Designing a French-Inspired Nursery

Decorating babies’ and kids’ rooms is so much fun because you get to explore decor you wouldn’t normally otherwise.  In a nursery, an additional factor is cleanliness and organization to preserve the baby’s safety. You can choose from many different themes for your nursery, but one beautiful one to explore is French-inspired design.

To help you create a lovely French nursery at home, here are a few tips:

• Tie white ribbons on the crib. You can place one white ribbon on each corner of the crib plus another one in the center. Silky plain white ribbons go well with black, dark wood, and white cribs.
• Use an antique-style crib with vintage designs on the corners and headboard. You can find these types of cribs in antique stores or you may even have a family heirloom. Just make sure that it is still functional and durable enough for your baby’s safety.
• Add a personal message or a prayer in French on the wall. Choose a beautiful quote or a lovely message and paint it on your nursery wall. Choose a stylish font for your letters.
• Install an elegant chandelier. It does not need to be a big chandelier, but just something to add more sophistication to the room. Just make sure that the chandelier is bright enough to light the entire room. Also opt for lower-wattage bulbs that will be softer on your baby’s eyes.
• Make white your overall motif. White cribs, white rocking chair, white changing table, and white cabinets. If you aren’t keen on all white, you can take a similar approach with a soft, pale color.
• Add floral drapes and fabric. Choose silky fabrics with floral accents for your drapes or crib curtain. Pillows are also a great way to incorporate floral patterns.
• Use a vintage table or cabinet. Vintage-inspired changing tables and cabinets will add to your overall French-inspired nursery. Clean them well to thoroughly remove allergens, especially if they have been in storage.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Martin Park Nature Center Offers Sensory Events

People who are disabled often have a hard time adjusting to the physical challenges of the world and fully experiencing the environment around them.

Those who are blind are unable to enjoy the different colors of the changing fall leaves, while those who are hard of hearing cannot completely appreciate music and the sounds of nature.

To provide support to people with disabilities, Martin Park Nature Center is offering free sensory events to the public. These events give people the chance to experience the beauty of nature more fully, despite their physical or developmental challenges. The series of events will continue through February and is offered to all ages.

On December 15, a free session will be offered to the hearing-impaired, which will involve activities specifically designed for people with hearing disabilities. January 19 is scheduled for people with cognitive impairment, and February 16 will be an event for those who are sensitive to light, sound, or other environmental factors.

Martin Park Nature Center is one of Oklahoma City’s popular parks that offers many recreational features.  A wildlife sanctuary showcases a number of animal species like squirrels, foxes, reptiles, and deer. You can also find animals around the 144-acre nature park.

Three and a half miles of gentle hiking trails, as well as an education center that features a nature educational library, are additional features that can be enjoyed by families. The nature park also features the first observation bee hive in the city.
Martin Park Nature Center is located at 5000 West Memorial Road in Northwest Oklahoma City. The park is opened from Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

How to Prevent Home Accidental Injuries

Your home serves as a safe haven and peaceful refuge from the dangers of the outside world. When you are at home, you want to feel safe and secure. Though you may consider your home a safe place for your family, it is undeniable that accidental injuries and accidents can still occur.  So, it is best then to identify the common causes of these situations, so you can find ways to avoid them and keep our home safer from harm.

Below are some examples of the common causes of home accidental injuries. By being aware of these factors, you can learn how to prevent them from happening.

• Fire – House fires are a common cause of damaged lives and property. Avoid the risk of house fires and bodily injuries by ensuring proper fire safety methods inside the house. Install smoke alarms throughout the house and have a reliable fire extinguisher on hand at all times.
• Poison – Many children are victims of poisoning due to swallowing hazardous chemicals in their own homes. Prevent possible choking by storing dangerous chemicals in higher, properly-secured areas. Make sure all cleaning agents are out of your children’s reach. Also, be sure all containers have labels.
• Falls – Every year, many cases of minor and severe falls are reported.  This is often due to the improper use of ladders or high-rising tools and a lack of support when climbing up. To avoid falls, make sure that your railings are strong enough for support and always have someone assist you when climbing a ladder or using rising tools. Also avoid slippery floors.
• Cuts – Improper handling of knives and other sharp objects poses a potential risk for injury. Learn how to handle tools properly and keep sharp objects out of the reach of children.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

SandRidge Christmas Tree Lighting Festival Friday in Downtown OKC

This Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, the SandRidge Christmas Tree Lighting Festival in downtown OKC will kick off a 40-day holiday event.  SandRidge Energy is an oil and natural gas company based in Oklahoma City and, for six years, it has been participating in the holiday events hosted by Downtown OKC, Inc.

The Christmas Tree Lighting will feature a huge Christmas that will be located at Mickey Mantle Drive and Flaming Lips Alley, fronting the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. It will mark the start of the series of holiday events that Downtown OKC, Inc., prepares for the entire community. The lighting of the Christmas tree will start at 7:00 p.m., and Mayor Mick Cornett will be the special guests to turn on the light switch.

Attendees will also have the chance to enjoy other activities, such as picture taking with Santa, snacks, live music, and free Water Taxi rides. Other events during December will include the Devon Ice Rink, Automobile Alley Lights on Broadway, Continental’s Free Movie Mondays, Santa’s Adventure on the Oklahoma River, The Christmas Show, and more. The festival will last until January 1, 2013.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Cleaning Supplies Checklist: How to Organize Your Cleaning Routine

When it comes to cleaning the house, it’s helpful to have all of the necessary supplies on hand.  In fact, it makes the cleaning go faster and leaves you with more time to do other things and spend time with your family.

To help you identify the supplies that you will need for cleaning, create a list of your cleaning routine and what each activity involves. For instance, dusting the living room would require a dust mop, some dust cloths, a feather duster, and a vacuum cleaner.  Simply jot down the routines that you do regularly and build your list from there.

Then, list the cleaning tasks that you do on occasion, such as polishing your furniture, cleaning your oven, and polishing your wood floors. Write down the special cleaning materials you will need when doing these tasks.

Here’s a list of essential cleaning supplies that you should consider having in your own home:

• Vacuum cleaner
• Dust cloths
• Dust mops
• All purpose cleaner
• Scrubs/brushes
• Sponges
• Gloves
• Broom
• Dust pan
• Mop
• Mop bucket
• Detergents
• Cleaning apron
• Old toothbrush
• Spray bottle
• Rags/towels
• Garbage bags

You should have these basic supplies on hand at all times in your home, so whenever you need to clean the house for unexpected guests, you have everything you need.

For special cleaning tasks, buy the materials you need a few days before, so that you have them when you are ready to begin.  It is best to schedule special cleaning tasks because they are often time-consuming.

Create a weekly or monthly schedule of cleanup in your home and assign a date to when you need to buy special cleaning supplies, when you need to start cleaning specific areas, etc. Hang your cleaning schedule on your fridge or somewhere that you can actually see and be reminded of it.  House cleaning need not become a hassle, and by organizing and preparing yourself and the things you need, cleaning will become an easy task for you.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Is Your Living Room Ready for Entertaining?

When the holidays come around and friends and family visit, you may need more than the dining room for entertaining. Of course you want to spruce up your dining room for holiday feast, but afterward, most of your guests would love to spend time in the living room for more intimate conversation, games, and other interaction.

Living rooms are actually easy to prepare and decorate for the holidays. Given that they are generally one of the more decorated place in the house to begin with, all you need to do is clean, organize, and add some holiday frills to make the environment look more cheery and festive. But, that’s not all. Here are a few things to consider:

• Seating – When people come to visit you for the holidays, you don’t want them to have to stand all day. Add more seats in your living room to accommodate more people and encourage conversation. More seats make it more likely for people to sit around and talk.
• Lighting – Why not set good lighting in your living room to make your guests feel more comfortable and relaxed? Lighting is important because too much or two little can ruin a mood entirely. Add recessed lighting for a more intimate feel.
• Clutter (no!) – Keep clutter away. Whether it’s papers you are working on or extra pillows, they crowd your living room instead of enhancing it.  So, get rid of clutter or, at the very least, store it away until the holidays are over.
• Furniture setting – Making your furniture close enough, but not too far apart can lead to a perfect bonding scenario. Furniture must be arranged in a way that encourages intimate conversation within the group.
• Safety – Kids are usually present at holiday celebration, and while you want to entertain your guests in your living room, you want also want to maintain be sure the kids remain safe.  Keep safety precautions like first aid kits in your living room and pad the edges of your furniture and fireplace to keep them from harming themselves.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Oklahoma DHS Grants Home Energy Assistance to Low Income Households

The burden of heating bills will soon be lessened for low-income households in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services, along with the Federal Government, will be providing financial assistance for winter heating bills among eligible families within the state. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will start accepting applications on December 11, 2012.

First established in 1981 as a federal social services program, LIHEAP aims to provide financial assistance to households with low income, but with a relatively higher percentage of home energy spending.  They are provided with funds granted by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Families who qualify for the program will be granted a partial payment of their winter energy bill, which will be paid directly to the local utility companies. According to the general guidelines of the program, families are only eligible if they meet certain income requirements. For instance, a household with only one person must not have an income that exceeds $11,976 annually, while a household with eight people must not have a household income that exceeds $41,388.

Only Oklahoma residents may qualify for the program, and those interested in applying for a grant can visit the Department of Human Services office starting on December 11. Applicants should present identification, income verification, and their most recent heating bill.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Preparing Your Home for Holiday Guests

The holidays are just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to fill your home with festivities, beautiful decor, and delicious food.  During the holidays, loved ones and friends often come to visit, and though it requires rushing to prepare for their arrival, having them around is what makes the holidays memorable and enjoyable.

To help you prepare your home for your holiday guests, here are a few tips:

• Start cleaning. There’s no better time to start than today. Although your holiday guests may not be arriving for a couple of weeks, cleaning your house gradually will help reduce the stress of last-minute cleaning.
• Prepare your dining essentials. It’s time to bring out all your dishes, glasses, and silverware. Figure out how many people will be at your house and be sure to be prepared enough for all of them.
• Finish decorating. Before your guests arrive, finish all of your holiday decorations, so your house looks attractive and festive. By the time they arrive at your house, you’ll be able to just enjoy the wonderful holiday season with them.
• Plan your meals. Set a daily plan for the meals you need to prepare and cook, so you’ll have time to buy everything ahead of time versus at the last minute. This will help take the load off your mind, so you don’t have to instantly prepare meals.
• Clean out your guestroom. You don’t want your guests to stay in a dusty bedroom. So, take the time to vacuum the floors, clean the bathroom, replace towels, clean the windows, and replace the bed sheets a few days before they arrive.
• Childproof if there are babies or small kids around. If your guests have children, make sure your place is safe for the little ones. Check the wires of your Christmas lights and be sure they are out of the way and out of reach. Add outlet covers to avoid electric shocks and install safety locks on your cabinets.
• Set up a pamper basket. Not all guests bring their own bath essentials. So, it’s nice to provide them with basic essentials in a beautiful basket in their room. Adding a personal note is a nice additional touch.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Essential Things to Add During Kitchen Remodeling

If you’re planning on doing a kitchen remodel, don’t limit yourself when planning the design. Consider what you want and can add to your kitchen to make it more efficient and convenient.  Kitchen additions are added features in the room that will add more accessibility and order.

Below are some added features that you may want to consider for your next kitchen remodeling project:

·        Hanging pots and pans rack

Pots and pans are kitchen essential, but they can take up a huge amount of space in your kitchen. If you keep them in your cabinet, then you have very little space left for other kitchen utensils and food. What you need is a durable hanging pots and pans rack. If you simply hang your pots and pans, there will be ample of spaces left in your kitchen cabinets.

·        Ventilation

Cooking a great meal requires full use of your kitchen. If you normally cook a lot of food, you may need to have to open your windows to let the smell out

·        Wall mounts

If you need extra storage or display spaces in your kitchen, installing wall mounts will give you the required extra space for display and store without reducing the visible size of your kitchen.

·        Dishwashers

Spending too much time washing your dishes or your pots and pans will make you less efficient in cooking or preparing food. Having a reliable dishwasher around will help you clean all the dirty dishes, while allowing you to get other things done simultaneously.

·        Food pantry

You need a place to separate and store your food items. Having them around with your pots and pans and your dishes will cause them to easily spoil. What you need is a food pantry that will provide a separate and more secured place for your food items. This will help you organize things around the kitchen and add more space for other kitchen items.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031

Edmond’s Project READ Receives Health Literacy Grant

Health is crucial for every person, and when you take good care of yourself, you increase your chances of a longer, healthier life. However, many people suffer from poor health due to things like unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles, obesity, and smoking. Oftentimes, these health issues are caused by a lack of knowledge of how to take care of your health properly.

Low literacy is one of the reasons why people fail to obtain proper information about their health. That is why the Oklahoma Department of Libraries has provided grants to several literacy programs in Oklahoma, including Project READ in Edmond, to provide learning to adults with low literacy rates. Other literacy programs include Great Plains Literacy Council in Altus, Rogers County Literacy Council in Claremore, Creek County Literacy Program in Sapulpa, and Ruth G. Hardman Adult Literacy Service in Tulsa.

A $3,000 grant funded by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services was given to these programs to help support literacy efforts in the state. The goal is to help people with low literacy rates read and understand health information, which can directly impact their wellbeing.  The programs will be able to add more health literacy resources and enhance their literacy instructions that will include topics about health and lifestyle. The grants can also be used to provide workshops and presentations on health literacy.

Jennifer Fields
Oklahoma City & Edmond Real Estate Agent
405.330.0031