Winter Checklist

Print this checklist and prep your home for the winter weather.

	Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season. Ventilation system, such as heat recovery ventilator, filters should be checked every two months.
	After consulting your hot water tank owner’s manual, drain off a dishpan full of water from the clean-out valve at the bottom of your hot water tank to control sediment and maintain efficiency.
	Clean humidifier two or three times during the winter season.
	Vacuum bathroom fan grille.
	Vacuum fire and smoke detectors, as dust or spider webs can prevent them from functioning.
	Vacuum radiator grilles on back of refrigerators and freezers, and empty and clean drip trays.
	Check pressure gauge on all fire extinguishers; recharge or replace if necessary.
	Check fire escape routes, door and window locks and hardware, and lighting around outside of house; ensure family has good security habits.
	Check the basement floor drain to ensure the trap contains water; refill with water if necessary.
	Monitor your home for excessive moisture levels — for example, condensation on your windows, which can cause significant damage over time and pose serious health problems — and take corrective action if necessary.
	Check all faucets for signs of dripping and change washers as needed. Faucets requiring frequent replacement of washers may be in need of repair.
	If you have a plumbing fixture that is not used frequently, such as a laundry tub or spare bathroom sink, tub or shower stall, run some water briefly to keep water in the trap.
	Clean drains in dishwasher, sinks, bathtubs and shower stalls.
	Test plumbing shut-off valves to ensure they are working and to prevent them from seizing.
	Examine windows and doors for ice accumulation or cold air leaks. If found, make a note to repair or replace in the spring.
	Examine attic for frost accumulation. Check roof for ice dams or icicles. If there is excessive frost or staining of the underside of the roof, or ice dams on the roof surface.
	Keep snow clear of gas meters, gas appliance vents, exhaust vents and basement windows.
	Monitor outdoor vents, gas meters and chimneys for ice and snow buildup. Consult with an appropriate contractor or your gas utility for information on how to safely deal with any ice problems you may discover.
	Check electrical cords, plugs and outlets for all indoor and outdoor seasonal lights to ensure fire safety; if worn, or if plugs or cords feel warm to the touch, replace immediately.

 

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Credit Repair

If your credit score is not as high as you would like it to be, read your report vigilantly to find out which factors are most likely having a negative influence on your score, and then work to improve them.

 

Here are some tips, from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), on how to improve your credit score:

 

 

• Always pay your bills on time. Although the payment of your utility bills, such as phone, cable and electricity, is not recorded in your credit report, some cell phone companies may report late payments to the credit-reporting agencies, which could affect your score.
• Try to pay your bills in full by the due date. If you aren't able to do this, pay at least the required minimum amount shown on your monthly credit card statement.
• Try to pay your debts as quickly as possible.
• Don't go over the credit limit on your credit card. Try to keep your balance well below the limit. The higher your balance, the more impact it has on your credit score.
• Reduce the number of credit applications you make. If too many potential lenders ask about your credit in a short period of time, this may have a negative effect on your score. However, your score does not change when you ask for information about your own credit report
• Make sure you have a credit history. You may have a low score because you do not have a record of owing money and paying it back. You can build a credit history by using a credit card. See the next section to find out how.
  

 

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Tips for what to do with your Old Electronics!

RECYCLE

Since electronics are made of precious metals and hazardous materials, it's dangerous to send them to landfills.  Electronics recycling recovers the usable materials from the device and safely disposes of the hazardous waste.  Visit the Electronic Recycling Association website (www.era.ca) for more information.

For a full list of tips and information, please email me at pdaniels11@sympatico.ca

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Strategies for a healthy credit rating

A healthy credit rating is important when buying a house. Here are some tips to ensure your credit rating stays healthy:

1. Borrow fully secured money. Secured debts are those that are backed up by some sort of asset or guarantee. The most common examples are car loans or mortgages. If you don't pay, the creditor sells the "security". When applying for this type of loan, credit will generally be granted up to 75% of the value of the underlying security. A variation on this is to have someone co-sign or guarantee your debt. In this case, they will be granting credit to your co-signer, not you. If you repay the loan, your record will benefit. If you default, the co-signor will be required to pay.
2. Obtain a secured credit card. Placing a sum of money on deposit with a bank and pledging the money as security for the card does this. If you don't make your required payments, the bank will withdraw the money from your deposit and reduce your available credit accordingly.
3.  Borrow for an RRSP. For some reason, banks view people with RRSPs differently. It demonstrates that you're looking towards your future. When you receive your tax refund, use the refund to repay the loan, thereby paying off the debt more quickly then you were required. This will cause a marked improvement in your report.
4.  Borrow when you don't need to. Obtain a small line of credit. Use it to pay bills and then immediately pay off the line. Repeat this process and over time, it will have a marked improvement in your credit report.

 

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Winterizing Your Garden

Snow both protects and endangers plants. A good snow cover insulates the soil like a mulch. In order to keep your plants and trees safe for the long winter months try these tips:  

-       Cut back dry stems of perennials to soil level after frost to neaten the garden and remove pest eggs and disease spores that may linger. Leave stems with attractive seed heads for winter interest.

-       Compost dead plant debris to create an organic soil conditioner. Hot, active piles kill weed seeds and disease pathogens; passive, inactive piles do not. Throw questionable plant material in the trash. 

-       Cut off diseased foliage from evergreen plants and shrubs and discard it in the trash. Rake up and discard the old, disease-bearing mulch, too. 

-       To prevent rodents from nesting in the soil, wait until the ground freezes before adding a 6-inch layer of organic material as winter mulch. 

-       Mulch perennial and shrub beds with pine needles or chopped leaves. This protects both plant roots and the soil and moderates the effects of extreme temperature changes during winter freezes and thaws.

-       Mulch bulb beds with evergreen boughs to protect the soil from shifting and cracking during the winter. Otherwise plants, especially small, shallowly planted bulbs, can be heaved to the surface.

-       Protect the tender bark of young trees from gnawing critters by wrapping stems or trunks with wire or commercial tree-guard products.

-       Screen evergreens, particularly exposed broad-leaved types, from drying winter wind and sun by setting up burlap screens or shade cloth shelters.

 

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Popular Ski Hills in Ontario

Put down that shovel and hit the ski hill for an experience the whole family can enjoy! Listed below are 5 popular ski resorts in Ontario that offer more then just skiing. Visit their websites for more details.

1. Blue Mountain  

Ontario's largest mountain resort in Collingwood, 2 hours north of Toronto. Offers a 720 ft vertical, 36 trails and 14 lifts. A ski vacation destination complete with slope side accommodations.

2. Calabogie Peaks   

Alpine and cross country ski resort located an hour west of Ottawa, Ontario. 760 ft vertical, 22 trails and ski-in ski-out accommodations.

 3. Horseshoe Valley Resort  

A popular ski vacation destination for Toronto area skiers. 304 feet of vertical, 25 runs and 6 lifts. Located one hour north of Toronto off Highway 400 north of Barrie.

 4. Mount St. Louis Moonstone  

Offering 2 mountains, a 550 ft vertical, 40 runs and 100% snowmaking. Located 30 minutes north of Barrie and 1 3/4 hours north of Toronto.

 5. Talisman Mountain Resort    

One of Ontario's ski holiday destination for Toronto area skiers, located in the Beaver Valley area, 2 hours north of Toronto at Kimberely. 600 foot vertical, 6 lifts, 15 runs and a terrain park. Ski-in ski-out lodging options.

 

 

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Popular Reads of 2011

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1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

2. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

3. Bossypants by Tina Fey

4. Room by Emma Donoghue

5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

6. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

8. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

9. Divergent by Veronica Roth

10.Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

11. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

12. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

13. Shadow Fever by Karen Marie Moning

14. Matched by Allie Condie

15. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

16. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

17. Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward

18. This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

19. One Day by David Nicholls

20. Where She Went by Gayle Forman

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