Category Guest Blogs

Thanks to the University of Maryland/Maryland Grows this informative article on helping pollinators.

Spring is almost almost here, and if you’re like me, you have already started visualizing what flowers will grow where and what pollinators you’ll need to keep an eye out for. Unlike in other posts, where we talked about how to help pollinators in large spaces, today we’ll talk about how to help them in very small yards, balconies, porches, or other small spaces.

Small yards

If you have access to a small yard, plenty of opportunities are available! Of course, you will not be able to plant lots of large plants, but that doesn’t mean you cannot p...

Thanks to L. K. Benson for sharing this blog on planning ideas for 2022.

As we start 2022, there is still a lot of uncertainty in our lives, even beyond the ongoing pandemic concerns. The investment markets have started off the year with a lot of volatility. Interest rates will be rising, and inflation is high. Congress is dysfunctional and we have no idea what may happen with tax changes in the near future. It is easy to get caught up in the wild swings of things or be frozen by indecision in times like these. All of this makes it that much more important to step back and think about your clients’ overall financial planning and goals to make sure their planning is where it should be.  

On a recent AICPA webcast I moderated with Scott Sprinkle, Michael Goodman, and Sue Stevens, w...

Thanks to Clean Sweep for this episode of Tips from the Pros about getting chimney liner insulation.

Spring is just a few weeks away at last. Maryland winters can linger with us a little longer than we’d prefer. A cold March is ahead of us. Perhaps chimney liner insulation can add a boost of efficiency and safety through the remainder of the winter.

What Is Chimney Liner Insulation?

Chimney liner insulation exists to improve the safety and efficiency of chimney systems, all while reducing the cost of maintenance. The insulation helps to keep combustion gasses hot until they exit through the chimney flue. This means that the liner in your chimney will accumulate less dangerous creosote and moisture.

There are two main types of chimney liner insulations: the insulation blank...

Thanks to Cindy Bernstein of Aim4Order for this episode of Tips from the Pros on tips to organize the bedroom.

The bedroom is your oasis, a place to go to get away from it all. However, in many cases, it becomes a cluttered room that does the opposite of what you want. Here are 12 tips to organize the bedroom.

Start with decluttering

As always, decluttering is the first step. Make sure everything in your bedroom has a home. Put clothes, shoes and cosmetics away. Don’t leave things laying around.

Always make your bed

Every day, make your bed when you get out of it. It’s a good habit to start. An unmade bed always makes the room look messier, even if it’s not too cluttered.

Surfaces

Dressers, desks and nightstands can accumulate clutter...

This is a reprint of a blog from Treehuggers on alternatives to cut flowers by Melissa Breyer.

Say I love you with these lovely living gifts that go easy on the planet.

Oh how we love to give flowers to our beloved on holidays. It’s estimated that sending 100 million roses – the number of roses American will give their Valentines alone each year – produces around 9,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions between field and florist. (The average American household has a carbon footprint of 48 metric tons a year, notes The Washington Post in an article on the topic.)

That hefty footprint comes courtesy of the fact that 80 percent of the flowers are imported, most grown in energy-guzzling greenhouses and drenched with toxic chemicals – and once cut, require a long journey...

Thanks to the University of Maryland/Maryland Grows this informative article on growing lettuce in the midst of winter.

Homegrown lettuce in the dead of winter or the heat of late summer? It’s possible with hydroponics. And you don’t need a fancy setup with electric pumps and a water circulation system. The Kratky method lets you do it with a grow light and an empty coffee bin. 

Developed by horticulturist Bernard A. Kratky of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the Kratky method is ridiculously simple. Plant roots need access to oxygen. When grown outdoors, a plant’s roots find this oxygen in air pockets within the ground. In a commercial hydroponic system, pumps circulate air to the plants’ roots...

Thanks to Clean Sweep for this episode of Tips from the Pros about achieving peace of mind and comfort this winter with a chimney inspection.

Snow is seemingly in the forecast every week here in Maryland. It’s the perfect time of year to maximize warmth and coziness with a nice fire. However, you should think twice before lighting your next one. When is the last time you had a proper chimney inspection and cleaning performed?

A brief glance up the chimney just to make sure everything looks reasonable, and no visible damage is present isn’t a thorough enough approach.  Even if a chimney has been out of use for an extended period, there could still be creosote residue left behind...

Thanks to Cindy Bernstein of Aim4Order for this episode of Tips from the Pros on how do you know if it’s clutter.

You want to get rid of the clutter in your home, but how do you know if it’s clutter or something else? When you see objects around your home on a daily basis, they just become part of the landscape. After a while, you don’t even notice the clutter. Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help you.

Do you use it?

We all have things around the house we never use, maybe you’re not even sure where it’s stored. That’s clutter. Things go out of style, your tastes change or maybe you were never a big fan of that item at all...

Thanks to the University of Maryland/Maryland Grows this informative article on winter gardening tasks.

Q: Is there any outdoor garden task this time of year that I may be forgetting to do? I’ve foregone a fall clean-up for the benefit of overwintering wildlife, and the lawn and veggie garden are “asleep” for the season.

A: There are a few things that are good to accomplish during the dormant season. Yard tools like pruners, loppers, shovels, spades, and mower blades are best stored clean, sharpened, and oiled. There may be local businesses that offer sharpening services. You can also do it yourself with a metal file or sharpening stone or rod.

Sharpen those blades

Ideally, sharpen mower blades annually so the turf doesn’t...

Thanks to Clean Sweep for this episode of Tips from the Pros about upgrading to a slate roof.

Are you planning to upgrade your roof this year? If so, you’re probably pouring through all of your material options and weighing the pros and cons. There are a lot of roofing materials out there. Each of them offer a host of unique features and benefits. Out of all of the choices, however, we find that slate roofing offers the best combination of perks. Here are the benefits of upgrading to a slate roof!

Long Lasting

It’s no secret that slate roofing costs more than alternatives like asphalt, but there is good reason for it...