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5 Minutes, Less Stress Last Wednesday I tripped over something at the bottom of our staircase down to the basement. I needed to bring up all the Christmas decorations and what was before me felt like a sea of stuff in the basement. Emotions I dare not share welled up inside me and I went on a 5 minute power clean. I didn't call a family meeting, I didn't ask for help, I just started stacking and sorting.

Most of us hate being cold in our homes. There are many many reasons why this happens during the heating season, but there are 5 that I think would be immediately helpful.

Thompson Remodeling is an official drop-off center for the Alpha Women's Center's coat drive for children. Stop by now through December 16 and donate a coat to help keep Alpha'a 3,000 clients warm this winter.

Kent County's Household Hazardous Waste Program If you're a resident of Kent County, you can participate in the Household Hazardous Waste Program by setting up an appointment to bring material in during the week to one of the 4 centers, or by coming to one of the Saturday collection events listed below. No appointment is required for Saturday events. Be sure to review the list of acceptable items below before coming and note that latex paint, medical waste, pharmaceuticals, refillable propane tanks, ammunition and fireworks will not be accepted.

Thompson Secret Drain Cleaner Recipe: Unclog Your Drain With These Non-Toxic Products! Ingredients:

Fall Maintenance Tips for Your Home

Avoid Costly Maintenance to Your HVAC System. How? By changing your furnace filter monthly. Most premature damage and failure to yours and my HVAC systems are caused by not changing your furnace filters regularly. Rule of thumb - when you pay your mortgage head downstairs and change your furnace filter. For those of you with 4-5" furnace filters. First off, congratulations to you for taking a positive step toward improving the quality of your indoor environment. Secondly, get yourself a 12" or so white board and stick it to the ducting near your furnace (magnets are fabulous for this). Write a date 3 months out from the day you install the new filter and check it then. If it still looks fairly clean, check it monthly up to 6 months total between changes. That's an easy trick from the Thompsons.

Here is the link to a clearing house of links for the government's resources for homeowners. http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Family/Homeowners.shtml

...as you know, all you have to do is add water. This link to the EPA has their guidelines on how to handle your mold problem. This will help you determine whether your problem is small or large - one to DIY or have professional help. I would suggest removing the paneling down there after the water source & remediation is handled.

Do you have 20 cans of latex paint in your basement? Here's the proper way to dispose of latex paint in Kent County, MI. http://www.accesskent.com/YourGovernment/PublicWorks/Guide/Latex_Paint.htm