I-40 Cross-Town Starts Construction

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has started the construction of the Interstate 40 Cross-Town Bridge in Oklahoma City. The said construction will affect the traffic route of the area for several weeks in the future.

Plenty of roadblocks are now in place for the construction and there are expected traffic jams as new lanes and closures are implemented to give way for the construction of the bridge. Nevertheless, the new Cross-Town will mean huge benefits in the long run – especially to drivers in Oklahoma City.

The completion of the project is said to take less than a year – projected around June of next year, exactly ten months from now. However, for now, there will be more closures and frequent traffic  in the city.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, several lanes will be closed between 8 p.m. Sunday nights to 5 a.m. on Mondays. These lanes will be located eastbound I-40 at the I-35/I-235 interchange. On Monday 5 a.m. the eastbound I-40 will have two lanes and a short-term exit ramp closured from the eastbound I-40 to I-35 and I-235.

The right lane of I-40 will be the only exit for southbound I-35. Those who want to exit the northbound I-235 will proceed to the left lane.

Brenda Perry of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation said that the Department wants to give drivers plenty of heads up so to make them more aware of the special direction signals. These will keep drivers informed while there is a construction going on. When the new Cross-Town bridge is opened, the old I-40 will be taken down.

The projected cost of the 10-lane Cross-Twon interstate is $670 million. It is noted that this will be a grond-level major thoroughfare in the downtown Oklahoma City.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

How To Clean Mattress Stains

Mattress stains are inevitable. You may decide to enjoy breakfast and bed one morning – then, without warning, your coffee spills. Or, your young child slept over and had… well a little accident. Whatever is the cause of your mattress stain, one thing is true. These are unavoidable, however not impossible to remove!

Here are several cleaning tips will help you eliminate the unsightly stains on your mattress and help to make you feel cleaner as you sleep.

• Try the usual. Use soap and water to remove the stain in your mattress. Bear in mind that moisture must also be eliminated after you clean the stain. So, using a dry towel, dab on the wet stain to eliminate the moisture. After cleaning, lay your mattress in the sun for a day or even two. You can also get rid of the moisture by sucking it our using a shop-vac.
• If the stain still remains, use bleach. Use a rag or even a towel that you don’t mind bleaching. Dab the stain with the bleach and scrub. Then dab it with a wet towel followed by a dry towel to remove the bleach. Remember to use gloves when you perform bleaching and do not let the bleach come in contact with things that you do not want to get bleached.
• If you are unsure of the source of the stain, spray some citrus based cleaning agent on the stain and leave it for five minutes. Blot the area with a clean absorbent cloth, pressing down firmly for 30 seconds. Do not rub. Just repeat the process until the area is dry and free of odor.
• To remove urine stains in your mattress, blot first the stain with an absorbent cloth. Continue this process until you can remove as much urine as possible. Use a cleaning agent that specifically removes urine odor (don’t be afraid to use the same stuff you use for pet accidents). Spray it on the stain. Continue blotting and spraying until the moisture and odor is gone.
• An alternative way to eliminate urine stain is to use vinegar. Put vinegar on the stain and blot until the urine is removed. Put baking soda to neutralize the odor and leave it for one night. You can them vacuum the powder off in the morning.
• If you smell cigarette odors in your mattress, clean it immediately as this can cause allergy or even breathing problems if not treated. Use a citrus based cleaning agent and spray it on the stain or the source of the smell. Blot the area until the mattress is free of cigarette odor and moisture.
• If your mattress is a little smelly, use baking soda to neutralize the odor. Sprinkle on the top of the mattress and leave it overnight. Vacuum the powder off in the morning.
• Salt and club soda are also effective in removing fresh stains that had not been dried up. If you spill wine on (practically any kind of) fabric, pour salt on it immediately it picks it up amazingly well! For other stains, wet the stain with the club soda and cover with table salt. Leave it for several hours until the salt will change its color as it already had absorb the stain.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Working Well With Your Hired Renovation Professional

Planning to hire a professional to renovate an area of your house? Mind these tips on how you can work well with these experts. It is not enough to simply call them, show them your room and let them work on their own until they finish the project. Always bear in mind that even if it is their job, you are definitely the one paying, and are very much involved. Your decision, your recommendations and even what you want matters most.

Here are some tips on how you can deal with renovation specialists.

• Implement proper communication. Communication is very vital in any project and this also includes renovation. You have to communicate your thoughts properly to your hired renovating professionals so they can easily carry out the tasks according to your desires. Also, you must understand every detail of your decision before starting out on the project or even buying the necessary tools. Moreover, it is best for your contractor to access you anytime of the day so any immediate decisions can be easily done.
• Always be informed. This means that you must open yourself to any information that your hired contractor offers you. An example would be their schedule of work so you and your family can prepare for the noise, the distractions, the mess and even the intrusion inside your house.
• Say what you want. It is your house being renovated so it is what you want that matters in this scene. Say what you want for your home and even tell your contractor what you do not.
• Visit showrooms twice. First alone and second with your contractor. Going on your own will open up to a lot of ideas and desires for your house. However, there are times that even if you want that sofa or that cabinet, it is not feasible at all. So, have your contractor go with you to tell you which will be ideal for your house and which are those that will only create a clutter.
• Be open. Even if what we want, we should get in this stage, there are times that what we want just don’t seem to fit right in and there are alternatives that your contractor might offer. Open up to these ideas and do not stick to the original plan. Usually, a much better idea will pop up in the middle of the project.
• Have a contract. This will keep things professional. Make sure also that whatever is stated in your contract must be specific and agreed upon by both parties.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Tips for Effective Pest Control

Pests are definitely unwanted visitors inside any house. Most everybody can agree that a stream of ants swarming the house or a loose rat running rampant isn’t ideal for anybody. Considering we have food, clothes and for some, kids inside the house, these unwanted pests need to go.

When it comes to eliminating pests, there are some proven ways to fully get rid of them. Most pests stop lurking around when you are present and when the coast is clear, start prancing around your home again. Here are some tips on how you can eliminate these pests for good.

• Ants love anything sweet. Just put some sugar or candy bits on the floor and after several minutes, a swarm of black ants will consume it. Keep these ants away from your house for good by poisoning them with Borax. Mix sugar with Borax and sprinkles these in areas where the majority of ants are seen. Just remember to keep your deadly concoction away from your family’s reach. The Borax will poison and kill these ants.
• Borax works with cockroaches as well. Just sprinkle a few of these in the kitchen or in cabinets that are away from your cooking items. Make sure that your pets will not be able to get a hold of the poison.
• If you have rats inside the house, you can use rat repellents to stop them from getting inside the house. Choose repellants that are safe to use and easy to handle.
• To prevent rats from coming in the house, make sure you practice proper hygiene, especially in your kitchen area. Rats love food so keep your kitchen and other areas of the house free of left-out food.
• To stop flies from coming inside the house, use fly-repellent spray. Every time a fly comes in, spray a repellent to kill it. If repellents do not work, use fly-rolls that will enable these flies to become stuck and trap them.
• Mosquitoes are annoying and deadly as well. Prevent these pests from getting near you and your loved ones by eliminating the source of their production. Do not leave stagnant, dirty water at home and change your birdbath every 3 days.
• For termite problems, professional service is the best recommendation. To prevent terminates from building up inside your house, do not place stacks of wood inside the house as this is a huge attraction for termites. A sign that there is termite infestation in your house is damaged wood. If you need to stack wood for your fireplace, ensure that they are placed apart from your other wooden furniture.
• If you see centipedes inside the house, you can be assured that there are other insects too, since these are their staple food. They mostly only reside or go to places where lots of foods are present.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Make Your Bedroom Sleep-Friendly

Do you lose countless hours of sleep every night? Your bedroom could be the culprit. Some people are  feeling like insomniacs or finding it hard to sleep well during the night because of several underlying factors. One of these factors may be due to unnecessary bedroom design or arrangement that does not encourage good sleep patterns.

So, here are some ideas for a great bedroom makeover that will put you right to sleep.

• Your bedroom has one sole purpose –  a place to sleep, and you need to stick to it. Due to lack of space and many other peronsal interests, our bedrooms are usually converted into libraries, offices, bedrooms and playrooms. Avoid that. Make your bedroom conducive for sleeping only. That way, when you get inside your bedroom, you will not be forced to sacrifice sleep or rest time to extra office work, playtime and other sleep-depriving activities.
• Get rid of clutter inside the bedroom. How can you sleep with everything else scattered inside the room? Sleep is a peaceful activity. In order to make it successful, help your mind stay calm.  This will be enhanced easily through storage space inside your bedroom. Store everything away as to eliminate clutter inside the room. Organize your closet with several compartments so you can store more things inside it.
• Make your bed more comfortable. If you sleep in comfort, your body will relax easily. This will make you sleep better. Find the right mattress to sleep so that your body can conveniently conform to. Also, if you are allergic to certain things, choose a hypoallergenic mattress to avoid any allergic reactions that might disturb you during your sleep. While you are at it, find the perfect pillow (down or otherwise) to rest your head on.
• Make your room dark. This will truly make your eyes shut down. Install dark to black wall treatments so no light can crawl in. Even if the sun is no longer there to keep your eyes wide open, plenty of lights can come creep in from outside especially if you have a night light outside your house, your room is near the street lights or if car lights often pass by your room. You can even get rid of night lights inside your bedroom.
•  Choose a design that will calm your mood and make you want to hit the hay. If the color blue will set the mood for rest and sleep, change the color of your wallpaper to blue. If indeed sheep counting makes you sleep, place miniature sheep near your bed or have wallpaper designed with sheep. Anything that will make you want to go to sleep, include it.
• Have an air purifier inside the bedroom. Sometimes, people cannot go to sleep due to allergic reactions. Purify your air to eliminate these allergens and keep your nose from keeping your eyes frp, sleep.
• Set the perfect temperature. If it is too hot to sleep, by all means, turn on the air conditioner. If it is too cold outside, have a heater set to the perfect warmth.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Residents To Clean Up Oklahoma City on Free Landfill Day

September 10, 2011 will be a day of cleaning in Oklahoma City as residents will have the chance to get rid of their junk and trash on the Free Landfill Day. Officials of the city announced the Free Landfill Day for the people to voluntarily clean up their house and surroundings without the worry of not being able to fit it all in their trashcans.

According to the city’s officials, residents can have a truckload of their trash thrown to participating landfills between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Residents can drop one load of their garbage using a passenger vehicle or even a truckload up to one ton and one trailer – maximum size of 16 feet long.

During the Free Landfill day, citizens who plan to participate must present an original current water bill or a printout of an electronic bill to prove their residency within the city. No photocopied bills will be accepted. Moreover, there will be no commercial waste haulers allowed in the landfills.

The Free Landfill Day includes bulk waste rules and regulations that residents must follow. This includes no appliances that contain Freon or other refrigerants, household hazardous waste, tires, oils, car batteries, propane tanks, pool chemicals or electronic waste.

The participating landfills are East Oak Landfill at3201 Mosley Rd. (N.E. 36, east of Sooner Road, south side of street), Oklahoma City Landfill d/b/a Southeast Landfill  at 7001 S. Bryant, Oklahoma Landfill d/b/a Waste Connections at 7600 SW 15 and Northeast Landfill – 2601 N. The Midwest Boulevard, Spencer will only accept construction and demolition materials.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Small Garden? Maximize Your Space

Having a small space offers a lot of limitations. For one, you have very limited area to include everything you want in your dream garden. You want a beautiful landscape, lots of flowery bushes, maybe a small sculpture or two, even a mini pond. But, the space limits your perfect garden.

Even though you have a small space for a garden, it does not mean you have to stop dreaming of a beautiful place to plant flowers and create a lovely backyard. There are still ways for you to include almost everything you want, if not all, by maximizing your garden space.

• If you have limited space below, why not use the available space above? Yes, you can still utilize the empty space above your garden by terracing some of your plants. Have an elevated level to place your other potted plants. To save space for a pathway, raise the level in corners or the sides of the garden.
• Let your plants crawl up. If you plant vines or crawling plants, have a wall, fence or trellises for them to climb up instead of crawling in the available space below. You can even have an arc type entrance where these vines can crawl so it adds a themed beauty to the place.
• Choose smaller plants over larger ones. The bigger the plants, the more space they will take. But, the smaller the plants, the more space will still be available for more plants, walkways, etc..
• Keep your plants within their places. There are plants that sprawl even to the other plant’s areas. To keep it from spreading around and occupying more spaces from others, use cages or stakes.
• Plan your walking path during landscaping. This will enable you to maximize the remaining space for planting flowers and vegetables. Also, you can minimize your path walk to a single person only and have a straight path towards the exit so your guests will not crowd in the path when one needs to get out of the garden.
• Create a large garden impression with water features. Having a mini pond will make an impression that you have a large garden as it can still accommodate even a water feature.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

How To Avoid Indoor Air Pollution Inside the House

Many of us love to stay at home especially when there is no work at the office, no errands to run and a need for more time to spend with the family. However, even we when stay inside the comforts of our home, we cannot avoid health hazards caused by indoor air pollution. That’s right. Despite the fact that few people treat indoor pollution with the same severity as outdoor air pollution, there is always the risk of indoor pollution inside our homes.

Inhaling indoor air pollution brings into effect similar health risks brought about by outdoor air pollution. Such health risks include skin irritations, respiratory problems, immune system disorders and the most deadly, cancer. Most causes of indoor air pollution are molds, chemical pollutants found in furniture, paints and building materials as well as contaminants found in cleaners, care products, smoke and even incoming pollution from outdoors.

To help you and your family fight against indoor air pollution, here are some helpful tips.

• Identify possible causes of indoor air pollution. Finding the main source of the problem has always been the first step to decontamination. Have your home inspected by a professional for radon and asbestos. These two elements are huge causes concerning severe body conditions even if we sometimes are not aware of their presence inside the house. After identifying the source of the pollution, get rid of them.
• Enhance ventilation. Improved ventilation will improve air circulation. Open your windows and doors often to let contaminated air out and fresh air in. Also, install energy efficient fans or air conditioners in rooms or areas of the house where there are no doors or not enough windows to improve ventilation.
• Purify your air. Install an air cleaner that will purify the house. You can have a central air cleaning system so it can cover the entire house. Although a central system can be rather costly, it is more efficient in cleaning the air compared to a single room purifier that purifies the air in only one room.
• Be wary of what you buy. Buying pest controls, cleaners or other household products may bring in lots of contaminants. There are similar products that are mostly natural, making the risks considerably smaller compared to the artificially made products.
• Reduce pollution in the house with houseplants. Plants are efficient when it comes to cleaning the air we breathe. So, have a few houseplants inside the house to help purify the air.
•  As much as possible, do not allow smoking inside the house.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Make Your Home Kid-Friendly

Having children at home can make every day a happy day. However, small children are very vulnerable to common things around the house such as electrical outlets and furniture corners. Therefore it is important to make sure that your home is adequately child-proofed. This means that in every house-related decision you make, ensure that your kids are always considered.

Accidents are inevitable especially when it comes to kids. As parents, you can avoid the possibility of accidents and thus avoid the “kiddie” tears. As the saying goes, it is better to prevent than cure.

Here are some useful tips you can use to make your house more kid-friendly:

• Implement appropriate safety precautions. This includes the use of safety latches and locks on your cabinets and drawers. By securing your things (especially those that are not appropriate for kids) you can prevent them from reaching into things that may be harmful for them. Secure your sharp utensils, medicines and cleaners with appropriate latches.
• Make edges and corner bumpers soft for your kids. You cannot avoid children playing around these but you can do something in case they bump into the sharp edges of your furniture. Cover these with soft cloths or other corner covers. That way, even if they do bump into these edges, they will only feel slight pain.
• If you have fireplaces, cover them. Kids will touch anything and this includes the dusty fireplace and even the blazing fire.
• Install guards and netting on your balconies, no matter the height. Your child will no longer have the chance of falling off. It is always best to still watch the little ones while around these areas.
• Install high and reliable door locks. If your kids can easily reach the door lock, ensure safety by installing another lock that they cannot easily reach so they cannot get out of the house without your knowledge.
• Safely store poisonous materials such as cleaners in a secure location in the house. As much as possible, prevent any kind of poisonous sprays within the house. If you need them, keep them in an area where your kids will not be able to see or reach them.
• For your toddlers, have a baby pen where they can sprawl out and play safely. Also, make sure that you secure them properly to avoid them getting out of their pen and roaming around the house without your knowledge.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Downtown Edmond Enjoys New Wi-Fi Connections

Free wireless internet is now provided for residents and visitors of Edmond, Oklahoma. Those who visit the Festival Market can now enjoy free internet access anytime.

The Central Edmond Urban Development Board planned the idea of having free Wi-Fi connection in the downtown area. This group was appointed by the city council to review site plans for any new developments in the downtown area particularly construction, additions, and remodeling.

Two routers were purchased by the city council at the cost of $3,708 each. The first router is set on the east end of the Festival Market Place pavilion while the other is on the City Administration Building, 100 First St. This area supplies the free internet connection in some downtown streets. Although the city already has free wireless internet connection inside city buildings, the new program will be offered outside of city buildings and in some downtown areas. The wireless connection will be under the name “Edmond public”.

Many business establishments along the area are finding the program very beneficial especially to their business transactions as they are relying on the Internet more and more to bring in customers. These businesses are also increasingly using the internet to make transactions and even display their products to their customers.

The city council is planning to expand the project, along the Stephenson Park at the Fifth Street and the Littler Avenue. Kevin Carr, the director of information technology in Edmond, said that they want to set the Wi-Fi connection where the public is meeting. Nevertheless, the process is still on trial and error and the results are still on its course.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031