Over the past several months, many have brought a new pet into their homes, or are taking it into consideration. Pets can bring so much to our lives, a proven fact.  The addition of a pet to a home is one of the biggest and best decisions a family can make, however.  Is your home ready for the task? Follow these tips for making your home pet friendly. 

Outdoors 

• A safe environment is as important for a pet as it is for children and having a fenced-in area will usually keep your pet contained, and others on the other side. A pathway made of gravel, cement, or other material that is not plant-based will help knock off any debris that catches on paws and fur before pets go inside. 
• Consider the plants in your landscaping, and make sure you have nothing that can make your pet ill if they ingest it.  The SPCA offers this great list of poisonous-to-animals plants to help you decide what does not need to be in your landscaping. 

• When house-training, encourage your pet to use a specific area of the yard for easy clean-up, as well as keeping unwanted odors away from the house.   
• Purchase an ID tag for your pet’s collar, with your name and contact information just in case they do get out and about.  Having your pet microchipped is like a two-step identification for them in case they lose their collar. 
• Make sure window screens are secure when you open them in case Kitty wants to enjoy a nap there.  Investing in a window perch or creating a “catio” would be ideal for indoor cats to enjoy the outdoors safely. 

Inside Your Home 

• Keeping pets brushed and their bedding changed and/or washed regularly is essential in keeping you from doing a lot of extra cleaning and floor repairs.  A hard surfaced, scratch-resistant floor is perfect for homes with pets. Area rugs need to be secure and washable. 
• Be sure your trash container has a child-proof lid if it cannot be placed in a pantry or cabinet. Not only do you not want the mess, but Fluffy or Fido could eat something harmful. 
• Crate-training is best for dogs, but most animals need a space of their own.  Provide a comfy pet bed, toys and food and water in a quiet area of the house. Your cat’s litter box should be kept away from their food in a quiet place. Having one more box than you have cats is optimal for them as well. 
• Are you considering a bird, hermit crab, or other small pet? They require their own habitat, and some have specialized needs: safety from larger pets, child-proof habitat covers, and a room with certain temperature and humidity settings. 
• Check with your local municipality to see if you need permits for exotic pets. 

Creating a pet-safe home is along the same lines as making sure your home is toddler-proof.  Because your pet will become part of the family, make sure you provide the best home, the same as you would for a relative.  When your pets are happy, it just adds to the sweetness that pets bring to life. 

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Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Did you know?:

–    The first Thanksgiving was held in the autumn of 1621 and included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians and lasted three days. Many historians believe that only five women were present at that first Thanksgiving, as many women settlers didn’t survive that difficult first year in the U.S.

–    Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday until over 200 years later! Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who actually wrote the classic song “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” convinced President Lincoln in 1863 to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, after writing letters for 17 years campaigning for this to happen.

–    No turkey on the menu at the first Thanksgiving: Historians say that no turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving! What was on the menu? Deer or venison, ducks, geese, oysters, lobster, eel and fish. They probably ate pumpkins, but no pumpkin pies. They also didn’t eat mashed potatoes or cranberry relish, but they probably ate cranberries. And no, Turduckens (a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken) were nowhere to be found during that first Thanksgiving.

–    Thanksgiving was almost a fast — not a feast! The early settlers gave thanks by praying and abstaining from food, which is what they planned on doing to celebrate their first harvest, that is, until the Wampanoag Indians joined them and (lucky for us!) turned their fast into a three-day feast!

Wishing you and yours a day filled with joy.  Happy Thanksgiving! 

It happened on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. An armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.

To all veterans of all branches: Thank you for your sacrifice, your bravery, and the example you set for us all. In short, thank you for your service! To all those who have served, and those who continue to serve… Happy Veterans Day!

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Have you run out of DIY or handmade crafts yet? Probably not, but if some jobs you have in mind are a little more than you can tackle now, consider making something for the furry family members! From yummy snacks to backyard fun, there are plenty of ways to keep your pets busy and content! 

An easy way to start giving your pet some extra-sweet treatment is to make homemade snacks! Most use simple ingredients are easy to make, so the kids can get involved!  Taste of Home offers several doggy treat recipes, and here are some recipes your kitty will love! 

Ideas for Dog Lovers 

• Once those treats are done, give your dog something to think about and create a treat game for them to play.  This bottle-spinning puzzle requires few materials and basic building skills. 
• Using a purchased dog bed or making one yourself, you can create a special spot for the dogs to get their rest. Find the perfect dog bed project here from HGTV. 
• Traveling with Fido can create a real hairy mess on car interiors, but a hammock may be the answer! Sewing basics will come in handy for this fairly simple DIY hammock project. 
• Upgrade that cagey dog crate by creating this cover with a removable top. The cave-like atmosphere it creates is comforting for the dog and gives you space to use as a table! 
• An active dog is a happy dog when they have plenty to do outside! If you have the space, why not create a tire tunnel, tug toy, or PVC agility course? 

Ideas Cats Will Love 

• Any cat owner knows that cats love to have a place to hide, sleep, observe. Make a fun hideaway with a t-shirt and a few other materials! 
• Keeping an indoor cat entertained can be a challenge, and toys can be expensive. Create a simple feather toy or cat-treat puzzle to keep them busy. 

• Bring the outside indoors: grow an indoor garden just for Kitty.  She will think she is the queen of the jungle! 
• Will these inexpensive shelf steps keep your cat off the counters?  
• While it is virtually impossible to make your cat stay in the yard, making a “catio” gives them a place to be outside while keeping them safe, as well as local wildlife. Install a cat door or open a window and have a structure like one of these waiting on the other side, or build this catio as part of your home’s design.

Making or building something specifically for your pets will be worth the time and effort you put in because content pets are less likely to damage your home with chewing or bad bathroom habits.  You will also have peace of mind, as you know your furry friends are safe, whether they are resting or playing. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Photo credit: Pinterest

– Shoppers will spend $86.27 on average celebrating Halloween
– 72% of parents admit to stealing candy from their kids
– 68% of people will celebrate Halloween
– 172 million people plan to celebrate Halloween
– U.S. confectionary and nut stores that sell candy, employ over 23,000 people
– Skittles are the top Halloween candy- followed by Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, MM’s, Snickers, and Starburst
– The most popular children’s costume is princess, with 7.9% of children going as a princes for Halloween
– Following princess in popularity is Superhero, with 6% of children choosing to go as their favorite superhero
– 8.9% of adults who dress up go as a witch
– 17% of people dress up their dog for Halloween
– What do those dogs dress as? Pumpkin (9.3%), Hot dog (7.2%), and Superhero (7.2%)
– 1927 is the year when the phrase “Trick or Treat” first appeared in the US
– The word “pumpkin” showed up for the first time in the fairy tale Cinderella
– 2x more children die as pedestrians on Halloween than the average day
– Halloween in 2020 will have the first full moon since 2001- watch out for werewolves!
– The most Jack O’Lanterns ever lit at once were 30,581
– Top planned Halloween purchases: Candy 95%, Decorations 72%, Costumes 67%, Greeting cards 35%
– The world’s largest Halloween parade is New York Village’s Halloween Parade which draws 2 million spectators and more than 60,000 people in costumes
– 2 Billion lbs of pumpkins are grown in the US every year
– Trick-or-treating has existed since medieval times.
– Back then, it was known as “guising” in Ireland. Young people dressed up in costumes and asked for food or money in exchange for songs, poems, or other “tricks.” Today, the tradition has morphed into children to getting dressed up and asking for candy.
– The potato famine, and the mass immigration of the Irish into the US helped spread Halloween in the US.
– Sugar rationing during World War II halted trick-or-treating.
– Consumers spent approximately $9 billion (!) on Halloween last year.
– Some shelters adopt out 0 black cats for the month of October.
– The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips.
– More than twice as much candy is sold for Halloween as Valentine’s Day.
– The haunted attraction industry makes between 500 and $800 million a year in ticket sales.
– Owners of haunted attractions spend more than $100 million annually in props, such as fog machines, lighting equipment, costumes and more.
– Jack O’Lanterns used to be carved out of turnips, potatoes, and beets.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Now, Pumpkin Carving 101 presents the fun stuff–carving your pumpkin!  Using your tools, you will find creating your pumpkin art is easier than you may think!  A few days before you will be displaying your pumpkin, gather everything you need, and follow these tips:

Cleaning out the pumpkin is messy, and best done on a paper-covered table or done outside.  Before you get started, wipe the outer shell with some kind of disinfectant cleaner to help stop the growth of natural germs that break down the pumpkin.  Instead of cutting out the top for a lid, remove a circle in the bottom or a square in the back.  This will make placing your light much easier.  Use your carving tool kit’s scraper to remove the fibers and seed from the inside of the pumpkin.  Once the inside is clean of seeds and pulp, use a solution of ten parts water to one part bleach to spray the inside of the pumpkin to help stop it from molding quickly.

Traditional jack o’ lantern faces are great and always a hit, but if you are looking for a little more for your carving, use a template!  Choose from these printable templates available from SheKnows, or create one of your own!  Your stencil should be complementary to your skills, or if the kids are helping, find an easy one, and print.  Tape it to your cleaned-out pumpkin, and use a push pin to create a dot-to-dot line.  This creates a dot-to-dot pattern. Saw along these lines using your kit’s small saw or any pointed serrated knife. You may find more scraping necessary to remove the thick inside of the pumpkin once all of your cuts have been made.

Once the carving is complete and the mess is cleaned up, it will be time to preserve your giant squash as well as choose a light source. Battery-operated tea lights are perfect for lighting your jack o’ lantern, and last for several hours, as well as being safer than a traditional candle.  Once you purchase an inexpensive pack, replace the batteries when the old ones die, as the LED bulbs inside last much longer than any wax tealight candle.  Find more tips for keeping your jack-o’-lantern fresh and lighting ideas in this article from HGTV.

Keep the pumpkin-carving safe:  supervise younger children, and even help them when they want to use tools to cut the pumpkin’s new face.  Most children love cleaning out the “guts” of the pumpkin, so for a healthy treat, have them pick out some seeds for washing and roasting.  Most of all, have fun, and make memories!

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Gone are the days of using Mom’s best kitchen knife to carve a simple jack o’ lantern with triangle-shaped eyes and a toothy grin.  Pumpkin carving is an art for many, but even those who are not so talented in that department can fake it with all of the tools and tricks available!

Pumpkin carving kits are available at many retailers, and you do not have to invest more than $20.00. Basic kits usually contain a utility saw, hand “drill,” and scraper.  Pumpkin Masters is the leading producer of carving tool kits, and you can be certain your kit will be perfect for the beginner or the experienced carving artist!  Their basic toolset, along with other decorating kits, can be purchased for less than $15 at Lowes home stores.

If you are in the market for a beginner kit, such as a child-safe set, Best Products has a list of beginner sets, as well as other gadgets and tools that would be more fitting for adults.  All of these items are $25 or less.

If you are ready to step up your carving mastery, there are plenty of tools that are not necessarily made for carving large orange squashes but work well for creating a professional-looking piece of pumpkin art. Check out these picks from Bustler,  which includes a set of pottery tools, a cookie-cutter kit, and a power drill set, all perfect for creating the perfect jack o’ lantern.

Different tools create different results:  children can use metal cookie cutters to punch out shapes; for a lantern look, use a power drill and different-sized bits; and if you want to make your pumpkin look like a work of art, use a set of linoleum tools.

Gathering your pumpkin and tools are just the beginning! Stay tuned for more Pumpkin Carving 101, when we discuss choosing a template, carving your artwork, as well as keeping your jack o’ lantern fresh!

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Ready for cooking and dining al fresco? If so, it’s time to make sure your grill is ready to cook up some tasty food! 

Charcoal Grills 

• A dirty grate needs to be deep-cleaned:  burning off the caked-up food/grease is your first step.  Start a fire in the grill, wrap the grates in foil, put them in place, and close the lid.  Once the fire is out and the grates are cool to the touch, rub off the burnt stuff with the balled-up foil or a wire brush. 
• Once the worst is off the racks, use a baking soda/water paste and a strong scrubbing pad or brush to remove as much of what’s left. Wash with warm water and good dish soap, and rinse well. 
• Rub the grate down with a towel soaked in vegetable oil to start the seasoning process for non-stick cooking. 
• Inspect the outside of the grill for over-wintered insects, debris and rust. If you find rust, wipe away as much as you can w/ a surface-appropriate cloth, and use a cloth dampened with a half-water, half-vinegar solution to remove the rest of it. Keep the grill covered to avoid moisture and more rust. 
• Any baked-on grease or carbon flakes on the lid or bottom of the grill should be removed with a wire brush. This build-up can cause uneven heating, and as a result, uneven cooking. Wash the lid and bottom of the grill with warm soapy water, and allow to air dry, but wipe any pooling water off with dry paper towels. 

Gas Grills 

• Before you get started on cleaning, check your propane line for leaks.  Learn how to do this simple test from this video from Weber. 
• The grates on gas grills are normally made of cast iron and can take a steaming to clean them:  heat up the grill, and when the grates get hot, turn off the heat. Wearing a grill glove or mitt, use a wet grill brush to scrub and steam off any cooked-on build up. 
• Grill burners can be unclogged with the straightened end of a paper clip, scrubbed with a wire brush, then wiped down with soapy water. 
• Scrape the grease pan clean, and if it’s removable, wash it in hot, soapy water; if the pan is stationary, clean it as best you can using dry paper towels to remove as much grease as possible, then follow with hot, soapy water. 
• Once the pan and burners are clean, wipe out the interior with a damp cloth, or scrub pad. Replace the burner covers and grease pan. 

• Get the grates ready for future cooking by seasoning them.  Turn the grill on high heat for about ten minutes, and after turning off the heat, rub the grates down with paper towels or a grill towel soaked with vegetable oil. Doing this before and after every grill session will keep them clean and virtually non-stick. 

Cooking on the grill should be not only tasty, but safe! Use the right tools, and follow the guidelines in the owner’s manual.   Once the grill is cleaned up, it’s ready to help you create great Summer meals and memories! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Photo credit: taste of home