub tile grout should be clean and shower curtains or glass shower doors should be free of mildew. Hang fluffy, colorful towels on the towel rods.

Kitchens must be spotless. Remove all precious kiddie drawings, notes, magnets, etc. off the front of the refrigerator. Keep counter space clean and clear of all items. Clean out under sinks and organize your pantry. Paint outdated cupboards with a neutral color and put new inexpensive modern knobs on doors for a fresh look. Dishes on the floor for pet food should be eliminated during a showing.

Highlight your most attractive piece of furniture by placing on the wall you see when you enter a room if possible. Tuck away Cd’s, videos, etc. Hang pictures at eye level. Group accessories in odd numbers.  Place a flower arrangement or mantle clock above the fireplace.

Clean those garages, front and backyards.  Placing a potted flower pot on the doorstep or planting flowers in bloom or shrubs in the yard for a welcoming effect will improve curb appeal.  Prune any shrubs you may already have. Don’t leave bikes or toys around the yard. If you have a pool, clean it. The lawn should be cut and watered to give the home a well cared for look. A coat of paint on the outside of the house may also be in order.

If you can afford a stager it is well worth the money. If not, just make sure you clean and unclutter! A spring cleaning will definitely pay off.

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Baby Everywhere: A Book and a Bag Review and Giveaway

A Caring Gift

Baby Safety

You could call me “Antique Roadshow.” As a grandmom, I often still find myself carrying around a diaper bag for Slugger, who’s going on two.  A diaper bag is one of those essentials most grandmoms or moms would be lost without.

I received A Book and A Bag from Baby-Everywhere to try out.
When you want to take an excursion out of your home with a small baby, there’s no telling what you might need. A good diaper bag can hold everything you might need including baby wipes, diapers, diaper ointment, baby powder, clothing, bottles, food, just about anything else you might possibly need while out and about with your baby.

A Book and a Bag is a wide tote that can be used by moms, grandmoms, nanny, daycare providers or babysitters.  Also an organizer, there’s a place for keys, cell phones, wallet as well as baby’s necessities. It includes a Safe Baby Organizer – a 50-page loose-leaf book (4″x7″), containing expert advice on how to prevent injuries and handle an emergency, should one occur, which fits into an outside pocket – available in English or Spanish. Colored tabs divide the sections.

Since the most important item in a diaper bag is diapers, A Book and A Bag also contains a changing pad! In fact, anything that you need to use on a daily basis can go into this tote.   Since all the “stuff” in your diaper bag can make it really heavy so if you’re going to have to be carrying it for a long distance, it has two sturdy handles that you can easily put over your shoulder.

This tote comes in either marine blue, or fire engine red – colors that even dad or grandpa wouldn’t mind carrying around!

• Recommended by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine

• iParentingMediaAward.com voted the Safe Baby Tote one of the most outstanding safety products of the year

At Baby-Everywhere, you can find diaper bags and grandmother bags that vary from basic, to trendy …

… beautiful, affordably-priced products that can be used anywhere the baby is – at home, in a car, with the babysitter and at grandma’s home.

Baby-Everywhere is offering readers of Moomette’s Magnificents a $5.00 discount promo code at checkout on these bags.

Use Code: 2442

For More Information Visit: Baby Everywhere

Moomette’s Magnificents  is hosting a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of the Baby-Everywhere Information Station. Designed to hang on the refrigerator door, a babysitter has everything –phone numbers, reminders — all in one place, and doesn’t have to run through the house looking for little pieces of paper left by the baby’s mother! Parent Tested and Parent Approved recently voted the Information Station a winning product.

Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Main Rule:   (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND

b) Visit Baby-Everywhere and leave a comment about what you like best about their site and another product you’d like to try.

This contest will run until March 22, 2010 at 11:00 pm. EST

For Additional Entries, check out my Contest Entry Rules.

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Vermont Snow Covered Walkway Bridge and Stream-Wordless Wednesday

New England Treasures

Everywhere I go in Vermont, no matter what season – there’s always a photo opportunity waiting for me!

The state recently received over 30 inches of snow from the monstrous blizzard last week that affected the East Coast.

My BFF from kindergarten lives in Enfield, New Hampshire. She owns Bearly Used Books, a really cute used book store, complete with pellet stoves, and recently sent me a book on how to shoot scenic photography.

This scenic picture was taken on the way to Northfield, Vermont – home to Norwich University.

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ABC Neckties: Affordable Fashion-Review and Giveaway

Affordable Mens Novelty and Fashion Ties

The nature of my husband’s profession doesn’t require him to wear a necktie quite often, but when he does, he cleans up quite nicely.

His sister always enjoyed picking out dress clothes for her brothers, and was quite adept at coordinating ties and shirts.  After we were married, that job fell to me.

It’s an art to match the tie correctly with the rest of the clothes and the occasion.

I recently had the opportunity to review an affordable necktie from ABC Neckties, and picked one out for my charming son-in-law.  While he doesn’t normally wear a necktie for his job, he and my daughter go out on the town more often than my husband and I do.

We received a Baker Silk Fashion Tie in black.  It has a subtle pattern, and can easily go with a shirt of any color.

• 100% Silk

• Bocara Label

• 3 1/2″ x 58″

• Hand Made

• Dry Clean Only

At Christmas, I purchased a tie for charming son-in-law from a well-known department store.  Many of today’s top mens fashion designers such as Furmagalli, Gucci, Valentino, Armani, and Zegna have silk neck ties in their collections.  I paid much more for essentially the same quality tie that ABC Neckties offers.  I really was impressed by the tie we received.

You may ask how do you perfect the tricks of choosing a tie on-line?

Always buy the tie of correct length. An appropriate tie length is when the triangle tip of the tie touches the belt buckle.

Casual, regular office ties can be polyester blends, but business meetings and other occasions require silks or silk blend ties.

While a safe bet are solid colored, striped or dotted ties, the eye optician I regularly visit is a fan of Jerry Garcia ties – and ABC Neckties has a selection of those, along with:

• animal print
• armed service
• art
• Harley-Davidson
• patriotic
• religious, and
• themed ties

Whether you’re in the market for an inexpensive new tie for that next job interview, or a gift for Father’s Day in June, ABC Neckties offers a Money Back Guarantee as well as Secure Ordering.

Visit On Twitter: @ABCNeckties

Become a Fan Facebook

For More Information Visit: ABC Neckties

Moomette’s Magnificents  is hosting a Giveaway Contest! For a chance to win, there will be one (1) winner of a $25 Gift Certificate to ABC Neckties.

Please include a way of contacting you. Should you be the contest winner, this information may be shared with the contest sponsor in order to send your prize.

Main Rule:   (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
a) Sign up for my free Newsletter Updates to my blog through my e-mail Feedblitz link (on the top of my right column or let me know if you already are, in a separate comment) AND

b) Visit ABC Neckties and leave a comment about what you like best about their site and the name and color of the tie you think you would choose if you won.

*Open to USA and Canada Only

This contest will run until March 19, 2010 at 11:00 pm. EST

For Additional Entries, check out my Contest Entry Rules.

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@Moomettes

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Martina McBride: Shine All Night Tour-Discount Promo Code

Hit the REWIND Button

Country Music Star Martina McBride is a working mom who’s always juggling the demands of home and a successful career that takes her out on the road

Like most working moms, McBride has learned to prioritize work life and motherhood. She’s currently on the road with her SunnyD Shine All Night Tour.

Whether in my car driving doing errands, working, or relaxing around the house, I usually have the radio tuned to Country 92.5 FM. I’ve become a fan of Martina McBride and Country Music and joined the bandwagon a bit later in life – but I find the music relaxing.  And besides, I can understand the words to the songs.

As any mom or grandmom knows, even the most well thought-out plans don’t always pan out.

In this fun new video, Martina  has every woman’s fantasy: a REWIND button she uses to make her day turn out a little more like she’d like it!

I’m excited that Martina McBride will be touring in concert in Uncasville, Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun Arena in March, and would really enjoy seeing the show.

If  you’d like to see her in the SunnyD Shine All Night Tour, you can get a discount of $5.00 off of your tickets!

Just go to Shine All Night Tour, find your closest show and when you are checking out, enter the code “MOMS” (without the quotation marks) to get your promotional discount.

MARTINA’S SITE: Martina McBride

TICKETS

MARTINA on TWITTER

TOUR TWITTER

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Vermont Snow Covered Mountains: Wordless Wednesday

Green Mountains

Before I met my son-in-law, I think I’d only been up to Vermont once to go skiing when I was in high school.  My husband and I would travel up Interstate 91 to go to New Hampshire for vacations, but we never really left the highway to see this beautiful state.

My oldest daughter’s husband is a Vermonter.  I’m so excited that I can now experience the beauty of the Green Mountain state’s four seasons through the eyes of locals, and not as a tourist!  My daughter’s in-laws know all the back roads with magnificent views!

This photo was taken on our way to a birthday party outside Montpelier, Vermont’s capitol.  My charming son-in-law’s cousins live atop this spectacular mountain!  The view will take your breath away!

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Custom T-Shirts for Women from VistaPrint: Get Ready for your next Fundraiser or Blog Conference!

Market Your Brand

One of the most common ways of introducing yourself to new clients is by distributing a business card.

Those who attend blogging or marketing conferences probably have received many such cards.  Even moms with children in daycare, preschool or playgroups hand out mommy cards!

My husband owns his own business and one of the ways he markets and rewards his customers is by distributing custom-printed t-shirts, caps and sweatshirts.

I have all my business cards printed at Vistaprint, and was delighted to find out that they now offer Custom-Printed T-Shirts for women!

What a fabulous way to market your brand and blog at conferences such as BlogHer10, tweet-ups or affiliate marketing conferences!

I received three custom printed ladies T-Shirts: a long sleeved one and two short-sleeved shirts.

Here I am wearing the long-sleeved version with my Moomette’s Magnificents logo.  (Cosmetic makeup and hair products were also previous reviews!)

Cindi - Moomette's Magnificents

Although my blogs may be very familiar to readers in the blogosphere, now I have a way to show off my Moomettesgram’s Favorite Recipes and Moomette’s Magnificents logos when I go to the grocery store, and possibly an opportunity to then hand out my business card!

All T-Shirts are:

• 100% preshrunk cotton T-Shirt

• Easy to design and order

• Available sizes are: S, M, L, XL and XXL

If you’re going to be in a bridal shower this wedding season, have some made up for the bridesmaids in the wedding party, or as a gift for the bride-to-be for her bachelorette party!

Order for your next PTO or sports team fundraiser!

To design your own Custom Printed T-Shirt visit: Vistaprint

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Connecticut Farm Barn and Pasture – Wordless Wednesday

Off The Beaten Path

Earlier this month there was a tragedy at a clean energy power plant being built in Connecticut along the Connecticut River.  My husband and I were out for a ride in Portland, just across the narrowest part of the river from Middletown, where the plant was located.   We were able to see the remains of the plant from the road.

Along the way with nothing in site except a small baby eagle, soaring overhead looking for dinner, we passed this quaint farm barn.

I didn’t have my digital camera with me, so this was the best I could do with my cell phone.

Next month I’m giving away a ticket to BlogHer10 in New York City. If you win, you might want to stop by and visit New England and see my neck of the woods! Check out my post for more info!

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