Mar 28, 2018
Spring is almost here and that means it’s time to deep clean the house. If you’re like many homeowners in Omaha, you don’t like using harsh chemicals to clean you home. Not only are they not safe around children and pets, but their odors can be noxious to anyone who is sensitive to odors and they can be expensive. Use common household items like vinegar and baking soda instead of expensive and harsh chemicals to do the job.
Eco Friendly Spring Cleaning Tips
Vinegar – Vinegar is a powerhouse when it comes to cleaning your house. It’s great for making pickles and salad dressings and works great on windows and coffee makers too. You can use either white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar to clean the house, apple cider vinegar smells a little better, but they both have about the same alkalinity and clean just as well.
- Coffee Pot – Run a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water through the coffee pot. Fill the carafe with vinegar and pour into the reserviour just like you were making coffee and turn the appliance on. Don’t throw out the hot vinegar. Instead use it to clean other items.
- Windows – Using the warm vinegar from the coffee pot you can clean the windows. Fill a spray bottle with the vinegar and spray on windows like window cleaner. Rub off with a soft cloth.
- Shower Curtain – Use the same 1:1 mixture to clean the shower curtain. You can spray it on the curtain and rinse off with water or run throught the washing machine. The vinegar will clean the washing machine at the same time so win-win!
- Iron – Fill your iron’s reservoir with vinegar and turn it on to steam. Let is sit upright in the on position for ten minutes and then follow with water.
- Degrease the Kitchen – Use a 1:1 mixture of vinegar to water and use it to clean countertops, stove, oven, cabinets etc…
Baking Soda – Baking soda is another non-toxic product you probably have on hand. It does a fantastic job refreshing your home and cleaning it too. Ditch expensive cleaners for a $.99 box of baking soda to clean the following items.
- Carpets – Freshen carpets by sprinkling baking soda on carpet. Wait 15 minutes and vacuum like normal. Your carpets and rugs will smell fresh and clean.
- Grill – Mix a paste of baking soda and water and use to scrub a grill that’s been sitting outside all winter long.
- Remove Stains from Plastic – Plastic food containers have a way of getting stained and most dish soaps won’t remove them. Use baking soda to get the job done. Simply sprinkle baking soda on wet sponge and wipe clean.
- Stinky Gym Shoes – You’ve probably got a rear foyer filled with stinky athletic shoes so go to town by sprinkling about a tablespoon of baking soda into each shoe. Wait 15 minutes (or longer if you prefer) and empty into the trash. Shoe odors will be nuetralized and smell fresh.
- Clogged Drain – Use baking soda and vinegar to clean a clogged drain. Pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by half a cup of vinegar. Cover with a wet cloth and wait five minutes before flushing with hot water.
Mar 21, 2018
Omaha is a great place to live and raise a family, but living in the midwest can mean gardening doesn’t start until late spring or early summer. If you’ve got the itch to start planning your garden, now is a great time to start.
You can start your garden now by doing several things, even if there’s still snow on the ground. Now is a great time to start seeds indoors. The rule of thumb is to start them 6 weeks before the last frost.
Herbs such as cilantro, rosemary, basil, parsley and thyme are perfect for starting indoors. You can also start many vegetables indoors – tomatoes, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts are easy to start indoor and easy to transfer to your garden outside.
Start Your Garden Now!
Whether you’re new to gardening or you’ve been doing it for years, it’s probably easiest to use a seed starting kit. You can find inexpensive kits at most hardware stores and big box chains like Lowes and Home Depot. The kits are mini greenhouses complete with soil pellets. All you need to do is add water and add your seeds. Place the greenhouse tray in an area that is warm and gets plenty of sunlight and you’re good to go.
Planning your garden has gone high tech. There are countless apps available on your phone and online. The Farmer’s Almanac even has a handy garden planning app you can try for free. Design your own vegetable beds, add plants and move them around with the touch of your finger. It works for raised gardens, square feet gardens and traditional row planting. It’s tailored to your climate and gives you expert advice on planting vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers.
Nothing makes a house feel like a home than beautiful flowers and plants in the garden. Gardening is good for the soul and it’s a great way to get outdoors in the fresh air while getting a little exercise. Best yet, come fall you’ll have an abundance of fresh herbs and vegetables for cooking now and canning for later.
SaveSave
SaveSave
Mar 14, 2018
If you’re looking for a 3 bedroom home for sale in Falling Waters of Omaha, you’ll want to schedule a tour of this fabulous new home. Located at 19968 Monroe Street, Omaha, NE, this home has everything you could want in a great location.
The main level of this 3 bedroom home is well-designed for families of many sizes. Whether you’re just starting your family or the kids are leaving the nest soon, this home is adaptable to most living situations.
Enter the home through the 3 car garage or the front entry. Through the garage you’ll enter the home through the laundry area with lockers for storage and organization. Keep all the football gear in one place, as well as backpacks, shoes, boots and coats. From there you’ll enter the great room, which is really the heart of the home.
The great room is open to the kitchen and dinette area making it a perfect place for entertaining the whole family for Thanksgiving or a few friends for book club, the great room really is great!
The kitchen is open and airy and provides plenty of storage and organization. Plenty of space for meal prep and the walk-in pantry keeps everything neat and tidy. The dinette is your dining room as the formal dining room has been eliminated.
You’ll find the master bedroom and two other bedrooms on the other side of the home. The master suite includes a spacious bedroom with tiered ceiling and the master bath with walk-in shower and large walk-in closet.
Bedrooms 2 and 3 share a bath with shower/tub combo. Both bedrooms are spacious with plenty of closet space.
The lower level of this home features a large family room perfect for watching all the football games. The walkout basement is light and airy with plenty of light from the many picture windows. An additional bathroom and unfinished mechanical room round out this model home in the Gretna Public School district.
If you’d like to tour this home or learn more about it, please contact Walter Fredrickson at 402-896-9200.
Mar 7, 2018
Hard to believe it’s already March! There are so many wonderful events in Omaha this March that you’ll have a hard time choosing which activities to attend. From the Forever Forest exhibit to the St. Patrick’s Day parade, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this month in Omaha.
Events in Omaha this March
Arctic Wonderland
When: Now through April 8th, 2018
Where: Omaha Children’s Museum
500 S. 20th Street
Omaha, NE
It’s time for a frozen adventure in Arctic Wonderland! Visit Omaha Children’s Museum small exhibits space for an interactive experience teaching children about Arctic inhabitants and the science behind some of our favorite snowy activities.
Win an Arctic Wonderland-Inspired Prize!
We’ll share a photo from Arctic Wonderland every Friday with #OCMFunFridays in the caption. Like the photo, follow the museum on Instagram, and then cross your fingers! We’ll draw a winner each Monday.
Forever Forest
When: Now through April 15th, 2018
Where: Omaha Children’s Museum
500 S. 20th Street
Omaha, NE
The national tour of Forever Forest begins right here in Omaha! Exploring the realities of forests through play, families will learn about sustainability, selective harvesting, transportation needs, and the every-day products we use that are made from trees. The exhibit includes a tree top climber, a realistic mini replica of a Union Pacific engine, a kid-sized home under construction for children to help build, and so much more!
The Hooley St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
When: March 4th, 2018
Where: Omaha Fire Fighters Union, Local 385
6005 Grover Street
Omaha, NE
In the spirit of all things Irish, the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians (LAOH) are diligently preparing for The Hooley 2017! This “Hooley” ( Irish slang for a party or celebration) is an Irish celebration for the whole family. Enjoy Irish music, dancing, food and a silent auction.
Metamorphosis: From Reclaimed Plastics to Works of Art
When: Now through May 13th, 2018
Where: Lauritzen Gardens
100 Bancroft Street
Omaha, NE
Millions of pieces of plastic find their way into landfills and watersheds every year, causing harm and producing pollution to both wildlife and human beings. This winter and spring, Lauritzen Gardens will present an exhibit constructed of found, recycled and reused plastic objects. Equal parts artistic and educational, this exhibit will feature fine art, accompanied by a message of environmental stewardship and will change the way that you see plastic. From birds to aquatic creatures to a massive vortex, Sayaka Ganz and Aurora Robson will show how beautiful reclaimed materials can be. As Ganz says, “When we think of these things as beautiful, we value them. If we value our resources we will waste less.”
Open House/Open Studios
When: March 10th, 2018
Where: Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
724 S 12th Street
Omaha, NE
Join the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts for a day of creativity and fun for the whole family. Hear artists-in-residenceand our Curator-in-Residence talk about their artistic and curatorial practices and take advantage of the rare chance to visit artist-in-residence live/work studios. Guests may also participate in an all-ages, hands-on art activity.
Spring Fling Kids Event
When: March 10th, 2018
Where: Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum
28210 West Park Highway
Ashland, NE
A fun-filled event from 10 AM – 12 PM includes egg hunt after eggs are dropped from a helicopter, hands on make and take activity from our Education department, visit with the Easter Bunny, face painting, and learn about making kites!
Lego Fan Expo
When: March 10th & 11th, 2018
Where: Mid-America Center
One Arena Way
Council Bluffs, IA
Nebraska Brick Days will be a family fun LEGO event for all ages! Members of LOLUG and guests with a Full Access Pass who register to bring in your own creation will be displaying their custom creations and participating LEGO-inspired events throughout the weekend. Additional contest events include a mini-fig speed building challenge, a LEGO brick-built derby race, and LEGO Bingo!
LOLUG creations so far include (among many things): large LEGO Mosaics, Star Wars and history-inspired designs, local landmark replicas, a LEGO railroad layout complete with farms and a city. What will you bring?
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration
When: March 17th, 2018
Where: Omaha Children’s Museum
500 S 20th Street
Omaha, NE
We’re all Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! Visit the museum for a fun day where our programs have an Irish twist. Activities include The Great Shamrock Hunt, Move & Groove St. Patrick’s Day, make a shamrock ornament and have story time with Professor Play (we’ll read “The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever!”), and make a leprechaun trap at S.T.E.A.M. Power.
Can’t visit on Saturday? We’ll be making leprechaun traps all week-long (March 11-17) during the S.T.E.A.M. Power program!
Easter Extravaganza at Lauritzen Gardens
When: March 31st, 2018
Where: Lauritzen Gardens
100 Bancroft Street
Omaha, NE
The garden is the perfect venue to celebrate Easter with the family. Families can enjoy pictures with the Easter Bunny, candy-filled eggs, crafts and more at Easter Extravaganza. Fun and engaging crafts will be available from 9 to 11 a.m. with Easter egg hunts for children through 12 years of age at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. A separate egg hunt area will be designated for younger children.
The cafe opens at 9 a.m., allowing visitors to grab coffee or breakfast before starting in on all the fun activities. The Easter Bunny will be on hand the entire morning for photo opportunities (bring your camera!)
In case of inclement weather, activities will be moved indoors and the egg hunt will be modified.
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