Category: Home & Lifestyle

There’s nothing like cheering your child on from the sidelines, seeing the pride and joy in their face as they hit a home run or score the winning goal for their team. But did you know that emergency rooms treat approximately 8,000 children for sports related injuries each day? And with what seems like an ever-growing trend to get kids involved in competitive sports at an early age, it’s imperative that parents follow some basic safety precautions to help keep their kids safe. So whether your child is 6 or 16 and plays baseball or lacrosse, help keep them injury-free [...]

In a perfect world, we’d all be taking care of ourselves the way we should, with regular exercise, plenty of rest, and a balanced diet. In the real world, many of us barely have enough time to eat a meal sitting down much less stick to a fitness and nutrition plan. Still, letting certain things go for too long can have some serious consequences. Take not drinking enough water, for example. According to the Center for Disease Control, nearly half of all Americans don’t drink enough water, averaging less than 4 cups a day. And frequent dehydration can lead to [...]

As the spring season swings into full gear, so does the real estate market. While people buy and sell homes 365 days a year, the majority of buyers start hitting the streets in search of their own personal version of home-sweet-home during the months of April, May, and June. So if you’ve been thinking of selling your home in the next few months, don’t wait until the flowers have bloomed to make it more appealing to buyers. Here are 5 things you can do now to make sure that your home stands proudly out among the rest. Pack It Up [...]

Lots of our customers are handy and tackle a bunch of plumbing problems and new installations on their own. We admire them for that, and the handyman spirit that drives them to want to know how things work, and how to make them work better. At the same time, there’s a reason why it takes so many years of study, training, and experience to become a Master Plumber. Simply put, plumbing is hard and challenging work, and can even be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Take your garbage disposal, for example. It’s certainly not the most complicated [...]

There’s nothing cozier or more relaxing than sitting back to warmth and glow of a roaring fire.   But for that it adds to your home and way of life, a fireplace is also a source of serious health and safety risks if not maintained and used with the utmost of care. That’s why we urge you to follow these simple safety precautions for the good of your home and family. Inspection and Cleaning – Even if you only use your fireplace occasionally, it’s important to have your chimney inspected and cleaned by a reputable chimney service once a year. During [...]

With February being American History month, we thought it might be pretty good idea to pay homage to our home state, right here in Nebraska.  And that’s with all due respect and props to our many friends and customers in Iowa. So here, and just for the pure fun and education of it, are several tempting morsels from the pages of Nebraska’s proud history, and as found on the History Channel And US50 websites: Nebraska, the 37th state in the union, achieved its statehood on March 1, 1867 following a proclamation by President Andrew Johnson. The Nebraska state motto is [...]

Winter storms come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it’s a moderate snow fall lasting a few hours or a blinding blizzard that lasts for days, one fact remains: the best way to keep your home and family safe is to have a plan in place before severe winter weather strikes. From frost bite to frozen pipes, you can help prevent some of the most common winter weather problems by following this winter storm advisory check list. Before the Storm Have your home heating equipment serviced annually to make sure it’s in tip top shape. This is the best way [...]

On Sunday, December 21st at 6:03 EST, winter officially arrived. That’s when those of us in the northern hemisphere experienced the shortest day (and subsequently longest night) of the year. But if you’re not a fan of winter and all the snow, sleet, and cold that accompany it, you’ll be happy to know that from now on, you’ll be able enjoying a few more minutes of daylight each day. So what will you do with all that extra daylight? Well, if you’re hoping to be a little more organized and productive in the coming year, here are 10 productive things [...]

In a perfect world, the holiday season looks much like a Norman Rockwell painting: a meticulously decorated home, children gathered around the tree, and shoppers joyfully heading home with their treasures. The real world, however, looks a little different. It’s so easy to get caught up in the shopping and entertaining, spending more money than you have, and forgetting what the holidays are truly all about So before you max out one more credit card, read on to learn how you can enjoy this time of year a little more with a little less Give from the heart instead of [...]

With gradually decreasing temperatures, shorter days, and talk of an early winter, many homeowners are once again faced with the challenge of keeping home energy costs down without sacrificing their family’s comfort. And while lowering the temp on your thermostat a couple degrees is sound advice, the truth is no one wants to spend the next 4 to 5 months in their home shivering under layers of clothing. So what’s a homeowner to do? Well, here are 5 fairly easy and inexpensive home improvement projects that can help reduce your energy consumption, lower your utility bills, and keep your family [...]

More often than not, averages are useful to give us at least some idea of what to expect. Take Omaha’s weather, for example. The average high temperature for December, January and February is 35, 33, and 28 degree F, respectively. The average low? Sure you’re ready for this? Okay then, here you go: 17, 14 and 18. And remember, those are the averages. Which means that if this coming winter is even a tad colder than usual, “ouch” to you personally, and a great big potential “ouch” to your home. Unless, of course, you take steps now to help prevent [...]