10 Ways to Keep Your Home Safe While You're Traveling

by Laura Gaskill

Leaving for the holidays? Even if your trip prep list is a mile long, taking the time to go through a few extra steps to ensure that your house is well cared for can bring a lot of peace of mind. Installing a home security system may be the first thing you think of, but there are plenty of smaller steps you can take that are just as (or even more) effective in deterring theft.

Here are 10 things you can do to make sure that your home is safe and sound, and you can enjoy your trip without worry.

1. Tell neighbors you'll be away. Even if you rarely speak with your neighbors, it is important to give them a heads-up when you are leaving town for a week or more. If you have a good relationship with a neighbor, consider leaving a copy of your key in case of emergency — or at least your contact info while you're away and the phone number of someone locally who has a key. Think twice, however, before sharing specific details about your trip on social media or through a blog. I know plenty of people do, and nothing comes of it, but file this under "Better safe than sorry."

by Susan Teare, Professional Photographer by Susan Teare, Professional Photographer

2. Use light timers and motion sensors. Giving the impression that your home is occupied is one of the surest ways to deter theft. Pick up a basic light timer at the hardware store and program your interior lights to flick on for several hours each evening — you can even set the TV to turn on as well. If you don't already have motion-sensitive lights outdoors (front, back and side), consider installing them before you leave. If you already have them, make sure the bulbs work before you go.

3. Hire a pet sitter or house sitter. Even better than creating the appearance of someone staying in the house is someone actually staying in the house. Hiring a pet sitter to stop by once or twice each day is a smart choice. Not only will your pet be happier at home than in a kennel, but your house will be looked after as well — most pet sitters will gladly bring in the mail and water a few plants. No pets? Consider doing a swap with a friend or family member in the area — he or she watches your house this time, and you return the favor later on. Or hire a professional house sitter.

by Arrowsmith Forge by Arrowsmith Forge

4. Lock up. It sounds almost too simple to mention. But really, it's all too easy to forget to latch all of those less frequently used windows and doors in the rush to catch a plane. Write a big note and stick it near your car keys as a reminder to do a thorough lockup before leaving.

5. Secure sliding glass.Sliding glass windows and doors require special care to be really secure. Luckily the fix is a simple one; just cut a wooden pole or thick dowel to fit in the groove of the tracks when the door is shut, and lay it in before you leave. This won't stop someone from shattering the glass, but it will make your home a less desirable target.

by debora carl landscape design by debora carl landscape design

6. Keep up the appearance of routines. If you will be away for more than a week, see if one of your neighbors can bring your garbage and recycling bins out for you and back in the next day. Also, don't let mail pile up on the porch; have the postal service hold your mail for up to 30 days instead. You can fill out the form online here, so you don't even need to step foot in the post office during this busy time. Likewise for newspapers — contact your newspaper carrier to suspend service while you are away.

by TreHus Architects+Interior Designers+Builders by TreHus Architects+Interior Designers+Builders

7. Keep trees and shrubs trimmed for visibility. Make it more difficult for someone to break in unnoticed by keeping trees and hedges trimmed back. Ideally, all windows and doors should be visible, with little room for a person to duck down and hide.

by Susan Teare, Professional Photographer by Susan Teare, Professional Photographer

8. Keep that snow or lawn service coming. Not only will it be a relief to come home to a neatly shoveled path and tidy yard, but maintaining a normal level of care will help give your house a lived-in look while you are gone 9. Move valuables away from windows.You may want to leave a few shades open, since it can look rather odd to see a house all closed up if that is not your norm. However, do be aware of what is visible from those open shades when someone is peering in from the outside. Laptops, flat-screen TVs and other pricey gear within reach of a window make an easy mark for a smash-and-grab-type burglar.

by Richard Taylor Architects

by Richard Taylor Architects

10. Ask someone to check in every now and then. If you don't have a house sitter (or especially conscientious neighbors), ask someone you know to at least drive by every now and again to make sure everything is OK. Give this friend a key so he or she can toss any packages or flyers from your porch inside the door. Remember, even if you have the postal service hold your mail, you may still receive packages from other carriers.


And if you live in a cold area, it is wise to have a friend come by to flush toilets and run the faucets every now and again to check for and prevent freezing pipes.

www.teambluesky.ca

Why walkable cities are a step ahead

In Canada and around the world, urban planners are finding out that if you want your city to run, first you have to walk.

Walkability, often a neglected afterthought in planning, is back, and in cities around the world making life easier for pedestrians is becoming a priority.

Or a necessity. The walkable city is where ergonomics meets economics. Cities are building or adding pedestrian malls, wider sidewalks, underground passageways, overpasses and scramble intersections (where the pedestrians cross in all directions while the cars have to wait).

The benefits include higher real estate values, fewer health care costs, less smog and even a more robust local economy. Glenn Miller, vice-president of education and research for the Canadian Urban Institute, cites a study where a street in Brighton, England, was made more pedestrian friendly. "They looked at retail performance and the street showed huge improvements in revenue."

Some cities look to augment their pedestrian-friendly planning with technology - for example, Hong Kong with its 1.4-kilometre Peak Tram funicular, or a proposed (though now stalled) plan for a gondola at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., that people could walk to and reduce commuting time to six minutes from 17 minutes.

But the most cost-effective ways to keep cities moving are the simplest, says Brent Toderian, former chief planner for Vancouver and now head of Toderian Urban Works.

"The strongest arguments for making a city more walkable are financial. On a dollars and cents basis it's the cheapest way to move people around. Even transit trips start and end with your feet," he says.

Planning neighbourhoods and business districts to be more pedestrian-friendly might be the only way for cities to escape financial ruin.

Traffic congestion cost the Greater Toronto Area an astounding $3.3-billion in lost productivity in 2009, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; in the Chicago area, the tab is $8.2-billion annually.

People, particularly youth, are actually giving up their cars and losing interest in driving. In Japan it's called "demotorization" - the status of having a car is being replaced with cachet from having the latest smartphone or computer, which you can carry as you walk.

In the United States, a study by the University of Michigan found that the percentage of 19-year-olds with drivers' licences dropped by 17 per cent from 1983 to 2010, and keeps going down. Similar downward trends are showing up in Europe and Australia.

The property market is responding. Witness the condo boom in Toronto and Vancouver and the corresponding move of major companies such as Telus and Google from suburban spaces to downtown sites.

It's also leading to design changes that reverse planning assumptions dating to the 1960s.

"We're seeing something interesting - a huge shift in the real estate market both in commercial and residential building, toward a major reorientation to more walkable spaces," says architect and planner Ken Greenberg, head of Toronto-based Greenberg Consultants.

"We're seeing it in commercial development, by people in the business of building office buildings, or science buildings, labs or anything involved in the new economy," Mr. Greenberg says.

"We had several decades where people were going out to cheap spaces by the highway. Now they look to build where there is a mix of things that people can do when they walk out of their office space."

It's not just happening in downtown cores, Mr. Greenberg says. He was part of a group of experts hired to help Mississauga make its recently built and still growing city centre more pedestrian friendly.

"We're seeing this trend happening in suburban locations. At sites on the highway, people building suburban sectors are trying to replicate downtown walking spaces," he says.

Shifting our cities from car culture to foot traffic requires thinking differently, Mr. Toderian says. "The key to walkability is getting the right density, design and mix."

The density consideration is the opposite of how you plan for cars, where the object is to separate the vehicles and leave as much room as possible. "Cars don't like other cars, but walkers like more walkers," Mr. Toderian says.

This means that it's okay, sometimes even desirable, to plan a city-walking route that will be crowded.

People will gravitate toward the same routes time and again, Mr. Miller of the Canadian Urban Institute says.

"The more a route gets used, the more it becomes a pedestrian pathway. You see it all the time, places where people wear away the grass."

In captive routes such as those at airports, there's a limit to how far people are willing to walk, which is why moving pathways are installed. But contrary to what many people think, distance is not the strongest factor for city pedestrians.

"The truth is that it has to do with the quality of the design," Mr. Toderian says. "People will walk longer if it's a pleasant environment and they won't walk at all if it's harsh or unsafe."

Good designs give walkers interesting things to see - store windows, ads, street vendors, flowers and trees. Bad designs are blank walls or repetitive architecture, Mr. Miller says. "People don't want to walk where there's nothing to look at."

Mix, the third consideration, has to do with the variety of buildings and their purposes, Mr. Toderian says. Put peoples' homes near work, shopping and schools, and you'll find they walk more. It's the power of nearness."

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Christmas time in Burlington "Let's Pop Some Bubbly"!

Harpers 2012 Champagne Educator of the Year, Jayne Powell, aka Champagne Jayne.

Which Champagne Are You?  For Most of us champagne is simply a party wine to celebrate with and we never even consider enjoying champagne with food, which is a real shame because champagne is such a versatile wine. Champagne can be played like a ‘joker’ at any stage of a meal, provided you follow the basic principles of young wines before older vintages and light wines before fuller bodied styles.

Champagne Jayne’s Rules for Champagne Pairings:

BLANC DE BLANCS: The classic champagne style for oysters or any kind of seafood at any time of the day. Racy and lemony when young, as Blanc de Blancs ages and develops creamy, toasty notes, it becomes more of a match for fish dishes with cream or spice/perfumed sauces or even chicken. Blanc de blancs are the perfect partner in crime for Japanese cuisine or seafood entrees.

NON-VINTAGE: It’s not easy to generalize about food matches as there are so many styles of non-vintage champagne available. Young fresh and fruity non-vintage champagnes (Pierre Gimonnet, Lanson, Laurent Perrier, Mumm, etc.) are unexpectedly good with cheeses such as emmental or gruyere at any time of day. With warm entree dishes, opt for eloquent elegance, such as a Louis Roederer or Taittinger. With high protein-based dishes encompassing darker, nuttier flavors  require the muscle of full-bodied non-vintage like a Bollinger, Krug, Duval Leroy Rose or Paul Bara Grand Rose de Bouzy.

VINTAGE: Thanks to the overall palate weight and richness of vintage Champagnes, they can be matched with much richer, darker and more intensely flavored dishes . Anything goes from fish to poultry as well as veal and pork, even smoked foods. Vintage champagnes are also a superlative match for many cheeses and delicate desserts.

NON-VINTAGE ROSE: Often served with sweet dishes based on berries in France, non-vintage roses are also a great match for prawns, lobster or dishes flavored with tomato.

VINTAGE ROSE: Serious aged rose champagnes have rich savory characters that can tackle quite intense levels of herbs and spices (think basil, mint, coriander). Vintage roses are absolutely amazing with duck and also magical with intricate Japanese dishes.

DEMI-SEC: Just like traditional port & stilton, this is a fantastic match with foie gras or thai dishes, but also apple-ly, pinot-based, demi-sec styles can match apple or red berry flavors on the palate. This sweeter champagne style is also a wonderful match with light creamy chocolate desserts.

Darren & Leanne's Favorit from Team BlueSky is

VEUVE CLICQUOT PONSARDIN BRUT CHAMPAGNE  But don't forget the Sparkling Wines either, California puts out some great ones like  GLORIA FERRER SONOMA BRUT SPARKLING WINE

www.teambluesky.ca

REMAX ESCARPMENT MAKES HOMELESS WOMEN FOCUS OF FUNDRAISING EVENT

SUNNY DAY FOR HOW’S THE WEATHER CAMPAIGN

Posted by: RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc.

On Thursday Dec 6, 2012, at the annual holiday event for Remax in Hamilton, the bold new campaign to bring awareness to the current crisis for homeless women in our community will be the featured charitable cause. 

550 attendees will be informed about the crisis and invited to make donations the campaign.  They will be provided the How’s the Weather signature Red Umbrella buttons as a thank you.

“Homeless women in Hamilton may not have the same kind of Christmas that we might enjoy,” says Conrad Zurini of Remax. “In addition to the fundraising at our event,we will write about the campaign in our blog and put links on our Remax Escarpment website which has a lot of traffic.”

This is the second contribution to the campaign by Mr. Zurini.  He also presented a cheque and spoke about his support of the campaign at the launch of How’s the Weather November 22, 2012.

Katherine Kalinowski, Chair of the Women’s Housing Planning Collaborative says, “Local women’s shelters are turning away women on hundreds of occasions each month because they are full.  These occupancy pressures are not new but as the weather turns cold the urgency to find solutions escalates.  ”

People are invited to visit howstheweather.ca to find out how they can help homeless women.

Background

The Women’s Housing Planning Collaborative is a coalition of local service providers who provide emergency shelter and transitional housing services to women who are homeless. Member agencies include: Good Shepherd Women’s Services, Mission Services Inasmuch House, Native Women’s Centre and Honouring the Circle,  Phoenix Place, YWCA Hamilton and Womankind.

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Contractor Tips: 10 Hats your General Contractor Wears

Kenny Grono

Owner of Buckminster Green LLC,

Unlike a specialized contractor, a general contractor (GC) oversees all onsite aspects of a construction project. Whether the GC, any employees or any subcontractors do the work, this is the person you call about everything. A good GC needs to know enough about everyone's job on a construction site to estimate and supervise the work going on, but also needs to know about more than just plumbing and painting. To get through a significant remodeling project, the GC fills any number of the following roles.

by Janet Paik by Janet Paik

1. Therapist. Remodeling or building is incredibly stressful. Delays, dust, design flaws — when clients need to vent, it's often the contractor who listens. We might not be particularly interested in hearing about your brother-in-law's problems, but if we think we can get you to pick a toilet paper holder if we stick with it, we'll talk you through almost anything. 2. Mediator. Neighbors, inspectors, architects, homeowners, subcontractors — many parties are involved and impacted by a renovation, and a good contractor can keep anyone from coming to blows. Some disputes are bound to occur, and the contractor is often the one trying to reach a resolution, because next to the homeowner the GC has the most at stake.

by Globus Builder by Globus Builder

3. Marriage counselor. If your builder asks for your spouse to be there when you meet for the first time, don't be insulted. He or she is not saying you're wrong in thinking you'll be making all the decisions but rather just wants to watch your spouse react to that concept. All too often, a once-silent partner can want to change the project once things get going. Of course, having all the interested parties in the room for every decision isn't easy, either. Even the couples who work great together can be pushed to the brink trying to pick a baseboard style after working through the thousands of other decisions there are to make during a remodel. A good contractor doesn't take sides, just guides the ship safely into the harbor. 4. Financial adviser. Your contractor has probably dealt with many banks, insurance agents and loan consultants over the years. Take advantage of this expertise to find out how the money side of building generally goes. Most people finance at least part of any big project, so getting advice can help.

by Janet Paik by Janet Paik

5. Secretary. Though every contractor goes to bed dreaming of a project where there are no changes over the course of the job, that's not how remodeling works. There will be many conversations, emails, texts, phone calls and notes written on fresh drywall. A good contractor keeps a record of all of it, along with a record of payments, plans and spec sheets from appliances and fixtures. 6. Realist. Regardless of what has caused a project to drift into a realm populated more by dreams than reality, the contractor has to bring things back down to earth. Plans with perfect details aren't cheap, and if the money isn't there to build them, the builder is the one who's got to break it to you.

by Globus Builder by Globus Builder

7. Real estate adviser. Contractors end up seeing almost as many houses as Realtors, so they know what houses in your neighborhood are like. They can tell you if you are overimproving or underimproving. They can tell you the looks and features from renovations of the past that people are asking to be torn out and redone. Most important, they can tell you what things cost. This can help you decide whether to renovate or move. Of course, resale value isn't everything; if you think you're in your forever home — or will be there for at least seven to 10 years — do what makes you happy and comfortable. 8. Your house's best friend. Even though you may have hired us to figure out why the attic fan stopped working, we're going to listen to what your house has to say while we're crawling though the attic. Is the insulation dirty in spots (a sign of air infiltration)? Is there mold on the sheathing? Knob and tube wiring? A contractor knows a house, and if it has problems, it'll tell a contractor about them.

by Kenny Grono

by Kenny Grono

9. Translator.Architects, carpenters, masons, plumbers, electricians, cabinetmakers — they all use terms most homeowners are not familiar with. Your contractor has seen that look on your face before and knows when to explain what was just said in a walk-through.

10. Builder. Sometimes when it's quiet, we get to take off all of these other hats, hang them up and put on our tool belt. It may seem like all we ever do is respond to text messages and chat with subcontractors, but once in a while we actually get to pick up a tool other than a cell phone.

www.teambluesky.ca